Time to QUIT SMOKING, any tips?
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I smoked for 15 yrs. I got off of it gradually and then finally quit. The worst part was the "normal" times that I would smoke. After diner, driving to work. When those times come up change your habit. drive a different way with a cold drink or something. Walk after dinner. Go to different places than your norm.
I am now 15 yrs quit and I am glad for it! Persistence! It will get you though!0 -
Lots of good advice here. You may have to try several different things. The nicotine replacements didn't work for me at all, nor did exposure to sick people. Having another smoker in the house made it almost impossible for me to quit because the cigarettes were constantly available. When that changed, I threw them all out along with all the ashtrays, lighters, everything, knowing I was in for a rough ride for about a month, but it was a lot easier when the cigarettes simply weren't there. Going out to buy them was a deliberate decision I knew I wasn't going to make. If you don't have them, you can't smoke them. It really is hard to get through for the first 6 weeks or so, then it does get easier.
Good luck! You'll feel so much better once you quit.0 -
IMO, and I know it is hard (20 years of smoking everything quit cold turkey), it does centre on the mindset.
You can't crave what you don't want, if you don't want it then no willpower is required, no suffering, no hardship, no sense of deprivation, you really need to see that smoking has NO benefits, whatsoever. No 'It will keep me lean'. No 'It will stop me being bored'. None of those justifications that smokers go through.
So, as some will have guessed by now, I am a fan of the Allen Carr Easy Way route. Book, DVD, whatever it takes. That deprogrammed me and I can still quote it even a few years later. I couldn't actually say when I quit because it just seems like I was a different person then.
I used to trot out the usual justifications for doing it but these days I feel pity, not a yearning, when I see someone smoking.
If anyone wants a pointer to where they can get it online, message me.
My dad died from lung cancer and it didn't stop me starting the habit AFTER I watched him die. People smoke for all kinds of odd reasons, shock tactics will push some further into the habit. You HAVE to change the mindset.
Same as weight loss, whodathunkit?
Good luck y'all take care of yerselves.0 -
First of all you must want to quit smoking. Really want it. This addiction is really strong and it is comparable only to heavy drugs. So if that scared you than visit whyquit.com. That's even scarier huh? So now that you know the basics from a fellow x-smoker (I went from 4 packs to 0 cigs in one night) to a future one: Life is better without smoking. This might be hard for you to understand now but if you quit you'll be amazed what the changes are. Do not fear of some weight gain. Food kills way slower and after you have succesfully quit smoking, trust me, there won't be many things that will look difficult to tackle. So good luck and if it doesn't work with the first time take a break and try again when you feel strong enough.0
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I was smoking longer than you've been alive and quit in the middle of losing this weight. I just did it cold turkey. Like everyone said, you have to really want to be ready to quit. Make sure you note the times, places and situations that you really really want a cigarette, so you can avoid them or change your habits when you do quit. Pick a date and TELL EVERYONE that is the day you're going to quit. When I quit, I told my daughter to come outside, when she did, I told her she was witnessing me smoke my last cigarette for the rest of my life. (Of course she didn't believe me at the time). Get some gum, mints whatever to help with the habit of smoking. I used the website www.neversmokeagain.com. It's free and if you follow it, believe in it, I think it will help. Make sure you get rid of all ashtrays, lighters and cigarettes the day you quit. If possible, avoid smokers the first couple days. I only had a hard time the first day. I also avoided alcohol for the first month because I knew that was a huge trigger for smoking for me in the past. Just make sure you prepare, prepare, and prepare some more, and then commit to it and stay with it. Once you get thru the first couple days, it's pretty easy.0
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IF you have smart phone, Live strong has a free app to quit smoking: step down style and tracks craving. Helps break patterns. Also there are others. Many health care insurers provider nicotine patches, medications and counseling/ coaching for free or deep discounts.
I know it sounds weird, but don't try to stop unless you are really ready or you will fail. I started smoking at 14, quit several times over the years but got serious 2 yrs ago with live strong and smoke free since. I wish you success!0 -
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I would switch to e-cigs. They have none of the harmful chemicals (besides nicotine) and you can use these to wean yourself off of cigarettes. I personally never smoked cigarettes, I smoked a lot of hookah tobacco. The switch was easy! So convenient, my breathing problems quit altogether, and you just feel better about your body for not inhaling all those carcinogens!
There are different levels of nicotine to choose from, so you can start with a level you are comfortable with, then slowly bring the nicotine content down. They even make 0 nicotine content flavors so you can still get the habit of smoking, yet not have any nicotine.
There are TONS of flavors out there to try, including tobacco flavored ones if you're really feeling that kind of craving. It's MUCH cheaper than smoking as well.
I don't know where you live, but just search for a vapor bar in your area. They'll usually let you try for free.0 -
I was successful with nicotine patches with the following 12 week program.
Week 1 - 4: 21mg nicotine patches (24hour)
Week 5 - 9: 14mg nicotine patches (24 hour)
Week 9 - 12: 7mg nicotine patches (24 hour).
I gave up over 10 years ago and haven't had a cigarette (nor felt like one) since.
wishing you all the best,
Ben
I quit this way too. Four months ago to the day! I had to take the patch off at night, or I had crazy stupid realistic dreams. Also had to find the spots my skin could tolerate it and put it in a different place every day. Yes, it's expensive. But not near as expensive as a life time of smoking! Good luck!!!! This is my second quit, the first one last 4 years, and I used wellbutrin for it. Once you quit, don't EVER think you can handle just one.....it will probably lead to years of smoking again!0 -
I'm in the same boat here ..I know its bed ..I know its dumb but still can't find my willpower and decide i really want to quit.
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I smoked 1-2 packs a day for 15 years. I tried to quit many times cold turkey and by tapering down. When I finally made up my mind that this was THE day, I got the patches. I used the step-down kind of patches and even had to do each step twice. You still get cravings, but not as bad.
When I would get a craving, I would use a "sugar-free" Tootsie pop to help me through the craving. They only last a short time, so I'd wrap the Pop back up when the craving tapered off and save it for the next time. I didn't eat a full pop each time. One would last me all day. But it gave me something to do with my hands and mouth while riding out the craving. You know, that "oral fixation" Sigmund Freud talked about. ha!
Good luck to you!!! YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!0 -
I smoked 1-2 packs a day for 15 years. I tried to quit many times cold turkey and by tapering down. When I finally made up my mind that this was THE day, I got the patches. I used the step-down kind of patches and even had to do each step twice. You still get cravings, but not as bad.
When I would get a craving, I would use a "sugar-free" Tootsie pop to help me through the craving. They only last a short time, so I'd wrap the Pop back up when the craving tapered off and save it for the next time. I didn't eat a full pop each time. One would last me all day. But it gave me something to do with my hands and mouth while riding out the craving. You know, that "oral fixation" Sigmund Freud talked about. ha!
Good luck to you!!! YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!
Oh, and I've been quit for 20 years! Not a single cig in that time.0 -
Easy Way to Stop Smoking by Allen Carr. Visit the website and check out the book reviews on Amazon.com. No cravings, no weight gain. Believe it or not, yes... a simple book. And, no. I'm not a paid endorser, haha.0
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Everyone here may not agree with this, but it worked for me.
I went to e-digs - more specifically a shisha tank kit. You can buy them anywhere now.
I originally used the nicotine e-liquid, then scaled the strength down. I use 0% nicotine fruit flavours.
That way the quitting is gradual and you will not go crazy with cravings. Nicotine is a very difficult drug to quit - some peoppe manage cold turkey, but a lot fail that way. Giving your hands a job with the shisha is a way of doing it gradually and you will find that you dont feel so deprived.
In addition, there is no tobacco in a shisha - no cancer causing chemicals, tar or nasty stuff.
I'd give it a go - at least there is no harm in trying.
Good luck - and I applaud you for wanting to quit the tobacco.
^^^^ this i last had a cigarette in march. do it - you'll never look back 0 -
I just went cold turkey after 20 years of smoking. It's been 20 years now, and I don't ever crave them. It must have just been the right time for me.
When I quit I did switch to menthol gum - i.e., peppermint or wintergreen. When I'd breathe in fast I got a sort of "hit" and it felt good. Also, had to quit drinking coffee as it began to taste like burnt rubber with no cigs to go with it.
Good luck!0 -
I have never smoked, but have chain smoking parents who waited too long to give up.
Dad had a small stroke and is recovering.
My mum is now in end-stage COPD, in a wheelchair, on 24-hour oxygen, deteriorating rapidly. This might be her last year.
My parents are only in their mid-60s.
I spent my whole life pleading they should give up.
It's a real shame it came to this.
Good luck.0 -
PS: All her life my mother used the excuse of not wanting to gain weight as an excuse to carry on smoking. As her daughter I would have much rather that she was a bit more than her 115 pounds, but lived a bit longer.0
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wellbutin and the nicotine mints are what finally did it for me!! and honestly it only takes a few days of craving before your over it so just go one hour at a time and before you know it ,it will be a week and you will see the cravings are manageable!!there are so many good reasons not to smoke(no cough,not smelling, money, health ect)just set your mind to it and go one day at a time and you will be there before you know it!! good luck!0
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E-cigarettes. Honestly. If you're working at a job where taking a cigarette break is one of the few times you DO get a break, buy an e-cigarette. Then take a break and go outside (but don't go to your usual smoking place -- that's a pretty strong environmental cue! go someplace new!) and "smoke" your e-cigarette for 10 minutes. Take the time to drink some water, too.
Remember that to break a bad habit, you need to replace an old behavior with a new one. Keeping a diary of your smoking cues will help, too. Where are you when you crave a cigarette? What are you doing? What are / were you eating or drinking? Who are you with?
I quit 3 months ago and my partner smokes like a chimney, but I've managed to stay strong!0 -
I started smoking at 15 years old and quit at 40, with a 13 month quit in there before my last quit also. When I turned 40, I decided to quit my 2 pack a day habit again. Both my parents had smoked and died of lung cancer, even though my dad's was diagnosed years after he quit. I did not want to be like them and suffer and put my family though that either. My personal opinion is that it does not matter how you quit. Whether it be cold turkey, the patch, the gum, the losenges, the e-cigarettes, Chantix or what have you. As long as you do it. I firmly believe that the more support you have the better quitting will be fore you. Some things I did when I quit this last time was change up my routine first thing in the morning. I hopped in the shower, where I normally did that a night. I drank juice instead of coffee first thing in the morning, I walked a lot! I did not go down to my office at home and hop on the computer right away as that was where I smoked a lot in the mornings. I joined an online quitting support group. There are many, just google them or email me and I can let you know. I took it one minute, hour, day at a time. Whatever it took. I made a list of reasons to quit smoking. I had a long list LOL!
I will have 8 years without a cigarette on September 8 of this year and am so very grateful for each day I don't smoke. It is one of the best things I have done for myself, besides quitting drinking and losing this weight. I will support you in any way I can and you can add me as a friend if you like. I always tell people that I had to be ready and want it, however, I did not want to quit because I HAD to due to some health problems. Pneumonia, 9 months before I quit the last time was enough for this chick. Just don't give up once you quit, even if you fall back. You are so worth being healthy. Good luck to you and I meant what I said, I am here for you.
Karen0 -
I started smoking when I was 13 and quit when I was 23, I was smoking 25 cigs a day and I haven't had one in 3 1/2 years, since the day I read Allen Carr's Easyway to stop smoking, totally recommend it!0
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Im a non smoker now, but had 2 previous attempts at stopping smoking which were both sucessful. I agree with Ben in that patches are great. You can go to your GP and take part in a stop smoking program which means all patches and inhalers are covered by the cost of a monthly prescription if in the UK and you will get everything you need to support you for the first 3 months. I was such a heavy smoker that I smoked while wearing the first patch until it kicked in an hour later. By the end of the 3 month program I was done, never smoked again for 5 or 6 years. After a small relapse I tried method 2 which has worked for me for the last 10 years. I went cold turkey, I found a great website called quit stop or something like that which wont even let you join weirdly enough until youve stopped for the first 72 hours. But the basic principles are for the first 3 days you only actually get a maximum of 6 cravings a day which last 1 and a half minutes each, you basically count them out next to a clock and realise each of those 18 cravings over 3 days are one step closer to being free of cigarettes. You have to visualise cigarettes as a monster/demon pitted against you and decide you are going to be the winner here, you arent denying yourself anything, you need to swivel your attitude around to the fact you are ESCAPING you are going to be liberated from your addiction and set free.Yes you may well think about them all day long for the first few weeks but that isnt an actual craving, I think about being married to Johnny Depp all day long too but that isnt going to happen either lol. So......if you can get through the nicotine withdrawal stage, then chewing gum is the way to go, you may want to eat round the clock as a replacement but that is a huge mistake, chew gum, chew the ends of pencils, just dont chew food.
love it that sounds awesome0 -
My mom and dad have been smokers since they were teens (now in their late 50s). They quit over a month ago when a lifelong family friend died from smoking. My parents decided to get those e-cigarette things. Apparently, those things have enough nicotine to satisfy the cravings and my parents try all the different flavored oil things to see what they like. My mom's slowly weaning off the nicotine in the oils as well. It doesn't work for everyone though-my brother still smokes while using the e-cigarette but he definitely cut down a lot.
Just a suggestion! Good for you for trying to make such a HUGELY positive life change! :flowerforyou:
I have one too and it helps sometimes, but sometimes too it makes me want a real smoke...lol...and THANK YOU!!! 0 -
I have just had a trip to the local stop smoke clinic this morning and have my patches and gum ready to go
Thank you to the OP for making this topic as so many people have put some great tips up that will also help me too
I have been smoking 20 years and cut from 20 a day to 6 with an e-cig but have gone for the patches and gum now ..... almost there!
We can do this
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Ecigs - but NOT the garage brought ones - the eshisha type ones with the clearomiser attachment and eliquid are the best ones....
I did it by starting at max nicotine strength.. then each week i reduced the strength of the liquids i use... a month later and now i have 0% nicotine eliquid and very rarely use it......
It works great but year decent liquid and a clearomiser ecig is what made the difference with me.0 -
For me, the toughest part of not smoking is breaking the rituals that go with smoking. Smokers have these rituals, after a meal, after sex, after whatever. It also breaks up boredom. It's something to do with your hands. All that stuff needs to be dealt with. The physical part of it wasn't nearly as difficult as the psychological part. I would also recommend staying away from alcohol for a little while. There is such a strong overwhelming relationship with drinking and smoking.
I don't believe in patches and pills and all that stuff. Just stop it, change your behavior to follow your thoughts and everything follows. I can't imagine smoking now.
Great advice I have started to notice that, I am trying to decrease big time at the moment and distract myself from when I would normally have one0 -
Ecigs - but NOT the garage brought ones - the eshisha type ones with the clearomiser attachment and eliquid are the best ones....
I did it by starting at max nicotine strength.. then each week i reduced the strength of the liquids i use... a month later and now i have 0% nicotine eliquid and very rarely use it......
It works great but year decent liquid and a clearomiser ecig is what made the difference with me.
Where is everyone getting these?0 -
Hi, I started at 14, stopped successfully at last at 34 after several failed attempts. One of my biggest achievements in life and what a sense of freedom as cigs controlled me! I knew I needed more help than before to succeed so I got the Alan Carr book, made a hypno appointment and had the fantastic chewing gum which, (unike patches I think?) gave me a quick nicotine fix when desperate/weak. I used the gum for a year but only took a quarter of a piece at atime and weaned off to ordinary gum then none so by that year end I was on very little nicotene gum. No gum now, well occassionally but nothing to do with smoking! Best of luck!!!0
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I have to agree with many of the post so there is no point in repeating all that has been said. So I will tell how I did it finally. I was your age started between 11 & 12 and quit at 22 That was in 1963. I had tried everything over a long period time and kept failing. When I quit I was smoking or burning 4 packs a day.
This will sound ridiculous but I finally came to a point where I decided that I was going to quit and Made A PROMSE To Myself that I would no longer smoke. Everytime I thought about lighting up I had to face the fact that If I couldn't keep this Promise to myself I was no one, It worked and wasn't easy but I have not had a cigarette in my mouth since that day this 8/5/2013 and never will again!!!
I have had many people laugh at his story but it is TRUE. GOOD LUCK You can do it to.0 -
Ecigs - but NOT the garage brought ones - the eshisha type ones with the clearomiser attachment and eliquid are the best ones....
I did it by starting at max nicotine strength.. then each week i reduced the strength of the liquids i use... a month later and now i have 0% nicotine eliquid and very rarely use it......
It works great but year decent liquid and a clearomiser ecig is what made the difference with me.
This!!
I got mine from "www.totallywicked-eliquid.co.uk" - they have stores everywhere as well (in the UK) they are very knowledgeable and they work much better than e-cigs (I had a VIP e-cig before, they just made me want a real one, and gave me a cough!) I quit a month ago today!!! using the clearomiser (I brought the Tornado kit). I had been smoking since I was 19, I gave up last month at 34yrs and 11 months Old! :-) I am still "vaping" as they call it but far less frequently and in the next fortnight I will drop the nicotine again!0
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