I cant quit smoking!!! Help!!!!
mrodriguez1082
Posts: 28 Member
I am really struggling with quitting smoking! I try time and time again but its so hard for me! Im so weak when it comes to this. Has anyone overcome this? If so, do u have any good tips for me?
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Replies
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I quit once...it was hard.......I remember crying I wanted one so bad...so I would just go to bed...honestly.
Can't always do that tho.
Distraction is the key. Go for a walk, take up a hobby, brush your teeth, chew sugar free candy or gum...good luck..
I will join you later....0 -
The only thing that worked for me was the e-cig. The flavors are awesome and with different nicotine levels you can wean yourself off.0
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Hey there! You're not weak. You're addicted. It's addictive! But you can overcome it
I helped a close friend quit. I did this by clapping my hands and cheering every time she took out a cigarette, telling her things like "What an amazing decision!" She didn't get mad at me like she would have if I had been mean about it (she usually laughed and other people joined in too), but it still made her feel guilty for what she was doing to herself. Maybe you have a close friend that can help you quit?
I'm also working on my parents who, having smoked for 30+ years, are not as easily convinced to stop. I bought them little plastic filters, which they use because they're no hassle, you just pop em on the end and smoke your regular cigarettes... they were cheap too, disposable. They watch them fill up with tar which helps them understand that it's bad for them, the visual turns them off to it kinda. They also bought patches and tons of gum/candy (go sugarless!) and ecigs just for the sake of putting something in their mouths and smoking it. Different things work for different people. It also may help to stay hydrated (keep your mouth busy with water rather than cigs) and to do cardio! You'll realize you're totally out of breath and that you could do more/better if you didn't smoke.
Best of luck to you!0 -
I quit... several times, in fact! I did it cold turkey each time but I would go a couple of years without a problem then as soon as something majorly stressful happened I went running back to the nicotine. My husband's been a smoker for our entire relationship and has never once attempted to quit which it makes it a lot harder for me to really kick the habit so this last time I decided I'd get some help. I've been on Chantix since February (and that's when my last cig was). Cravings are gone and when I create a distraction for myself, I'm able to really get into and not even think about smoking.0
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The only thing that worked for me was the e-cig. The flavors are awesome and with different nicotine levels you can wean yourself off.
worked for me as well.0 -
I quit for 9 months last year, now a smoker again because I'm an idiot... i used champix (that may not be spelt correctly). It really helped. Next time i try quitting again I'm definitely going back to the doctor for a perscription. It cut my cravings way down like nothing else i tried.0
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Third time was the final time for me. Quit cold turkey. Well over 2 packs a day and had smoked for over 20 years.
Today is my 10th anniversary as a non-smoker. I just kept telling myself 72 hours. I was completely focused on that number and just kept telling myself after the first 72 hours it was all mental. That and butterscotch lifesavers got me through it.
You can do it. You will not be sorry.
72 hours.....go for it!!!0 -
hardest thing i've ever had to do. it takes a lot of tries. but eventually i just liked exercising more than i liked smoking.0
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I quit 1.5 years ago by switching to an e-cig. I was one of those people who was NEVER going to quit smoking. I got a decent e-cig and never looked back. It was easier than I ever could've imagined. I'm down to 6mg of nicotine (which is very little, a cig has around 20mg I believe) and I have no desire to smoke. It's definitely worth a try if you are struggling to quit (I quit without even meaning to!).0
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A couple years ago I quit smoking and started Vaping and it allowed me to stop smoking cold turkey. I now vape very rarely. One of the great things about vaping is it doesn't stink like cigarettes. Plus it doesn't have the toxins that cigs have. I started off with e-cigarettes for a few days and then bought an actual device (provari) and juice so I could vape different flavors and lower the nicotine levels in them. Worked great for me.0
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I quit once...it was hard.......I remember crying I wanted one so bad...so I would just go to bed...honestly.
Can't always do that tho.
Distraction is the key. Go for a walk, take up a hobby, brush your teeth, chew sugar free candy or gum...good luck..
I will join you later....
I used to get mad and go to bed when I first quit. Now I know that's actually a strategy. I also did not diet for the first three seeks when I quit and I ate a whole lot of sugar. When I had a craving for a cig I would say to myself, "Wow, it feels like I want a cigarette but I don't smoke so I must want chocolate." I gained 8 pounds but I've lost it again and it was worth it.0 -
how much do you want to quit? If you really wanted to quit, you would.
The only success stories ive heard of people quitting are the ones that really really want to quit0 -
how much do you want to quit? If you really wanted to quit, you would.
The only success stories ive heard of people quitting are the ones that really really want to quit
i appreciate what you're saying to the OP, but man, smoking is an addiction, both mentally and physically. i know people that haven't smoked in forty years that still jones for one on occasion.0 -
The whole reason why you can't quit is because you have the mindset that you can't. You say "I'm weak", "I can't quit", etc. and that only reinforces the idea consciously that you can't do it, so you never will. Coming from someone who quit cold turkey almost 3 years ago now, it's ALL in your mind. If you want to quit and truly believe that you will, then you will. Until then, as long as you hold onto the notion that you're "too weak" to quit, you will continue to make excuses like that for the rest of your life. It really is that simple!0
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The only thing that worked for me was the e-cig. The flavors are awesome and with different nicotine levels you can wean yourself off.
worked for me as well.
+10 -
I've quit a couple times. This last time was because I wanted to get pregnant and I knew I wouldn't pick it up again b/c I didn't want to be a parent who smokes. It's been 6 or 7 years and as with weight loss, I just had to really want it enough.
My husband had much harder time. He ended up vaping instead. Not ideal but it's better than cigarettes.
Good luck!0 -
I only stopped smoking because I couldn't afford to buy them.0
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Be careful if you decide to go the Chantix route.
It changed my whole personality and I was not even aware of it.
Learned this thru husband and a good friend.
It probably works well for many , but not for me.0 -
My story is rough but I'll share. My uncle died of lung cancer. Being at the hospital/hospice with my family, just waiting....seeing what it did to his body (it moved from his lungs into his brain) and what it did to his kids and my aunt...it was rough. When he passed, my family gathered in his room around his bed and I led us in prayer while everyone just cried. I haven't had one since. I quit cold turkey. When I wanted one, I just imagined that moment and the desire was gone. Now I can not stand cigarette smoke at all! My grandmother quit after she had a stroke and she smoked for 50 plus years. My father in law quit after he got cancer to help with his recovery and he smoked for 30 something years I think. They both quit cold turkey.
Prepare for the withdrawals and suffer through it. To me cold turkey was easy because I felt that when I would smoke again, I'd have to start all that all over again and didn't want to any longer.0 -
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Honestly, those cheesy commercials that talk about how to quit are right. You have to want to do it, seriously. If you are a serious then set a quit date. Don't annouce it to the world. Some people will try to be helpful, but really they are just making you feel bad.
When your quit date comes make sure you have sugar-free hard candy and gum handy in your purse, office desk drawer, glove box of car, wherever because most people need a replacement during those times they normally would have one. Brush your teeth after eating because no one likes to mess up fresh breath. I also used to bring carrot sticks to work and eat them during breaks while reading a book, when I would have normally been smoking. If you work, take walks during your normal cigarette breaks but avoid the smokers area. You may have to skip going on break with friends who still smoke fotr awhile. For me a big thing was drinking - I stopped drinking for a few weeks because I always seemed to smoke a lot more when I drank and it was big trigger for me.
This is what I did when I quit smoking in 2006. I had a couple slip-ups when I cheated, but I never actually became a "smoker" again. It was hard, but was the BEST decision I ever made!0 -
I stopped cold turkey.
It truly takes a made up mind.
It's tough and sucks and the first 3-5 days are hell!!!
Careful not to fall into the snacking, junk-out replacement phase.
The habit of hand to mouth causes this along with boredom.
Here's some truth for you.
I could grab a smoke right now and be back at a pack a day.
Been just over 2 years for me.
The cravings still come and go.
So long story short it CAN be done!!
Stay active.....craving comes....go run, lift, etc.
Even something as simple as grab a friend and have a conversation for distraction.
Good luck....just NEVER stop trying and don't give into the urges.
You can do this!!!0 -
Me too! I haven't had a single cigarette since I got an e-cig (Kanger Evod starter kit) four months ago. Now I'm going to start lowering the nicotine levels in the juice I buy to zero, and eventually be nicotine free.The only thing that worked for me was the e-cig. The flavors are awesome and with different nicotine levels you can wean yourself off.0 -
Chantix is the devil...my husband is lucky I did not murder him when he was on it..I ended up throwing his Chantix out...Be careful if you decide to go the Chantix route.
It changed my whole personality and I was not even aware of it.
Learned this thru husband and a good friend.
It probably works well for many , but not for me.0 -
I quit 3 weeks ago, with the help of Chantix. What finally pushed me over the edge was this:
I started putting the money aside which I would have spent on smokes...$30-50 per week. That's a lot of money to put into something else that I really, really want. I used that money to buy a gym membership, some adjustable dumbbells and bands for home, and now I'm saving up for a new HRM or fitness monitor (it should only take two months of cigarette money to get even the priciest of monitors.)
When I have a craving, I either brush my teeth or do something physical, like a jog (if I have time) or just pick up some dumbbells and do some quick rows or presses. I try to really think about how a few weeks ago, this thing I'm doing was a lot more difficult. I try to really think, while running or walking, about how my lungs feel.
Unfortunately, I've also taken to snacking to fill that craving, but I'm trying to do so wisely with low-cal options, preportioned into 50 or 100 calorie baggies, so there's no waiting or guesswork.0 -
I haven't smoked not even a single hit on 2014 ... still miss it tho ... specially when I'm really stressed out :-(
since I cant eat my frustration i work out or go for a ride on my motorcycle0 -
Chantix is the devil...my husband is lucky I did not murder him when he was on it..I ended up throwing his Chantix out...Be careful if you decide to go the Chantix route.
It changed my whole personality and I was not even aware of it.
Learned this thru husband and a good friend.
It probably works well for many , but not for me.
I've never had an issue with Chantix, but many people have. Apparently, if you have any sort of mental or emotional issue, it will exacerbate it. If you get nightmares, it will make those worse, too. I'm pretty lucky that I don't have any of those issues, so the only side effect I've had is occasional nausea if I take it on an empty stomach. And it's working pretty well. I'm not taking the full recommended dosage any more. I'm stretching out my last month, because I just don't feel that I need it.0 -
how much do you want to quit? If you really wanted to quit, you would.
The only success stories ive heard of people quitting are the ones that really really want to quit
i appreciate what you're saying to the OP, but man, smoking is an addiction, both mentally and physically. i know people that haven't smoked in forty years that still jones for one on occasion.
Yeah theyre jonsing of course, but they dont cave in...I know a lot of people who have quit and who have the intention to quit, the intention stays but the willpower is never there.0 -
I quit 1.5 years ago by switching to an e-cig. I was one of those people who was NEVER going to quit smoking. I got a decent e-cig and never looked back. It was easier than I ever could've imagined. I'm down to 6mg of nicotine (which is very little, a cig has around 20mg I believe) and I have no desire to smoke. It's definitely worth a try if you are struggling to quit (I quit without even meaning to!).
This is me too, although I've only been using my e-cig for about 3 months. I haven't taken a puff on a real cig since I bought it. I looked into e-cigs for almost 6 months before I finally made the jump. I've only bumped down 1 nicotine level, but I bump down whenever I buy a new bottle (which is in a couple of days lol).
Yes, you could quit cold turkey, and there are people that succeed that way. But there are other options out there that lead to success as well.0
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