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I want to quit smoking.
Meiz
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
This habit is fucking dumb however, what's worked in the past, like the patch, is having adverse effects. Like causing severe panic attacks even though I'm on medication for that.
What I'd like are some ideas, suggestions and general input from smokers who have managed to quit in the past.
What I'd like are some ideas, suggestions and general input from smokers who have managed to quit in the past.
Meiz on
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Also, why not lend more magnitude to your decision by improving yourself in other areas as well? Drugs, alcohol, unhealthy foods - whatever other bad habits you have, you might try to nix them simultaneously (just a thought).
When my parents quit smoking, they did it together, and that was one thing that helped them tremendously.
This is a bad idea. Quitting smoking by itself is a huge change in your way of life, and will be quite the shock to your system. Compounding this by simultaneously quitting all of your bad habits at once is setting yourself up for a very quick failure. Go slowly and take it one change at a time.
At the beginning of summer I quit smoking for over a month. I was so proud of myself for making it that long (with what felt at the time like very little effort) that I decided to eliminate my other bad habits in the same manner. Long story short, the habits are still there plus I'm smoking again.
I quit smoking for six months and, due to my job/friends, couldn't keep it off. I'm about to take the plunge again (any day now, I swear!) and I'm dreading it.
So my hat's off to you, and I wish you good luck. It's a long road but it'll be well worth it.
absolutely. the number one change i made when i quit smoking was seeing less of my friends that smoked. that sucked for a little bit, but it's so easy for your willpower to give out beneath you when one of your friends pulls out his pack.
as an addendum, try to avoid drinking (assuming you drink) anywhere you're allowed to smoke, or at least around people who are smoking. in my experience, relapses have been ~95% alcohol related, so try to limit your drinking to situations where you can't easily obtain cigarettes.
Make sure you throw out anything that helps you smoke (lighters, ashtrays obviously ciggarettes) if it's harder for you to grab a ciggarette and smoke it in the first place it will be easier for you not to smoke.
When you want a ciggarette, have a glass of water.
Some people find if usefull to get a pickle jar and fill it with water and old ciggarette butts when they really want a smoke they open the lid and have a sniff it apparently puts some people off.
Other people find it usefull to hold a pen in their hands as well to replace holding a ciggarette.
Obviously there are patches and whatnot.
Also set a date, and don't have a binge before the date, having a target date to quit then gets rid of the I'll do it next week mentality.
Also remember a relapse is a sign of weakness not failure, if you smoke one by accident toughen up and try harder don't give in just because you have had one.
Satans..... hints.....
"I was born; six gun in my hand; behind the gun; I make my final stand"~Bad Company
This is a bad idea. Basing a relationship decision on a physical addiction is just asking for failure, as seen above.
Now, having a girlfriend who wants you to quit, and is supportive of that, can be incredibly helpful.
"I was born; six gun in my hand; behind the gun; I make my final stand"~Bad Company
Friend of mine smoked about five a day. And has tried and failed multiple times to quit. People often forget there is a psychological aspect to addiction, even with hard drugs. In short, if you really want it bad enough, and tell yourself you don't need to smoke, and believe it. You'll be fine.
Best of luck!
STEAM
Perhaps everytime you want to have a cigarette, instead have a piece of fruit (banana, apple, orange), this way you are not going the candy route like some smokers do and you are eating a healthy intake of fruits which most people lack.
It's weird, I know.
1. Make rules for yourself like no smoking in your home.
2. Avoid the peanut gallery that smokes, peers are such enablers.
3. Learn to hate the cigarette companies. Think about, do they really care if you die from lung cancer?
Changing my routine helped tremendously towards my quitting.
I wouldn't allow myself to smoke in the car on the way to work, or in the car on the way home, or in the car AT ALL. At first i would only smoke on my breaks and after meals. Then I removed the after meals and after coffee cigarettes. If you do it one routine step at a time, its much more manageable.
I however did have to cut back on the social drinking to a reasonable amount because even after i quit, I found it really really really hard to not smoke when partying.
I agree with the poster that said to NOT change your other unhealthy habits at the same time. If you've smoked enough to become addicted its going to be kinda shitty during the first few days/weeks while you quit. Once you are over the headaches and the antsy-ness, feel free to improve other areas, but your main focus should be on changing the habitual part of your daily life that you've fit smoking into.
Once your need for a cigarette is purely nicotine addiction and not as a matter of habit, you'll have a much easier time with the withdrawl symptoms and the whole bit.
Not really, I use toothpicks from time to time.
It's probably worth seeing if your local library has a copy and giving it a read.
The easiest way to quit smoking is to actually kick the habit of places and times your accustomed to smoking. Once smoking becomes a abnormal event that you only go out of your way to do when the nicotine need is causing symptoms, its much easier for the nicotine replacement drugs / the patch to bring you down from that addiction.
MWO: Adamski
What worked best for me was physical activity; heavy cardio. I found that once you cough up some mucus and wheeze for a couple hours the desire for a cigarette doesn't exist anymore. The increased endurance you develop adds a nice incentive that I wanted to keep.
Also, toothpicks and bubblegum. They work best together(oral fixation and flavor combo).
I've tried before then to quit without help from drugs and failed miserably, and I've tried without drugs again, now that I stupidly picked it up again (turning 21 and drinking a lot more will do that apparently). I personally plan on hitting up my doctor for a prescription of it again next time I go in.
It's pricey, but it works. It basically gets rid of the physical cravings altogether. Sure, you'll still want a cigarette, but you won't need a cigarette. A few of the people I've talked to that have been on it said that it will make you feel sick too if you smoke while on it.
I'm pretty sure a month's supply is about 80-100 bucks. Plus you'll need to talk to a doctor and shell out to them to get the prescription written. It is covered by insurance though. And it's cheaper than the patch if I'm correct about the price (Nicoderm patches are about $45 for a week's supply, generic brands are cheaper, but I'm not sure of the exact price), and it's not feeding your nicotine addiction.
Of course, I've also heard of people quitting with buproprion (Wellbutrin) as well.
OP I think that if you are serious about quitting reviewing all your options with your doctor is the best way to go. Any doctor worth his salt will be able to point you in the right direction and help get you connected with smoking cessation groups.