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quitting smoking the right way?
JeffH
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So, as of this week, I realized I was gradually going from a butt every couple of weeks a year and a half ago, to roughly a half pack/pack a day, so decided to quit. I haven't smoked any cigs this week besides 2 tuesday night (bar with friends) and 3 wednesday (poker). I know that this is not "quitting" but it's at least an improvement. I have kind of told myself to start that i'd only have a few butts when i drink (very rarely, not even once a month), and when i play cards(wed/fri).
I realize this isn't quitting, but I'm going from 3-4 packs a week to maybe 3 cigs a night on wednesdays and fridays, with the gradual intention of getting it down to zero. Probably not ready to go cold turkey just yet.
My question is, is limiting myself this way a bad way to go about it? Will it make things harder to eventually just completely quit? Any advice/help would be appreciated, thanks.
I realize this isn't quitting, but I'm going from 3-4 packs a week to maybe 3 cigs a night on wednesdays and fridays, with the gradual intention of getting it down to zero. Probably not ready to go cold turkey just yet.
My question is, is limiting myself this way a bad way to go about it? Will it make things harder to eventually just completely quit? Any advice/help would be appreciated, thanks.
JeffH on
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This.
Also, if you're anything like I was, be prepared to act like an asshole to people who mean well for the first week of quitting. If you tell everyone what's up they'll probably be understanding. But, yeah, you might turn in to a jerk while you're going through withdrawal.
It's not only the nicotine, but it's also the habit of actually smoking it, going outside, all that.
Apparently vitamin C helps metabolize the nicotine more quickly. I have no idea how true that is.
If you're really intending to quit. Stop smoking. Don't have one while at the bar, or while playing cards. Because you are constantly re-introducing nicotine into your system, especially when you haven't had one in a few days.
Definitely. And don't, whatever you do, get drunk with other smokers.
You are probably already have quit. This isn't some piece of cake quitting you have done, as there is no way you can consistently cut yourself off for multiple days without a cigarette and not go through some kind of with drawl each time. A very large amount of smoker (like 20%) are not actually physically addicted to them. You might be one of them. At this point its getting to the point where you are still enjoying the other things you used to do while not smoking.
What you need to figure out is what you want to accomplish. If its giving up completely the one problem you might want to keep in mind is when you long periods (8-10 hrs) without a cigarette you can get a buzz. If every Cigarette you are smoking is giving you a buzz (which is pretty much what is happening) its going to be harder to give up those last few you have because those last few are the best ever.
I quit about 3 weeks ago, and have survived by going to the bar and going outside at work with my smoking friends and not smoking. This has allowed me to A.) show I can resist. B.) not let me miss out on the things that made smoking fun. My biggest fear isn't a pack of cigarettes its a single one and the oh so glorious buzz that I know I would get.
As I pointed out above. I think this is the worst Idea ever. While I understand the temptation is bothersome. You are going to miss smoking even more if you let your quitting dictate what and where you go.
Well I guess yes, you're right. No need to intentionally tempt yourself whilst the defenses are down though.
What I really meant was, when they all go outside for a smoke (must resist temptation to say "go outside for a fag" on predominantly American forums...), don't go with them...
Its not like a disease you get better from, there is no point at which you have officially 'quit' and the urges vanish. You just have to learn to deal with it.
Really the only thing that can help you here is will power, LOTS of it. And as others have said try to remove yourself from situations where your likely to be tempted. This can mean not seeing some smoker buddies for a while which sucks but if you want this enough you have to make sacrifices.
One last piece of advice, carrot sticks. They are your friend during this time as they give you a much needed thing to do with your hands when the withdrawal starts. Keep a bag of them with you it really helps.
Finally good luck, you're probably gonna need it.
It's called "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking" and it's by Allen Carr.
http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Way-Stop-Smoking-Non-Smokers/dp/1402718616/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1227321686&sr=8-1
Most of my friends who smoked and quit swear by this book.
Also, as an aside: you either smoke, or you don't. You either quit or you don't. None of this "only a couple of week" crap. People who do that always lapse in and out of it. Trying to cut down is fine, but it's not the same thing as quitting at all, even vaguely.
That's what I did. I would give myself a 'daily limit' and stuck hard to it. First it was 25 a day... super easy... then the next week was 20 a day, still pretty easy. Third week was 17 a day. I kept doing that till finally I was off them.
The first day of each week is pretty tough, but if you push though that, then the rest of the week is much easier. I did the "first day of the week" on 'Saturday', that way on Sat/Sun I could relax without stress from work making the 'limit decrease' much easier to plow though.
Cut everything that reminds you of smoking. I associated tailgates with smoking. GONE. I associated bars with smoking. GONE, except that with isolated trustworthy nonsmoking friends I go out.
I hate to put it like that, and I did NOT read above posts. But that's what it took for me. I'm two months clean from all tobacco and VERY GLAD to be so.
PSN: TheScrublet