Some suggestions for quitting smoking

[gistech1978]

this is for people that have sucessfully kicked the habit.
i was thinking the other night about a way of trying to stop.
say one day i smoke a cigarette every 45 minutes. the next day i up it to 1 hr in b/w
keep adding increments everyday (every other day, weekly) and eventually and hopefully ween myself off of cigarettes?
has anyone tried this? did it work? any other suggestions?
i was thinking i could also take that money i wouldve been spending on cigarettes and put it towards a new home theatre setup or something as like motivation for me to stop. i would need some sort of goal to reach for, in order for this to work. you would think my health would be motivation enough, it is...but its not enough, i need some sort of material reward or something, or @ least something to show for all this money i wouldve spent on cigs. im still young (mid 20s) and if i stop soon, the damage will not be irreversable.

ive heard cold turkey is the only way you can do it. but i really dont think i could quit if i tried cold turkey.
and i doubt i would be the most pleasant person to be around for those first few days or week, month, however long it would take for the cravings to go away or at least subside. my aunt was a smoker and she has been smoke free for almost 20 years and she said she still gets cravings once in a while, thats a scary thought.
i dont wanna hear anything about how i shouldnt have started or smoking is nasty etc etc, i realize that.
youre not going to tell me anything i dont already know.

 

[Fiveohhh]

I just got my GF to quit, shes haing a bitch of a time I told her to ween off them slowly a month ago(we agreed she would quit by the 1 sept, but she didn't and now shes being all pissy about it Everyone else I know has quit cold turkey.

 

[MacBaine]

Start chewing the gum... so you get addicted to that. Then you can use the patches to ween yourself off the gum, and eventually you'll have to go back to cigarettes to get yourself off the patch.

Seriously though... good luck.

 

[MrMilney]

I smoked for 13 years starting at age 12. I have one piece of advice for you: get the patch! It's a little spendy, but not compared to what you pay for cigarettes now. If you are anything like me you will need that little extra boost when trying to kick the habit.

Good luck!

 

[gistech1978]

thanks mrmilney.
so the patch worked for you?

ive smoked for around 7 years now.
i didnt start until i was in college.

 

[amcdonald]

Stop smoking... get some willpower and just stop. Avoiding situations where you are likely to have an urge can help, but if its ingrained into your routine then that will be impossible (after eating, while driving). I stopped cold turkey.

 

[imported_Papi]

Everytime you feel like having a smoke, instead of smoking it take a bite out of it and chew it for 2 minutes. Lets see if you can do it.

 

[TMPadmin]

I tried the gum but it didn't work. Never tried the patch. Tried limiting the amount of cigs per day (10, 9, 8 etc) didn't work. The only thing that worked for me was Bronchitis. I thought I had lung cancer and quit cold turkey. But now after reading this post I want one. Funny huh?

So go find yourself someone with bronchitis.

Good luck, you'll feel much better after you quit for a few months. First month you'll feel like crap, second month you will think smoke is discussing the third month you will want to start again wondering why you ever quit. If you make it past that you just might do it. Watch out for associations, like an old friend you started smoking with comes back into town. That was my down fall, I quit for 2 years then my friend comes back from PL and I started right back up. Or places you associate smoking with. Hope you do it!

 

[StageLeft]

but i really dont think i could quit if i tried cold turkey.

Then you don't want it enough. Believe me there is no force in the world that is literally dragging your fingers to your box of smokes and making you grab them. You're not screaming from inside as some unseen force controls your actions. If you REALLY want to stop you can do it. People have quit cold turkey because they wanted it enough. If you can't, then you simply don't. You need to hate what you've become and hate being a slave to these silly little tobacco sticks.

 

[lokiju]

I smoked for 7 years. I got really sick so I didn't smoke for like 2 weeks because of that, then i decided to not start back up, when it all comes down to it, you can use any patch or gum out there but all that won't work unless you, yourself really wants to quit. I avoided situations where i would be around smokers for at least a month and didn't go out drinking for that whole time either. I've been smoke free for 3 months now.

 

[gistech1978]

okay
im hearing some good things here.
oh man beer, the second i take a drink of beer, its automatic. i want a cig.
that would be tough...

 

[Luagsch]

trying to decrease the amount you smoke doesn't work. never worked.

instead watch "25 Ways To Quit Smoking" by Bill Plympton (1989)

 

[TMPadmin]

Originally posted by: Skoorb

but i really dont think i could quit if i tried cold turkey.

Then you don't want it enough. Believe me there is no force in the world that is literally dragging your fingers to your box of smokes and making you grab them. You're not screaming from inside as some unseen force controls your actions. If you REALLY want to stop you can do it. People have quit cold turkey because they wanted it enough. If you can't, then you simply don't. You need to hate what you've become and hate being a slave to these silly little tobacco sticks.

YES! Exactly! Do you know how bad you stink? Do you realize how awful your breath is? Your yellow teeth and yellow walls in your house. You filthy, discussing, coffee nosed pervert!

Hope those humiliating comments help. Seriously you have to hate smoking. If you still find pleasure from smoking you will have a really tough time quitting. But anything you can do to quit is a good thing. There are plenty of aids out there and you can even ask your doctor or Pharmacist for suggestions. My pharmacist took a class on how to help others quit smoking. He didn't help me but I wasn't ready.

Again good luck!

Edit
Tell EVERYONE you quit. This way when you light up infornt of them (if they care) they will say something to you and possibly help you out. Or if they smoke they won't bum you a smoke.

 

[amcdonald]

Originally posted by: gistech1978
okay
im hearing some good things here.
oh man beer, the second i take a drink of beer, its automatic. i want a cig.
that would be tough...

I know what you mean.... its like peanut butter & jelly... but you'll get over it eventually.
And the easy thing is, once most people quit for a month or so, the smell of cigarettes is absolutely disgusting.

 

[IGBT]

Research benzopyrene...Text

 

[Dedpuhl]

My mom has zero willpower, yet she quit almost cold turkey.

1. Throw cigs in garbage
2. Clean all your sheets, clothes, walls, carpets to get the smell out.
3. Chew gum


That's how my mom did it...

 

[LakAttack]

Originally posted by: Skoorb

but i really dont think i could quit if i tried cold turkey.

Then you don't want it enough. Believe me there is no force in the world that is literally dragging your fingers to your box of smokes and making you grab them. You're not screaming from inside as some unseen force controls your actions. If you REALLY want to stop you can do it. People have quit cold turkey because they wanted it enough. If you can't, then you simply don't. You need to hate what you've become and hate being a slave to these silly little tobacco sticks.

I believe this was addressed to "people that have sucessfully kicked the habit." If you haven't dealt with it, your advice means little. Sorry.

Anyway, I tried gum, patch, limits, penalties, all kinds of crap. When I finally did quit, it was when I got a new job and changed all of my habits and routines. Smoking becomes such a part of everything you do, and you begin to associate actions with smoking. The more actions you can change and not associate with smoking, the easier the process will be. My advice is to pick a day to quit, and try to ween down some. Maybe swith to lights or ultra lights. The key is to stick to that day though, regardless of how the weening process goes. Then, switch up you routines as much as you can.

Some people tell everyone, "I'm quitting in 2 weeks" or whatever, and I tried that. Then when you fsck up, everyone knows, and you give up. I was real quiet about it, and only told my wife. For a month or so, it was like a no-hitter, and I didn't want to talk about it. It's been well over a year now, and the smell of smoke disgusts me.

I don't know if any of that helps or just sounds like jiberish, but good luck. Oh, and one more thing. I had some rough cravings about 3 months after I quit. Be prepared. If you have smoked for a long time, you might never fully shake occasional cravings.

 

[LakAttack]

Originally posted by: gistech1978
okay
im hearing some good things here.
oh man beer, the second i take a drink of beer, its automatic. i want a cig.
that would be tough...

Oh yeah, you might want to avoid bars for a while. . .

 

[gistech1978]

yeah im probably going to move into a nicer house by october 1st.
i dont think the landlord wants me smoking in there.
so that could also help prod me along.
it just sucks, because most of my friends smoke. but they are all many miles away now. but there are smokers here @ work.
at least my GF doesnt. shes the one griping @ me to stop.
and i didnt mind skoorb's comments, btw.
i think hes right.

 

[NogginBoink]

The one thing about quitting smoking is that you have to realize that you just can't have a cigarette. Ever.

If you have a stressful day and want "just one" cig to unwind, you're a smoker again.

When you quit, it must be absolute. No weasling to find reasons to reward yourself with 'just one' cigarette.

The instant you smoke that 'just one,' you're a smoker again.

 

[waylman]

I quit cold turkey. You're a spineless pussy if you do it any other way.

 

[CaseTragedy]

my roommate tried to quit smoking by purchasing lotto tickets with his would-be cig money.
his dreams of wealth motivated him for a bit.
then he started smoking after a few weeks...and continued to play the lotto.
so i guess it wasn't too successful.

however my cousin did quit.
he got his wife pregnant--twice.

 

[Colt45]

if your girlfriend wants you to quit, just make a deal with her where everytime you need a smoke, you sleep with her. but dont smoke or something.

 

[Ausm]

Originally posted by: waylman
I quit cold turkey. You're a spineless pussy if you do it any other way.

You can pucker up an kiss my ars on that theory....I think cold turkey is bull$hit. I tried it had massive withdrawals for 2 days and was sick for a week. The next time I try I am going to use Welbutrane in conjucntion with the patch and slowly ween myself off of them.

Ausm

 

[StageLeft]

I believe this was addressed to "people that have sucessfully kicked the habit." If you haven't dealt with it, your advice means little. Sorry.

You should be sorry

I don't care how miserable you are or if you can't sleep because you dream about smoking a 2 inch fat cigarette. It requires nothing more than willpower. I didn't even say it was easy. I did say that unless some uncontrollable force is carrying your hand to the pack of smokes and, come hell or high water you cannot control your hand, then you can overpower it with your will and stop. Believing otherwise is in the same vein of thought of why people can't lose weight; they simply do not want it bad enough. If somebody had a gun to a chain smoker's head and said "you have another smoke and you die", how many do you think would decide against getting that cigarette? I'm going to guess at 100%.

Quiting cold turkey may make you feel sick, and yes there may be better ways about doing it - even easier ways (requiring less will power), such as the patch or other medications. But the fact of the matter is if there is nothing more in the world you want than to quit yes of course you can quit cold turkey. To believe otherwise is to believe that you're a powerless slave to something that millions before you have successfully battled against.