[gotkiet]

Allright, so alot of people and even my doctor said that it takes about 28 days to break a habit.

The most that i can do is like 2 days without smoking, and the thing about it is that

i don't fiend it or crave to smoke. the only time i feel a need to smoke is when im under stress

or when i'm waiting on someone, im really impatient.


I've went from 2 packs a day, down to about 6-10 cigs a day. and the only time I ABSOLUTELY

can not resist smoking is when i'm drinking. thats the hardest thing to do on earth.




so any advice or suggestion would be appreciated. and if you gonna say something like (your dumb for smoking) please keep that out of here.

[joogrlpekaun]

I'm no expert and I've never gone through it myself, since I've never been a smoker, but these are what helped my father finally quit. He once went eight months without a cigarette only to relapse and end up right back at a pack a day, but he managed to kick the habit completely a few years later and I think it's been something like four or five years since he last smoked.

-Gum. At first it was the nicotine stuff specifically designed for smokers trying to quit, but then he switched to regular sugarless gum. He still carries sugarless gum with him everywhere and chews it all the time, so I guess that became sort a of a replacement habit.
-Every time he really felt the urge to smoke, he would take deep breaths and list all the reasons he really wanted to quit this time to himself (health, family, hating feeling like a slave to his addiction, expense of buying so many packs of cigarettes when the money was needed elsewhere, etc.)
-Exercising for about 10 minutes during what used to be his usual cigarette breaks at work

I don't know what else he did or what other mental techniques he used, but it seems to me like the most important things were 1) substituting new, better habits (e.g. chewing gum and exercising) for smoking as distractions from the cravings and a way of dissociating certain rituals like breaks at work or the drive home (drinking, in your case?) from smoking, and 2) constantly reminding himself of all the reasons why he thought quitting was necessary and worth it so his cravings never made him lose sight of the bigger picture.

[rachilde]

I'm the same as you except for the fact that I can go several months without smoking (but not quitting either) and without craving a cigarette without problem. The primary problem is that I have yet had a concrete sensation of really wanting to quit and, as a result, I've never sat down and said to myself, "this is the last cigarette I will ever smoke." I'm not exactly a heavy smoker but I do smoke about 3-5 cigarettes a day. I can go through an entire pack if I'm at a bar though and possibly more if I'm at a bar and dead bored. Exercising and getting into a fitness regime has been shown to improve chances of quitting. Staying indoors in nonsmoking areas, avoiding other smokers, and not drinking for a while might also help.

Sorry I have no concrete advice. The primary reason why I do go for several months without smoking is because I go home and live with my parents during holidays and such and do not care to smoke in front of them or my sister and, frankly, I just don't crave it. It may just be something about me personally as I also had no problems quitting cocaine and amphetamines cold turkey without a second look back. However, I just don't feel any need to quit smoking so I've simply not made the decision to quit.

[boka]

I smoked for a little over five years and eventually went cold turkey after unsuccessfully trying the patch, though that's just me - I didn't smoke as long as some people, or as heavily (certainly not two packs a day).

Like rachilde said, you just have to convince yourself. The motivation to quit is probably what'll get you through, more than the method you choose.

I made the decision when I figured I'll be needing what's left of my lungs - I made the switch to going to the gym twice a week and it made me realise how bad my lungs are. Most don't know it, but even light smokers will have emphysema for the rest of their lives and every cigarette does permanent damage. I've also seen a few terminal cancer patients - it's quite sobering when you have someone in front of you who has big lumps growing all over their body and begging for death for months.

Generally, it's great not smoking. It get's much easier after the first week, I don't even think about it any more, unless I'm forced to hang out with someone while they're smoking, and then it's just a matter of keeping to a zero tolerance policy. You wake up with a clean mouth instead of coughing up black crap - if you're on two packs a day, I already know you've got bad teeth and dark brown gums and I wouldn't want to be anywhere near you when you speak.. Just sayin', s'all...

[Mr. Chan]

I used to smoke in high school. When it was time to quit, I just did it. Nothing held me back.

Well, maybe the fact that gas prices went up and a pack of cigs would cost as much as a gallon of gas.

[k1nkychinky]

my friend has those eletronic cigarettes that are pure nicotine, which is not good for you but it doesnt have acetone or any other deadly chemicals in a regular cigarette. But you have to suck them like a crazy person. like you have to suck really fast iono if that makes any sence. but thats how my friend quit smoking and he had very very addicted to it.

[unholydaemon]

Do NOT quit smoking cold turkey. Since it sounds like you've been smoking for a while, your body are used to the chemicals found in cigarettes even though they aren't healthy. Since your body is used to it, if you quit smoking cold turkey, you will behave irregular. Lots of people get irritated easily and are 'shaky' once they drop smoking all at once. So lower you cigarettes daily and slowly. Say, every 2 days you drop a cigarette. So day 1 and 2, you smoke 10. Day 2 and 3, smoke 9, and etc.

[g1na1011]

I am not a smoker, nor have I ever smoked but I got my boyfriend to quit. He was a heavy smoker for about 3-4 years, can smoke around a pack a day. Anyway I dislike smoking so I asked him to quit. In the beginning, he was like you... went to like 10 or less cigarettes a day. And then later maybe like 5-7. He smokes only because he is stressed from college and work, and probably when he's bored. Anyway, i told him to try the nicotine patches.
Although alot of people said those don't work for them, it did for him, just that it took a while. =.=
I thought he would never be able to quit cold turkey. But when that day came, I was so proud and happy. =P
So maybe try the gum or the patches? It does take time though, it took him like a year! And avoid people or tell them that you are trying to quit, don't let them tempt you! And also think about why you want to quit.. maybe list reasons that will motivate you? I also do think regular chewing gum helps stop the habit. So get some of those too!
Good luck to you!

[rachilde]

Do NOT quit smoking cold turkey. Since it sounds like you've been smoking for a while, your body are used to the chemicals found in cigarettes even though they aren't healthy. Since your body is used to it, if you quit smoking cold turkey, you will behave irregular. Lots of people get irritated easily and are 'shaky' once they drop smoking all at once. So lower you cigarettes daily and slowly. Say, every 2 days you drop a cigarette. So day 1 and 2, you smoke 10. Day 2 and 3, smoke 9, and etc.

I don't agree with this though there's been some conflicting evidence throughout the internet on the topic. I've smoked regularly for about 2-3 years now and going without cigarettes does not make my body crash go into withdrawal nor have I ever heard of anyone who has ever done so. People might be a little more on edge and irritable and possibly jittery but it's certainly not life threatening--uncomfortable, yes, but it's not like we can avoid that--like with alcohol or heroin withdrawal.

[unholydaemon]

After your 3 years, did you just stop cigarettes completely altogether? Never smoked again and your body was fine? I don't think it's life threatening either, but yeah, I guess it's the 'withdrawal' thing.

[soongiang]

if quitting is too hard this could be a healthier option
http://www.vampfangs.com/Electronic-Cigarette-p/ecigg.htm

quoted from the site

It looks like a cigarette, it tastes like a cigarette, it feels like a cigarette, but it isn't a cigarette, it contains no tobacco, and the "smoke" is vapor.

[kuku]

Have you ever tried the patch? If you are smoking 6-10, then I would recommend step 2 or the 7 mg patch. Maybe even the step 3, since you aren't even smoking that much.

I smoke like once every 2 weeks but not addicted to it.

[Miki_Moon]

I don't agree with this though there's been some conflicting evidence throughout the internet on the topic. I've smoked regularly for about 2-3 years now and going without cigarettes does not make my body crash go into withdrawal nor have I ever heard of anyone who has ever done so. People might be a little more on edge and irritable and possibly jittery but it's certainly not life threatening--uncomfortable, yes, but it's not like we can avoid that--like with alcohol or heroin withdrawal.

Actually, my Grandma smokes a lot and she's done it for years. She told me she wasn't going to stop because her lungs were already covered in chemicals and if she stopped, she would get lung cancer. (Because all of her friends that had smoked for years and stopped, all got lung cancer.)

I'm not saying to continue smoking however, I think you should stop so you don't rely on something to calm you down or spend tons of money on cigarettes. (I don't smoke, plus it would be illegal if I did. XD) Motivate yourself not to smoke, find something else to do when you get stressed (gum, you could always go with the rubber band to wrist thing but I wouldn't do that unless you really wanted to do it). Don't just stop one day, though, just smoke less cigarette's a day until you finally get to zero. Good luck!

[pepprmint]

my mom and dad were both crazy smokers. my dad tried everything from the patch to pills to those nicotine filters you put on the cig. and he couldnt make it, he's still smoking now.

my mom on the other hand, resolved to quit cold turkey. and she is not smoke free for over 15 yrs.

im not saying its for everyone, but its definitely possible. though the fact that youve wittled it down from 2 packs a day to less than 1 is pretty awesome in itself. try to find a new pasttime that you can readily occupy yourself with when you feel a need to smoke. and try to set a limit for yourself, like 1 a day. hold onto that one until you absolutely cant stand it anymore. its like me and gum. if i knew i only had one stick of gum left for the rest of the day, id hold off on it until i KNEW i absolutely needed it. thats probably a terrible analogy, but just trying to help ^^;;

[Nibz]

When I was waiting for the bus in the morning it would be really cold so I would inhale the cold air as if I was smoking it :]



Idk if that worked but I stopped

Well I didn't even start.

I just did it socially and felt a addiction creeping up :S

[sojuiicy]

Aw I know how you feel. I actually used to smoke a lot too, but it was usually like in social events at first and then it gradually grew larger. First it was the weekends, maybe a pack a night, then it gradually grew more. But never enough to be 2 packs in one day.. since I have asthma I tried to stop. For me, it was really easy to quit. I mean, I gradually slowed down, and then I guess, the real reason I stopped.. was because my boyfriend had lung cancer from smoking so much when he was younger.

You just have to keep remembering, out of sight, out of mind. If you honestly don't have it there, it would be easier for you to not crave for it and want it. When I tried quitting I took my last pack and gave the rest to my friends and said it was going to be the last one I had. After that, I only smoked twice, once during summer school - being impatient for school to end - and when my boyfriend and I had a big fight.

It's motivation and if you're honestly a stress smoker, than you should try and chew gum instead of smoke. My friend quit by making that into her habit. Every time she craved for a cig she would always get some juicy fruit and just chew on it, after she was done with that she'd take another one until it satisfied her cravings.

It's really hard for people to smoke fully, so at least you should cut it down to one a day. My dad used to smoke a lot too, until he had us and now he only smokes once a day in the garage, away from us. Just try and remember the consequences that come with smoking, bad breath, stained teeth (they don't go away ), links to LUNG CANCER, bronchitis, asthma, etc. There's so many things wrong with it.. it's not enough to risk it and regret later like my bf, he wishes he never smoked. Our friend's father also died from lung cancer, because he smoked around 2-3 packs a day.. D: sorry for rambling, just trying to get my point through

[junsujunsu]

nothing would work if you don't have willpower....my dad was a smoker but when my brother was born, my dad was like Okay i have to be healthy for my kid, so he just quit like that, no gum, no distractions. He just set his mind to it, and now nearly 10 years later he still free of smoke, now when he smells cigarette it gives him headaches. I'm so proud of him! Remember it's only a short 28 days. But my dad gained like 15 lbs. I guess u can give ALL ur cigarettes to someone and tell them to burn it and then don't bring money any where you go for the next month(if that's possible)

[brap]

I haven't smoked for a year, before that I had bursts of cravings every so often and before that I was a very addicted smoker for years and years. I use to be able to go through 50g (rolled) tobacco a week. So take it from me, it's a mostly mind over matter thing. I quit "cold turkey" and am fine.

The nicotine doesn't actually relax you, what it really does is make your muscles more sluggish so that your muslces are harder to move giving the feeling that you are more relaxed.

So advice number one, Don't give yourself excuses to smoke, ie "I'm stressed" "I'm bored". Give your hands something to do, because when you quit you are getting sensations back and feelings are more intense. So you will feel things more intensely (as said before haha) that's why people are saying you get "irritable" when you quit.

When I first started thinking about quitting it was when I went to see my boyfriend's grandfather in hospital dying of lung cancer. My boyfriend later told me the doctor had stopped when he saw them smoking and said "He didn't know better, but you did". That always strikes a cord with me. Sometimes looking and reading stories from people with lung cancer will throw you off smoking or even researching into the effects of smoking. So, Find strong motivation to quit.

After months of failing to quit I found out that I smoke a lot when I'm around people who smoke. So in the habit breaking period stay away from people who smoke. My boyfriend quit smoking and people I know don't smoke so it made it a lot easier to quit. Avoid peers who smoke and also avoid places that have a lot of smokers, pubs, clubs, bars etc..

Don't ever fall for your own tricks the whole "This will be the last one". It won't be. Get someone to help you through this period, prolly someone strong willed. I remember fighting with my boyfriend through this time over "THE LAST ONE", ended up throwing the pack away in spite of "losing money" and "gaining health".

Quitting is the best thing ever though. Once you quit, stairs are easier to walk up! Also if some parts didn't make sense just tell me so I can clarify.

[peppermintsugar]

I quit cold turkey for three months back when we couldn't afford to buy me cigarettes. I didn't have a single problem just not smoking. Even now, I still smoke, but less than I did, maybe two packs a month, and I'm never craving. I just genuinely like how they smell/taste/feel.

[moonk379]

yeah it is hard to quit.. im a smoker too well... more of a social smoker. if none of my close friends smoked it would be a lot easier to quit but they do so =/ i have a pack in my room right now but i usually dont smoke it when im alone at home by myself cuz i dont crave it unless im drinkin ><