I have been smoking since I was 16, and due to health concerns and the general disgust I am beginning to grow for my habit I have decided it is time to quit. I was wondering if anyone had some advice for quitting, tactics, replacement habits, what to watch out for, etc. etc. As far as the level of my addiction and that stuff- I've been smoking for 5 years now, I currently smoke a pack a day. I am able, and sometimes do, smoke upwards of 2 1/2 packs a day, but that is only when the opportunity to smoke is there at all times. The brand I smoke is Kool menthols. I am not currently on health insurance through my employer, so I can't get into a smoking cessation program and I will have to flat out purchase any products that are to help fascilitate quitting. Currently my plan is to get the patch, and load up on mint flavored chewing gum. Any suggestions?
It is a tough fight, I've never been successful myself. The best I've gotten is to quit with someone else and help prop each other up - the girlfriend and I have managed to go a few weeks twice this way, but one of us will have an episode away from the other and then we're both back to smoking again. As far as I can tell, the patches and gums and crap help you get over that "hump" for the first few days, but after that you really need the drive just not to pick up another pack, or bum another smoke, or hit a bar while you're mind is adapting to the fact that there's nothing in your hand. Simply, if you ever pick up a smoke (even with a "good" excuse) you're right back to phase one.
both my parents smoke...and they did a bunch of drugs and crap...so...yea...since my entire family has been basically ripped to shreds, i push a lot of the blame on the drugs, and all the money that cigarretes cost...even thought that probably has nothing to do with it... ive still made the oath, to never ever do ANY of that stuff EVER! well...my dad has tried...and failed...but...i would say...to yes...try mint flavored gum...but get different barands every time...it keeps it interesting so you dont get sick of the same thing every day.
Electro-shock therapy. Every time you wanna smoke, press a button that zaps you. Pretty soon, you'll learn to stop pressing the button. Then go cold-turkey, as Techman suggested.
You don't need pills, patches, or any other kind of crutch, nor any sort of special accommodation from your environment. All you need is a genuine desire to quit, and a little self-discipline.
I used to smoke more than a pack a day. I quit about 18 years ago and neverl looked back. The only way is Cold Turkey, which is what I did. I just stopped. I bought (not expensive at all) a few plastic menthol cigs for the hand to mouth motion and for the lip sensation. The physical addiction is over in about 72 hours, so just gut it out. Using the nicotine patch just prolongs it. The real key is to convince yourself that you are a NON-SMOKER, never have and never would touch such disgusting things. Good luck.
Ask non-smoking girls what it's like to kiss a smoker. That may just help a bit, with the right girl Maybe you can also set the money you pay for cigarettes aside: you say you smoke a pack a day - drop the cash in a glass jar and keep it on your desk, and allow yourself to buy other cool stuff with the money - cd's, video's, anything you like, and keep that stuff together and visible as well. Save up for a new mp3-player or new mobile phone. Dunno if that helps at all, but I can imagine buying yourself gifts helps to stay motivated.
You are right UA, no person or thing is going to help me quite until I actually want to quit and actually try. Thing is about that, I have the extra money to buy myself gits already- if I was strapped for cash, smoking would've gone ages ago. For the sake of it anyhow- I spend about $3.80 on cigs a day. So 3.8x365=1387... So basically a tad less than a month's pay. Wait, no thats actually a touch more than a month's pay. I'm with a non-smoker now, for her sake I generally chew gum all day when I'm not smoking. She hasn't complained, but I know it is gross, because my first long term girlfriend (coincidentally the one that got me onto smoking) was a smoker while I was not, and I couldn't stand to kiss her when she had smoked.
I am sure everyone knows what 32oz Gatorade bottle looks like- now picture that full of tar. A person smoking pack a day intakes that much tar in on years time. Learned that from my dad who is taking smoking cessation classes, which wouldn't work for me, when people use scare tactics and facts to encourage me to do things it generally creates the opposite effect because it is in my nature to automatically disagree/rebel against people telling me what/how to do things. Cold turkey seems to be the best way, because I did it before, for several months it was just easy to fall back into the habit. I figure the easiest possible time I will have is if I try going cold turkey once I am living on my own because then the cigs won't be available unless I go buy them.
My mom has never been able to kick her smoking habit. So far, it's gotten her: 1. A case of lung cancer which cost her one lung 2. A case of brain cancer (from the previous lung cancer) resulting in a minor stroke and complete loss of mobility. 3. Loss of her career (computer programmer), quality of life, everything. She sits in a chair all day watching TV in an assisted living facility, at the ripe old age of 59. She looks like she's about 89. She's basically existing in a living hell, waiting to die. And she still smokes. Quit now, is my advice.
There is a new prescription medication on the market called Chantix that binds to the same receptors in the brain as nicotine. It seems to have better results than Zyban.
Beh. Smoking is a waste of time. If I want to die, I'll do it, not pay someone to kill me. >< SO SAYS THE CHEWLIES GUM MAN!
Yep. The day before my mother-in-law died of lung cancer the nurses were still rolling her outside to smoke. She was out there smoking and lost control of her bowels, poo dripping down her legs and wouldn't go back in until she finished her cigarette. And while I am not a smoker, I can tell you how much fun it is not to live on oxygen therapy and be out of breath with just about any movement. It sucks. It sucks a lot...and you have the chance to avoid it.
