Quitting smoking

[MetalMaz]

I have smoked for the past 8 years (roughly), and for at least the last 5 I've smoked twenty or more a day. As usual new year sounded like the perfect moment to quit. That failed. Miserably.

I tried for days to just quit, cold turkey method. Again, more failure. I almost gave up giving up because It's not the first time I've tried and failed. 'Maybe next year', kind of thing.

Years ago I tried attending smoking cessation groups, patches, inhilators, and nicotine gum but had no luck. At all, I couldn't even last an hour without a smoke. But I want this year to be different, and fortunately it has been so far.

I am on my 8th day without a cig, and proud. Even though I do get the urge to bite someones face off or put my head through a wall every now and then, but nowhere near as often as I did at the start. It's hard to believe that those little things can give you such strong withdrawal symptoms. Anyway, I started on the strongest patches but it wasn't enough, I still craved 'em. I kept on trying to justify buying a pack, telling myself I'll only have one, just one. Even though I knew I wouldn't, I'd just smoke them then get more. Instead of buying a pack I bought the gum, mixing the two seems to work for me.

So, 8 days thanks to patches and gum.

But why quit? For me it's the money aspect, I'd rather spend £40 a week on something else. Hell, that's over 2 grand a year I can spend on other things.

So, smokers. Tried or trying to quit?
Your reasons for smoking, reasons for quitting?
Any help and advice for those considering or trying to quit?

( And yes I've heard the 'I still smoke cause I'm not a quitter har har' before, many times. It's not original)

 

[EMFCRACKSHOT]

The best thing i found when quitting was lollipops. Seriously, the things are fantastic. whenever i wanted a smoke i would go have a lolly instead.

 

[MetalMaz]

I've been chewing cocktail sticks and breadsticks, just as a way to keep my hands busy.

 

[Raven's Nest]

So, smokers. Tried or trying to quit?
Your reasons for smoking, reasons for quitting?
Any help and advice for those considering or trying to quit?

I quit nearly two years ago now using will power alone... never had any slip ups, never even looked back...

I think when it comes down to it, the only way you'll ever quit is when you actually decide to quit for the sake of quitting. Money is not a strong enough motivation as its so easy to justify buying cigarettes. Yeah being healthy is a nice thought but whose perfect? You know what finally did it for me? There was a girl I really liked and I know she didn't like smoking. She was moving back to her home country (to my dismay) when I vowed that the next time she saw me, I wouldn't smoke anymore... I still haven't seen her yet but I stayed true to my vow. I didn't quit for her though, she didn't ask me to. I just thought it was time to stop smoking and that was that, she was just the catalyst in the process, a bonus if things all went to plan.

When I came to the conclusion that I simply no longer wished to smoke, I felt an urge to quit then and there. But instead I decided I'd finish the large pouch of tobacco I had left. This meant I wouldn't feel bad about throwing any away, and it wouldn't be a shock to the system when I stopped smoking. Mental preperation is everything... Enjoy your last few smokes, tell yourself "Okay I enjoyed this for a while but now i'm done with it", once you've put out your last cigarette and gone to bed you'll feel good about it.

The hard part isn't getting past cravings, it's breaking the habits... Your fighting memories not tobacco... This is what forms the addiction as nicotine only affects the brain for a few days. You have to be prepared for times when you would have normally gone for a smoke. Instead think of an alternative to do in that time. If you would normally stop for breaks during work, don't head outside using the same doors, maybe eat a piece of fruit or chat up that hot collegue who didn't like the smell of smoke you normally had. Apply the same logic to similar scenarios (after dinner is the heavy hitter).

Think of every craving you beat as a triumph... Take that victory and mold it into an iron bar in your mind. Collect those bars and form a cage. Put your memories of smoking behind that cage and laugh as it gets easier and easier to resist them as your cage gets stronger and stronger (and it will get easier and easier). Eventually you will become the master of your mind and with every passing day you'll be stronger and more prepared to face the next.

Celebrate the anniversaries. Tell people you made it a month. Treat yourself to a nice meal. Feel the pride of telling them another month has gone by without slip ups. Tell them that you didn't even need patches or gum or hypnotherapy... Tell 'em your a fucking badass who don't take no crap from nobody!

But most importantly, tell yourself that every second you exist as a non-smoker will form part of the best descision you ever made...

 

[MetalMaz]

So, smokers. Tried or trying to quit?
Your reasons for smoking, reasons for quitting?
Any help and advice for those considering or trying to quit?

Think of every craving you beat as a triumph... Take that victory and mold it into an iron bar in your mind. Collect those bars and form a cage. Put your memories of smoking behind that cage and laugh as it gets easier and easier to resist them as your cage gets stronger and stronger (and it will get easier and easier). Eventually you will become the master of your mind and with every passing day you'll be stronger and more prepared to face the next.

Celebrate the anniversaries. Tell people you made it a month. Treat yourself to a nice meal. Feel the pride of telling them another month has gone by without slip ups. Tell them that you didn't even need patches or gum or hypnotherapy... Tell 'em your a fucking badass who don't take no crap from nobody!

But most importantly, tell yourself that every second you exist as a non-smoker will form part of the best descision you ever made...

That is possibly the best advice I've heard and definately the most inspirational. Thank you.

 

[Plurralbles]

i wanted to start smoking monthly but my girl can taste it months after I've done it so I don't anymore. It's not important enough to jeopardize my chances of getting some.

 

[Raven's Nest]

That is possibly the best advice I've heard and definately the most inspirational. Thank you.

You're quite welcome. All orignal I might add And coming from someone who has attended sessions and all sorts that's kind of flattering. I kind of just figured out the best way to do it for myself. I'd suggest you try taking a similar approach and take my advice as something to think about rather than a set of rules to follow. Otherwise the taking control of our own mind part won't really apply Good Luck!

 

[FightThePower]

Some helpful advice:

Changing anything major takes a lot of time and it happens very slowly; I'd say that's the most important thing to keep in mind because expecting too much and then thinking you're a failure for slipping up will lead to you getting discouraged. Take small steps - you've done 8 days so far, that's great. Now try two weeks, then three or maybe four, and reward yourself for doing well each time you meet your goal. Bare in mind that rewards are much less effective the longer you go on; if you reward yourself occasionally and not in even intervals (i.e. rewarding seemingly at random is more effective than rewarding every 3 times you do X, for example) it'll work better.

The goals you set must be specific. A lot of problems people have are saying stuff like 'I am going to cut down on how many cigarettes I smoke' or 'I'm going to lose weight' and it doesn't work. Instead, people should say 'I am going to reduce the number of cigarettes I smoke per day by 15 by the end of the month' or 'I'm going to lose 10 pounds in 2 months', that's far better. Also, write stuff down - how many times you have a cigarettes, how many cravings you have, etc; a study showed that just by carrying a notebook around with you and writing down every time you crave a cigarette you actually reduce your cravings, as well as your consumption.

Oh, and you will probably slip up, but nearly everyone does. But don't get discouraged, just accept it, don't beat yourself about it and get back on track, you can avoid slip ups by altering your environment. Try and forsee situations where a slip-up might happen (e.g. you go out with some friends, people start smoking and offer you one) and change your environment so it can't happen (e.g. cancel that night out, explain to your friends why etc). Hang around with people who don't smoke, avoid shops that sell cigarettes, avoid areas you associate with smoking - it's all good.

I have written in a really rubbish typical 'self-help book' way, but I got all these techniques from scientific books, cause I study Psychology and that. So this stuff does actually work, whereas a lot of self-help books are total rubbish.

The book I got this from is 'Behavior Modification: What It Is and How To Do It' by Garry Martin and Joseph Pear it's science-y (a lot of explanations of what various techniques are - not all self-help) and fucking expensive (seriously, like > $120/£70) but it's very good, if you're interested.

 

[MetalMaz]

I'm happy to see some seriously good advice come out of this, I'm glad I made this thread now.

 

[Danzaivar]

Apparantly the chemical withdrawal of nicotine is over in just 2 weeks if you go cold turkey (though the mental cravings last a lot longer).

I was amazed when I found that out. The way people talk about it you'd think it was like months to get free of the bloody things. Not sure how that helps with regards to quitting (As I don't smoke) but generally if you know the time-frame something takes it suddenly feels a lot less daunting or something.

 

[Levi93]

My mum went cold turkey after 25 years of 40 - 60 cigarettes a day, she said the it helps if you imagine the cigarettes covered in the most repulsive thing you can imagine, she imagined pig fat (she's a vegetarian).

 

[ThePurpleStuff]

I wish my parents were as strong willed as those who posted here that quit, even when my family was without a car for two years when my mom lost her job, they STILL bought 2 packs every couple of days. Total bullshit, my sister and I try to help but they don't want it or they get so frustrated they ruin the whole day because they can't have their precious nicotine. I'm so glad that I will never be that way.

 

[Valagetti]

The best thing that works, is just regular gum. Something to do with keeping your jaw n' mouth busy. I used to smoke, casual, had no problem quitting. Most people get addicted by starting off as casual smokers, then gradually smoke more n' more.

 

[HellspawnCandy]

I've been smoking since I was 13(18 now) I've always smoked moderately but now it's legal it's pretty hard not to just smoke a pack then buy another. I always smoked 'cause I relaxed and it just seemed to help my Crohn's(ironically it should make it worse) and I've only smoked with friends not really by myself. I don't really feel too addicted to them though, I have a pack in my drawer with a lighter and can just smoke now but I just don't feel up for it. I'm probably gonna regret in the future for this but now's not the time to quit I think, atleast for awhile longer.