How do I quit smoking???

Answer 1

This is a favorite question of mine as I struggled with it for years before finally successfully quitting.
I have a few suggestions of what not to do to start with....
1. Do not get a patch or gum program. All that does is continue the addiction to nicotine. You will then be addicted to the gum or patch. How is that progress? It is just another way for big business to keep you hooked, it does not work. Trust me, I speak from experience.
2. Do not have an "emergency" pack of cigarettes, just in case. If you leave the option open you will find a reason to smoke them.
3. Stay away from road trips and smoky bars just for the first few weeks. It will get easier.

Now things that did work for me....
1. Cold Turkey. I know it hurts like hell but its like taking off a band-aid. The pain is shorter than a lifetime of addiction.
2. Pick a quit date and taper off as you get closer. Try to get down to about three cigarettes or less a day. It makes it much easier when you quit if you have practice putting off your addiction.
3. Just like alcoholics, take it one day at a time. When I first quit is was one hour at a time. I thought to myself " I just have to make it one hour, then I will smoke" of course I thought the same thing every hour so I never actually smoked. Pretty soon I could set my goal to be a whole day, "I will smoke tomorrow" Those small goals got me through the torture of those first couple weeks. If you mess up, don't give in and buy a pack. Start over re-commit to improving your life and health every day no matter what you did yesterday.
4. Once you gate past the first week the majority of the physical addiction has begun to pass. You will still obsess rather than crave. On obsession lasts about 90seconds. Sometimes they line up a bunch in a row, but it is still only 90 seconds. So when you start to obsess and really want a smoke, look at watch and decide, 90 seconds of pain or the rest of my life? Then count to 90, you may find it has passed. However if you break down and smoke you will have to go through the hard physiacl withdrawal time again. The cravings are harder. See the difference between a craving and an obsession?

All I thought about was how much I wanted a cigarette for what felt like years. It was the hardest substance I have ever had to quit, and I am an ex junkie! I had a hard time holding up my end of conversations because I was so distracted my the obsession. IT WAS WORTH IT! I pissed off a lot of people while I went through my rage period, it is normal. Anyone who knows you will be glad you are doing such an important thing for yourself, they will forgive your anger. Just keep thinking of the big picture, temporary misery for freedom from addiction. It will get easier.....

Answer 2

since you smoke that much everyday, your body got adjusted having these poisons running ur body. That's why people with more serious drug problems can actually die by quiting abruptly. You hav to take decrease your amount of cigarettes maybe every few weeks or whatever you're comfortable with. The reason why you were coughing and stuff (tryign to not smoke) was because your body was so used to having 2-5 cigarettes a day. So each week you should decrease slowly from 2-4cigarettes, then another few weeks, 2-3, then so on.

Answer 3

If your in the bay area CA there is a new study being done on a drug to help people quit smoking

The drug is supposed to block the neurotransmitters that give you the positive feeling associated with smoking.

In other words it takes away the pleasure of smoking so it's easier to quit

Kind of like methadone treatment in a way
Heroin addicts can't get high off of Heroin while taking methadone
so it makes it basically useless

Just remember you need a plan and real commitment to quit

ONE DAY AT A TIME

Answer 4

I have smoked since I was 14> I am now 27 and have not smoked in 1 1/2 months. I used the patches. I used the cheep walmart brand ones. They are great.

Answer 5

Try making a plan to quit over time decreasing the amount of cigarettes each day. If you need help, get a perscription to a nicotine patch or nicotene gum, but don't get hooked on these for long. You can also join your local organization for quitters, and they'll guide you along the way.

Answer 6

set a quit date u can use medicine like bupripion used for quiting smoking plus u can use patch to work out for decrese craving .....but above all u need strong determination for quiting it takes 3 or 4 attempt to quit by an average but most ppl can quit this menace and decrease the chance of COPD ,Lung and Bladder Carcinoma

Answer 7

Try not to think about when will you smoke again, but immerse yourself into more activities that will make you forget about your routinary smoking habits. Also, try, for once, to be a passive smoker in a room full of smokers, those who have to inhale the smoke from cigarettes of others. You will definitely not like how it will be and will make you think how smokers can do it. Also, gums and other substitutes like nicorettes help.

Answer 8

You go into a deep meditation in which you not only convince yourself that you never started smoking, but that the mere thought of it is outrageous and insulting. Then when you find the cigarettes in your pocket you will throw a fit and go looking for the person who planted them on you.

Alternatively, you could use a mantra first suggested by former First Lady Nancy Reagan. Just say "no..............no...........no."

Answer 9

Cold turkey. Recent studies have found that if you actually want to quit, a snap decision to do so and throw away any remnants of your habit increases your chances of never starting again. Planning to quit doesn't work as well.

Answer 10

cold turkey, if you really want to quit you dont need overpriced gum or patches, set a date and just do it, Also changing up your daily routine will help take mind of the butts, and when you do quit you cannot go back and just smoke socially, it doesn't work you need to stick to it