i want to quit smoking?

Question

been smoking 20 yrs now and i want to stop i just packed in drinking after years of abuse so i know i'm pretty strong but is it too early to quit the smoking am i taking too much on at once.would be nice to hear from previous smokers...how did you manage?Cancer is rife in my family so i know about the health implications but addictions arent logical or i would have packed up years ago

Answer 1

I haven't managed it myself either, so I feel your frustration. Cancer (particularly lung) is also in my family and so I know how daft I am being too!

I don't think you should give up too closely on the back of giving up another addiction as that might cause too much pressure and cause you to end up back on both. Wait until you get to a point where you feel you really have the drinking thing calmly under control before taking a step towards stopping smoking. If you are no longer drinking, you might find the smoking thing easier as a drink and a smoke often go together and the two habits exacerbate each other.

Good luck - I am really impressed with what you are doing - good for you!

Answer 2

Just like quitting drinking, quitting smoking is a life style change. I quit a couple of years ago and it took a long time to do it. I've had some slip ups but I've been smoke free for the last year and a half. I didn't use a patch or pill. My motivation was my wife not wanting to kiss me. That helped a lot. :)
I would look into a smoking cessation program which will give you ideas on how to handle stress, boredom, or whatever else triggers your desire to smoke. The patch is good for helping control your nicotine levels. Pills, like Welbutrin, help with the psychological aspect of smoking.
One thing to remember is: have a plan to deal with the free time you will have. Each cigarette take about 3-5 minutes to smoke. If you smoke one pack a day that's 60-100 minutes a day that you just gained back. I know that boredom caused me to smoke. Make the most of your time.
Good Luck.

J

Answer 3

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 4

Go for it Karlos - I gave up smoking 5 years ago and it's the best thing I ever did.

My strategy - I'm sure it won't work for everyone - was procrastination:
I kept promising myself a cigarette after I'd finished something, then putting it off. Eg Get up in the morning and decide not to have a cigarette till you get to work. Get to work and decide not to have one till tea time. Once you've made it to tea time you'll be wondering if you can make it to lunch time. And so on and so forth.
The psychology is that there isn't any pressure - you're just putting it off. It's not like you're never going to smoke again, just that you're not going to smoke at the moment.
It has worked for the last 5 years and every time I get a craving (in a pub fr'instance) I tell myself I will have one, but not just yet. The craving passes and I don't end up going back to it.

This is the third time I've given up and the first time I appear to have succeeded, so obviously I think it works.
Best of luck.

Answer 5

There are many ways to quit smoking like Nicotine Replacement Therapy for which you can use: patches, gum, nasal spray, inhalator, microtab. You could also use Acupuncture, Hypnotherapy or Zyban (buproprion) which is a new prescription drug, it works by suppressing the part of the brain that gives the smoker a nicotine buzz when smoking a cigarette. The smoker starts taking Zyban before giving up, and the drug puts them off cigarettes, because they no longer get the "hit". You could also get cousuling or find a healthy hobby to take your mind off your addiction.

Answer 6

dont try to do to much at once as you will only end up messing up both, well dont for giving up the beer, give your self time to get used to that then figure out what kind of smoker you are ie is it the taste, the nicotine or just some thing to do with your hands? boots is very good for advice on what will be the best way to give up, i used thoses pretend fags they worked really well, (did end up smoking again but that was due to big family problems that pushed me over the edge but not due to them not working)
try cutting down first if you think you can and good luck let us know how you get on

Answer 7

I know this won't help but packing up smoking is dead easy. I packed up 7 times just last week.
Sorry but hang in there and all the best I'm sure you will do it.

Answer 8

I have been a non- smoker for nearly two years now. I wanted to give up as I was getting married, and I did not want to smell awful, so I tried the patches that didn't work, so my mate took me to see a hypnotherapist. I came out his office and thought that didn't work, lit up outside his premises and nearly threw up, it was awful. I was given a CD to take and play for 28 days after the session, i listened to it every day and it worked for me. try it. good luck

Answer 9

I quit by seeing how many I smoke a day, then slowly cut down a little for a while, then cut down more later.
It is easier if you change your lifestyle.
An example would be,
If you don't smoke in the house, stay in the house more.
If you don't smoke cleaning the yard, clean the yard more.

Answer 10

my friend used to smoke 30-40 cigarette sticks a day...

when he told me he will quit, he really did on the day he promised me and you know what he revealed to me recently on how he try to make up for his cigar cravings...

he leaves 1 cigar stick on his table then sniffs it and put it in his mouth to suck the taste whenever he wants it...

Of course, he don't light it up.