How did you quit smoking?

Question

Thinking of quitting and wondering how others have succeeded.

Answer 1

I smoked for 31 years. I quit two years ago. I tried the patches and the gum with no luck. The Commit lozenges did the trick.

P.S.
Will power is a must, also.

Answer 2

I took me a few times, but I was ready to do it the last and final time. I got some information, read a book and set a date. It WILL be hard, you just know that and try to work with it. Get some hard candy, also if you smoke(d) menthol I read you can use some sort of inhaler (like vicks) for a little bit. I tried to stay away from friends who did smoke and IF they did, they were respectful enough to go outside or away from me. KEEP ASHTRAYS clean.
Don't hide cigarettes, get RID of them.
If you feel an urge coming on you can, take a quick nap,
take a shower, pray, take a walk or go out in the back and shout if it makes you feel better.
When the first week is up, announce it- feel better and look forward to the next week and so on. I would also say the day you decide to quit do it at night, smoke your last one, shower to get out all signs of smoke and then go to bed. Try to arise knowing it's a new day and one that will lead you to being healthy! I basically did this cold turkey. If you try and fail, try again. You can always try the Nicotine gum (I know some who used that) and/or see your doctor for maybe the patch. Good Luck!!

Answer 3

Caught a stomach virus at work, could not stand the taste or smell of them for 3 days and had no cravings for one; after i got better, i decided to see how long i could go without one and have not had one since, no cravings either and what really surprised me is that it does not bother me to be around it. That won't help you any, though, I would invest in a very large bag of hard candies, like peppermints, and indulge whenever you need a smoke. Patches and so forth are pointless, they still contain nicotine and you can't conquer an addiction by feeding it. Also helps to keep your hands busy as with some sort of craft project. Have been told that walking/running helps but don't know about that for sure. Good luck, quitting is not easy but is worth the effort.

Answer 4

I started by cutting back how many I smoked a day. I then eliminated smoking in certain places (like not in the house) and during certain activities (like while talking on the phone). It was really hard to stop altogether, though. What finally did it was realizing that I was jeopardizing my future. I decided that I would try to stop for a whole day, then I added another day, a week, etc. I would have one every month or so, but throw out the pack right away so there's no temptation. Now I picture my lungs healing and my health improving. I tried gum, patches and medicine before, but when I finally quit it was just willpower. Hardest thing I ever did, but now I know it was worth it.

Answer 5

I weaned myself. I had a goal separate from the smoking. If I met that goal, I told myself I would quit smoking. I started weaning myself by switching from regular cigarettes, to lights, then to ultra lights. I made sure that I adjusted to the new cigarettes, not smoking any more than I did before the switch. I started this about three months before I expected the goal date to arrive. A month to go, and I was used to the ultra lights. So I started poking extra holes in the filters with a pin. This allowed more air to be in each drag, and less smoke. As each day came, I poked even more holes. After a couple weeks, I was pulling in so much air, I'd exhale while smoking and no smoke would be visible. My goal was met the next week, early. I threw away the rest of my cigarettes and lighter, and never felt a bit of withdrawal. And I've never craved one since, been 15 years, and I'd smoked for 20.

Answer 6

Stay away from the casinos? Thats first. You don't even have to smoke to be in there?

The Difficulty in Kicking the Habit
Smokers may have started smoking because their friends did or because it seemed cool. But they keep on smoking because they became addicted to nicotine, one of the chemicals in cigarettes and smokeless tobacco. Nicotine is both a stimulant and a depressant. That means nicotine increases the heart rate at first and makes people feel more alert (like caffeine, another stimulant). Then it causes depression and fatigue. The depression and fatigue — and the drug withdrawal from nicotine — make people crave another cigarette to perk up again. According to many experts, the nicotine in tobacco is as addictive as cocaine or heroin.

But don't be discouraged; millions of Americans have permanently quit smoking. These strategies can help you quit, too:

Answer 7

stopped cold turkey. But I wanted to do it. I have very mild asthma, so smoking was NOT good for me to begin with. But every single time I got a cold, guess where I went? Right into my lungs, and it took forever to clear up. I got tired of hacking my lungs out and not being able to breathe, so one day, in the middle of a really bad chest cold that wouldn't go away, I just decided that was it. I couldn't take it anymore. So I quit. But I'm a stubborn person; when I decide to do something, I do it. Period. So it was rather easy for me. But cold turkey is the only way to go. My mom had luck years ago chewing on straws. Another gal sucked on spoons. Someone else we knew did it eating carrot and celery sticks. Whatever works, you know?

Answer 8

Which time? I've quit quite a bit

Answer 9

i quit 2 mos ago cold turkey. My girlfriend helped with that. (i like to smoke dammit)

Answer 10

Wellbutrin (bupropion) worked wonders for me. Cold turkey with no urges.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wellbutrin