I've been smoking ciggerettes for 14 years... how can I quit?

Answer 1

I am best equipped to handle this question, I quit last year October 31st 2005, I smoked 16 years, im currently 32.
You have to see yourself handling situations without it, and know in your heart having a smoke changes nothing in my life, nothing is better or enhanced. You have to love yourself enough, and after you quit your limitless in what else you can do for yourself.
Its just worth it to know how weak people who smoke really are.

Answer 2

Its not just the nicotine. Its also the other 50+ chemicals they out in cigarettes. Also the main problem is habit.
We have been used to having body sensations which we translate as 'my body needs something, which we have attempted to satisfy by having a cigarette.
When we try to stop smoking, we still get these 'my body needs something' sensations, and we still feel that we want a cigarette. We have to train our body to be more selective. When we feel we need something, we have to work out what it is that we actually need.
A glass of water is an excellent substitute if nothing else comes to mind, as it helps with the clearance of the toxic substances in our body. Another good substitute is a bag of salted peanuts, used in combination with the water.
Another thing to do is to find an activity which occupies the mind or body. Go swimming - nobody wants to smoke while they are swimming. Slowly, as our body adjusts and translates the 'want something' feelings into something other than cigarettes, then the feelings begin to go away. We know its not a cigarette that the body really needs, because as soon as we've had one we still have the feeling, and want another!

Answer 3

Cold turkey...No one likes to hear it, the AMA hates to even think about it (because of the potential lost revenues), The tobacco companies hate it (because they loose money in the crutch products). But if you really want to quit, it really is as easy as making the decision to never smoke another cigarette again. It will be tough the first few months, but once you get over the nicotine withdrawals (which the crutch products keep you from having by keeping you addicted) you have it licked. just simply don't ever smoke again. Because if you do (no matter what method you use to quit) you will be hooked again, and even worse the second time around.

Answer 4

I quit cold turkey almost two years ago. Do the math. lets say you smoked a pack a day for 14 years. that is 102,200 cigarettes. Imagine that many cigarette butts in a huge box. Disgusting isnt it. There is only one way to truely kick the habit and that is to just put them down and never buy any more. Medications can help. Patches and gum keep nicotine in your system and just prolongs the inevitable withdrawal symptoms. The earlier you quit the less your chance of getting lung cancer, one of the most horrible and painful ways to die. Thousands die every day from lung cancer. Imagine walking around at age 50 with an oxygen tank due to lung disease. Got kids? Imagine them at your funeral.

Answer 5

The best way is just too quit i smoked for three years and thats not as long as you but i was still addicted. just give it up think of your family and your health. and if that doesnt work just take the money you set aside for smokes and give it to a homeless person every week or something

Answer 6

if you're really committed to quitting, make an appointment with your doctor. Tell him that you want to quit and ask him for help. Between Zyban, the patch, the inhalers, the gums and commit mints....not to mention group therapy there are an abundance of options available to you, all designed to help you stop and STAY stopped!

Find your motivation, if you can...a son or daughter, perhaps...a friend who is suffering from lung cancer or emphysema....and hold on to it. Remind yourself everyday how important and WHY it's important that you never smoke again.

I wish you luck...and patience...and strength. You're doing the right thing...never forget that.

Answer 7

well try to cut your intake to half of what you smoke now.. start slow on quitting, i mean real slow.

and thinking about the money you'll save may help.

and meditate as in inhale deep often through the diaphram.. that'll break up all that goop and crap in the lungs that's been building up all this time.

water will help also... whenever you feel and urge... and gum.

working slow to the 'half way' point works much better than cold turkey (unless you have what it takes or an episode has happened to make you stop instantly) and you won't put on the pounds either which happens so much.

ah make sure you got a good diet too while you take away this old habit because after a period of time you'll feel itchy, twitchy and your mood may get cranky.. this is normal.

and don't replace smoking with drinking you may as well keep smoking.

find hobbies too that involve you big time.. to help... and get some exercise more... breaking up all that smokey snot in your body will help too.

slowly now.. i stopped smoking that way... for years i cut back to half what i smoked.. then realized one day i only smoked just half a pack a day (i just automatically programmed myself to cut back and keep it up) i was 2 packs a day... then worked hard and failed a few times but kept trying (never to late if you backfire to start over again) then it just was second nature... took years but one day i was like... oh screw it i don't need this crap.. and just quit putting the smokes in my pocket..

i didn't miss it... i wondered if i would but my body didn't crave it.

boy i'm glad, i can breathe now and my night time hacking stopped along with my gerd.

i adjusted my diet to help me have the energy because i started to feel ill when i began to cut back..... my body was like 'um hey man what ya doing huh? no don't do that i am used to this if you stop i'll get sick on ya' so i started eating more fresh veggies and fruits.. drank that vitamin c too... it sure helped alot.

i also noticed when i cut back on my cigs i began to urinate more frequently and it felt good!

much later i began to have urges for sex much more often without having any trouble keeping up or having the mr. limpy complex or huffing and puffing and just feeling exhausted.

and i wasn't as constipated as often.

having colds almost seemed far and few along with allergies not being such a problem.. skin cleared up.. hair didn't fall out as much...

so there's many benefits...
and i looked much younger after a while.

much younger!

so that made me happy and i had extra money too... it felt good to have cash again.

:D

key point is.. if you screw up that doesn't mean you have to quit the quitting.. just start over... it can be tough as hell at first.

funny those patches and pills didn't do jack for me.
and i heard that from others.. soon as they stopped it was like pow back to the cigs.. it's like you really have to do it the hard way just slow and cut that nicotine naturally and try not to use other means to pump it into your body with pills, patches or gum... toughing it out seems to have a more permenate effect.

Answer 8

It's a difficult habit to quit because of the addictiveness of the substance, but if you have kids make them your motivation to stop! because I've never herd of a smoking 60-70yr. old guy in good health!

Answer 9

You will be able to quit when you are ready to make a permanent lifestyle change. If you do not want to suffer from smoking while you are alive then quit. Its not easy, but its do able.
Your desire to quit has to be greater than your desire to smoke.

Answer 10

One day at a time.

But you've got to have 'character' enough to avoid failing and slipping back. Don't 'try' . It's too easy to forgive yourself for slipping.

A day at a time. The longer you go the easier it gets.