Anyone battling to quit smoking?

Question

did you win your battle, how did you do it? Do you think cold turkey is the best way, my hubby manged it 10 months ago, i am finding it really difficult. Any tips? Have you beat it, how did you do it?

Answer 1

have sweets instead

Answer 2

Put yourself in the best environment to quit smoking. Don't be around smokers at all. Throw your ashtrays and lighters away. Buy gum. Change your routines. Don't drink any alcohol. Nicotine patches only reinforce your addiction to nicotine. ... Actually, the addiction to nicotine fades. What's really hard to deal with and perhaps never goes away is the psychological addiciton. I used to smoke, and whenever I get tired or have a beer, I immediately start thinking of smoking. Don't ever give in. I always made myself very afraid of smoking, thinking about how it would make me die slowly. The longer you go without smoking -- after a week or so, that is -- the easier it gets. Take some time off work if you can, and read a lot. Preoccupy yourself with not smoking. Exercise is absolutely wonderful on the body and mind during the attempts to quit smoking. There is also a prescription medication I heard of that is supposed to work well, but you can probably do it without that if you really, truly desire to stop smoking.

Answer 3

I gave up smoking two weeks ago and believe me I really enjoyed smoking for the first 14 years of my 20 a day habit. It is important to look at your relationship with cigs as you would any other dis-functional relationship. You need to examine the pros an cons of your affair with the weed. it is my 2nd attempt at giving up, and this time I feel very confident about ditching the habit for good. The secret is you must be ready to give up. (sounds simple, and it is,) You have to have reached the stage in your relationship with cigs where smoking is intolerable. It should feel like the natural end of a negative chapter ( you wouldn't stay in an unhappy relationship.) I am also taking Zyban, which has taken the edge of my cravings, and now I go through days where I no longer think about smoking at all. Take it a day at a time. Just promise not to smoke each day, you'll be amazed how effective it can be. Good Luck. U can do it.

Answer 4

Be prepared for weight gain. I gained about 40 pounds about 3 tears ago and have finally lost them (I didn't really try to lose them till this year).
I gradually cut way back on my smoking. I was smoking about 3/4 of a pack when I decided to try quitting. Try to avoid as much stress as possible when you try to quit. I had just started a 2 week vacation so I didn't have work stress to worry me, home stress was easy to handle. When you get to your last pack, try to make it last. I smoked 1/2 of a cigarette at a time and tried to wait until I REALLY NEEDED a smoke. When the last one is gone DON'T buy more. Fight the urge because if you cut back then you shouldn't be feeling much physical withdrawal, It is mostly psychological. I didn't empty my last ashtray so I rooted around in it and occasionally lit a butt for one last hit. Pitiful, and nasty tasting, but after about 2 days I didn't even want to do this. I only quit because the price was going so high and probably would still smoke if they were still cheap. Please don't get all high and mighty with smokers when you finally do quit, there's nothing more annoying than a former smoker who has to confront every smoker and tell them to quit. Good Luck!

Answer 5

I should be but I'm too lazy and selfish. I quit a few years ago and what helped me then was Zyban pills. I get really moody when I quit smoking but this helped me through that. But like any other method, it's that little brain thingy that has to be ready before you try anything. Zyban is a drug and you should discuss it with your doctor. You start taking the pills before you quit and your'e not supposed to have to think about it too much. You do this for aout 10 days and then you should be smoking less. You continue taking the drug for a couple of months after you manage to quit. It helps with the mood swings and for some people lessens cravings for food as replacement.
My mistake was that I quit taking it too early so it was rather hard but I managed to quit for a year.

Good luck to you and let me know if you find the magic solution

Answer 6

I have heard that giving up cigarettes is the singlemost difficult addiction to conquer: worse than any street or prescription drung around. I have been a smoker all my life and have managed to quit (way earlier when I was younger) before for about a year each time. The biggest factor is Desire. Be sure you really want to give them up and then the rest is sort of easy! There are lots of methods available to assist you. Good luck!

Answer 7

I tried a product called "Zy-ban", which you need to get on perscription from your GP, as they are not to be taken by people who have the tendancy for epilepsy. Your GP should know if you are the right candidate for them. I had been smoking for YEARS! (since I was 18). They are tablets that you take for 3 months (I only did 2). They are quite expensive, but they REALLY work. You are allowed to continue smoking for the first 2 weeks while the stuff builds up, then you choose a date you will stop, and you DO! Coincidently, my date fell (not by choice) on the day of my Dad's funeral (he went sudden) and I thought "if I can get thru this day, I will get thru them all". And I did. You have NO withdrawal, cravings, nicotine cravings - NOTHING. Try them if you can get them. They also clean out your lungs.

Answer 8

If your husband stopped while you are still smoking he must have gone through hell. At least you don't have the problem of stopping while there are cigarettes in the house, so it must be easier for you.

Quitting smoking is a great opportunity to learn about ourselves, as you have already observed.
Congratulate yourself on having the desire to stop - then you are over the worst, but still need to maintain your resolve. It's just so easy to start thinking that just one won't hurt, but it does. Just one achieves nothing except feeling the need for another. Whatever you do, don't have just one. Beware - alcohol will weaken your resolve.
Here's a few home-brewed tips that might be useful.
It's not just nicotine addiction - there are 50+ chemicals 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!
We will have a few bouts of feeling or even being short tempered. We must try to bite our lip, and control; ourselves. Recognise the short temper as being the removal of toxins which are trying to find a way out. They went in through the mouth, and they try to get out that way to. We must learn to keep our mouth closed, and force the toxins out the other way.

After we have stopped for a while we will begin to feel that just one wont to any harm.
All that leads to is a desire for just another one. We must guard very strongly against the desire to have just one.

Answer 9

I quit on the spot 10 years ago. Admit-tingly i was frightened into it from the sight of the scars on my fathers chest from a by-pass op. You have to find something else to do with your hands, mine was guitar playing and now i cant stand the smell of smoking. Sugar free gum is good as well and I am a long distance lorry driver which gets very boring. Try your best and good luck to you both

Answer 10

I have not smoked for 18 months and it is the best thing I have ever done. I read Allan Carrs Easy Way to Quit Smoking and just as long as you really want to quit and keep an open it will work for you too. P.S - it is soooo worth it, good luck.

Answer 11

Try not to think of it as a battle more of a triumph every day is one less nail in your coffin I found raw carrot sticks and oranges a help. Whenever a craving strikes take five deep breaths and say "I don't smoke thank you" after each breath. Bankrupt the killers.