Best way to quit smoking?

Question

Hey, I am trying to quit smoking and I need ideas on what works best. I have tried in the past to quit and got to about two months and had a relapse. Please fill me in on what has worked for you. I have smoked for 10 years and smoke a pack a day. Please help.

Answer 1

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 2

Natural Quit Smoking Magic

Answer 3

If you can hold on for a couple of months this means you can quit completely. I smoked 3 packs per day- and I'm clean for 19 years now.So if I can do it, anyone can.
I switched to a pipe first- plenty to do to keep hands busy, and you can't smoke a pipe too often. After some 6 months of that I quit completely.
Main thing is: NEVER mix tobacco and alcohol- like a cigarette with a beer. That way is straight back to addiction.

Answer 4

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 5

The people I know who were successful went cold turkey, it is all mind control. My one friend was just terrible while quiting but she was fine after a month or so. Give yourself some slack two months is a great start. They say once you quit and go back it is easier the next time and maybe the time after that. Hey, if it were easy no one would be smoking. Good luck.

Answer 6

Any way is the best way; just quit. I have managed to quit cold turkey and am almost to 1.5 months now. I smoked two packs daily. I have quit before and stayed that way for three years. I have always done my best cold turkey. The way to get past the difficult part is to just resign oneself to being uncomfortable for a few days and to replace it with exercise. I love breathing again. Another thing that helps is to constantly remind myself how much I regretted starting again and knowing that I never have to feel that way again.

Answer 7

I went to a site called quit assist. You can download a book or have it mailed to you with tips on how to quit. Can't wait to get my book. Desperately need to quit smoking. Good luck to you.

Answer 8

I quit cold turkey because I had tried everything else. Including prescription drugs. I quit because my son started to smoke.

Answer 9

I had great luck with putting a whole chaw of sunflower seeds in my mouth. In particular, the salty ones. It kept my mouth busy, and you sure can't smoke and spit the seeds out at the same time... helps if you are outdoors alot because of the shells needing to be spit out...

Good luck!

Answer 10

if you can go a few months u should be clear. will power is the best thing. i used wellbutrin. it really cut the cravings. or if u do get the urge after that long, try smoking an herbal cigarette. they are nasty and you'll never do that again. willpower. u can do it.