Does anyone want to get a support group together to quit smoking after the New Year?

Question

I want to quit, they say having a support group helps!!

Answer 1

You Smoke?
If So,
Here Are Some Way To Quit!
Delay: Look at your watch, and wait a couple of minutes. Often, the urge to smoke will be gone by the time the second hand has circled twice. (As the days pass, the urges will come less often.)
•Distraction: Whatever you were doing when the urge to smoke surfaced, do something else. If you're alone, find someone to talk to. If you're sitting, take a short walk.
•Drinking water: Water helps satisfy the need to put something in your mouth and your body -- and it's good for you.
•Deep breathing: Inhale slowly and deeply. Pause when your lungs are full, and count to five. Then exhale slowly. Repeat several times.

Some other tips on fighting urges:

•Keep busy. If you find yourself obsessing about smoking, find something to do. Come up with activities that engage you in some way: Make a quick phone call, take a short walk, talk with a coworker or friend.
•Develop new interests. Take a class, embark on a household improvement project, or start an exercise routine. Exercise -- whether walking, biking, jogging, swimming, or taking an aerobics class -- can distract your mind and body from the desire for cigarettes. Any of these activities can make you feel better and improve your health. And chances are the healthier you feel, the less you'll want to taint that by smoking.
•Get support and encouragement. Make an arrangement with someone you can call anytime, day or night, whenever the urge to smoke gets overwhelming. This can be particularly helpful if you have a sudden emotional shock or a slipup. Your "support buddy" can be a friend (try to choose someone who's positive and understanding yet firm) or someone from the California Smokers' Helpline.
Make a plan. Preparing to quit is an important first step. There's no one right way to stop smoking, but smokers who lay the groundwork are much more likely to succeed. Make a list of the people, places, and pastimes associated with your smoking - anything that "triggers" your behavior. One of the hardest things about being a regular smoker and then giving it up is that you'll always know how good that after-dinner smoke tastes. Come up with a plan for coping with each of those triggers. For example, after a meal you may want to get up and take a walk -- or brush your teeth. If a cigarette automatically appears in your mouth when you leave work at the end of the day, substitute a lollipop or a toothpick (the oral fixation fostered by smoking is one of its more insidious aspects). If a glass of wine makes you reach for a cigarette, you may want to avoid alcohol for the first week or so.
•Set a quit date. Pick a date that's realistic and allows you to develop your plan. Try to select a time period when you don't anticipate being under much stress yet will be too busy to sit around thinking about smoking. It may also help to start at a time when you'll have a little extra impetus. For example, if you're going to visit people around whom you can't smoke (your grandparents or your in-laws, perhaps), vow to remain smoke-free after the trip is over. You'll have a few days under your belt already.
•Tell your friends and family about your plan. Having their support and knowing they're counting on you can increase your motivation to stick with it.
•If involving others doesn't suit you, become a "quiet quitter." For some people, kicking the habit without all the fanfare and questions from concerned supporters is easier in the long run. Knowing that everyone's "counting on you" might stress you to the point of failure instead of bolstering your resolve. Which approach will work best depends on your personality.
•Take it day -by day -- or even trigger -by trigger. This may sound like "addiction-speak," but it works. To approach the process by thinking, "I can't wait until I've been nicotine-free for a week" won't help you with that craving you get with your morning coffee on the very first day.
Stop-Smoking Groups

A number of organizations in your community may sponsor classes or support groups that guide smokers through the quitting process. Participants learn to identify smoking triggers, set a quit date, and find alternatives to smoking. If there is a fee, your medical plan may pay part of it; call to find out. Check the phone book and Internet to see what smoking cessation groups are available.

•The American Cancer Society (http://www.cancer.org or (800) ACS-2345) can refer you to a chapter in your area.
•The American Lung Association (http://www.lungusa.org or (800) LUNG-USA) is another great resource.
•Nicotine replacement products. Taking the form of gum or a patch, these release nicotine into your body, helping to reduce the physical withdrawal symptoms that may occur during the first few weeks that you go without cigarettes. The gum delivers nicotine through the lining of your mouth, although it causes soreness and burning of the mouth in some people. The patch looks like a Band-Aid, is worn on the skin, and transmits an even flow of nicotine through the skin and into the bloodstream. (About 25 to 50 percent of those using it experience some itching or burning at the site of the patch; nausea, headache, cough, insomnia, and vertigo have also been reported.) Both products are available without a prescription at many drugstores and supermarkets.
•Zyban (bupropion). As an antidepressant, bupropion is sold as Wellbutrin, but the product prescribed to ease the craving for cigarettes is known as Zyban. This prescription drug doesn't contain nicotine, and although researchers aren't sure how it work, the drug appears to help in brain chemistry that may occur when you quit smoking. It may diminish some withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, frustration, anxiety, and cravings. If you're interested in using Zyban to help you quit, talk to your doctor about getting a prescription.

Some health insurance plans cover the costs of these quitting aids. Both nicotine replacement products and Zyban can have side effects. Consult your doctor about any of these products before trying them, particularly if you're pregnant or have heart disease or another chronic illness, to make sure the products are safe for you.

You may also want to consider alternative methods, which include hypnosis and acupuncture, to help you stop smoking.

Answer 2

Plan ahead for situations where you are likely to be tempted to smoke, such as parties, drinking or going out for coffee. Attempt to avoid these circumstances in the early phases of your stopping program, or attempt sitting in the non-smoking area at restaurants, drinking your coffee standing or with the other hand, or keeping something in your hand when you're talking on the phone.

Answer 3

i would love to, i am smoking 3 packs a day and in my town the price per pack just went up 10 more cents per pack which puts them at 3.69 a pack for marloboro...i cant afford it anymore plus at the rate i smoke i'll end up having a heart attack before im 30. i have tried to quit before but its tough especially when theres so much stress in life