What is the best way to quit smoking? -
I have smoked since I was like 13, I-m 23 now and I-ve got to the point to where I feel it is just nasty. I can-t stand the smell.(I never could) I hate it that my hands stink. I hate my breath, and I-m slowly killing myself doing it anyway. I live in a house with 3 other people and all of them smoke. Would moving be a good idea? Then try to quit for real or to stop now and go insane with all of the cigarettes in the house and nothing to smoke.
I quit using the patch, and it was fantastic and so easy. I had 2 modifications to the program:
1: When I was wearing the patch, if I still craved a cigarette, I reached for the patch and rubbed it. This might have released more nicotine at that moment, or might have just psychologically helped and kept my hands busy -- I-m not sure.
2: For at least 6 months after getting off the patch, I kept spare packages of lowest dose patch in my purse. If I ever felt like falling off the wagon (say, a trigger being in a bar with smoking friends while we were all drinking) I would apply a patch instead. I didn-t hold myself to having to be off the patch. Eventually, I went months without using one of the spares -- and that was that (4 years ago!)
Whether you should move: I wouldn-t just yet -- you don-t know if you can quit, and to move might be a decision you regret. See if you can keep up with the patch for a little bit. If your roomates are smoking and you want one, try the patch rubbing trick. Once you-ve gone without smoking for a while, then you won-t be able to stand your roomates smoking, even if you-re still on the patch. Then you can make the big move.
Good luck. I-ve given this same advice to 3 friends, and they all quit successfully. The -carry a spare patch after you-re done with the patch program- tip really makes the big difference in not getting back to smoking.