How did you quit smoking? -
planning to stop on monday, been a smoker for thirty five years, any tips would be most welcome, got a months supply of patches and lozenges, is it better to keep a packet of cigarettes in the house or have none at home.
This works, try:
1. Cold turkey.
2. Throw all your cigs. Yes, throw them in a bucket of water. This is where you tell your mind to be strong. Be ruthless about it.
3. Throw ashtrays. Keep none in the house.
4. Drinking coffee? Do it at a different place than your regular. Read newspaper with coffee? Don-t. Read it on the kitchen table or whatever - different from what you normally do. Change your trigger points.
5. No drinking beer or alcohol whatsoever for the next 1 month.
6. Associate with non-smokers all the time. Stay away from smoker friends for a while. Find any excuse to stay away from them.
7. When you get the urge, drink water. Plenty of it.
8. Wait for the urge to go away. It is temporary. Take a shower even if that means 4 or 5 times a day.
9. First week can be rough. After that you are over the hill.
10. Congratulate yourself. Kiss your wife deep, real deep. (hopefully your wife is a non-smoker, LOL).
Been there, done that, a happy non-smoker now. I did all of the above and passing it on FWIW.
Good luck.
Good luck to you! It is best to get rid of any regular cigarettes in the house (or anywhere else). Decide not to give yourself the option. I wish you all the luck in the world - go get-em! I smoked for 30+ years. Although I tried all the patches, pills, gum and lozenges - I failed. But then I found www.stopsmokingwithecigarettes.com and picked up a kit with 2 extra cartridges (low - med). That was the trick for me. I went from 1+ packs per day to freedom. I hope you succeed! Don-t give up!
First off well done for wanting to.
If you do not succeed it is not a failure you are just not ready!
I gave up a year and 2 months ago. I was a smoker for as long as you having started when pretty young. I smoked at least 20 a day for 20 years.
First off you have to really, really, really want to stop. It is no good trying to stop for your family, friends etc. It has to be because YOU want to. I am saying this because I have two friends who have fought and won against cancer and yet still smoke! Both tried to give up for their families and both were unable to.
I finally managed to stop by reading everything I could find about the effects of smoking. We all know it causes cancer but do you know all the other things it does to your body?
My children are in their teens and I tried to imagine how they would be married with a family of their own. Then imagine myself not there as I had died from emphysema, cancer of the throat, face, lungs.
I set a date and made sure that all the stuff I needed to smoke was gone. No ashtrays in the house, no lighters, papers etc. (I smoked roll ups) All I left myself with was the one packet of papers and all the dregs out of every packet over the last 6 months so it was really rough on my lungs.
I made sure I smoked all of this on the last day so my lungs were sore and the taste in my mouth disgusting. I made a point of not going around any friends houses for at least a week if they smoked.
I no longer crave a cigarette but I do notice something is missing occasionally especially after eating or a particularly nice cup of tea.
Good luck :))) I am with you in spirit all the way!
I have not had one since tuesday evening smoked for about 48years sure is hard but I will not give in I have got Nicotinell Lozenges I had heard they were horrible but I have got mint ones and really it is just like sucking a mint I don-t mind them at all you can have up to 30 of them a day but I find 8 to 10 is plenty For the first 2 days I did not tell anybody I was doing it I had cigs at the side of my chair and ashtray I think it helped It was like a game when would my husband notice but I told him in the end but have forbidden him to mention it I don-t anyone to keep on about it I have a opened packet of cigs with me when I go out I think I would panic and want one more if I knew I didn-t have one with me . I went to see the nurse at my local doctors she went through all the different ways with me I didn-t want patches years ago I tried them and had terrible nightmares I only lasted a week I didn-t want chewing gum as I have dentures so it was lozenges and so far I think they are great .It is not easy I will not pretend it is A tip I was given is if it gets really bad have a drink of ice cold water that does seem to help . For xmas I was given a d s light I have the brain power game so with that and my lap top I am keeping my hands busy good luck to you if I can get this far so can anyone
the first time i gave up was because me and my boyfriend (who i loved to bits!!) planned to go to a football match but my mam caught me smoking an hour before i was due to leave and i got grounded, so my boyfriend said if i didnt stop smoking he would break up with me.. that did the trick the first time and i didnt smoke for 14 months! the next few times i went cold turkey and lasted a couple of months each time, and my most recent time i went to a smoking clinic, got patches, pills, lozenges, gum and the inhalator and i lasted about 1 month! i felt better when i had a cigarette lying beside my bed as knowing i could smoke it at any time made me feel like i didnt want it lol if you get what i mean?? i never felt tempted to smoke it although i ALWAYS had cravings, even during the 14 months that i was smoke free i still have cravings lol i just kept thinking -will they ever stop?!- but they didnt and i dont think they ever would have. Its very very easy to quit smoking as the strength of the cravings will stay the same throughout - you just need to be able to control it :) mind, i found that by using nicotine replacments it was a lot harder as you still think about the nicotine youre getting and you know you wold rather have a cigarette.. which is why i started up again lol
My advice? put a cigareete beside your bed, and one where you usually smoke, dont use nicotine replacements. You will find it a lot easier! and if that dont work, use relacements next time. whichever way you last longest, set another date to quit and do it the way you found best :)
good luck hun! :)
Totally isolate yourself from them, this means no cigarettes in the house. Do other stuff with your hands, for example hold a pen there when you want to smoke a cigarette, also chew gum if you want something to do with your mouth. Have family/friends support you through it, it will make quitting way easier.
How can non-smokers actually give advice on how to quit smoking? PLEASE! I was also a smoker-37 years! I have been smoke free for 14 months now. My husband has been smoke free for 1 year! We both used Chantix. You-ll need to get a prescription from your doctor. Join the free web site for support if you want. I did just to keep track of my progress. I didn-t follow all of the advice they give, but some of it may be helpful for you. For the first 2-3 months you will still smoke, but the cravings gradually get less and less. Don-t PLAN a quit day as they suggest-it will happen naturally. Don-t stress if you go 1 day, 1 week or longer without a smoke and then have one. Just continue the medicine for the entire 6 months. The only side effect both my husband and I had was vivid dreams. (kind of cool) I know of a couple of people who had other side effects such as anxiety attacks and were forced to stop the meds (and they started smoking again). Just be aware that those are rare but can happen. It worked for me and my husband. I still sometimes want a smoke but I won-t. When I smell cigarette smoke, that-s when I remember how long I smoked, the damage it did and how proud I am of me that I quit! Best of luck to you! I wish you great success!
smoked 40 per day and for about 30 years. my wife and i decided to give up, as we had tried before. there must have been more determination by us to succeed and that was 19 years ago, no patches etc, just guts to do it. We had finished up smoking herbal cigs that were like horse muck, maybe that was the deciding factor. Give yourself 100% for trying, be determined and you will succeed, best of luck.
good for you me and you both ... it is the second time for me so i know what to expect ...
Try the gum . .tescos do a great one and it works for me . .the patches irriated me and the lozenges were not for me ..
Never have any cigs in the house as you will find or make an excuse to have one .. trust me i have been there
The person who mentioned the butts and water is so right .. when i wanted one i smelt an ashtray and it instantly put me off .. it sounds odd but it does work
good luck xxx
hi good luck i have tried so many times and will continue to try i think that all the answers here play a part but at the end of the day it is all about will power you just have to tell yourself you are a non smoker and when you really belive it you will have stoped i don-t have will power so i am still smoking but will try again soon cos i maneged to stop drinking and taking drugs so i no i can stop smoking i just need will power
I smoked pot. haha
Seriously, it did help completely.
It-s easier to drop that than cigarettes.
Or quite with a friend. It easy to get through it with some support.
And it-s probably best not to have a packed.
You might get into that -oh i-ll just have one cigarette to get rid of these craving-. Noooo don-t do it.
Good Luck to you. I am sure you will kick the habit!
I believe in you!! haha
Hi
I went a Hypnotist 30 years ago , it cost me ￡10 and the session last about half an hour, I had a cigarette just before I went in and had 3 ciggies left in a packet on my car dash board, they stayed their until they were practically dust .
This was the best ￡10 i have ever spent
Good Luck
Josser
well i did stop, so i know i can if i want to but i dont... i used the inhalor thingy its brill, tho it has menthol added which i hate. i am going to get one of those electronic cigs they seem ideal and you can smoke them anywhere (the rebel in me will enjoy puffing it in pubs, restaurants, buses, trains etc maybe even in tesco for a reaction!!)
My sister read one of Alan Carr-s books and said it really helped. I think you can get them in most book shops. Good luck!
Ooooh - also I-ve heard that keeping some old butts in water in a jar is a good idea. If you want a cigarette, open the jar and smell the butts... eww!
Also, try not to drink if it makes you want a ciggie!
I never smoked in my life.
But to give up, I-d actually suggest waiting a few weeks, the start of the new year is stressful for everyone and only serves to fuel your cravings.
When My Uncle Quit He Said That The Chewing Gum Worked Best. Or Nothing At All, Just Stop.
Throw All Your Fags Away And Don-t Buy Any More..
Good Luck.
;]
calll a helpline.
a good way, dont bring smokes or money for smokes
naturally youll ask friends..
takes long but you start to feel kinda bad. then... slowly you stop
with whatever else your using, should work
Well I never Smoked, And I never will But here-s a good Advice.
instead of a Cigarette , Keep chewing a gum. It will keep you busy.
I never started so it was very easy =)
Good luck quitting :)
go down the NHS or w/e they have quit smoking classes
Hang around places you would never smoke, it helps, smoking is 90% habit vs. 10% addiction
Sheer guts, self confidence, discipline and a packet of fruity chews.
whenver you tempted to smoke just chew a chewing gum or walk for few minutes it may help.
If you want to quit you will quit it .I quit after i smoked 25 years .
i wasnt a smoker
Dont put the cigarette in your mouth.
This will prevent you smoking...