How to quit smoking please help? -
well i want to quit smoking, but its hard cause i live with my boyfriend who smokes, and he wont quit and its just to hard to be around a smoker and not smoke. I have smoked more since being with him too..
how do i get him to quit so i can?
Write a list of the reasons why you want to stop, and keep them with you. Refer to them when tempted to light up. You may wish to read a separate leaflet in this series called -Smoking - The Facts-. This gives the reasons why smoking is so harmful and lists the benefits of stopping.
Set a date for stopping, and stop completely. (Some people prefer the idea of cutting down gradually. However, research has shown that if you smoke less cigarettes than usual, you are likely to smoke more of each cigarette, and nicotine levels remain nearly the same. Therefore, it is usually best to stop once and for all from a set date.)
Tell everyone that you are giving up smoking. Friends and family often give support and may help you. Smoking by others in the household makes giving up harder. If appropriate, try to get other household members who smoke, or friends who smoke, to stop smoking at the same time. A -team- effort may be easier than going it alone.
Get rid of ashtrays, lighters, and all cigarettes.
Be prepared for some withdrawal symptoms. When you stop smoking, you are likely to get symptoms which may include: nausea (feeling sick), headaches, anxiety, irritability, craving, and just feeling awful. These symptoms are caused by the lack of nicotine that your body has been used to. They tend to peak after 12-24 hours, and then gradually ease over 2-4 weeks.
Anticipate a cough. It is normal for a -smokers cough- to get worse when you stop smoking (as the airways -come back to life-). Many people say that this makes them feel worse for a while after stopping smoking and makes them tempted to restart smoking. Resist this temptation! The cough usually gradually eases.
Be aware of situations in which you are most likely to want to smoke. In particular, drinking alcohol is often associated with failing in an attempt to stop smoking. You should consider not drinking much alcohol in the first few weeks after stopping smoking. Try changing your routine for the first few weeks. For example, don-t go to the pub for a while if that is a tempting place to smoke and drink alcohol. Also, if drinking tea and coffee are difficult times, try drinking mainly fruit juice and plenty of water instead.
Take one day at a time. Mark off each successful day on a calendar. Look at it when you feel tempted to smoke, and tell yourself that you don-t want to start all over again.
Be positive. You can tell people that you don-t smoke. You will smell better. After a few weeks you should feel better, taste your food more, and cough less. You will have more money. Perhaps put away the money you would have spent on cigarettes for treats.
Food. Some people worry about gaining weight when they give up smoking as the appetite may improve. Anticipate an increase in appetite, and try not to increase fatty or sugary foods as snacks. Try sugar-free gum and fruit instead.
Don-t despair if you fail. Examine the reasons why you felt it was more difficult at that particular time. It will make you stronger next time. On average, people who eventually stop smoking have made 3 or 4 previous attempts.
Stop Smoking Clinics are available on the NHS. They have a good success in helping people to stop smoking. Your doctor may refer you to one if you are keen to stop smoking but are finding it difficult to do so.
Various medicines can increase your chance of quitting. These include Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) which comes as gums, sprays, patches, tablets, lozenges, and inhalers. You can buy NRT without a prescription. Also, medicines called bupropion (trade name -Zyban-) and varenicline (trade name -Champix) can help. These are available on prescription. See separate leaflets called -Smoking - Nicotine Replacement Therapy-, -Smoking - Helping to Stop with Bupropion- and -Smoking - Helping to Stop with Varenicline-.
read: the easy way to quit smoking, by allen carr.
i smoked for over 3 years, age 17 to 20 and quit in february. i had tried quitting quite a few times unsuccessfully and the most recent time was february 6th. i bought the book on amazon, read it and have not even CRAVED a cigarette since. i just figure it had to have been the book... it was recommended to me by several friends who have also successfully quit. it-s been over 8 months and i have not had a single puff. no nicotine patch or any of that garbage. you and your boyfriend should both read it, it saved my life.