No gimmicks, smart alec answers....need to hear from others that have quit smoking . What worked for u? -
I have been a smoker for 28 long years, tried numerous times to quit. The longest I was able to hold out was 3 days. Out of my immediate family, only my 27 year old daughter doesn*t smoke,(Thank God) I*m getting on up in age, and have concerns for my health, as well as second hand smoke and it*s effect on my grandchildren. My bf isn*t a smoker ,he hasn*t said anything but I know that this concerns him. I*ve tried the patches...a no go..they caused me to break out in a rash. Tried the zyban pills once....couldn*t remember to take them.(I*m not a daily medicine type person). Tried going cold turkey....the withdrawals became so intense till on the 3rd day I gave in and lit one up. I have no health insurance and can*t afford financially to experiment with this new drug that they have out($110 for a month supply) Anyone having quit that can share How they did it, What worked for them would be greatly appreciated.
The best methods in my opinion is a reduction method. This means if you smoke a pack a day on the first day you remove 1 cigarette and throw it away (don-t store it for a rainy day) Stay with that for a week and the following week remove 2 so on and so forth. This method has worked for many people.
It works because it SLOWLY reduces your bodies need for the amount of nicotine. I have found people that have cut cold turkey fall off the band wagon more as those who also use the patch or gum. Also helps for you to set up a time limit on smoking such as stop smoking 2 hrs before you go to bed etc. Remember when the day is done and you have cigarettes left you have to throw that pack away don-t hoard unused cigarettes. While you will be wasting money throwing them away it-s not near the money you would spend on medication, hypnotherapy etc. I hope this helps.
Like you I tried patches but got a burning sensation and a rash. My doctor told me to switch brands and to try them in different places, which I did. I find they burn less on my thighs and only leave a small mark when they are removed, and lets face it, this far outweighs the negatives of smelly clothes/house/hair, having to nip out of places for a cig and the health problems and guilt about second hand smoke. I stuck with the patches but also used the inhaler when cravings got relly really bad, it worked!! I was on AT LEAST 25 a day. The main cravings really do go with patches, best thing is to keep busy. if you are worried about putting on weight, do what my mum did and buy a massive bag of sugar free lollipops, they give you that hand-to-mouth satisfaction and action without it being a biscuit or crisps!! Also did you know that just by having nicotine in your system you burn an extra 200 calories a day? So the best thing would be to simply reduce your intake by 200 calories a day (around 2pieces of bread/1 choc bar/2bananas) otherwise 200 calories a day over a week is like eating an extra full days food a week and leads to the misconception that quitting smoking MAKES you put on weight. Also, I used to have a cup of tea, toast and then a cig first thing in the morning, I found it so hard to have tea and toast without the habitual cig, so instead of craving the missing part of my breakfast (the cig) I changed my breakfast to cereal and juice, it worked wonders, do this for as many of your normal cig routines as possible and it will really make those cravings easier.
I certainly wish you luck, but I too am a long term smoker that would like to quit for health reasons. I-ve heard that nicotine is more addictive than heroin, but I don-t know. One time I almost made it...I started by only allowing myself 1 cigerette per hour. then every 2 hours and so on. I was down to 1 cigarette a day, but couldn-t bring myself to throw it away. Then going out with friends to the bar, the next thing you know I was bumming smokes, and finaklly got a pack. Now I smoke 1/2-1 pack per day. So like I said...good luck!
Being in the National Guard I have heard a couple different stories. I have heard to run when you want one. But what about those that can-t run? Others say chew gum. I always have people ask me for gum, and it cost about the same price. I have even heard of people that pinch themselves when they are fiending. I went cold turkey by being locked in a house for over a year. But when I had the chance, I was on it. You just have to find something that works for you. Sing a song, dance, read, anything to get your mind off of it. I hope this helps! Good luck