Need help! I want to stop smoking

[pacopaco]

I took up smoking early last year. I hada rough year, and I took it up as a crutch. I'm doing so much better now, and I want to leave everything from last year behind, including tobacco. I stink, my breath stinks, i can't walk up a flight of stairs without having to catch my breath. I started smoking about a pack a day, and it intereferes with my life! I hate it. I don't want to do patches or gum. I understand that it is a physical addiction to nicotine, but I want to believe that I have the power of mind over matter. I have healing well from a painful breakup, and four deaths all which occurred last year. Any advice, support? what did you do to stop smoking? I really want to do this!

[kellbell]

Hey there,

 

Good for you for wanting to quit. I wonder, what point are you at in quitting? What I mean is, some people I know want to quit, know they have to quit but are not quite at that stage where they WANT to quit and take the necessary steps to do so.

 

I know of people whom wake up and firmly say, "I don't want to smoke anymore." and they quit, cold turkey. I have heard that is the best way to quit. But you have to be at the point where you do not want to smoke.

 

I am not a smoker so I cannot possibly fathom what it is like to be addicted to nicotine and what it takes to quit. But I have several friends and family members whom quit and never look back. But they were at that point where they were ready and had no desire to smoke anymore.

 

Here are some links that may be helpful...

 

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I wish you all the success in quitting.

[jengh]

you could talk to your doctor and possibly get one of those prescriptions where, when you feel the need, you puff on this little plastic thing

 

 

I used to smoke a lot (half pack a day, ish)... and one day i just decided to only smoke when i drink and that was that...i didnt even think about it.... but i think im one of those rare cases...

 

They make these things called eclipse...they're cigarettes, technically, but they don't burn like a normal cigarette... you still get the nicotine and everything, but instead of burning, they vaporize..

[darkpumpkin]

It's a hard thing. But as Kellbell said you really have to decide at what point your at. I hate the fact I smoke. It's absolutly disgusting but I have never WANTED with every fiber of my being to quit. I just wanted to because it's gross.....sad to say I'm still smoking. I would try the patch or gum only because your more then likely to succeed with help.

[pacopaco]

I quit smoking when I was 25. Dropped it cold turkey. I did well. Just last year was so bad, I needed a crutch so I took it up again. Right now I'm using a Miswak. That's a "muslim" toobrush made from a tree twig. It works, and I can sit outside brushing my teeth. That's been helping me a whole lot. In addition, it makes my breath fresh.

As I stated before, I don't want anything prescribed or I don't want to get into using patches. I'm afraid that I'll end up moving from one addiction to another. Not for me.

I guess I'm doing good with quitting, but whenever I get stressed or think back to last year, I get not the craving, but more the impulse to smoke. It's the impulse that is my problem.

[LONESOUL]

Paco paco

 

I smoke for 27 years...I quit ten months ago. I used the information contained

on link removed (Kellbell has posted you a link above)

 

If I could stop, anyone can stop. Best of luck to you.

 

Take Good care~

Lone

[rocio]

get pregnant. it worked for me.

[amtjrtcet]

I quit smoking when I was 25. Dropped it cold turkey. I did well. Just last year was so bad, I needed a crutch so I took it up again. Right now I'm using a Miswak. That's a "muslim" toobrush made from a tree twig. It works, and I can sit outside brushing my teeth. That's been helping me a whole lot. In addition, it makes my breath fresh.

As I stated before, I don't want anything prescribed or I don't want to get into using patches. I'm afraid that I'll end up moving from one addiction to another. Not for me.

I guess I'm doing good with quitting, but whenever I get stressed or think back to last year, I get not the craving, but more the impulse to smoke. It's the impulse that is my problem.

 

So quit cold turkey again. That's the way I quit. Smoke free for over 5 yrs now. I don't believe in patches or gum. If you want to quit something you just have to DO IT.

 

Good luck!

[CharLit]

I'm sorry you've had such an incredibly rough year of it!

 

I know it's not the generally recommended method, but it worked for me and a few other people I know: I slowly reduced the amount I was smoking over about half a year, till I was smoking 1-2 cigarettes per day, and then I quit. For me it was very much a thing of habit - smoking accompanied certain actions in my daily routines, e.g. the cig with the first cup of coffee, the cig after every meal, the cig with a glass of wine etc. By building down slowly i removed the cigarettes from my routines slowly, so i didn't miss them nearly as much. By the time I stopped completely all these daily actions were already not associated with smoking anymore.

 

It might work as an alternative to cold turkey for you, give it a shot if you think it might!

 

take care,

 

C

[JustaGirl31]

I am also a smoker who wants to quit. I have been smoking for 14 years and it's shocking to me to write that! I think it's mental...and you have to want to really quit. I believe the best way is cold turkey, because gets the physical addiction out within 2 weeks. I've tried gum and patches, been right back to smoking.

 

A wonderful book that has helped SO many is The Easy Way to Quit Smoking. I have read it....just wasn't ready yet. But, the book is EXCELLENT. Doesn't use scare tatics, which I appreciate. It explains the addiction and how you aren't loosing anything by quiting.

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Good luck and keep us posted.

[Locke2121]

Cold turkey dude! Its the only way that you can do it. Patches and gum keep feeding the nicotine habit, so they're no good! So just toss all the cigs, lighters and ashtrays you have. Its strange, but you won't actually remember much about that first month, at least I don't. I do know people had to be very patient with me, I could snap their heads off without even trying. But sooner or later you'll notice that you can breath again, smell again and the world isn't as lack-luster as you thought it was.