How did you successfully quit smoking cigarettes? I've told myself for 5 years that I'd quit after graduation and tomorrow I'll be graduated, so its time to return to this commitment. I've quit cold turkey a few times, but this last time I started has been the longest I've smoked consistently at a little over 2 yrs and I know I'm going to have issues. The hardest part is that every single friend of mine smokes so I'll be around it all the time anyways. Thanks for the advice.
All my friends smoke too so its hard for me to even try to smoke less. If i had to quit smoking i would also have to quit drinking cause lets be honest there is nothing like a cold beer and a cigarette. Mama Dukes quit 14 years ago on the gum, but is still on the gum and that stuff isnt cheap. So i guess my advice is get sober and get some new friends. LOL. i would also have to give up driving cause i cant drive without smoking. Oh and congrats on the graduation!!
oh, and I quit by smoking myself sick. I think it was chain smoking out the ass....3 or so packs in ONE NIGHT (3-4 hours) haven't touched a cigarette since.
Get some antidepressants with a refill if possible, and lots of... Don't follow the directions on the pills about cutting your smoking in half each week for 4 weeks and then stopping, just smoke normally for that 4 weeks, and on the cutoff date stop totally. Lock yourself in your room for a week. Every time you feel the urge to have a cigarette, take a small bit of the.... After that week, leave the room but stay in a familiar:naughty: area. If you really feel the need to smoke, take a... Most important, get gum, hard candy, or lots of crappy pens that you can remove the ink from and chew on, twirl between you fingers, etc... The hardest part for me was what to do with my hands when I would normally be holding a cigarette. The car was definitely a hard one, but with a combination of the above, it can be done. After two or so weeks it will start to get easier, but you just have to tell yourself to never take another puff again. Keep reminding yourself every time you get the urge that you have it beat and you'll be good, and if necessary take a little... I took the antidepressants almost double the recommended time. When I came off them I was well over the physical and mental addictions of smoking. If I came off them at the recommended time, I don't think it would have held. That and I like antidepressants. Also, another big one here, after a couple weeks when you think you really have it beat, be sure to tell everyone you come across smoking a cigarette how bad they are for them. If you roommates smoke, every time they get up to smoke a cigarette, remind them. Go stand out on the front porch with them and talk to them, but make sure you told them how bad it was for them. Only do this once per person per light up. To have even more fun with it, take a little of the... while letting them know that they are killing themselves 7 minutes at a time. Oh and congrats on graduating. :bowdown:
i just set a date and did it cold turkey, no meds. I used my son for motivation though so my situation was different.
i was able to cut mine down to 1 a day for a solid 2 weeks, my roommates smoke too much though... i'd say tapering works ok.
Thanks for the advice guys. I'm going to try cutting back in the next week and only smoking at night and going into nights drinking with a limited number of smokes to keep from smoking too much in a night. I dont think the antidepressant option will work for me, I'll just tough this out.
there is nothing more annoying then a person going around boast how bad smoking is for you. No shit its bad for you its right there on the box. just because you are miserable from quitting doesnt mean you have to make everyone suffer and be in their face about smoking dangers. My friend tried this method and we about killed him. i know its a psych method of quitting and prob. works but if you like your friends i wouldnt do it.
Wouldn't REAL friends want to help you out by tolerating your behavior while you tried to kick an addictive, potentially cancer causing, heart disease inducing, emphysema creating, COPD producing, habit.....just saying...:hsugh:
My friend made a deal with me that I could hit him anytime I saw him smoking. I hit him in the chest as hard as I could on two occasions and he never smoked around me again The first time he didn't think I'd do it. The second time he never saw it coming.
I started quitting slowly... i stopped smoking in the car almost entirely. It was more of a habitual thing than anything. And I tried really hard for about 2 weeks to cut my smoking in half and I did successfully.. But I live with my boyfriend who smokes so now I still smoke but its 2-3 cigs a day and I usually cant even finish a whole one anymore. I know I could easily put it down if I wanted to quit now. I think you should wean yourself. But make an honest effort to cut your smoking in half for two weeks. And once you get to that point you'll notice how much better you start feeling in general... it will then be easy to cut however much your smoking in half again. The hardest thing for me to overcome was smoking while driving... if you can get past that I think you'll be okay. (oh and parties, but I stayed away from those when I was quitting) good luck!
refer to my user name....not from smoking but you get the idea. =) My manager did the acupuncture thing and it worked pretty well for him. It's all mind over matter. I'd say take it slow, because I know how I feel if I haven't had any caffeine for half a day, I start to get headaches, etc... So i'd say slowly but surely. Just have something else around such as gum to cure the oral fixation.
Are you going home for christmas bobby? I find if I have a good reason to quite (like being away from friends and being around parents) help with the first week or two. Then you have started to get off of the nicotine and then all you have to quit around your friends. Good luck!
Just dooo ittt..like Will said...GL Bobby...I wish I could say more, but I would just do cold turkey and maybe try hypnosis...I don't smoke so I know I am not much help... Mark