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I smoked a pack a day for 13 years and quit cold turkey July 5th. I'm at the point now where any occasional craving I get is fleeting and easily dismissed. I know people that swear by a variety of methods: cold turkey, Chantix, patches, etc. A friend of mine quit at the same time I did through the use of e-cigarettes, and he's still going strong as well (although that thing is in constant use). My advice is that the best method of quitting is simply the one that works best for you. Cold turkey worked best for me, and looking at information on sites like whyquit dot com provided a lot of additional support. Three important things I found, however, especially for the cold turkey folks: 1. "Cutting back" is just about useless, unless your primary goal is saving money. You'll be slipping back into your normal routine in no time. 2. As cliche as this sounds, YOU REALLY HAVE TO WANT TO QUIT. If you're already making contingency plans for yourself ("Well, if my girlfriend dumps me..." "If I'm stuck in traffic...") you're simply giving yourself license to cheat. Don't pretend a half-assed trial run is anything more than that. 3. Don't continually avoid social situations in which you know you'll be especially tempted to smoke. Other people here may disagree, but I feel this very strongly. Avoidance for the first couple of days is understandable, but after that it's all a psychological battle. The longer you avoid those situations, the harder you make it for yourself. If you're at the bar and your friends go outside for a smoke, walk out there with them. Maintain your routines, just without the action of smoking. You'll quickly realize you weren't actually having any more fun or enjoyment while you were smoking, and you won't feel like you're "missing out" on anything. Additionally, I found that the two week period marks a key transitional point, and everything becomes much easier after that. Take it day by day. Don't cheat, not even one cigarette. Develop some stupid mantra if you have to: I am a nonsmoker. Once you get past the rough patches, you'll be amazed how much better you feel about your life. Just prepare for an endless number of dreams in which you have a cigarette and feel terrible about yourself before waking up relieved. Man, I'm tired of that poo poo.
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Nov 19, 2009 18:58
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| # ¿ Apr 25, 2024 21:51 |
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George F Dorn posted:It really isn't a matter of needing to smoke per se, its the fact that if I quit smoking, it leaves a really large hole in my life habits and such if that makes sense. This was one of my biggest hangups. I was deathly afraid of how smoking would screw up my daily routines (like work breaks) and generally ruin my fun (going to bars/parties). The first couple such situations are going to suck, but I assure you that this anxiety passes fairly quickly, as you realize that smoking wasn't actually making your life any more fun...it's simply a daily ritual that happens to be pretty bad for you. As soon as you can, do everyday you would normally do in your day without the smoking. Worry about the social situations as you come to them, and don't use your anxiety as an excuse to avoid them. Again, you'll be surprised at how quickly you adjust.
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Nov 19, 2009 19:58
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