# Trying to quit smoking.



## Emerson (Mar 13, 2011)

I'm trying to quit smoking. I've cut down from 26 to around 4 a day. From here I've decided to just stop. Is this a good idea? (I haven't the money to spend on expensive 'quit smoking' apparatus) any suggestions for methods to avoid smoking would be very helpful. Especially from someone who has already quit.


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## yesiknowbut (Oct 25, 2009)

State of mind really is important. I have smoked on and off for years...I'm older and it wasn't as taboo when I was young, then it becomes a hard habit to break. Finally last September, driving home from work, engaged in my usual bout of mild self-loathing that I smoke, worrying about dying young from smoking-related disease like my father did and what effect that would have on my own children.....it dawned on me that giving up finally would not be an act of self-deprivation but of liberation. It would enable me to be free of the negative guilty thought spirals, free from feeling weak-willed and the self-loathing that goes with that, free from addiction and all that. And all that was achievable by the very simple manouevre of never smoking another cigarette.
Haven't smoked since.


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## Impermanence (Apr 24, 2012)

Get involved in as many activities as you can. The more you keep busy, the better.


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## Snakecharmer (Oct 26, 2010)

I used to help people quit for a living (hypnotherapy). You can download some inexpensive (a few bucks each) hypnosis MP3 downloads. Just don't listen to them while you are driving! :laughing: I like the website HypnosisDownloads.com. That's far less expensive than having a hypnotherapist work with you (my rate was $60 USD/hr when I was practicing, or you could buy a lifetime guaranteed program for several hundred $).

Also, check out the book The EasyWay to Stop Smoking by Allen Carr. It is fantastic. 

I agree that keeping yourself busy helps. Are there particular times of day/night when you find yourself really wanting to smoke? Or, are there specific activities that you pair with smoking (watching TV, breaks @ work or school, etc)? If so, break up those "habit pairs" as much as possible.


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## Snakecharmer (Oct 26, 2010)

Oh! If you don't exercise, start. Exercise does not go well with smoking - a lot of people find that if they start running, for example, the urge to smoke decreases.


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## Emerson (Mar 13, 2011)

Thanks guys. Will give individual thanks as well. Since the advice center is pretty much just used as a mine for thanks... Right?


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## DarkyNWO (Mar 21, 2011)

@Emerson 

I thought it was for helping people, but maybe I was wrong 

As for the smoking, you can't quit unless you have set your mind on that you really want to. Everyone says "I'll quit after this packet!" "I'll quit tomorrow". They are lying to themselves and they know it. They just say it cause it makes them feel better for a lil' while. A fix for their concious, cause they know deep down that it's dangerous. So I suppose, make your self liable for your promises. If you fail to live up to something you've said, punish yourself for it. I do it all the time and it sucks. Like rolling two dices and the first one is the amount of kilometres I'll add to my daily cardio and the 2nd one for how many days. Requires dicipline thou.

Anyhow, good luck on quitting =)


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## yesiknowbut (Oct 25, 2009)

A thank-mine. Never saw it that way. But now you mention it, it's strangely compelling......


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## caramel_choctop (Sep 20, 2010)

Since you've already cut down this probably doesn't help, but I don't smoke & never will, so my only piece of advice is* to stop using smoking as a way to relieve stress.* People in my family do this all the time, and it's just... not good, because you associate smoking with relaxing. 
4 a day down from 26 is excellent, though, so well done for that.


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## Snakecharmer (Oct 26, 2010)

Pebble in a Brook said:


> Since you've already cut down this probably doesn't help, but I don't smoke & never will, so my only piece of advice is* to stop using smoking as a way to relieve stress.* People in my family do this all the time, and it's just... not good, because you associate smoking with relaxing.
> 4 a day down from 26 is excellent, though, so well done for that.


On that note - think about what you are doing when you are smoking. It really is taking deep breaths and exhaling, right? Try doing that without a cigarette.


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## caramel_choctop (Sep 20, 2010)

^That. Or chew gum instead of smoking. I was about to suggest doing something ritualistic like drinking tea: that keeps your hands occupied and decreases your cravings. Mind you don't start becoming addicted to tea, though!


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## Staffan (Nov 15, 2011)

I quit using nicotine gum. It just takes the edge off but it's not at all as pleasureable as smoking. So it's a good way to ease out of it. And like others said, exercise is really good, keeps your nerves calm.


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## MegaTuxRacer (Sep 7, 2011)

If you need help getting over the nicotine cravings, get some gum. Any thing from CVS, Walgreens, and Kroger are basically nicorette; and they will taste the best. Those brands will be half as expensive yet still affordable. I like fruit chill, but cinnamon hides the taste of th nicotine better.


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## DustyDrill (May 20, 2011)

Snakecharmer said:


> Also, check out the book The EasyWay to Stop Smoking by Allen Carr. It is fantastic.


This really is fantastic. It killed my desire for cigarettes after listening to an audio-book describing his method. If anything, it shortens the withdrawal period and sense of need.


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## ilphithra (Jun 22, 2010)

I got an e-cig. 

I get the nicotine and don't have to worry about tar and carcinogens in my lungs or other people's lungs or stinking to hell. Spent 3 months coughing all the crap I had inside my lungs but now it's fine, my skin got its color back instead of being yellowish.

It also lowers your nicotine intake because you don't need to puff a whole analog when you just need a puff of two. Grab the e-cig, puff once or twice, put away. End.

In public places, even though it's legal, I still ask if I can use it since some establishments don't want people to use e-cigs due to analog users making problems (jealous dears? swap over... :dry and/or, in case you use one of the models that look like an analog, some people mix them up with real ones (mine's black with blue light, doesn't happen).

Some people manage to stop smocking completely after using e-cigs and if the "Hand vice" still persists, they swap to non-nicotine juice and keep using the e-cig.


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## Emerson (Mar 13, 2011)

DarkyNWO said:


> @_Emerson_
> 
> I thought it was for helping people, but maybe I was wrong
> 
> ...



Going to use your idea on the workout stuff, thanks man.


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## Saguaro (Aug 15, 2012)

alfreda said:


> State of mind really is important. I have smoked on and off for years...I'm older and it wasn't as taboo when I was young, then it becomes a hard habit to break. Finally last September, driving home from work, engaged in my usual bout of mild self-loathing that I smoke, worrying about dying young from smoking-related disease like my father did and what effect that would have on my own children.....it dawned on me that giving up finally would not be an act of self-deprivation but of liberation. It would enable me to be free of the negative guilty thought spirals, free from feeling weak-willed and the self-loathing that goes with that, free from addiction and all that. And all that was achievable by the very simple manouevre of never smoking another cigarette.
> Haven't smoked since.


Wow, that was pretty inspirational. I've been trying to quit too. The price just went up by a dollar in the state I live in today and it will probably start to affect my finances if I keep going (I'm eighteen, so I'm not exactly bringing in the big bucks right now). Also, it is not only the fiscal and health aspects of life, but also the interpersonal and state-of-mind aspects. I have been experiencing way too much guilt to keep this habit going. Earlier I was smoking a cigarette and saw a picture of myself when I was a young kid and I nearly broke down at the thought of what he would think of me right now.


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## Duck_of_Death (Jan 21, 2011)

Emerson said:


> I'm trying to quit smoking. I've cut down from 26 to around 4 a day. From here I've decided to just stop. Is this a good idea? (I haven't the money to spend on expensive 'quit smoking' apparatus) any suggestions for methods to avoid smoking would be very helpful. Especially from someone who has already quit.


I'd recommend cutting back and using an e-cig to substitute. 
Going cold turkey is supposedly the worst way to quit.


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## Jamie.Ether (Jul 1, 2011)

I quit about three weeks ago cold turkey. I had tried quitting a few times before.
The thought patterns are the most important. You have to start seeing yourself as a non-smoker.
Avoiding triggers like caffiene and alcohol is important. I was doing okay the first week until I drank one night and my cravings went crazyyyy. 
Also, try to surround yourself with non-smokers if you can, especially people who have quit. 
I used little substitutes the first week, an empty e-cigarette and a straw to chew on [just for the physical habit] drinking ice water out of a straw helped. taking deep breathes. 
I know quitting is different for everyone, so don't expect yourself to feel one way or another. Just take it as it comes. Don't pressure yourself with too many other things. 
A few times when I got the worst cravings, I would do a set of jumping jacks, and it really helped. Taking walks, biking, something to get your heart rate up and release endorphins can really help with those cravings.


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## Saguaro (Aug 15, 2012)

Also, one of the best things to do when you get a craving his carry around a bag containing an extract of your favorite scent (mine is almond) and every time you get a craving smell the scent and think about why you like it and your past experiences with it. This is a very simplified version of the technique, but if it sounds interesting, I could help you out. I know heroin addicts who do this and haven't used in years.


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## Duck_of_Death (Jan 21, 2011)

I know of a subversive technique, but I wouldn't attempt it. 
A guy I know purchased a carton and sat outside and chainsmoked all of them within a day.

He no longer smokes and the very thought or hint of tobacco sickens him.

Just throwing it out there.


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## Sela (Apr 27, 2010)

Emerson said:


> I'm trying to quit smoking. I've cut down from 26 to around 4 a day. From here I've decided to just stop. Is this a good idea? (I haven't the money to spend on expensive 'quit smoking' apparatus) any suggestions for methods to avoid smoking would be very helpful. Especially from someone who has already quit.


/skips rest of thread and responds directly to first post/
Smoke the last one you have and be done. Don't quit mid-pack, because the temptation will be there to not "waste money". 
You have to WANT to stop. No amount of nagging by other people will be the catalyst for this. ... and the price won't be what makes you stop, either. Been there, done that. 
For me, it was roller skating; I'd been doing it for about eight months already before I quit. However, I hooked up with an old friend who is now my skate partner. He is an excellent skater and I knew the only way that I'd ever manage to get on the same par as him was to stop. So for me, my desire/competitiveness kicked in, and I quit them cold turkey on February 28th of this year.
Good luck.


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## ilphithra (Jun 22, 2010)

I forgot to add my costs... 

I went from around 50€/month on tobacco to around 5€/month or every 2 months (depending if I vap more or less liquid). Also, every 3 or 4 months, you need to get a new battery or atty for the e-cig. That's around 20€ with sending fees.


Does the vapor feel like the smoke of an analog? Yes... I actually had some problems with the throat hit at first (was too strong) but you need to get used to pull it a bit different than usual. Also, you need to get used to only pull every 30 seconds or so (to let the atty cool off).


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## Snakecharmer (Oct 26, 2010)

Duck_of_Death said:


> I know of a subversive technique, but I wouldn't attempt it.
> A guy I know purchased a carton and sat outside and chainsmoked all of them within a day.
> 
> He no longer smokes and the very thought or hint of tobacco sickens him.
> ...


I've heard of people doing that for smoking and for, of all things, chocolate addiction.

I wonder if smoking that many cigarettes that close together could kill a person? Trying to research it now...


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## ilphithra (Jun 22, 2010)

Snakecharmer said:


> I've heard of people doing that for smoking and for, of all things, chocolate addiction.
> 
> I wonder if smoking that many cigarettes that close together could kill a person? Trying to research it now...


It actually can... look for nicotine poisoning.


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## Kilgore Trout (Jun 25, 2010)

Emerson said:


> I'm trying to quit smoking. I've cut down from 26 to around 4 a day. From here I've decided to just stop. Is this a good idea? (I haven't the money to spend on expensive 'quit smoking' apparatus) any suggestions for methods to avoid smoking would be very helpful. Especially from someone who has already quit.


Some tips that helped me and others:

1.) Avoid places where you are around people who smoke, like outside of bars. Avoid substances that make you want to smoke more. Drinking alcohol around smokers will probably make you want to smoke because you are less inhibited and exposed to cigarettes more directly. 

2.) If you feel stress or anxiety in smoking, then exercise. 

Do a jumping-jack, push-up, sit-up. Shadow-box. 

Not only does exercise keep your mind off smoking, it calms you down and gets you in better shape. 

You may be able to lessen that itch.

3.) Drink and eat plenty. This may temporarily substitute for the need to smoke.

4.) If you can't quit cold-turkey, then gradually reduce your intake or find spaced-out times during the day to smoke, so you can practice controlling your craving. Some people can quit with the gum, the patch, and so on, but others use that to maintain the lingering effects of their addiction until they fall back into the habit.

5.) The best thing you can do is have the right mind-set. Be motivated. You have to actually want to quit. You should stay positive and think of the reasons for why it is better to not smoke. Read inspirational quotes, repeat a mantra in your head, write down what you want accomplished, set goals that you could never have done before (like running a marathon). Stay mentally disciplined. If you see somebody smoking in front of you, think only of not smoking that one cigarette. You will see how easy the time passes when that person smokes one. The moment of them smoking will disappear and you will have controlled your craving.


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## Monkey King (Nov 16, 2010)

Emerson said:


> I'm trying to quit smoking. I've cut down from 26 to around 4 a day. From here I've decided to just stop. Is this a good idea? (I haven't the money to spend on expensive 'quit smoking' apparatus) any suggestions for methods to avoid smoking would be very helpful. Especially from someone who has already quit.


I was a light smoker of 4-6 a day so cold turkey was easier for me. I've heard people have been able to quit by weening it down to 1 cig a day then cold turkey BUT why prolong the inevitable? It's a tease and that tease will keep you wanting more. Anyway, I believe one of the things that helped me is state of mind. When I had cold-turkeyed I had prepared my mind and body for deprivation: I refrained from any activity that triggers smoking cessation. I cut back on coffee/alcohol, let someone else drive, kept myself active, and tried to not put myself in stressful situations. 

I started jogging 4 months into my quit and the challenge to increase my lung capacity and jog for long distances has helped me not look back. It definitely is a decision you have to make, both with your mind and body. Life is short, it's senseless to make it shorter.


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## thedudeabides (Mar 27, 2012)

I quit about 2 years ago, first with the help of a nicorette inhaler for a couple days, then cold turkey after that.

What helped a lot was taking on new hobbies. I started making jewelry, writing more (I always wrote, but the general anxiety helped feed my creativity too), basically just using the nervous energy for something productive. Exercise is a great idea too, I did that for a while until I felt "over" the addiction...and then promptly gained weight  (it's off now, thank God). Also started drinking a lot of tea to help with the oral fixation.

I also wrote down everyday in a notebook how much money I would have spent on a pack that day, and would add it up at the end of the week or month. I would use some of that money as a reward for myself (buy a game, clothes, whatever) as a form of positive reenforcement.

Basically to echo a lot of what has been said already, get your mind in the right place first. It's great that you cut down that much too, a great accomplishment in itself. I did that for a while too, but I got too dependant on that (as well as patting myself on the back TOO MUCH for that, instead of thinking of it as a step toward quitting) and eventually went back to close to a pack a day as well. So I would say do it very soon while you're down that far, but get your mind in the right place. Maybe a book ( I saw one mentioned earlier that sounded interesting) to help with that.

Good luck!!


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## Vox Impopuli (Sep 18, 2010)

Not sure if this is a no brainer, but anyway: chew gum. Lots and lots and lots of gum. Keep flavored gum closer to you than your cigs, so that when the impulse strikes, you know where to reach. Start out with nicotine gum if you can afford it, because going cold turkey kind of sucks.


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## LibertyPrime (Dec 17, 2010)

My parents quit ages ago and I quit as soon as i started. In my mother's own words:

"You can't just gradually quit smoking. Throw it away and never look back, its the only way!"....and so they did from one day to the next they just quit after years of smoking. It isn't just nicotine. People develop a habit, one needs to just break the habit by deciding to do so and keeping to it indefinitely. 

Works for any addiction, it worked for my wow addiction.


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## INTJellectual (Oct 22, 2011)

I think there are candies available that lessen your urge to smoke. Go try and research it.

It's best to stop smoking as soon as possible because it decreases your life expectancy.


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