whats best way to stop smoking?
Whats best way to kick cigarettes?
I am trying to quit smoking. Other than cold turkey what is your best secret to kick the habit? Best answer wins 10 points thanks
Tagged with: cigarettes • cold turkey • habit
Filed under: smoking
Quitting smoking is a great opportunity to learn about ourselves.
Congratulate yourself on having the desire to stop – then you are over the worst, but still need to maintain your resolve. It’s just so easy to start thinking that just one won’t hurt, but it does. Just one achieves nothing except feeling the need for another. Whatever you do, don’t have just one. Beware – alcohol will weaken your resolve.
Here’s a few home-brewed tips that might be useful.
It’s not just nicotine addiction – there are 50+ chemicals in cigarettes. Also the main problem is habit.
We have been used to having body sensations which we translate as ‘my body needs something’, which we have attempted to satisfy by having a cigarette.
When we try to stop smoking, we still get these ‘my body needs something’ sensations, and we still feel that we want a cigarette. We have to train our body to be more selective. When we feel we need something, we have to work out what it is that we actually need.
A glass of water is an excellent substitute if nothing else comes to mind, as it helps with the clearance of the toxic substances in our body. Another good substitute is a bag of salted peanuts, used in combination with the water.
Another thing to do is to find an activity which occupies the mind or body. Go swimming – nobody wants to smoke while they are swimming. Slowly, as our body adjusts and translates the ‘want something’ feelings into something other than cigarettes, then the feelings begin to go away. We know its not a cigarette that the body really needs, because as soon as we’ve had one we still have the feeling, and want another!
We will have a few bouts of feeling or even being short tempered. We must try to bite our lip, and control; ourselves. Recognise the short temper as being the removal of toxins which are trying to find a way out. They went in through the mouth, and they try to get out that way to. We must learn to keep our mouth closed, and force the toxins out the other way.
After we have stopped for a while we will begin to feel that just one wont to any harm.
All that leads to is a desire for just another one. We must guard very strongly against the desire to have just one.
follow exactly these directions
HOW YOU CAN QUIT SMOKING Quitting is hard. If you have tried to quit smoking, you know how hard it can be. It is hard because nicotine is a very addictive drug some times it can be as addictive as heroin or cocaine. Many people have found that including physical activity in their program to quit smoking has added a tremendous benefit to assist in quitting. There are many reasons for this: When people are more active, they gain confidence and like themselves more. They feel more energy, and are more capable of dealing with tension in their lives. With increased activity, the smell of tobacco actually becomes offensive. Whenever you feel the need to smoke after you have decided to quit, get up and move around instead. A brief physical activity can provide you with the lift that you may have received from nicotine. 6
QUIT SMOKING IN A WEEK Look at the following Reasons for Quitting: – • You will live longer and live better. • Become a high-energy person without cigarettes. • Quitting will lower your chance of having a heart attack • Reduce the chance of Cancers of the lung, mouth and throat • Relax and enjoy the pleasure of relaxation without cigarettes. • Deal with your tensions without a cigarette. • If you are pregnant women, this will improve chances of having a healthy baby. • The people you live with, especially family members will be healthier. • Save money. Consider the following question: – How and when do you want to quit smoking? There are only two ways to effectively quit smoking, immediately (cold turkey), or gradually. When you quit gradually, you use various methods to taper off before you have that last cigarette. Neither way is better than the other for all people. Pick the one that you feel fits your temperament. Either way, a nicotine patch may prove to be a real benefit in giving up, especially if you are a heavy smoker. Try this test to see which way is better for you. 7
CHOOSE THE RIGHT METHOD OF QUITING FOR YOU Answer the questions by circling “yes”, “no”, or “not sure”. 1. Stopping smoking is one of the most important things in the world for me right now. Yes no not sure 2. I can handle a tough problem without a smoke. Yes no not sure 3. I have to quit smoking and my reasons are good enough to do it now. Yes no not sure 4. If I quit this minute, I know I can find a way to resist the craving to smoke, even if it is strong. Yes no not sure If your answer to all of the above questions is ‘yes’, you may be a candidate to quit immediately. But before you do, read on to get the tools necessary to be successful. After reading the following, set a time to quit. If not right now, then tomorrow, but do it. What about the doubts you may be feeling now? Most smokers will get a sense of doubt when they read the questions above. You probably are not confident in your ability to follow through with resisting any future craving to smoke, or finding something to substitute for the feelings that smoking has given to you. In order to have the confidence to quit, you : (1) must find an alternative to handle the urge to smoke, when it hits, and (2) create ways to deal with the reasons that you smoked in the first place. Together we will accomplish both these tasks so that when the day comes that you had planned to quit, you will be confident to do it.
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HOW TO HANDLE THE URGE There are several weapons that you can use in your fight to quit. EACH OF THESE WEAPONS WORK- THEY HAVE BEEN PROVEN You may use one, all, or a combination of several to achieve your goal. The urge to smoke is immediate, and usually lasts for five minutes. If you can resist for that period of time, you reduce the urge. 1. Take a deep breath, hold it for a few seconds, and exhale as if you had just taken your first puff on a cigarette. Part of the feeling you get from smoking is a direct result of taking a deep breath. A deep breath allows you to take in a maximum amount of oxygen, and exhaling lets out large quantities of carbon dioxide. This results in a feeling of relaxation. Try it, you’ll see. 2. Take a sip of water several times during this five minute period. It can help to diminish the need to smoke, and gives you something to do with your hands. The extra water will also help to flush the nicotine out of your body. 3. Put something in your mouth that has no calories, such as a stirrer, toothpick, or another substitute for a cigarette. 4. Get busy with something, anything, to keep you busy for the next five minutes. 5. As long as it does not lead to a craving, chew a piece of gum or a piece of hard candy. Life Savers work well. 6. Get up and move around for five minutes. It will help the urge to smoke to pass. 7. Use a nicotine patch as replacement therapy. 9
LET’S STOP RIGHT NOW! The first thing to do is set a date when you are going to quit smoking. Let’s start one week from today. That will give you plenty of time to practice with the weapons in your arsenal. Eight days from today, it will be the beginning of the end of your smoking habit. Days 1 and 2 Examine your smoking behavior for the first two days. Every time you light up, ask yourself: 1. Why am I smoking this cigarette? 2. Would this be an easy one or a difficult one to do without? 4. If I did not smoke this cigarette, what would I do instead? Day 3 Let’s get out and test your weapons today. At least once today, use your weapons to shoot down the urge to smoke. During the five minutes that it will take for the urge to pass, try out some of your arsenal. Try one, or all, or find a combination that works for you.
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Day 4 Today is the big testing day. If you haven’t already tried it, skip those one or two cigarettes that you feel may be the toughest to give up in your daily routine. Pick the ones that you rated “difficult” during your monitoring period. Remember, this is a practice period, and you must not get upset if you are unable to give up a difficult cigarette. You must practice and experiment with your different weapons to realize how you can be more effective. If you found skipping that cigarette very difficult or even failed in the end, review any factor that got in the way of your success. The most common causes of difficulty or failure that a potential quitter faces are: Chemical properties of addiction When you do not have that cigarette, you feel lousy. If you are a heavy smoker, a nicotine patch may help to relieve your bad feelings. Social pressures You may find yourself in a situation (card game, party, coffee break) during which you would normally smoke. It may help to let others know of your desire to quit, and also your reasons for quitting. Enlisting the aid of a non smoker to confide in may also help. Make sure that he or she is aware of your goals so that they do not say or do anything to instill a negative impact on your desire to quit. If you feel that you may not resist the social pressures of smoking, consider the option of giving up these social encounters for two or three weeks until the urge passes and you can be comfortable again.
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Tension and negative emotion A crisis occurs during your work or personal day, and one of the main reasons for you to smoke has been tension reduction. Try to deal with your negative emotions and use the tension reducing methods that we talked about earlier. Get away from the area that the tension is associated with. Take a walk, or go to another room. You may also find that nicotine gum will give you enough tension relief to get through. Days 5, 6, and 7. You are now heading down the home stretch. In the next three days, your goal is to come out of this week smoking half the cigarettes that you would normally smoke. If you started as a one pack a day smoker, cut back to ten cigarettes per day, or less. The fewer the better. During days 5 and 6, set your goals toward achieving positive results on day 7. Maintain your smoking record during these three days, and continue to decrease your dependency on nicotine. What do you do if you still have doubts? This is probably due to your chemical dependency on nicotine. It is a highly powerful drug, and many factors have been working together to make you dependent. Discuss with your doctor about the feasibility of a patch or nicotine gum. Nicotine is the hook that has gotten you to smoke which carries the harmful effects to your body. With the help from the patch or the gum, you will have all he tools you need to successfully quit. The patch or gum will give you a steady influx of nicotine into your system, which will be reduced slowly over a period of several weeks. DO NOT SMOKE WHILE ON THE PATCH. You could experience a dangerous overdose of nicotine. NOTE; Pregnant women should not use the gum or patch. Smokers with any form of heart disease should consult with a physician before using.
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DEALING WITH THE SYMPTOMS OF WITHDRAWAL Dizziness may occur during the first one or two days. Take a quick break, it will pass. Headaches may appear at any time during the first weeks. Try to relax. Take any usual remedy for headache, a cold cloth on the back of your neck, or relieve the stress by taking a short walk. Tiredness may occur during the first few weeks, but if you meditate or relax during the first few weeks, it will pass. Coughing may actually increase during the first few days, simply because the residue from the smoke has not been flushed from your system. Tightness in the chest may occur in the first few days. Rest and take deep breaths, it will go away. Sleeping problems may occur in the first few days. Try to stay away from drinks that have a high caffeine content, try not to exercise too strenuously in the hours prior to bedtime. A hot bath prior to retiring at night may also be helpful. Constipation may occur in the first month after you quit. If this occurs, eat foods with a high fiber content, drink plenty of fluids, and do some light exercise. Concentration may tend to wander during the first few weeks. Be ready for this, take a break or do something physical for a short period of time. The following pages will give you an example form to chart your progress as you begin to give up cigarettes. They are all self explanatory and should prove to be a tremendous asset in assisting you to give up your habit. On a daily basis, chart each cigarette that you smoke during the day.
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Enter the time, place, and with whom you smoked, the reason for smoking, whether it will be easy or difficult to give that one up, and the weapon that you will use to fight the urge to smoke that one. CONCLUSION If you are not completely confident that you can resist the urge to smoke after you have quit, it may be necessary to remove any visual reminders of smoking from your living and work areas. Throw away or give away those leftover cigarettes, get rid of lighters, ashtrays, matches, and anything else that could be associated with smoking. Why should you force yourself to resist the urge to smoke when it is far simpler to just remove the reminders. If you keep a pack of cigarettes in your home or office, there is a good chance that you may pick one up. Just this one may be the cigarette that hooks you again. 14
My parents quit and to help they would chew gum. If that doesn’t work try a stop smoking aid.
My mom just quit smoking after 30 years. She said several things helped her. These included getting away from her usual place (we drove across the country for a week) which helped her to not stick with habit and pick up the cigs first thing in the morning, after work, etc. She also used nicorette gum a LOT but she’s managed to cut back on that as well but its taken a few months. She also drank a LOT of water, like a gallon a day to help flush out her system. She liked having people recite how bad smoking is (read some of the facts out there, they are crazy!) as well as listening to self-help tapes that helped tell her how to divert her mind. She also enjoyed the benefits as she quit (such as eating spicy foods and actually tasting them). She was recently excited that she had a cold and knew it instead of just being used to coughing and not knowing she was sick. She said the best thing that helped her was a support network that could distract and encourage her. By quitting you’ll add 5-10 years or more on your life so take some time to plan what you want to do in your old age.
good luck to you!!!
I think the best way to stop smoking is to start thinking seriously about your health. my aunt was a heavy smoker. she smoked 2 packs a day until she ended up in the hospital. she caught a massive heart attack and her blood pressure went sky high. so i recommend that every time you pick up a cigarette, think about what it can do to you.
Start drinking!
use the Nicotine patches. There is no way that will remove all your cravings but, the Nicotine patch really helps. It makes it just tolerable. When I quit I was smoking 2 packs a day and it got to the point where I did not feel good weather I was smoking or not smoking so I figured as long as I didn’t feel good anyway I might as well not feel good and quit smoking at the same time so when I found myself thinking gosh I feel crappy I just thought to myself yea you’ve got the flu or something and then I’d rub that patch for all it was worth. (I wore it on my upper body in the front ). By rubbing the patch it seemed like it shot an extra dose of nicotine in. Go by the instructions too. I was on the 21 mg. for 2 whole month before I dropped down and then I was on the second level for 2 months. It really worked though because I had smoked for 35 years and I had tried before to quit. Just be serious and start. Do not start again for any reason at all — none.
the best way is 2 just stop, and start chewing gum!!!
what my mom did was stoped buying cigaretts and started swiming going to the gym and involving her life into active activities like singing danceing swiming …………so try this but do things you like to do instead of smoking or anything like that
the average smoker successfully quits on his 7th try.
so keep trying.
You could try the follow:
1) Prescription drugs such as bupropion
2) Nicotine patches or gum
3) Cold Turkey
4) Hypnosis & tapes that u listen to in your sleep
5) Develop a new habit such as gum chewing or occupy yourself with a new hobby
6) a combination of the above
The best way to quit smoking is to continue trying. Remember how hazardous it is to your health & dont give up !!!
May the force be with you …
whenever you think about smoking just think about your old days when you don’t use to smoke and you won’t get any disease and you stink when you smoke so you will smell good if you don’t smoke so think about all thoses thing before you smoke.
My guy was a 30 year smoker and totally addicted. He tried twice with no success. Once cold turkey, once on the gum which made his jaw hurt!
The only thing that really worked is a combination of 2 things:
1) the patch which starts you on a high amount of nitcotine and lowers it gradually over a period of months
2) Wellbutrin prescribed by your doctor.
That totally works!!
He hasn’t smoked for 7 years this month!
Yeah he gets a craving occasionally but his motivation was his determination not to spend $45.00 on a carton of cigarettes every week, instead to save that money to do more fun things in his life! and he is !! Good luck !!
Will and determination, once used can out-do
all other bought stuff. Why because the brain
is the most powerful and effective tool one has
and it is free. U have to use it though for it to
work. Remember we all have it its just that we
all dont use it.
Cold Turkey is the only way. The first seven days are hell on wheels. It is easier to get off heroine than it is nicotine. A true fact.
Quitting smoking is not easy. I wish you could see the pictures that I have of a "good Lung" . You really don’t want to see the picture of the "Charcoal" lung at autopsy..
I really like the answer that Not Perfect gave you. She gave several good helps – like taking deep breaths, drinking lots of water and not giving in to the urge for 5 minutes. I quit smoking about 30 years ago. I took two weeks to wean myself from cigarettes. A few days before I started (quitting), I made a list of all the benefits of NOT smoking. I kept the list and a piece of paper and pencil wrapped around my pack of cigarettes, which I took out each time I had a cigarette. I wrote on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the most or greatest how much I wanted each cigarette and how much I actually enjoyed each one. I also wrote down what else I was doing at the time, i.e. taking a break, drinking coffee, etc. I also kept adding to the list of benefits of not smoking whenever I thought of one. Then I started gradually giving up the cigarettes that I didn’t enjoy very much, the first day was pretty easy when I gave up the #1s. Second day was still easy. The third day was a little harder and I started chewing gum and taking deep breaths. By the 5th day, I was only smoking 5 cigarettes. I realized that I really liked having a cigarette with my coffee (or alcohol), so I switched to ice tea and juice. I then decided that I would cut back 1 cigarette each day, and decided to quit smoking entirely by the 5th day. I cut back to three cigarettes (after meals) and just quit. I kept thinking of myself as a non-smoker and kept reviewing my list of benefits. The 1st 2 days were the hardest, and after that it just got easier each day. I told myself that I never wanted to go through those 1st few days of quitting again, so I would never have another one.
I wish you lots of luck with whatever method you choose, and hope that this will be the last time that you will ever have to quit. Good luck.