I often see patients who want to quit smoking. Many of these people fear what life will be like without the cigarettes. "Will I put on weight? Will I sleep at night? If I can't smoke, then how will I handle stress?" They've tried other methods but have failed. Maybe they tried a patch, or a weekend hypnosis seminar, or some herbal remedies -- nothing has helped. Here are my tips on how to fearlessly become a former smoker:
- Forget the programs that guarantee results in two days. There's no magical pill or workshop that will lead to instantaneous and lasting results. Breaking an addiction requires dedication, commitment, and hard work -- the same ingredients you need to achieve any goal.
- Deal with the short-term stress. Accept that immediately after quitting, hunger may increase and you may snack a little more. Your metabolism (which increases during smoking) will also be restored to a normal rate. This is part of the process of quitting, but it's temporary.
- Remind yourself of the choice you made. In order to reap the long-term benefits of better health, you've made the choice to endure the temporary stress and discomfort of withdrawal symptoms.
- Make a list of all of the reasons you want to stop smoking, such as better health, saving money, and fresher breath. Review your list daily.
- Set a quit date. Put it on the calendar and enlist friends and family for support and motivation.
- Line up a sponsor. Find someone who can keep you accountable and give you a kick in the butt when necessary.
- Get rid of all cigarettes, matches, lighters, and ashtrays. You're quitting, so you don't need them. And keeping them around will only give you visual triggers that cause you to think about smoking.
- Understand that the first two to three weeks will be the toughest. That's when your psychological withdrawal symptoms will be strongest. Remind yourself that this tough time is temporary. You can get through it. During this time indulge in lollipops, gum, carrots or celery sticks to keep your mouth occupied and satisfy your oral fixation.
- Anticipate tough times. Stressful situations may increase likelihood for relapse, so anticipate them and come up with a plan to manage your stress. For instance, tap into support or take up a new hobby that distracts you from thinking about smoking.
- Form new habits. Replace what was once your smoke-break with a new activity such as a brisk walk or healthy snack. If you paired smoking with drinking, limit the alcohol and eat nuts instead of smoking. If you used to smoke following a meal, do something else to replace that habit. For instance, get up, wash dishes, and brush your teeth.
- Place notes in key places around your house and office to remind yourself of your goal. They might say something like, "I'm a nonsmoker and feel healthy, clean, and strong."
- Put the money you normally would spend on cigarettes into a jar or bank. Use it to reward yourself for the progress you've made. Movies, dinners, and nights on the town will motivate you to enjoy your new smoke-free life.
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but i quit in part due to my antidepressants. before starting it i asked the doc what the side effects would be, she said, you'll quit smoking. i told her she was nuts. three weeks later i woke up and literally gave my two packs to my roommate and havent had one since. i've never craved one. i can be around people smoking and it doesnt make me want to. (quite the opposite now) even after stopping the antidepressants, i still never wanted one.
i had quit once before on my own and used cinnamon certs. or anything cinnamon. but didnt chew them, just sucked them. by the time i was done the craving had passed. that worked for about two years. the medication has definitely worked better.
I use to think, how can a person quit smoking when it's such an important part of your life? In fact it's more than a habit. It's a friend who comforts you when you are lonely or upset. It's a comfort to you in the middle of a cold dark night.
But when it comes to your health and screws you and that time I realized that I should quit smoking.
I really appreciate your post, I will just share you my story of quit smoking,
I gave up smoking last year and that was with the help of Nicorette Gum and its 12 Week Nicotine Replacement Therapy.
My willpower and their Motivational Tips have helped me today to quit smoking and I am very Thankful to them for their support....
I would recommend to all my friends who ever is willing to quit and need some advice Nicorette is the best option. http://www.nicorette.in/successful-quitting/stop-smoking-tips
Thanks and Cheers...
Pinky
It took me several failed attempts before I finally succeeded at getting free from that awful habit.
I've also given up on eating junk and not exercising, and am working on giving up on overdrinking. Based on my experience, quitting smoking is the *hardest* but *most rewarding* of these. In other words, while I sometimes miss lounging around all day not lifting a finger, or eating junk, or drinking one tequila two tequilas three tequilas floor, I NEVER miss being a slave to that rotten tobacco habit.
Keep trying, get support from others (the attempt that was finally successful for me started by spending the weekend with some relatives who did not smoke and did not allow tobacco in their house--I was so busy visiting that I did not obsess endlessly about how I wanted a cigarette.) Good luck!
One of them I liked most is - Line up a Sponsor.
I was a smoker. I smoked more than twenty years, had some failed attempts to quit.
Then I tried anti smoke patches. They failed first time. However, I didn't give up and succeeded in second time. I doubled the duration of patches, say two weeks instead of one week. It decreased my cravings every morning and during the day. Even after using patches, I had tough time. I have already used some of the points you mentioned above.
The most powerful was - Line up a sponsor. My daughter, 10 years of age, was my sponsor. She was very strict. She was like giving me a kick.
It's more than 5 years now, I am smoke free completely due to anti smoke patches, my daughter and my strong will power.
Thanks for writing useful information...
Oh and just in case you don't get it. Smoking is going to kill you. And yes, to combat the idiot argument that "everybody dies", my father was killed by his addiction and never met my daughter. So yes, everybody dies, but my I got 26 years will all my non-smoking grandparents, my daughter will never know her grandfather due to this plague.
Quit now folks, it will kill you and you will have regrets.