Tips on Quitting

[Ramael]

Smoking.

I smoke, on average, four cigarettes a day, more if I'm out drinking.

Today, it's been half the day, and I've just had one. I'm keeping it at that, with a mind to reducing permanently to one a day, for a steady period of a few months, until my body adjusts and my cravings reduce accordingly, and then I'll think about getting past the one a day barrier.

Anybody gone through anything similar? Quit succesfully? Tried and couldn't beat the cravings? Any tips on cutting down?

I've found regular chewing gum helps. My main problem is after a decent meal - such a strong craving for a smoke after a meal, it's unbelievable, throat itches, teeth gnash, get irritable with anything and everything...

Oh, and no evangelical anti-smokers, please 
Nicotene's the second most addictive substance in the world after heroin, so give us smokers (especially those of us trying to cut down/quit) a break.

[Paladin]

Your hardest poblem man is going to be keeping it at that 1 a day limit. I would have said step down from 4 to 3, to 2. ect. You may have to do that anyways if you have a relapse. I would recommend some nicotiene gum. It does help. I've spent the last few years helping friend quit and so far both of them have stayed off smokes for 2 years now.

[Ramael]

I completely hear you about making less drastic cuts, and cutting down to 2 or 3 a day is more logical.

But the thing is, I've tried it, and I always end up smoking the same as I do normally. One I get to two or three, there's always an excuse just to have that one more, or the "oh fuck it" syndrome kicks in. I figure trying to battle it out with one a day is a more direct approach, and it will reduce my cravings quicker (although being harder in the short term).

[Brandon]

I dont smoke myself and never have but Ive had some friends quit (and start). Odd as it may sound, I have one friend who had a really hard time quitting, even with that step down method and gum and all that. After all that failed he went to a hypnotist and managed to quit cold turkey. To my knowlege he hasnt had a cigarette since his son was born and that was three years ago I think

[Will]

I quit a few years ago.  I was smoking about a pack a day.  I didn't step down or any of that; I just threw my pack away and said to hell with it.  I guess everybody is different, but weaning myself off of them would have never worked.  I talk to so many people who are like, "I'm going to finish this pack and that's it."  Then they buy another pack.  For me, I needed that commitment, that first step, of actually throwing good cigarettes away.

It was awful for a week or two.  I had terrible headaches, cursed like a motherfucker, and got pissed at everybody for anything at all.  Eventually, though, it all evened out and now I rarely ever have cravings, even when I'm drinking.

If your desire to quit is stronger than your desire to smoke, then you'll quit.  It's that simple.  That's the kind of thing that can fluctuate though, so as soon as you feel that motivation, run with it.  Trash your smokes, commit to quitting, and you might be able to stick with it.  That's how it worked for me. *shrugs*

[Aviva]

I have smoked on and off since I was about eighteen years old. I stopped at twenty with the aid of lollipops. Any time I had the craving I stuck one in my mouth and would suck until my jaw hurt and the craving passed. It took quite a few the first time and I stopped for two years then I had a extremely bad experience and latched onto che cigs again for comfort though that time only for six months once ready the lollipops came into play again.

I recently had a relapse for two days about six months ago when I was constantly in unbearable pain twenty four hours a day and needed something to take the dge off it and stop me yelling at everyone. Though I actually bought a bag they got given tot he children as on the third day I threw away what I had left and it feels like the final time now that I have no aids and just my own will power.

During the worst time of the craving though I would whisper to myself.

"If I can make it through one hour I can make it through two. If I can make it through one day I cna make it through two." etc.

[Oniya]

Back when I was on a fiber-arts board, quitting smoking was actually a common topic (turns the finished works yellow, risk of embers, etc.)  One thing that the quitters would do is set aside the money that they would have spent on cigarettes, based on their initial average (so, 4 cigs a day is a little over a pack a week - or somewhere around $5 a week, depending on brand and taxes.)  That money gets saved for and spent on something you really want.

[Serephino]

If you have friends and/or family that smoke, ask them not to do it around you.  I've never smoked, but back when I was a kid my dad was told to because he had really bad heart disease and cancer.  My mom smoked too, so they tried to quit together.  He did fine until she started again because she didn't want to quit.  He finally quit for good when he spent two weeks in the hospital and couldn't the whole time, and no one else could smoke around him.