quote:Originally posted by skylar0ne
I am hopelessly addicted to cigarettes. which in my case is nothing short of insane. I've already had three strokes, have high blood pressure, and COPD. I've tried to quit many times, but as yet I have been unsuccesful.
The concession I have made to the ever-soaring price is to switch to one of the cheap off-brands. Tuscon menthols cost less than 20 bucks per carton, I think they must be made from the loose tobacco that's swept up off the floor at RJ Reynolds or something. They taste okay, but they make me more short winded than the Capri menthols do.
If anybody has any advice on how to sucessfully quit, send it my way - I really, really need to quit before they kill me.
I quit 10 years ago after smoking for 27 years. The best advice I got was:
Pick a date to quit but start thinking of yourself as a non-smoker and start acting like a non-smoker before you quit, e.g., sit in the no-smoking section. Tell everyone you are going to quit smoking.
Do not obsess about the upcoming date and what you fear you will suffer. You will work yourself up and exaggerate how tough it's going to be, possibly setting yourself up to give up. Tell yourself people quit all the time and you can too. Do not think of yourself as a special case.
Write down all the reasons you want/need to quit, e.g., "I huff and wheeze when I climb a flight of stairs"; "It makes your eyes look puffy"; "I want to live to see my grandchildren graduate from college", "My wife will be devestated if I die of lung cancer"; or "Dying with lung cancer is painful and a horrible way for my children to see me die." The more personal and graphic the items the better. Carry the list with you and make yourself read it if you're tempted to light up.
I used the Nicoderm patches and they helped a lot. I didn't try the Wellbutrin but others have told me it helps.
Promptly forget when you quit or you will be thinking "It's been 5 days (2 weeks, a month, etc.) since I've had a cigarette!" This makes you overvalue the habit and might set you up to smoke. (This was the MOST important thing for me.) I couldn't tell you the day I quit; I don't remember.
Put the money you spend on cigarettes in a savings account and think about what you want to do with the money. Make it something that strongly appeals to you.
Find something to do with your hands and mouth. Bottled water with a sports cap you can suck on is good and the water helps wash the nicotine out of your system faster. Pretzel logs are good too. I believe there's a method now where can inhale the nicotine through a tube.
Change your other habits. If you lit up your first smoke at the kitchen table when you drink your coffee, sit somewhere else and drink tea.
Thoroughly air out your home and clean the inside of your car to get rid of the smell.
I found that if I did all this stuff it really changed my focus and helped me quit. It kept me busy too which was just what I needed. Remember that the physical addiction subsides in a matter of days and the patch, gum, lozenge, or other method will get you through those days.
If you believe you can quit, you will. Good luck!
