How To Quit Smoking

[dragomirescudragos]

Hello everyone,

I personally quit smoking one year ago using the cold turkey approach. However, I always wondered if there is a way to quit smoking that worked with 100% accuracy.

I browsed a lot of forums, talked to lots of people and the conclusion was clear to me: there is no best way to quit smoking for the simple reason that people share many differences.

I know people who quit with hypnosis, others with medication or will power. Some even managed to break free of the habit with meditation.

How about you? As part of my research, I will be glad to hear your quitting story or, if you smoke and you've already tried to quit several times, I may be able to provide you with some support.

Have a nice day,

Dragos
www.howto-quitsmoking.com

[Peek]

Well I repeated this question over and over again for weeks:
What is the best thing I can do for myself now.
and the answer was to quit smoking.

Also I focused on the good sides. Brighter eyes, clearer skin, clearer mind.

Also I began to see cigarettes as my bad friends who always welcome you. They comfort you when you are sad, they are angry when you are angry.
Those friends you do not want your kids to hang out with. The friends I had to let go, in order to move further to make new friends, like lemon water and comrades

And then there is Steve with his article where he explains the difference between accepting and tolerating.
That made me think more and more about my silly habit.

So in general I focussed on the good side, not on the bad side. Go to happiness. Do not remove from sadness, it is the same direction, but a different road.

Let it be helpful,

Peek

[dinc]

PureSmoker.com - Your #1 Source For ECigs, Parts, & Accessories!

The e-cigarrete is an interesting concept. I believe this would help with smoking problems.

[risata1111]

Originally Posted by dinc

PureSmoker.com - Your #1 Source For ECigs, Parts, & Accessories!

The e-cigarrete is an interesting concept. I believe this would help with smoking problems.

This is just another delivery system for nicotine. Its not the smoking that is the true addiction, its the nicotine inside the cigarettes. The nicotine replacements just don't give the same "hit" of it as cigarettes do. Best to just go cold turkey and get off of the nicotine But yes, at least theres no smoke fouling the lungs and air. Im a currently quitting myself, so, I am hating smoke right now

[ginkgo]

It is almost impossible to quit smoking due to the additives that are added to the tobacco.

[scorpio1980]

I quit smoking March 26, 2005 so I am almost at 6 years now. I quit at 24 years old which may seem as if I didn't smoke for long, but I smoked my first cigarette at 7, and was a pack a day by the time I hit 13. When I quit I was smoking 2 + packs a day. I tried multiple times, and when my dad died when I was 22 I stepped up my game so to speak with quitting, but I would always fail. Then one night I just told myself enough is enough I don't want to end up like my dad dying at 46 from a 4th heart attack that was mostly caused by smoking. So while sitting out on the porch smoking one night I decided to save 2 cigarettes out of an almost full pack. One for now, and one before bed. I smoked one one the porch, and realized it would be my 2nd to last cigarette. Then I went to the trash can, and tore the pack to pieces as a sort of symbolic gesture I suppose. After that I felt empowered. I think the tearing up the cigarettes made my mind realize how serious I was. After that I sat outside4 for a while pondering the implications that may come from it. I was about ready for bed, and I took my last cigarette from my ear, and thought to myself this will be the last smoke ever for you. I then lit it up, and enjoyed every puff. On the last inhale I made a pact with myself to never smoke again, and to enjoy this moment, and I did. I enjoyed it, but from that moment on I have never smoked cigarettes ever again. Good luck to you.

[vvolf27]

I quit 8 or more years ago. I tried a few times but never really wanted to and failed. Well finally after coughing up black specked mucus for a couple years and easily getting winded I decided it was time to quit. I bought patches and gum. I hated the gum but I would wear the patches, it took a month for me to go through the patches and I later found out it was supposed to be for two months. I would sometimes forget to put a patch on in the morning and those days were a bit tough, but I willed myself not to bum a cigarette from someone. About two months after I quit my neighbor came over and was smoking, I asked if I could have a drag off it, I took on puff handed it back to him and said "Thanks, I will never do that again."

I think in the end no matter what system I used I would not have quit until I was mentally ready too. I honestly think that is the trick, you can not fool yourself, you can not make any type of change until you are ready to. Also find out what your triggers are that brings on the urge to smoke, sometimes overcoming them are harder than the nicotine itself.

At first the smell of a cigarette did not bother me, but now I can not stand the smell of it, I abhor the smell.

[CroMagna]

I quit because I was put on Zoloft which causes smoking cessation. Sometimes I would sit with someone who was smoking and I would be envious, but I knew I didn't want to go back to that.

[ginkgo]

If people switch to American Spirit with no additives then it is easier to quit. Switching to it may be hard.

[James81]

Originally Posted by ginkgo

If people switch to American Spirit with no additives then it is easier to quit. Switching to it may be hard.

Yeah, I've had those.

I tastes like you're smoking a tree branch.

[TaoPath]

I can vouch for the alcohol version of this. After reading that I realised I used a similar apporach to stopping smoking 2 years ago. 'EasyWay' is awesome.

Amazon.com: The Easy Way to Stop Smoking: Join the Millions Who Have Become Non-smokers Using Allen Carr's Easy Way Method (9781402771637): Allen Carr: Books

Hope it helps

x

[GoingUnder]

I can concur with Taopath's way by Allen Carr.

I smoked for years and read his book in 1998. I became a non-smoker overnight (it was easy) and am still clean.

Highly recommend it.

[Guru1984]

I am going to give you advice which I used to stop watching TV shows/movies at all, and I used to watch them more than 6 hours every day and I also used the same technique to stop playing video games. Can't it be applied to cigarettes, I have no idea 'cause I am not a smoker, but you can certainly try.

And here it is, the magic pill :

Just stop. Simple as that. Throw away all of your cigarettes, don't buy new ones. And I am not saying reduce it, or smoke every other day, or smoke only 1 a day, what I am saying is stop completely. I've tried numerous times to reduce watching TV by talking to myself that it's not good for me, that I can do something better. I was trying to reduce it to 2 hours a day. Never worked. But stopping it completely worked like charm. I also tracked my progress at joesgoals.com and that was it.

Good luck

[James81]

Originally Posted by Guru1984

Just stop. Simple as that.

Can I interest you in some fruit?

[Weena]

Originally Posted by TaoPath

I can vouch for the alcohol version of this. After reading that I realised I used a similar apporach to stopping smoking 2 years ago. 'EasyWay' is awesome.

Amazon.com: The Easy Way to Stop Smoking: Join the Millions Who Have Become Non-smokers Using Allen Carr's Easy Way Method (9781402771637): Allen Carr: Books

Hope it helps

x

Originally Posted by GoingUnder

I can concur with Taopath's way by Allen Carr.

I smoked for years and read his book in 1998. I became a non-smoker overnight (it was easy) and am still clean.

Highly recommend it.

Will work only for someone who gets easily convinced. If you tend to do what you are told, the book will be great. If you are a freaking stubborn person not used to "obey" it will not do much.

[TaoPath]

Originally Posted by Weena

Will work only for someone who gets easily convinced. If you tend to do what you are told, the book will be great. If you are a freaking stubborn person not used to "obey" it will not do much.

I have to disagree, I'm not like that at all. The reason why it worked is because I wanted deep down to stop, and this helped understand why from a completely new perspective. I should remind people here that I have not read the smoking version, only the alcohol one. The approach is much the same i'm guessing and I'm shocked with the results. I feel absoultly liberated.

If people are that stubborn in life and not willing to take advice from others, they can't get that far in imo. There is a lot of truth out their waiting to be heard. An open and critical mind is all you need.

Using the Easy Way approach you're not giving up anything, quite the opposite. Anyone who has an open mind might as well read it. Nothing to lose

x

[Curtis2011]

I quit smoking by never starting to begin with.

[GoingUnder]

Originally Posted by Weena

Will work only for someone who gets easily convinced. If you tend to do what you are told, the book will be great. If you are a freaking stubborn person not used to "obey" it will not do much.

If you are a freaking stubborn person, then you wouldn't enteratain the idea of even reading the book, let alone taking the advice therein.

I'm not easily convinced. The cigarette packets themselves had strong warning messages on them...and that didn't stop me. Health services were releasing findings that smoking led to cancer...that didn't stop me. Beauty companies told me smoking led to wrinkles...that didn't stop me.

But Allen Carr did.

[Lioness]

Originally Posted by risata1111

This is just another delivery system for nicotine. Its not the smoking that is the true addiction, its the nicotine inside the cigarettes.

Re: the e-cigs, what about the new water vapor cigs?

I really don't think I was addicted to nicotine, at least that was not the main factor. I enjoyed the break and the social aspect of lighting up, sharing that habit, having something to do with my hands, a time-filler. And there was something about that first drag that was so satisfying. I found I could mimic that feeling by taking a deep breath of air and blowing it out, smoking-style.

I would say to identify your triggers. How will you handle stress, other people smoking around you? Set up some physical barriers to smoking, at least at first. If you don't buy them, you will have to bum them, and this quickly gets old. Hang around more non-smokers, do what they do on breaks. Don't go to bars if a cig always accompanies a drink for you.

I found that by waiting out a craving, it only lasts for about 2 minutes. If you can distract yourself that long, each time you get a craving, you're well on your way.

[MichaelAnthonyVet]

When I quit smoking I just told myself that I was never going to smoke again, no matter what. I put notes all over my house and car, etc.

So whenever I got the urge--and there were strong urges I just remembered my promise and fought the urge.

Personally, I think the only way to do it is cold turkey and for a person to use their own willpower. If you're a smoker, it'll be hard, but it'll almost feel like a fun challenge/game where your brain will try to convince you all the reason's that it's alright to smoke, but you've got to fight it.

[Lioness]

Originally Posted by Guru1984

I am going to give you advice which I used to stop watching TV shows/movies at all, and I used to watch them more than 6 hours every day and I also used the same technique to stop playing video games. .... I also tracked my progress at joesgoals.com and that was it.

Guru, I am very interested in this, it merits it's own thread, but can you tell me why you were so motivated to stop TV? Do you watch DVDs at all? What kinds of things do you do instead of watching/video gaming and do you feel left out when people start talking about popular shows? Do you have a spouse/kids/roomate? If so, how do they feel about this?

Thanks, I am going to check out Joesgoals.

[Weena]

Originally Posted by GoingUnder

If you are a freaking stubborn person, then you wouldn't enteratain the idea of even reading the book, let alone taking the advice therein.

I'm not easily convinced. The cigarette packets themselves had strong warning messages on them...and that didn't stop me. Health services were releasing findings that smoking led to cancer...that didn't stop me. Beauty companies told me smoking led to wrinkles...that didn't stop me.

But Allen Carr did.

Hahaha, well I'm stubborn in that I have not quit yet, but I did read Allen Carr as well as Paul McKenna. .

I'm so glad to read you had success though . I guess I will too once I definitely want to quit, I guess at the moment I'm still procrastinating and associating smoking to pleasure and "alone time".

[PerDev]

I have personally quit smoking after 15 years - Very good process & ideas on Quit smoking on below mentioned link
Are You Looking To Quit Smoking?

Make it temporary (do make 30 days commitment and not life time.)
30 Days to Success

Use Sedona Method for letting emotions go
Quit_Smoking_Aids,_Smoking_Addiction_Help

I have observed two things which are very helpful for quit smoking
1. Strong Reasons -
What’s Your Motivation Threshold?

2. Right Strategy (above mentioned methods and personally changing diet helped a lot - Change Diet (Use whole food diet or eat lot of raw foods specially eating lot of salad daily.
Are You Looking To Quit Smoking?

Originally Posted by dragomirescudragos

Hello everyone,

I personally quit smoking one year ago using the cold turkey approach. However, I always wondered if there is a way to quit smoking that worked with 100% accuracy.

I browsed a lot of forums, talked to lots of people and the conclusion was clear to me: there is no best way to quit smoking for the simple reason that people share many differences.

I know people who quit with hypnosis, others with medication or will power. Some even managed to break free of the habit with meditation.

How about you? As part of my research, I will be glad to hear your quitting story or, if you smoke and you've already tried to quit several times, I may be able to provide you with some support.

Have a nice day,

Dragos
Stop Smoking Tips

[Sansone]

Smoking's a real toughie! I'm actually quite good at it, done it several times.

I think one has to be "ready." The promise of saving money or the threat of a far in the future cancer risk don't usually seem to be able to overpower smoking.

I don't think cutting down usually works either.

Alan Carr's book is awesome, and so is this list of things to do instead of smoking.

I should mention that I wrote it. Haven't thought about that one in quite a while.