I guess I'm lucky. After 10 years of smoking, I switched to dip thinking it would help break the habit. Then I found out dip has on average 4 times the nicotine versus smoking tobacco. So I was stuck using dip for a few more years, then one day I just really didn't want it anymore, and haven't touched any tobacco since. So I quit cold turkey after about 12 years of tobacco use. No gums, patches, electronic cigs, etc needed. And I didn't have any withdrawal symptoms at all. It's proof enough to me that it's mind over matter. Going on 9 years tobacco free now and I don't miss it one bit. When a person truly realizes he wants to quit, he will. Until then, he only thinks he wants to quit.
That is the key my friend. And I guess I'm not there yet, still got to have that dip while driving to/from work or relaxing at home. But I "want" to quit.
Stop smoking? In theory it's easy: Skip the next cigarette. Seriously, that's all you need to do. Because any cigarette you're smoking after last one will be the next. IRL it can be anything from easy to nearly impossible. One nice trick to smoke less or even stop smoking (eventually) is the "Not now!" (or "Later!") method. Every time you need a smoke, think "not now" or "later". That is, "Not now - Maybe 10 minutes later?". Find some other things to do... and don't stop for a smoke! "Not now - Maybe when I'm finished this?". when you're finished, you occupy your thoughts with yet other things to do instead smoking. And so on. Your goal is to eventually stretch the non-smoking period to infinity. If you still can't stop smoking completely, think it this way: You get more done and smoke less. Now I need a cigarette...
Hello.. First of you should know in detail that how smoking is really injurious to your health then you will know that actually smoking is decreasing your life. You should be strong from your inner strength and divert your mind from smoking. Start your hobbies or just try to busy in your work. Possibly it will help you and you will get good result for it so all the best for this.
Maybe I should stop smoking old tyres. Not good for my health I think...but I've got a contract with Goodyear to dispose of their old tyres... I can easily imagine that smoking peanuts really helps you getting off cigarettes.
I quit with "Champix" In the UK we have a drug called "Champix", ask your doctor as its prescription only in the UK. It switches off receptors in the brain that nicotine affects. You take the tablets for two weeks while smoking and then on day fourteen you quit. Its actually very effective although i really did have some crazy dreams at night.... Basically after two weeks of "Champix", it was pretty easy to stop smoking although i wont try kidding anyone that alot of will power is still needed. Well anyway i gave up for nine months and all was good untill i went on holiday to spain and BANG !!! I started again and am still smoking now........Dumb eh ?!
Frankly, that's hype. Let's pick it up to (even big) pieces: Which receptors? The ones directly affecting the nicotine's way to make people affected to it? Or perhaps the ones responsible to transferring the... oh, wait! This is "news, so it should be taken with grain of salt! Either that "teriac" shuts down MORE than needed or it shuts down just some of those receptors responsible of nicotine affection! We do not yet understand how human brain really works in detailed level, so replicating this sort of new finding as facts is not something to raise trust. Unfortunately, some countries want to experiment with their people... Yeah... there are limits for the usage of this, of coure. BTW, alextheg... are you aware of the side effects of that product?! Depression, self-destructive behaviour, suicide attempts... and this the product you want to advertize here?
If you figure it out, please let me know. I've quit 100 times and I keep going back to it. I don't know of an easy way, no workaround for this.
Wow ! clearly very opinionated about this subject Rawdata ? Let me explain. I am not a doctor, i am a gas pipe layer. So to be honest i dont know which receptors exactly are affected. Also i have no affillliation with any drug companies so why on earth would i be trying to advertise "Champix", as you put it. This thread asks for opinions or methods on how to quit smoking so i simply shared my experience. I gave up for a time using "Champix", it worked for me. Ok so i went away and started hacking my fingers off and got really depressed and i smashed up my house...... What a crock ! There are side effects to any drug. Now im off to have a cigarette, BTW im not advertising smoking because its actually not very good for you.
I'm sorry if I sound opionated, but I'm quite firmly against certain kind of "wonder drugs" and policies of drug companies to advertize their products as being nearly without side effects and still being sure cure of everything! It's funny how they forget to mention that many drugs are being developed totally different purposes and when afterwards they realize the side effects, advertised for different target group and for different usage. The main thing is, drug companies behave like mafia/RIIA when it comes to making profit. I was a bit vocal and careless with my wording, so consider me self-slapped. I'm not a doctor, either. But as being long time slave of nicotine (and n+1 other chemical/poison included in tobacco!), I've tried to find as much information as I can. So far only really effective chemical way to purge tobacco-induced chemicals/poisons (and with them, most of the physical depedency), would be being a coma patient for a long time. Even after that, there is the physical side of depedency... That being said, some people can stop easily just by deciding to do it. So me need either transfer the depedency to another, easier to break. some can even find help from placebo effect. But so far there is no safe and effective "stop smoking"-pill yet. Still, everyone is free to decide if the side effects of possibly helping product are worth of risk. Oh... smoking is not good for me, I know. I started regularly smoking in spring of 1970 and the longest time (by far!) I've managed to be without smoking is 52h 10min. I would like to go back in time just before I light my first cigarette... and kick the living s..t out of me for being so dumb!
No need for "self slapping". Everyone is entitled to an opinion. Perhaps a little misunderstanding between posts. I too have had experience of "n+1", in the past but am glad to say that is one habit i did kick. Nicotine on the other hand seems to be a real hard nut to crack. You know what.......there is no wonder drug. Will power is the key and clearly at this stage of life i either dont have enough of it , or really and truly i dont really want to give up. Like you Rawdata, i too wish i could go back to the moment before my first cigarette. You know i only had that cigarette to look cool and impress some girl and i didnt get her anyway........is'nt that ironic.
I'd rather say it's in my lungs. BIGTIME Couldn't stop with all the worlds power... Smoked A LOT of weed for many years. Now if I don't have my nicotine, you're gonna hear me explode from 3000 miles away
I often said no to drugs - but they just don't listen (I is not me, actually...just to prevent false thinking.)
Took a long time for me to realise actually. When my first son was born, my thoughts began to shift. Kids change your way of thinking, that's a fact of life. Good thing too, cause I was BAD