Any ex-smokers want to give advice on quitting?

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

What method works best? The patch? Gum?

[RedStateShame]

1. Getting really sick.

Seriously, 5 days of the flu, and I've dramatically cut my smoking a week after.

[bigwillq]

3. That's how my friend quit

It's been 7 weeks

[KitchenWitch]

2. It has been a long time

I did not use the gum, nor the patch.

I was hypnotized, and had a tape that I listened to every day.

[Crazy Dave]

4. I rewarded myself with my first cell phone

Back when it cost $85.00 a month for 60 minutes. I couldn't afford to smoke after that.

[Auggie]

5. Cold turkey

I did the patch for a few days but decided the best way was to suck it up and take the pain. When I would feel a huge urge I would get very angry with the tobacco companies. I mean, over-the-top angry -- yelling, swearing -- anything to take my mind off it and channel some strong hatred towards those that did this to me. I snacked on carrots and celery too, and got some exercise, but the anger really did it.

[zanne]

6. The patch worked for me.

I had a 25-year, three pack a day habit. It's helpful if you keep a good sense of humor about the withdrawal effects of nicotine. If you let people know you're trying to quit, it'll be harder for you to start up again. Always keep hard candy, Lifesavers, etc. on you at all times. When you feel like sticking a ciggie in your mouth, pop a hard candy in there instead. I'm sure there are plenty of people here with good suggestions. Good luck and let us know how you're doing, OK?

[Roon]

7. 101 Things to Do Instead of Smoking

http://quitsmoking.about.com/od/cravingsandurges/a/101thingstodo.htm

[HEyHEY]

8. Cold mutha fuckin' turkey

[JanMichael]

9. Getting tired of upper chest infections and quitting cold turkey.

That seems to have worked for me but it's only been 9 months.

[distantearlywarning]

10. Did it cold turkey.

Got worried about potential health problems and just decided to quit.

[Bunny]

11. Cold turkey worked for me.

It was pretty ugly, though - I was Helen Wheels for several weeks initially, but things got better. Good luck.

[Lady President]

12. Patch

I went with the patch. I really think that it helped me with the crazy cravings. I also used it for longer than the recommended time-- stage 1 for a couple extra weeks and stage 2 for at least an extra month. I figured the patch was better than smoking. I felt that I needed to be 100% ready to stop nicotine.

Also, even though I haven't had a cigarette since Nov. 2004, I still consider myself on a break from smoking. If I slip, then I'll stop again, but it won't be a big deal. The thought of never, ever smoking for the rest of my life seemed too daunting when I was trying to quit. Not smoking for a day seemed more do-able.

Best of luck! :)

[Nicole]

13. Cold Turkey

That was the only thing that worked for me.

I saved all the money that I didn't spend on cigarettes for a year. I took a nice vacation with money that would have gone up in smoke.

[idgiehkt]

14. just dont quit.

Don't quit quitting that is. You will make it eventually. Chewing gum works for me. I think I haven't smoked in about four years. I've smoked only in little periods since 1992. I was a smoker from about '86 to '92 and then quit. I have picked back up at various times of stress and wimpiness in my life, and that is okay for me, because I will smoke for at the most 6 months and then quit and by that time I'm completely miserable. But I've never used the stop-smoking aids. I chew gum, which I don't normally do because of TMJ. But if you resolve to keep on quitting til you make it, you will.

[many a good man]

15. Try the EasyWay

http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Stop-Smoking-Allen-Carr/dp/0572028512

I'm about half way through. The author says don't quit until you're done with the book. His approach seems to be mostly cognitive. DON'T take nicotine substitutes. All you have to do is un-brainwash yourself -- and get over the nicotine addiction, which is actually pretty mild if you're not brainwashed into thinking that it is. The only thing that makes you want to smoke -- aside from the brainwashing -- is the last cigarette you smoked.

I think this is gonna work (for me). Maybe you too.

[bettyellen]

16. that book worked for me, and i just made a year today...

i had to reread a certain chapter maybe 5 times... but when i was ready, i knew it.
:shrug:

[hellbound-liberal]

17. I became a nonsmoker 11 years ago. Here's what I did:

The first thing I did was to change my mindset from giving something up (smoking) to gaining something (a healthier lifestyle). I also told myself that I was becoming a nonsmoker, not an ex-smoker. I think this is an important distinction in placing you on an even playing field with those who never smoked. Next, I picked a date six months in the future, when my new life would begin. Everytime I lit a cigarette or put one out, I mentally said the date in my mind. I think this set up my subconscious for making the change. During this six months, I received a Hazelden Meditations Book that contained daily affirmations for becoming a nonsmoker. I tried to find this on Amazon but couldn't. You might find it at half.com if you are interested. Finally, as the day approached, I began to make plans for activities that I would engage in instead of having those "automatic" cigarettes such as after dinner, after showers, and getting in the car to come home from work. These activities included chewing gum, having dessert after dinner and brushing my teeth more frequently. I also used those big pretzel rods as a substitute cigarette when I really felt like I needed something in my hands and to satisfy my oral fixation. I think all of the things that I listed had the cumulative effect of reducing my need for cigarettes and giving me the moral support that I needed to get me through the tough times. As you embark on this path, please keep a couple of things in mind. First, the first day as a nonsmoker is the hardest and every day gets easier after that. Once I got through the first day, I didn't ever want to go through it again. Second, you will get cravings for years to come but they will get fewer and farther between and, once you get through them you will be fine. I still get the urge after big meals like Thanksgiving and Christmas but the fear of going through the first day keeps me from relapsing. Third, becoming a nonsmoker is the BEST thing that you can do for your health and no amount of weight gain will erase the benefits you will get from this positive change. Finally, as a member of DU, we want to make sure that you are around for many years to come to enjoy the hard won victories that we have earned. Good luck on this most important objective. If you, or anyone else that reads these words, needs soem moral support during times like this, please feel free to send me an e-mail. I am usually on this board at least once a day.

[wildhorses]

18. the fear of god--or --otherwise known as godsmacked--

the pneumonia, unproductive cough and threat of emphysema did it for me...

do NOT want to be lugging around an oxygen tank in my old age NO THANK YOU

QUIT NOW--JUST FUCKING DO IT

this message has been brought to you with love from the wildhorses

[MissMillie]

19. The only way to ever completely kill the cravings

is to never feed them.

www.quitnet.com is a good resource There you'll find people who are going through the same thing as you are. Lots of advice and lots of pats on the back.

I got Zyban from my doctor. It didn't stop the cravings, but it certainly took the edge off.


Good luck. You'll never regret it.

[mykpart]

20. My husband went to a QuitSmart program at his local VA Medical Center.

http://www.quitsmart.com/ They used the kit, but also had prescriptions for Zyban and the nicotine patch. He had to do it twice before it "took." Myself, I quit cold turkey while in the hospital for triple bypass surgery. It's been five years for me, one year for my husband, who still chews the nicotine gum. I think the key is mental determination and positive reinforcement. I smoked for 35 years before I quit.

[BlueIris]

21. Medication made quitting very easy for me.

It's not for everyone, but I think it's worth considering.

[JennyH]

22. Just do it

it's the only thing that worked for me. Goofing around with patches and gum made me think I'd never quit. Then, a wicked bout with asmatic bronchitis really scared me. My pack of cigarettes sat right there on the desk for over a month - until I didn't want them anymore. It was a mind-over-matter experience. It was very hard.

One thing - if you are a long time smoker, prepare to be somewhat non-functional for awhile. I did a lot of zoning and sitting on my hands (literally). But, it's been 5 years and well worth the effort.

Good luck.

[LibraLiz1973]

23. Cold Turkey

I knew I was compromising my health.
I quit.
It's just been 3 years!!

[TheDebbieDee]

24. I recommend hypnosis................

It's the best way, it's quickest and cheapest!

[Generic Brad]

25. If you're asking for advice, you're not ready

The day my wife was diagnosed with a smoking related health problem we both quit. There was no debate about quitting methods. We left the hospital, threw them away and have not looked back since. A dose of reality can do wonders.

[struggle4progress]

26. Patch works great

[Burma Jones]

27. I had an emergency appendectomy, Election Day 1996

The surgeon met me and said, "Oh Boy, a fat smoker, Great. If I cut out your appendix, you have to quit smoking and lose some weight." I stopped smoking, I've lost some weight.......I chew the damn Nicorette though, two pieces a day.....

[Alexander]

28. I would buy smokes when I gassed up my car

So, my trick was, pay outside. If I didn't go in, I couldn't buy cigarettes.

Another idea I had was to calculate how much I spent on cigarettes within a year (I smoked 1.5-2 packs a day). I never followed through with it, probably because it would've given me a heart attack - which I was trying to avoid by quitting.

I lapsed 6 months after quitting, and bought another pack. After about two cigarettes, I found it disgusting and threw the remaining 18 into a dumpster.

That's when I knew I quit; when I couldn't even force myself to smoke any more.

My roommate, however, still smokes and drinks heavily, has had intestinal surgery and is a very high-stress individual. I hoped I would set a good example but instead I'm convinced he'll die of a heart attack or something by his 30s.

BTW: If you ever want to sing, smoking anything (yes, *anything*, cough cough) will kill your vocal cords.

[zingaro]

29. Refuse to touch them once you've stopped puffing.

I was around a lot of smokers and just refused to touch them. None of that "hold my cig, hey?" or "hand me that pack, please?"

It's a decision. And a really hard one at that.

Good luck.

Oh and a friend of mine quit through hypnosis with no after-effects at all.

[Zorra]

30. Cold Turkey, but stay well fed and treat yourself

to things you really like while for a week after you quit.