Non-pharmaceutical ways to help quit smoking?

[TheFriendlyAnarchist]

Well heres the deal. I've recently been forced to quit smoking. The problem isn't quite so much the physical addiction (although advice would be nice), but rather the psychological part. I love smoke. The taste, the smell, the oral fixation, the hand movements. I need something to help me move on past that.

Time is on my side, I've only smoked regularly for 6 months or so, but still, anything you noticed helping would be great.

[ChoralScholar]

1. I'm not sure how helpful this is,

but I've read studies that say - smoking in a dark room is unsatisfying, and mutes the craving to do so - the reasoning being that people enjoy the visual aspect of seeing the smoke in a room...

Take it for what it's worth.

I've never smoked - but my father was a long-time smoker... I've heard him tell people that 'deep down, you have to WANT to quit.' I'm assuming not just a superficial want, or some outside force, but that a person has to have a deep desire to eradicate it from their person.

Like I said, I've never smoked, but it makes sense to me.

[TheFriendlyAnarchist]

2. Damn you, you're supposed to say it's easy!

:P
The next few weeks will suck though. . .

[ChoralScholar]

3. Okay.. if you insist...

I figure, that when you put them down, the very thought of smoking another one will make you vomit a little in your mouth.

Or you could only smoke during Charles in Charge reruns - It's called aversion therapy... :)

[LynzM]

4. I haven't done it myself,

So take this with a grain of salt or three. But I know people who've bought tea tree oil toothpicks and held/bitten/whatever on those whenever they wanted something to do with their hands/mouth, to replace the urge for a while. :hug:

[Left Is Write]

5. Tootsie Pops. 60 calories apiece, last a while, and satisfy the hand-to-mouth fixation.

I used them a lot in the first few days after I quit smoking.

I've been off the smokes for almost ten years.

[BurtWorm]

6. Cut a straw the length of a cigarette, carry it around with you, and draw on it

anytime you feel a craving. Keep it with you for as long as it takes--days, weeks, months--until the cravings become breif and manageable. Also, give yourself a lot of time to simply sit and be still if anxiety comes over you.

Good luck.

[liberaltrucker]

7. You're, uh, 17 now?

Isn't it illegal for you to buy smokes in your State?

Legal bullshit covered. B, you're not physically addicted
YET. Throw them away before you are. Take it from an old fool
who didn't. Say hi to J for me.

:)

[Drum]

8. Hypnosis.

Honest.

[astral]

9. Quitting was very hard for me

I don't see anything wrong with substituting with ANOTHER type of smoke, at least while at home, unless you room with other people where this would not be allowed. Try getting a smudge stick, or some loose sage, or combination of sage and cedar or whatever, the kind of stuff people use to 'smudge' with, not the powdered stuff on the spice rack.

You don't actually SMOKE it, but light it and let the smoke waft around you, and you can breathe it in as you like, it won't hurt you. Use it as a ritual to get focused and centered, pray if that suits you. Sage is supposed to be a high-vibration type of herb, promoting spiritual strength. I think it will promote calmness and give you a sense of satisfaction.

Also drink lots of extra water, preferably spring water or filtered water, and adding extra vitamin C to your life is supposed to help shorten the withdrawal time as well. The addictiveness of nicotine is pretty extreme, if you get really hooked understand that it can be real hard to let it go, and you will be immediately hooked again if you try to pick it up again later for 'just one smoke.' Of course, there are those rare individuals who DO only smoke on occasion and don't get hooked, but I was not one of them and it took a long time to figure out how badly hooked I was, too!

Carrying carrot sticks around to chomp on can help, maybe picking up a big bag of pistachios to munch on at home will keep your hands very busy for stretches of time --- don't forget to drink extra water! A glass of water can even help with a craving attack.

I tried and failed for so long I was afraid I wasn't going to make it. Weird, huh? Really, REALLY wanting to quit something and finding you just keep doing it anyway? Welcome to the world of addiction! But you **can** do it!

[SPKrazy]

10. Cold Turkey

hypnosis

aversion therapy (pairing a noxious reaction to the idea of smoking) like say rotted liver smelling when you think of smoking, or a dirty ashtray, etc.

support groups