h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi,
I am 23 years old and i'm smoking since i was 14. Since the age of 18 i have tried many (MANY) ways so as to stop this THING.
After five years of researching i came up to the following conclusions:

1. The first way to stop smoking doesn't always last for long. It's when your doctor tells you that you must cut it out or DIE (it seems hard, but...).
So the smoker gives a sudden end to it. But, by the time he feels that he is well again he is prone to starting to smoke again.

2. Smoking is above all a mind situation (in my opinion).
There are some lucky people who are able to stop smoking whenever they want to. These are the only ones who are trully able to stop smoking, because they are able to prevent themselves from doing things they don't want to. They are generally people who can achieve many things if they want to and are able to control their mind and will.

3. The rest of the smokers have only the conclusion No1 to choose.
But never mind... What would coffee and booze be without some packs of cigarettes for company? How would any smoker have the pleasant feeling of coughing all day long, spitting huge items coming directly from his lungs, etc...

BYE

Yeah, you're right.... nothing like a close encounter with ones innards every morning *cough*...
btw, hi and welcome to the Guide!

k-e

I have to agree with what the first guy said in option 2. At the heart of the matter is the will to deny oneself something one desperately wants. Cigarettes are hard to give up for many reasons - the physical addiction to nicoteine, the mental addiction to the feelings one gets while smoking, and the habit of smoking at "those times" ... you know, at the bar, in the car in traffic, after a nice meal, when stressed, etc.

Each smoker is different, in how much smoking has affected their lives - and thus how much quitting is going to affect them. For example, in my case, the stress of my work is enough to keep me at it. Several of us smoke around here because of it, and it's made quitting all that more difficult. Also due to the stress of my job, is my love of "going 'round to the pubs" every weekend - not a good place to try quitting smoking, at least not outside of California (where it is illegal to smoke indoors in bars and restaurants outside of specific "smoking rooms").

I think that most drugs are aimed at attempting to alleviate the physical addition to nicoteine - the patches and gums - with the most notable exception being the "zyban" family of drugs - which seemed to be aimed at helping reduce the mental addition to the feelings one gets when smoking or, more importantly, the feelings one gets when NOT smoking. When I want a cigarette, I get pretty damn nasty. And I work poorly. Right when I take the first three puffs, I feel so relaxed ... but then I start to feel like garbage. It doesn't help my health a bit, and it gives me a slight headache - and yet, I still need that smoke.

So, I looked back at it, and I think the root cause has more to do with stress than anything else, in my case. I've recently decided to exercise more, for three reasons: (1) it will help reduce my stress greatly; (2) I won't be able to smoke much while exercising and won't want to afterwards or before; (3) it will help me keep off the weight when the appetite comes back. I think that this, combined with a real serious expression of complete and utter will-power will help me to finally quit. I didn't like using the gum (the patch did nothing for me) because it was too little to satisfy but enough to tease my cravings. I haven't used Zyban, but I might try it if things get really rough. And the age of 30 now, I can't help but look back on the last 5 years and remember how healthy I was the previous 10 ... I want that health back, and I ain't gonna settle for nothin' less. This is my will. And I'm going to prove that I have what it takes, just like I do every day in my job.

So, now it's time to set the big date for something I will always remember, get up out of this chair, and do it. I used to have the self-discipline to train 8 hours every day while going to school and working - I was a nationally-ranked water polo player at one time in my life. Since a severe shoulder injury excluded any swimming or hard throwing from my athletics ever again, I have to change to something new. I like bike riding. And I can really swear a lot at the other drivers on the road, so maybe that will be a fun way to relieve stress.

I will be smoke free. Oh yes, I will. Now, where'd I put those ^%@^!?*# Camels? Sorry ... my quit date is April 30, when my new bike arrives. Until then, I'm still working on taxes ... 'nuff said.

JD

I recently quit myself, and what worked for me was really wanting to quit. You have to be sure you want to quit, find a way to motivate yourself, and do everything you can to keep them away from you (and you from them). I got tired of that nasty, chemical taste - after all, if they really tasted as good as dedicated smokers say, there would be cigarette flavored ice cream, chewing gum, and coffee creamer.

I had three left in a pack on a Wednesday morning, and I held off all day, until shortly before I went to sleep. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday night, I smoked one cigarette at bedtime, as many people they had difficulty sleeping when they quit. It was a sort of cool turkey approach, but it worked for me.

But let me say that as a general rule I have no will power whatsoever, so to enforce wanting to quit, I stayed out of the bars and away from the smoking areas at work. I let everyone at work I used to smoke with know I was quitting, so they wouldn't offer them, and I kept myself away from buying them.

My quitting has gone well, although in a sudden stressful situation (watching a car hop a curb and nearly hit myself and several friends while it was air-born), I did bum one from someone to stop my hands from shaking. However, I stubbed it out when it was only about halfway done, and I haven't had the urge since.

So, when you decide you want to quit, as the Nike commercial says, just do it - but make sure you have a strong desire to do it first.

I've found that when I've half-heartedly tried to give up, my mind plays tricks on me. It's like having a little devil on your shoulder whispering things like "nobody will know if you have one". Weird.

I find myself narrowing my cigs down to those all important 4:
Morning greet the day with coffee cig.
After lunch make it the rest of the day cig.
Car on the way home relax cig.
After big dinner read the paper cig.
If I can have those four, I can make it through without any else.
I've cut back about as far as I can go without quitting.

Hey- Went through all the methods but failed to find the only two methods that I have seen succeeding....Method 1 has a hit rate of 1 in 1: MY GRANDUNCLE and Method2 has worked at least 120 times.

Basically there are 2 reasons why people smoke: one is the physiological need and two is the psychological need. Any method should try to address these 2 needs in order to stand a chance at being successful. I believe I have hit upon 2 of the best methods. Here....

I'll discuss Method 2 first: This Method was basically the most preferred one for quitting smoking in my engineering college - almost all the guys in my gang have managed to leave smoking a number of times using this Method- so believe me it WORKS
This method basically consists of Smelling - yes Smelling- the stick whenever you feel like smoking with your friends. Light up a cig between 3 of you and when your turn comes don't put it to your mouth -instead smell it and pass it on.
About addressing the twin needs that i mentioned previously...well..lemme be frank...this method does not cure the physiological urge to smoke though it does wonders for the psychological need- believe me- yu look totally cool smelling the cig and at least 1 person in the group will definitely ask what you are doing- which gives you a chance to speak about yourself and boost your self-esteem.

As for Method 1 - the one my GrandUncle used- well...it's called "Kicking the bucket" - It addresses and suppresses both needs and you get to wear a nice black suit though there are certain nasty side effects like you kinda feel drained of energy and slothful ever afterwards.

So go ahead and choose ....I've still not succeeded in either but i'm sure someoone somewhere will benefit from this advice.