I am quitting smoking. Any advice?

I quit smoking 4 weeks ago, after having smoked for 38 years. :)

In August, both my mother and I went on the patch. This worked for her because she was ready to quit, but I wasn't. After seven weeks I backslid, and smoked about half a pack per day until the day after Christmas. That was a victory, tho, because up until then I had been a pack and a half per day smoker.

I went back on the patch for just one week, at the lowest dose, to get me past DAY THREE. So bad is day three that it's worthy of all caps. I know; I once quit for 10 weeks about 12 years ago. It was DAY THREE which kept me from trying to quit for the next 12 years, so you have been warned.

Anyway, three weeks ago I happened to leave the house for the day and forgot to put on a patch. It was late in the day before I remembered, so I knew at that point I had made it past the hump. There have been a few cravings, lasting mere minutes, easily overcome.

How you quit is entirely up to you. The patch worked for my mother. Had I been ready to quit in August, it would have worked for me then, too. I *was* ready to quit after the holiday fuss, and in the weeks leading up to Christmas thought to myself many times that I would be smoke-free by the new year. I rang in the New Year without a cigarette...

Being ready to quit practically guarantees your success. I agree with Scott; you stated that you are quitting. That's the key.

Choose a day you want to quit and mark it on your calendar. Depending on your determination, that could be as soon as tomorrow. Throw out all smoking related items. Get yourself some mints, stock up on carrot sticks, break out a new deck of cards. When the urge to smoke becomes too overpowering, suck on a mint or eat a few carrot sticks. Shuffle those cards (keeps the hands busy) and engage in a game of Solitaire (occupies the mind). Before you know it, that urge will pass. As has been stated, you might choose to work out or take a long walk.

It's OK to munch on a few carrot or celery sticks to get past a craving. It's not OK to munch on a candy bar or potato chips. Some people swear by avoiding those occasions where you would normally smoke, such as at the table with your morning coffee and newspaper. For me, it was on my porch with a magazine. I found it too daunting to give up my porch sitting, however.

As someone said, make it through the month and you're golden. I'd like to point out that if you can make it through the first week, you'll be really proud of yourself and will think twice before you reach for a cigarette and spoil it.

If you should backslide, don't see it as failure, see it as another chance.

Whether you go cold turkey or with the help of a non-smoking aid is entirely up to you. You've chosen to quit smoking, so no matter how you go about this, you are looking at eventual success.

Congratulations on making such a wise decision. Only the best to you.

Natural Quit Smoking Magic

I actually still haven't quit myself, but a few things that have helped me make it the longest in my quitting attempts: -Avoid people whenever possible: I always find some way to say that "someone else made the day so bad I HAVE to smoke" As much as I am sane enough to know better, sanity isn't the correct way to describe your brain in the middle of a nic fit. You'll do anything or make any excuse. Try your best to make the first couple of days (a weekend or something) a time when you can relax, and occupy your time with something fun that doesn't have to be too mentally taxing, like knitting or painting or exercise or something. Especially if you are as stubborn as me, positive support and constantly talking about it with friends and family members can actually be a bad thing. Are you one of those people who can't help but light a cigarette after you've seen an anti-smoking ad? Same kind of thing. -(not sure how old you are) Avoid excessive alcohol/weed/etc. Aside from the long term addiction that can stem from a crutch, all I find is that these activities make me crave a smoke more because I am so used to doing them in environments that allow cigarettes and doing them simultaneously. -Some people like just regular store bought gum for the oral fixation, I actually read about those sport (suckable) water bottles in some online tips a few months ago, and I can honestly say, taking that "drag" and feeling something go all the way down through your torso (cool instead of hot/burning...but still) did kind of work as a crutch way better for me in that respect. And more water is generally considered a great thing, even though you can overdose at a certain point. -Supposedly, it only takes 3 days for the nicotine to get out of your system, after that...it is all in your head. -Always remember why you want to quit (money, health, beauty, not smelling gross, etc.) Some people are into writing these things down on post-it notes or something like that, but this is too corny for me, I think it's just as easy to remember them yourself. Hope you find what works!

I smoked for awhile when I had a bunch of friends over all the time to play cards; they smoked and I began experimenting with it and took up the habit.

I got out of it by two methods:

First, I announced to everyone that I was quitting, gave away my pack of cigarettes, and asked their help.

Then, if I was having a nicotine fit, I was forced to ask them for a cigarette and with it came a lecture about how I'd said I was going to stop. Soon, I was too embarrassed to ask.

Then, I kept my hands constantly busy by taking up knitting again. It's hard to set the knitting down in the middle of a row when you're trying to keep a pattern going of knit-purl stitches which have to be counted out and kept track of. My brain constantly chose against the cigarette idea so I could keep up with the pattern instructions. So, in the idle time when I was not working, sleeping, or playing cards, the hands were otherwise occupied in making scarves and blankets and sweaters.

Good luck to you! Keep the hands busy with something other than lighting cigarettes.

Congrats, you've got the right attitude by saying "I am quitting smoking" as opposed to saying "I'm trying to quit".

Ii was about 30 years for me too, I simply threw half a pack of cigarettes in the trash one morning and left them there to stare at for a few days before I threw them out.

It was tough but I had already given up booze and coke so I knew what to expect.

One word of advice, avoid loved ones or send them on a weeks vacation until the snarling and stabbies subside.

RScott

Congratulations. Quit one urge at a time. They only last a minute or so. Before you know it you'll have gone months and years. Make it through the first month and you've beaten the nicotine addiction. Keep trying when you fail. Don't replace cigarettes with food. Eating is even harder to give up. I know.

Get rid of all your cigarettes. Oh, walk a lot. Ask your sister for moral support. :-)

Good luck! As a fellow chick and ex smoker:

GET A NEW PURSE! You have a spot in your current one for your cigs, and it smells like cigs, and every time you grab it you'll think of cigs. Time for a fresh start.

This little step helped me a lot.

Well, if you are anything like me, I'll give you a wide berth...I've had so many unsuccessful quit attempts....and my withdrawl rages are legendary.

Basicaly, good luck & I'm very interested in the answers you will receive.

*sitting ashamed in a dark corner, smoking

When I quit smoking I started working out alot it kept my mind of it.