OK RFM, I need your help. I don't smoke a lot, I go through a pack every 3-4 days or so, but still, it's not a good habit, and I feel myself craving more as I am hitting a stressful time in my life.
For those of you who have quit successfully, how have you done it? What's worked?

Thank you!

Jen

I quit smoking using self-hypnosis. The actual process took less than an hour, and was very easy, and instantaneous.

I had been a smoker for twelve years, at least a pack a day, and also pipes and an occasional cigar. I was in law school at the time, and I was desperate to use any means to master the mountain of material. I read a book on self-hypnosis (also called auto-suggestion) to see if it could help me improve my memory. I quickly learned to put myself into a very relaxed state and make myself more open to suggestions I could give to myself. It helped me recall names of precedent-setting cases, and it improved my performance on exams.

The particular book I read also suggested that the method could be used to get rid of bad habits. I had several times tried to quit smoking by the cold turkey method, but after a day or two I always craved a cigarette. I had pretty much given up trying to quit. But it occurred to me that it would be interesting to see what effect self-hypnosis might have.

So one afternoon I spent some time relaxing and giving myself suggestions, telling myself how disgusting smoking was, how it made me cough, how awful stale cigarette smoke smelled, how expensive it was, and so on. It lasted less than an hour. After I had finished, I came out of the relaxation, took the half-pack of cigarettes out of my pocket, and tossed it into the trash.

I never smoked again. Once in a while I would have a dream that I was smoking again, but I never again craved a cigarette while awake.

That was over forty years ago.

Learning self-hypnosis is not difficult. Many sources of instruction are available, especially on the internet. It is certainly worth a try. For me, it was quick, painless, inexpensive, and complete.

My therapist/mentor recommended a book, "Beyond the Relaxation Response" as an introduction to the techniques, but I'd already been exposed to them for dealing with anxiety for other withdrawals.

The important insight I received was the mental attitude to take, a passive, easy-going approach rather than white knuckle...

And ditto for what Saucie said about not taking the first cigarette. That's what triggers the craving.

Gum and hot coffee also helped; I was an irritable S.O.B. for a few months, but that was almost 30 years ago.

Just don't ever pick up another cigarette. Ever.

I smoked for over twenty years a pack a day. If I can do it,

you can do it. There is no easy way, no secret tricks. Just do it.

Chantix worked for Hubby.

Chantix worked for my son, too. Good luck, Jen.

I have trouble with junk food like Oreos, donuts, etc. If it's in the cupboard or refrigerator, I'll eat it. I don't have much self-control in that respect.

But where I can control myself is at the store. If I don't put it in the cart, it can't tempt me at home. This strategy works for me, as it's far easier to restrain my spending than to halt stuffing my pie hole with ice cream.

I quit cold turkey...after a 5 day bout of the flu during which I hadn't smoked. I was a pack (25) a day smoker for 19 years. That was almost 37 years ago. I hope it won't come back to kill me like it did my wife.

I know, everyone thinks vaping is bad now.

I smoked for 40 years, 1 pack a day and sometimes 2 for at least the last 10 years. I finally quit in May 2017, while living in a hotel where I had to go outside to smoke. It had only just warmed up after an extra long, cold winter, so I was down to less than half a pack a day. Then I went to visit a non-smoking friend for 4 days, and I knew it would be a good opportunity to quit (again).

I'd always said you have to really want to quit, and I didn't want to, but I was 56 and starting to face my mortality. I just got to the place where I believed the cigs would kill me eventually (and I realize they may still).

I left a pack of cigarettes in my room, thinking I'd probably want to smoke when I got home, but then I surprised myself and got rid of that last pack. I already had vapes, so it was pretty easy. It was about a year and a half before I stopped wanting to run out and buy a pack of cigarettes when I got upset. ("I'll show them ... by smoking!" LOL)

I fell off the wagon twice, one pack each time.

It's been a over a year since I had a cigarette, and I can now, finally, honestly say I don't want one. Cigarettes are gross, and super unsatisfying compared to vapes.

I could easily quit vaping, but I don't want to. I just really like to vape. And I feel so much better, you'll never persuade me it's anywhere near as bad as smoking cigarettes, if it's bad at all. So don't bother trying.

In any case I don't think the vapes were necessarily what enabled me to quit cigarettes, but more the combination of cutting back, the 4-day trip, and having something to do instead when I got home.

It still amazes me that I quit, considering I didn't want to. And I managed to lose 30 lbs at the same time, by watching what I ate—because my weight was also at an all-time high, and I knew I'd gain if I wasn't careful.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/25/2020 02:41PM by munchybotazv2.