Stop Smoking, Helping Each Other to Quit

[The Gentleman Scamp]

But how can a book work when everybody is different?

I never enjoyed a cigerette when hungry or with a glass of water but I knew many that did, and I never needed one first thing in the morning.

I will however give it a try if I start relapsing too much.

I almost had a second last night after a few gins but thought better of it.

[malcolminthemiddle]

I quit two weeks ago and the two ciggies that I have had are ones that I fancied, I didn't CRAVE for either of them.

From www.whyquit.com

I enjoy smoking - This may be the most deeply engrained rationalization of all as it has a solid basis in the following flawed denial logic. "I don't do things that I don't like to do." "I smoke lots and lots of cigarettes." "Therefore, I must really enjoy smoking," instead of the correct conclusion, "therefore, I must really be chemically addicted to smoking nicotine." Did you enjoy being the unaddicted "you" or have you forgotten what it was like to live comfortably inside a mind that does not crave for nicotine? If you cannot remember what it was like being "you" then what basis do you have for honest comparison? If you truly enjoyed being addicted to nicotine then why are you here reading these words? Is it that you liked smoking or that you liked not having to experience what occurred when you didn't smoke - withdrawal? Studies have long ranked nicotine as a more addictive substance than either heroin or cocaine. In fact, cocaine's generally recognized addiction rate among regular users is 15% while nicotine's addiction rate of over 70% is at least five times as great. Imagine convincing your mind that it " likes " being addicted to the drug that addiction scientists now rank as the most addictive substance on all of planet earth. We are nicotine addicts . A pack a day smoker smokes 7,300 cigarettes each and every year. How many of your last 7,300 nicotine fixes did you really enjoy ? How many of the next 7,300 will bring tremendous joy to your life? Isn't it time to be honest?

I hope very much that I can just have the occasional one.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Again from www.whyquit.com

I'll cut down or quit and smoke just one now and then - You are addicted to a substance that is five times as addictive as cocaine (15% vs. 75%). You may be strong enough to cut back a bit but you'll remain addicted, the decay will continue and a recent study indicates that your health risks will remain unchanged. If you were a pack-a-day nicotine smoker and after quitting you decide to smoke just one cigarette, you might as well get ready to smoke the other 7,300 for the year too as full and complete relapse is virtually assured. The Law of Nicotine Addiction is simple - one puff of new nicotine and it's over! Yes, 95 to 97% of those who smoke nicotine from just one cigarette will immediately or soon thereafter experience full and complete relapse back to their prior level of nicotine intake or higher. Your addiction permanently transformed your brain into a highly efficient nicotine processing machine capable of generating a steady output of dopamine. Quitting is a process where the brain learns to function without the extra dopamine but it does not alter your processing potentials. After quitting, the jail remains but is empty and you're on probation for life!

[John K]

As I have said in the past, the mental addiction remains. Read my article in the June big Chilli, If you are counting the days you are still addicted. The gum and other things will get you off the habbit, and the nicotine is out of your system in less than 100 hours. After that you are no longer addicted physically. All you guys are talking about is the mental addiction that drives people back to light up again.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

TWO WEEKS and counting. 

I did have one a few days ago after a big meal and a lot of wine but it was just because I fancied one in the same way that some people fance a gigar once in a while.

There was no craving.

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The thin edge of the wedge

[malcolminthemiddle]

As I have said in the past, the mental addiction remains.  Read my article in the June big Chilli, If you are counting the days you are still addicted.  The gum and other things will get you off the habbit, and the nicotine is out of your system in less than 100 hours. After that you are no longer addicted physically. All you guys are talking about is the mental addiction that drives people back to light up again.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Kindly confirm what professional credentials you have for making such statements in addition to writing articles for the "Big Chilli"?

Also, are you now or have you ever been a smoker?

Counting the number of days you have quit smoking is part of the "mental addiction" and does not remain but subsides and goes in time depending on the individual. Gum and other nicotine replacement aids will not "get you off the habit" , they feed the habit by continuing to introduce nicotine into the system. There are many reasons why people light up again, in Scamps case it is because he thinks he can control the addiction.

According to the ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders

World Health Organization, Geneva, 1992

F17.2 Tobacco Dependence (Addiction) Syndrome

A cluster of physiological, behavioural, and cognitive phenomena in which the use of tobacco takes on a much higher priority for a given individual than other behaviours that once had greater value. A central descriptive characteristic of the dependence syndrome is the desire (often strong, sometimes overpowering) to take tobacco.

There may be evidence that return to substance use after a period of abstinence leads to a more rapid reappearance of other features of the syndrome than occurs with nondependent individuals.

This last paragraph indicates that for ex-smokers some level of physical addiction remains. I for one as an ex-smoker remain nicotine free because of the infrequent thought that one puff could put me back to where I was.

[John K]

As I have said in the past, the mental addiction remains.  Read my article in the June big Chilli, If you are counting the days you are still addicted.  The gum and other things will get you off the habbit, and the nicotine is out of your system in less than 100 hours. After that you are no longer addicted physically. All you guys are talking about is the mental addiction that drives people back to light up again.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Kindly confirm what professional credentials you have for making such statements in addition to writing articles for the "Big Chilli"?

Also, are you now or have you ever been a smoker?

Counting the number of days you have quit smoking is part of the "mental addiction" and does not remain but subsides and goes in time depending on the individual. Gum and other nicotine replacement aids will not "get you off the habit" , they feed the habit by continuing to introduce nicotine into the system. There are many reasons why people light up again, in Scamps case it is because he thinks he can control the addiction.

According to the ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders

World Health Organization, Geneva, 1992

F17.2 Tobacco Dependence (Addiction) Syndrome

A cluster of physiological, behavioural, and cognitive phenomena in which the use of tobacco takes on a much higher priority for a given individual than other behaviours that once had greater value. A central descriptive characteristic of the dependence syndrome is the desire (often strong, sometimes overpowering) to take tobacco.

There may be evidence that return to substance use after a period of abstinence leads to a more rapid reappearance of other features of the syndrome than occurs with nondependent individuals.

This last paragraph indicates that for ex-smokers some level of physical addiction remains. I for one as an ex-smoker remain nicotine free because of the infrequent thought that one puff could put me back to where I was.

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Hi M,

As for my credentials I am a Certified hypnotherapist. I will not disclose my other credentials as I don’t want to jump through the hoops the Thais will put up if I do. I will tell you that I have had over 10 years of related education so you can do the math as to what degree that may be. I have helped hundreds of people break the mental addiction to smoking that is logged in the subconscious mind. As for what you are saying I can honestly tell you that the vast majority of people who use hypnosis to quit do so because they have tried everything else. The other use it first because of it’s effectiveness and they want to simply get that part of their life behind them. Psychologists simply deal wit the conscious mind. That has nothing to do at all with the vastly more powerful subconscious mind. So any quotes you have by them only deal with the conscious mind. Unless they have had education in how the subconscious works they won’t know. As I can recall there was only one day that dealt with Hypnosis in the whole 4 years of psychology classes and it only touched on the concepts of hypnosis. Their quotes are based on a assumption, mine are based on fact. The mental addiction lives in the subconscious mind. The comments in this thread reflect the remaining mental addiction. Depending on your health nicotine is out of you body from 70 to 100 hours. When it is gone there is no physical addiction remaining. People who have the mental addiction can tell you to the hour how long it has been because it’s constantly on their mind. If the mental addiction remains sooner or later they will light up again. There is no argument about that because it is a simple fact. There is no real pleasure in smoking, smokers choose a brand the can tolerate, there is no truly enjoyable cigarette, ask any non smoker. Ask any Hypnotherapist and they will verify this for you. For me it only takes about 10 minutes to break the mental addiction. When it is gone people have to make a conscious effort to recall when they last smoked. I hope this answers your question.

[barryofthailand]

I agree with John. As i stated in an earlier post, i smoked for 44 years.

There are mental drivers that cause people to smoke at certain times of the days or when doing certain things. For instance i always wanted a cigarret when drinking a beer. So this time when i quit smoking i quit drinking beer. Now i have a beer on ocasion with no problem, but it's been seven months since i've smoked.

[h90]

how do you come to the idea that after you have no nicotine in your system you are not addicted anymore?

I don't think it it correct.

As I have said in the past, the mental addiction remains.  Read my article in the June big Chilli, If you are counting the days you are still addicted.  The gum and other things will get you off the habbit, and the nicotine is out of your system in less than 100 hours. After that you are no longer addicted physically. All you guys are talking about is the mental addiction that drives people back to light up again.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Kindly confirm what professional credentials you have for making such statements in addition to writing articles for the "Big Chilli"?

Also, are you now or have you ever been a smoker?

Counting the number of days you have quit smoking is part of the "mental addiction" and does not remain but subsides and goes in time depending on the individual. Gum and other nicotine replacement aids will not "get you off the habit" , they feed the habit by continuing to introduce nicotine into the system. There are many reasons why people light up again, in Scamps case it is because he thinks he can control the addiction.

According to the ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders

World Health Organization, Geneva, 1992

F17.2 Tobacco Dependence (Addiction) Syndrome

A cluster of physiological, behavioural, and cognitive phenomena in which the use of tobacco takes on a much higher priority for a given individual than other behaviours that once had greater value. A central descriptive characteristic of the dependence syndrome is the desire (often strong, sometimes overpowering) to take tobacco.

There may be evidence that return to substance use after a period of abstinence leads to a more rapid reappearance of other features of the syndrome than occurs with nondependent individuals.

This last paragraph indicates that for ex-smokers some level of physical addiction remains. I for one as an ex-smoker remain nicotine free because of the infrequent thought that one puff could put me back to where I was.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi M,

As for my credentials I am a Certified hypnotherapist. I will not disclose my other credentials as I don’t want to jump through the hoops the Thais will put up if I do. I will tell you that I have had over 10 years of related education so you can do the math as to what degree that may be. I have helped hundreds of people break the mental addiction to smoking that is logged in the subconscious mind. As for what you are saying I can honestly tell you that the vast majority of people who use hypnosis to quit do so because they have tried everything else. The other use it first because of it’s effectiveness and they want to simply get that part of their life behind them. Psychologists simply deal wit the conscious mind. That has nothing to do at all with the vastly more powerful subconscious mind. So any quotes you have by them only deal with the conscious mind. Unless they have had education in how the subconscious works they won’t know. As I can recall there was only one day that dealt with Hypnosis in the whole 4 years of psychology classes and it only touched on the concepts of hypnosis. Their quotes are based on a assumption, mine are based on fact. The mental addiction lives in the subconscious mind. The comments in this thread reflect the remaining mental addiction. Depending on your health nicotine is out of you body from 70 to 100 hours. When it is gone there is no physical addiction remaining. People who have the mental addiction can tell you to the hour how long it has been because it’s constantly on their mind. If the mental addiction remains sooner or later they will light up again. There is no argument about that because it is a simple fact. There is no real pleasure in smoking, smokers choose a brand the can tolerate, there is no truly enjoyable cigarette, ask any non smoker. Ask any Hypnotherapist and they will verify this for you. For me it only takes about 10 minutes to break the mental addiction. When it is gone people have to make a conscious effort to recall when they last smoked. I hope this answers your question.

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[jingjingna]

h90,

I quit smoking just over three weeks ago. The first two weeks were difficult and around the tenth day I even went as far as buying a pack of cigs and lighting one. Then the most surprising thing happened. I took a drag then another and was so disgusted with the taste, the smell everything and ended up stubbing out the ciggie and binning the rest of the pack.

Until three weeks ago I had been smoking for twenty years, atleast a pack a day.

I still think about 'smoking' but as soon as I do I remind myself of how awful that cigarette tasted and it puts me off the idea!

It's working for me so far, I hope it remains this way!

[malcolminthemiddle]

Hi M,

As for my credentials I am a Certified hypnotherapist. .........................

Is Hypnosis Effective in

Helping Smokers Quit?

The short answer to the above question is "probably not." It is the intent of this page to collect and provide links to "independent" online resources that have taken the time to review the effectiveness of hypnosis in helping smokers quit smoking. If you locate any "independent" resource that you'd like to see added to this page, please send a quick e-mail and I gladly review it.

Keep in mind that your favorite hypnotist telling you that she cures 90% of all smokers by using a single hypnotic session is not independent proof. In fact, if the below evidence is accurate, such representations are probably consumer fraud of the worst sort and someone belongs in jail.

For the rest of this article visit http://whyquit.com/whyquit/A_Hypno.html

[John K]

Hi M,

As for my credentials I am a Certified hypnotherapist. .........................

Is Hypnosis Effective in

Helping Smokers Quit?

The short answer to the above question is "probably not." It is the intent of this page to collect and provide links to "independent" online resources that have taken the time to review the effectiveness of hypnosis in helping smokers quit smoking. If you locate any "independent" resource that you'd like to see added to this page, please send a quick e-mail and I gladly review it.

Keep in mind that your favorite hypnotist telling you that she cures 90% of all smokers by using a single hypnotic session is not independent proof. In fact, if the below evidence is accurate, such representations are probably consumer fraud of the worst sort and someone belongs in jail.

For the rest of this article visit http://whyquit.com/whyquit/A_Hypno.html

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I do not use a one session program. The primary program I use is a 4 session program with session 1 week apart. Here is a excerpt from my website

Four session smoking cessation program outline

Session # 1

Step 1

The first step is to identify what you smoke, how much you smoke, where you smoke and when you smoke.

Step 2

The second step is to Identify your personal triggers. (Why you smoke) There are many common triggers and also many personal triggers. Group hypnosis sessions do not deal with personal triggers.

Step 3

The third step is to agree on the parameters of your personal smoking cessation program. Establish what works best for you based on your lifestyle and other personal commitments. The goal is to make becoming a former smoker as easy as possible.

Step 4

The fourth step is focused on breaking the mental addiction and physical addiction with hypnosis. 80% of the focus on the mental addiction and 20% focus on blocking the physical addiction. Also some initial work on common triggers is done.

Step 5

The fifth step is learn the first lesson of self hypnosis.

Session # 2

Step 6

Review your first week and make note of what occurred. What was easy and what was not so easy.

Step 7

The seventh step is to begin addressing the remaining smoking triggers. Identify exactly what they are and what is the best way to remove them.

Step 8

The eighth step is focused on blocking the physical addiction with hypnosis, and reinforcing the suggestions on breaking the mental addiction. Also there is intense focus with hypnosis on the personal triggers.

Step 9

The ninth step is learn the second lesson of self hypnosis.

Session # 3

Step 10

The tenth step is review what happened the second week and make changes as needed in the program.

Step 11

The eleventh step is use hypnosis on the particulars as needed. Continue to deal with any remaining personal triggers About this time pop-up habits start to appear. They can be changes in eating, personality changes and so on. They are also dealt with using hypnosis. This is so you remove the smoking habit and not replace it with another.

Step 12

The twelfth step is learn the third lesson of self hypnosis.

Session # 4

Step 13

The thirteenth step is to review what happened all during the program and make adjustments as needed to reinforce or add hypnotic suggestions for smoking cessation and pop-up habits.

On 1-1-2003 I started offering a selection of programs for smoking cessation. After repeated requests on 4-25-2005 I added 2 programs for ex smokers who still were mentally addicted to smoking.

[donx]

I don't know if the Commit lozenges are available in Thailand or not, but I have been using them for the last 12 weeks to help me quit smoking. My history with smoking and quitting is quite long. I started smoking when I was 18. I quit when I was 21 using 'cold turkey' and a monetary insentive program (provided by my mother). I started smoking again at age 29 during the course of marital problems. Since that time, I have tried various methods of quitting including nicotine gum, patches, nasal spray as well as Zyban twice. Most of these methods worked for a while, but I would find myself smoking again usually as a result of stress.

This last time, I promised my son and wife that I would quit prior to my daughter's 2nd birthday. I decided to try Commit because I know that I have a chemical addiction to nicotine that I need to ease myself off of. I felt that sucking on the lozenges would also help with my oral fixation. Although I am still using them, I have reduced myself from 7 4mg lozenges/day down to 2 2mg lozenges/day. And during this time, I haven't had any cigarettes.

Will this be the last time I need to quit? I certainly hope so. My children are my biggest incentive I have. It breaks my heart to think that I may not be around for them because of my smoking.

[John K]

To H90

Nicotine is a drug and not a virus or bacteria. You body will naturally purge itself given time. Each drug has a differing amount of time that it takes. For nicotine it is 70 to 100 hours. The more water you drink the faster it flushes from you. You can verify this with medical journals or simply do a blood test.

[h90]

but if it is out of the body, it does not mean that you are not addictated anymore.

There are still the receptors waiting for it and still your organism is not working correct without it.

but actually it is not an important point in this discussion.....

To H90

Nicotine is a drug and not a virus or bacteria. You body will naturally purge itself given time. Each drug has a differing amount of time that it takes. For nicotine it is 70 to 100 hours. The more water you drink the faster it flushes from you. You can verify this with medical journals or simply do a blood test.

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[John K]

but if it is out of the body, it does not mean that you are not addictated anymore.

There are still the receptors waiting for it and still your organism is not working correct without it.

but actually it is not an important point in this discussion.....

To H90

Nicotine is a drug and not a virus or bacteria. You body will naturally purge itself given time. Each drug has a differing amount of time that it takes. For nicotine it is 70 to 100 hours. The more water you drink the faster it flushes from you. You can verify this with medical journals or simply do a blood test.

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<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Only the mental addiction remains after the nicotine is out of your body. That is putting it in the simplest terms. You can get as technical or as medical as you want in describing it. There is no nicotine in your body to interact with after 100 hours. You need to think how you were before you started, you never had this feeling, so why now?

[h90]

I think you don't have too much knowlege about biological things.

I give you two examples

a) alcoholism. if there is no alcohol in the blood you feel bad and your hands are shaking. So you need to get alcohol, you are addictated, even there is no drug in your blood and this is not mental.

B ) addictated to pain reliver (spelled like that???) you feel a lot of pain, when there are none of these substances in your blood....

thats the nature of beeing addictated that you get problems if you don't have this substances in your blood.

stop smoking does not need any hypnotic, patches or any other magic. Everyone who want to smoke can do it, relative easy. i don't know how people who are not strong will enough to stop smoking master oother issues of their life?

but if it is out of the body, it does not mean that you are not addictated anymore.

There are still the receptors waiting for it and still your organism is not working correct without it.

but actually it is not an important point in this discussion.....

To H90

Nicotine is a drug and not a virus or bacteria. You body will naturally purge itself given time. Each drug has a differing amount of time that it takes. For nicotine it is 70 to 100 hours. The more water you drink the faster it flushes from you. You can verify this with medical journals or simply do a blood test.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Only the mental addiction remains after the nicotine is out of your body. That is putting it in the simplest terms. You can get as technical or as medical as you want in describing it. There is no nicotine in your body to interact with after 100 hours. You need to think how you were before you started, you never had this feeling, so why now?

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Edited July 15, 2005 by h90

[John K]

Every drug cause its own effect. Heroin or Crack for example. I am simply talking about nicotine. People who are mentally addicted to nicotine somehow relate some sensation to smoking most common "stress management." Each person has his or her own reason(s) or addiction. I want to keep the topic on nicotine because treatment options are not the same for other drugs.

[h90]

for nicotine the treatment option is: Do not smoke.

pretty easy, everything else is just a ripp off.

patches are for sure the wrong way, if you want to come of nicotine, you don't need a different supply of it.

Hypnosis is sure a help for some people. Some people are not happy before they don't spend money. They have in their mind that they can not stop, so they can not. If someone with a lot of diploms and academic titels take a lot money for some magic and tells them now they can do, they can do it really. It cost a lot money so it must work very well.

If Pfizer makes tablets out of sugar and sells them for 500 Baht each and tells: One a day, in difficult cases two, but never eat more than three a day because it is tooooo strong and you can stop smoking easily, it will work for a significant amount of people very well.

Every drug cause its own effect. Heroin or Crack for example. I am simply talking about nicotine. People who are mentally addicted to nicotine somehow relate some sensation to smoking most common "stress management." Each person has his or her own reason(s) or addiction. I want to keep the topic on nicotine because treatment options are not the same for other drugs.

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[donx]

I believe that I have a chemical addiction to nicotine. I feel it as an actual physical need in my brain. Yes there are mental attachments to smoking, but for me, the chemical addiction is very powerful. When I used Zyban to stop smoking, I lost my desire to smoke. My brain no longer craved nicotine. Unfortunately, around one year later, when confronted with an extremely stressful situation (a 3 week business trip by myself at a customer's site in another country), I found myself returning to using cigarettes to get me through the stress. I won't use Zyban any more because I almost had a seizure the last time I used it.

I personally believe that there are many different factors and that different people will find different approaches that work. Although I have never tried hypnosis, I had a roommate that tried it without success. I'm sure others have had success with it as I'm sure others have had success with acupuncture.

One thing I do know - I will only be able to quit when I really want to quit.

By the way, I am very successful with almost all other aspects of my life even though I have had a difficult time quitting smoking throughout the years. Please don't insult our intelligents with such bull, h90.

[malcolminthemiddle]

The issue here is that JK first introduced hypnotism into the thread as a cure to the “mental addiction” to smoking.

JK’s justification for this was that “All you guys are talking about is the mental addiction that drives people back to light up again.”

Mental addiction was not a valid precursor since I had stopped smoking long ago and Scamp remains a smoker. Even though JK has never been a smoker and is without formal cessation training he continues to offer advice as if he was and has.

The conclusion is that JK is using the thread to publicise his hypnotising services by references to magazine articles and posting excerpts from his own web site.

JK’s blatant opportunism would not be permitted within the “Stop Smoking Project”.

What JK continues to fail to recognize is that the more he posts the more he discredits himself, could this be because he is still under the influence of Steps 5, 9 and 12 from his own programme, “Self Hypnosis”?

[jingjingna]

Am I too late to join in?

I quit smoking just over three weeks ago. I used to smoke a atleast a pack a day and had done so for the past 20 years!

While it has been a bit difficult at times I am pleased that I have been able to stay off tobacco.

Good luck to the rest of you!

[John K]

To whoever may comment,

Please note that I am only responding to Questions and assumptions of the others in this thread and not seeing to advertize, trust me I have more than I can handle already and have a 2 week plus back log. It was only by chance of a few free minutes did I find time to even view the forum and now I find myself needing to spend more time here to clarify what appears to be some issues as I don’t like to leave loose ends. In fact it probably will be several days before I can find time again to respond. It was implied that 1 session with hypnosis is a method I do. First of is I agree that 1 session is far less effective therefore I do not nor never have done one session or groups for smoking cessation. I personally would feel very bad inside if I ever offered less than the best possible. Second any implication that I have not been trained is a opinion without proof or attempt to find proof and simply a suggestion. I have spent many more months than you are aware of not only in hypnosis. I do not fully understand what the comment about self hypnosis was about but all I did was copy from one of my web pages and add to this thread (Without a link I may add). It is simply part of one of the programs I offer. Also I am not saying hypnosis is a cure, hypnosis is simply at tool that helps people overcome the mental addiction. All the other methods only address the physical addiction. Triggers and mental addiction are not the same please be sure you are clear on this. A trigger is a beer with a smoke, with beer being the trigger. This is the same as some people who salt their food before tasting it to see if it is needed. The mental addiction is the desire and constant thinking about smoking. And yes some people can break the mental addiction on their own but again many can not. All I simply did was point out that the comments in this thread are based on mental addiction problem without any mention of my practice. Only when I was asked for my credentials did I offer the short version. And yes I deliberately stayed away from the smoking project because I wanted to continue to observe a work in progress and gauge the effectiveness without influence or bias. I encourage every smoker to quit by whatever mean they can. If you can understand this than you can understand all I did was identify what was the driving force behind the posts and add some light. Donx has it exactly right on wanting to quit. I turn people away who are not ready, I don’t wait them to waste their money. If I took everyone who applied I would feel morally and emotionally bad knowing they would fail because the did not want to quit and light up again soon after. Why is it whenever a professional not only myself makes a comment in this form we get ripped to shreds and attacked by the others (less one or two favorites that I have meet in person and we have mutual respect for each others profession.) That would be a good thread to just observe.

[h90]

Sorry did not want to insult!

And I don't want to insult here, now.......

You go in the shop and buy ciggarettes even if you don't want to smoke (want to stop) and you don't buy 1 pcs because your craving is so bad, you buy a stock of it.

Than even you don't want to smoke, you put it in your mouth and light it.

Than you tell you really want to quit?

that does not make sense or? Nicotin is not strong enough to force you to go in the shop and buy a pack or, or is it? If you would run every three hours in the supermarket and buy 1 pcs I would belive you that you want to stop smoking, but you are just not strong enough.

But your intention is speaking about stop smoking and not really stop smoking. You want to smoke, else you wouldn't buy some stock of ciggarettes.

I believe that I have a chemical addiction to nicotine.  I feel it as an actual physical need in my brain. Yes there are mental attachments to smoking, but for me, the chemical addiction is very powerful. When I used Zyban to stop smoking, I lost my desire to smoke. My brain no longer craved nicotine. Unfortunately, around one year later, when confronted with an extremely stressful situation (a 3 week business trip by myself at a customer's site in another country), I found myself returning to using cigarettes to get me through the stress.  I won't use Zyban any more because I almost had a seizure the last time I used it.

I personally believe that there are many different factors and that different people will find different approaches that work. Although I have never tried hypnosis, I had a roommate that tried it without success. I'm sure others have had success with it as I'm sure others have had success with acupuncture.

One thing I do know - I will only be able to quit when I really want to quit.

By the way, I am very successful with almost all other aspects of my life even though I have had a difficult time quitting smoking throughout the years. Please don't insult our intelligents with such bull, h90.

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[Krit]

Ah, one of my favorite subjects! =~

Don't be fooled, a cigarette is nothing but the the vehicle of nicotine. Smoke is the most effective means to get nicotine into the brain (takes 7 seconds, you couldn't do better with a needle!).

Nicotine is extremely addictive. Dependency, once developed, is more serious than that induced by heroin, cocaine, alcohol, caffeine or marijuana (1) even though, when measured by other addiction factors such as withdrawal severity, it is less dangerous than many others, and the personal/social damage suffered is not as massive.

In a 1999 Baltimore study, it was shown that cigarette-smoking cocaine users, when given a dose of nicotine (equivalent to 1-2 cigarettes) in a laboratory setting, mostly misidentified it as cocaine, amphetamine or opiates. Further, the "high" induced by nicotine was preferred to that of 40 mg cocaine (although it caused more tremor so generally it was less enjoyable).

The tobacco companies have of course been aware of nicotine's huge commercial potential for decades and have conducted much research on how to make it even more effective by using additives.

The human brain is very good in adapting to new situations and chemical states. As with most recreational drugs, having nicotine in the system becomes the "natural" state after smoking for some time, so it is required for normal function. When quitting, it really takes some time to adapt to the change again, so it's not just waiting until all the nicotine has been eliminated.

On personal experience, I would very much recommend bupropion (trade names Zyban, Wellbutrin, Quomen, Well etc) for those wanting to quit. Although it has to be added that, when promoted, this and other remedies are always compared to placebo or "willpower" groups, and even though success rate might be some 80% higher with medical help, it is still very low in both groups.

(1) As ranked by Dr. Jack E. Henningfield of the National Institute on Drug Abuse and Dr. Neal L. Benowitz of the University of California at San Francisco.

Edited July 15, 2005 by Krit

[donx]

Sorry did not want to insult!

And I don't want to insult here, now.......

You go in the shop and buy ciggarettes even if you don't want to smoke (want to stop) and you don't buy 1 pcs because your craving is so bad, you buy a stock of it.

Than even you don't want to smoke, you put it in your mouth and light it.

Than you tell you really want to quit?

that does not make sense or? Nicotin is not strong enough to force you to go in the shop and buy a pack or, or is it? If you would run every three hours in the supermarket and buy 1 pcs I would belive you that you want to stop smoking, but you are just not strong enough.

But your intention is speaking about stop smoking and not really stop smoking. You want to smoke, else you wouldn't buy some stock of ciggarettes.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

h90,

I don't know if you are referring to me specifically when you use the word "you", or if you are referring to people who are trying to quit smoking in general. If you are referring specifically to me, then you should know that I haven't smoked a cigarette since April 15, 2005. I haven't gone to the shop to buy any cigarettes. I have been using the Commit lozenges and I am still using them even though I should have stopped taking them a week ago. My plan is to take only one 2mg dose per day starting tomorrow and then stop taking them altogether after one week. Thus I will have extended the suggested 12 week program into a 14 week program. As long as I don't smoke a cigarette again, I could care less that I didn't follow the program exactly as suggested.

All I am trying to say to you is that not everyone can quit smoking "cold turkey" as you have done. Some of us need to use other methods.

I agree with what Krit says. Nicotine in my body became the "natural" state for me. I also agree that buproprion is a worthy choice as I have had limited success with it in the past.

Good luck to everyone that tries to quit.

[malcolminthemiddle]

GOOD LUCK??????????????

If you, meaning any smoker, relies on Good Luck, Nicotine Patch, Nicotine Gum, Nicotine Lozenge, Zyban, Wellbutrin, Hypnosis, Acupuncture or any other NRT (Nicotine Replacement Therapy) to quit, chances are you will remain a smoker and die from some smoking related disease 10 years younger than if you were not a smoker.

There is no great secret to quitting, all it needs is:

(1) The decision that you don't want to smoke any more, followed by;

(2) The education to understand why you smoke and what will happen when you do quit, follwed by;

(3) Commitment.

[malcolminthemiddle]

Only the mental addiction remains after the nicotine is out of your body. That is putting it in the simplest terms. You can get as technical or as medical as you want in describing it. There is no nicotine in your body to interact with after 100 hours. You need to think how you were before you started, you never had this feeling, so why now?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The Law of Addiction

"Administration of a drug to an addict will cause reestablishment

of chemical dependence upon the addictive substance."

Once an addict, always an addict

[donx]

GOOD LUCK??????????????

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I was merely trying to provide words of encouragement and did not expect anyone to take the phrase literally. Please accept my apology for the use of the words "good luck".

[John K]

Only the mental addiction remains after the nicotine is out of your body. That is putting it in the simplest terms. You can get as technical or as medical as you want in describing it. There is no nicotine in your body to interact with after 100 hours. You need to think how you were before you started, you never had this feeling, so why now?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The Law of Addiction

"Administration of a drug to an addict will cause reestablishment

of chemical dependence upon the addictive substance."

Once an addict, always an addict

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes that is exactly my point, once you reintroduce the substance the physical addiction starts again. You would only do that if you have a remaining mental addiction. Excellent quote Malcom!

[Netfan]

Not sure what's happening with the project, but I too need to quit. 53 years old, stopped for 13 years while in the states, started again within 6 weeks of moving to LOS 7 years ago. Tried a few times to stop. I smoke about a pack a day, but non-filters (break off Marlboro lights). I have a target date of the 30th July - going to visit my Thai daughter who I have already told that I quit.