What Method Of Quitting Smoking Was Most Successful For You?

[pmarlin]

Cold turkey at age 40 after smoking for over 22 years. Haven't had one now going on 26 years. It was hard to do but also the cheapest way to do it.

[greg71]

E cigs for me with 0mg of nicotine ,3 weeks now ,was also a huge green smoker of 18 yrs as well, feeling extremely good and hope to continue

[bannork]

I was a chain smoker, 40 a day from the age of 18-25, and as so well put by another poster, the cigarette was my friend. I couldn't imagine sitting still without a cigarette, what on earth would my hands do?

In my misspent youth my friends and I did a lot of communal smoking with bongs, big poster tubes, inhaling large amounts of hot tobacco and other substances etc into our lungs, ripping them apart, inducing coughing fits.Youth is certainly wasted on the young in some cases!

It took me a year to quit, and only then because one day I rode my bike to Bristol library and just couldn't breathe. I collapsed into the dank Victorian public toilets outside and thought I was going to croak.What a sordid place to be found, graffiti, smells of urine and broken toilets! I was only 25.

The doctor said I had the early signs of bronchitis on the X ray but actually I think I had, and still do, mild emphysema.The symptoms surface from time to time.

I quit by chewing gum and peanuts for a year, I could hardly see the floor of my Morris Minor for empty wrappers.It worked,all the time I was thinking,' I must not think about cigarettes' , so of course I'm still thinking about them! And then one day I realised - 'Hey I haven't thought about cigarettes at all today!' I never missed them again.

Here in Thailand I had a friend who died of emphysema, in his mid 70s his last few years were hell.

Apart from the measures mentioned so far, perhaps addicts should be taken on a tour of wards full of terminal lung cancer and emphysema patients. The current Ministry of Health's ad with the guy with no voice box croaking away is pretty scary too.

[meom]

I had a friend who was a clinical psychologist who used hypnosis in his work and he taught me how to self-hypnotise (which is what all hypnosis really is) so I didn't have any doubts about its effectiveness. I'd also promised my Mum, who was suffering from lung cancer at the time, that I'd give up.

It works the other way as well.

I hypnotized myself in believing that smoking ain't that bad and probably live till my nineties on two packs a day.

[Naam]

Champix. It's very easy but can have side effects for some people. I had no problems but a couple friends did (it still helped them quit though).

I went from 60 a day to having absolutely no desire to smoke in a week.

tried Champix for 9-10 days, consumption of cigarettes increased, stopped Champix.

same result using Zyban.

[PoorSucker]

Swedish snuff helped me, probably why it's banned in the rest of EU.
6 years now....

[PoorSucker]

Moved to Stop Smoking Forum

[poanoi]

Champix. It's very easy but can have side effects for some people. I had no problems but a couple friends did (it still helped them quit though).

I went from 60 a day to having absolutely no desire to smoke in a week.

tried Champix for 9-10 days, consumption of cigarettes increased, stopped Champix.

same result using Zyban.

You arent using it right then,

3 weeks keep smoking as usual, then stop.

In practice, the urge or even thought of sig go down hill after 3 weeks

[Rajab Al Zarahni]

The first time I gave up I simply stopped and used will power and determination. It was a close run thing but I was successful. The craving lasted about three weeks. I found chewing fruit sweets helpful. Twenty years later I started again when I accepted the offer of a cigarette at a Christmas party. It took another four years to become abstinent although on this second occasion I gradually reduced my cigarette intake over several weeks until I got it down to two a day ,before quitting completely. On reflection I think that stopping abruptly was easier but both attempts were difficult. I celebrated my 25th anniversary of abstinence in February this year. I read somewhere that after 25 years of abstinence your life expectancy will revert to the same age as a non smoker of comparable age.

A friend of mine used many different methods over a period of twenty years and failed on every occasion. Finally, she used a hypnosis tape and stopped without much difficulty.

A 20 year break...then took it up again....remarkable

I think it serves to demonstrate that even after so many years you still have to be on your guard. I enjoyed being a smoker and would smoke again if there were no health consequences.

[MAJIC]

I bought a good e cig last week in the EU and have gone from 10 down to 1 or 2 a day over night. i dont think i could cold turkey. i have tried using the crappy e cigs from pattaya but they dont woek well. i know others that have had similiar experience. good luck

I will post a update on my E-Cigarettes,when they arrive

[sustento]

You might want to get hold of Allen Carr's book. Lots of folk swear by it.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Allen-Carrs-Easy-Stop-Smoking/dp/0718194551/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372409972&sr=8-1&keywords=allen+carr

[manhattan55]

The realization that l was pumping poison into my blood stream every time l lit up, poison and addictive ingredients which the manufacturers are legally permitted to put into their product in order to get me hooked (and eventually Killed). Once l accepted the truth, it was quite easy to quit. One year now.

[gerryBScot]

I too would definitely recommend a look at Allen Carr's book The Easy Way to Stop Smoking. A classic. In the end I did it cold turkey eight years ago, easily smoking two packs a day. I adapted a few mantras from Alcoholics Anonymous: the first cigarette is the one that does the damage, one is too many and twenty is not enough, if I don't have the first I can't have the second, put it off for an hour......

I wanted to smoke every day for the first two years. It was a battle and at times I was on my knees begging for strength. There is no doubt that on a number of occasions I was saved by no smoking policies being in place in restaurants - so could stay inside when the smokers in my company had to go outside after eating.

Then it left me altogether and hasn't bothered me for a long time. Quitting is one the smartest things you will ever do for yourself and your loved ones. Good luck

[MAJIC]

When someones comes around I can have a beer and a smoke.That day or night I will smoke a packet of smokes.No one comes around much because that is the way I like it. I might smoke a packet very 2 or 3 months.I could never smoke again would not worry me but I like to have a smoke with a drink occassionally

I envy people like you,who can pick up smoking,and drop it for long periods. All it does for me is start me back on the slippery slope again. I know now that one cigarette will always be one too many for me!

[MAJIC]

tried a dozen methods, no success

There's the hardcore smokers and the dabblers,and weekend smokers,and you may not believe this: I had a Locum Doctor once, who voluntarily told me he has a few cigarettes at weekends. But I guess we both must be the Hardcore smoker types!

[sustento]

As I said I stopped by using hypnotism. They week before I packed up I was smoking 40 a day. The day after I packed up I simply didn't want to smoke ate all and I've felt that way ever since.

[MAJIC]

Do some research into your increased chances of getting cancer from quitting smoking and you might not want to quit ! .... Check it out before you comment please , even though it's mostly in jest

I have quit 10 times either I am an expert or a failure take your choice ..... I like to smoke and quit for about 2 years every 5 or so as a compromise between smoking and health ..... or a rationalization as most say.

However I have found the initial 4 months or so where it's really hard has not been any easier with or without the numerous products claiming it is .... I have tried most of them

I find what makes it easier is to think about all the things I do that I am in the habit of lighting one up over , a cup of coffee , first sitting at the computer , after a meal , and so on , before I quit and it helps remind me that it's really just a habit I am in as much as it is addictive , I try and reduce the things I can like coffee at the beginning to make it easier for myself. I know it's addictive but I really believe and it helps me quit even if it's not true , that it's more of just a habit than an actual need because of the addiction .... I realize that's not especially true but I tell myself it is and it helps !

If you have problems quitting the first step that will really help is to stop buying them and become a bum , if you have any self respect at all it becomes pretty hard to keep bumming them off your friends for much more than a few times each. After that you have reduced your addiction just enough to make it a little easier if you have trouble stopping all at once, and have seriously changed the habit part because you bum them off your friends in an entirely different manner than just doing it habitually. I have moved beyond even that and now when I quit only take a butt out of an ashtray from strangers ..... being so nasty and possibly dangerous that lasts about 4-5 times before you realize it's so absurd and frankly embarrassing that you just can't bring yourself to do it again and quit.

Ps I have found the theory of stopping by buying single ones when you really need one as you can in Thailand to be a complete waste of time and effort don't buy any or you will just end up buying a pack eventually.

I appreciate your imput,but I will refrain from looking up: the increased chances of getting cancer from giving up. It seems like being between a Rock and a hard place. But on a lighter note, Mark Twain said "Giving up smoking is easy I've done it many times" So like Mark Twain,adding up all the times you have given up,that makes you pretty successful,controlling the worlds nastiest addiction as you do! and if you hadn't made the effort to at least try to give up (with some sucess),it would have meant several years lopped off your life!

[MAJIC]

The realization that l was pumping poison into my blood stream every time l lit up, poison and addictive ingredients which the manufacturers are legally permitted to put into their product in order to get me hooked (and eventually Killed). Once l accepted the truth, it was quite easy to quit. One year now.

Yes the poison has been reported many times as,over 4,000 chemicals, hmm ,i'm not sure I believe that , but surely enough to kill one slowly.

[MAJIC]

As I said I stopped by using hypnotism. They week before I packed up I was smoking 40 a day. The day after I packed up I simply didn't want to smoke ate all and I've felt that way ever since.

If I fail at the E-Cigs, then I might very well,look into Hypnotism again,some people need more sessions than others apparently.

[MAJIC]

After 24 hours of this thread, by far the leader is: Will power/Cold Turkey @ a whopping 61.29 %

Second is a rather puzzling.................................. Other:.............................. @......................22.58%

Third..................................................................... Electronic [email protected]%

Two of the rest managed............................................................................................................3.23% x2

[Lefty]

First you must have the desire and commitment to quite. I quite in June 2009 by having my last cigarette before boarding a 20 plus hour flight. If I didn't smoke for those 20 hours, I could get thru the next 24 hours and stay off one day at a time.So far I have succeeded.

Lefty

[sustento]

As I said I stopped by using hypnotism. They week before I packed up I was smoking 40 a day. The day after I packed up I simply didn't want to smoke ate all and I've felt that way ever since.

If I fail at the E-Cigs, then I might very well,look into Hypnotism again,some people need more sessions than others apparently.

Buy the Allen Carr book first. It explains all the thinking behind why you'll try and convince yourself that you shouldn't give up.

[barefoot1988]

quitting from e.cigarette is even harder imo.

i stopped smoking but just from e.cigarette now. my nicotine intake is even higher now due to the ease of usage, but on the brighter side, lesser harmful stuff

cheap e.cigarette would not work very well. a proper one gave you even better hit and drag than cigarette

[Chonburiram]

After 24 hours of this thread, by far the leader is: Will power/Cold Turkey @ a whopping 61.29 %

Second is a rather puzzling.................................. Other:.............................. @......................22.58%

Third..................................................................... Electronic [email protected]%

Two of the rest managed............................................................................................................3.23% x2

So,

What does this say to you?

I stopped smoking at the age of 26, realising that I've already smoked half the time of my actual

live...

Nowadays I only smoke tobacco when someone offers me a nice Cohiba ( happens seldom ).

[GarryP]

Had wanted to quit for years. But believed I did not have the willpower. Had one hypnotism session here in BKK just over three years ago and not had a cig since. No cravings at all. The therapist told me that in order for hypnotism to work, you must really want to quit, otherwise you are wasting your money. It just provides that little bit extra needed to get you over the top of the mountain - the mountain of fear/belief that you will not succeed.

I was smoking a pack and a half to two packs a day for 28 years.

[MAJIC]

A quick up date on my smoking status,my E-Cigarettes arrived in good time,two weeks ago,so I have waited a little while to test them out before I reported in!

They are well made,and contain nicotine (unlike some others) I can't name them,as it would be against TV rules.I had what they claim are tips containing liquid Nicotine,a battery which is the white part of a normal cigarette,a small USB Battery Charger,and the Tip (normally the filter) screws into the the white part,for smoking, and the white part (with the tip off ) screws into the USB charger,for charging on your USB Computer Port. 3-4 hours.

I tried them the same day I received them,and also finished off my regular smokes (which I have not bought anymore up to now) when smoking the liquid nicotine warms up and gives off a (alledgedly) harmless vapour,and what appears very realistically as smoke,which can be inhaled and blown out like a normal cigarette,which is quite comforting and almost like really smoking.

There is no smell,and the nicotine can give a hit in the the back of your throat,again just like a real cigarette. Up to now i'm not finding it too difficult.the way it's designed is similar to nicotine patches ingestion of nicotine,not really much cheaper than cigarettes,and the Tips run out of Nicotine, much quicker than one would expect,which is due to extra inhaling on demand from the smoker. Up to now. As I said earlier it hasn't been too bad,no severe withdrawal symptoms,and seems to be worth carrying on with,and a bonus is,you don't have to go outside to smoke,it's accepted to smoke indoors,without upsetting the anti smokers Brigade!

Early days yet of course,but even so encouraging, I will check in again,in a week or two with an update,the longest I have ever given up smoking at any time,in a lifetime is 3 months,another failure,so this is a big challenge.

[MAJIC]

quitting from e.cigarette is even harder imo.

i stopped smoking but just from e.cigarette now. my nicotine intake is even higher now due to the ease of usage, but on the brighter side, lesser harmful stuff

cheap e.cigarette would not work very well. a proper one gave you even better hit and drag than cigarette

Yes I see what you mean about E-Cigarettes now that I have done 2 weeks on them,there is no restriction on how much nicotine that you can injest in a day.But as you say:"lesser harmful stuff",not all of us can switch off and go Cold Turkey,so we have to start somewhere.

[OldChinaHam]

What really worked for me this time,

Was an uncoordinated fall which left me unable to walk.

After surgery, I found myself in bed still not able to walk.

The hospital was non-smoking, naturally.

I gave the nurse the 5 packs of cigarettes I had just purchased and was still carrying at the time of my great fall.

That was about 4 months ago.

I can hobble around real good now.

I could have a cigarette if I wanted one.

I often do half want one, but what is the point of wasting my money, stinking up my house, just for a hit of nicotine?

And, the fingers of my left hand are no longer yellowish from the tars.

It is a lot to go through just to quit smoking,

But quitting is hard.

And in my case, VERY expensive for the surgery.

I also quit about 30 years ago.

That time I thought I was dying,

Could have sworn I was coughing up blood.

Quit smoking right away.

But kept bleeding.

Turned out it was just bleeding gums cured with proper dental care.

But I did not start smoking again until I returned to Asia.

In China, almost ALL the men smoke, and to do business you gotta smoke, and I like to smoke.

So I started smoking soon after I hit China.

You gotta drink huge amounts of alcohol if you do business with factory owners in China.

And how can you drink if you don't smoke? The two just go together like a horse and carriage.

But I have stopped now, and I hope this time this cure works.

Another bit of good advice besides falling down and breaking bones ----

Drink copious amounts of water, keep real hydrated. This helps the cravings.

Eat lots of fresh fruit. Cigarettes and fresh fruit do not go together like MaoTaiJiu and Smoking.

Drink fruit drinks without added sugar.

walk fast 5 or 10 times a day when you begin craving cigarettes.

Avoid all stress as much as possible.

Don't break up with your girlfriend.

Move in to a non smoking apartment with a bunch of Mormons or something, I mean do NOT hang around with other people who smoke.

Hope this helps.

And once you have quit,

Try not to fall down.

[Bucko]

Don't know if you like a beer Majic ?----but I HAD to stop having one {or 2 } when I finally decided to quit --as a "beer & a fag" went together--- whether I was at home -or in the pub-- took a while --but I can now go and "socialize " without the temptation of " lighting up "

Bucko

[Thaddeus]

I've smoked for 35 years, tried several different ways of quitting, none worked.

Nine days ago I decided enough was enough and haven't touched a cigarette since.

Has it been easy? no, but easier than I thought it would be.

Have I been irritable? dam right I have, but I think that has now peaked.