Help me quit smoking *NOW 6 WEEKS*

I quit smoking (having smoked for over 20 years) almost 2 years ago now thanks to vaping.

But there was one instance in my late 20s when i discovered my pot was laced ( i assume pcp), just totally blew my mind, and when i woke up i had no craving for a cig... but i lit up anyway out of habit. And it tasted like shit. I didnt even want it, but continued just out of habit. Perhaps there is a cure for the nicotine addiction, but the habit of bringing something to your mouth is a really difficult thing to break.

"

SkyCore wrote:

I quit smoking (having smoked for over 20 years) almost 2 years ago now thanks to vaping.

But there was one instance in my late 20s when i discovered my pot was laced ( i assume pcp), just totally blew my mind, and when i woke up i had no craving for a cig... but i lit up anyway out of habit. And it tasted like shit. I didnt even want it, but continued just out of habit. Perhaps there is a cure for the nicotine addiction, but the habit of bringing something to your mouth is a really difficult thing to break.

This reminded me of the mindfulness method. Each time you light up, you concentrate your entire attention on the process of smoking. If you do that, it quickly becomes apparent cigarettes are disgusting. When you smoke, you typically ignore the unpleasant aspects of it - the smell and the taste.

I'm not going to say that willpower and meditation and mindfulness can't work by themselves, but it's certainly a lot harder than shifting your habits gradually and using all the tools at your disposal.

Cold turkey has the absolute worst success rate for cessation, patches slightly better, gum slightly better, vaping much better.

Varenicline ("Chantix") is a thing, though due to the correlation with suicidal ideation, I would recommend staying away from it unless it's a last resort. A doctor has to prescribe it anyway and would probably echo the same sentiments.

---

Anyway, I'm going on year 5 now without buying a pack of smokes. There's no daily struggle, I don't think they're disgusting (or think that I am disgusting for having ever enjoyed them), I just don't seek them out. That's peace enough for me.

"

pneuma wrote:

I'm not going to say that willpower and meditation and mindfulness can't work by themselves, but it's certainly a lot harder than shifting your habits gradually and using all the tools at your disposal.

Cold turkey has the absolute worst success rate for cessation, patches slightly better, gum slightly better, vaping much better.

Varenicline ("Chantix") is a thing, though due to the correlation with suicidal ideation, I would recommend staying away from it unless it's a last resort. A doctor has to prescribe it anyway and would probably echo the same sentiments.

---

Anyway, I'm going on year 5 now without buying a pack of smokes. There's no daily struggle, I don't think they're disgusting (or think that I am disgusting for having ever enjoyed them), I just don't seek them out. That's peace enough for me.

Fair enough, I only said cold turkey worked for me and my dad - not saying it's ideal for everyone.

I've been smoking for about four years - last two years in high school, which in europe is called middle school, whatever.. from 16 to about 20 yo. I stopped smoking because I realized it's bullshit, a complete waste of money and health.

I didn't struggle, just stopped one day and never smoked again (tho still smoked a joint here and there, which I then also stopped a year or so later). So, I really don't have any good strategies to help, but can say two things:

1.) Stop for as long as possible, and when you think you can't resist anymore, go smell your smoke impregnated clothes - they should smell disgusting to you at this point, even revolting. This was a big turn-off for me, smelling my clothes after a night spent out in smoker heavy pubs. :vomiting:

2.) Realize that tobacco is simply a governmental tool designed to kill you and profit out of your corpse. The government wants you dead before you hit retirement and it's even better if you slowly kill yourself with something that is highly taxed, like tobacco / alcohol. Fuck the government, say no to tobacco / alcohol.

E:
Realize that you aren't just killing yourself, but paying premium to do so ;)

Smoked for 15 years including a pack and a half per day for 10 of those years. Managed to instantly quit smoking when I went to England and discovered vaping, didn't even need to try, I simply preferred the vape. Had to start smoking again when I came back to Cambodia as vaping is illegal here, pretty frustrating.

If you're in a country where vaping is legal and accessible then you have no excuse at all to be smoking.

desperately seeking support

Hi there,

I for my self was a smoker for 16 years since the age of 14 with about a pack a day. I struggeled also with the process of quitting this bad behavior.
I tried so many things. Chewing gums when I feel the need to smoke. Doesn't helped me. I tried Nicotin gums and patches, kinda worked out but I was to unpatient to get it right. And the patches gave me a really bad skin irritation. But they kept away the feeling about the need for smoking. So technically it works. But not for me.

I'm still in the process of quitting. I do not smoke cigs anymore. I found a way for me to reduce my nicotin intake. I started Vaping. At first I was highy doubtful against this.
Nearly all my friends and colleagues started with this. So why not.

As of today, I my intake is about one fourth of what it was while smoking. My sense of smelling is returned, my lungs aren't as bad as before. They got way better. My breath got way better, also my teeths. But I still consume some nicotin. If my plans work out how I thought I'll fully stop during this year. It is far easier to keep a few days off from vaping that from smoking.

I'm now 6 months into vaping. I do not feel the need for cigs, tbh I hate now the smell of it.
I would recommend to smokers. And it safes you alot of money.


Good luck mate with quitting!

Stop smoking Stop smoking

"

diablofdb wrote:

Stop smoking Stop smoking

The subconscious does not recognize negatives. Repeating "stop smoking" to yourself is basically the same as "smoke". Trying not to think about something doesn't work. That's the white bear effect. To explain it in brief - what happens when I tell you, "Don't think about a white bear?" That's right, a white bear pops up in your mind.

Redirection works: think about something else. Concentrate on playing a game, or reading a book, or listening to a song, or doing something (or someone)!

All these tricks with the gum and the vaping are a form of redirection. You reprogram the habit of smoking into a habit of doing something else. You can use some other activity, of course.

trigger > light up
trigger > do something else