Kicking the Habit (cigarettes)

[Nopig]

I've only smoked for about 5 years, but about a pack every other day. (I'm completely dumbfounded on how I always find the cash for this habit:wtf:)

Anyways does anybody have any tips on how to quit, from personal experience?

I've tried nicotine patches, buuut all those did was make me feel nauseous. And I have NEVER had more intensley horrifying nightmares than I had on them. I mean some really vivid, morbid, fucked up, twisted stuff. I don't know wtf that's about..

[Hyskoa]

One day, I said to myself, smoking has become boring. So I quit.
That was 4 years ago.
Haven't looked back.


Point is, you need to want to quit. All the rest just makes the process easier.

[Craig D]

I eventually used only Zyban.
All of the forms of nicotine just prolong the withdrawl
phase. As Hyskoa noted, you have to want to quit.

When you do quit, drink lots of water, sleep, get lots of excercise, avoid stressfull situations and NO alcohol for at least a few weeks.
Before I quit a pack a day/ 20 year habit I can't tell you how many times I quit, only to have one after a couple of pints.

[VulgarDragon]

It might help to try to think of negatives about smoking. Your brain is trained to recognize cigarette as something pleasurable, and every time you smoke, you reinforce it. You have to retrain your brain to think of it as something opposite of pleasure. Every time you get the urge to smoke, try to associate it with negativity like how it damage your health (the tar you cough up every day, the smell, aging effect, etc.) and cost (think of that if you save the money you spend on cigarettes you could get yourself a nice Wacom or something).

[Black Spot]

I’ve been smoking for over 30 years and I’m starting with Champix on Monday so I’m stopping on the 20th. It’s time.

I’ll keep you posted how it goes if I don’t bite your head off in the meantime.

[Craig D]

Something for you to read up on
http://www.whyquit.com/whyquit/A_Symptoms.html

[unimad]

Tobacco is Devils Food

I smoke that shit one pack per day, sometimes little more, I hate smoking, always bad smell, bad taste, born cigarettes everywhere, Ahhhh god damn it.

you just smoke it without any reason, don't feel any pleasant effects by smoking, just crazy habit, because neurons can't do their normal tasks without drug!!

I don't have enough will to quit nicotine, I need little hope, little as rice...or at least good friend...

[Clint Kisor]

You could replace smoking with something else. Sunflower seeds are pretty addicting.

[Farsh]

I've gone down from one pack gradually to about 3 a day a month ago, stopped altogether another month afterward. I still enjoy the occasional ciggy now and then, but the nicotine dependence is gone now.

[Clochette]

I have smoke since my 14 to 24. One day I realized that it was an expensive habit which is very useless after all... I mean, it's the useless drug! Don't feel any effect when you smoke a cigarette. Opium or weed is better! Hahaha!

[Jasonwclark]

If you use the patch at night prepare to have some crazy ass dreams. Its just that simple. At first I thought it was a joke, but its even on the warning label as a side effect. For about 3 months straight I had some very vivid, weird, and occassionally lucid dreams experiences on account of the nicotine still coursing through my veins at odd hours of the night.

My advice for the first month would be to just smoke with the patch on. I know that's not recommended, but its way easier to cut yourself down to 1 or 2 cigarettes a day if you have some assistance. I rocked it for almost two weeks that way, before saying goodbye completely. I smoked two packs a day though, since I was 13, so you might not have to go as hard core as I did to shake it. After that I used that nicotine puffer (you can get a prescription for one for like $80 in the US.) Its much better to have one of these things, which is essentially a nicotine inhaler, rather than keeping an emergency pack of smokes. I had that guy for almost 6 months, and had to use it on more than one occasion, but psychologically its way easier to say "well Ok, I broke down and used the nicotine, but at least I didn't smoke a cigarette." It helps a lot.

Also, if you smoke weed, expect to see a slight sublimation of your addiction to nicotine cropping up with your other vices. I'd try to avoid social drinking if you can, since that's always when you'll crack and give in to the urge. Also, you might want to cut back on drinking soda and coffee, since the caffeine will make you want to smoke. The dream shit was the craziest part for me though. If you can't hack it, I would recommend only using the patch during the daytime.

Best of luck

[timpaatkins]

One day, I said to myself, smoking has become boring. So I quit.
That was 4 years ago.
Haven't looked back.


Point is, you need to want to quit. All the rest just makes the process easier.

Agrees. I smoked for 9 years, but when i began, at 16, i thought to myself "only loser smoke after they are 25" so at 25 I quit. The months leading up to my birthday i found myself smoking less and less, and the weeks before, id even stubb out half ones, thinking that they tasted like shit. I haven even had a craving ONCE since my 25 birthday. Mind over matter baby. I smoked between 10 and 20 a day. Now smoking for me is a revolting habit.

[Android]

i found this link the other day to the electronic cigarette, its vaporizes liquid nicotine into vapor. looks interesting
http://www.e-cig.org/about/

as far as nicotine patches or as i like to call them " hyper-dynamic-lucid-dream accelerators" i believe they could be a solution to all of the " i need inspiration threads" the series of dreams i had the first week of the patches were some of the most intense and visual dream visions i can ever remember experiencing. i recommend keeping a sketch book and several sharpened pencils next to your bed ,

as far as dosage goes, one patch before bed works great, at two patches my imagiantion was tearing at the seems, 3 patches and i was ridding a black unicorn through a twilight dessert FOREVER and my heart felt like it was about to explode out of my chest, my heat beat kept waking me up in a cold sweat and every time i fell asleep i was right back on the black unicorn....not fun.

stick with one patch.. consult your doctor first.

sweat dreams.

[B u r l]

as far as nicotine patches or as i like to call them " hyper-dynamic-lucid-dream accelerators" i believe they could be a solution to all of the " i need inspiration threads" the series of dreams i had the first week of the patches were some of the most intense and visual dream visions i can ever remember experiencing. i recommend keeping a sketch book and several sharpened pencils next to your bed ,

as far as dosage goes, one patch before bed works great, at two patches my imagiantion was tearing at the seems, 3 patches and i was ridding a black unicorn through a twilight dessert FOREVER and my heart felt like it was about to explode out of my chest, my heat beat kept waking me up in a cold sweat and every time i fell asleep i was right back on the black unicorn....not fun.


heh, my mum used to use them patches on cuts on my legs as a plaster substitute when i was little. a shame i can't remember anything awesome

[Clochette]

Wow I have to test that stuff!
I have quit without patches, maybe it's a mistake! I want to dream of black unicorn too !!! :D
But ... seems that we don't have the same imagination, my dream would be like I'm riding a giant fluo pink rabbit which talks about oedipal issues, smoking blue grass in a trumpet... Wait a minute! It was my dream of last night?!:medusachow:

[bleupencil]

It's kinda hard to explain and different things work for different people. I was one of those who just stopped all of a sudden, though I'd tried to do so numerous times before. It wasn't all easy, but nowdays I don't care for them at all anymore.

I guess you need to try and break several habits at once. If you're inclined to get up and have one first thing in the morning with your coffee, try swapping the morning coffee for tea instead, or cut it out altogether. You'll still find ways to function without that caffiene fix of a morning, truly. For a while, try to avoid things and situations that make you want to smoke. Or if you can't do that, find something to occupy your mind and hands. It's helpful these days in my city where they've banned smoking inside all pubs and clubs except some that have designated outside smoking areas which are easily avoided.

Funny thing is, I don't drink hardly anymore either, because I always smoked like a chimney during those times and woke up with ashtray mouth the next morning. It was pretty horrible really.

Oh, and the price of cigarettes can be good incentive too. If you can stop for a while, save what you don't spend, or at least mark down how much you might have spent on cigarettes. Within a year you could probably buy yourself something new and fancy.

Unfortunately with things like these you need to be ready, willing, and determined. Don't give up if you slip up, but don't beat yourself up about it either. Just stick to your guns and keep trying. I wish you the best of luck, you'll be better off in the end. There's lots of support out there for people trying to quit too, so don't hesitate to use them if you need to.

[kab]

Haha, Android, experimenting with nicotine patches to experience creative sparks, that´s definitely unique usage :)

[Nopig]

Wow I have to test that stuff!
I have quit without patches, maybe it's a mistake! I want to dream of black unicorn too !!! :D
But ... seems that we don't have the same imagination, my dream would be like I'm riding a giant fluo pink rabbit which talks about oedipal issues, smoking blue grass in a trumpet... Wait a minute! It was my dream of last night?!:medusachow:


I wish I had creative dreams.. But let me explain a dream I had on the patch:

1. I wake up in my dream, in my bed. It's pitch dark and a feel arms and bodies slamming against mine. All the sudden my vision becomes a pale green, flickering - circular spot light. About 3 feet in diameter. My room is PACKED full of rotting, mutilated, dancing children. The dance is wierd, their heads don't seem to have much control over their direction, and their limbs are flalling all over like mad. The dream lasts for about what seemed 2 minutes. They were all looking at me, except the ones with hollowed out black eyes.

[Nopig]

as far as dosage goes, one patch before bed works great, at two patches my imagiantion was tearing at the seems, 3 patches and i was ridding a black unicorn through a twilight dessert FOREVER and my heart felt like it was about to explode out of my chest, my heat beat kept waking me up in a cold sweat and every time i fell asleep i was right back on the black unicorn....not fun.

stick with one patch.. consult your doctor first.

sweat dreams.

wtf.. I'm so jealouse of people with visually creative dreams. Aside from dreams on patches 80% of my dreams are of me getting killed/dying. The other 20% I'm in a random public place, like a bus or street where everything seems misplaced, but nothing strange..

[Serpian]

Hahahaha!

[unimad]

finally android in lounge!!

[Grief]

Most patches are intended to be worn for 24 hours at a time, and then be replaced at the same time every day. However, some individuals wearing the patch while they sleep experience abnormally vivid dreams or nightmares [1]. Within this group, some people become acclimated and are not bothered; others find them completely intolerable. Other people actually enjoy the intense vivid dreaming, experiencing no nightmares or unpleasant dreams, just pleasant dreams of unusual intensity.

i heard about this from a professor of psychology i was talking to, he explained to me how the chemicals of the nicotine patch in the bloodstream affect the brains ability to differentiate waking reality from that of dreams, i forget exactly all the details but i got the impression that it causes the brain to panic and attempt to rationalize the images of the subconscious as though its real.

if you try it (and i would advise not to, but i'm no doctor) don't expect to get any 'rest' from your time spent asleep. and it may be a good idea to put the spare sheets on the bed beforehand.

[Jabo]

I quit smoking so often, I can't even recall how many times it was. Last time it worked for 4 months. I've been smoking again for 3 months. What a dumb and boring addiction. Good luck to everyone!

PS: The only real solution: You gotta want to quit. Even with that in the back of your head, it's hard enough. Without it, you're game.

[corky13]

I was able to reduce the amount of cigarettes massively by just don`t buying any anymore. I ask around if someone might give me a smoke but i feel unconfortable with asking around...and thats GOOD....I reduced my amount of smokes from 2 full packs to about half a cigarette a day ;) Also i drink a lot of tea and everytime I really think i need one and can`t ask someone...I just draw something and turn the music up.

[Opilione]

If you try other things like patches and cold turkey and they don't work, a last resort might be that new drug some pharma company has brought out. I think it might be Pfizer. It works to repair the damage the nicoteine has done to your neural receptors (by making them resistant) and reduce the neurological addiction problems that are associated with quitting, rather than just stepping down like most patches and gum try and help with.

I've forgotten what it's called, sorry.

[Nopig]

I was able to reduce the amount of cigarettes massively by just don`t buying any anymore. I ask around if someone might give me a smoke but i feel unconfortable with asking around...and thats GOOD....I reduced my amount of smokes from 2 full packs to about half a cigarette a day ;) Also i drink a lot of tea and everytime I really think i need one and can`t ask someone...I just draw something and turn the music up.


Yeah, I wish they came in packs of 4 lol. That'd be perfect for a day I think. Well I only smoked 3 cigarettes yesterday and 4 before that day. None today, so far anyways. Err I HATE eating breakfast, I crave cigarettes after eating anything..Or drink anything aside from water.

[pen-paper-renegade]

"as far as nicotine patches or as i like to call them " hyper-dynamic-lucid-dream accelerators" i believe they could be a solution to all of the " i need inspiration threads" the series of dreams i had the first week of the patches were some of the most intense and visual dream visions i can ever remember experiencing. i recommend keeping a sketch book and several sharpened pencils next to your bed "

Droid you gave me a good laugh bro xD

well i smoke about 9 years...and worse of all it's that i still like that shit...or atleast the false sence of pleasure when that shit hit's my brain

now seriously i think that they should ban that shit...yeah that would start some heavy traffic but smoking is also a social activity and by making it illegal the cut would be great...also it's the most addictive and rappid drug...nicotine takes about 10 seconds to reach it's full effect after entering the blood...man it's just 10 seconds xD that's really fast...other smoking drugs take atleast a few minuts to really hit you


thinking of quiting sometime...hope that urge of will comes soon

[Black Spot]

It’s odd. I started the course today, and I’m already thinking hard before I light up. I even forgot to go out at work for one mid-morning, so maybe it’s helping me psychologically. My ashtray is definitely looking less full. Just pulled one out, looked at in and put it down. I’ll probably light it later, but every time I stop to think is a step in the right direction. Chewing my tongue a bit.

[TheJester]

Unfortunately guys, nicotine is not the problem. Cigarettes are a very good example of habitual addictions ( I hope I'm saying this right). That means we are not addicted so much to the nicotine rather than the habit itslf. Take a note of when you smoke: after food, with your coffee, with a drink, after sex, while waiting, out of boredom.

So it's actually the habit you have to fight, not the addiction to nicotine itself. Anyone who's tried the patches knows that no patch in the world can replace that hot coffe and cigarette smell that makes you relax just thinking about it...

So the simple way to "do" this is allways be on guard, when you catch yourself wanting to smoke. You have to disengage the situations in your routine that are now attached to smoking. Smoking out of boredom or while waiting, (for the bus f.ex.) is the easiest. Carry an mp3 player, or a psp. Play a game on your cell phone or solve a sudoku. Anything! Mine was the rubik's cube.
Cigarette after food or with your coffee are harder, they need real concentration. Make sure you never have cigarettes near you, and as soon as you catch yourself wanting to light one, try and turn your attention to something else.

To cut things short, what I did was judge my habit on bit at a time. I dragged myself into a debate about every single fag, and ended up realising I didn't really enjoy smoking as I thought. I gradually reduced from a pack and a half of malboro's to 1-2 lights, and I easily "turn off" the habit for weeks, depends on the situation. I never ever felt nervous, agitated, dazed, confused or any other weird symptom I was supposed to get from the lack of nicotine, on the contrary, my brief relationship with the patch was hellish!!!

There are example much more hardcore than mine. A friend, smoker of 2 packs daily for 10 years, recently woke up one day, decided that he hated the thing and the money it cost him, and never lit up another for more than 6 months. He's had a half full pack on his desk this whole time!

[Jabo]

Yeah, thanks for pointing that out. I was a little surprised by the fact that everyone here was relating to the topic by saying "nicotine", because that is a rather dated view on cigarette addiction. It's merely a psychological addiction. Nicotine isn't strong enough a substance to cause severe addiction. Nicotine abstinence phenomenons usually vanish after just a week, that's when the substance has left the body and you're "nicotine-free". After that short period (which isn't as hard to overcome as people tend to think), there's the more powerful psychological addiction left that has to be struggled with. And this is where you usually should start from. No patch or gum will make big decisions here. It will only waste more money, because these things are expensive as hell.

[Twelve]

I dreamt once that I woke up, turned around to make the bed and saw myself sleeping. I then woke up again. Stared at the ceiling and I remember wondering if I was still asleep or not. I wasn't, I was awake.

I do need to stop smoking, but a true fact is I enjoy it. Giving these patches a try seems worthwhile.

[A. Sobriquet]

I've found that the best way to quit cigarettes is to take up pipe smoking.

Thick, luscious, luxurious pipe smoke; pillow-soft angel-clouds of tobacco flavor, drifting elegantly from your satisfied smile to wreathe your wisened brow.

Available in a wide range of finishes, colors, shapes and sizes, there's a pipe out there that's perfect for everyone.

Try Pipe! Today!


Have you considered switching to marijuana?

[Twelve]

Marijuana? Isn't that more expensive than cigarette's? Also usually mixed with tobacco which defeats the point of giving up cigarette's, unless you smoke it pure. In which case I probably wouldn't get anything done. lol.

[A. Sobriquet]

Well if you're looking at it from a purely economical point of view, I suppose you wouldn't find any value in it. But, if you were smoking marijuana, you'd be too busy eating orange sherbet and pizza pie to smoke.

But seriously:

Snus is the answer. It's essentially the same thing as a nicotine patch, except it's cheaper, goes in your mouth, tastes nice.

[Ghostbrush]

I managed to stop by starting to only smoke when it gets dark outside, that way u dont smoke during the day and after a week/2 weeks u forget you can smoke at night and u start only having 1 or 2 a day, pretty soon after u feel DUMB for having 1 cig a day and you stop :D

worked for me

However i do fiddle intensely now, idle hands destroy anything on my desk, i need a new hand hobby :(

[infomercialscams]

Hello..
Kicking a habit of Cigarettes because its a very harmful for helth..
If you have the habit of Cigarettes then kick it otherwise its directky affect to your health and its really a very harmful for health....

[Twelve]

Yes it is harmful, very. Fatal infact. Sometimes referred to as "slow motion suicide".Here's the -"but"- It's hard to kick something you enjoy.

[A. Sobriquet]

The world's longest-lived woman smoked cigarettes and ate chocolate every day until she died. Don't blame cigarettes just because your inherited genes governing cellular regeneration are inferior.

[TASmith]

30 years old, and I still can't understand why anyone starts in the first place.