So like the title says I'm trying to quit smoking and the whole "cold turkey" thing really doesn't work for me (I've been trying to quit for years). There has got to be an easier way to quit. Pretty much everyone around me smokes making it even harder to quit. Anyone have any suggestions that would make it easier on me (to avoid getting the migraines and the mood swings)?
I've been using the patch 6 weeks on the first step (the strongest one) then 2 weeks on the 2nd & 3rd step. Even using the patch its still hard but I don't get the shakes and headaches, I still crave one but its not as bad. My job pays for the patches which is great because there costly. I'm 13 days in
I've heard that every time you crave a smoke, chew some gum. If you don't like gum, then maybe a mint. Not sure if that works or not.
I made my younger brother quit smoking by visiting Gunther von Hagen's exhibition "Körperwelten" (should be bodyworld or sth similar in english). It shows donated parts of dead bodies, it was pretty impressive. If you get the chance you may want to have a look at it.
I'm no good because I always seem to pick the habit back up, but I wanted to wish you good luck. The only thing that have got me to quick was being pregnant and even that ended once my son was born.
There are a number of different elements associated with nicotine addiction. The physical biorhythms are part of it... the habituation of putting a cigarette in your mouth, say, after a cup of coffee, or when you get up, or after lunch or whatever. The physical addiction is another part, but that lasts only a few days And then the psychological association of using a cigarette as a means of dealing with stress, as well as the psychological dependence and patterning associated with smoking. So there are several things you can do if you've had repeated problems trying to quit. First, you don't say how much you smoke in a day, but that's a big factor. If it's a pack, for example, then cut down the first day to 3/4 of a pack. Take the 5 cigarettes out and put them somewhere else so you won't inadvertently lose track. Then, after a week or so, days, cut down to 10 cigarettes (same thing, take out the extras and put them somewhere.) Give it a week or two and cut down again, to 7 or 5... and just keep doing that. Start being conscious of when and under what circumstances you're smoking, and think about other strategies you can use say, for stress, or boredom, or just to do something with your hands. To deal with the biorhythm of putting something in your mouth, a lot of people use natural black licorice ropes. That replaces the sensation of having something you're holding with your hands or your lips, and the fennel in the licorice contains a natural ingredient that helps to reduce nicotine cravings. And for the stress or anxiety, remember two things: First, most nicotine cravings come on sharply, but drop away after 30 to 90 seconds. So if you can just hold out for a minute or two, you'll usually find the craving subsiding. If you are still feeling stressed, instead of lighting a cigarette, stop, close your eyes for a few seconds, take a series of long, slow breaths (5-10 seconds each on inhale, same with exhale), and that will automatically help to move your body into a calmer state. This takes time, and particularly, if you've tried before, you can feel discouraged. But it's very doable if you spend the time to be mindful about it, take some or all of the above steps, and remind yourself that this is important to you and something you can accomplish.
I have heard alot of people use candy to overcome the oral fixation. I had a friend who would buy bags of dumdum pops, and whenever he got a craving, he would suck on one. it wasnt a end all, because he still had to work at it, but sometimes sucking on a lollypop would keep his mind a little less focused on getting a smoke that he was able to retrain his brain over time.
