Quitting Smoking (HELP!)

I can't really give you advice on quitting, as I have yet to succeed in doing that myself. However, I can tell you what I've learned today in psychology class about addiction, and about nicotine. As a smoker myself I find it immensely interesting.

So, why is smoking so addicting? Firstly, addiction takes place in our brain. I can explain the symptoms you're describing. I should split this up in two parts.

- Smoking (mainly nicotine) is addictive because like anything else addictive, it causes our brain to make an excessive amount of dopamine; a little thingy in our brain that causes us to feel good. This feeling is addictive and is why we light up a ciggy when we're stressed: to feel better (though for me personally, I rarely feel any better after smoking).

- Nicotine is considered a stimulating drug. Meaning, to a certain extent, it stimulates our senses, helps us concentrate/focus, and increases our reactive power. Like mentioned above, it has a positive effect on our mood.

Some of the effects mentioned may not sound familiar to you, or at least not anymore. That is because the more nicotine we consume, the more our brain gets accustomed to it, and thus, the more we need to achieve the same feeling.

Now, quitting using a 'drug' you're addicted to will cause the opposite effect of what you'd normally achieve when using the drug (which makes sense, really). This is because our brain has gotten accustomed to the excessive amount of dopamine the cigarettes have caused over time. Your brain is trying to find a balance in this. Or something along those lines.
Which explains how you feel stupid and useless (negative effect on your mood instead of positive) and unfocused, 'blurry' (same goes up here, you're less focused instead of more focused).

Long story short: the symptoms you're experiencing are completely natural, and I'm afraid there is little to do about it. I've personally decided that whenever I do decide to quit (which may be soon, I'm not enjoying smoking as much as I used to), I'm going to use a transition as well. Maybe over a few months time. I'd rather smoke a little longer and quit successfully, than go cold turkey and keep falling back into the same pattern because I feel miserable. I've tried to quit cold turkey a few times, and it didn't work, for the same reasons you mentioned.

So maybe this is the advice I can give you; use a transition again, you know it worked for you last time. Maybe others who have successfully quit have other advice though. Just thought I'd share this information with you to give you better insight in your addiction and how to get rid of it.

 

Ugh, I don't have any advice since I'm in the same boat. I don't have any physical withdraw symptoms, it's just all mental for me. I've been coming SO close to buying a pack.. :bang:

 

There are several people at work who have quit using e/cigarettes, they all swear by them. They have different strengths of nicotine so you can use them to slowly eliminate nicotine out of your system before quitting altogether.

I've been considering quitting for a while now, i just cant bring myself to do it. I enjoy cigarettes too much and they get me through the day. But i wish you the best of luck with quitting!

 

I haven't smoked ever, but I know a little bit about addictions. This is probably one of the best ways to stop. Slowly reducing the amount of nicotine will be easier than stopping all together and this way you'll avoid the nicotin withdrawal effects (including the feeling unfocused part). When you're on a lower strenght of nicotine stopping will be easier too. Good luck!

 

There are many devices and meds to help with the physical withdrawal - where I found I always failed was due to quitting for the wrong reason. Moral support for a friend who said he really wanted to quit but wasn't ready, family members nagging about health concerns, friends complaining of smells, rising costs, none of those worked long-term. They were about doing it for someone else, for an external reason, and once that someone else or external reason was no longer in the picture the motivation was gone. Last time it definitely was personal, after some serious health problems. I really didn't want to experience them again, and realized starting to smoke again was not the right way to accomplish that. It's been over 5 years, and while there's still the occasional craving, I managed to not smoke again at all.

Once you've found the right reason the rest can likely be managed, through willpower alone or with some help - and from observation some people can have the occasional smoke without developing much of a physical addiction while others get hooked and will have a more difficult time quitting.
Your "foggy brain" comment is very interesting, because I can totally relate to that, and I thought it was due to other factors but it could be related - this requires more research.

Good luck when/if you decide to become smoke-free

 

Read Allen Carr's Easyway to stop smoking book. Lots of people I know have read that and quit, saying it's a miracle book. I also read it but it didn't work for me... I have very little willpower haha.

Give it a try though, it could work for you.

 

This is essentially why i think ive never been able to quit for a prolonged period of time, i actually enjoy cigarettes too much. Its much harder to quit something that you enjoy.

 

I have quit for 5 months or longer the first few days to a week were the hardest I was so sick I was puking and ugh it was aweful but I don't regret quiting I started snoking when I was in grade 8 till I was grade 12. What I did was literally go cold turkey I just stoped DON'T do that it didn't work I cheated after 2 days I found I was drinking more when I quit cold turkey I was drinking in class I had vodka in my locker..........next try I started to cut back I was a chain smoker I could go through a pack in 7-8 hours a full day of school so instead I would only have 5 with me for the whole day and leave my packs at home. Eventually I got down to 2 a day and then none. Again I started drinking more to fill the cravings which is not good but I was able to give it all up and I have never felt better! My cough is going away my lungs don't hurt anymore! My friend tried the fake cigs like the vapor ones and said it didn't help her at all she said it made her want a smoke even more. It depends on what best suites you try different things my other friend ate oranges she tried to eat sunflower seeds but she said it didn't work.

 

1 day at a time. It adds up faster than you think. When I finally did quit cigs successfully I didn't even note how long I had gone without. I just KEPT GOING. As far as I know I've only gone one day when it's definitely been almost 2 years. I still crave cigs at times. Just keep saying no.

 

I've been where you are at now. The one thing I did learn from all the times that I tried to quit, but I just never made it was, you have to "REALLY" want to quit.

Personally, for me, when I was able to quit for good was after I tried the "patch". After a couple of weeks, I got so sick of trying to clean the adhesive from the patches that were left on my arms, that I decided it was time to quit trying to stop or just plain qiut.

I'm happy to say that that was my own personal turning point. I've not had a smoke (of any kind) in 15 years now.

You can do it (!) But you really have to want to.

Plus, with the prices of cigs these days.... who can afford them :eek:

Good luck, I hope you make it.

 

I think there's something more to smoking addiction than just the nicotine. I believe the behavior itself actually becomes addictive.

I was addicted to snuff tobacco (inspired by Mozart, I bought some in a tobacco shoppe in Vienna and became addicted to it), got used to pleasant scents and a nicotine buzz throughout the day, stockpiled it but eventually ran out and at this point don't have the money to import more from the U.K.

Forced to abruptly give up snuff I started feeling really lousy and ended up buying some cigarettes in the hopes of satisfying the nicotine craving. Yet when I smoked them, I knew I was getting nicotine into my system yet it just felt disgusting and was not satisfying my craving for a pinch of snuff at all. (I'm still not quite over that, rationing what very little I have left to slowly try to break the habit until it's all gone)

Conversely, I've heard from smokers who tried to switch to other methods of nicotine consumption and still missed the smoking behavior. It's especially bad for those who smoke commercial cigarette brands like Marlboro since they put lots of other additives and chemicals in there to get you extra addicted.

I would second the suggestion of CTJ to try out e-cigs so you can at least keep up your normal routine and behavior, and slowly wean off nicotine if you wish, while eliminating the toxic tobacco smoke which is the worst part of cigarette smoking.

 

I'm in the same bot. This boat is getting really full.

But yeah I did stop for about 8 weeks, I probably could have went longer but I had a cigar at a party. I only said yes cause I was really drunk, but when I woke up the next morning it was like the first day I stopped again.
I have tried the electronic cigs though. There good and bad I guess. Asthey do seem quite real as they get warm on your mouth, you breathe out real smoke and it does fill a craving.
But they give me a really sore throat and chest and cigs don't so that put me off. And also although they were getting me off cigs I felt a lot more dependent on them than I did cigs. Felt like I needed them more to satisfy me. Got to a point of feeling like it was always in my hand. But if you can wean yourself off them their great.

Good look with stopping anyway!

 

My Boyfriend used to smoke... I basically tortured him to quit,:lol:. I said whenever he smoked I wouldn't talk to him for a half-hour, I wouldn't even say anything to him. And if did it more than 5 or more times a day, no sex for him... Though that was painful for the both of us, :icon_sad:.

~Josie

 

One of my hetero friends used to do something similar to her husband (they're separated now). He ended sneaking around smoking behind her back. They were together for ten years and he smoked the whole time. I think this method only forces the smoker to hide behind their significant other's back, which of course isn't healthy for the relationship.

I have to agree with this. I've tried quitting with the patch and it didn't work at all. I got the cravings the same as if quitting cold turkey.

Anymore people in this boat and it's going to sink!!! LMAO!!! :roflmao:

I know a lot of people who have successfully quit with Chantix. I tried Chantix and the side effects stopped me from continuing.

Sad thing is, I need to quit smoking due to existing, serious health reasons....but yet I continue.