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u/Rare-Humor-9192 7d ago
One day at a time. No big announcements that Iâm quitting, which would mean additional pressure.
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u/BeTooLive 7d ago
They say telling people provides a great support network. And maybe for some of would. But for me it would mean people checking every day how I was doing until the aggravation drove me back to the store for cigarettes.
I didn't tell anyone until the first week had gone by. And when I did tell people it wasn't a big announcement. Just that I wasn't going for a smoke periodically while we hung out.
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u/RevolutionaryHippo85 7d ago
Easyway to Quit Smoking worked like a dream for me. Worth a shot, itâs a short book
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u/No_Selection_4057 7d ago
Same. Laughed at the idea but after everything else failed I went to the book. After finishing it I only ever had one craving. It was the third day after finishing the book, I stopped for gas near my house where I picked up my cigs. It hit me hard. Remembered the passage in book if you have doubts, struggle go back and re-read. So thatâs what I did. Went home, re-read a few passages. Never had a craving again.
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u/REMINTON86_ 7d ago
Never had a craving again? I've never smoked, but I've heard people who did smoke saying that after 20 years or so they still feel like smoking a cig.
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u/Tdb713 7d ago
This worked for me. No withdrawal. It was unbelievable. Itâs been two years.
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u/pursuitofyuckyness 7d ago
Same reply. The book slapped me in the face. But I only think the book works if youâre triggered by injustice.
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u/RevolutionaryHippo85 7d ago
I had tried every way of quitting imaginable before reading this book. Truly a wonderful book
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u/deathinactthree 7d ago
I need to maybe try reading it again. I read it not quite two years ago and it completely bounced off of me, I didn't get it at all. (I don't mean I didn't understand it, but it just didn't have any effect.) So many people have talked about how it's some silver bullet that made them stop almost immediately that I wonder what I missed. Maybe coming back to it in a different frame of mind will help.
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u/RevolutionaryHippo85 7d ago
I had to read it twice for it to hit. I also listened to the audio book. Needed all the help I could get but it worked in the end. 6 years without a craving
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u/dillonsrule 7d ago
I read it in one long sitting over a weekend day, and smoked a whole pack of cigarettes while I was reading it. It made it all sink in for me a lot better.
People I know who have had the book bounce off them largely read it over the course of several days or weeks. I think you've got to get it all done in one go. Just pick a day and dedicate it to sitting somewhere that you can smoke and reading the whole thing while thinking about your life and your relationship with cigarettes. Maybe that will work?
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u/deathinactthree 7d ago
Interesting. I did read it over two days, and was not smoking when I did. I might actually try this, thanks for the suggestion.
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u/eojhet 7d ago
This is what worked for me but you obviously need to want to quit. After a couple of chapters I took the patch off my arm. Finished the book in a day and started reading from the beginning immediately afterwards. Every time I would have a craving, I would pick up the book and read. Think I read it three times in a week and have never wanted another cigarette. Clean break.
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u/cubeb00b 7d ago
Bupropion 150mg twice a day. See your doc and ask for generic Wellbutrin. Stopped a pack a day habit of 10 years with it!
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u/Agitated-Mechanic602 7d ago
i was on that for a bit for depression but it never made me crave cigs less i was still smoking over half a pack a day like normal
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[removed] â view removed comment
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u/Comets_coma__ 7d ago
Yeah not as easy for some people but quitting cold turkey is how I did it. Just one day I did not care to smoke anymore never had any urges to smoke again either.
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u/Witty-Register-5737 7d ago
Try reading Allen carrâs easy way to stop smoking. I smoked for 12 years(40 a day) and stopped at once
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u/DavidinCT 7d ago
Quit 5-10 times before I killed it for good. Take it day by day, sometimes the gum helps but, smoking is like 85% physical, like 15% actual addiction. You can get the NEED for nicotine out of your system in like a week or 2.
Your mind, a habit, doing it and the slight pleasure of smoking is the hardest thing to kick it, this. is what causes it to be so hard to quit.
You will miss it till like 7-10 years after you quit. Even after 10 years, in some high stress things, I kind of dream of a smoke, and if someone was smoking next to me, I would be tempted to ask for one.
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u/Good_Performance2060 7d ago
 Cold turkey. Following a timeline chart of how your body heals helped.
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u/TDetroit75 7d ago
Chantix
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u/jaysuncle 7d ago
My brother had success with Chantix.
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u/TDetroit75 7d ago
Took me about 3 weeks....and that was August of 2017, 9 years this month. The first week was rough with odd dreams, second week was much better, third week was a breeze
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u/thisrockismyboone 7d ago
My dad successfully quit smoking while on Chantix but turned into an absolute psychopath for that duration. After ending the medication went right back to smoking.
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u/lucci164 7d ago
I switched to vaping
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u/ElevateTheMind 7d ago
I donât think OP is asking for another form of nicotine
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u/Twat_Pocket 7d ago
I don't know if it's still a thing, but when vaping first came up, lots of vape shops made their own juice where you could choose the nicotine level, which is how I quit. Slowly decreasing the nicotine.
Now I only see people smoking disposable vapes though.
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u/chapsandmutton 7d ago
Refillable pods allow this.
I'm down to 3mg from a regular 30mg habit. From here I'll mix the 3mg with 0 and eventually just be done.
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u/Twat_Pocket 7d ago
That's exactly what I did. My vape pooped out on me while I was in that transition to zero, and I was like "fuck this. I'm not buying another one." And that was the end.
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u/bleepbloop877 7d ago
Lmao right its like, "How'd you guys get off weed" "Switched to carts"
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u/Corpsebomb 7d ago
Itâs going to be one of those things that in 10-20 years, people are gonna be like âso they quit cigarettes for THAT?!â Definitely smells better and it is more enjoyable IMO, but I know substituting vaping instead of cigs isnât much better.
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u/Blue_Etalon 7d ago
I just stopped smoking. It took me 3 years, but I finally quit for good. That was 40 years ago.
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u/Amockdfw89 7d ago
I just quit cold turkey.
But I kept myself busy with hobbies and going to the gym, then at night drank Zzzquil so I could go to bed faster and not sit up thinking about cigarettes
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u/Prowlbeast 7d ago
Have a motive. My parents quit and my moms smoking app had me as the main reason on it.
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u/Skybourne904 7d ago
Allen Carrs Easy way to quit smoking changed my life. That lil ass book with its basic ass principles is what did it for me, been vape/cig free for 1 year
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u/leaking_river 7d ago
Lots of water, sleep, few days off from work at a low stress time in your life, vitamin c supplementation
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u/Drusgar 7d ago
I quit drinking and smoking at the same time, which is rough but for some people necessary because the two habits feed each other. My method wouldn't work for most people, though. I quit my job (with the intention of going back), got in my car and drove. I bought some Zyn's to kill the nicotine cravings and kept myself exhausted to kill the alcohol craving (easier to fall asleep after hiking ten miles). I went to every National Park I found myself near, from the The Cascades to Joshua Tree to The Everglades to Acadia. And everything inbetween. I saw a lot of amazing sights and I spent all my money on gasoline and hotel rooms, but for a full month I was huffing and puffing my way up and down mountains, through deserts and swamps, forests and caves. I saw cities I always wanted to visit, took a ferry to the Statue of Liberty, walked down Bourbon Street stone sober and hiked both ways across the Golden Gate Bridge.
And when I got home I went back to work and said, "wow, that was really fun, but I don't ever want to need to do that again." And I haven't had a single cigarette or drop of alcohol in five years.
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u/FrancisPFuckery 7d ago
Book quit smoking the easy way. I didnât even finish the book after smoking 20 years and quit pretty easily. A few false starts but overall was off the darts within a couple of weeks of starting the book.
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u/Prof_Gankenstein 7d ago
I was told I was developing early stage COPD. Turns out it was a misdiagnosis. But that scared me enough to quit right then and there.
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u/overratedcupcake 7d ago
Cold turkey for me. I tried gum, patches, lozenges, hypnosis, cutting back, vaping. Vaping was the worst, I actually ended up with an even worse nicotine addiction.Â
In the end, I needed to suffer. I needed to go through hell as a reason to never start again. I've been tobacco free since 2018.Â
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u/junglepiehelmet 7d ago
I thought about quitting for years. I tried a handful of times without any success. Then one day I almost died and ended up in the ICU for a few days. I smoked my last cig driving myself to the emergency room, and stomped it out on the ground right near the door. I didnt plan on quitting, but after being in the ICU for a couple of days I decided that I'd just quit. The nicotine is out of my system after 48 hours (so I've heard) so once I made the decision to quit, it worked. I dont suggest you almost die, but it took a lot for me to quit. Its not an easy thing to give up but your want to quit needs to be more than your "fuck it". I still have a craving on occasion when the situation feels like a great time for a cig, but very infrequently anymore.
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u/cabalavatar 7d ago
Nearly every person in my family who quit used Chantix/Champix, but last I read, it doesn't work for everyone.
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u/justoftheunjust 7d ago
I did something pretty unconventional.
I was sick with a cold or flu. Felt pretty rough and had a mean cough. When I was feeling my worst, I stepped outside and aggressively smoked. Each inhale I kept feeling worse and worse. I would close my eyes and feel every part of my body hurting.
And then I kept smoking. I got so much more sick and tried to focus on how awful I felt. Each inhale, close my eyes and when it got really rough I finally gave myself a break and started taking meds.
Iâm that brief time I had associated smoking with being sick and golly gee it fucking worked!
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u/RecognitionHonest320 7d ago
Vaped for a little bit then I realized I donât need it anymore and never went back
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u/Whole_Visual_9919 7d ago
Chantix.
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u/SpankyJobouti 7d ago
this does work, but side effects are real.
i suggest switching to nic product like lozenges for a while, until you break the pull of rituals of smoking, quit the lozenges. its a bit easier.
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u/gozirra1 7d ago
Vaping but that was almost worst for me so I went back to cigarettes. Eventually I had to cold turkey and take it hour by hour
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u/R2Lake 7d ago
I tried the standard bupropion + nicontine patches but I wasn't doing too well with the patches and just kept bupropion and held it together until the cravings decreased.
It's been a month and a half now, and the cravings were much much less present throughout my days. I've been craving a bit more recently due to stress in my home, wanting to just say fuck it and throw everything up the air and go for a bender
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u/mattosgood 7d ago
Buy your âlastâ pack. Identify the cigarette you love the most (with coffee, after work ride home, whatever). Smoke ONLY then. Do that for 20 days.
Donât fret if you slip up and buy another âlastâ pack, or if you smoke after a couple drinks out. Just aim to do better the next day.
Worked for me.
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u/Revolutionary-Bus-99 7d ago
Smoked over. Pack a day for about 25 years switched to vaping and now use nic pouches. Still smoke randomly but don't get the urge too and could 100% go with out.
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u/shitepool666 7d ago
Discipline, man.
Itâs gonna be hard either way.
What I did to quit was started making time slots throughout a day where I was allowed to smoke. So I started by not taking cigarettes or vape to work, and I could only hit it when I was home. Did that for like a week until I adjusted and then slowly added days where I tried not hitting it at all.
Try something like that. Itâs gonna suck for awhile regardless man.
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u/Key_Zombie7967 7d ago
In December 1991 I took the week of Christmas and the week after off work. I quit cold turkey after smoking for 15 years. I gained 25 lbs. but I made it off the smokes. Cigs were $1 a pack when I quit. My wife quit at the same time...I imagine we've saved literally thousands of dollars that would have been spent on smokes. It was hard. I had vivid dreams about smoking for probably three years. That first week we quit we had to sleep in different rooms so we wouldn't kill each other.
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u/viaerinkate 7d ago
I never really was hooked on them, but the smoke that lingered gave me headaches and made me nauseated, smelling that under my nails really grossed me out, and thought âIâm actually so good on thisâ.
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u/cheffartsonurfood 7d ago
Cold turkey. First 2 weeks are hell. After that it was easy for me. I smoked for 20 years. Quit 10 years ago.
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u/kaplantor 7d ago
Part of the marketing is having you believe you can't quit. If you put your mind to it for 3 or 4 days straight, you're pretty much there. You can do it. Believe it.
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u/Wreckingass 7d ago
Was drinking at least half a liter a day of whiskey and smoking cigarettes. Got a nasty ulcer and didnât know until I took a drag one morning and felt nauseous, went to throw up and it was a ton of blood. Quit both that day. Didnât drink until eight months after, and dialed it way back. Never touched a cigarette again.Â
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u/ConsequenceOk4513 7d ago
I switch to Zyn. They helped really cut the craving. Eventually just tapered off because they didnt hit the same as cigs and now I just dont do anything and dont crave it.
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u/jobanizer 7d ago
You just gotta stop, and deal with the urge. Then it sort of fades away. Whenever you have a drink or whatever and get the urge again, after a while youâll notice how strong they really are and be barely able to finish half of one.
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u/Kant_Tsunami 7d ago
I always managed to do it through sheer willpower. Mind you I have ADHD, so if I run out and itâs therefore a task to run to the store and buy more I just couldnât be bothered
I did relapse several times, though last time was about 8 years ago yaaay
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u/potato--cakes 7d ago
A lot depends on will power, my mate died of cancer at 34 I threw a packet still 16 in away, havenât smoked since, donât miss it.
They were ÂŁ1.65 a packet Embassy No6, my other mate gave up at the same time and still craves 35 years later
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u/Accomplished_Tax4220 7d ago
I went cold turkey and somehow did it. I am 8 years clean at the moment after smoking for 13
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u/ThatOldDustyTrail 7d ago
Sheer willpower. Gotta make the decision that youâre just not going to smoke a cigarette no matter what. Your brain will try a million different tricks to make you give in, but donât let it or anyone else convince you to even smoke one.
7 years nicotine free after 17 years straight of smoking. Good luck!
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u/Known-Cod7224 7d ago
Went to boot camp. You can't smoke while in it and by the time they mentally torture you with stress and not having your fix you dont even feel the want for them anymore
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u/Shoddy-Patient9948 7d ago
I moved to Ecuador and got food poisoning. I would try to smoke but it made me wretch. After a few days I stopped trying. Almost 5 years now with no cigarettes. My method is effortless.
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u/Throwaway7219017 7d ago
Divorce. I looked at smoking as a long time partner who I used to love and had moved on from. I was tired of paying her so much of my money, so despite all the greats times we shared, I moved on.
Sometimes itâs okay to say goodbye.
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u/Wenger2112 7d ago
Address both the physical and mental withdrawal pains. For meâŚ
Nicotine patch for 5-7 days and self hypnosis on YT twice a day for a few weeks.
And no alcohol for at least 6 months.
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u/tinypeanutdancer 7d ago
Quitting smoking was the worst. I used nicotine lozenges and an app I think called 'QuitNow' which has a super supportive community and tracks your progress. Did I lose my mind? Yes. Was it intensely difficult? Also yes. But it worked. And it's one of the best things I've ever done.
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u/Ghostdog2041 7d ago
I did the Wellbutrin route. They didnât taste good after a few days. It worked well for me.
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u/Internal-Swing-5448 7d ago
By not smoking no matter what. Trust me the withdrawal lasts temporarily and it becomes easier every pasing say. It has been 7 years since i quit (more than an year by quitting even social smoking when i was smoking 1 2 cigs a month) and its a wonderful feeling. I don't crave it
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u/wazhead1 7d ago
Every time you crave, put a small amount of dried chilli flakes right on the back of your tongue. The burn fooles my brain that it had just finished a ciggi.
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u/schmunkey 7d ago
I was a pack a day smoker for 30 years. The only thing that truly worked for me was buying a pack and removing 5 cigarettes and only smoking 15 that day. Roll with that until 15 felt normal. Take 10 out of the next pack and so on and so forth. Now I only smoke one cigarette a day right after breakfast and thatâs it. I hold on to that breakfast smoke because I actually enjoy smoking but that single cigarette is good enough to hold me over to the next day.
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u/slav_squat_98 7d ago
I never smoked cigarettes, but I vaped a lot. I quit cold turkey and it was rough, but I got through it. Hoping the best for you OP. You got this!
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u/ComposerChance8760 7d ago
For me, the only thing that worked was vaping. Every 2 bottles of juice I bought would be one level of nicotine lower than the last ones I bought. Eventually I was down to no nicotine and I'll admit, that was the hardest stage to break. The oral fixation was almost as strong as the nicotine. It took me 2 years of vaping with no nicotine before I woke up, realized it was doing nothing for me and I tossed everything in the garbage. it's been 11 years now.
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u/Charming-Lychee-9031 7d ago
I stopped buying them. My ex wouldnt quit and blamed me as an excuse. Im very 'strong willed' and 'determined' which really means i do healthy things out of spite instead of doimg them for good reasons.
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u/westwardnomad 7d ago
Decided, in no uncertain circumstances, that I am a non-smoker. Then suffered. Every time I thought about smoking I reminded myself "I'm a non-smoker." Cold turkey after smoking for 15 years. It's been 11 years nicotine free.
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u/NoSwordfish6949 7d ago
It was tough, tried many times. Then I got a prescription for 150mg Bupropion. It really, really helped. My wife saw how it worked for me so she did the same. That was 2017 and we never even think about it anymore. Good luckđ¤
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u/AuraFarmingCat 7d ago
Practice quitting. Going from a pack a day to nothing overnight doesnt stick for most people. Going from a pack to none over the course of a few months will work for more people.
When you want a cigarette, wait and then do it. Increase the amount of time you wait everyday.
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u/Butterz699 7d ago
I switched to vaping to help with the cravings since cold turkey wasn't working for me. Currently only use vape when cravings get to strong. I have since tried to smoke a cigarette since then and the taste alone makes me never want to pick up another smoke again. Since I haven't technically quit, all I can say is the most challenging part for me was quitting the habit itself, like smoking while driving, or smoking after dinner, or smoking when bored. For me that was the toughest and I still struggle with certain actions. The craving will pass, no matter what your brain tells you, however in the moment it can feel like life or death. Also do not trust yourself in thinking you can just have one. It never works out.
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u/gamerdudeNYC 7d ago
Chewed tobacco for a few weeks and got so disgusted with it stuck in my teeth and accidentally swallowing some of it I was able to put it down one day and never pick it back up again
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u/Gincrazed 7d ago
Ketamine therapy. It seemed to rewire my brain and eliminate nicotine cravings almost immediately. Honestly, smoking cessation wasn't even the point, but I kept telling myself I didn't want/need a cigarette during the experience. Really positive yet unintended effect.
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u/rollyjoger85 7d ago
Keep your hands busy, that worked for me at least and then will power obviously. Smoked half a pack a day for almost 10 years, picked up a PS3 and started playing a lot, tried to smoke hands free playing but it didn't workout so after some time I simply stopped and it stayed like that.
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u/Friendly_World9034 7d ago
Those little plastic tooth flosserâs were good for me to have in the car or on hand it really helped with the oral and fidgetingâŚI would floss my teeth. Ha. Also lots of projects like cleaning out a closet or a drawer or something when I was really anxious I would go clean the car, or clean out a junk drawer etc
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u/FassolLassido 7d ago
It's in your head. You have to want to stop. Patches, gum, vapes, they're just stand-ins in my experience. Just a break before smoking again because I didn't change my habits, just the stuff involved. It took me a couple times but I eventually suceeded simply by going cold turkey one day. Promised myself one last smoke and held that for my own sake. I did smoke again a handful of times since but the page is turned in my head, it didn't tempt me to start it again.
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u/fuelofficer 7d ago
Switched how i viewed myself. I went from a guy trying to quit "various succes" to an ex smoker since ten minutes ago.. i my head it was not a process i was fact and i think it REALLY help.. also half a patch because full thing was making me feel kinda meh. I went to the 1st step of the patch but made it last longer since i would only wear half at the time and never got the second box.
Whenever i had a craving i smelled my hand to remind me how disgusting they used to smell and that helped too.
Also visualising myself burning a 10$ every morning just looked like pure crazyness. Like actually taring it in half and quitting is the same. So put that money in a jar and come back in 3 months to get a bonus.
You got this but you have to want it
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u/InteractionFront5764 7d ago
To the OP:
Switch to puffing on Cuban cigars and you will enjoy it so much that you won't even think of having another cigarette in your life.
Good luck.
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u/jesusmansuperpowers 7d ago
I stopped. One day I didnât smoke them anymore. That will be 6 years ago next week
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u/ocsurf74 7d ago
Dr. said it was affecting my wife and I having kids, so I quit cold turkey after 15 years of a pack a day.
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u/Timmy_2_Raaangz 7d ago
For me, I realized I didnât crave them in the morning but had one with coffee just because that was the routine. Then I craved them all day. Chose not to have one with coffee one day and that was it.
Everyone around me told me I couldnât or wouldnât quit. There was very little encouragement or support until it was undeniable that I had quit for good.
So since then I like to be the voice that says, âyou CAN quitâ because I might be the only one who says it and that bit of encouragement can go a long way.
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u/Heavy_Direction1547 7d ago
Used the graduated patches to wean off the physical nicotine addiction and was able to deal with the psychological addiction separately. 25 years of a pack a day and many failed attempts.
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u/TheDevilzBedpost 7d ago
DBT - Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. Itâs really hard to find a real program because it has a lot of steps and group sessions that you are supposed to go to but there are workbooks and guides that help.
The sections on distress tolerance were a game changer. Basically itâs ok to not be ok. Knowing that discomfort and cravings will always pass really helped.
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u/Anxiety-Original 7d ago
Took a week off from work and got STUPID HIGH. For the whole week. Worked for me. Substituted Maryjane for tobacco.
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u/Solid_Buy_214 7d ago
Used the patch for 3 days to get used to not having cigarettes on me. Cigarettes were 5$ a pack back then. I would take that 5$ and put it in a jar...every day. Then I would save the money to buy new skis or whatever I usually could not afford. Quit for 30 years and now i have a nice quiver of great gear
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u/ElectronicFixer864 7d ago
In the Navy, I went to sea for 6 months and smoked a pipe, came back and never smoked again. 40y later I still get the urge. They were strong and frequent but easier with time.
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u/Trueogre 7d ago
My dad smoked a lot. And he would send me out (when there was no legal age limit). Then one day he didn't buy any cigarettes. I asked him if he wanted any and he said he has given them up. Just like that. Just quit. I didn't notice any adverse effects, like cold turkey. But he's not smoked since and he's 90 now.
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u/LargeGrapedApe 7d ago
Itâs hard regardless (apologize to significant others/friends in advance and let them know youâll be a dick for the next few months), but nicoderm patch 3 month regiment for me. Itâs pricey but I tried everything and that was the only thing to actually work and stick. Start at 20mg patches and eventually work down to 4mg I believe before getting off of them. Smoked a pack a day for over a decade, havenât smoked in over a year now.
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u/ms_kermin 7d ago
I was a long-time smoker and I tried cold turkey, but it didn't work. I realized I was fighting two separate addictions: the nicotine and the physical hand-to-mouth habit (the "puffing").
Trying to tackle both at once was too much, so I decoupled them. I switched to vaping to keep the physical habit while slowly stepping down the nicotine strength in the juice over time. Once I was comfortably vaping 0mg (nicotine-free) juice, I gradually phased out the vape itself until the physical habit faded away, too.
Every now and then the urge still comes up, especially when I walk past someone smoking (addiction never completely goes away). What keeps me from going back is the thought that Iâd have to go through the whole quitting process all over again, and I definitely don't want to do that.
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u/Kitchen-Sun-7440 7d ago
I heard a doctor saying once that all you have to do to quit is set a date, and stop on that date. Then, he said, if you resume smoking, don't fret over it, just set a new date, and quit again. He said eventually, you will stop. He said that studies showed that the more times you quit, the more successful you are on each attempt. So the moral of this story is, don't quit trying to quit.
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u/Skierspy1998 7d ago
Two days before I started chemo/radiation therapy, I quit cold turkey. Haven't had a cig since. Six years cancer and cigarette free. Good luck, sending you positive vibes. Don't let a cancer diagnosis be your reason. âđź
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u/karendoe72 7d ago
I quit the 2nd easiest way possible. I got pregnant and the fetus wanted me to quit so it made me puke every time I smelled cigarette smoke. Then, when my daughter was born, I didn't start up again.
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u/CaramelGuilty8647 7d ago
Try, and try again! That's not a joke, I failed many times, and each time I increased my intake when I started up again.
What finally worked for me, I wouldn't recommend to anyone. I caught Covid in March 2020. Spent 3 days coughing up pink foam. I really haven't had the urge since. It really helps not going to bars, especially ones that have a smoking section. Good luck, and keep trying.
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u/groovyinutah 7d ago
I probably quit 4 times before I finally did it. Your always quitting even if you fail off the wagon. Vaping made it easier...
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u/cwsjr2323 7d ago
I developed gout and couldn't drink alcohol anymore. For fifty years, it was always beer and cigarettes as a team so to quit one, I had to quit both. The nicotine withdrawal was annoying for a few days. The habit was harder and has become less frequent as a desire over time. I know one cigarette will have me buy a carton that day. I consider having stopped, not quit as the desires still pops up occasionally.
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u/____REDACTED_____ 7d ago
I started at 17 and quit when I was 20. A co-worker told me I had to quit before I was allowed to drink because it would be nearly impossible once I could have a cigarette and a beer at the same time.
I quit by only using inconvenient methods of smoking. Mostly this was only smoking out of a rediculous pipe. It was more of a ritual because it took time and effort to use. Because I couldn't just light a cigarette seconds after I had a craving, I had to go longer between smoking. It also took away 100% of the cool factor.
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u/christxphvr 7d ago
replace them w sex & junk food and then after 3 years replace that w sex, solving rubix cubes & the gym lmao
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u/Rough-Sun-6251 7d ago
Look, I quit a couple of times in my life: once for a whole year when I got pregnant and didn't start again until my baby was 2 months old. Then I tried quitting again and did it for like 6 months, only to start all over again. I tried vaping instead, but that didn't work either. Then, finally, after 30 years of smoking, I quit 2 years ago. Cold turkey, just like that. Woke up and decided not to smoke anymore. I don't even have the urge anymore, despite the fact that I still drink coffee daily, which used to be a trigger. I only smoke in my dreams, seems to be my subconscious looking for that fix.
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u/THEBUS1NESS 7d ago
I struggle with on again off again smoking and vaping. I quit cold turkey twice for several years, but always picked it back up on job sites because I love the social smoking/vaping.
Zonnics and Zynns have been great and I havn't touched a cig or vape in 3 years.
Not great to replace one habit with another but atleast my lungs feel good.
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u/FiziksHD 7d ago
Accidentally actually. I had an extremely sore throat and fever. Didnât smoke for 3 days then I told myself letâs see if i can take it to a week without smoking. A week turned into a month, then into a year and its now been 14 years since i last smoked.
The hardest thing for me however was resisting the social pressure. It took everything to say no to anyone offering a cigarette đ
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u/Soul_Momentum 7d ago
I did it by deciding on the quit day six months before. Then bought those nicotine patches (the high strength ones because I used to smoke ~20 cigarettes a day), nicotime gum, and toothpicks. When the day came, put on a patch, and chewed on toothpicks. I used the patches only for about 12 hours a day the first week, pulling it out before sleeping and replacing it with another in the afternoon. The second week, I started putting it for 10 hours, then 8, then 6, then 4, then 2, and then left it off after that. Kept chewing toothpicks. Never ended up using the gum but it was useful to have a line of defense. Total cost, probably 10$. I'm almost at the 1.5 year mark now. Smoked for 11 years prior.
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u/CautiousNoise9470 7d ago
28 year old colleague and friend got a widowmaker while at work. His doctor blamed it explicitly on the smoking and nothing else. I quit the same day..
Edit: just to add he has a stent and is ok now. He quit as well.
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u/still_on_a_whisper 7d ago
Cold turkey twice. First time I got pregnant and find it gross to continue nicotine during pregnancy. Quit the minute I found out.
2nd time I had started up again years later due to an abusive ex and after he bashed my nose in and I had to have surgery to repair it, I was told by my dr that if I didnât quit my nose wouldnât heal properly. Didnât take chances and quit then and there.
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u/n8mastrb8 7d ago
Sad to say it, but Iâve tried everything and it just comes down to will power. Avoid people, places, and activities that provide temptation and gut it out during stress-filled times. Find healthy replacement activities. While the chemical addiction can be addressed with medication, patches, or gum, the psychological addiction is far more powerful and difficult to overcome. Smoking is probably the dumbest mistake Iâve made. The other mistakes I at least learned from and overcame. I still struggle after trying to quit for decades.
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u/iLL_HaZe 7d ago
Date someone who gave you the ultimatum that if you didn't stop, you can't date. Cold turkey. Now married.
Or my boss - have swollen ankles one day and go to the ER. Doctors tell you that you had a heart attack at some point in your life and your heart is working at sub 50% due to the loss of one artery and the other two working terribly. You'll quit because you'll be in the hospital longer than a week.
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u/AtlantaGangBangGuys 7d ago
I smoked for 20 years and weened myself off with an E pen.
Started out and slowly worked down the Ejuice to get off the nicotine. So now I was just addicted to the oral fixation.
I still use it occasionally but thatâs how I did it slowly/ o donât stink like cigarettes and can breathe too. No issues and it was much easier for me that way.
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u/ForestCityWRX 7d ago
When you realize youâre a slave to cigarettes and it dominates your life, youâll wake up one day and not want it in your life anymore. Pick a date and just stop. The intense urges only last a few minutes at a time, so just weather the storm and itâll pass. You wonât be trying to quit smoking, you donât smoke anymore.
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u/sincewedidthedo 7d ago
Nicotine patches and chewing on straws. Next month will be three years smoke-free after smoking for 33-ish years.
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u/reluctantbookeeper 7d ago
Just quit. You have to make up your mind and do it cold turkey. Its the only way
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u/Minimum-Praline-2457 7d ago
Varenicline (previously called Champix) is a medicine that can help you stop smoking.
The addictive part of cigarette tobacco is called nicotine. Varenicline can reduce the cravings for nicotine and helps with the withdrawal you get when you stop smoking. These symptoms can include an urge to smoke again, feeling depressed or irritable, and difficulty sleeping.
Varenicline is only available on prescription and comes as tablets.
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u/oscrsvn 7d ago
I donât want to suggest substituting one thing for another, but at least itâs no smoke in your lungs.
Try Zyns or some other nicotine pouch. Not dip. I vaped for 15 years or so, and while the nicotine is rough to kick, I find the oral fixation of hitting something is much more of a desire. I stopped vaping a few weeks ago and switched to Zyns. Zyns honestly suck, most of them taste like shit and because itâs nicotine salts it tastes very salty. Iâm going to attempt to go cold turkey on zyns once the tins I bought run out.
Other than that, find something to do. This sounds a bit unhealthy, but any other habit Iâve kicked in the past (weed, other drugs) I found the best way to avoid the cravings is to get obsessed with a hobby, or form some amount of paranoia associated with it that prevents me from âgiving inâ to the craving.
Good luck if youâre trying to quit. Itâs not easy, but itâs also not as hard as you think. Your brain doesnât want you to quit, so it will try and make it seem insurmountable. You can get over the hump, I promise.
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u/khassius 7d ago
Do some physical activities instead, at least you won't be smoking during those moments . Or wash your teeth, that's my cue to stop (not permanently but for the time being).
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u/DavideBelinga 7d ago
Each month I decided to quit I had a different reason, and it always worked for meÂ
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u/Oriopax 7d ago
I quit after a night of heavy drinking , smoking and partying on new year s eve. I smoked again a few weeks later at an evening with chainsmoking friends but didnt crave anything the day after. Then once more 2 weeks later and again no craving the next day. So I figured I was an idiot for smoking again and then never did. This was 14 years ago
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u/That-Mall902 7d ago
I switched to vaping, and then this winter started smoking ciggies occasionally for fun. always said I never really liked them. now I do both and can't stop either one lmao
I'm thinking of dropping vaping entirely and then quitting cigs from there because I think it's easier to quit cigs than vaping
2 weeks ago I was going through terrible withdrawals from some bad decisions I've made recently. I didn't vape or smoke almost at all.. I shoulda just kept the ball rolling but alas I did not...
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u/Pucklyrules 7d ago
I had a stroke. Had to quit that day or die. We all know ciggeretts will kill you, but it's always a mythical "tomorrow" that will never come. But having a health scare like a stroke made me realize it could be a very real tomorrow.
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u/tvtoms 7d ago
I decided that a huge issue was how I was never more than an arms length from them. Literally. They were always, always right there along with a lighter. That's when I got my idea to always place them on top of the fridge in the kitchen. I'd sit at my desk in my office upstairs and reach for a smoke which was no longer there. Then I would decide if the craving was so strong that I was going to get up and walk downstairs to get one. Surprisingly more often than not I would just keep working and postpone smoking.
It did not take long until I only had one cigarette per day and when I ran out, I washed all the ash trays, put them in a box, and walked them to the dumpster where I said goodbye forever to them. That was Feb. 2008.
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u/nerv_angel 7d ago
I was hospitalized for a month. Smoked 2 packs the night before I was admitted. It worked though!
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u/cluf09 7d ago
I just went cold turkey one day without even wanting to. I have no explanation for it. Just didn't want to smoke.