Ellis Garvin (Haiku, Hi) on 09/02/2009
Along with Ted's recomendations for the body, I have a recomendation for the mind (and the mind is definetely involved with this.) This is a technique which worked really well for me. It is ingenious and very effective if you have a sincere desire to quit. It was given to me by a friend who had also used it to quit smoking after 40 something years.
The technique:
1. Determine how many ciggarettes you smoke per day. [for me it was 20]
2. Determine how long you want to take to quit smoking. It could be a week, a month, or any number you want. It's your choice. [I chose 20 days]
3. You are going to reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke by 1 every -blank- number of days. Choose what that -blank- number of days is. [I chose to reduce the number of cigarettes I smoked by one, every -1- days. For example: the first day I smoked 20, the next day I smoked 19, on the third day I smoke 18, etc. You could choose to reduce the cigarettes by one every day, every 2 days, every week, or whatever you want. It's totally your choice.]
4. Buy a small pad of paper that is comfortable to carry with you wherever you go that you smoke.
5. Every single time you are about to smoke one of your cigarettes, first take a moment to write down in your pad of paper whatever you are feeling and doing at that exact moment. [What your feeling could be anything such as, "I'm feeling excited, happy, sad, stressed, angry, bored, hungry, frustrated, etc." It could even be, "I'm feeling nothing." What you're doing could be anything, such as I'm at work, just had an argument, watching tv, stuck in traffic, at a party, having coffee, just finished dinner, etc.]
6. Lastly, you buy the same amount of cigarettes that you used to buy before you started this technique, and you destroy the extra cigarettes that you are not smoking and throw them in the trash. [Because I smoked a pack a day when I started this process, I had to buy a brand new pack every day, even though I was gradually reducing the number I would smoke out of that pack by one every day. For instance, on day 15, near the end of the process, I had to buy a new pack, I smoked 5 of them, and then I crumbled up the remaining 15 and threw them away. On day 16 I bought a new pack, smoked 4 of them, crumbled up the remaining 16 and threw them away, etc. This practice is to drive it home to you how much money you spend on cigarettes.]
If you follow this program like I did, you will be completely ready to quit by the last day. For me, I was dying to quit by the last week. In fact, I couldn't even wait, and I stopped a few days before the end with no problems. I have been off them ever since. Remember, once you're off them, don't ever, EVER take even a single puff off of someone elses cigarette for the rest of you life. If you take even one puff, you will eventually start smoking again and will go back to ruining your own good health. Good luck! You can do it!
Replied By Laura (Ventnor, Nj) on 01/25/2010
Replied By Carolyn (Georgia, US) on 09/27/2014
Replied By Zimjace (Zimbabwe) on 09/28/2014
i have read so many different posts on how to stop and i'm sure there are many peeps out there that have tried different methods to no avail, ,
but I also know of people (close friends) that smoked far more than I do that have just decided to give it up and that was that, , , they haven't smoked since that day, , ,
i almost did, , , as I been telling myself daily that I should stop, , , so I kinda cut down, , , some days would really smoke less than others and about a week ago I only had 1 ciggy the whole day, , , , but that was for that day only, , , , and now i'm smoking about 10
i wanna give up, not cut down but seem to be lacking in willpower
Is there something I can do for willpower?
Replied By Mr. Ree (Usa) on 09/28/2014
Replied By Mr. Ree (Usa) on 09/28/2014
Replied By Kathy (Naugatuck, Ct) on 10/02/2014
Replied By Cj (Chico, Ca) on 05/16/2015
This is the ideal way to quit - I smoked for 11 years & tapered off the way he described --although instead of destroying the ciggs not smoked I would put that cash saved in a jar and then buy something special --the reason I am writing is after not smoking for 20 years -for some reason I decided to start again BIG mistake although I am smoking only about 6 a day for the last 3 years -quitting is just as difficult --& I must say 20 years ago after I quit I always Missed it and if I saw someone smoking I still wanted to have one -- For me that feeling never went away -- so if you are successful -don't be temped to have one!
Replied By I.m. Trying (Texas) on 07/12/2017
Any suggestions would be helpful.
Thanks!
Replied By Michael (New Zealand) on 07/12/2017
There must be something out there that will help but it will need YOU to add something from yourself to the mix also. Some sort of a plan would help you get from day to day for starters.
Michael
Replied By Mama To Many (Tn) on 07/13/2017
Have you looked in to Lobelia? Several on this site mention it being a help for the physical addiction.
Also, see this page for ideas for natural pain relief:
https://www.earthclinic.com/remedies/natural-alternatives-to-opiates.html
Epsom salt baths are good for detox and relaxing.
If evening is when you relax with wine and cigarettes, you will need to find a substitute for them - walking, going to the gym, cooking.
Sunflower seeds in the shell that you have to crack open to eat can give some oral and manual satisfaction.
Hang in there. My mother in law quit many times, but the last time she quit was 25 years ago and it stuck.
~Mama to Many~
Replied By Wendy (Columbus, Oh) on 07/14/2017
Here's a synopsis from Amazon: "Allen Carr's innovative Easyway method—which he discovered after his own 100-cigarette-a-day habit nearly drove him to despair—has helped millions kick smoking without feeling anxious and deprived. That's because he helps smokers discover the psychological reasons behind their dependency, explains in detail how to handle the withdrawal symptoms, shows them how to avoid situations when temptation might become too strong, and enables them to stay smoke-free. Carr discusses such issues as nicotine addiction; the social “brainwashing” that encourages smoking; the false belief that a cigarette relieves stress; the role boredom plays in sabotaging efforts to stop; and the main reasons for failure. With this proven program, smokers will be throwing away their packs for good."
Replied By Annie (Usa, California ) on 12/30/2017
My Husband started smoking at about 13 (not much) when his parents where not home..then he would also go to there bar in the house and have a drink! They never knew..When he was about 19teen he was smoking 2 1/2 packs of Lucky Strikes, or Camels aday..
I'm not a drinker, and smoked a bit as a teenager cause it was cool at the time lol.
When my husband was 38 he went out with a friend, and came home about 11pm, and was drunk, and had a black out, which dumb me didnt know what that was..About two on the morning when he was Ok, I said, thats it.. when you come home from work, go to a AA meeting or pack your stuff and get out of this house. We had two children, I was a stay at home Mom.
When he got home from the office, we both went to a Huge AA meeting, must of been close to at least 500 people there All smoking, and allot had been drinking. It was a scary meeting..After, When we got to the parking lot, I said, what do you think?
He said I will Never Drink or smoke again..As he now says, I did both about acouple of times, and one of the drinking times he had a car accident..didnt get hurt, but the car was bad.
Now I'm jumping 10 yrs later after he stopped smoking, my husband was then 47, and he goes to a cardiologist on a wed. as I knew there was something wrong..Btw he is a slim man, that is althletic. The first question the Dr.asked was, Do You Smoke? No, not in about 10ys. He did awful on the heart tests. Two days later on Friday, he was at Cedar Sinai hospital, and the Dr. Got a team together, on Monday he had a Quadruple heart By-Pass surgery. If he did not have the surgery the Drs. Said he would have had a heart attack within two weeks and would have never survived..Just want to mention we have a few Dr. Friends, and if we didnt he would not have got to a good Cardio Dr. In a day..Its awful to say, but it makes a big difference, or my husband would have died.
Btw, cause we are slim we thought we could eat what ever we wanted, and he could smoke with no problem, No that is not true. After that we totally changed our diet, and still do.
My husband is now 76, of course he does not smoke or drink, but he did have a slight heart attack last year, and did survive.. we are still very active, but if you think its ok to just smoke 7 to 10 cigarettes, you are in Denial. You cannot...my husbands friend thought it was ok to smoke 8 aday. He dropped dead at 47 yrs, and left two boys in high school, and 3 little girls under 5...
It's So selfish of anyone to do that to your family and think it can't happen to me. It does Not matter how much money you have, or don't, cigarettes will Kill you, or Ruin your life .
if its Not Cancer, it Will be Your Heart Arteries, or your Lungs with COPD...Do NOT Let Cigarettes Control Your Life. Stand up and be Strong. Stop your little game with cigarettes. Just Stop making Stupid Excuses that you can't Stop.. Just Stop or get the Patch.
Be kind to yourself, and your Family.
Replied By 2q&learn (Southern Ca, Usa) on 09/16/2018
- 1 Corinthians 10:13
"He gives power to the tired one, and full might to those lacking strength."
- Isaiah 40:29
"For all things I have the strength through the one who gives me power."
- Philippians 4:13
(New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, Study Edition)