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Why is it so hard to stop smoking? and is there a trick to quitting besides synthetic drugs?

I don’t want to substitute one drug for another (chantix, etc), but I’m really desperate to stop today! I’ve cut back dramatically, but it seems like when my heart rate is elevated from exercise or stress, I get a terrible craving for cigarettes. The same thing happens when I have conversations with other people, or if I see or smell someone else smoking.

Any advice from former smokers will help.. Thanks!

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9 Responses to “Why is it so hard to stop smoking? and is there a trick to quitting besides synthetic drugs?”

  1. smartypants909 said :

    The tobacco companies add extra nicotene to their cigarettes, which is an addictive drug, and that is why it is so hard to quit. Many people need help, patches, etc. to quit.

  2. T H M said :

    i used to smoke….i quit on my own years ago….i know you dont believe it but its a mental thing. i started by putting the ciggarette in my mouth and not lighting it to get the menthol, then went to chewing wrigleys spearamint and drinking water instead after activities and finally i didnt think about it anymore when i thought i needed it and in a month i was done! ofcourse it still crossed my mind till it got to the point where the smell began to bother me and i realized how nasty it really was! GOOD LUCK!

  3. Doreen K said :

    When you are really truly ready to quit, you will succeed. You need to make a plan. You need something to do instead of smoking when the urge strikes or when you are in a situation where you would usually light up. Plan ahead for these situations, throw the smokes away and tell everyone who will listen that you have quit. Once I told people I had quit I refused to light up again because I did not want people to think I failed. That was actually a great motivator for me. Then reward yourself for working so hard. You will have cravings, at first often then it will get less and less but I don’t think they ever go totally away. I have been quit for 7 years and once in a while I get the urge but it passes. Every minute, hour or day you manage not to light up gets you that much closer to a healthier and wealthier life! Good Luck!!!! If you find you can not quit on your own call the local hospital and ask about support groups or quit smoking classes.

  4. Sphinx Rising said :

    Well, asides from the chemical dependency, there is also a mental and emotional dependency one has to consider also, as many things we do are often associated with smoking also, hence something akin to Pavla’s experiment, when we do these things, cigarettes are often associated with them.

    Eating, drinking, relaxing, sex, are just some of the things we often assciate with smoking, hence, you have to rreat all forms of addiction that are related to smoking, and not just the physical ones.

    Still a smoker, but I read up on addictions while in college.

  5. Irene J said :

    I usto smock and I came to find out that when you whant to quit smocking you would have to commit your self to doing so. When I was living whit people that smock it mad it hard for me to quit but after a wild I started to keep my self accupied. when I was doing just any activities it help me keep my mind of the ciggs. It seemed to work for me cuz I havent smoke for about a year plus another thing that help me was mind over matter, if you set your mind that you really dont need it after a wild youll slowly start smoking less and less untill you realise that you dont need a cigg. hope that helps you ^-^ good luck

  6. Passion Diva Trishia said :

    I am you and you are me! I am on day 7 of no smoking. This is my 1000th time trying to quit. Well, that may be a slight exaggeration, but you get the point! I am just like you, not wanting to substitute one drug for another. Drugs that mess with our brain chemistry freak me out! We are SO over medicated as a society it is ridiculous. It’s like we have to have a pill for everything and no one knows or wants to deal with any real emotions or situations anymore.

    Anyway, I went WAY off topic there! But I made a vow to myself when I decided to start a new smoke-free life again. I swore that if I couldn’t make it this time, that I would order Chantix. So maybe my fear and disdain of perscription drugs is fueling me?!?! LOL!

    The other thing I suggest is to really learn about addiction. Because that is what we are…addicts. And addiciton is a tricky thing. It makes us think we CAN’T, when really we can. Our addict minds are fooling us and when we listen to it, we fail. As nicotine addicts, we can’t smoke at all. I know for me, I always think, I’ll just have 1 or just a puff and that’s it. WRONG! Once I take that 1, in just a little bit, I am right back to where I started before!

    An actual nicotine crave only lasts 3 MINUTES. We can tough 3 minutes out!!! Then it is learning to retrain our brains and deal with triggers. For me, that has been driving. My toughest challenge is coming tonight as I have a party to go do an 1 1/2 away. The car is my biggest trigger because it is where I used to smoke the most (I don’t smoke in my house or at work).

    Anyway, spend some time on this site: http://whyquit.com
    I am an information hound, so the more I know the better I feel! I don’t spend anytime watching the ‘scare tactic’ videos. I am perfectly aware of how dangerous and stupid it is to smoke. But I do like reading up on the addiction side and getting some real tools on handling triggers.

    Anyway, I am right there with you. At day 7, I am feeling better than I have in my previous attempts, but still have the occasional craves and situational triggers. I wish you the best of luck!

    If you need a quit buddy, feel free to email me anytime! [email protected]

  7. Nina said :

    1) chew strong gum (and not nicotine gum cause that stuff tastes horribe and you wont ever want to chew it)

    2) eat sunflower seeds. they keep your mouth activated & thier delishious

    3) tape pictures of lung cancer on all your cigarette packs

  8. pinkzzocran said :

    HANG IN THERE. It is more mental than physical. You will find that your body craves it less and less every day. I found that after a week my cravings were gone and when I tried smoking again it actually made me sick.Maybe for a little while too it would be a good idea to avoid situations where you know the temptation would be too strong. Good luck.

  9. Jimmie said :

    I did laser therapy quit smoking 6 years ago in Charlotte, NC after smoking a pack and a half a day for 35 years. Laser therapy stop smoking was fast (no cravings or anything after one session) and painless and didn’t have the side effects like Chantax. The support that came with the stop smoking laser therapy was great and they helped me understand why I smoked and how to change my lifestyle so I would not even want a cig. I did two of the three treatments and never want another smoke.




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