What Smoking Can do for You

From personal experience smoking was harder than alcohol to quit and quiting alcohol was hell- smoking was the most difficult of drugs to quit.

Smokers who are given differing amounts of nicotine in "study cigarettes" show a remarkable ability to adjust their intake to maintain a stable level of nicotine intake over a day. I used to smoke a half a pack of cigarettes before going to work in the morning. not smoke all day and smoke like crazy after work. In addition, there is an addictive component to the intermittent increases in nicotine levels which accompany smoking a cigarette. This is important when considering some of the means used to quit smoking.

Besides the addiction to nicotine, what else keeps me smoking?

The addiction to nicotine certainly makes it hard to quit, but so do some of the behavioral aspects of smoking. Smoking also provides other side benefits which are real. These are some of the other reasons it's hard to stop. See which of the following areas seem to be important to you, and then note some of the solutions to minimize their importance as you plan to quit.

Stimulation: It helps you wake up, get organized, and get going.
Plan ahead. Organize the day so you won't need a cigarette to get going. Go to bed early, plan some early exercise.
Chew on gum, brush your teeth to give your mouth some stimulation.
Avoid fatigue

Handling: You enjoy some of the rituals of smoking.

Doodle
Handle a coin or rock.
Clean or polish your fingernails
Wear a rubber band around your wrist and snap it.

Pleasure: If you enjoy the "luxury" of the feeling that smoking gives you, then

Keep a list of the pleasures of non-smoking.
Keep a list of the displeasures that smoking already or will cause.
Begin an enjoyable exercise program.
Treat yourself to something special.

Relaxation: Smoking can be the classic "crutch" in times of discomfort. You may find it much easier to stop when things are going well, but particularly difficult when things are going poorly.

Try to find other relaxing alternatives, such as listening to music, a walk or a talk.
Take up a hobby or sport.
Take deep breaths. Learn other relaxation techniques..

Craving: Join the club! That's the combination of the physical, mental, and psychological components of this complex and powerful addiction.

Change your routine. Take a different route to work. Drink tea if you're a coffee drinker, etc.
You may benefit particularly from nicotine replacement therapies noted below.

Habit: You smoke automatically. Chances are you don't enjoy many of them.

Throw away your cigarettes, ashtrays, etc.
If your spouse or friends smoke, designate a part of your home as "smoke-free".
Go to places where smoking is prohibited, such as theaters, libraries, etc.
Always sit in the non-smoking parts of restaurants.
Have your car cleaned.

But I've smoked so long . . . why bother quitting now?
It's been said before but it can't be said enough.
Because the benefits begin IMMEDIATELY.

* In 20 Minutes:
o Blood Pressure and Pulse return to normal
o Temperature of hands and feet returns to normal
* In 8 Hours
o Carbon Monoxide levels are already back to normal
* In 24 Hours:
o Your chance of Heart Attack has already decreased significantly
* In 48 Hours
o Smell and taste return toward normal
o Walking becomes easier
* In 2 Weeks - 3 Months
o Circulation improves
o Lung function can increase up to 30%
* In 1 - 9 Months
o Coughing, sinus congestion and shortness of breath decrease
o Cilia regrow in lungs, increasing the ability of the lungs to resist infection
* In 1 Year
o Your risk of heart disease is one-half of what it was one year ago.

You see, it really does not matter how long you've smoked. These are reliable changes which you will enjoy.

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Qwitter no smoking

If you are acquainted with Twitter or not this is looks like a pretty cool Qwitter stop smoking aid. WHOO whooo my wife and I are 5 months into freedom from nicotine !!! with about $2,000 in savings from not smoking.
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The Oral Fixation

A lot of the removing ourself from the drug nicotine seems to involve a strong oral fixation. I started out with those white mint lifesavers. That lasted for a short while as I sucked on so many that my throat got raw. I also tried jolly rogers, ich, too much sugar, so I bought sugarless mints of different flavors and ricola cough drops. Looking for more natural things, carrots didn't do it. I have lately been using dried apricots and dried prunes. I also have been chewing on sticks, toothpicks didn't last a minute to thin so I found some chopsticks in a drawer and broke them down in size. I have also experimented with other types of wood, walnut, cherry, oak and even sticks from raspberry bushes. To see if there was a difference. I find I keep going back to the softwoods. Usually when I am using a wood I don't have any mints or such, which is a good thing. I left the house today without a mint or stick even and it was like weird . I wonder what other people use, I'd like to hear some comments on that.
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Final Smoking Days

I had been thinking about my birthday coming up on September 2, making me 62 years old. I've been feeling slower and slower. Usually buying cigarettes a carton at a time. To insure I wouldn't run out. I had been taking Chantix for 2 months and was still smoking. I bought just one pack.
A couple of months ago I had boughten some 'Equate' nicotine transdermal system patches. I got them at Walmart for $25 being $5 cheaper than anywhere else. The Nicoderm brand costing $39 for the same thing. But that is a whole nother post.
Anyway that night I put on a 21mg nicotine patch and had 2 cigarettes, the next day, new patch and that night I had 2 more cigarettes. The next day September 1, my birthday I had 3 cigarettes late at night. I knew this could not go on. So the next day, I did not have any cigarettes. Still on Chantix and a patch. I found myself getting the cold sweats. They would go away. As a couple of days went on. I kept the same patch on for 2 days then 3 days before switching when I would be getting the heavy cold sweats and now tremors. After a week I switched to the 14 mg patch. I did the same pattern, new patch for 2 days then keeping the same patch on for for 2 days. The cold sweats would come back.
On the 17th I put a new patch on, during this process in the middle of the night on three different nights I was awoken with what I call shaking tremors, a uncontrollable twitching. I carry stress on my left side. Thats where the tremors would appear. On the 20th I took that patch off and have been just using the Chantix.
Oh, I had been keeping these patches on by putting masking tape over the patch as I found they did not stick that well. After a day or so.
I'd like to hear how other people have gone through this process.
Tags: quit smoking stop smoking Nicoderm quit smoking aides Equate