How To Stop Smoking!
This was once a blog that detailed in great depth the struggle I went through when I quit smoking. I recently read through the many daily posts, and, it occurred to me that they weren't really necessary. Suffice to say: quitting smoking is very, very difficult. I won't be doing you any favor if I mislead you there. Many scientists say that the nicotine addiction is more powerful than being addicted to heroin.
So, when I read through all the posts, it occured to me that all of that wasn't really necessary. What I really want to do is provide a page that will actually HELP PEOPLE STOP SMOKING! I want to try and succinctly touch-upon the different ways that people actually do stop smoking.
Nobody has to read about the details of my daily struggles. And, who has the time to read through my hundreds of pages? I want to get my helpful knowledge compressed into this one page! Cigarette smokers already know that quitting is difficult! What they want are answers. And, I've got a lot of experience with smoking and quitting, and, I want to share my story.
I started smoking when I was 15. I quit when I was 35. I had quit a few times cold-turky in between, and, those attempts ended in tears. That's just how powerful the addiction is!
Why Did I Smoke?
I finally figured this out by doing the other blog. I had typed out thousands and thousands of words before it all made sense. I smoked to self-regulate my emotions. Please read that bold sentence a few times; because it took me 20 years to figure that out. And, I learned that many people smoke to regulate their emotions and moods.
When you suck in that smoke the nicotine stimulates dopamine release in your brain. You'll see that word dopamine mentioned any number of times on this page. And, it's really one of the most important things to understand. It's a hormone that makes you feel good. And, by lighting a cigarette you are, essentially, giving yourself a little dopamine shot.
The key is to learn to live without doing this.
About Chantix
What allowed me to quit for the longest stretch was a drug called Chantix combined with a fairly rigorous, three-day-a-week exercise program. Now, I know that Chantix has been involved in quite a bit of controversy in the media...there was a well-publicized case of a musician who was on the drug and who really lost himself and ended-up being shot by a neighbor...and, there have been other negative reports as well that have lead to bans on pilots and so forth. Due to the Chantix health controversies, I am no longer running any Chantix ads on this site; and, I can no longer in good conscience recommend it.
One of the main things I'd like to emphasize is that you do not beat the heck out of yourself if you slip-up. It will do you no good whatsoever to get down on yourself. This is perhaps the best advice I have to offer. It's hard to quit. If you slip; feel good about the smoke-free time that you did achieve!
...and, I want to share my knowledge to help people to quit cigarettes and extend their lives and improve their health...and, their smell!
Now, there are ways to quit including cold turkey, nicotine gum, nicotine patches, Zyban, Cigarrest etc. I've heard people swear that Cigarrest was the only thing that allowed them to quit. Some people swear by Zyban. There are a lot of different opinions out there; and, other folks have had good experiences with those means. Nicotine gum, like Nicorette, is a very safe thing to use that helps a lot of people. Heck, even Presidential candidate Barack Obama is chewing the stuff!
And, I can feel good about recommending Nicorette to my readers because I know that even if it doesn't work for everybody in the long-run...there really aren't any negative reports about the stuff. All it's doing is putting a bit of nicotine in your system via the gum. And, at least your lungs are getting a much-needed break!
Like I said, there are a lot of opinions out there, and, I think I've read all of them. Some folks absolutely insist that the only way to quit is simply by going cold turkey: just giving up cigarettes without any sort of drugs or gum. Joel argues for cold turkey in his free and popular eBook Never Take Another Puff. That's a cool resource, and, like I said...it's free. Another great book is
Reading that book is another cheap way to really help yourself quit!
The Importance of Exercise
One thing that I really want to emphasize is just how helpful exercise is to a cigarette-quitting attempt. Exercise really, really has helped me to stop from flicking my Bic. You see, as mentioned earlier, the real power of nicotine addiction is that it stimulates your brain to release the hormone dopamine. Dopamine is a feel-good hormone...and, it brings a sense of relief and calm.
On a side note, without getting into too much scientific depth, the way that Chantix helps folks is that it actually stimulates the brain to continue to release some dopamine. This is how it makes the quitting process easier!
But, see...exercise works in a similar way. Jogging and lifting weights and aerobics etc. also stimulate the brain to release dopamine! Naturally! So, I want all of my readers to appreciate that there is absolutely no controversy about just how good exercise is to help you stop smoking. And, besides, it has other benefits as well...like your health!
Getting my gym membership when I quit smoking is hands down one of the best things I ever did. It might not seem sensible that exercising would make quitting so much easier. But, it did for me and for many others as well. I want to exercise for the rest of my life. And, if I can continue not smoking, hopefully it will be a very long life.
And, you know...my gym membership costs me $35 a month. Cigarettes used to cost me at least $150 a month. So, there's really no financial excuse!!!
Things To Do Instead Of Smoking
On the old website I included a list of things to do instead of smoking:
- Hold a fake cig.
- Go for a walk.
- Doodle draw.
- Chew some gum.
- Call a friend.
- Go see a movie.
- Give yourself a manicure.
- Give your partner a massage.
- Do a puzzle.
- Exercise (yes, even at your home.)
- Crochet.
- Knit.
- Snap along to your favorite song.
- Any hobby.
- Low cal snack.
- Make a to-do list.
- Do the to-do list you just made.
- Read the newspaper.
- Or, better, BBC it….
- Squeeze a ball.
- Hit a pillow.
- Yell and scream.
- Do aerobics.
- Jump rope.
- Play with your children.
- Play with your pets.
- Breathe deeply.
- Weed the garden.
- Throw darts.
- Crush paper.
- Crush more paper.
- Build something.
- Start a website.
- Start a blog.
- Start a forum.
- Visit Reddit. Believe me… this will distract you and entertain you good and proper!
- Visit Digg. This is good especially if you’re into technology.
- Check out Atom Films.
- Go to Google something you’ve been wanting to learn more about.
- Write a poem.
- Write a story.
- Organize your mp3 collection.
And, if you’re trying not to smoke and feeling stressed or unhappy.
I'm including the list here because it might help!
In Summary
In summary, you may be thinking that I didn't really provide any easy answers for how to stop smoking. That's because I didn't. That's because there aren't any easy ways for a nicotine-addict to quit smoking. Quitting smoking is just a really difficult thing. And, there's no way around that. And, it's difficult whether you try to quit via cold-turkey or with the help of a product. I don't want to lie to you.
A lot of people on the web are trying to push one particular stop smoking product at you so they can pocket some cash. As I said, there is no magic product. There is no easy solution. You are addicted to nicotine...perhaps the most addictive drug out there.
People try quitting using a variety of different methods. Some people think Chantix is great; while, others say that it may be responsible for the end of your life. Some folks swear by Zyban. Some will say that Nicorette was their secret weapon. Over at eBay there's a whole host of products to help you quit smoking.
Whichever method you choose, it's necessary to have a firm resolve and determination to quit. List the reasons why you want to quit. And, drink lots of cold water. For whatever reason, that's one of the best things I found to help fight off cravings...and, it's free...right out of your tap. The fact that it might likely have residual traces of various pharmaceuticals in it is a different matter!
I hope you gained something from this page. Consider it a very compressed starting point in which I try to pack all of my cigarette quitting knowledge into as few words as possible. I know people are busy and don't have a lot of time.
I want to take this opportunity to thank all of the people who left comments on the original blog and who followed along in my daily struggles. Your support still means a lot to me!
And, always remember, you're not in this alone. And, good luck!
Yours truly,
John Smith