Don't stop smoking!

[Hardwood]

Don't stop smoking! if you want to stop smoking..
Well, that's how I did it. I'm not gonna say this method is the solution for the majority. But if you have tried and failed before, then why not try this..

I did not stop smoking, but I started to reduce occasions when I flipped up a cigarette. For example just as you exit a door somewhere, you stop and think.. can I pass on this one? Yes ok I can. Then if you are waiting for a bus or a train, or walking a certain distance you walk every day, you ask yourself, could I pass on this one? Yes. Then in a variety of situations, where you normally would smoke two in a row, you try to reduce to just one cigarette. Or whatever situation, you step down a little. The point is not to beat yourself up over this, and smoke the delicious cigarette when you really have to. But there are still many you can forsake during a day, without going crazy. Let this habit be a routine, and don't progress too fast, but keep reducing steadily.

So for me, in the end I was down to only one cigarette in my pocket. At this stage it was very important to have that cigarette available, even though I didn't smoke it. I could carry it for days, a pack with just a single one left, and not smoke it. But I had to have it, I had to know that at any time, if I want, I can smoke it. And if some idiots on the next table simply had to light up their pipes just as I had finished my heavy meal. Oh.. what a bad luck.. then I would join. In the end I think I carried this single cigarette for 2 or 3 weeks, before i let go of it. Finally also after not bringing with me any cigarette, on some occasions I could walk up to a stranger and ask for a cigarette, if I just happened to need one badly. But also that makes you feel a bit weak at that point, so you likely will not do that for very long. ..oh.. and this is now 12 years ago. I'm still having a few cigarettes a year, but have never dropped back into a habit.

So the trick here is to never make things too difficult for yourself, but let the addiction die out in a slow and natural manner. Because that is what is happening, the addiction will reduce, and it will not feel like much of an effort. And you will not have the issue of "blowing up" on your stop-smoking effort, because your not putting this abstinence pressure on your system. I still today do not mind lighting up, if it being xmas, new years eve, or some other special occation, festival, a few on vacation etc. The cool thing is that I can now still enjoy it a few times a year, but I don't have the abstinence, and it doesn't bother me since I'm allowed to smoke if I really feel like, but it's not an issue for me now.

PS: For those of you already on a routine, don't use this as an excuse to drop out. This is just one way that worked for one guy. I suggest it simply for people who have tried other things and failed several times; people with weak minds . Obviously it's much more impressive if you can just stop smoking today and never look back! Just think about that sentence.. "I stopped smoking on October 22nd, 2009, and I never looked back". Now that's cool.

[LL29]

Hi Hardwood and you are a rare gem to be able to do that. lol But I applaud you and I'm sure there are others that will benefit from what you're saying.

For me - I'm an all or nothing type gal so I can't have just one - one is right back to a pack a day so I have to quit all of it.

I actually quit for 2 yrs. a few yrs. back, go bk for a year, quit for a year, etc.. and now I'm ready to quit forever. I have 8 nasty things left and then I'm done. It's really harmful in so many ways and I really think it lowers your immune system and the stench of it alone is enough to make you quit.

Maybe you can just say no on those "special" occassions since you never know which cig will be the wrong one. But smoking a few a year compared to thousands - I still applaud you.

Take care
Laurie

[Hardwood]

Yes, you are right. I realize this is probably an impossible method for most people. I think I should further add the following reasons why I think this worked for me:

- I was young and had only smoked for a few years
- My habit was only about 10-15 cig a day
- I was having an active and sporting lifestyle, so smoking was really conflicting with this
- I had goals for my future health and activity level where smoking would really have set my performance back

So perhaps, if at all this method is possible, it should be required that you combine it with a complete lifestyle change and also change of your activity level, join a gym, improve your health, with further benefits of increased sexual desire and stamina, and the mental boost, energy and self confidence that will follow from this. If you set such goals then I think stop smoking will be 10 times more easy, and whatever method will be more likely to hold.

[LL29]

Yes I would definitely think that would aid them in many ways and anytime I've quit smoking it's always a lifestyle change.

I didn't realize how enslaved I was to it until I quit. It was ruling my life (i.e., getting out of meetings for a few minutes, making excuses to go outside, etc.) and it was just ridiculous.

Well, I have 6 left so I should be done sometime this afternoon. Pray for me

[Oleander53]

Hurray for you to stop....

I was a smoking fiend from age 12 to age 35 and then quit. I smoked one cig after 5 years free and was back smoking 2 pks in one week. I am an all or nothing girl.... I am now over 10 years free and I am soooo happy but never never ever can put one to my lips again. How I dreamed to be that person who could smoke just one or just 4 or just 10 and then none for a few days. But that was never the case with me. I had to have one the minute my foot hit the floor in the mornings...

My work made me feel like a leper and it was controlling me and my entire life. Every moment I was thinking where can I sneak and have my Cig at where no one will see me? I spent alot of time hiding my smoking habit. I was very athletic and in a profession where it was very unexceptable. But I just loved them.

First time I quit I did it cold turkey because I was pg......2nd time I used the Patches and they worked like a miracle for me. The patches made it easy for me.

My boyfriend smokes and I hope he can stop for his own health. It does not tempt me but I am always aware I had the habit and it had a hold of me. He is an Engineer and everyone at his work smokes so he just smokes away each day with no worries.......no one judging him....But he needs to stop for his own health. We do not have one friend that allows smoking at their home so his smoking now controls our social life and eventually his physical life.

I wish you the best of luck and stop now before it gets out of hand..... Now that I am having some serious health problems it feels so good to say No I don't smoke. I am so glad I quit and do not crave at all.

I hope that helps. I have offered my 3 kids 1000. if they do not smoke by age 21.... I have paid one already.

Sincerely, Oleander