Has anyone got any tips on quitting smoking?

[ryansullivan]

I've been a smoker for 8 years now, started on just a few a day and now on near 40, more when in the pub, but I want to give up. I have no will power though, any tips anyone?

[4getmenot]

The pub is probably the problem so try and avoid it for a bit if you can, chewing gum helps and lots of lollies just to keep your hand occupied, failing that never go out and just sleep all day :-)

[funkymoped]

not tryin to patronise, but if you want to stop smoking....
STOP SMOKING !!!

Ive been there a couple of times.. yes im a smoker, but only because i want to be..

got no desire to give it up at the moment, but the times idid... it was easy !!!

[whiffey]

Buy some 4mg Nicotinell chewing gum (ASDA is cheapest), and take a day in which you do nothing but not smoke. Go into the country, walk alone, take no fags, no matches. Avoid the pub for just that one day.

When you wake up the next day, you have one day under your belt, that is the first and biggest hurdle. Good luck of course. (I'm addicted to the gum now lol)

[vehelpfulguy]

If you had just watched my wife's father die, a life long smoker, you would have no trouble giving up.

Most of his problems were caused by smoking.

Give yourself an extra 10 years of life now.

[sexyairhead]

Don't bother the hardship involved in quitting is not worth it!

[Loosehead]

It cannot be done without will power so you're going to have to get some. You actually want to give up that's a start but for what it's worth I've never heard of anyone stopping except by just stopping. You just have to go one day at a time, avoid the boozer for a while, booze weakens the resolve. Do not try and stop at a particular time just stop when you think you are ready not on some arbitrary date, get you head together first. Save the money you would otherwise spend in a jar or something, I mean actually put the cash somewhere, watching it build will help and after a while you have enough for a holiday. Dont give up giving up!

[Loosehead]

and take no notice of losers like airhead above, she's currently gassing her unborn child, nice eh?

[4getmenot]

unborn children loosehead, why kill one when you can do two at once

[kazminx]

move to scotland, we cant smoke any bloody where!!!!!

[sexyairhead]

My twins have my strong genes they can withstand a bit of smoke.Prepares them for life.But of course you have decided to ignore. me.Oops that did not last long!LOL.

[annavc]

Maybe not hugely helpful but my own experience of quitting a few years back involved having a nasty bout of flu! I was really sick, throwing up, temperature, lost my voice - the lot. Anyway, I felt lousy and for about 4 days the last thing I wanted was a cigarette. When I started to feel better I thought about having one but then realised that the nicotine was all out of my system by then so I should take advantage of it and not start again - and I didn't - haven't had a puff in 3 years now.

I'm not suggesting you deliberately catch the flu but if you can think of some way of putting yourself off the idea completely just for a few days that would give you time to get it out of your system then its just breaking the habit rather than the addiction. Chewing gum is good, it gives you something to focus on when you'd usually be having a cigarette. Good Luck.

[jiggy-gb]

Go see your GP or practice nurse, they'll prescribe you some patches after having a chat with you about how much you smoke, what strength etc. That's the easy bit! The patches really do help with the cravings, they stop that feeling of your lungs screaming for cigs! lol!

The really hard part I found was keeping my hands busy, I kept reaching to where i kept my cigs and ashtray. So, I took up knitting, I was absolutely rubbish at it, but it really took my mind off wanting a smoke, I was concentrating so hard that the time just flew by.

Be prepared to gain some serious weight though. Nothing in my diet or activity levels changed, but my metabolism did! I gave up 18mths ago and it's only just starting to level off back to normal again.

Good luck and do try, it's better than having the govt telling you where and when you can smoke, and to get your sense of smell back is fantastic!

[4getmenot]

I never said I was ignoring you, I disagreed with Unruliejulie if you read it right. Sorry sullivan this is probably stressing you out more than the giving up :-)

[ritpetite]

Probably all of the above applies, so first of all good luck with it, at least you have thought about it! unfortunately it doesn't mean you made up your mind, if you have been trying to quit before and it didn't work!
Maybe try to think now what is that you like/dislike about smoking. Do a list, be honest with yourself. If you have more stuff on the like side, you don't want to quit. If there's more on the dislike part, then good for you!
Many people say that you can't stop quitting slowly. You just need to put it down for once and forever. And the other thing I heard was that it's not the nicotine that is missing for you, but the actual movement of the 'taking out the cigarette of the box, put it in your mouth, and then light it up'. So yes, you will need to find something to keep your fingers busy.
there is one more thing, you can try alternative treatments, like hypnosis. It works for some people, they get hypnotised, and the guy tells them how bad is smoking, and they can't stand the smell of cigarettes etc.
I've heard of a person who puts a bag over your head that has old cigarettes and ashes in it, and you need to breath that stinky air for god knows how long, and when you finally get a bit of fresh air, you wouldn't wanna smoke again. :)
Good luck, and don't try this last one at home alone! :))