I've been a "quitter" for about 9 yrs now. Quit a 20yr habit cold turkey. Best advise I can give is this:
-Truly establish to yourself why you want to quit and use that as motivation. Mine was poor health, and the fear of leaving my children fatherless prematurely.
- Dont tease your body and mind with patches or gum. All you are doing is keeping nicotine in your system longer and prolonging the quit. Nicotine will be free from your system in 7-10 days. After that, it is no longer a physical addiction.
-Toss out whatever is left in your pack right now, dont care if you just bought em. This is establishing to yourself that you are in fact ready to quit.
-Alter your "triggers". What I mean by this, is most have what I sum up as "triggers" and this is when you do something that is followed by lighting up a smoke whether it be right after a meal, when you get in the car, have a beer, after horizontal dancing etc. Instead of smoking right after a meal, replace the smoke with something else like with a jolly rancher or cinnamon toothpick.....or a joint. You gotta break those little individual habits to be successful.
-Distance yourself from others who smoke if possible. For instance, I have a group of friends that all smoke, and I found it hard to be around that in the first couple days of quitting. Thats when smoking still isnt a turnoff and you are still craving and have nicotine in your system....your still addicted physically and mentally. Just seperating yourself and hermiting out for a week will help. I did this, and when I emerged back into my norm I had lost the attraction or craving for a smoke. It was more repulsive than it was a tease when others would smoke.
-You just have to be absolutely ready to quit, and your will power will be tested so have a good support system that has the same goals for you. If your spouse smokes...make it a couples thing and quit together as the support will be stronger than if done alone.
