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Serious resources about quitting smoking?

Discussion in 'Off-topic Discussion' started by Anne-Dauphine, Dec 8, 2014.

  1. Hello everyone, I'm sorry, I know this question has been asked a billion times, but here's the deal.

    If you read the thread I recently posted in Success Stories, you may know that I'm for the first time feeling completely accepting of myself. That is still true. However, I'm having deep concerns about my attitude.

    I cannot stop smoking.

    I know every health issues and I can go several months without smoking. But I'm like, an "emotional smoker"? Every time I'm sad or unhappy with my behaviour, I smoke. It's just about the process. It's a memory trigger to when I was depressed and suicidal and chain smoking in my teenager bedroom at my parents place. If I'm at party, and the air is thick with weed and cigarette smoke, if I'm drunk, I cannot help myself but ask for a cig. It's automatic. It's like when someone is bored and PMO. It's the same for me.

    And right now, I just walked a quarter of hour in the streets to buy some fags, and I had to purchase some chocolate bars just to be able to pay with my card. And I'm broke, really broke, because I bought myself some unnecessary shoes. I'm exhausted with this and really angry because of how it brings me back to my previous PMO life. Eating junk, never going to bed before 3am, and smoking, these were the staples of the girl I use to be, and I refuse to become this again. I am feeling guilt because of the poor choices I make and I literally cannot find any valuable enough reason to quit. The good old "whatevie fukit" always prevail.

    So I'm asking if some know some serious smoking quitting resources, some that aren't based on the health issues. Some that treat the emotional part of the addiction. Because I'm tired of succeeding that well at NoFap and screw up everything else.

    Thanks for your precious answers. I'm really in pieces right now.
     
  2. Finalfight123

    Finalfight123 Fapstronaut

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    I'm afraid I don't know of any at the moment but I'll be on the lookout for it. I've heard patches help but you seem to be saying that its your emotions that control it. Maybe get in the habit of when you tell yourself no to follow through on it and not do it.

    You are doing amazingly well almost a year incredible. I never smoked so I'm afraid my advice is quite limited but I know you'll be able to beat it when theres a will theres a way. And the fact that you've realized your going down your old paths is a good thing to know. So you can go down a better path. Good luck to you.
     
  3. Thank you, again, so much FF123. If I had one pound every time you helped me I'd have brand new Air Maxes right now. Never ever start smoking bro. I started as a self-harm method. I was hoping to die earlier. If only I could go back in freaking time.

    I've always avoided patches but I'm starting to wonder if it's not the solution. Could it really prevent the drunk out of her mind and nicotine craving Anne-Dauphine to do something she absolutely does not desire, but want, to do? Because again, every time I smoke, it's triggered by something. It's an emotion in the form of smoke. That's why it's so hard: you can't grasp smoke, you can't take it by the neck like PMO and throw it away. When I'm craving sugar there's many things I can grasp: my credit card, the wrapping paper, the bar itself. For PMO, at the beginning I could grab my own hands and tie them in my back. Now for smoking I could grab my lighter and pack and cig, but at the end, once it's in my lungs, I can't do anything. Sorry I'm really tired. It's so emotional, it's frustrating. I hate smoking, I know it deep in myself, for so many reasons. And yet I still do it. I feel like I'm experiencing what some guys here feel with PMO. I'm 10000% with you guys. It sucks fat juicy stuff.

    Anyway thanks for the advice, I will look into it tomorrow. I'm desperate enough to consider it. Sigh. Jeez.
     
  4. Monster Carrot

    Monster Carrot Fapstronaut

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    I have no experience with that particular addiction, but I know a good way to deter yourself. Just google "smoker lungs autopsy" and pick your favorite image, then set it as your desktop wallpaper for a few weeks. :)
     
  5. J743

    J743 New Fapstronaut

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    Hey there!

    20 minutes of meditation first thing in the morning. No guided, no ones cares if you flinch or fart or adjust, just go for it. You may think you can't——all the more reason you should. You can bypass that insanity of convincing yourself a cigarette is a good option by diverting your mental energy into a very calm, serene satisfactory state. In other words, you won't need to smoke, at this point it will be a question of want. The edge has been taken off. Repeat: smoking at this point becomes the decision you want to make instead of the one you currently feel like you have to, the one you currently are compelled to.

    Aside from that, carry a shit ton of water, and avoid all fatty foods that are so rich the only way—at current—you know how to get over that sluggish feeling is busting down a cigarette and chugging coffee. I'm not joking. It's weird but I remember quitting and smashing rice (no oil added), meditating and I didn't even flinch. It sounds weird, but if I ate non-fat foods I am BURSTING with enough energy to run a marathon. I'm talking about clean fuel, not refined sugar. It's easier to get over the hump until you *find* yourself as a non smoker. Boom.

    This is meant to be a suggestion. When I say "you" I mean "This is what I did." I have tried a few ways.

    Bonus: watch out for fits of resentment and/or excessive worry. Bottom line: get and stay out of your head the first few days until it's a hospitable environment. Newports turned my brain into a dump studio apartment I paid a million dollar rent for.
     
  6. Thank you so much for your replies guys!

    Hey monster_carrot that actually seems like it could work. The health issues does absolutely nothing to me to want to stop but if I see it every single second it may change my perception!

    J743, I have tried many times to meditate, but it just can't do it for me, idk why. My way to meditate is to draw and listen to music and do sudokus I guess. I feel already that it's something I only want. I want it because it helps me cope with a lot of stuff I suppose. It makes me forget other things I avoid, by focusing my attention on something else. I believe everything is religion, and if smoking is not a ritual, then nothing is.

    I'm glad to see that I already drink at least 2L a day so I got that for me which is nice! Yeah haha I'm working hard on the "clean fuel" part, love the expression. I think that sugar, PMO and smoking are bonded for me. It's like the reverses Holy Trinity. It's the Evil Gang. They go together. Because sugar = weight, weight = unhappiness, like PMO, and because smoking = bad lungs, bad lungs = can't run = weight = unhappiness. Excessive worrying is a massive, MASSIVE trigger for me. It's really the same as PMO! Every time I'm unhappy with something I smoke, it's a vicious circle. Thank you for your precious advices, I love your writing style!

    Blah, gonna smoke one right now. I cannot bear throwing them out.
     
  7. Knight Solaire

    Knight Solaire Fapstronaut

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    To be honest, the best way I have ever come upon for quitting smoking or dipping is to use a e-cig, they are a wonderful, healthy replacement. Any bad info you here about them is either shit made up by the tobacco industry or due to the people who make them no doing there job. Hope this helps. My new one comes in tomorrow so I can finally stop dipping. My girlfriend has used one for almost a year now and she loves it. She's been smoking since she was 13 or 14 so hopefully it will help you
     
  8. dragon

    dragon Fapstronaut

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    E-cigs/vapes worked for me because they not only supply the nicotine but they simulate the motion and throat movement of a cigarette. I think thats why nicotine patches aren't as effective. If you do go the e-cig route I highly recommend you find a friendly shop you feel comfortable going to as there is a small learning curve and it might give you trouble so its good to have a place you can bring it in to get fixed up or you have any questions. If your vape is not functioning good chance you might go right back to cigarettes. Hope this helps.
     
  9. Strugglesaurus

    Strugglesaurus Fapstronaut

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    Yeah I've had my e-cig for over a year and I feel so much better. Actual cigarettes make me feel sick now and they taste disgusting. With e-cigs, there are so many flavors. You can have tobacco, menthol, fruity, soda flavors, desserts, etc. I agree with dragon in that you should see if there's a vapor shop near you. Some head shops/tobacco shacks sell e-cigs and liquids too. The throat hit on these is incredible. It's even stronger than cigarettes. I dropped them so easily after I bought mine. You can take it anywhere, and though people might find it off-putting, you can vape as much as you like. I play cautious though because my state is being an asshole with e-cigs, saying it isn't allowed in businesses which makes no sense. I just hide it really well. ;)
     
    Last edited: Dec 10, 2014
  10. IGY

    IGY Guest

    "I've had my e-cig for over a year" - isn't the idea that you are supposed to stop smoking?
     
  11. Strugglesaurus

    Strugglesaurus Fapstronaut

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    IGY, no. That wasn't my intention when I bought my e-cig. I wanted a healthier way to smoke which is why I started using one. They aren't like patches in the sense that they're manufactured specifically as an option to wean yourself off of cigarettes. A lot of people consider them an "alternative", rather than a way to quit smoking. Though they're really useful for that too, if you lower your nicotine mg over time. I've known of a lot of people who quit successfully with e-cigs, but that's not my goal at this point in time.
     
  12. IGY

    IGY Guest

    "a healthier way to smoke", lol. Hmm, that's packed with irony. It is like when people who are going outside to have a smoke often say, "I am going outside for some fresh air", hahaha! :D
     
  13. Knight Solaire

    Knight Solaire Fapstronaut

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    We were just suggesting something man. There is no need to break apart things she says and make fun of them. An e-cig is healthier seeing as how the only thing that could be considered "bad" is the nicotine. Smoking an e-cig is nothing compared to smoking an actual cigarette. There is no need to be a smartass lol
     
    Last edited: Dec 10, 2014
  14. Strugglesaurus

    Strugglesaurus Fapstronaut

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    Hey, IGY, I've seen a lot of your posts and to me you seem like a no-bullshit type of guy. I respect that, but there's no acceptable reason why you should be judging my use of an e-cig and my reasons for using it. You may believe there's no healthy way to smoke, and that's okay. I, however, have a different opinion. I've been smoking since I was 14, and have accepted that I want to continue doing so, albeit in a "healthier" manner. Your analogy isn't really applicable here. I'm not saying kitties and rainbows are flying into my lungs lol
     
  15. NU-LIFE

    NU-LIFE Fapstronaut

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    Hi Anne, just want to start off by saying that I read that post in success stories and was truly touched. Your entire journey is amazing and your awesome!

    Now to your question, have you heard of the book by Alan carr: easy way to stop smoking? That's how I quit. I know it sounds absurd, like how can a book make you stop, but it's unbelievable and it works. I chain smoked for almost 15 years and my mom suggested the book. I smoked the whole time I read the book and at the end I threw out a whole deck of smokes and haven't smoked since. It's been over 7 months and I haven't had so much as a craving. I've tested every situation that I would have smoked in and still no cravings. I strongly recommend it to anyone who wants to quit. Now if only I can kick my other addictions. Lol.

    As for the E-cigs, I wouldn't recommend them. Not to say anything bad about them, or the people that smoke them, but I've had friends that quit with them and now their hooked on the e-cig. Also they haven't been out long enough for long term testing. They don't really know what they're gonna do to ya in the long run. Again, not saying anything bad about them. I just wouldn't use them myself, but then again I got a whole shit load of other bad habits.

    Whatever route you choose I wish you all the best and hope you find something that works for you.

    Safe travels :)
     
  16. anthrope

    anthrope Fapstronaut

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    Hey Anne!

    Here's an article that will give you a mindfulness based technique in quitting smoking.
    http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/minding-the-body/201204/can-mindfulness-help-you-quit-smoking

    In addition, I suggest trying out simple labeling, for quitting smoking. Try out the following, the next time a cigarette craving hits:
    Start labeling the sensations in your body and mind as you crave. Don't put pressure on yourself to either continue or to stop. Just continue labeling, whatever you're feeling and doing. Here's how it will go:

    I am craving a cigarette
    I can sense tension in my body (stomach, palms, feet, neck - whichever body parts you sense tension in) during this craving
    I am sensing the heat in my mind that calls me to smoke
    I am imagining a cigarette, and feeling uncomfortable because I am not smoking
    I am reaching for the cigarette
    I can feel tension in my body and in my mind when I stop to reach for the cigarette
    I am reaching for the cigarette again
    I am thinking of ways to rationalize this one cigarette
    I am thinking more of how cool it feels to smoke
    I am reaching for the cigarette again
    I am pulling the cigarette out of the box, while feeling bad in my mind
    I am pulling my lighter out
    I am feeling low because I am yielding
    I am stopping myself from lighting the cigarette and feeling tension in my body and mind

    If you combine this sort of labeling with mindfulness, you will find that you are much more powerful than you think you are. You are so powerful, no problem or addiction or craving can really challenge you. Like most of us though, you don't know how strong you are.

    Hope that helps! Cheers!
     
  17. I am in the same boat.

    I think that I'll try the Scripture - and what the Bible says about getting rid of it (if not about smoking specifically, then similar addictions as a whole).
     
  18. Whatever

    Whatever Fapstronaut

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  19. nonanino

    nonanino Fapstronaut

    That Allen Carr book seems interesting, have put it on my read list.


    What does your life look like when you are free from smoking? Can you imagine this? Can you imagine all the things you would do when this is your reality?

    I would go about it this way. No need to dwell on the things from the past, rather dream meditate and focus on the 10,000 beautiful things that you'd like for yourself (now and) in the future. The more clear this vision the better.
     
  20. Whatever

    Whatever Fapstronaut

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    No longer smoking after the addiction has been undone feels like no longer having a broken leg after the fracture has healed. It does almost acke sometimes but that is nothing.

    Ultimately, the process of succesfully undoing an addiction is all about sincerity and will.
    Also, systematic self-denial is extremely helpful; for example, do not smoke after having meals, postpone smoking for 5 or 15 min (or more) every time you get an involuntary trigger; that should get you a good starting point from which you can gradually free your will ;).

    It's not difficult unless you confuse and delude yourself by talking too much.
     
    Last edited: Dec 11, 2014

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