If you WISH you didn't smoke BUT... you don't actually want to quit, don't try to quit as a token gesture to please other people.
If you WANT to quit BUT... you know you're not ready yet, then don't do it YET. Prepare yourself first.
If you WANT to quit and you FEEL READY to quit BUT... you know that the time is not right (perhaps due to a temporary stressful patch) then don't do it YET. For the time being just start to prepare yourself and look forward to quitting soon.
If you WANT to quit, and you FEEL READY to quit AND the time is right so you are ABLE to do it, don't keep putting it off - DO IT.
Don't just 'try', actually DO IT
Stopping smoking takes determination and a certain amount of belief in your ability to succeed. If you don't believe you can do it, you almost certainly won't.
When you only 'try' to quit you are already half expecting to fail
Trying means DEPENDING how hard it is, you MIGHT succeed. Resolve to ride it out, no matter how hard it is, and you actually will succeed. (If you need a motivational boost read 'Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking'.)
Success does not depend on how hard it is. Success depends on your determination to succeed NO MATTER how hard it is.
Make your goal realistic and you will succeed - Ask yourself what is the most realistic and sensible goal for you right now?
Giving Up Completely
Cutting Down or
Limiting the Damage
TOP
GIVING UP COMPLETELY
Giving up completely means becoming a non-smoker and NEVER SMOKING AGAIN. For some people the thought of being a non-smoker and being free from the NEED to smoke is exhilarating. For many others it is a terrifying prospect and one which they will do anything to try and avoid (see 'Fear of quitting').
Once you've decided you want to give up completely and that you are GOING to do it, you are half way there because for some smokers that is a major decision which takes years to arrive at. If you have made that decision then congratulate yourself. It is the first and most crucial step on the way to actually becoming a non-smoker.
Remember, it is not enough to 'try' to give up smoking. Trying only means you MIGHT succeed IF its not too hard.
Once you've decided you are going to stop smoking completely, your next step is to decide HOW (see STEP 2) and WHEN (see STEP 3).
Don't waste the power of your decision by going into unprepared and therefore not giving it you best shot. Determine to know your 'enemy' - make a firm plan of exactly how you are going to defeat smoking. (See STEP 2)
TOP
CUTTING DOWN
If you think you smoke too much you may want to cut it down to a more acceptable level. In this way you reduce the harm smoking does to you, and of course the expense, without taking the more drastic measure of quitting altogether.
Set yourself some smoking rules, such as:
- limit the number you buy per week
- limit the places you smoke, eg not in the house or car, etc
- set time limits, eg not before midday, not more than one every 2 hours, etc
There are lots of products and aids to help you cut down (see below).
CAUTION
1 - Some find cutting down easy, but a few people find it very difficult and some even end up smoking more! If this happens to you it can create a real fear of quitting smoking, but don't panic - it is often a clear indication that you are an 'all or nothing' person who has a very good chance of success once you finally take the decision to stop smoking COMPLETELY - which you will almost certainly find easier than cutting down.
2 - When you go from being a heavyish smoker to smoking none at all, the contrast is striking. You really NOTICE how good it feels not to be smoking all the habit cigarettes you didn't really enjoy; you really NOTICE all the benefits of being a non-smoker and have lots of motivation to help you beat the remaining few you DID enjoy. However, if you have already cut right down and are really enjoying every cigarette you smoke, it can be harder to give them up. Perverse as it sounds it can be harder for a light smoker to quit particularly if you USED TO smoke heavily.
TOP
LIMITING THE DAMAGE
Whilst THERE IS NO SAFE WAY TO SMOKE, If you are not in a position to stop smoking altogether, you may want to try to at least minimise its harmful effects.
Cigarettes and tobacco contain literally hundreds of harmful chemicals - not just nicotine.
"The INGREDIENTS of the tobacco products include tobacco, paper, filter materials and additives. In addition, there may be residues of pesticides, fertilisers and fumigants and the process agents used during manufacturing. Additives are used to improve the physical characteristics of tobacco products – perhaps to extend their shelf life or to make them less likely to rot during transport. They are also used to make the product more desirable – for example to taste better. They are also used for more sinister things, like increasing the addictiveness of nicotine, or making it easier to learn to smoke. By increasing the appeal of cigarettes – or worse – additives that are supposedly ‘safe’ can lead to more smoking and therefore cause much more harm than the tiny quantity of the chemical additive causes itself." (ASH, 2002)
Cigarette filters
There are several cigarette filters on the market (see Filters). They are usually made of plastic and fit over the filter end of the cigarette, and are designed to intercept some of the harmful chemicals (including nicotine). Most filters are disposable and need to be replaced regularly. (see Mini Filters).
However, a complete stop smoking system using a set of progressively more effective filters is also available (see 'System4' Stop Smoking System). These are more expensive but the filters are more efficient (trapping up to 80% of nicotine and other noxious chemicals) as well as being washable and they will last indefinitely.
Herbal Cigarettes & Tobacco
Herbal cigarettes & tobacco contain no nicotine (and so are non-adictive) and contain a reduced amount of the harmful chemicals in normal cigarettes.
Because the are nicotine-free they are non-addictive, but it should be remembered they do still contain some noxious chemicals.
Low Tar Cigarettes
It is now known that smoking low tar brands is of no benefit as smokers tend to compensate for the weak 'hit' by drawing more deeply on the cigarette, or by smoking more.
TOP
ENFORCED NON-SMOKING
There are circumstances where you may not want to stop smoking but you HAVE TO stop, either for a short time or for good, for instance if you are going on a long-haul flight or going into hospital, or if you have been told you must stop for urgent health reasons.
Enforced quitting involves quite a different mind set. Whilst you may be lucky enough (or clever enough?) to be someone who is able to make it into a useful positive experience, it is easy to feel deprived, hard-done-by and resentful, all of which can magnify withdrawl symptoms - if you choose to let it.
There are lots of products that can really help you by taking the edge off withdrawal symptoms so use them, but the most powerful thing you can do is to work on your attitude. If there is any way you can turn enforced quitting into an opportunity, rather than view it as deprivation - any way you can make it into a positive rather than a negative experience - it will make your task vastly easier.
Remember, you may have no choice about stopping, but you can CHOOSE to make it easier, rather than harder.
- See this as an OPPORTUNITY, not a curse.
- ACCEPT that cravings will come - and CRAVINGS WILL GO and that they get easier and easier to deal with as time passes.
See Fear of Quitting, Getting Psyched-Up and Cravings.
Read 'How to Stop Smoking and Stay Stopped for Good', by Gillian Riley, and 'Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking'.
TOP
FEAR OF QUITTING
When a smoker has an intense fear of quitting it is usually because they recall a time when were deprived of smoking and went out of their mind with desperation for a smoke. They falsely imagine that nicotine withdrawal feels like their worst craving ever, and that its going to last for the rest of their life.
This fear may be reinforced when you decide to be brave and 'try' to stop smoking regardless. The trouble is, when you only 'try' to stop what you are really doing is giving yourself permission to start again if it gets hard - and it is MORE LIKELY to get hard because whenever you get a craving, instead of just letting it pass as quickly as possible, you find yourself dwelling on it, examining it closely to see how strong it is whether its worth breaking your resolution for. This actually MAKES THE CRAVING WORSE. The result - another failed attempt, more negative self-belief and more fear of quitting.
Remember:
- It is only nicotine addicts who crave nicotine. Once you are no longer addicted to nicotine your body no longer craves it.
- Your body is nicotine-free in only 48 hours. The cravings quickly get weaker and weaker after this.
- Ex-smokers are exaggerating when they tell you they gave up 20 years ago and could still murder a cigarette. They may well fancy a smoke now and then, but that is not the same thing at all.
- There IS life after smoking. Hard as it may be to imagine, you WILL be able to relax and have fun and enjoy parties without cigarettes. You WILL be able to enjoy all the things you used to enjoy, AND MORE!
See Getting Psyched-Up and Cravings sections.
Read 'How to Stop Smoking and Stay Stopped for Good', by Gillian Riley, and 'Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking'.