hey all. in your opinion, what is the best way to quit smoking (cigarettes)?  i've tried doing the cold turkey thing.  i'm fine for about a week, then i turn into bitch from hell for about two days, then i'm okay for three more days.  finally something happens, it doesn't even have to be something big (out of spagetti-os, can't find my sandals, dog hasn't been fed) and i'm lighting up again.  i can never last past 15 days.  this has happened to me several times in the past six months or so, and it's *always* the same pattern.  what do you (did you) do to quit, whether permanently or for a while?  i don't have an overabundance of cash (patches, gum costs dough- then again so do cigarettes.) i'll listen to any advice y'all want to give.   also if any of you have interesting stories on the topic (or even off the topic) PLEASE POST THEM!!!  anything would be better than reading all this political drivel infiltrating the ng ;o)  Booie's *ode to winter* was a dream compared to *Bush's stolen presidency* (neither of which i'm fond of btw). thanks, beka

: hey all. : in your opinion, what is the best way to quit smoking (cigarettes)?  i've tried : doing the cold turkey thing.  i'm fine for about a week, then i turn into bitch : from hell for about two days, then i'm okay for three more days.  finally : something happens, it doesn't even have to be something big (out of : spagetti-os, can't find my sandals, dog hasn't been fed) and i'm lighting up : again.  i can never last past 15 days.  this has happened to me several times : in the past six months or so, and it's *always* the same pattern.  what do you : (did you) do to quit, whether permanently or for a while?  i don't have an : overabundance of cash (patches, gum costs dough- then again so do cigarettes.) : i'll listen to any advice y'all want to give.   : also if any of you have interesting stories on the topic (or even off the : topic) PLEASE POST THEM!!!  anything would be better than reading all this : political drivel infiltrating the ng ;o)  Booie's *ode to winter* was a dream : compared to *Bush's stolen presidency* (neither of which i'm fond of btw). : thanks, : beka Nobody in the field has been able to identify one particular approach that is better than another for everyone.  If I recall correctly (I worked on some of the early patch research as a consultant for Marion-Merrill-Dow), on average, the patch increases your chances of stopping for good by about two-fold.  The gum works a little less well overall, but remember these are research averages and you never know for whom one approach will work and another won't.   It often takes multiple attempts to stop completely

i ended up quitting cold turkey two weeks ago (to the day) and i know that i won't begin again as i've utilized mind-over-matter.  while not a simple matter, it is the most productive in all the methods to stop smoking.  i've tried the gum and the patches, all of which reduced my physical craving but didn't allay my mental wants.  what i reccomend:  if you meditate, meditate upon what smoking is for you

hey all. in your opinion, what is the best way to quit smoking (cigarettes)?  i've tried doing the cold turkey thing.  i'm fine for about a week, then i turn into bitch from hell for about two days, then i'm okay for three more days.  finally something happens, it doesn't even have to be something big (out of spagetti-os, can't find my sandals, dog hasn't been fed) and i'm lighting up again.  i can never last past 15 days.  this has happened to me several times in the past six months or so, and it's *always* the same pattern.  what do you (did you) do to quit, whether permanently or for a while?  i don't have an overabundance of cash (patches, gum costs dough- then again so do cigarettes.) i'll listen to any advice y'all want to give. [...] I smoked for about 17 years, and for the last year or two before I quit, I was smoking 4.5 - 5 packs a day (lighting a new one off the butt of the old).  Many of my friends used to smoke as well.  Some of them are still trying to quit. Here are a few observations I've noted since I quit (1989): 1) I have yet to see anyone who's used the patch or nicotene gum keep away from    cigarettes for much more than five years.  I'm sure there are some who've    had long term success

hey all. in your opinion, what is the best way to quit smoking (cigarettes)?  i've tried doing the cold turkey thing.  i'm fine for about a week, then i turn into bitch from hell for about two days, then i'm okay for three more days.  finally something happens, it doesn't even have to be something big (out of spagetti-os, can't find my sandals, dog hasn't been fed) and i'm lighting up again. If you're breaking down under stress and telling yourself I don't care anymore , try doing these things ahead of time: 1. Pick up some other relaxation skills - sign up for a yoga or meditation class, or get a stress-busting book from the library. Doing some kind of healthy relaxation every day will bring your stress level down.  If you want a cigarette because you're feeling tense, you'll have something else to chill yourself out with. 2.  Get something round and tubular to hold in your hands, like a drinking straw or a pen.  You can also try faking the craving out by lighting your lighter, taking five deep breaths through the straw, then rubbing it into a table top. 3. Ask a buddy if you can call them when you want a smoke real bad. If they can give you fifteen minutes to hear how bad you want a cigarette, the craving may have come and gone by the time you are done. 4. Get some 3 by 5 cards.  Write down a different reason for not smoking on each one.  Keep them on you,  so that when you're jonesing for a cigarette, you can pull them out to remind yourself why you're putting up with the stress and hassle. On some other 3 by 5 cards, write down the thoughts that went though your mind when you got frustrated and decided to smoke.  Under each thought, write something to tell yourself when that thought pops up again.     If you were thinking I hate feeling this way , you can write down Dying of cancer or heart disease feels worse .  If the pop-up thought is I deserve a cigarette , you can think back I deserve better than poison in my lungs .  If you catch yourself thinking I'm going to break down because I always do , you can keep telling yourself I'm in control, not the cigarettes , or This sucks, but it is going to pass , or If I have a cigarette now, I'll be throwing away fifteen days of no smoking . Keep the 3 by 5 cards on you, look at them when you really want a butt, and they'll help you get through cravings.   Good luck, Jon ********************************************************************* Fractal and tie-dyed GD CD-R covers: Latest additions: 6-22-73, 9-02-78, 6-20-80, 10-05-84, http://www.angelfire.com/rock/gdcdrcovers/index.html