[Cheryl1989]

Hi everyone, i have been a smoker since i was about 16 and i really want to quit, i have tried everything including patchs and gum and it works for about a week and then i start again. I smoke about 15 a day and i really need to stop. Does anyone know any natural aids to help me quit or any suggestions, i just dont seem to have any will power when it comes to this and i keep blaming being stressed, i also enjoy the odd cigerette. HELP lol. Thanks everyone.
Hugs Cheryl xxxx

[bellalily]

Have you heard of the electronic cigarettes? At least thats what I think they're called. Smokeless...looks like a cigarette...emits an air vapor. You can even use them in restaurants. The do contain nicotine, but have the tar and other nasties taken out. I'll see if I can find the link. You start with full flavor, or menthol...and you can decrease the amout of nicotine over time. My son tried something like this, but lost it....said it was wonderful.

http://www.e-cig.org/

[itsjust4fun91]

you can get the electronic ones on amazon really cheap also, they are sometimes also called smokeless cigarettes. I really wanted some to stop smoking with when I was going to quit and I might still get one just so I can use it on occasion with a tasty mango margarita sometimes. LOL.

I've stopped 4 times in my life during23 years of smoking. Once with each pregnancy. which was done the hard way and the miserable way. Then I would end up starting back after having them. The last one was after two years of being stopped. dumb I know.

Anyway this last time I used Chantix and I LOVED it. you can still smoke while taking it and you just suddenly realize one day you haven't wanted to smoke all day and that's that. It was wonderful.

[Andy]

Cheryl, Greetings and salutations.

Good for you on your decision to quit smoking. I hope you succeed in stopping.
I don’t know if this will help, but I recently stopped a bad habit myself. I have had this bad habit all of my life, and was not able to stop myself. This bad habit was a comfort action that I had developed early on in childhood. But, I managed to stop it a few months ago.
The way I stopped, was to make myself do other things. I mean whenever I caught myself about to ,or doing, the bad habit. I would focus on other actions instead. I tried to set up other habits and activities to take my mind away from the habit itself. I would not stay
with one thing, so I did not set up a new habit instead. In this way I was able to break the cycle. Don’t get me wrong every now and then I catch myself trying to start back up. I quickly put a stop to it. And so far I have not resumed. I realize your smoking has a chemical as well as a psychological dependency. And may not be quite the same thing.
Just wanted to let you know how I stopped a lifelong habit.

Hope this helps

Andy

"I never look back, darling. it distracts from the now." Edna Mode

[Bibi]

A friend stopped smoking a couple of years ago through group therapy. He was taking some medication at the same time, not sure what it´s called but it blocked the neurotransmitters that make you feel pleasure/relaxed when you smoke.
He said one of the most difficult things about stopping was that he had to get used to new routines, for instance he used to take a few minutes off work every morning to have his coffee and a cig, now he was at a loss at what to do at those moments. So for these situations he had a lot of help from talking these things out with the group. He also felt that it was inspiring to see others that had stopped smoking, something like "if this guy can do it, why not me".
Hope it helps and good luck!

[Cheryl1989]

Hi everyone, thank you all for your advice, i cannot believe how hard it is to stop lol i always thought i could quit just like that, how wrong was i lol, but i know i smoke from habit as i am just use to a routine, so i am going to try to change that, there are some things that has been suggested that i have never heard of and they sound like they could work for me, i am also worried about gaining more weight if i stop as my weight is so erratic at the moment, up and down all the time but hey i would sooner not smoke lol. Thanks everyone.
Hugs Cheryl xxxx

[Mel C]

Hey,Cheryl. Yes,it is very hard. I used Chantix,and it did help with those cravings,but my doc took me off as it made me physically feel like crap,and I was starting to get depressed-a possible side effect. I dwelled on bad thoughts and just felt funky blue-but keep in mind that I am allergic to LOTS of things. It has done wonders for many people and helped with kicking the habit. It is habit,but I have to be honest and say that I enjoy smoking. Best valium in the world. I have wanted to try the electronic cigarettes. I am only saving up for the initial investment. Definitely have support-preferably from someone who has kicked it. Good luck! Where there is a will....there is a way. Also-just remembered- Dr. John Duke has a book called the Green Pharmacy. I got my Bustea recipe from it,but it also has a recipe and info about which herbs do what. There is info about quitting smoking. You do not have to buy the book-you can access it free online @ www.thegreenpharmacy.com. If the address is wrong,you can Google it.

[fernanda]

Smoking depletes our bodies of nutrients. Give yourself a boost with the help of a multi-vitamin. This, combined with good diet will help you minimize the fatigue that can often occur during nicotine withdrawal.