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Help Quitting

Well I am 27 years old and have been smoking since I was 15.  I normally smoke a pack a day.  I am trying to quit.  Last week my packs last for 2 days each but this week I am not doing so well.  I am on my cycle and it seems the worse I feel the more I smoke.  I have trouble breathing at night and I dont even like smoking anymore.  How can I just quit cold turkey?  Is it normal to smoke more when you feel worse?
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Avatar universal
Hi Tiffany!  I smoked for 28 years and this is how I quit 3 years ago....


Set a quit date. Put your smokes and your lighter in seperate places.  Only smoke in one place and don't do anything else while you smoke.   Really smoke your smoke.  (I ended up getting bored and only smoking half a cig.)  This will help you cut down dramatically.  Then on your quit date use nicotine gum.  Read the instructions on the package!  The first 3 days are the hardest.  Then it will be better.  Drink plenty of water!!  Just remind yourself every day that you are not going to let your cigarette trick you into thinking that killing yourself slowly is ok.  (and how wonderful you will smell, and food will taste!)

You can do it!!
Rene
Helpful - 0
242912 tn?1660619837
First, I am proud of you for making an effort to stop, but as Kathyjo pointed out, if you want to quit, then you just have to just do it.  It can be very scary Tiffany.  Cigarettes are your friend in your worst time of need.....or your happiest time, LOL.  They are always there for you and the thought of giving them up can be an overwhelming one.  When I first quit, I cried so hard because I was so scared.  

I am a 33yr smoker and I pretty much went cold turkey last July.  I used the lozenge for 5days, but the side effects were too much for me so I stopped that too.  Whatever you decide to do will be what's right for you.  If you want to go c/t, then pick a quit date and just DO IT.  

And yes, it is very common to want to smoke more when we don't feel good.  I had some dental work done a week ago, and I don't know if it's gone wrong or what, but I have never been in more pain in my life.  And guess what I've been thinking will help me to feel better?  Yep....a cigarette.  But I've worked way too hard to listen to THAT lie.   I think one of the most important things to figure out is what you will do when those really stressful times hit.  

You can do this hun.  Better now than later when the habit is even more ingrained.  You will feel SO MUCH BETTER physically and trouble breathing will become a thing of the past.  You will be so proud of yourself too. : )

Good luck and we're here for you!!



Helpful - 0
326505 tn?1304169225
You asked  "Is it normal to smoke more when you feel worse." Absolutely!! Physically, emotionally.......we tend to rely on cigarettes as a crutch to be used when we are at our lowest. I did it for 38 yrs. and the longer you smoke, the worse it gets.
If you are considering cold turkey then you will want to log onto whyquit.com and spend a lot of time reading through Joel's library. If you have the stomach for it, then you might also want to read through the testimonials. These are truly heartbreaking so be prepared.
There is no such thing as tapering off, slowing down or almost quitting.....you either do it or not. It is a filthy dirty habit, an addiction and it is the hardest one to break but not impossible so you need to do it sooner than later.
Congratualations on your decision to quit and with support and the will to, you can succeed.
Post often for support, we are all in the same boat.
Kathy Jo
p.s.
today is 6 months smoke free for me!

---
6m 0:16 smoke-free, 4,026 cigs not smoked, $966.24 saved, 1w 6d 23:30 life saved
Helpful - 0
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