any piece of advice is welcome

P.S. Thanks to all the people that have taken their time to help me (and not just me, but others as well). It is much appreciated, and, from what I‘ve read, the „cold turkey“ method seems the most appealing to me. I‘ll quit smoking today, on the 7th of November 2024.

  • pr06lefs@lemmy.ml
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    1 month ago

    I tried quitting a number of times. Not easy, and demoralizing when you fail. You may have to try several times too.

    When I finally did quit I had decided to put off my first cigarette in the morning as long as possible, reasoning that sleep was the longest I’d go without nicotine. One day I went the whole day.

    A friend quit at the same time as me, using the gum. Six month later she was still using it, and gave up and started smoking again.

    Probably help that I had quit drinking by then as well. Pretty hard to drink and not smoke, for me.

  • kinkles@sh.itjust.works
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    1 month ago

    If you have children, remind yourself that you want to be around for as many of their achievements as possible.

  • Diddlydee@feddit.uk
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    1 month ago

    If you don’t have the willpower or don’t really want to, you will fail. It’s nearly all willpower.

  • HikingVet@lemmy.ca
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    1 month ago

    Well, there are several methods:

    *Cold turkey: just stop and ride it out. You can do things like chew gum to help deal with the cravings. *Medication: Talk to your doctor *The Patch: follow instructions on box. *Nicotine Gum: use as directed *Vape: not the best method, but works for people.

    Not an exhaustive list

  • sdiown@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    Just quit, there is no easy way than this. You just have to quit. İt will be tough but not from the nicotine itself, from the actions you had to take daily. That is the most hard to pass, but then you’ll learn to live in a new way without any addiction.

  • mub@lemmy.ml
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    1 month ago

    Speaking from my own experience here is my method.

    1. Start by accepting that you will suffer, but think of the suffering like having a bad cold or the flu. You’ll hate it but it will pass.

    If you are quite a light smoker (handful per day) I would just quit and ride it out. If things get really bad allow yourself 1 but no more. You’ll be surprised how quickly the worst cravings go away after a week.

    If you’re a heavy smoker take more of a run up to it, as follows.

    Put off the first smoke of the day for as long as you can. E.g. if you usually smoke as soon as you get up then hold off until after breakfast. Next Day try for just before lunch, and so on over a week or so. Try to also put a gap between eating and smoking. Once you are down to a few a day then do the cold turkey thing.

    The trick is actually not buying more cigarettes. If you have them till probably smoke them. But if not, that barrier helps.

    I smoked from about 19yo until I was in my early thirties (about 1 pack per day). I also spent the nights smoking a lot of spliffs as well (that’s weed with rolling tobacco). Now I only smoke Weed when I go down to see my friends which is like twice a year. I bring back enough tobacco to make 3 or 4 small roll ups which gets me through the come down over the following week. Then it is done.

    Quitting the first time is fuck hard but the cravings pass. Now I find it quite easy because I’m used to doing it.

    Good luck. You can do it.

  • hand@lemmy.studio
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    1 month ago

    I quit by switching to vaping and then working the nicotine level down to nothing and then quitting that. Whatever you decide to do I wish you the best of luck (and stick with it!)

    • Revv@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      1 month ago

      Same here. Fuck the naysayers who say cold turkey or nothing. Do what works for you.

      For OP: One caveat to the vape plan is you’ll likely need to get a vape that’s refillable so you can customize the nicotine level. Juul/vuse/disposables typically only come in one, or at best, 2 nicotine levels, which prevents effective tapering.

      Also, don’t fall into the trap of vaping places you wouldn’t have smoked (e.g. in your house/car). That can increase your nicotine dependency.

      Good luck!

  • Mister Neon@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    I’m going to tell you what worked for me. There’s a very good chance you’ll hate it and I will get flak.

    Cold Turkey.

    You physically stop yourself from purchasing cigarettes and not ask for them in social situations. You make a line in the sand and never cross that point again.

    • treadful@lemmy.zip
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      1 month ago

      Honestly, this is it. You have to want it, and you just have to do it. You’ll feel “sick” for a while but you just have to muscle that out.

      I know it’s easier said than done, but it really is that simple. Just stop.

    • Blizzard@lemmy.zip
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      1 month ago

      I did the same and can confirm it worked. First two weeks will be the worst, then it’ll be easier. Just be stuborn and aware that your will is stronger then a habit and that it doesn’t have power over you. The urge to smoke will remain but at that point you need to be aware that even if you’re convinced you want a smoke, it will taste really terrible when you actually do it and you will regret you broke your streak of non-smoking days.

    • Travelator@thelemmy.club
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      1 month ago

      Cold Turkey. Yes. That’s exactly what I did, in 2014, after 20 years of smoking, and it works. You must decide, absolutely, NEVER AGAIN. Not even a brush close to smoking again. After a week, it was easier. After a month, it was a new way of life, and a much better one. You’ll see.

      • Octothorpidiot@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        This and a case of pneumonia for me. Grabbed my remaining cigs and vape accessories and threw them all away. Not one puff since.

    • mranachi@aussie.zone
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      1 month ago

      Cold turkey worked for me. Took me 4 attempts. I wasn’t hard on myself for failure, I noted what happened (emotional trauma, stress, alcohol) and prepared myself for the next attempt.

      I wanted to quit, so when I relapsed it’s not because I wanted to smoke but because those little cancer stick bastards were trying hardest to kill me. But if they were going to be tough, I could be tougher. I found it easier when I could see the cigs as my enemy.

    • iamanurd@midwest.social
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      1 month ago

      Same for me. I quit, but I didn’t change the things I did in order to quit. I still went to the same bar with the same friends and hung out with them outside while they smoked. It sucked, but kept getting easier.

      The one thing I did do was buy an ozone generator and used it to get rid of the smoke smell in my cars and the house. Everything seemed cleaner.

      3 years later, I still always want to smoke. I just don’t.

    • Dashi@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      Cold turkey worked for me. But it wasn’t this big thing. One day I didn’t want to go to the gas station to get more and that turned into, how long could I go? And now I smoke once a year on my friends birthday and HATE the taste.

  • superkret@feddit.org
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    1 month ago

    I quit smoking successfully a few years ago, after at least a dozen unsuccessful attempts.
    Here’s what was different the time I succeeded:

    I changed my mindset. Basically, I told myself that I won’t ever smoke a single cigarette again in my life, no matter how shitty that makes me feel.
    The trigger for that mindset was a common cold that left me breathless for 4 weeks.
    And the key to success was the realization that:

    1.) I’m not addicted to cigarettes, I’m addicted to nicotine
    2.) Nicotine by itself isn’t all that harmful
    3.) Whenever I have a craving, I can just chew a nicotine chewing gum
    4.) Nicotine by itself isn’t even that addictive

    So I bought a whole lot of nicotine gum, and whenever I felt the slightest craving I popped one in.
    After about 2 weeks the cravings subsided (cause nicotine isn’t actually what makes you addicted).

  • a4ng3l@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    I quitted few years ago already. I bought a pack of those peppermint like pills that contain nicotine to help stopping. They tasted so horribly bad I just had like 2 of them and quit smoking cold. So maybe go get some of those disgusting pills.