Cigarette Smoking and other Addictions

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Hello fellow members. I recently quit smoking cigarettes after being addicted to them for around 20 yrs. I have overcome some other addictions as well. Is there anyone else on here who has quit smoking? It's my 4th month without tobacco. HOWEVER, I still struggle. Thanks. It will be nice to hear from others who have battles with addictions.

I gave up smoking about 7-8 months ago now - after about 25 years.

I must admit, I still do give in to temptation sometimes after a few pints of beer - most of my friends are still smokers, and I still find smoking a cigarette infinitely preferable to second-hand smoke. Mind you, the disgusting taste in my mouth the following morning has so far kept me from continuing the next day - yuck!

Other than when drunk, I very rarely have any cravings at all these days. In fact, I never really did get bad physical cravings, despite cold-turkeying from a 3-4oz per week of rolling tobacco habit. Being on anti-depressants may explain that, as I've heard that some doctor's do prescribe them for some people who have tried but failed to give up by other means. In fact, it turned out that giving up smoking made one of my anti-depressants (mirtazapine) work better, and I was able to reduce my dose - something to do with the effect tobacco smoke has on the enzymes in the liver, if I understood my doctor correctly.

The "habitual" side of giving up I found a lot harder - the act of rolling a cigarette and smoking it had become quite a crutch for me socially. It gave me something to do with my hands to distract myself from over-stimulating environments (a stim of sorts, I suppose you could say) and a reason to get a break outside from social situations that were becoming overwhelming (and not requiring awkward explanations). Nowadays, I just go for a break if I have to have some peace without needing a silly excuse - I've realised that anyone who would reject me over such a trivial need probably isn't worth having as a friend anyway!

I've had problems in the past with my alcohol consumption too, and went through a phase when I was younger of taking just about anything else I was offered (short of injecting anything - I would never do that!). In a way, my current internet use might be seen by some as an addiction, even. I'm not quite sure where I think the line is between addictive behaviour and autistic special interests sometimes - something I'm keen to work out now that I know my diagnosis.

I envy you two, I have been an active smoker for seven years now, and to be honest, I don't even know if I'll be able to quit. Some advice?

From my many attempts in the past...

Firstly, although this may be a little controversial, I would advise you to avoid any of the 'substitute' products such as patches and gum. At the end of the day, you are trying to wean yourself off nicotine - not cigarettes.

When the companies peddling those products tell you that they are "more effective than willpower alone", what they do not tell you is how long those people gave up for, or whether they eventually went back to smoking. The simple fact is that while you take those products, you are still a nicotine addict. You are very likely to either go back to smoking for your fix when you can't get hold of the alternative, or you will become addicted to the patches/gum (this is shockingly common). Of course, the companies who make those product love that - it keeps you buying their product. Even if it is less harmful than the smoke of cigarettes, you are still an addict, and those companies (and the doctors who promote their products) are still drug-pushers in my eyes.

Another reason why substitutes are bad is that it robs of of the feeling of having achieved something. Your subconscious mind knows that you are using a 'crutch', so you won't get the good emotions of achievement that help you to stay on course. That positive reinforcement from good emotions is essential if you are going to succeed in the long term.

When giving up "cold-turkey", the most important thing to remember is that whatever stage you are at - you are already past the worst of it. That's true after just the first few hours - you have already done the hardest bit!

Secondly, cravings tend to happen for a very short period of time - though it will seem longer than it is! Keep a clock or stopwatch handy - the cravings generally last no more than two or three minutes at a time. If you can get through that short period without giving in, the cravings will have subsided. So find yourself something else to do to get through those few minutes - any distraction will do. And no matter how powerful the cravings, keep reminding yourself; "Just a couple of minutes more, and this will pass."

As time passes, you will find the amount of time between cravings getting longer. Keeping a diary of this can also help, as you will see the progress you are making very clearly. At first it will be minutes between cravings - soon hours - then days, weeks, months. This happens a lot quicker than you might expect!

Also, try not to feel that all is lost if you find yourself having a sneaky cigarette when out with friends, or a little tiddly from drink. Tell yourself that you may have lost that one little battle, but that doesn't mean you have lost the war - and continue as if it never happened. Feeling guilty about it isn't going to help - instead, use it as a reminder of the nasty things about smoking - how nasty the taste in your mouth still is, even hours later, or how yucky your clothes smell etc.

And finally. Set aside the money you would have spent on tobacco. Every week or so, marvel at how much money you have saved, and treat yourself to a reward. Giving up addiction is hard, and you will surely have deserved a little pampering!