Quitting Smoking: Going Cold Turkey
January 11, 2007 by
I am sure a few of us have made the resolution to quit smoking this year. The difficulty and length of quitting depends on how long you have smoked, how many cigarettes you smoke in a day, and even your family history. The most effective way to 
quit smoking is to stop smoking completely without any type of aide ( commonly know as cold turkey) and this is also the most difficult. Here are some tips to kick the habit.
Set a date- Set a specific date to quit smoking. Try choosing a date that will have the least amount of stress. The night before your chosen date, dispose of all your smoking paraphernalia and cigarettes. This will eliminate any visual smoking reminders. Remember, out of site, out of mind.
Inform your family and friends- Before your quit date, tell everybody you know that you are quitting and ask that they do not smoke when you around. Do not worry about annoying your friends with requesting they don't smoke, they probably want to quit to!
The fight- After you get through your first day, the withdrawals start. The intensity of the withdrawals depends on how much nicotine you normally intake. Withdraws include but are not limited to: Irritability, nausea, shakes, migraines, and vomiting. If you used a large amount of nicotine a day, you should expect to feel intense withdrawals and be pretty much useless for the first few days. If you need to function, you can use a small does quitting aide such as nicotine gum or the patch. Try not to use these since they still give you nicotine, it will make quitting harder, last longer, and confuse your body.
Avoid triggers- During the withdrawal period, you should make sure to avoid your triggers for smoking. Common triggers are social situations, stress, alcohol, caffeine, and over eating. Encountering these during your withdrawal period can be devastating to your stop smoking goal.
Set a date- Set a specific date to quit smoking. Try choosing a date that will have the least amount of stress. The night before your chosen date, dispose of all your smoking paraphernalia and cigarettes. This will eliminate any visual smoking reminders. Remember, out of site, out of mind.
Inform your family and friends- Before your quit date, tell everybody you know that you are quitting and ask that they do not smoke when you around. Do not worry about annoying your friends with requesting they don't smoke, they probably want to quit to!
The fight- After you get through your first day, the withdrawals start. The intensity of the withdrawals depends on how much nicotine you normally intake. Withdraws include but are not limited to: Irritability, nausea, shakes, migraines, and vomiting. If you used a large amount of nicotine a day, you should expect to feel intense withdrawals and be pretty much useless for the first few days. If you need to function, you can use a small does quitting aide such as nicotine gum or the patch. Try not to use these since they still give you nicotine, it will make quitting harder, last longer, and confuse your body.
Avoid triggers- During the withdrawal period, you should make sure to avoid your triggers for smoking. Common triggers are social situations, stress, alcohol, caffeine, and over eating. Encountering these during your withdrawal period can be devastating to your stop smoking goal.
With the massive media attempts to make smoking look disgusting, to the frightening health hazards, to the huge warning labels on advertisements and cigarette packages, quitting should be easy, right?
By cbb | Published 11/26/2007 | Read more »
I started smoking in high school and finally last year on my 35th birthday I quit. I was never addicted, of course. I haven't smoked since.
By A.B. Rojo | Published 10/24/2006 | Read more »
Acupuncture is a natural and effective weapon in the fight against smoking addiction. It helps to detoxify the system of addictive chemicals found in tobacco products, and helps the patient to modify compulsive behaviors.
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Comparing the cost of smoking, to a growing savings account over 52 weeks.
By Annie Shofkom | Published 10/3/2007 | Read more »
There are lots of ways to quit smoking and this is just one more way. It involves a little behavioral therapy, an herbal crutch that has been ignored for a long time, and ordinary common sense approaches to addiction management.
By Michael Thomas | Published 10/26/2006 | Read more »
Smoking cigarettes is an addiction, plain and simple. What was so easy to start can be a nightmare to stop. If I can help even one person to kick this nasty, deadly habit, it will be a gift and a blessing for us both.
By ivylily | Published 3/21/2007 | Read more »
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- Do not give up.
- If you fail, figure out what went wrong. Fix it, and try again.
- Just keep thinking how much better you will feel after getting the nicotine out fo your system.
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