[Baron]

Then dont, just smoke less!

[captaincookic]

day 2 of quitting for the 100th time. i finish working for good 2moro so quitting should be easier now. biggest challenge is when im on the piss and everyone is smoking. i actually like satisfying the cravings by eating alot of food. it actually feels nice. im also skinny so i need it.

ive quit many times before but i still had ciggies when i went out drinking. then left over ciggies from going out would be consumed and the daily smoking process would start again. this time, i wanna quit forever.
smoking addiction is more of a habit/boredom thing than a physical thing i reckon.

wish me luck

[Mat]

just go one month in a temple with only monks around you and no contact with the outside..no temptation

[melchior]

Originally Posted by Mat

just go one month in a temple with only monks around you and no contact with the outside..no temptation

yea rite...

[nivantj]

Originally Posted by Baron

Then dont, just smoke less!

Most practical advice so far..

[bitch76]

buy the book from Alan Carr. sounds silly that reading a book stops you from smoking, but it works, as it's all in your mind what controls the "little monster", but it worked with me and a lot of other friends. good thing: you can still smore while you are reading the book!

[CrouchingDonkey]

An interesting thread!

I've been a smoker for about 10 years. I've also tried to quit a few times.

Tried cold turkey, but found it just too much to cope with. My will power just isn't strong enough.

Tried hypnotherapy - It didn't do anything for me at all. The first thing on my mind after I was brought out of the trance was "I want a cigarette!"

Tried Alan Carr - didn't work for me either, despite all the reverse psychology.

So my point? The only thing that did work for me was a drug called Zyban. You take it for around 6 weeks, and keep smoking. By week 2, you'll find the taste of cigarettes just too awful to continue. You literally light up, then stub it out as fast as you can. You also don't get any of the cravings associated with quiting. You continue taking the medicine until the end of the course.

The downside? Well, for me there wasn't any. But there can be side effects, as with all drugs. You'll have to decide whether it's worth the risk compared with smoking.

I managed to quit twice for around 3 months each time, on Zyban. OK, if it's so good, why start again? Well, after the course, you're on your own. Though you won't ever feel the cravings, even after the course ends, it's up to you not to start smoking in one of those moments of weakness. Unfortunately, I did, which is why I started again.

I'm hoping to go on it again. (The final time!)

I have a question for you all. With HK doctors, can you ask for a prescription for a specific drug, if you have need for it? In the UK, our National Health Service heavily subsidises drugs, so doctors are reluctant to prescribe expensive drugs. But in HK, as everything is paid for privately, surely cost isn't the concern of the doctor?

[neither3nor4]

Cold turkey is the only sure way to go. Physical addiction is only a small part of the problem. If you don't have the resolve to overcome that, there is a good chance you will be smoking again in the near future. I tried many methods including cold turkey itself a few times before it finally worked.

One thing that really helped was breathing properly. If I had a craving, I would just sit and breathe deeply and calmly for 5 minutes until it past (like smoking without the smoke in a way). It becomes easier to put distance between your last cigarette and you. It is important to never let your guard down though. I used to think I was fine after 2 weeks and could smoke occasionally - pretty much how I started in the first place. Just like the first time but the habit was already ingrained.

In short, good luck, but realise that your will power is all you have in the long run.

[jayinhongkong]

I guess I'm lucky. I smoke very lightly....and I've never had a problem with it. Never been addicted to nicotine. Didn't smoke at all today and I won't tomorrow. I've been smoking like this since I was 13...never got hooked.

[BLam]

I used to smoke a lot say one pack per day and I have quitted smoking so far for almost 3 mths by undergoing a treatment with IQS HK which is located in Central. You can call 2869-0055 for enquiry if you are interested.