The weird thing about starting this blog about how to quit smoking is that I started smoking again after years of not smoking.  With every cigarette I light up, I say to myself that I will quit smoking soon.   However, this has been going on for almost four years.  I should say that I have had success quitting in the past, and for very long periods of time.  However, whenever that mental obsession kicks in, I start again.  Notice that I said – mental obsession and not physical addiction.  Once the nicotine is out of a person’s body, it no long craves it.  On the other hand, the habit and gestures associated with smoking are sometimes harder to leave behind than the physical cravings. Right  now, since I am not allowed to smoke in my apartment building, most of the gestures associated with smoking, I cannot do.  These includes activities such as writing, watching television, playing the mandolin, surfing the internet, or having a cup of coffee or tea. Now, when I go outside to smoke, I bring my cell phone and check my messages and return calls.  It seems the only activity  I have remaining that I do while smoking.

After checking my voice-mail, made any calls necessary, I’ll walk around the block a couple of time while smoking.  I prefer not to stand in one place while smoking, because it is boring.  I’d rather walk around and look in store windows to keep my mind occupied. However, this has nothing to do with quitting smoking, rather everything to do with coping with my habit.  I think it is almost time to ask the question about how I am going to prepare myself to quit smoking, instead of how to quit smoking at this stage.  As stated in other articles, using burning incense to cope with the hand gestures of smoking has been a successful method for me in the past.  Why I am not doing that now is beyond me.

While sitting on o park bench and smoking a cigarette, I noticed the other day a woman with a large oxygen tank and gas mask.  I suppose she probably saw me with my cigarette, and thought how foolish I am to continue with this nasty and illogical habit.  Perhaps she thought to herself that maybe I would quit before being seriously ill as she is, or perhaps she didn’t notice me at all.  But, I sure noticed her!  People like her first motivated me to quit for good and all many years ago, swearing that I would never start again.  Yet, here I am again – smoking!

Another reason to stop smoking is the remark that my friend made the other day on the bus, which was I had bad breath – directly caused by smoking.  That really embarrassed me, because I wasn;t aware that I was so offensive.  After we ate a delicious meal at an Indian restaurant, U had the urge to smoke, but felt so self-conscious in front of her.  She just gave me a look – the look that said that I was pathetic!

So, how to quit smoking now that I am not only damaging my body, but that I also have bad breath?  The answer is that I don’t know!  I have the methods, but don’t seem to me motivated enough – despite many reason to do so!  Perhaps sharing my experience on the blog will help me.  I welcome your comments and support during this difficult period.
“Time to Quit Smoking” was written by Brenne Meirowitz, BA, MA, MS
©2012 How to Quit Smoking Stop & Brenne Meirowitz. All Rights Reserved.

Can you learn how to quit smoking on your own, or do you need a 12 step program?  That is up to the individual.  Smokers, by all accounts are considered addicts, and therefore a 12 step program may be right for you if you are truly an addict.  One of the sure signs of an addict is that when they try to quit on their own they can’t.  Some people find relief in a 12 step program and stop smoking. Others go to 12 step meetings, but still continue to smoke or pick-up again.  I never went to a 12 step program to quit smoking, but I am considering it now, as I picked-up smoking after not smoking for over 10 years.  Sure, I wrote about using incense as a pacifier, but first you have to be motivated to stop smoking get to that point.

Some people are forced to cut down, but not quit smoking entirely.  I’m in that situation now, because I live in an apartment where smoking is prohibited.  San Francisco is a city where most apartment buildings do not allow smoking.  Rather than quit, most of us are forced to go out to the street for our nicotine fixes.  That is certainly not enjoyable at all.  If I had the choice of quantity over quality, I would rather be able to smoke 2-3 cigarettes a day in the comfort of my home, rather than 10 or more on the street.

Another thing that is weird about this non-smoking law in San Francisco is that a lot of people smoke marijuana here, and quite a few are also forced to go out to the street because they can’t smoke indoors.  I was waiting for a bus last week, and this guy came out of a bar with his friends and they lit up!  He actually had the nerve to invite me – a perfect stranger – just waiting for a bus to smoke with them!  Well, I ran away as soon as I smelled it and realized what he had asked me! After telling this story to a few friends, I was informed that smoking grass in the street is common here.  Oh well!  Hopefully, they won’t get into a car and drive! Perhaps marijuana smokers need a 12 step program to teach them how to quit smoking!

There are 12 step programs on how to quit smoking, as well as many books, videos, and CDs that can help you achieve your goal.  However, a person must first be 100% motivated to stop smoking, otherwise none of these things will help.  However, a 12 step program, with its support system is probably better in the long run.  Quitting smoking on your own may be too much for many people and may require help and support from others.  When you join a stop smoking group, be sure to find a sponsor, which is someone who will personally support you.  While they can’t keep you from smoking, they are someone who has already gone through the experience and can help you along the way.  Also, a sponsor acts as a tutor, helping and guiding you through the 12 step process, providing you tools for how to quit smoking.

“How to Quit Smoking” was Written by Brenne Meirowitz, BA, MA, MS
©2011 How to Quit Smoking Stop & Brenne Meirowitz. All Rights Reserved.

If you are trying to quit smoking, this blog is full of tips on how to quit smoking and stop smoking forever!  I had struggled with smoking since I first picked-up my first cigarette at age 15.  At first, it was a teenage habit – one I picked-up while baby sitting.  Actually, I was not the main babysitter, but just went over to where my friend was working.  Anyway, she opened up the refrigerator of her employer’s home, and there was a carton of cigarettes!  She said that we could smoke one, as there was a pack already opened.  We did, and I became hooked immediately, while she did not.  I started going over there everyday – just for the cigarettes!  When I couldn’t sneak a pack out of the carton anymore, I started to buy my own.  How did I afford them?  I started to babysit after school myself.  So, at age 15, I was working to feed my cigarette addiction.

Does this story sound familiar?  Cigarette addiction is difficult to get over, so learning how to quit smoking is essential if you are serious. One of the key factors that a medical doctor once told me is to recognize that smoking is an addiction of both the body and the mind.  While still smoking, the nicotine is an addictive substance that stays in the body for about a week.  Afterwards, your body no longer craves it once it is out of the system.  The psychological part of smoking is perhaps even more difficult to overcome.  This is everything that goes into the oral fixation, the need to do something with our mouths, our hands, and our daily behavior.  The biggest fear I had about stop smoking was that I would gain weight, which I think is the fear of a lot of people.  If you don’t have a sweet tooth while smoking, be warned – you may acquire one along the quit smoking path!

While smoking, I wouldn’t get on the phone, go to the bathroom, or finish a meal without a cigarette.  If I woke up in the middle of the night, a cigarette was the first thing that I reached for and the same for waking up in the morning.  I couldn’t wait for anything without having a smoke!  It was if I thought that my time was otherwise wasted if I just waited for something without a cigarette!  Funny, how I thought! As if a cigarette could take the place of a good book, newspaper, or magazine.  As long as I had a lit cigarette, then my time wasn’t wasted!  How sad that addiction can take over your brain to rationalize even the most harmful things!

In my experience, the biggest key to how to quit smoking is the psychological aspect.  In order to stop smoking, certain behaviors have to replaced and then forgotten.  This, however, takes time and relearning your way of life.

How to Quit Smoking Was Written by Brenne Meirowitz, BA, MA, MS
©2011 How to Quit Smoking Stop & Brenne Meirowitz. All Rights Reserved.