Kitty. This is what i tell all my patients
First of all its bad to look at quitting smoking like a pass or fail, you have to be REALISTIC.
To do so encourages the mentality of "being a failure". Instead look at smoking cessation as a "trend". for example, If you want to quit you should look at it over a weekly period, or even look smaller and say daily. Depending on how much you smoked then any less than what your normal "trend" is will be a good day/week. You should aim to cut down gradually say 20% less over a 2-3 week period. After 2-3 weeks of doing this you then redefine what your new "trends" are. So then if after 2-3 weeks you have cut down you do the same all over again. This way if your dependance overwhelms you then you dont think of it as the end of the world. Remember quitting smoking is a long process designed to make the rest of your life healthier and longer. If it takes you the average quit time (no less than 12 weeks) to quit, but it sticks, then it is better to have smoked in a reduced capacity over that time then to try and quit in one week then taking it up 2 weeks later because you "failed".
Secondly its all about motivation and rewards. If you are motivated strongly about the financial gain that is ok, but few people actually quit because they can't afford it. What i suggest financially is to put aside the money you would have spent on smoking and use it (in the short term) to do something you like doing or spoil yourself a bit. That way you associate the money you have saved by not smoking with enjoyable things, rather than seeing the money as a barrier to smoking.
What you need to do is think about all the "other" reasons why quitting is a good idea, write them down, put them somewhere you can see it everyday. This way you have a better chance to quit. Dont put on things like "cancer, ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitis type 2, reflux, hypertension, coronary vascular disease", these are all "end point" consequences that no one ever thinks about and are poor motivation for the "right now" situation.
You need to remember that your body is working against you very hard. Over time your body increases the amount of "receptors" for nicotine if you smoke. The longer you dont smoke the less receptors you have and thus cravings are reduced. If you dont supply them with nicotine then you WILL get withdrawal symptoms. Its natural and not weak to have alot of cravings or even to give into them. Remember the fact that you are trying to quit is more than most people ever do. So that is already success number 1. Kitty 1 - smoking 0. The other thing to note is the duration of the average craving is very short. Distraction is very good.
Things to help you physically.... Nictotine replacement therapy (NRT)
Ok so there is a miriad of cessation aids to help you quit, and some of them arent half bad. Firstly due to your long history of smoking something immediate acting will be best. Lozenges or Gum or the inhaler (dont use the inhaler). Dont use patches as you will find they wont cover you very well and you will find you cant be as flexible with them.
If you go with the gum the recommended maxiumum daily dose is 39mg. Long term smokers hae a higher tolerance but try to stay under that or you can get nausea, reflux, tremors and agitation. To use the gum chew it until it is soft then plug it between your teeth and your cheek. This is called the Buccal membrane. Its the fastest way to get a medication into your system other than injection. If you chew it too much you will swallow the nicotine rather than absorb it. Every 15-20 mins chew an bit and relocate.
The other option is what you guys call Champtix. Its VERY successful, very well tolerated and a very good option if you try several times to quit but arent very successful.
Things not to do:
1) Replace the addiction with something else (eating, drinking etc)
2) Attempt negative motivation (everytime i smoke Army will punch me)
3) Attempt to quit too fast (highest relapse rates)
4) Think cold turkey is the ONLY option
5) Quit without consulting your doctor if you take other prescribed meds (smoking affects ALOT of other medications... very true)
6) think you are the only person who has to try to quit more than once.
Everyone has a friend of a friend or uncle or sister who quit cold turkey with no problems. But everyone know 10 people who tried that and failed. You cannot compare yourself to the 10% of people who were lucky enough to make it stick.
Anyway i've bored you enough with all of that. Good luck mate, your body will thank you one day
