I think i found a new way

Muineach

Hya's,
Well let start out by admiting that I used to be a "regular" heavyish smoker (20 a day), then I was out sick for about 3 months, so I then became a "heroic" smoker :mad: and now smoke about 80+ a day (chain smoking). Yes I do know what the do to you, anyway this may work for some people.

First off I'm a nerd so this suits me just fine, ok so I timed myself and worked out that it takes me approx. 8 minutes to have a ciggarette. So I said to myself that "well i should be able to cut every second one out", so after I have a ciggarette I time myself for 10 min (flick open phone), then I have another ciggarette. Now I can go over the time if i'm doing something but the clock starts back when I finish the cigarrete.

For example:
10:00 Smoke ciggarette
10:08 Finish, Start the timer
10:18 Cigarette allowed
10:26 Finish, Start Timer
10:36 Cigarette allowed
etc.

This may seem completely anal I know but it's working for me, the thing is your not saying that "oh no i cant have a cigarrete I'm off them", all you have to do is last another 10 minutes.

The plan is to slowly increase your "time" limit, I've been doing this now and here are some results.

Regular Day 80+
Day 1 10 min 47
Day 2 10 min 45
Day 3 15 min 37
Day 4 15 min 34

So if i feel a need I'll just stay at the "time limit" for another day, then increase it when I dont feel the need. Hopefully I'll get to a stage where the "time limit" is around the 1 hour mark, then I'll be happy. Hopefully this is an odd way to look at things, or it could be completly useless I dont know, but it seems to be working for me.
Cya
Muineach

P.S. i'm not using any patches or gum

CherieAmour

Interesting method....

I guess whatever works!!:)

You posted this in January...how has it worked out??

GreenHell

Used to do something similiar, by the hour. Currently I'm attempting to break my morning habit. Once successful I'll try and break my mid day habit and so on and so forth.

DeadParrot

8 mins a smoke??
christ 2mins here
about 12 a day

Cond0r

According to Allen Carr, decreasing the amount you smoke makes you perceive the ones you do smoke to be more pleasureable.
Then when you decide to quit, you're in the mindset that you're depriving yourself of your little pleasure, which of course you're not

DrFunkenstein

Dont look like hes with us anymore.. 80+ a day ehh.. ****in ell... i know how you could cut half of those out, take up masturbation.. gives yourt hands somthing to do, rewards teh plesure centers. an who knows maybe when ye get good at it you could last for hours without a smoke...

red_ice

thats pritty much like what i do when ever i ween myself off ciggies. I dont want to quit, but certain evens like training and what not means i have to quit them for a while, but i always come back on them out of choise - i dont see an addiction in smoking, i see it as a personal choise.

If i want to cut down and quit, i simply say to myself 'i could wait another 5 minutes', i dont need a smoke right now. Then at that 5 minutes, i say 'will i go for antoher 5?' then i reward myself when i get to 10/15/20 with a smoke.

Deliverance

Has anyone ever read 'cats eye' by Stephen King? There is a short story in their about a chronic smoker who wants to give up. It is a great story and captures the nature of the addict through conditioning.

When I was giving up the cigs I was desperate I actually had a constant debate with myself saying one ciggy is ok after all you have lasted a day! And the other side of me said no, no, no. It was a fight and I found myself having a rationalble debate with myself as to whether I could have one or not.
Eventually the ciggy side won and I found my feet carrying my body to the shop against my wills concent, to buy the cancer inducing breath taking mother effing product back into my life.

I bought the cigs and started the walk home, half way back the debate began again, do you really want these cigs, what are they doing to you, is the fleeting pleasure of the first hit worth the lifetime of ****. I crushed the box of ciggies and threw them away.

The next day I did the same again I bought some ciggies from the shop and as soon as I walked out an almost involtarily response made me crush them again and throw them 'unusable' away.

I make the point of unusable because I often looked at a half ciggie on the street and was well tempted to pick it up and smoke it as long as nobody was looking. Now that is something which is controlling your life in a really bad way. It is the nature of addiction, it controls you, you do not control it, realise that and you are only halfway there.

Smoking is purely ****, it kills you, it restricts you it is addictive. Respect yourself and at least try every day to give it up.