As
I see it, there's one big, huge drawback to smoking-at some
point you have to quit. You can do it now, or you can do it
when your doctor tells you that if you don't, you're dead meat.
The other drawback, which sort of makes the first one a battle
of epic proportions, is this-quitting is really tough. As a
smart aleck man once said, "Quitting smoking is easy. I've
done it a hundred times."
As
for myself, I've only tried to quit once-but it didn't exactly
take. According to the pundits (i.e. the folks who never took
up the habit), the only thing you really need is willpower.
Apparently (actually by my own account), I have none. If I
did, I wouldn't be a smoker, right?
Anyway,
here's a little advice for those out there who want to quit:
you need to start out by visualizing yourself trying to quit.
What is it going to take for you to stop craving the nicotine?
Hypnotism? Homeopathic products? A nicotine replacement system
like the patch or nasal spray? And how are you going to handle
the situations when you desperately, desperately just want
one cigarette? Because you know they're going to come up.
Probably often.
Contestants,
start your engines
Over
the next two months, we're going to follow five smokers as
they try to kick the dreaded (and beloved) habit. Each of
our guinea pigs-I mean contestants-picked a specific and personalized
method in order to quit. In addition, they were encouraged
to follow "Tips to Quit" (see accompanying sidebar) in order
to prepare to quit and plan for the inevitable cravings.
Tips
to Quit
- Develop
a personalized quit plan (a method to quit and strategies
for sticking with it)
- Set
a quit date and make the announcement public
On your quit date, get rid of your ashtrays, lighters, matches,
etc.
- Have
a support group you can call or attend for encouragement.
- Plan
ahead for those "moments of craving" and have a list of
things that will make you not want to have a cigarette (go
running, drink water, deep breathing, etc.)
- Reward
yourself at the end of each successful non-smoking week--buy
a new book, a CD, catch a flick, or treat yourself to a
nice dinner.
We invite
our readers to peruse the contestants and guess who they think
will successfully go smokeless for 2 months. Anyone who successfully
guesses the winner(s) (guessing nobody is A-OK with us), will
automatically be entered into a drawing to win. (Win what?
We're not quite sure)
The Vital
Statistics
1. Elliott
Years
smoking? On and off for 6 years
How many
cigarettes a day? 2-3 a day
How bad
do you want to quit? (on a scale from 1-10) 7 ˝
Number
of times you tried to quit? 1
Do family
members/housemates smoke? My roommate smokes
Proposed
strategy: Use the homeopathic products Kavacin and Nico-End.
Kavacin is a dietary supplement for times of anxiety and mental
stress. Nico-End reduces the craving for nicotine and eases
the desire for tobacco and cigarettes. I'm going to try to
avoid the roommate for the first two weeks and set to work
on a specific project/task when I feel the devil cravings
come on.
Odds of
quitting? 28-1
2. Selwyn
Years
smoking? 8
How many
cigarettes a day? 15
How
bad do you want to quit (on a scale of 1-10) 5
Number
of times you tried to quit? 7
Do
family members/housemates smoke? Nope
Proposed
strategy? The Patch: a nicotine replacement system that releases
a slow, measured amount of nicotine in order to stop the cravings.
Over time, the amount of nicotine released is gradually lessened.
I'm going to try to find things to occupy my mind so I won't
think of smoking.
Odds of
quitting? 93-1
3. Anne
Years
smoking? 11
How many
cigarettes a day? 4-5
How
bad do you want to quit? (on a scale from 1to 10) 8
Number
of times you tried to quit? 1
Do
family members/housemates smoke? Negative
Proposed
strategy? Hypnosis sessions. The hypnotist meets with you
to review what triggers you to smoke. It could be paying bills,
after meals, drinking, etc. Then, through hypnosis, the behavior
modification takes place so that you don't feel those urges
when you do those activities. My strategy is simple. I need
to replace my nicotine cravings with other behavior patterns.
Odds of
quitting? 69-1
4. Questo
Years
smoking? 11
How many
cigarettes a day? 20-30
How
bad do you want to quit? (on a scale from 1 to 10) 7
Number
of times you tried to quit? 10
Do
family members/housemates smoke? 1
Proposed
strategy? Zyban. This is a prescription drug originally used
to treat depression. Zyban treats nicotine addiction by helping
people deal with the anxiety that accompanies smoking cessation.
Every time I want a cigarette, I exercise or go for a hard
run until I'm winded. That right there makes me want to stop.
Odds of
quitting? 102-1
5. Jean
Years
smoking? 15
How many
cigarettes a day? 2-3 a day
How
bad do you want to quit? (on a scale from 1 to 10) 10
Number
of times you tried to quit? 2
Do
family members/housemates smoke? My younger sister smokes
Proposed
strategy? Cold turkey. Just keep telling myself it's good
for me. God, I hope this works.
Odds of
quitting? 37- 1
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