my plan to quit smoking
i’m a smoker for 3 years, a pack per day, and i got fucking tired of my addiction and everything bad it brought me. this is what i’ll do to successfully quit
this is my personal plan prepared by me with the help of my psychiatrist + ex-smokers i know irl. this is not a medical advice.
⟢ quitting cold turkey brings me more harm than goods. i’m stick with nicotine gums
i already quit once with Nicorette gums. it took me 2,5 weeks to finally be 100% nicotine free and i managed to keep it for 48 days. unfortunately i was pretty mentally unstable at the time and relapsed. now that i’m stable and with a great supporting group, i’ll be able to manage it better.
- no more than 6 gums of 4mg per day;
- every two days, decrease by one gum until reaching zero.
⟢ i increased my med dose to help with mood swings and depression
since i suffer from crippling depression and suicidal ideation in abstinence because of my bipolar disorder, my psychiatrist told me to increase one of my meds’ dose by half of my current dose to help me.
- disclaimer: this is just during the time of abstinence. i have regular psychiatric follow-ups. it’s not recommended to adjust your medication without consulting your doctor first. don’t make reckless decisions on your own.
⟢ if craving makes me dysfunctional, i’ll smoke kumbaya
kumbaya is a nicotine-free smoking blend made from herbs like chamomile, mint, clove etc. since i used to smoke a pack per day (i was consuming about 40mg of nicotine per day), i know i’ll suffer a lot from cravings and abstinence, so i already bought some Lemonblend kumbayas.
most ex-smokers i know irl became runners or gymrats after quitting. they switched their main source of dopamine from nicotine to something healthy and this is exactly what i’m gonna do. i already exercise everyday at gym, but if abstinence demands, i’ll start running or doing more exercises at home too.
⟢ i’ll keep something on my mouth
i dislike Freud, but he was right about oral fixation. sometimes i don’t smoke because i need nicotine, i just need some emotional comfort by putting something on my mouth. since a lot of ex-smokers gain weight because they switch their smoking compulsion to eating compulsion, i’ll stick with sugar-free gums/lollipops, toothpicks and drinking water.
⟢ i’ll be mindful about my smoking habit
do i really want to smoke or i’m just bored? then i’ll do something to keep myself busy. do i really want to smoke or i’m just hungry? then i’ll eat something nourishing or drink water. do i really want to smoke or i’m just stressed/sad? then i’ll do something to boost my happiness or keep me calm.
