Helping my girl quit ciggarettes. advice?

[CowMan]

My girl decided to quit smoking.

i'm really proud of her, she chose to do it all on her own and i didn't give her any pressure what-so-ever. She's gone one day without one now and this is day two.... yesterday was pretty tough on her and I know it's going to be a really tough first couple of weeks and i want to help and support her through this.

I bought her a pack of nicorette gum today and i know that will help somewhat. My friend used to gum to quit and i was around him every day at the time. It seemed to really help, i hope it does the same for her.

Is there any other advice you guys can give me to help support her? or any advice on quitting smoking at all? I've been reading some things on the web and talking to some other friends about it but i could use more help!

thanks in advance!

[turmaline]

For me...i just had to "be ready" If she wants one super bad....it'll pass if she can take the time to wait the craving will pass. Drinking will fuck her up...that's the killer. I quit for a year over a year and as soon as i had a drink...I started again.

the hand to mouth habit is a pain too, giver her something to play with...maybe suckers or something?

She's going to be bitchy don't take it personal.

[v3d4]

i can only say what worked for me... i tried using that gum and all different things to replace smoking but i always went back to smoking again, until i just decided i wasnt going to smoke, no matter what. making that decision and sticking to it was the only way i was able to not smoke. like it was a personal decision that only i could make, and nothing else really had an effect

i think the best thing you can do is to be emotionally supportive and understanding and if she tries to stab you or anything, dont take it personally, you know? because its likely that if you do anything like standing, sitting, speaking, breathing, etc. in her presence it may be extremely annoying and irritating, so forgive her if she decides you deserve death

[Kishar]

smoking is both an addiction and a habit so...for the habit of always reaching for a smoke or the act of smoking get a bag of hard candy to nibble on whenever she wants a smoke and the addiction part i would say gum like you already got or maybe even patches though they can be really expensive and a whole lotta will power. good luck to ya/her

[turmaline]

exactly..v3d4..

cold turkey beats out all that gum and stuff.

You have to really want it.

[zoltron]

That's fantastic!! Both my wife & I have quit after 40 yrs of smoking. Only bad thing is it was too late for my wife...she's been diagnosed with emphysema.
Luckily, I had quit for 5 yrs, back in the 90s...but was still boozin' it & restarted at a pal's funeral. It's 1 tough give-up. This time was a LOT easier, as I no longer drink & have absolutely no cravings for a cig.
My wife did the hypnosis route & I would've bet she'd never be able to do it. I just quit cold turkey. But that's fantastic that you're supporting your g/f thru her quitting. She'll probably be snapping your head off the 1st week...after that, things will calm down.

[jag8]

Originally Posted by Milton Bradley

exactly..v3d4..

cold turkey beats out all that gum and stuff.

You have to really want it.

thats how i did it. just woke up one day and decided. sub concious thoughts can be extremely powerful sometimes. before i tried quitting i had heard ginsing supplements and teas have helped people quite in the past so i picked some of both up. i dont smoke now except for an occational hit or 2 after sex or alot of drinking.

[CowMan]

Thanks guys! I'm sure the good vibes are helping.

She's a toker like me and we do usually put 'pinch' in our joints, but we've stopped that as well while she's trying to quit. She made this decision to quit and really doesn't want to pick it up again, or so she says anyway. I believe her and i believe in her. She's quit other things before, but nothing quite as difficult as this. I understand she might try and stab me and so i'm doing everything i can to be there for her emotionally and i'm trying to be understanding of her pain.

I'm so lucky I never picked up smoking.

We used to go out, 5 years ago and we were both so vehetmintly against it. After we broke up she was dating a smoker and i think she picked it up from him. Now after hanging out with me for a month I think she's gotten jelous of how awesome my non-smoking is. :P

I hope the gum helps her a bit, at the very least i think its a nice gesture. any and all your help is appreciated guys. I'll be sure to keep you posted on how it all goes.

[generic_hippie]

valium cowman

a lot of valium



(Not for her, for you bro, she's gonna be a bitch to you for no good reason)

[Jakeisuseless]

I feel for ya cowman. It's going to be tough for the both of you.

It makes me need to smoke just thinking about it.

[CowMan]

GH: I know man, i know.... this morning was pretty rough... she's not in a good mood... I'm walking on egg shells...

Jake: I'm also going to go have a smoke.... of a big fat J.

[spicoli]

be supportive and don't bring it up, let her talk about it if she wants.
some people need to replace the habit with something else that is a healthy alternative, such as going to the gym, or going for a walk when a strong craving hits. or just filling time with something she enjoys, instead, like reading, or making something. the trick is getting your mind to stop thinking about smoking, and on to something else. the cravings will pass. i was lucky, and when i quit, i was completely ready, and had no cravings.
good luck, really. it's a great thing to quit the cigs.

[zoltron]

/\/\/\/\ It really is nice to be tobacco-free.

[gweetar]

I think Kishar's right. It's an addiction and a habit. I have read that part of kicking it, if you can't do it cold turkey, etc., is breaking the habit part of the addiction. Meaning, some people typically like to smoke at certain times, so there is a habit involved with the smoking. Smoking while drinking, smoking during a lunch break, smoking after work, etc. it can be a habit to do it at these times.

So, when those times come that she typically likes to smoke, that's when she shouldn't/she should resist as much as possible. So, not only resisting the cravings/addiction, but resisting the "usual" times she likes to smoke. If she likes to have a cigarette at 5:30, everyday, after work, have her wait until 6:30, or not smoke altogether, etc. This messess with the habit part.

When I want to resist toking, this is what I do. I find I have times that I especially like to light up; so, when those times come, that's when I resist. Just getting through that one times makes a difference for me.

[Jimmy Coonan]

One guy I know quit using nicotine gum and toothpicks. He gets the mint-flavored toothpicks.

Taking a few days off work can help too, in the beginning. If she's addicted enough she might get sick for like a week, as her lungs get rid of all that icky yellow shit that's built up in there. Plus, work is a big trigger for many people, smoking's part of your workday routine and helps bring down your stress levels at difficult times.

[dojasmoka]

chief it all day urr day ya dig. pack some nug in the cig and let her smoke it, shell never wanna smkoe a cig aagainn. ya diggggg

[tedkennedy]

Originally Posted by generic_hippie

valium cowman

a lot of valium



(Not for her, for you bro, she's gonna be a bitch to you for no good reason)

L0L.

[AnimalLover420]

Just make sure that no matter how much she may want to, don't let her "have just one" because that will only set her back. In my experience, everyone who tried to slowly ween themselves off of nicotine never actually stopped smoking. So I think the best way to go about it is to just become dead-set in the fact that you will never, ever touch that shit again. It also helps to remember that as you are struggling to pay for the rising cost of tobacco, you are greasing the pockets of some already-wealthy scumbag who profits from your unhealthy decisions. Taking a long hard look at the corruption within the tobacco industry does a great job of keeping me away. That's my best advice, because it's what worked for me.

[moldyorangepeel]

tell her you'll break up with her if she keeps smoking