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I need to quit smoking!

Hey all,

I'm just getting back into raw after several (awful) months away. In these months, I've started smoking quite a bit. I've smoked cigarettes off and on for about 4 or 5 years... for most of that time it was MAYBE 2 per week, tops. But this semester I've just been smoking more and more until I'm smoking at least 3 or 4 a day, and more troubling, I am feeling addicted, which I've never felt before. Does anyone have any tips (involving raw or just tips in general) to help me quit? I know at this point I need to just QUIT, or else I'll eventually slide back in again. This is particularly important because (as my username suggests) I'm a singer, and this nasty habit is killing my voice and my body. I think a lot of my problem is an oral fixation. I have a constant need to have something in my mouth- which is a big part of my very large recent weight gain, but that's a entirely different topic. Food, fingernail, cigarette, water bottle- something. Maybe that can help you lend me some advice. Are there any kind of raw things you can put in your mouth or a while and suck/chew on, like a mint would be? Also, would trying the patch or nicotine gum be a bad idea?

OK, that's a lot of questions! Any advice would be SO appreciated. Thanks guys, and I'm really, really happy and grateful to be back.

Comments

  • I was a smoker even when I started raw eating One thing I did was make my own chewing "gum" by blending ripe fruitand dehydrating it until it twists up into a sticky ball and chew on it like gum. The idea came from Juliannos book the uncookbook. you can chew on pieces all day to keep you from smoking. Also try to stay away from your triggers that make you want to smoke. Quiting is hard, my husband quit also because he is a singer too and wanted to keep his voice from becoming raspy.

    Hope all goes well with your quiting just remember it's for you health and your singing career.

    Good luck!

    nancy

  • quitting is so hard. Hard, but possible.

    I'm 20 not & i've been smoking since I was 12.

    I quit about 8-10 months ago. Cold turkey.

    I have terrible cravings and temptation but I FORCED myself to not smoke along with not eating in replacement.

    Up to today I still have very bad temptation to smoke. You just have to MAKE yourself not go it. You have your own free will. :D

    good luck!

  • sv3sv3 Raw Newbie

    When I quit smoking, I read Allen Carr

  • zinfandelzinfandel Raw Newbie

    when you quit smoking you will see improvements in your life in ways you didn't even think was possible! letting go of addiction thought patterns means all kind of positive things can come into your life. it is so worth it. so worth it. so worth it.

  • luckily i haven't ever smoked myself, but i have seen one of my best friends go through trying to quit. i wanted to tell you that there are these tea tree and mint infused toothpicks (called chewing sticks) that you can get at health food stores. i personally love them and they also have cinnamon too.

    i pulled this off the website (www.thursdayplantation.com) :

    - These unique chewing sticks are a great aid for smoking cessation, keeping hands busy whilst freshening the mouth.

    - Testimonials from users suggest Tea Tree Chewing Sticks may help reduce the severity of nicotine cravings.

    so give these a shot!! and good luck to you!!! :)

    oh and there is also a homeopathic remedy available and there is a cleanse by renew life called smokers cleanse (http://www.renewlife.com/products/smokers-cleanse.aspx)

  • Thank you guys for all the comments. Those chewing sticks sound especially promising, houx, and sv3, I will check out that book. Its going to be hard but I know in the long run its the right choice... I look forward to all your support. Thanks!

  • Yeah, definitely take sv3's advice. Read that book, if he's that enthusiastic about it, you know?

  • chriscarltonchriscarlton Raw Newbie

    I am so glad that someone already mentioned Alan Carr. After quitting more than 40 times I was always left with the desire to smoke, even when I had been off them for more than 2 years once or twice. I didn't read his book I just went to one of his 3 hour classes. I walked out no different than when I walked in, yet I have not wanted to smoke ever since. Amazing!

    Smoking teaches you a lie and once you find out the truth, it's over! Amazing stuff! He is a real life hero. He figured it out on his own after paying to quit by many different methods and them failing on him.

    I also know someone who got the same result as me from reading the book. The class was 20 times more expensive than the book. I like to do things the hard way sometimes. Read the book.

    Cheers, Chris

  • Foot FootFoot Foot Raw Newbie

    To ease cravings a tea can be made from lobelia, an herb chemically similar to tobacco. Only a tiny amount should be used to make the tea, as it is very potent. Tastes like nicotine gum without the mint.

  • CalebCaleb Raw Newbie

    Although I never considered myself a "smoker" I did have a VERY STRONG mental addiction to it. I smoked about a pack of cloves a week. Sometimes more. I pretty much quit cold turkey then allowed myself one on occasion with friends and then made a compromise for a few weeks when going through some hard times and it became habit again. So I once again had to go cold turkey. Since then, about 2 months ago I have smoked only three times.

    IMO, Cold Turkey REALLY is the only way to go. I did this with coffee too (although I now do indulge every now and then). My detox time when first starting on RAW lasted for a couple months, maybe just a bit longer. I think it was largely due to giving up the caffeine. So be prepared to deal with some detox if you really are addicted.

    Best of luck to you.

  • Smoking is the worst habit a person can have as it is not only affecting the person but also affecting people around. There are a lot of problems associated with smoking which people face like problem with respiratory system, heart and many more. Chantix helps you to get over this smoking habit and it works on the body by giving you the same feel good effect as smoking and hence reduces the craving for nicotine. You can have all the information on chantix here http://www.chantixhome.com/ Along with having this medicine, you should also have will power and feeling that you want to get over this habit.

  • rawperasinger, you sound so much like me!! Let me know how you're quitting is coming along. I went away from eating for several hellish months also and in that time I picked up smoking. I went thru a divorce and that set off my period of self loathing. I just started picking myself back up and eating raw again. I think I will be ready to quit smoking soon but for some reason I am not ready to let go of it yet. Let me know how your journey goes. Once I set my mind to it, I am going to read Carr's book and finally quit.

  • kellyannekellyanne Raw Newbie

    hi raw perasinger! a lot of people have success dropping harmful habits like smoking, drinking, eating cooked foods, etc while they are water fasting. while one is water fasting, the body has a chance to use all it's energies to heal and to cleanse itself of toxins. after the water fast, people are so pure that they often don't want to put any toxin in their body ever again. there are some great books by herbert shelton about fasting.

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