Any tips on how to quit cigarettes???!

Any tips on how to quit cigarettes???

I need HELP!!!!!! I have an exam coming up on the 19th of this month and somehow my parents are agitated with me that I still smoke like a chimney and have cut down my daily pocketmoney to zero. Now they want me to quit now as well as appear in this exam which is quite important and I am finding it quite difficult to study after quitting cigarettes and am not able to concentrate, in fact the numbers are reduced and I have been asked just an hour back to quit cigarettes once and for all and no excuses given. I really need some advice, I have been a chain smoker for the past 4 years and I had quit once for 35 days and it had started again and I have been asked now to quit while I have an exam 7 days from now. Please give me some advice on how to quit while remaining calm and also appear in this exam.

First off, congratulations on your attempt to quit.

Some people are able to quit literally from one day to the next, with no "assistance" from patches and the like. Others who are deeply addicted to nicotine, like you and I, find it much harder. Based on clinical evidence, smoking addiction is harder to break than heroin addiction.

However, I would highly recommend you make the attempt after the exam is over, not before. The stress of the effort for the upcoming exam added to your that of your attempt to quit smoking will mean one of the two will likely "fail".

Also, since it's your parents that are the "motivation" for quitting, I'd also say that the odds are against you being successful. Until you find yourself thoroughly disgusted with yourself for smoking, and have developed a deep, personal commitment to quitting, you will likely not be successful.

When you do decide to quit, you're still going to be using up your pocket money, just without the nicotine "high" - so you need to be committed to the process enough to pay for it without the immediate benefit. "Stop smoking" products are priced to equate to the amount you would spend on cigarettes over a given time period, not to save you money or provide you a financial incentive to quit.

I have used "Niquitine" patches successfully in my current, ongoing attempt. They start off at 21 mgs of nicotine per day in a patch (for 6 weeks), then reduce you to 14 mgs (for 2 weeks) and finally 7 mgs (for 2 weeks) before weaning you off completely. That's put me, personally, into four months of not smoking, and I was about as addicted as anyone can be.

Also be prepared for some psychological stress, particularly when you stop using the patches. I suffered from acute depression as a result - had trouble concentrating, and slept alot to cover my constant thinking of cigarettes. As such, you may need to speak to a doctor to get a prescription for light anti-depressants when these symptoms occur. You may also extend the use of the patches beyond their recommended period (i.e.: taking the 14 mgs 2 weeks longer, and take the 7 mgs for a month longer worked for me).

Another vital point is figuring out what your smoking triggers are - do you smoke when you drink? Then eliminate alcohol for the period when you're trying to quit. When you drive? This can be a tough one since it's hard to avoid, so just chew gum and keep mentally focused on not smoking.

It's not going to be easy, if your addiction is as acute as mine. It's a shame that the degree to which one can grow addicted to cigarettes isn’t added to the literature on negative effects of smoking as an addition to the health impact.