What techniques can help me stay smoke-free?

Question

Hi doctor,

I have been smoking for more than 40 years, and now I am 66 years old. I know everything about the dangers and the negative consequences of smoking. I have been trying to stop it many times, but somehow, I always go back to smoking a few days later. This becomes very annoying.

I wonder how people managed to quit smoking after years of addiction to this nasty habit. Do you know someone who gave up on smoking after years of being addicted to it? What did it take to stop?

Are there any particular techniques or habits that help me stay smoke-free?

Any help in this regard will be appreciated.

Thank you very much.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Thank you very much for writing to me and for sharing your story.

Giving up smoking after more than 40 years of addiction is indeed a very difficult task, which means that it is completely normal for you to be feeling depressed because of your numerous failures to kick the habit.

There are plenty of people who finally gave up smoking but did not manage their first several attempts to do so. Coming back to cigarettes after only a few days does not mean that you do not have enough willpower or simply cannot give up smoking. In the case when you were a smoker for over 40 years, your brain and body have already gotten used to the nicotine, which means that sometimes more than just willpower is needed to deal with it.

In many cases, additional help is necessary for a person to quit successfully. Nicotine replacement therapy (patches, gum, and lozenges) can help cope with the symptoms, and sometimes prescriptions are needed as well.

However, cravings come in waves. While very difficult to deal with at times, the craving peaks and then subsides within about five minutes. A plan to cope with these challenging periods can be helpful and include taking a walk, breathing deeply, chewing on gum that does not contain sugar, or even talking to another person.

Being 66, quitting is one of the most effective things you can do at this point. In spite of many years of smoking, you can improve lung functioning, reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, become less likely to contract respiratory infections, and have a better quality of life. People who have quit smoking at your age note that the thing that worked best for them was focusing not on the time spent smoking but on the years that lie ahead of them.

It would be wise for you to talk to your doctor about developing a quit strategy and not depend on just willpower. See your previous attempts as something positive because you learned things from them and found out what situations would lead to you reverting to the old habit. You have proven that you can be smoke-free for several days, and this indicates that you have the ability to stop smoking.

I hope this helps.

Do get back in case of any further queries.

Best wishes.