Cigarettes are killing me

Growing up I remember drug classes in health that referred to cigarettes as a drug. Unfortunately I started smoking and continue to do so even though I know the consequences and can't stand the smell. I've tried multiple times to quit but always find my way back to a cigarette. My fiance hates it, my daughters hate it, but I just can't seem to find a way to quit that will stay with me. The patches nor gum work for me, I've tried to use a vapor and that even failed. I know one has to really be ready to quit but what if someone really is ready but can't find a way to help kick the nasty habit? Any suggestions?

I'd recommend giving the vaporizers another try. You might just have gotten the wrong or weak types if you didn't find it enjoyable enough to replace your cigarettes. From my experience, if you find a heavy duty one that gives off lots of vapor even with just a small puff, you would get a very similar experience to cigarettes and the best thing is that they smell a lot better than regular cigarettes since they are flavored and it's vapor instead of smoke so it won't be harsh for the people around you. I could try and provide more specific info if you would like, although I'm still no expert on vaporizers by a long shot, but I will try my best if you are interested.

When it comes to quitting smoking, there's no one method which is perfect for everyone. Some people can quit cold turkey while others can't. For heavy smokers, that normally isn't an option.

You could try this too, if you haven't:

As Tasha says,

Gradually reduce the number of cigars you smoke in a day. Keep at it until you are down to three cigars a day. Keep going . . . make it three a week and keep trying to a little longer without smoking until you eventually can comfortably do without smoking.

Start by changing your smoking habits. Make a log of when you smoke and at what times over the period of several days. Then look at it and you will probably see a pattern, like you wake up and smoke, get in the car for the drive to work and smoke, etc etc. Try to not smoke during those times and it can help to break up that schedule your body has grown accustomed to. Keep candy or lollipops on hand to help with the oral sensation and connection. If you smoke three cigarettes in an hour then try to just smoke one. Not sure if any of this will help, but quitting can me done. It is just really hard to do.

No smoking more or a stronger blend isn't going to help her quit. That will just get her used to a higher dosage of nicotine and make it even harder to quit.

I was a smoker for nearly 16 years. I grew up with smoking parents. As a matter of fact, my mother smoked while she was pregnant with me. So I guess, I started smoking before I was even born. I had my first cigarette when I was 13. I remember exactly how I suddenly had an overwhelming desire to light up one of my father's Marlboros, and how I enjoyed that very first puff from it, never coughing or feeling sick.
When I was 29 I decided that I didn't want to hit my thirties, still smoking. So, I decided to quit. I managed to do it with meditation and plenty of lemons. Yes, I know it sounds strange, but it worked for me. Every time the urge for a cigarette would come up, which in the beginning was every couple of hours, I would drink a glass of water with a few drops of lemon to "give in" to that incredible desire that I felt for "something", as I began to realize that it wasn't necessarily the nicotine that I craved, but rather some kind of "thing" that would give my heart and soul more comfort. The bitterness of the lemon felt strangely satisfying to me. I was "reprogramming" my brain to reach for a healthy vitamin C drink every time I wanted to light up. During that process, as my need for cigarettes slowly decreased, I began to see a lot of patterns in my life that I had been following without even being consciously aware of them. I could suddenly see why I was constantly trying to "fill" that feeling of emptiness inside me. It became a journey of self-discovery.
In my experience, a smoker, just like any other drug addict, has to be ready to face some very personal facts before s/he can be permanently free of the substance. Giving up cigarettes is never easy, but it can be achieved relatively quickly. I think the real achievement is to not fall back into the same patterns again, every time there is a personal crisis, and to gradually reach a state of mind, where the thought of smoking again becomes ever more distant.

I absolutely loved this response. I know in my heart that I can do this as I have quit before and stupidly thought I could smoke one while having social cocktails with my fiances family. I really do need to find that something that satisfies the urges, satisfies that something that may be missing. I believe I also may need to find a better way of dealing with everyday stress because as soon as I get upset, the first thing I think of is lighting up a cigarette. I really hate that I smoke but have found such comfort in smoking that it sickens me. I have read a few other responses and have been collecting ideas for this upcoming quit. I am going to give it my all. Thanks for responding, it's greatly appreciated.

You have brought forth a very doable quit process. I thank you for your response as I am currently trying to put together a quit plan and I believe your ideas will be a big part of it. Cutting back instead of cold turkey may assist me in getting through this a lot easier as I won't be hit with the urges and knowing I can't. Cutting back will enable my body and mind to adjust to the decrease and eventually elimination. I went to bed last night with the thought that I would not be smoking at all today, but that cold turkey choice is seriously for the turkeys because of course I woke with a stronger urge than normal, I am thinking it is because I knew I couldn't have any. Maybe by cutting back little by little the time in between my urges will increase and then eventually the time in between will be long enough to just let it go for good! Thanks again for your response. It is greatly appreciated!!

Considering that you have tried different options and failed, what I would recommend is that you take serious steps towards reducing your smoking habit gradually. Start by listing down how many cigarettes you smoke daily, when you smoke, where you smoke and what really drives you to smoke. Is it to relieve stress or just a habit you can't stop? Cut down on the number of cigarettes and the amount of time you smoke, enforce a no-smoke-zone decision in one of the areas where you smoke such as in your car and then make it a habit to remind yourself that sooner or later, health problems may arise if you don't stop. That is my other formula for quitting.

Ya know, it's funny how we change as we live life. It seems that sometimes something that was easy to do when we were young now seems almost impossible. I remember about 9 years ago I had quit cold turkey and stayed quit for about 2 years. Now it seems harder to quit cold turkey, a lot harder. I wonder why this is. Maybe because I weakened my self control by going back to smoking or maybe the addiction is stronger. What do you think?

I was smoking more than ten years. I started like everybody else. One or two cigarets on a day. It was in elementary school, and I was just a kid. Later I smoked more than two packs per day. My parents were upset because of that. But I am young guy, and I had not any problem. Until one day I went to jogging. I felt that I lost a lot of strength. I knew that it was due to cigarette. So that day I decided to quit, and I quit forever.

Oh man that is quite terrible. Not even the gum and patches did not work that is disappointing. I really hope for you to quit permanently since its hard to stop smoking once you get addicted.

You cannot stand the smell of it so, definitely you should stop smoking.
You know about the second hand smoke and it might help you to quit thinking that your daughter, loved ones and other people might get ill because of your smoking. Try seeking for a support group too if there are some in your area.

I wouldn't say I'm "cured" of smoking, as I may have a cigarette after a few drinks on the odd occasion. But I no longer see myself as a "smoker". The odd thing was, when I started out smoking I didn't see myself as a smoker either. From my own experience, it takes more than just willpower. You need a plan and a structure around you that makes it harder to make bad choices and easier to make good choices.

I can't see myself going back to being a proper smoker again, but I know that I've got to remain vigilant.

It's hard to quit cold turkey because cigarettes are seductive. Yes, it could be that you weakened your self-control, but, bottom line, cigarettes are a hard habit to kick. I mean, check out the name you gave this thread, you yourself say that cigarettes are killing you, and yet you find them hard to give up. I think most of us smokers feel the same way that you do.

Cigarettes are way too easy to get, so this particular addiction can be especially hard to fight, but you can do it.
It took me years to stop smoking. I wish I could claim that I did it on my own, but I was kind of forced into it.

Years ago early one morning, I left my young son asleep, alone in our house, and I walked a few blocks to a store to get myself some cigarettes.
Long story short, in the store, and on my way home from the store, some strange, wild-eyed man started following me and started to run after me. Scared me half to death, shook me up. I was shaking like a leaf.

Had to go through all of that because I just had to walk to the store for cigarettes. What if the man would've hurt me? My young son at home in the house by himself wakes up and his mother isn't there and she doesn't come back? I quit smoking that day.

That stuck for about 5 years, but the thing about cigarettes, they're everywhere. With many other drugs they are illegal, you have to have a connect, or you know somebody who knows somebody to get to your drug of choice, but not with cigarettes, you can go to any store and pick them up. Totally legal. So after 5 years of not smoking, I started back up again.

I smoked on and off for another 3 years, but I've given it up again.

Hang in there, don't give up. You can quit smoking, but don't beat yourself up about things when you fall short, just keep trying. You fall off the horse, get back on.

Your response touched me. I really do know that these horrible things are slowly killing me but continue to light up another. It makes such valid sense about the fact that cigarettes are so easily accessible. It just doesn't make sense to me how they are still being made available when the statistics show how negative they are for those that smoke and everyone around them. Unfortunately I know they are always goning to be there, I just need to build up the strength needed to kick this nasty habit for GOOD!!

Main reasons why cigarettes still exist are because of the big money it could give to the businessmen or investors. As well as taxes for the government and work for the people. Most of all, there are still a lot of people who smoke even there are warnings and scary photos on the cigarette packages.