Scott Meyers asked:


There are many smokers who have quite the habit by going cold turkey. Most will tell you that they did so without much in the way of preparation. Usually going the cold turkey route is something that is not thought out or pre-meditated, it just happens. Usually the smoker goes cold turkey in response to an event like a close friend or loved one dying of lung cancer, or perhaps they lost someone in a house fire that was caused by careless cigarette smoking.

To quit smoking this way, usually involves a drastic and very emotional motivator. The event usually is something that shows the smoker in a very dramatic way that smoking has caused a lot of grief or harm to someone and smoking becomes so distasteful that quitting becomes the only option. The smoker simply stops and the motivator is so vivid in their mind that every time the urge to smoke occurs the motivator zaps the urge and the person remains smoke-free.

There are times when the motivator to quit cold turkey is a pregnancy announcement and mom decides that the baby’s health is more important then the pleasure received from lighting up yet another smoke. Sometimes the motivator is the health of another person that is living in the same household as the smoker.

Whatever the reason, the timing is usually in a way that prevents the smoker from putting much thought or planning into the act of quitting. To succeed the smoker either needs to be able to stay focused on the motivator or to have a constant reminder of the motivation to quit. A pregnant mom can tape the ultrasound picture on her refrigerator or bedroom mirror as a reminder of the life growing inside of her that needs her to quit smoking. A father of an asthmatic son may need to hear his son wheezing and watch him reach for his inhaler to serve as a reminder that he needs to make his home smoke free.

Having gone cold turkey without a plan does not mean that you need to continue without one. You can devise a plan and can enlist the help of family and friends anytime. Speak with your healthcare provider about your decision to quit smoking and ask for advice and support groups.

After you have quit the smoking habit, you can still let others know of your decision and surround yourself with non-judgmental supportive individuals. Negative people will only drag you down and make you feel like you cannot succeed. Surrounding yourself with positive energy allows the positive energy to flow through you and gives it the ability to bring about positive changes in your life.
Whether you are going cold turkey or have designed a plan to quit you are likely to run across feelings of irritability, being tired, cravings at every turn and the need to put something in your mouth.

Here are some tips to help you survive:

-Understand that being irritable tired or out of sorts is to be expected.

-Make sure you drink lots of water all day and evening.

-Do something physical like going for a swim or walk to keep your mind active and off your cravings.

-Surround yourself with support – people who can help you to resist the temptation to smoke.



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