| Cold
Turkey |
| Method: |
Set a quit date
and use no tobacco after that date.
|
| Benefits
of this method: |
You get through the withdrawal
period sooner.
You don't have to worry about keeping
track of how many packs or cans of tobacco you
have used each day.
|
| Drawbacks
of this method:
Back
to Top
|
The thought of suddenly going
without tobacco may keep you from even trying
to quit. |
| Tapering |
| Method: |
Set a quit date
Count out how many cigarettes or containers of
tobacco must be reduced per day to be tobacco-free
on the quit date.
--For example, set a quit date seven days from
now. If you smoke one pack of cigarettes
per day, to be smoke-free in seven days, 3 cigarettes
per day must given up. So on day one only
17 cigarettes will be smoked; on day two- 14;
on day three, 11, and so on until on day seven
no more cigarettes are smoked.
Borrowing extra smokes/chews from friends and
stretching quit time is not allowed.
|
| Benefits
of this method: |
It lessens the impact of sudden withdrawal.
It slowly weans you from your addiction to tobacco.
|
Drawbacks
of this method:
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to Top
|
It requires you to keep track of how much
tobacco you have used
each day.
A high stress event may cause you to use up your
supply before the day ends. This increases the
chance of withdrawal symptoms and cheating.
|
| Place
Postponement |
| Method:
|
Keep a log of where you use tobacco.
Identify high use areas such as t.v. rooms,
kitchens, in your car, etc.
Set a future quit date.
Begin setting locations off-limits to tobacco
use- add a new off-limits area every couple of
days or so.
Soon you limit yourself from using tobacco in
any area.
|
| Benefits
of this method: |
It doesn't require counting the amounts of tobacco
used each day.
It slowly weans you from your addiction to tobacco.
|
Drawbacks
of this method:
Back to Top
|
High stress situations and a lack of commitment
may limit success.
|
| Time
Postponement |
| Method: |
Set a time limit from when you first fee the
urge to use to when you actually do use the tobacco.
The time block gets larger from the first day
on until there is no more time to use tobacco.
Example: On the first day delay smoking
a cigarette for 5 minutes from time of the first
urge. The next day go to fifteen minutes, the
next day thirty minutes, and so on until time
to use runs out.
|
| Benefits
of this method: |
It doesn't require counting of amounts of tobacco
used.
|
Drawbacks
of this method:
Back
to Top
|
High stress situations and lack of commitment
may limit success. |
| Combination |
| Method: |
You use two or more of the previous methods at the
same time.
Example:
Use the tapering method (decreasing amount each
day) until tobacco use is low enough for
you to go cold turkey.
|
| Benefits
of this method: |
It allows you to commit to an approach that doesn't
require total quitting from the start.
|
Drawbacks
of this method:
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to Top
|
Lack
of persistence. Like any new learning it
takes time for a new technique to work.
The
"I tried but just couldn't do it" mentality
instead of an "Okay, I slipped this time
so what do I do next time to avoid slipping?"
|
