ive been a chronic smoker for three years now, and already I think I have lung cancer. I've tried cold turkey, but relapsed at every single attempt. Cold turkey is just too fucking hard and requires willpower. I've tried nicotine replacement products (such as the nicotine patches and lozenges) and the only thing they do is either leave a nasty taste in my mouth or make smoking with them on even more dangerous than if you were to smoke without one. Are there any ex-smokers in here who can help?
Go to a doctor to check your lungs. Try your best to stay away from the habit places where you smoke without even thinking about it. That might mean staying clear of the smoker area at work or stay away from bars. My best friend said he can't Not smoke when he is in a bar and he "quit" two decades ago...my wife still craves nicotine after quitting 19 years ago. See if you can find a support group locally to get as much support and help as possible. Many health plans have cessation programs for free. Check there too. Best of luck!
I've never been a regular tobacco smoker (not that I could even afford it!) .. though I am a regular drinker, but I have the gift of being able to stop whenever I want .. with only minor side-effects such as boredom and .. compensating for a lack of a high by eating sugary and fatty foods! You need to find out exactly What function tobacco fulfills in your life. Do you use it for stimulation, or relaxation? Is it just the flavour that you like? Or is it just something that you're so used to ... that you just can't picture yourself Not lighting up every 2 hours... a psychological addiction.. like chewing your nails, building paper planes out of receipts.. or licking your lips? If you use tobacco as a stimulant, I would highly recommend trying Yerba Mate. It is a tea that contains caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline, which is great for clearing the lungs. Get hooked on Yerba Mate, and your body may very well thank you for it. Failing that, there's always e-cigs and nicotine gums, though people's experiences with these are mixed. Really, the best way to quit smoking, or ANY addiction .. is to find out exactly what kind of void it fills in your life, and then use something else to fill that void.
I was able to quit smoking by changing how I got my nicotine fix. I went went from ciggies, to sherlock holmes pipe and then quit cold turkey. Patches, gum work temporarily for me. I agree with the other poster to identify what gap the nicotine fills, but I believe that is only part of the equation. Nicotine has many benefits to people who are nervous, anxious, have ADD and or other issues, and nicotine is usually just the easiest to self medicate. With that, I have gone 10 years not smoking, but have found that I enjoy Vaporizing, cloud chasing, and flavor chasing. It has helped me immensely. I can add a mg or 2 into my own vape juice and smoke as much as I want. I make my own, and stay away from Propelyne glycol, but I have found that Vaping is more satisfying, and more beneficial to me, than doing without and binging on something else. You could always try cannabis edibles