[MsNobleEleanor]

Hello Dan,

Going cold turkey will only lead you back to the pack, again and again. Regardless if you feel a lot better, possibly a few days go by and you are okay with not smoking cigarettes. Then you find yourself having another cigarette and you forget about why you even stopped smoking in the first place. Then weeks go by without a cigarette, again you forget why you even quit in the first place but start to feel crappy because you gotten that far. Possibly 2 months go by or a few, in your hands in another cigarette; might feel like a upset stomach, head may hurt a lot, your quickly forget why you stopped in the first place.

Going cold turkey is proven that it's not the best way to quit smoking. It doesn't work because you put nicotine in your system, it disappears (doesn't take long) and your body adjusts, it adjusts like when you crave another cigarette and you have one. However, cold turkey, if you have a craving you just satisfy that craving or you find yourself in the store buying another pack without much thought.

Since your body is used to having that nicotine you will want it again, might be an hour after, a day after, a week after, or even a month after; whichever you always fall back into smoking.

You need to ask yourself if you are ready to quit. You need to ask yourself if you will be prepared to handle the withdrawal symptoms as the nicotine is leaving your body. You need to ask yourself if you are okay or can handle your emotions well. You need to ask yourself if you know any supports that you can access or call. You need to ask yourself what it means to you to quit smoking.

Outlining
You need to ask yourself if you will be prepared to handle the withdrawal symptoms as the nicotine is leaving your body. You need to be aware of what your body will be doing during withdrawals and everything is normal, a normal process of withdrawal symptoms. However, sometimes it can do really weird things to our body, you may notice your taste has been more weirder as one. You might feel sick, headaches, dizzy, tired, you may not even be able to sleep, you will most likely will be feeling tired and out of it.

You need to ask yourself if you are okay or can handle your emotions well. It's important to understand your feelings during this time. You will experience every emotion going and sometimes you may feel so many emotions in 1 hour that it may seem very unbearable. Knowing there is help you can call someone. You also need to know these emotions will pass as your body adjusts. It's perfectly normal. In any way shape or form you feel you can not handle your feelings or make sense of them, you should call your doctor, call a helpline, or go to a clinic/hospital.

You need to ask yourself if you know any supports that you can access or call. Have a list of supports that you can call, if you have a cell phone, program those into it. Come here and talk about your feelings. We are also a very good support.

You need to ask yourself what it means to you to quit smoking. Everyone has a meaning and reason why they want to quit smoking. What is yours? Why do you want to quit? Is it for your health, financial, family, social interactions, being smelly (smokers tend to smell badly) bad teeth, etc., whatever your reason is that is your reason and no one else reason.

Finally...
You need to ask yourself if you are ready to quit. Are you ready to quit?

Give yourself some time. Also going cold turkey will not benefit you if you really want to quit. You need replacements to help you. You don't need to quit altogether, you can reduce your smoking. For instance, you smoke 20 a day, instead of 20, smoke 15 for a week and see how you feel, if you need another week, smoke 15. Keep reducing it until you feel you can handle the quit. This allows you to set yourself up for your quit.

Setting a quit date is very important. Set a date that isnt during a time of high stress this will cause you to be less likely of following your quit date, you would smoke instead. Set a date next week, in a month. Also getting educated before your quit also is a big help.

Also you may have slips where you may smoke a cigarette or two, that is fine, just know and understand you can get past it. It is hard, so slipping happens and don't be hard on yourself.

I want you to know and to understand, the information I provided may or may not happen to you, however this is something I've gone through more than 30 times, to quit cold turkey. I understand on a deep level how hard it is, if you need anything else or would like to chat about it you may PM me.

Here are a few links for your area:
Quit Now: http://www.quitnow.gov.au/
Reach Out: http://au.reachout.com/Smoking-habits

Take Care,
Chantal