For the past year or so I've been a pretty heavy smoker. I am regularly seeing my doctor and therapist for transition and mental health care. In order to have top surgery this year I have to completely quit smoking. Is there anything you find that helps to do this or distract from the cravings?
I used a book called '21 days to freedom' by the American cancer society. Also, learn Vipusanni Meditation. Quitting smoking was the hardest thing I ever did
Chantix is a medication that some find really helpful. There's also a device called QuitKey which works behaviorally, by interrupting your normal biorhythm to smoke and slowly increasing the time between cigarettes, so that your body has time to adjust gently to having less nicotine. It's been shown effective in a number of clinical trials. Also some people find taking a combination of niacin tablets (which are made from nicotinic acid, a B-vitamin which is somewhat chemically similar to nicotine) and natural black licorice sticks (which contain fennel, a natural anti-smoking aid) which also serve as something to keep in your mouth to deal with the natural biorhythm of wanting something to do with your mouth/hands. If you're in school, nearly every school also has anti-smoking resources available either at the student health or sometimes counseling center. Congrats on taking this step. You'll be a lot happier for it in the long run. Don't get discouraged if it takes a couple of tries... it's not an easy addiction to kick, and some studies show it to be as difficult as heroin. But absolutely possible.
