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Hey guys, I've decided to quit smoking...the patch didn't do s**t, the gum only sometimes helps, and I have a cigarette in one hand right now. I really want to quit but I'm getting tiard of not knowing how. I'm turning to witchcraft so as to learn what to do to quit this terrible addiction.

Important ingredients for Quitting:

1) Support. From family, from friends, from whoever is there to lend it. People to encourage you to stick to it even though you may fail twenty times (and yes, for some they really do fail twenty times or more before they finally suceed). If you think it might be beneficial, counseling or a local support group for smokers could help too.

2) Will. This is also the main ingredient of magic. You've got to have the willpower to quit. You've got to have the intent.

3) Focus. Another ingredient of magic. Once you've got the intent, it needs to be focused towards the right aim to achieve your goal. Now, for something like this, focus, but don't fixate. Fixating *on* cigs might end up having the reverse of what you want. Perhaps instead focus on something new whenever you feel the urge for one? Retrain your brain to read or do some other neat hobby to get your focus off smoking and to something you like!

4) Persistence. Aa noted above, some people fail twenty or more times before suceeding. That's normal. Addiction to substances is similar to a psychological disorder; those habits are literally hard-wired into your synapses. Re-training those can take a long time. If you keep at it, though, you'll prevail!

Easiest way to stomp an addiction is to pick up a new one.

Might I suggest Everquest? Final Fantasy? World of Warcraft? Guild Wars?

Or maybe we should drop back a couple years. Diablo II, Starcraft, Warcraft III...

any MMO really. I know a guy who managed to beat alcoholism via MMOs.

not exactly a magical solution, but hey - it works.

Something my cousin did in addition to using patches etc.: Make two posters-in one put lots of pictures of you doing things you love that don't involve smoking (she had pictures of healthy lungs too...) and then on the other put pictures of you smoking and pictures of yourself being unhappy or things you dislike. Hang both above your bed Everynight as you go to bed take what's left of your days energy and look at the "good" poster. Push all you positive energy toward it. then do the same to the "bad" poster only with negative energy. It worked for her... sweatdrop

The sad thing is, yes... videogaming is an expensive habit. After buying my wii, and a bunch of new games... including buying games for friends (like kai here for his bday: Hi sweetie!) anyway.....yea... I have said it many times while i was at work, If you're a gamer, you will easily be broke...but at least its a healthier habit than smoking or drinking or any other such habit.

Instead of sticking a cigarette into your mouth, try carrot sticks instead. Or toothpicks. Make that the habit instead (much healthier to chew on).

Also, if you're inside a building or something, take a walk when you feel an urge, but don't take any cigarettes with you. Physically distancing yourself will help and taking the walk will get your mind on other things.

I'm sure you can do it. Just the fact that you want to quit will help you. No one can quit until they want to, so you're already in good shape.

GOOD LUCK!!! biggrin