Quitting is a mission for many of us who manage to quit. Smoking is an addiction. Learning to be a nonsmoker is a journey...not something that happens 10 minutes after declaring, "I quit." If you want to quit, you need to create your own quit plan based on what you know about yourself. When I prepared to quit, I tapered down so that I could test not smoking when I wanted to smoke most of all (usually when angry, frightened...all the flight or fight stuff). When I quit I had a very long list of options and to dos written down regarding dealing with anxiety; my list included anything and everything that I thought might be helpful--straws for fake smoking, a no-nicotine e-cig (never used it)--my list was much longer than these two things.
I'm no hero, and I certainly did not manage to quit because I was strong and fearless and just jumped in with a song on my lips and a happy glint in my eye...it was painful. I learned as I quit that I put cigarettes first--unlearning this twist of the mind has been hard work. Learning to be a nonsmoker was painstaking for me, but I kept at it and keep at it, because it bothered me that I loved smoking more than anything, that I would go to any length to have a cigarette. I wasn't happy unless I could have my smoke...what an awful state of dependency that is. I knew in my heart if I loved smoking above all else, then there was no bottom low enough to stop me.
I made a commitment to try, made a plan, suffered the insanity of letting go...I'm free enough today, but don't envy me because I must keep learning to be a nonsmoker one day at a time. I "luved um" too much to take my quit for granted.
Find your strengths and use those strengths to design and craft a process for freeing yourself from cigarettes --an approach you can get on board with...make that plan your own...top to bottom. My two cents worth. Good luck, no one is too dependent on cigarettes to find a way out, dig down deep, and after you do that, dig down deeper...keep digging...you will find your way.
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