Stop Smoking Cold Turkey

I’m not sure where the term “cold turkey” comes from, but you know what it means to stop smoking cold turkey: you just stop. One day you’re a smoker, the next day you’re not.

It sounds simple, doesn’t it? But you know it’s not. Going cold turkey to stop smoking is probably one of the toughest ways to quit. Even so, for some people it’s the best.

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My brother-in-law stopped that way. He’s that kind of guy. He takes pride in following through on his commitments and being strong so when he decided to stop smoking he announced to everyone around him that he was going to and then just did it.

His buddies at the plant he works did their best to make it tough for him by smoking around him and offering cigarettes (some buddies, eh?), but that only seemed to make him more committed.

My father quit smoking years ago in a kind of cold turkey way. He had a bad case of pneumonia, probably related to his smoking. Even though I was very young, I remember it and how worried my mother was.

When he was sick, he was too sick to even think about smoking. He told me years later that when he was better, he picked up a cigarette out of habit, started to smoke it and then asked himself: “What the hell am I doing this for?”

He put that cigarette out and he never smoked again.

So going cold turkey can work. It just isn’t easy. If you’re inclined to try it here are some tips to help.

First, expect some physical withdrawal symptoms and the nicotine clears from your body. Common symptoms include irritability, sleeplessness, depression, agitation, a sense of loss, and change in appetite. Just knowing that such symptoms are part of the purification process makes them easier to bear.

Also know that they only last a few days. If you can stay smoke-free for two days, the worst will be behind you.

For some people (like my brother-in-law) making a public commitment helps them. You may not want to announce it to your smoker friends, but it makes sense most of the time to involve your family and enlist their support.

When you decide to quit smoking cold turkey, clear every thing associated with smoking from your home. Naturally, get rid of all cigarettes. But also get rid of ashtrays, cigarette lighters and anything else associated with the habit.

Expect to experience some physical agitation as well as mood for swings in the first few days. One way to deal with it is to plan on being physically active. I had a friend who planned a three-day weekend backpacking with some non-smoking buddies when he stop smoking cold turkey. It worked out great for him. The activity kept them distracted from the withdrawal and since he was in the middle of nowhere without any cigarettes he had no choice but to stay smoke-free.

In addition, the fact he got winded more easily than his friends added to his motivation to quit.

Physical symptoms aren't the only issues you have to deal with when you stop smoking cold turkey. There are psychological factors at work as well. We'll talk about that on Stop Smoking Cold Turkey - Part 2

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