Hi Doctors, I am 36 yrs old. I am addicted to smoking for almost 15 years now and smoke 15-18 cigarettes daily. Need your help and consultation to get rid of smoking entirely forever. Can it be possible? Kindly also let me know about the treatment, how long will be the expected treatment duration and cost. Kindly let me know in case any further information is needed. Thanks! Deb.

Dr. Saul PereiraPsychologist48yrs exp

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I do not know where you live. So you will need to check with the local rehabilitation facilities offered there. Yes, of course you can give up smoking at any time. The desire to want to give it up is the first positive point in your favor. You are smoking too much anyway for your own good. Stopping is urgent and important. To break the habit you need to quit it for 21 days as the first phase ? this is the most difficult phase. You must continue abstinence for another 7 weeks to make it relatively easy. After 3 years of total abstinence you can be somewhat safe. Yes, there is medication to ease quitting smoking. Please consult a doctor for the same. You have been smoking for a long time now but you can reverse almost all the damage from it by quitting now. Just keep at it till you succeed. Quitting smoking is very difficult but not impossible due to the following reasons: smoking has certain conditions for the urge to be stimulated. These can vary throughout the day. You need to de-condition around the habit. There is a physical and psychological craving that has to be countered. There are some medicines that ease the craving, for which you will need to consult a doctor. Some measures you can take are: avoid people, activities, and places where the need to smoke is highest. There is also the time of day when the urge is greater; occupy yourself with planned, alternative, and interesting activities. During all these times do deep breathing exercises. Buy some chewing gum or nicotine gum or nicotine patches to tide over the urge. Replace the conditions or associations with new behaviors to affect the drive. Frequent ?no smoking zones? when in need. Tell the whole world that you have given up smoking, and ask for support from all of them. Your oral need may increase so ?pacify? it by indulging in eating, drinking health beverages, sucking on hard candy etc. Persevere in very difficult moments by sticking to your resolution because the impulse will disappear pretty fast. Get the support of an addiction counselor to process the resolution. You may never need institutional care but get the support of a Smokers Anonymous group. 

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