Cutting Down on Cigarettes-Does it work?

Cutting down on cigarettes in order to help us quit. Many of us have tried this method, and for 99.9% of us it simply didn't work.

Sounds good in theory doesn't it? "By cutting down the number of cigarettes I have each day it will help my mind and body get used to going without for long periods". That's the problem with theories, they don't always work when put into practice.

So why is cutting down a sure way to lose the quit smoking battle? The idea is to put you in control, right?

Sorry but cutting down does the exact opposite, it in fact puts the cigarette in control.

Look at it this way.

Imagine you usually have a cigarette once every hour but you want to quit so decide to cut down. Smoking half as much seems like a good place to start so one cigarette every two hours it is. You have just put out your last hourly cigarette and now begins the two hours until your next one. What might happen?

• 30 minutes later: The first thoughts of your next cigarette come creeping into your head, no biggy though, you are sure you can last another 90 minutes.
• 60 minutes later: You would normally have your next ciggie around this time, the urge to have one is very strong. But you are committed right, you want to quit. Just one hour to go, boy you hope it goes fast.
  
• 80 minutes later: WHAT, how can only 20 minutes have gone by. You really want that cigarette now, in fact it is getting hard to concentrate on anything else. You reach for the packet, NO WAIT, you can hold out for 40 minutes, surely.
  
• 100 minutes later: Boy oh boy its getting hard, you cant stop looking at the clock, you have already checked that it is working properly but you check again to make sure. You get the packet and lighter out ready to go.
  
• 115 minutes later: CIGARETTE, CIGARETTE,CIGARETTE
• 12o minutes later: You finally get to light up and puff away, it is one of the best cigarettes you have ever had. Ahhhhh that is so good.

Now the two hour wait begins all over again.

• 30 minutes later: The first thoughts of your next cigarette come creeping into your head, no biggy though, you are sure you can last another 90 minutes.
• 60 minutes later: Ahhhh stuff it, I'm not going through that again. You light up and the theory hasn't worked. You don't bother trying again.
  

The idea was to put yourself in control but unfortunately all you have done is given the cigarette all the power. It has been put up on a pedestal and now instead of it being just another cigarette it has becomes a special and valued one.

If you are looking to quit smoking, cutting down is not a method I would recommend. Try a system that puts you in control, not the cigarette.