WhyQuit The Law Joel's Library Turkeyville

Links to Free Quit Smoking, Chewing,
Dipping and Vaping Support Groups

Our families love us but if they've never been addicted to a drug or navigated withdrawal, is it fair to expect them to appreciate recovery? Long-term successful ex-nicotine-users at on-line support groups do understand and are waiting, now, to support you.

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"Nicotine Cessation vs. Smoking Cessation"

Abrupt nicotine cessation and methods employing substitute nicotine or other dopamine enhancing chemials not only vary in the manner in which nicotine dependency recovery is approached, but in how each quitter defines abstinence (nicotine cessation vs. smoking or tobacco cessation), and when withdrawal is complete. This can result in vastly different recovery experiences requiring different needs, tools, counseling, support and skills at different times.

Regardless of your chosen method and definition of cessation, try not to base your recovery expectations upon what someone using a different method may be experiencing. The most important thing is that we each eventually break nicotine's grip upon our brain reward pathways and again become comfortable fully engaging life as "us!"

A quick word of caution to abrupt nicotine cessation quitters. Almost all support groups have articles, advertisements or other links that strongly encourage use of a growing array of alternative nicotine delivery devices, including e-cigarettes. If you've remained nicotine free for 72 hours then your blood serum is 100% nicotine-clean. Critical brain pathways once controlled by nicotine are now bathing and basking in nicotine-free oxygen-rich blood serum. They are rapidly re-sensitizing and the symptoms of chemical withdrawal have peaked in intensity and are now gradually beginning to subside. Although it can take 2 to 3 weeks for some symptoms to resolve, for you, the most intense portion of recovery is behind you. Introducing any nicotine back into your bloodstream, from any source, will force you to again need to endure another period of nicotine detox.

"Selecting the Forum That's Right for You"

When selecting a cessation site remain mindful that although they may appear similar on the surface that most are as different as night and day. Some have a unified cessation philosophy and structured education program while others do not. Some have professional counselors or permanent staff reviewing and correcting erroneous or detrimental advice while others do not. Some are deadly serious and highly focused clinic-type programs where general socialization is not permitted, while others are wonderful fun-filled anything-goes giant quitter pep-rallies where the "you can do it" spirit offered by fellow quitters fuels the group.

If you choose the later, be sure and engage in quality dependency recovery reading on the side, as the newness and excitement of the online experience will gradually evaporate. When it does, having knowledge, understanding and solid relapse prevention skills to fall back upon could very well save your recovery and life.

Reading or Posting at Multiple Sites

This post entitled "Reading at Other Quit Smoking Sites" was written by Joel and, although written with members of Freedom from Nicotine in mind, it provides a number of insights beneficial to those wishing to read or post at multiple forums.

None of us are stronger than nicotine but then we don't need to be as nicotine is simply a chemical with an I.Q. of zero. Once we take that final step and end all nicotine use, there is only one rule we each need follow in order to remain free for life - no nicotine today, Never Take Another Puff, Dip, Vape or Chew!

Breathe deep, hug hard, live long!

John

John R. Polito
Founder and director of WhyQuit.com
Co-founder of Freedom and Turkeyville
Author of Freedom from Nicotine - The Journey Home

All of the below online programs are 100% free of charge

Turkeyville

~ exclusively for cold turkey quitters ~

Mission: Imagine being supported by more than 10,000 cold turkey quitters on a 100% nicotine-free scrolling message board. Welcome to Turkeyville! The primary focus in WhyQuit's highly popular Facebook group is helping smokers through the first few days of recovery. Devoted exclusively to educated abrupt nicotine cessation (smart turkey), Turkeyville relies heavily upon the recovery lessons shared in Joel's Library. Why cold turkey? Not only is it free, fast and safe. As shown again by a 2018 study, each and every year more nicotine addicts arrest their chemical dependence via abrupt nicotine cessation than by all other methods combined.
Posting Requirements: A highly focused, deadly serious and single minded forum, you must: (1) have abruptly ended all nicotine use prior to making your first post, (2) without use of any quitting product or medication, without undergoing any procedure, without engaging in any nicotine weaning scheme, and without use of an e-cig or vaping device, and (2) you must read and agree to abide by the forum's rules.

Quit Train

~ cold turkey and approved quitting products with vaping discouraged ~

Mission: Quit Train is a quit smoking support message board created by former smokers seeking to help others quit. A primary focus of the group is in destroying smoking rationalizations, encouraging members to embrace recovery and relapse prevention.
Membership Requirements: Registration requires submitting a user name, your email address and creation of a password. You are also asked to provide your quit date.

BecomeAnEx.org

~ open to all stop smoking methods + vaping ~

Mission: Ex has evolved into a support site which attempts to connect people with similar cessation experiences or other interests (groups) with people having similar interests. You can join as many groups within Ex as you wish.
Membership Requirements: Registration requires a membership name and email address and answering a couple of answering smoking history questions.

KillTheCan.org

~ exclusively for smokeless/oral tobacco quitters ~

Mission: A website and message board forum dedicated exclusively to helping those addicted to smokeless tobacco break free. The forum strongly advocates abrupt nicotine cessation but provides support for all programs including NRTs.
Membership Requirements: Registration, which requires a working e-mail address

Voices of Nicotine Recovery

~ cold turkey or approved quitting product users ~

Mission:Sit in on scheduled PalTalk group meetings grounded in Nicotine Anonymous's 12 Step program. The 12 steps include:
1. We admitted we were powerless over nicotine - that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to nicotine users and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
Meeting Participation Requirements: (1) Download PalTalk Messenger (2) 15 minutes before the meeting is scheduled to begin, log into Paltalk (3) Select Chat Rooms > Health > Overcoming Addiction > Voices of Nicotine Recovery

Reddit's StopSmoking

~ open to all stop smoking methods + vaping ~

Mission: "This reddit is a place for redditors to motivate each other to quit smoking. We welcome anyone who wishes to join in by asking or giving advice, sharing stories, or just encouraging someone who is trying to quit."
Membership Requirements:Prior to posting, must provide an email address in order to join Reddit.

StopSmokingCenter.Net

~ open to all stop smoking methods + vaping ~

Mission: A six milestone stages of change approach to educated cessation that accommodates both NRT and abrupt cessation quitters, this research oriented forum uses nine subject matter message boards, e-mail and glove compartments in helping members break free.
Membership Requirements: E-mail address required for registration

ColdTurkeyQuitters

~ exclusively for cold turkey quitters ~

Mission: This Facebook group is "strictly for people who want to quit cold turkey. We're sorry but we do not allow people who use nicotine replacement products or medication."
Membership Requirements: Facebook registration plus applying to join the group.

Quit Smokeless Community

~ smokeless tobacco quitters only ~

Mission: A forum dedicated exclusively to helping those addicted to smokeless tobacco break its grip upon their mind and life. The forum strongly advocates abrupt nicotine cessation and is not engaged in marketing NRT products. The forum's founder, Matt, is a former five-year chewer. Although there is no cost for participation, the forum actively solicits donations.
Membership Requirements: Registration, which requires a working e-mail address

Quit.com Support

~ exclusively for NicoDerm CQ patch, Commit Lozenge, Nicorette gum quitters ~

Mission: GlaxoSmithKline's e-mail and newsletter quitting support reserved for users of NicoDerm CQ patch, Commit Lozenge, Nicorette gum quitters.
Membership Requirements: GlaxoSmithKline NRT user + online registration.

Freedom from Nicotine

~ an archived cold turkey site that no longer accepts members ~

Although Freedom, WhyQuit's original 1999 stop smoking support group, is no longer accepting members, today Freedom's 453,000 archived member posts serve as a valuable source of recovery insight and understanding.

If you have updated information for any of the above forums, or would like to recommend inclusion of any "free" online cessation forum that is both "active" and has an established record of producing successful long term cessation, please send a quick e-mail to ...

john@whyquit.com

How to Quit Smoking

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Visit WhyQuit and learn more about smart turkey quitting

Discover Smart Turkey Quitting

WhyQuit.com WhyQuit is the Internet's oldest forum devoted to the art, science and psychology of cold turkey quitting, the stop smoking method used by the vast majority of all successful long-term ex-smokers.
Nicotine Addiction 101 WhyQuit's guide to understanding nicotine dependency.
Nicotine Cessation Topic Index An alphabetical subject matter index to more than a thousand nicotine cessation articles, videos and support group discussions.
Joel's Library Joel Spitzer began presenting stop smoking clinics and seminars in 1976. WhyQuit's education director since 2000, Joel's Library is home to his life's work. It includes Joel's "Daily Quitting Lesson Guide." The Guide walks new quitters through the first two weeks of smoking cessation, recommending daily videos to watch and articles to read. It's also home to more than a hundred original short stop smoking articles, to "Never Take Another Puff," Joel's free ebook, and to his ever growing collection of more than 400 video stop smoking lessons.
Joel's Stop Smoking Video Index An alphabetical index to Joel's 400 videos. Each link opens a webpage where Joel shares the video together with related articles and links.
"Freedom from Nicotine - The Journey Home" Written by John R. Polito, a former 30-year heavy smoker and WhyQuit's 1999 founder, Freedom from Nicotine shares the science underlying nicotine dependency and successful abrupt nicotine cessation. Whether hooked on cigarettes, e-cigarettes (e-cigs), bidis, kreteks, a pipe, hookah or cigars, on dip, chew, snuff or snus, or on the nicotine gum, lozenge, spray, inhaler or patch, the book provides a road-map home.
Turkeyville Imagine surrounding yourself with more than 10,000 cold turkey quitters. Turkeyville is a Facebook support group exclusively for cold turkey quitters. The group's primary focus is helping newbies navigate the first few days. Just that first brave step, yes you can!
Freedom Freedom was WhyQuit's original 1999 stop smoking support group. No longer accepting members, today Freedom's 453,000 archived member posts serve as a valuable source of recovery insight and understanding.