How Video Games Make It Harder to Quit Smoking

When attempting kick the cigarette habit, tasks and activities once associated with smoking make the cravings flare. In today’s Speak Up on Kotaku, commenter Peter [[link]] Pan Complex struggles with video games as a catalyst for puffing his life away.(new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=995c4c7d-194f-4077-b0a0-7ad466eb737c&cid=872d12ce-453b-4870-845f-955919887e1b'; cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "995c4c7d-194f-4077-b0a0-7ad466eb737c" }).render("79703296e5134c75a2db6e1b64762017"); }); That damn cancer stick. I’ve been trying to quit after 10 years of lighting it up to assuage my physiology, whether post-meal, the “30 min break”, the wait for the bus and so on, but it has become especially hard to break from it especially when gaming. I’ve been through some trenches in the MMO scene and the genre practically gives you an opportunity for smokers to light up their BIC for the nominal “afks” and “resets”. I’ve been smoke free for only 24 hours and attempting to turn on my PlayStation 3 is met with the biggest craving for one more stick. The typical cycle of a junkie. Any successful quit stories here? I used to be a chronic ganja user for about 5 years as well (all through college and first part of grad school) then just woke up this time last year and just stopped lighting up, tossed the paraphernalia without a second thought, distanced myself from other potheads, and never thought about weed again without a single relapse for 378 days. But, cigs are completely different stories. Endless cycles of “No doubt, last stick, going [[link]] to flush the rest down the toilet” then picking it up again the next day coupled with some lame excuse. I am not a believer in Tylenol or any similar medication unless used for a serious psychological/biological conditions. The only thing I’ve taken in the past 15 years or so was an Alka-seltzer or two. Therefore, I would hate myself to take any kind of nicotine pills, or patch, and I would be comforted knowing that I have the mental control to just fucking toss it. Anyone go cold-turkey? At least it looks like I’ve been drinking a lot more water the past 24 hours as [[link]] sipping a bit of fluid every time an urge comes up has alleviated the problem. I will have to distance myself from videogames for awhile too, it is one of THE biggest catalyst for smokers to nonchalantly light up. About Speak Up on Kotaku: Our readers have a lot to say, and sometimes what they have to say has nothing to do with the stories we run. That’s why we have a forum on Kotaku called Speak Up. That’s the place to post anecdotes, photos, game tips and hints, and anything you want to share with Kotaku at large. Every weekday we’ll pull one of the best Speak Up posts we can find and highlight it here.