When my health got to where I had to quit drinking, I found a technique that finally worked. What you have to do is dissociate your desire for your addiction from your personality. What I mean is when you find yourself thinking "I want a cigarette," *immediately* modify that in your mind to "My addiction is demanding a cigarette, but *I* do not want to smoke anymore, so I won't." It won't necessarily help with the physical withdrawal symptoms, but it does wonders for the psychological cravings. I was a bottle a day man until June, and haven't touched a drop since, whereas I had been trying to quit drinking for a year or so before that.

All that being said, I will give the caveat that I haven't done it with smoking myself, but it did wonders with my drinking.

Disclaimer: I'm not a substance abuse counselor, doctor, or expert.