Support for those quitting smoking

El Nino09

RTT wrote: »

Hi El Nino, fair play for deciding to quit. I tried the patches and the gum too and I was still craving nicotine and ended up back on them. I read the Allen Carr book and I'm a non smoker now for the last 23 days and €85.50 better off. I have nothing to do with Allen Carr and thought it would be rubbish but its the best decision I ever made. Feel great!

Thanks RTT , 1 day down with patches so far so good . Friend in work is going to bring me in the Allen Carr book which he also swears by so will give it
a read and see how it goes from there

mimi7365

When I gave up 6 years ago I used nicotine patches.

They worked.

While giving up and to combat the munchies in the evenings while watching TV, I used to make up a HUGE bowl of fresh fruit salad and leave it in the fridge.

So what worked for me - Nicotine Patches and Fruit Salad.:)

Good luck giving up - its really worth it.

Wibbs

Halfway through a fag I just got bored of them. Over a month ago now. No real cravings since. The odd "oh there's something missing", but that's it. Very weird after a 30-40 a day habit for 20+ years.

I tried the patches and gum before and they weren't so good. I think they work better if you're a light smoker. If you're one of the heavy duty smokers I'm not so sure. Plus you're delaying the inevitable in a way, so that may be a problem for some.

Funny enough Allan carr I found useless for me. Too much like self hypnosis and I could see what he was at, if you know what I mean? That and I just didnt personally buy some of the things he was stating as fact. IE I did actually enjoy smoking, still like the smell, got a "buzz" from it and it defo sharpened my memory(that's still up the spout a month later sad to say). It really seems to work for a helluva lot of people. Fair play Mr Carr RIP.

I think when you get bored or really want to give up and you dont see them as a loss to your soul kinda thing then it's relatively easy(except for the first few days). I think that's how a 60 a dayer can be "cured" by hypnosis and a 10 a dayer may not be. The former really wants to give up.

goldenwonder

Do you remember your "last one"
I guess that's when you can say you've given up. Mine was on a tuesday in May at about midnight. that last one before bed.
Though ive had two at Halloween and a drag of one in december some time i guess ive been "not smoking" since may.

when did you class yourself as a non smoker.
that time when someone offers you one and your response changes from - 'no thanks, im trying to quit' to 'no thanks, i dont smoke.'?
that only happened me recently really. there are very few times when i relate anything to smoking.

and electric cigarettes all the way.

vinotinto77

So happy to find a thread here about stopping smoking..made me register & sign up so I could comment.... Stopping smoking was the biggest decision I ever made in my life - but I finally managed it last December 10th!!! 56 days off them now... This was my 11th time to try and stop. My doctor wanted to prescribe Zyban but I was anti drugs (how ironic is that when I was completely addicted to nicotine - ha ha lol!!!) and wasn't happy with the possible side effects....

I used laser therapy - recommended to me by a friend in the UK. Found a place in Dublin that did it city centre.... It's a really pleasant experience and what can I say - it's worked (well so far anyway). Very few withdrawal symptoms and no cravings!!!! Good Luck to everyone, it's such a huge thing to do and non-smokers will never understand how hard it is to beat it!!!! :cool:

Dades

vinotinto77 - For now you can have the benefit of the doubt - but if you continue to reference one particular service in your posts we will consider you shilling and act accordingly.

vinotinto77

I don't understand what the above means, but not to worry - my first experience on interenet discussions boards has not been an enjoyable one. I didn't understand that you cannot comment on the same thing more than once... and to be honest still don't - it seems very strange that you cannot discuss your experiences as I thought that was the whoe point of this!!! I have will now be closing my boards account and will not be posting on any topics anymore... thanks for you warm welcome!!!:mad:

sudzs

Do you remember your "last one"

Yes I do! And it was years ago, a Saturday night in November, a few weeks before the smoking ban. It was a Silk Cut purple and I only smoked half of it and chucked it in the fire.

I used the Allen Carr method after loads of failed attempts and haven't had a smoke since that night.

Timmy_the_dog

Apologies if this is the wrong thread for this.

I've been off the smokerettes since Nov 14th last year(that makes it sound like ages ago). Since then I have kept 3 B & H Gold in my possession. I was doing extremely well..eating alot to put off my desire for a smoke..looking up terrifying images of smoking inflicted illnesses..listening to my mother tell me how well I was doing and how she never thought I'd be able to give up..Until last weekend when I got extremely drunk and had a one night stand with one of my golden gigolos...one down two to go.

So I had a bad day at the office today..had a few beers..two down one to go..had a few more beers..three down none to go..which = no crutch.

Nicotine subs are not an option because they fup with my skin and obviously I don't want to buy a pack.

Any advice?
I think I've done pretty well..until now of course. I think the fact that I got through 8 odd weeks shows I have the will power but...there's always a but!

Apologies again if this is the wrong thread..and also for the rambling.

Dalan

Timmy_the_dog wrote: »

Apologies if this is the wrong thread for this.

I've been off the smokerettes since Nov 14th last year(that makes it sound like ages ago). Since then I have kept 3 B & H Gold in my possession. I was doing extremely well..eating alot to put off my desire for a smoke..looking up terrifying images of smoking inflicted illnesses..listening to my mother tell me how well I was doing and how she never thought I'd be able to give up..Until last weekend when I got extremely drunk and had a one night stand with one of my golden gigolos...one down two to go.

So I had a bad day at the office today..had a few beers..two down one to go..had a few more beers..three down none to go..which = no crutch.

Nicotine subs are not an option because they fup with my skin and obviously I don't want to buy a pack.

Any advice?



You could start from here.... http://ffn.yuku.com/topic/22987

Good luck with going back to your desire to free yourself from the stranglehold....

FATTARSE

I have tried to quit loads of times. Have been a smoker for 22 years about 10 a day. I had a sneaky suspicion my wife was pregnant with our second child and quit again going cold turkey on 7th Feb only to discover that I was right on 11th Feb!! Having been off them for a week I went straight out to celebrate the good news with a pint and bought 20 fags on auto pilot and smoked about 3 of them but dumped the rest and am now smoke free since 12th and very proud of myself.

However I have a couple of big weekends coming up Stag parties etc and I don't know how I am gonna stay off them. This thread is brilliant and I have used it loads of times before for quitting but I think you have to really want to and then it is not as unberable. I hope to be one of those guys who comes back on here in a couple of months still smoke free!!

RTT

Fair play Fattarse on deciding to quit. I know what you mean about wanting to smoke on nights out. I gave up on the 1st of Jan and after a few drinks out in town I miss them. But its only when I'm a bit drunk. Then I wake up the next morning delighted with myself than I managed not to smoke. Just try not to make it harder on yourself. Stay inside and don't go out to the smoking area when your smoking buddies do. Easier said than done, I know, as thats where the craic is. Just be happy that you're a non-smoker. You've done so well so far and no doubt feel and smell better too!

FATTARSE

Thanks RTT. Yeah I feel great and it really feels like I have been off them 2 weeks except for that slip when I got the good news. I am going out tonight to treat myself with a bit of retail therapy as a reward. The guys here in work smoke like troopers and I only notice how many times the go out to have one now that I am off them, and how much they stink when they come back in!!

Anyway it feels brilliant and I feel really clean if that makes any sense.

Fair play to everyone on here that has tried and succeeded or failed because I know its a great help to guys like me.

Subtle Troll

Just like to post up that its been a few months now, more like 4-5 and I am still off them!

I get the odd idea to go out for a smoke but generally I'm happy to forget about it.



I used the cut down gradually method, its the easiest way I found.

Cummybaby

I stopped smoking for 5 weeks after coming across this post 2 months ago. I'm back again. So here goes another shot at a non smoking life

RTT

Fair play Subtle Troll and Cummybaby. Its day 90 for me and €384.75 saved so far. Ching Ching!!

Elbow

First week done and i feel great

FATTARSE

7 weeks now and going strong. I feel fantastic. Put on about 8-10 lbs but thats coming back off now so its all good

Orion

Keep it going guys. I'm 15 months today and loving it.

FATTARSE

This is great 10 weeks and don't miss them at all. I am FREE !!!!!

ninnybopper

im just over my 2nd heart attack i am 39 yrs of age and i havent smoked in a week i think the scare of the pain i endured and the thoughts of my children with out their mum gave me the kick in the butt i needed , i know its only a week but already feeling the benifits tasting is totally different and sleeping much better and no signs of chest pain glad i found this topic
im using patches

Dramatik

Been off them for around 14-15 weeks, I've stopped counting now. Basicly I got sick of them telling me what to do, for instance say if I had to get the bus some where but I had no smokes I'd have to find somewhere that sold smokes buy and have a smoke before getting the bus, rain wind or shine, it was just a rule. That's just one of many situations through out the day where I was letting the smokes basicly tell me what to do. I started thinking about how something so meaningless was subconciously dictating my next move, from then on I decided to prove to myself that I was stronger than what is essentially plant material and paper and that I'd show them who's boss.

One thing that helped me was switching brands to a brand I disliked during the week and saved the good smokes for the weekend, for me I switched from John Player to Silk Cut Silver which pretty much taste like cardboard to me, thus giving me the smokes taste disgusting buzz. These also helped lower my nicotein levels as they have much lower than John Player and when I'd smoke a John Player they'd make me feel light headed and sick, now they made me feel horrible rather than good. Eventually I was just smoking the silvers and they were so rotten I was like **** this I may as well give them up as they do nothing for me whatsoever and smoking is something I can do without.

People often say "I need a smoke" as if they're going to drop dead any minute without one but infact it's smoking that will kill them, if a smoker was locked in a room without smokes for a week, you're not gonna find the smoker dead through lack of cigarettes. Basicly what I'm trying to say is, a lot of people think smoking is a phisical addiction but when you give up you realise it's actually more of a mental thing than anything else. Play that mental game with yourself and play it to win, the hardest opponent you will ever face in life is yourself, don't take any excuses from yourself be prepaired for plenty of them.

Another which helped me with with cravings was when I'd get one I'd tell myself to wait another 10 mins and by that point the craving would have gone, if it wasn't gone by then I'd tell myself to wait another 5mins, and it would be gone, you'd be surprised. Doing this helped me to take control over the cravings, so wasn't just giving in to myself right away and was slowly building up the power needed to get rid of them for good.

Something else which helped me later on was setting myself missions like stand out in the smoking area with a friend who's a smoker to strenghten your will power although I wouldn't try this untill you been off them at least 2 weeks. The first time you do it, it'll be hard but after that you'll think about it less and less. It helps because you're not smoking in a situation where you'd have definiatly had one and gets you used to that feeling.

They were a couple of things that helped me along the road and I'm by no means at the end of it, but the key is to take it day by day little by little. If you break it down to smaller more easily managable parts you find it much easier. I'm not saying this'll work for everyone, I'm just sharing what's working for me, it's all about finding which way works best for you. Just try to stay positive and look forward to living a healthy life that doesn't involve smoking and being told what to do by those pointless little cancer sticks. You're better that that, you owe it to yourself to give them up, be your own boss and take charge of your own life, only you can make the change...

MojoRising

Nicely put Dramatik! have to say trying my best to kick the dirty little ***** was off them for 2 months but fell back again decided I have to this time was thinking of trying e-cigs,but probably better off setting my mind to completely kick them.

Cummybaby

Fell off the wagon again. 4 weeks - F*** my life. I'm trying to figure out what is going wrong. Last week I was buying a newspaper and all of sudden I just blurted out: "and 20 Benson please". It was as if someone else was controlling me. The second pitfall is that I am finished college for the summer and have absolutely nothing to do and smoking gives me an activity to break up the day. Can anyone offer advice about the first couple of weeks of non smoking. I'm at the end of me tether. Thanks

frulewis

its day one lads and were it not for me coming on here and reading your posts i'd be smoking for definite! fingers crossed i'll last i do not want to smoke again i'm sick of the feckers, it's exactly like someone said in another post they rule your life, there's been nights when i've had three left and go out in wind, rain or snow to get some more just in case or have to drive 10 miles out of my way to get some when i'm going to a friend's house. Please God let this be the end of it!!

Harrocks

Day 16 smoke free cant say its easy but starting to feel the benefit ie want my lungs back.Eating like a fecker but at least i can taste food now.Needed a few uses of a nicorete inhaler on week 1.But system clear of nicotine try not to use patches etc.If you get a mad craving drink water go for a long walk.Good luck to anyone trying.IT IS POSSIBLE !!!!

Snowie

its not even been 72 hours

anger in me, yesterday i slept all day yesterday was very withdrawn sweating all that kinda stuff. Was a feverish night and day of mess.

I stopped because I no longer enjoyed I was getting more and more repulsed bye cigerates....

Today Is the first day il be near a shop il have money and its so easy every one knows what I'm talking about...

Im strong enough but part of me really wants one...

I feel like I'm talking about a little dirty pervy secret here...

EverEvolving

9 weeks and counting, amazing the money you save from not smoking. Only problem now is that I'm getting a bit nostalgic about them, gotta dose myself with the reasons for quitting and all that as I'm getting tempted again, stressful period in my life atm also but if I can get through this without smoking then I reckon I'm fairly safe. Need to summon all of my will power.

DublinWriter

Day one on Champix here. I'm intending smoking up to day 14.

In_My_Tree

Have been off them for the last 2 days, never thought I would be able to go without a smoke. I used to smoke a pack a day and started to feel the strain on my lungs and even coughed up blood because I torn my throat over the constant coughs. Now, 2 days free from it I have a huge craving for one. I don't want to yet I want to. Hearing I will have 3 weeks of this craving. Plus at a party JEEZ I won't last at all.