Quitting is great

Captain Trips

I quit regularly, squashing up packets and throwing them after having one cigarette and then being disgusted at myself for being so weak.

However, I was back smoking 15 a day or so Marly lights over past months, and had stopped the exercise.

I haven't smoked in 25 hours now, which is great. Patches never helped me - it was the psychological things that got me relapsing (long drive in the car, out for a beer, etc., ). But, one of my favourite things is the "peak" of the nicotine withdrawal. It hits me usually around 36-48 hours after the last smoke - I start to get demanding, bitchy, irritible. ****ing great.

Plus, sleep takes 4-5 weeks to get to normal. However, it's actually a recollection - a memory - of a previous quitting period of 6 months and indeed having lived much of my life without cigarettes that I am keeping in mind : that I spent so much time NOT smoking and got on just fine, so it is possible. Around about now, I would hop in the car, buy a pack, smoke a few immediately. Instead I am trying to post here, anyway.

Puddles

Hey, r u Randall Flag, The walking Dude?:D

Khannie

Well....congrats on making the first step. Been off them around 3 years now (I used the Allen Carr book myself) having smoked for 15 years. You sound really positive and upbeat.

GOOD LUCK!

Redshift

Hey Good work, i'm off them 11 days now. it's wierd being able to smell and taste things again.
Keep it up you sound like you're in the right frame of mind to do it which IMO is the biggest ingredient in success or failure. Nicotine Addiction is mostly in your head and once you get around that it's so much easier.

little lady

I’m off them 13 days, it’s been easier than I thought, still think that having 1 more wouldn’t kill me and that if I stopped once I can continue after, it's not that easy and I have to get out of that frame of mind.

Best of luck to everyone.

Beelzebub

Good luck to all you quitters!
I smoked very briefly for a very short time in my late teens.
Though I never actually inhaled, no honestly:eek:
I was prone to bronchitis and so I decided to quit entirely.
My Mother was a smoker 'til she had a heart attack...though she has quit for I'd say 10 years it's too late for her to reap all the benefits and now she's on about 10 different tablets for her heart, blood pressure etc...
I know that smoking isn't the only factor involved in these health issues, but it certainly doesn't help.

nodger

As someone who led a more-or-less sedentary life, I found that the best approach to take was to start a new form exercise when I stopped smoking.

In my case, I started walking about 5km every evening and playing squash once a week. After each week that you're off the smokes, you'll start to see definite, measurable improvements in your performance... e.g. completing the 5km walk in less time, or being able to jog instead of walk after a couple of weeks. It doesn't sound like much, but I found it was a much better motivator than the money-saving aspect.

Once you see these improvements, it becomes very easy to motivate yourself to stay away from cigarettes.

Redshift

little lady wrote:

I’m off them 13 days, it’s been easier than I thought, still think that having 1 more wouldn’t kill me and that if I stopped once I can continue after, it's not that easy and I have to get out of that frame of mind.

Best of luck to everyone.

Thats the whole confidence trick thing allen carr talks about. You need to drill it into your head that there is no such thing. I tend to think of it this way if I just have one then that will be grand; but what about when I finish that one? I'm going to want another 'One More' except that i'll now be thinking well I got away with the last one so whats the harm in another? then it's another and another and we all know how that end's up.
The truth is there can never be another if you want to remain a non smoker.
Keep your chin up and try not to dwell on it, it gets easier every day.

I'm up to two weeks tomorrow

little lady

I did the whole Allen Carr thing, read the book and took his one day course; even though I agree with the principle of what he is saying and it all makes perfect logical sense, personally I couldn’t give up because I didn’t want to. I think to stop smoking and to stay off them you have to really really want it and if you don’t really want it you will fail. The failure won’t be a lack of will power it will be because deep down you don’t want to give up.

I’ve tried several times to give up and found it so hard, I’d make excuses to have a cigarette until I realised that I didn’t really want to stop. This time I want to stop, not for all the usually reason of it’s bad for you; it’s a horrible habit, etc… I’ve know all that for the past 11 years and it didn’t make a difference to me, this time I just don’t want to smoke anymore.

dollyk

little lady wrote:

I did the whole Allen Carr thing, read the book and took his one day course; even though I agree with the principle of what he is saying and it all makes perfect logical sense, personally I couldn’t give up because I didn’t want to. I think to stop smoking and to stay off them you have to really really want it and if you don’t really want it you will fail. The failure won’t be a lack of will power it will be because deep down you don’t want to give up.

I’ve tried several times to give up and found it so hard, I’d make excuses to have a cigarette until I realised that I didn’t really want to stop. This time I want to stop, not for all the usually reason of it’s bad for you; it’s a horrible habit, etc… I’ve know all that for the past 11 years and it didn’t make a difference to me, this time I just don’t want to smoke anymore.

couldnt agree more, read allen carr, took the course, had lazer treatment, and still did not stop, am fine once i know if i want one i can have one and sometimes go for a week without even having one honest. but as soon as i think of giving up then i chain smoke, by the way did you stop smoking. dont think i realy truly want to stop

Nan

Redshift wrote:

The truth is there can never be another if you want to remain a non smoker.

That's right! Been there done that and couldn't agree more and NO more. I hold to that whenever I get an emotional urge to smoke. I am so delighted to have finally managed to stop smoking. Three and a half months it's been, and I feel good too. The world just looks better and feels better and I am constantly discovering 'new' things about myself that I had forgotten: feelings, memories and sense things that were not available to me while I was smoking. I wish I had known what I would be missing by smoking and now that I do know, I'm not about to jeopardise it all for a puff of the magic dragon and another...and another and...

Stay happy and smoke-free everyone. You're worth it!

Nan

knipex

I quit last Saturday evening.

I did not smoke on Sunday. Monday I had one cigarette at around 2pm I was sitting in a car and had some serious cravings). Tuesday I did not smoke. Wednesday I did not smoke, Thursday (yesterday) I smoked 1/2 of a cig at around 9pm (cravings were really really bad). Today no cigarette at all and no real cravings.

I am on Zyban and to be honest I find it good but what I dont understand is I have cravings on and off then out of nowhere I get serious serious cravings (I tried walking but I ended up getting lost as my concentraion just totally colapsed. On Monday I had to stop the car and get out as I was going to cause an accident). I have a few drags and then I am fine. I get through the next day with no serious problems.

It is so frustrating as I am sitting here drinking a cup of tea (when I used to really love a cig) and I am absolutely fine with no serious cravings. But last night for no reason I just got really really bad cravings.

I know that the minute I come off the Zyban that I will not be able to stop after those few drags and will be back to square 1.

Redshift

Hi Knipex,
A couple of things you can try for sudden cravings are ice water or really strong mints.
Works for me esp the water. Remember the cravings only last a very short time so try you keep your mind distracted. They will pass and rapidly become less frequent and severe.

Mr. Presentable

knipex wrote:

I quit last Saturday evening.

I did not smoke on Sunday. Monday I had one cigarette at around 2pm I was sitting in a car and had some serious cravings). Tuesday I did not smoke. Wednesday I did not smoke, Thursday (yesterday) I smoked 1/2 of a cig at around 9pm (cravings were really really bad). Today no cigarette at all and no real cravings.

I am on Zyban and to be honest I find it good but what I dont understand is I have cravings on and off then out of nowhere I get serious serious cravings (I tried walking but I ended up getting lost as my concentraion just totally colapsed. On Monday I had to stop the car and get out as I was going to cause an accident). I have a few drags and then I am fine. I get through the next day with no serious problems.

It is so frustrating as I am sitting here drinking a cup of tea (when I used to really love a cig) and I am absolutely fine with no serious cravings. But last night for no reason I just got really really bad cravings.

I know that the minute I come off the Zyban that I will not be able to stop after those few drags and will be back to square 1.

You actually quit on Thursday. Try not to delude yourself - a non-smoker doesn't have 1 or 2 puffs! Half the job in quitting is self management apart from the smoking. Controlling your irritability, appetite etc. Remember, when you're asleep you don't smoke, so when you're awake you don't need to either. It's mostly habit - so be strong and make a new habit - not smoking. Start by not having any cigarettes around

Nan

Hi Knipex,

After almost five months, I still get emotional cravings about wanting to have a smoke while enjoying the sunset, talking to difficult clients, etc. etc.. I am not always sure what the triggers are, for I can watch the sunset and deal with a client without any desire to smoke. I try to figure out what the triggers are and then avoid those. Often it's not clear and if the desire continues, I stop what I am doing: get up from the bench, leave the computer in order to change my focus. It usually works.

Another thing that works is closing your eyes and taking four or five deep breaths.

In my mind, all I want is one puff, half a cigarette or just one - just one.... Whenever my mind won't go along with what I am doing, i.e., I keep wanting a cigarette, I try another tack: do I really want to go back to smoking?

NO, I DON'T.

That is what will happen if I have one puff, half a cigarette or just one.... I know, for I have been there. Do I want to exchange five minuttes of what seems like pleasure for a smoke-free future.

Do you?

Nan

Nordie

knipex wrote:

I quit last Saturday evening.

I did not smoke on Sunday. Monday I had one cigarette at around 2pm I was sitting in a car and had some serious cravings). Tuesday I did not smoke. Wednesday I did not smoke, Thursday (yesterday) I smoked 1/2 of a cig at around 9pm (cravings were really really bad). Today no cigarette at all and no real cravings.

I am on Zyban and to be honest I find it good but what I dont understand is I have cravings on and off then out of nowhere I get serious serious cravings (I tried walking but I ended up getting lost as my concentraion just totally colapsed. On Monday I had to stop the car and get out as I was going to cause an accident). I have a few drags and then I am fine. I get through the next day with no serious problems.

It is so frustrating as I am sitting here drinking a cup of tea (when I used to really love a cig) and I am absolutely fine with no serious cravings. But last night for no reason I just got really really bad cravings.

I know that the minute I come off the Zyban that I will not be able to stop after those few drags and will be back to square 1.

Is Zyban a medication of some form and how do you get it

Nan

Nordie wrote:

Is Zyban a medication of some form and how do you get it

Google: 'Zyban, quit smoking medication' and you will get about 855,000 hits.

Good luck:)

Nan

Nordie

Nan wrote:

Google: 'Zyban, quit smoking medication' and you will get about 855,000 hits.

Good luck:)

Nan

Cheers Nan will check that out:cool: