wanna quit smoking...

sporina

ok, I will make this brief.

I am 30 - been smoking since 18. Gave them up at 24 - back on them at 27.
Before I gave them up I just got in the mind frame - worried about my skin and I started enjoying them less and less. Read Alan Carr's book and stopped smoking 1/4 way through the book. But I have the right frame of mind long before I started reading it.

Then after a major crisis I went back on them but now I am a heavy smoker (20 a day) whereas before I was a habitual smoker.
There is a little part of me wants to give them up but not enough to make me wanna try quitting.
I like my fags so much - 1st thing in the morning, when driving, sitting with my BF on the couch.. but I feel know how stupid it is and just cant seem to get into the mind frame to quit.

Anyone been in this situation and if so how did you get out of it ie: get into the mind frame of quitting?

Promac

Haven’t posted in this forum before but I quit in January after being on 30+ per day for 20 years.

Champix was what did it for me. It’s a drug you can get on prescription from your doctor. You start taking it about a week before you want to quit and over the course of the week you gradually want to smoke less and less. It’s not nicotine replacement either so you don’t get the same cravings as you would on the patches. I can highly recommend it – I haven’t had a single cigarette since the 10th of January and I don’t miss them. Stopped taking the pills in april too. And I didn't need to get myself into any particular mind-frame. I just heard about these pills and thought I'd give them a go, not particularly optimistic about them, just open-minded.

Some people get various side effects from the drug – I used to get a big of nausea for 5 minutes after taking the pill in the morning – some side effects are more severe. I think it’s worth the risk though.

sporina

thanks - my mate used them - she was off the fags while taking the drug and back on them shortly after no longer taking the meds.
I guess it depends on one self,
Maybe they would help me give them up initially but to stay off them I would say I need to change my mind set as I am a smoker for psychological reasons as well and no drug can cure that.

Promac

Yeah I know what you mean. Champix (or any other quitting aid) isn't a magical cure. It just made it that bit easier for me. Gave me the edge I needed.

Just take it 5 minutes at a time - see the "One day" thread on here for some inspiration.

sporina

Promac wrote: »

Yeah I know what you mean. Champix (or any other quitting aid) isn't a magical cure. It just made it that bit easier for me. Gave me the edge I needed.

Just take it 5 minutes at a time - see the "One day" thread on here for some inspiration.

thanks - and TBH I will not really start to work on this till after xmas...

Friday73

Was a smoker on and off through out the years, this time been off them 8 years, last time I thought I would never be able to quit as I was smoking way too much. Anyway, from my experience what never worked, (and believe me others have tried it too!lol) is when you buy a box and say to yourself "once I've smoked the last one, I'll quit!" That only lasts for a few hours, by then you have given into the cravings, bought another box and repeated to yourself "once I've smoked the last one, I'll quit!"lol I just went cold turkey, the last cigarette I had was before going to bed one night (had a half box of cigarettes still left over), the next day the battle to stay off them commenced. I think it's best not to take the odd puff here and there, it prolongs the agony and might as well be smoking full time. More importantly, do not be surprised if you feel awful and cough up a lot of muck, it's your lungs clearing themselves out. Lasted a good few weeks with me. Finally, once you are off cigarettes, don't accept one, I did after three years and I was back to square one again. Once off them, stay off them! Anyway, best of luck, and if you don't succeed, try again, and again, and again!lol

finnharps09

Those pills you can get to help you stop smoking don't work too well, a friend spent a small fortune on them over the last few months and he still can't quit. Still smoking like a trooper...Useless

Promac

finnharps09 wrote: »

Those pills you can get to help you stop smoking don't work too well, a friend spent a small fortune on them over the last few months and he still can't quit. Still smoking like a trooper...Useless

Worked great for me. Very little will power required and I'm still smoke-free after 11 months.

zac8

finnharps09 wrote: »

Those pills you can get to help you stop smoking don't work too well, a friend spent a small fortune on them over the last few months and he still can't quit. Still smoking like a trooper...Useless

I tried Champix over a year ago and it didn't work for me. Tried again last May and this time it worked - I'm off the smokes now over 7 months. You need to be in the right frame of mind before taking them and will power is still required.

CityCentreMan

Hi Sporina,
I think that you gave up the smokes prematurely in that you should have waited until you had finished the Alan Carr Book.

I smoked from 13yrs till 43 and am off them 5 yrs now. I found the Alan Carr Book & Course great but during the process I I relapsed a few times but just got back reading it and reading it again & again.

I am probably a little slow but I found that each time I reread to book I found things I'd missed and I also found it motivational in that I was using the book a motivator.

during the process when I could'nt read the book I would go through lists in my mind.

Why do I smoke ?
Does it make me look better?
Does it make me better in bed?
Will it make me richer?
Will I be more attractive to women?
Will I live longer?
etc, etc...

I would go through all of the logical steps to determine why I still smoked - 1 Reason only - I was addicted to nicotine.

I would also go through all the benefits that would accrue when I had escaped from smoking...
Health -I would list every organ and disease that would be effected by smoking;
Wealth - I would calculate out every penny I had spent (At todays prices!) on cigerettes ( I was on about 50 / day when I quit!)
Homelife - I wanted to have kids but did'nt want them to have a smoker as a father and smoking at home was starting to become an issue;
Appearance, smell, fingers, etc etc

I could go on amnd on but my best`advice is to go back to the Alan Carr book and read it again and again and again. With Alan Carr its not willpower or substitutes - Its motivation and positive brainwashing and it does make it easy!

Best of luck.

sporina

CityCentreMan wrote: »

Hi Sporina,
I think that you gave up the smokes prematurely in that you should have waited until you had finished the Alan Carr Book.

I smoked from 13yrs till 43 and am off them 5 yrs now. I found the Alan Carr Book & Course great but during the process I I relapsed a few times but just got back reading it and reading it again & again.

I am probably a little slow but I found that each time I reread to book I found things I'd missed and I also found it motivational in that I was using the book a motivator.

during the process when I could'nt read the book I would go through lists in my mind.

Why do I smoke ?
Does it make me look better?
Does it make me better in bed?
Will it make me richer?
Will I be more attractive to women?
Will I live longer?
etc, etc...

I would go through all of the logical steps to determine why I still smoked - 1 Reason only - I was addicted to nicotine.

I would also go through all the benefits that would accrue when I had escaped from smoking...
Health -I would list every organ and disease that would be effected by smoking;
Wealth - I would calculate out every penny I had spent (At todays prices!) on cigerettes ( I was on about 50 / day when I quit!)
Homelife - I wanted to have kids but did'nt want them to have a smoker as a father and smoking at home was starting to become an issue;
Appearance, smell, fingers, etc etc

I could go on amnd on but my best`advice is to go back to the Alan Carr book and read it again and again and again. With Alan Carr its not willpower or substitutes - Its motivation and positive brainwashing and it does make it easy!

Best of luck.

thanks.
I do not think i quit prematurely - I honesty remember not wanting to smoke.
But you are right - it was great and I still have the book - TBH I took it out of the box I had it stored in and left it on the kitchen counter for me to read. That was 3 months ago - it went back into a press unread - but it will come out again and this time I will read it.
Also funny you should say +ve brain washing - I use to describe it as "debrainwashing" if there is such a word...

and I will remember your tips..

thanks again.
New year - not new years day but in Jan 2010 I will start to read the book again.

CityCentreMan

you are right to avoid giving them up on new years day - all you are doing is lining yourself up for a fall. Best of luck!

TouchingVirus

If you go on the Champix watch out for what it'll do to your motivation, not to quit, but to do anything else. A guy I know found they worked first time around for him, but he faltered. The following year he tried another course and ended up spending his entire evening on the couch, completely disinterested in anything - as soon as he stopped taking them he was back to himself but soon faltered again and is currently planning on going cold turkey in the new year

finnharps09

Would never have believed it, but friend got hypnotised for 1 hour and stopped smoking straight away?

sporina

finnharps09 wrote: »

Would never have believed it, but friend got hypnotised for 1 hour and stopped smoking straight away?

really by whom? and how much? where?

EL_Loco

I went to the shop today and asked around at work if anyone wanted anything, 1 woman wanted 20 smokes, and handed me 8.50. Last notion I had was they were around a fiver. (I can hear the smokers saying "I wish" from here)

if you smoke 20 a day, for a year, you spend over 3 grand. There's a motivational point for starters.

jazzlewazzle

EL_Loco wrote: »

I went to the shop today and asked around at work if anyone wanted anything, 1 woman wanted 20 smokes, and handed me 8.50. Last notion I had was they were around a fiver. (I can hear the smokers saying "I wish" from here)

if you smoke 20 a day, for a year, you spend over 3 grand. There's a motivational point for starters.

it does not work that way unfortunately..
you would have to smoke or have an addiction of some kind to understand..
count your self v v lucky that you have not got any

elleelle19

Friend of mine helped me quit in November, had tried a few times to go cold turkey with no success and she really helped. She is doing and event soon if you wanna check it out www.wickedinspired.com

-Corkie-

hi ya i was in the same positon as you same age and all. i got the patches.
i got the strongest box first which last two weeks, then the next box which are lighter for another 2 weeks then the last box of patches which are lighter. that and help from my loving wife and i fought them. i know other people talk about the book but i cant sit still not to mind read a book. hope this a help. best of luck........

Orion

EL_Loco wrote: »

if you smoke 20 a day, for a year, you spend over 3 grand. There's a motivational point for starters.

I was smoking 40 a day until 7 days ago. And I can tell you now- money is no incentive. I was fully aware I was spending nearly 7 grand a year on cigarettes and I didn't and still don't care. I have given up smoking because I want to. Not because of the money savings. As jazzlewazzle said unless you've been there you will never understand.

Read this. If you can identify with any of my posts then you're an addict yourself

elleelle19 wrote: »

Friend of mine helped me quit in November, had tried a few times to go cold turkey with no success and she really helped. She is doing and event soon if you wanna check it out www.wickedinspired.com

300 sheets for a session to tell you what you already know? Personally I'll put that 300 to better use. I'm not a believer in self-help seminars - any of them not just quit-smoking ones. If anyone really wants to quit they will. If they don't - they won't and no seminars, therapy, hypnotism, replacement solutions etc will make a blind bit of difference. See above - 40 a day ... Now 0 a day. Money spent on therapies: 0.*




* Willpower required

SAFC

if you smoke its ur own faul. idiots.

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

Jules

SAFC - permaban.

Behaviour like that will not be tolerated on this forum.

EL_Loco

true enough, not a smoker. Maybe put the money down in the "added bonuses" section.

mewso

I am very happy with my new e-cigarette. Almost a week off the real things which is amazing for me. I know some may frown on these gadgets but I now consider them a viable way of quitting by having a replacement that gives you the sensation of smoking plus a nicotine hit to fix your cravings.

I was thinking of doing up an info post on e-cigarettes if anyone is interested.

charliecon

mewso wrote: »

I am very happy with my new e-cigarette. Almost a week off the real things which is amazing for me. I know some may frown on these gadgets but I now consider them a viable way of quitting by having a replacement that gives you the sensation of smoking plus a nicotine hit to fix your cravings.

I was thinking of doing up an info post on e-cigarettes if anyone is interested.

Agree with you 100% mewso, I have been off the fags since Nov but the cravings were getting really bad so I decided to try the e-cig a fortnight ago - best decision I made since giving up. I can honestly say that I never ever think of smoking now .

PattheMetaller

I started smoking at 17. Turned 40 just there in October and come this New Year I decided to give it another go (the weezing was an incentive).

Was off them 2.5 years at one point and found that it was the time i least expected that caught me: I was psyched up for the times I knew i'd be tempted.

Off them now 11 days and satisying the cravings with a Nicorette Inhaler. Seems to do the job for me so far but wont take things for granted. Chest feels far better already and I can smell a smoker from the other side of the room; which I never realised when smoking.

I find that I'm gradually reducing my usage of the inhaler but I anticipate that I'll always keep an inhaler aboout me as an emergency measure if I ever feel like losing the battle.

Orion

EL_Loco wrote: »

true enough, not a smoker. Maybe put the money down in the "added bonuses" section.

Darn tooting I will

elleelle19

Macros42 wrote: »

I'm not a believer in self-help seminars - any of them not just quit-smoking ones. If anyone really wants to quit they will. If they don't - they won't and no seminars, therapy, hypnotism, replacement solutions etc will make a blind bit of difference. See above - 40 a day ... Now 0 a day. Money spent on therapies: 0.*

fair play to you, you obviously have great will power and I agree that you have to want to quit to do it but some people just need an extra bit of help. Which I did, didn't stop immediatley just started to not want them as much and gradually not at all which is why I got no withdrawls.

Hope you way work for you

Orion

elleelle19 wrote: »

fair play to you, you obviously have great will power and I agree that you have to want to quit to do it but some people just need an extra bit of help. Which I did, didn't stop immediatley just started to not want them as much and gradually not at all which is why I got no withdrawls.

Hope you way work for you

I don't really. I just wanted to stop. Like I said - horses for courses - I didn't criticize these self-help courses/books - I just said they're not for me. If they worked for you - great - I'm happy for you . Everyone has different ways of quitting, different methods that will work. No method is right or wrong - as long as it works

jazzlewazzle

mewso wrote: »

I am very happy with my new e-cigarette. Almost a week off the real things which is amazing for me. I know some may frown on these gadgets but I now consider them a viable way of quitting by having a replacement that gives you the sensation of smoking plus a nicotine hit to fix your cravings.

I was thinking of doing up an info post on e-cigarettes if anyone is interested.

hi,

so whats the story with the e cigarette?
Do you plan to rely on it as a substitute for ever?
are there -ve health side effects from it? etc..

mewso

jazzlewazzle wrote: »

hi,

so whats the story with the e cigarette?
Do you plan to rely on it as a substitute for ever?
are there -ve health side effects from it? etc..

I did the quick guide in the end - http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055796757

I think I answered your questions there but to repeat my thinking on them was they are much much safer than the real thing. We smokers are happy smoking things that contain stuff we never heard of. You can research whats in e-cigs very easily. If I ended up vaping e-cigs for the rest of my life I am convinced I will be immeasurably better off than if I continued smoking the real thing. It's a personal decision at the end of the day. I think we are all different and different things work for each of us.

busybibi

Botom line is if you are not giving up because you want to and have a little thought at the back of your mind that i can always smoke again then you won,t succeed. December 2003 i finally became a non smoker and in those two words lies a clue if you tell yourself that you are giving up you make it sound like a big sacrifice on your part if you tell yourself that your are going to be a non smoker its a little way to fool ourselves but it does work. I decided 3 months before on a date and kept to it , the hardest part was the lead up to the day but when it came i have never looked back, you can try any amount of aids to help but if its not what you really want nothing will help it has to come from you.

sporina

hi all, I heard on the radio that boots are doing a 12 week support program to help those who wanna give up the ciggies - and its free. I assume this in in conjunction with Nicorrette or some pharmaceutical co - anyone know anything about it?

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

sporina

ok, OP here.

i am ashamed to say, that I am only now getting around to paving the path to becoming a non smoker.
My plan has always been "as soon as I finish this book, then I will start my Alan Carr book". Hmm, about 50 books later, I finished my latest book last night. And so tonight I am going to start Alan Carr - the book I read when I gave then up initially.

I have a mixture of feelings - to be honest, in my head I do not seem to be in the right place to stop - but I have waited long enough. I know all the facts about the harm smoking does to our bodies (i work in a hospital by the way, so i see it everyday I work). I know how much it costs in every way. The shame of smoking is also a bit reason to give up - it is such a bad habit - and nowadays its embarrassing. I was at a wedding recently where there were few smokers and I felt like I had leprosy.

So folks, who have given up - please give me some good vibes towards quitting.
Oh and also, as I said before, I am more of a psychological smoker - but should I get patches? TBH I do not think they will do me any good, but maybe it would be no harm to have them just in case?

sporina

Ok - i see I started this thread in 2009 - and here I am in 2012 - still a smoker.
Well, I started reading the Alan Carr easy way to stop smoking book there about 6 weeks ago and this time around (read it in 2004 and I stopped smoking for 2 years, a crisis triggered the relapse) it has had no effect on me.
So I have myself a prescription for patches and I have set the date for Monday 16th!!!

I am soo nervous about it.
I suffer from depression and anxiety which is what I think has prevented me from trying to give them up.
But it has to be done - I hate that I smoke. I want to be free.

I am worried about all the associations I have with cigarettes; I smoke when I get up, after breakfast, before I was the dishes, before and after everything.
Any tips??????

I have read lots of stuff on the net but it would be great to get some active advise!!

thanks. S

mewso

If the thread tells me anything it's that different things work for different people. I'm no expert on the patches but I would suggest you'll need support while you are using them for them to be effective so have people around you can moan to or keep posting in this thread.

username123

sporina wrote: »

I am worried about all the associations I have with cigarettes; I smoke when I get up, after breakfast, before I was the dishes, before and after everything.
Any tips??????

Yeah I was worried about that too, but the way I looked at it was this - There are places I used to associate with smoking, like bars and restaurants, that are no longer places where someone can smoke - so associations can be broken right?

And I dont remember it being hugely traumatic not to be able to smoke in bars and restaurants (and other places like peoples houses, my own home, peoples cars etc...). So its not going to be hugely traumatic to break the everyday associations with smoking.

Then I discovered (Im Day 10 now), that your brain simply gets bored/sick of thinking about smoking after a few days, you simply dont keep obsessing on it, you go on to think about other things so the associations are less important than they were. You are making new associations each smoke free day. Plus you are setting up a positive feedback loop where you know that every single day, if you survived not smoking the previous day, you can do it again today. And it just gets less hard.

From my own experience, thinking about giving up was 100 million times worse than actually giving up. I thought about it for years. I did the hard part in days. And it wasnt as hard as I thought itd be.

Feck the depression and anxiety, the smoking isnt making that any better anyway, smoking raises your heart rate!!! Thats only an excuse not to stop, your brain playing tricks on you!!

You can do it.

locater7

was on champix for a week,was planning on quitting after i stopped last year for 3 days after getting tooth pulled.never ever considered quitting before.
last sunday decided was day and also stopped the champix--to many lousy side affects
honestly the preamble and the momentary cravings are hard!!
read the carr book-get your head right-know what your doing is right and then do it-pick your day and do it

sporina

thanks for the replies.

I have picked a day - its gonna be next monday. I am actually looking forward to it. Sick of being a slave to the fag. I have read the carr book - it worked for me years ago, read it again and it did not seem to have any impact, but there is stuff I read in the book circling around my head so i guess it will help.

I was thinking of creating a quit log, like another poster here - but I am not sure - I will see how I go. That could be a bad idea - I do not want to give it that much time - making it that significant - although it really is - i have been smoking for 15 yrs, on and off. I'll see - I might just post here the odd time.

sporina

username123 wrote: »

Yeah I was worried about that too, but the way I looked at it was this - There are places I used to associate with smoking, like bars and restaurants, that are no longer places where someone can smoke - so associations can be broken right?

And I dont remember it being hugely traumatic not to be able to smoke in bars and restaurants (and other places like peoples houses, my own home, peoples cars etc...). So its not going to be hugely traumatic to break the everyday associations with smoking.

Then I discovered (Im Day 10 now), that your brain simply gets bored/sick of thinking about smoking after a few days, you simply dont keep obsessing on it, you go on to think about other things so the associations are less important than they were. You are making new associations each smoke free day. Plus you are setting up a positive feedback loop where you know that every single day, if you survived not smoking the previous day, you can do it again today. And it just gets less hard.

From my own experience, thinking about giving up was 100 million times worse than actually giving up. I thought about it for years. I did the hard part in days. And it wasnt as hard as I thought itd be.

Feck the depression and anxiety, the smoking isnt making that any better anyway, smoking raises your heart rate!!! Thats only an excuse not to stop, your brain playing tricks on you!!

You can do it.

I am actually going to read this post for support - Monday is deliverance day!!!

username123

sporina wrote: »

I am actually going to read this post for support - Monday is deliverance day!!!

lol, Ill be checking in here to see how youre doing!!

For me, the dread of doing it was so much worse than doing it, it was a relief when D Day finally came and I could just get on with it.

Im Day 12 now, and really, I am barely thinking about cigarettes at all anymore. The odd time I think, oh I used to always smoke in the car - but its more a nostalgic thought than a craving thought if you know what I mean?

I still havent told people. Only my husband knows and 1 friend (who was also supposed to quit but didnt). Im kinda holding off to tell - just in case

Try not to be worrying about quitting, dont let it take over your weekend. You'll be totally grand doing it.

sporina

username123 wrote: »

lol, Ill be checking in here to see how youre doing!!

For me, the dread of doing it was so much worse than doing it, it was a relief when D Day finally came and I could just get on with it.

Im Day 12 now, and really, I am barely thinking about cigarettes at all anymore. The odd time I think, oh I used to always smoke in the car - but its more a nostalgic thought than a craving thought if you know what I mean?

I still havent told people. Only my husband knows and 1 friend (who was also supposed to quit but didnt). Im kinda holding off to tell - just in case

Try not to be worrying about quitting, dont let it take over your weekend. You'll be totally grand doing it.

lol - thanks for your reply. It has been the fear of failure (you see, carr there again) that has prevented me from trying to quit!
Great that you are getting on so well and yes perhaps we can encourage one another.

staker

Hi Sporina, I too like you read the Easyway and quit for 8 years. Back on them since mid December and disgusted with myself.
I'm reading the book again but have no confidence in it at all, I just can't forget that Allen Carr eventually died of lung cancer himself.
Stupid way to think I know.
I'm just hoping I can pick one thing out of it and hold onto that.

sporina

read this on a website and think it could be very useful for me when I get a craving - maybe for others on here too:

"Cravings to smoke are not commands. How you choose to react to a craving can either increase or decrease its power over you. Try a little reverse psychology - instead of tensing up for a fight when the urge to smoke hits, relax and mentally lean into it. Let the craving wash over you, and accept it as a sign of healing, which is just what it is. The urge will run its course and pass. Practice makes perfect with this technique. You'll get the hang of it and will find it empowering"