How did you stop??

g.rose

I quit two years ago wednesday. All of the truisms hold, the first three weeks were killer, but afterwards it simply faded. I was a smoker for 17 years, and although the main reason I quit was that I was pregnant (and I think that is a help with the willpower), I think it has been successful this time because in my mind I no longer wanted to be a smoker. I know many people prefer the patch/gum route, but really there will come a time when you have to do without nicotine of any sort, and there's no easing that. Anyway, happy that I have been able to stay completely off them (not even a drag in two years) and hopeful that this remains the case. Good luck to you all.

Sasquatch76

^^Happy anniversary to both of ye! And congrats!

Ppurplepenguin

23 days off them so far. I was determined and threw lots of tools at it. I set a date, told family and friends, made appointments for acupuncture and got nicorette micro tabs. I would have done hypnotherapy too but it's so expensive.
The most important factor is to be in the right frame of mind and to want to do it for yourself. I'm already using less microtabs than I was and while I do have pangs, they're more associations than cravings. It helps to have the tabs to turn to but they are decreasing daily.
Best of luck to anyone who takes the step.

Valzer

Ppurplepenguin wrote: »

23 days off them so far. I was determined and threw lots of tools at it. I set a date, told family and friends, made appointments for acupuncture and got nicorette micro tabs. I would have done hypnotherapy too but it's so expensive.
The most important factor is to be in the right frame of mind and to want to do it for yourself. I'm already using less microtabs than I was and while I do have pangs, they're more associations than cravings. It helps to have the tabs to turn to but they are decreasing daily.
Best of luck to anyone who takes the step.

WELL DONE Ppurplepenguin. You are over the worst of it now., three weeks in and counting. You should be very proud of yourself, keep it up, and allow yourself to have a big smile on your face every night going to bed, a big happy smile to say to yourself "yes - another day off them"

sporina

Ppurplepenguin wrote: »

23 days off them so far. I was determined and threw lots of tools at it. I set a date, told family and friends, made appointments for acupuncture and got nicorette micro tabs. I would have done hypnotherapy too but it's so expensive.
The most important factor is to be in the right frame of mind and to want to do it for yourself. I'm already using less microtabs than I was and while I do have pangs, they're more associations than cravings. It helps to have the tabs to turn to but they are decreasing daily.
Best of luck to anyone who takes the step.

did you have acupuncture? And did it help?

HungryFish

Sasquatch76 wrote: »

Allen Carr reader here (although truth be known, I had better success after listening to the audio version of it).

The reasons were many, but primarily it was health concerns that made me take the plunge. Essentially, I just knew that if I didn't stop, they'd kill me. Not there and then, or anything nearly as dramatic, but I did feel like time was running out for me somewhat... that I could only be so lucky for so long (19 years as it happens). The financial gains were a positive side effect that I was well aware of before quitting too.

Anyway, haven't smoked since June, and more importantly, I haven't wanted to smoke either.

The fact that you're here on this forum is a sure sign that you're nearly ready to take the plunge yourself. Have a read of the stickies at the top of the forum, and indeed as many other threads as you can - they are a huge source of knowledge, inspiration and moral support. All the best with it, and let us know how you get on

I read Alan Carr too. Not sure how it worked but it did. I haven't smoked since April and I feel so much better for it!!

Sasquatch76

HungryFish wrote: »

I read Alan Carr too. Not sure how it worked but it did. I haven't smoked since April and I feel so much better for it!!

Fair play HungryFish, that's great going!

Yeah, I don't like poking too much at the reasons why Carr's method (eventually) worked for me, in case I poke too hard and cause the whole method to unravel!! The main thing is it worked as advertised... ie it was, in the end, easy to stop!

augustus gloop

i read allen carrs easy book a few years ago and quit for 2 years but went back on them with my migration to Oz, where at the time one could still smoke in pubs, allied with the sea change found me back on 25 a day. I turn 30 in 6 days from now and since i was about 27 i have vowed to be a non smoker on my 30th bday, i went to hypnosis last week, (the quitlady.com.au) and was not convinced, even when she was carrying out the procedure but i havent smoked since, and thats a week today, but more importantly I hae no desire, and i havent had any wants to smoke since!
what she did is no secret, she did exactly what allen carrs book does, she attacked the sub concious and reminds you how bad smoking is, carrs book does the same, the book is basically a million different versions of the same fact, SMOKING IS BAD FOR YOU!

i have not felt this happy in years and as someone who is naturally a little weary of these things, i actually know i will never smoke again!

the very best of luck to everyone in their mission to become a non smoker!
you will agree it is the best thing you will ever do

Sasquatch76

augustus gloop wrote: »

i read allen carrs easy book a few years ago and quit for 2 years but went back on them with my migration to Oz, where at the time one could still smoke in pubs, allied with the sea change found me back on 25 a day. I turn 30 in 6 days from now and since i was about 27 i have vowed to be a non smoker on my 30th bday, i went to hypnosis last week, (the quitlady.com.au) and was not convinced, even when she was carrying out the procedure but i havent smoked since, and thats a week today, but more importantly I hae no desire, and i havent had any wants to smoke since!
what she did is no secret, she did exactly what allen carrs book does, she attacked the sub concious and reminds you how bad smoking is, carrs book does the same, the book is basically a million different versions of the same fact, SMOKING IS BAD FOR YOU!

i have not felt this happy in years and as someone who is naturally a little weary of these things, i actually know i will never smoke again!

the very best of luck to everyone in their mission to become a non smoker!
you will agree it is the best thing you will ever do

Congrats man, and happy birthday!

Ppurplepenguin

sporina wrote: »

did you have acupuncture? And did it help?

Sporina,
I had 3 acupunture sessions, the first on my quit day, the second on day 2 and the 3rd a few days after. I don't know if it really helped or it was just placebo but it was good to have a goal and something to concentrate on for the first few days. It might have been just as effective to go for a facial or massage.
Still off them, 6 weeks tomorrow!!

jkwxez12yrdgbq

I've decided tonight that I'm quitting. Have been sick with strep throat all week so haven't had a cigarette since Sunday night. I figure I might as well try and keep it up as I've been wanting to quit for a while now.

Does anyone know how long it takes for all the nicotine to leave your body? Would usually smoke 15 - 20 a day. Just want to have an idea of what I'm letting myself in for in terms of withdrawal!!

Thanks!

Ppurplepenguin

The nicotine itself will be gone in a few days. I don't want to scare you but its the associations (in the car, after a meal) are the hardest. They may take till Christmas. I hope you do it. It's great being free of them now!!
Best of luck with it. Do something to treat yourself along the path and be careful of how much you're drinking for a couple of weeks if you're nervous.

donalg1

My dad and sister both used champix, my sister had about half hers left and didnt want them anymore so I used them and am off them over 3 years now, I tried cold turkey before but went back on them Champix were a big help but needed will power too. At the end of week one it was getting easier and by week five I hardly thought about them, now I never get the urge.

jkwxez12yrdgbq

Ppurplepenguin wrote: »

The nicotine itself will be gone in a few days. I don't want to scare you but its the associations (in the car, after a meal) are the hardest. They may take till Christmas. I hope you do it. It's great being free of them now!!
Best of luck with it. Do something to treat yourself along the path and be careful of how much you're drinking for a couple of weeks if you're nervous.

Thanks Ppurplepenguin, was thinking about that. I always have one when I'm waiting for the Luas or to meet a friend. It would kill a bit of time. Gonna have to download some good apps to distract me in the future...

dolliemix

Karina Elegant Ghetto wrote: »

Thanks Ppurplepenguin, was thinking about that. I always have one when I'm waiting for the Luas or to meet a friend. It would kill a bit of time. Gonna have to download some good apps to distract me in the future...

Good Idea Karina Elegant Ghetto

And best of luck

ALBUR182

I gave up on 12th October 2011, so I'm just over one month off them. I haven't really had an issue with cravings, went cold turkey, the most important thing is to get your head right.

My 20-a-day mum was diagnosed with cancer (not in the lungs, thankfully, but at the time i decided to give up she was still waiting for results of a CT scan to come back, thankfully just in the breast, very treatable too), but at the time i got the phone call from my mother, I was watching the first episode of an excellent American TV show called Breaking Bad, in which the main protagonist gets lung cancer. I saw it all as a sign to quit.

I marry my beautiful lady on 12th October 2012, the biggest reason of all to quit. On my wedding day It'll be one year, it's now a goal of mine to not let myself down, my fiance down, or my mum down.

Good luck to everyone quitting, or off them. Keep the faith. It really is not as hard as you would imagine.

I am pie

Off them for 3 weeks now, had first evening of drinking (party at ours, fairly substantial session) and didn't have a craving all night.

Feeling very good and very surprised about the lack of booze related cravings !

jeepers101

Got the missus pregnant

Flyer_awayer

i've started smoking when i was 20 (im 25 now), smoked for one year freely - that is, I was abroad, far away from family and friends, and no one knew about it. In my environment, it was something of a tabu, no one of my family members are smoking, neither do my friends, so i was ashamed of telling them that i have started. so it was kind of "my secret". however, when i got back home, i then was a "Secret smoker". i know, it might sound stupid, grown-up enough to have my right to choose and still have to hide from somebody.. thats just stupid..
so then i met this guy, who also doesn't smoke, and hate smokers. to make really long story short, he cought me twice having cigarettes in my bag, however, we talked, i lied that it was just these two times of me smoking and he seemed to be ok with that except for the fact that i lied to him saying i've never smoked. one time, just before Christmas last year he found my cigarettes hidden at home, went mad, and then i've realized that i just have to choose between him and cigarettes, there is no other way..
so now it's been 40 days without cigarette for me. i hope i'll manage not to start again.

i just think, that i'm not an addict.. for me, smoking is just a way to spend some time alone, thinking, i don't see anything bad in it, except for the fact that my relatives and loved-ones don't want me to do that and i'm dissapointing them..

remembering

2nd serious time to do it. first time patches. this time i didnt want to use patches as you still have to quit them and they are just as expensive so this time I did it cold turkey. Read allen carr book a week after quitting and found it excellent. Will be off them a month this tuesday. Went out friday night and found it extremely hard. The reason i stopped was I just didnt want to pay €9, as much as I love cigarattes. i'd probably still be smoking if they hadnt got so expensive so im actually happy they did go up..

still early days but i will be so mad with myself if i smoke again.

wish i wasnt hungry 24/7 though. :mad::mad::mad::mad:

sh1tstirrer

I tried them when I was 19 and couldn't for the life of me figure out how people got hooked on them I pretended to smoke a few on nights out (not inhaling them) and never smoked since. That was only a couple of years ago

Seriously though how do people get hooked on them as they taste like sh1t?

remembering

That_Guy wrote: »

I'm going cold turkey. I'll be off them 2 weeks on Monday. The first 3 days are absolute hell but after those first 72 hours, all nicotine is gone from your body and it's a battle of wills.

Keep yourself busy.

For my first week I was constantly making work for myself to distract me and to quell the cravings and it worked.

After that first week the cravings subsided and everything seems to be fine.

Alcohol is a huge huge challenge but it's very doable to go without smoking for a night when you're drinking.

Personally, I'm not the most dedicated person but giving up smoking is probably the biggest thing I've ever decided to do.

With the money I've saved, I've stuck it in a jar and by the end of the month I'm gonna blow it all on a treat for myself for the hard work done.

I can feel my breathing slowly coming back to normal now. Food tastes better, I don't smell, my teeth haven't really got that yellow sh*t on them anymore, lack of phlegm in the morning and generally not tasting a like a fcuking ashtray.

Seriously, this can be done. If you want it bad enough, it can be done.

I agree with all of the above. the breathing etc. im off them a month this tuesday!! .. im doing the same with the money jar. going out is defnitely the hardest bit :O(