Best way to quit?

misslt

Hi,

I want to stop smoking and am wondering the best way to go about it!

Should I go patches/gum or the allen Carr book? Don't think I could afford the clinic, a huge part of my reason for giving up is the money i'm spending!

Can't do cold turkey, tried it before and got about a day and a half :P

Would love to hear suggestions/experience!

Vizzy

The key to it is wanting to give up.
This might sound harsh but "aw shure I think I'll give up the smokes" simply won't work.
Everything (and especially your own body) will be sceaming at you "have one,and then give up",but you never will.
I had been thinking about it for years but it was only when I was honest with myself and decided that I actually wanted to give them up that I suceeded.
This all sounds a bit "touchy feely" eh ??

As to how to do it you will have people who swear by every method and I can only suggest to try what you think you will be comfortable with.
Myself,I just went cold turkey nearly 5 weeks ago and never looked back but if you need a crutch (e.g patches,gum etc) by all means use it.

You can be a bit clever as well e.g. if you normally meet your smoking friends at the weekend,give them up on a Monday and that way you wont put yourself "in the way" of temptation for a few days.

The first 3 days are the hardest and after that the nicotine has left your system so it gets easier from then on.The cravings remain but they get less frequent by the day.
Best of luck and keep posting here for support.

Viz

mel1

Yep i agree with Vizzy, you really have to want it. I quit cold turkey 2 and a half years ago, after trying all the patches and inhalers which didnt work for me.
My mother also quit but she used the gum, which was quite expensive and now two year later she is addicted to the gum. I suppose its the lesser of two evils!
Best of luck on your endevours!

misslt

Thanks for the replies!

I know I definitely want to, since I've started thinking about how I'm going to do it I haven't even been enjoying them, I've been thinking ugh I can't wait until I don't have to do it etc etc.

Bought my first week of patches and I've also bought the Allen Carr book. Going to give the book a go first and see how I get on. If necessary I'll try the patches.

I know I definitely want to quit. I'm looking forward to it too

Love2love

I think it really depends on you. I tried patches, cold turkey, hypnosis, smoking counselling, champix, nicotine inhaler and finally the e-cig. I am 11 weeks without smoking and 5 without nicotine as I gave up the e-cig too. I know lots of people who gave up using patches and the champix.

The frame of mind and time I think plays a part. I had just been let go from work the previous week so I had to start a new routine so I think it helped me form a non-smoking routine easier. Since my success with the e-cig, 2 of my brothers have also stopped using it and about 8 or 9 friends too but I really don't think its the e-cig as much as the success stories and people thinking if they can do it so easily so can I. If that makes sense??

Felexicon

Cold Turkey worked for me.
The first 3 days are torture but once you get by them the nicotine starts leaving your system and the cravings die down. Using patches and gum can prolong the craving period

misslt

Just finished the Allen Carr book and smoked my 'final cigarette'.

I feel happy, I feel relieved and honestly I feel like this is going to work.

I'm fully expecting tomorrow and the next few days to be horrendous, but I'm not looking back. I've stopped and I won't go back on them.

It's going to be hard but it's definitely going to be worth it!

misslt

Famous last words.

Nearly tripped over the cat in my haste to get outside for a smoke when I got home :P

Putting on my first patch in the morning.

Can't even make it 24 hours cold turkey so I need some sort of aid.

Haven't quit quitting, still determined to do it, just having a minor setback

misslt

First patch on. It was so itchy when I first put it on!!

I'm angry at myself for slipping, I'd have been nearly 36 hours without a smoke at this stage. But anyway. New day is here. Made my quit plan on quit.ie and got a lovely email to remind me it's d-day.

I will probably post here a lot over the first few days, and read threads of people that have successfully quit!

So ten weeks on patches and 3 weeks for my brain to forget I'm a nicotine addict. This time 13 weeks I should be free! Bring it on:)

misslt

Day two of patches. Love them, haven't had any sort of inkling to have a smoke since yesterday :P I know it's only been 24 hours but I'm still happy.

I went out to the balcony with the OH last night while he had a smoke and I was fine! Really happy with that too

Going to a friends tomorrow night for a few drinks - I'm so afraid of that but none of them smoke so hopefully it won't be too bad! They all wanted me to quit so they won't let me out of the house to buy any either

Havent told many people I'm doing it, apart from people I see every day, in case I do relapse I'll wait till I'm about 4 weeks in and then mention it!

So happy, I was expecting this to be a completely torturous process! I'm sure coming off the patches will be another story altogether but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it

Vizzy

misslt wrote: »

.

I went out to the balcony with the OH last night while he had a smoke and I was fine! Really happy with that too

Going to a friends tomorrow night for a few drinks - I'm so afraid of that but none of them smoke so hopefully it won't be too bad! They all wanted me to quit so they won't let me out of the house to buy any either

Havent told many people I'm doing it, apart from people I see every day, in case I do relapse I'll wait till I'm about 4 weeks in and then mention it!

So happy, I was expecting this to be a completely torturous process! I'm sure coming off the patches will be another story altogether but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it

Firstly congratulations and well done,it genuinely does get easier as time passes.

In relation to being in the presence of other smokers again I think you should do what you are comfortable with.I'm the same as you and I actually look forward to somebody in my company "lighting up" ( not right beside me though)
From day one I purposely didn't steer away from going for a drink/going out socially.Why ?? - cos with giving up the smokes I had enough to be worrying about and didn't want to be putting any more pressure on myself than I needed to.
I.like you,didn't tell anyone( not even the wife) for about 2 weeks for fear of failure but tbh I would tell everyone if I was doing it again cos everyone has been very supportive.

djk1000

I've tried and failed to give up several times. I'm off them about 4 months now which is great! I still use the gum occasionally when the craving gets really bad. Few bits of advice for you.

If you drink, just don't for a while, it's a major trigger.

Don't tell yourself you'll just have one, don't convince yourself that it's ok to just have one because you had a bad day or whatever. You're now a non-smoker, so just don't do it.

When you get a bad craving. keep an eye on your watch, you'd be surprised how quickly a craving will pass and you'll learn that it's no big deal.

Stock up on the patches/gum or whatever. Make sure that there will never be a time when it's easier for you to get your hands on a cigarette than it is to get your hands on the patch/gum.

Best of luck!

misslt

So I had my few drinks last night in a friends and I was so shocked to find I was fine, didn't want a smoke at all. Well, I did want one if you get me but it was very easy to resist, thank god!

My big challenge is tonight, going for a pint with a friend who would be a heavy smoker (we were about even before I quit). Thankfully we're not going to a beer garden or anything so I need to sit tight and not follow her outside

Fingers crossed I get on as well as I did last night!!

Love2love

Good Luck MissIt!

I am almost 3 months off the fags now but I still get terrifed around heavy smokers, especially those who I enjoyed smoking with.

misslt

Waaah I had a smoke

But I didn't enjoy it and am back on the patches today.

So annoyed at myself but I've put it behind me and am not starting again!

Next time I'm in a situation like this I'll have been off them longer (still hasn't been a week) so I'll be fine. I don't think it was the drink, it was the company I was in. I just need to be stronger :P


I'm glad to be annoyed at myself - its proven to me that I do really want to quit - if I didn't, I wouldn't care!

djk1000

misslt wrote: »

Waaah I had a smoke

But I didn't enjoy it and am back on the patches today.

So annoyed at myself but I've put it behind me and am not starting again!

Next time I'm in a situation like this I'll have been off them longer (still hasn't been a week) so I'll be fine. I don't think it was the drink, it was the company I was in. I just need to be stronger :P


I'm glad to be annoyed at myself - its proven to me that I do really want to quit - if I didn't, I wouldn't care!

Don't be annoyed with yourself! These things happen. Just make sure you learn from the experience, what the trigger was, how you rationalised it. So you'll know the warning signs next time.

misslt

I think the worst part was I wasn't even craving it, it was more a case of ah sure feck it, it won't hurt and I'll give up again tomorrow. I still wish I hadn't, but I'm not furious with myself as I was :P

I might have felt better if I really really wanted it but I didn't

Sense of smell is definitely back, the OH came back inside after one last night and I made him get in the shower cos the smell was awful :P can't believe I went round like that for 2 years plus :P

He's talking about quitting now too, I think he wanted to see how I got on first! He's not a heavy smoker at all, maybe 2-3 a day, but he's been doing it for 16 years!

I think it'll make my life easier, but it won't be hugely difficult if he doesn't, which is definitely a good thing!

Felexicon

misslt wrote: »

I think the worst part was I wasn't even craving it, it was more a case of ah sure feck it, it won't hurt and I'll give up again tomorrow. I still wish I hadn't, but I'm not furious with myself as I was :P

I might have felt better if I really really wanted it but I didn't

Sense of smell is definitely back, the OH came back inside after one last night and I made him get in the shower cos the smell was awful :P can't believe I went round like that for 2 years plus :P

He's talking about quitting now too, I think he wanted to see how I got on first! He's not a heavy smoker at all, maybe 2-3 a day, but he's been doing it for 16 years!

I think it'll make my life easier, but it won't be hugely difficult if he doesn't, which is definitely a good thing!

NO don't become that kind of ex smoker

misslt

Felexicon wrote: »

NO don't become that kind of ex smoker

It was a joke between me and him more than anything, I have no intention of being that kind of ex smoker cos nothing annoys me more!

dejopadu

good luck

Felexicon

misslt wrote: »

It was a joke between me and him more than anything, I have no intention of being that kind of ex smoker cos nothing annoys me more!

I find being that type of ex smoker helps kill my cravings. It also means none of the lads in work will ever give me a smoke no matter how much i beg them

misslt

Okay so it's 3 weeks today since my first day 'giving up'.

I've had 6 cigarettes since then, last being last Thursday when I was out - and it was only one (shockingly).

I know what my trigger was and how I convinced myself it would be okay and I'm aware of it now, so next time I'm out my main focus will be avoiding that one.

I'm happier, feel healthier, and it's definitely getting easier. I've even started running

It's definitely been a great decision on my part. So glad I did it. Just wish I'd done it ages ago!