Off the smokes 10 weeks, how to strengthen resiliance

Muahahaha

Hi All, it's been 10 weeks since I gave up and from next week I am fininshed my course of Champix. This is my third attempt so I really want it to work out long term this time. But I have two problems. The first is that I still 'love' smoking, just yesterday someone in the street was puffing away and I'm practically going out of my way to get a whiff of the sweet smell of tobacco. My sister on the other hand gave up 3 years ago and now she hates smoking. I need to get to that place where I *hate* smoking because if I continue on missing it then I know eventually I'll have a weak moment and next thing I know I'll be back on them.

The second problem I tend to have is giving them up long term. On the two previous occasions I've been off them 6 months and 8 months respectively. My problem is that at the 6 month period I am still missing smoking and it gets to the point where my brain thinks (in a warped addicted kind of way) that 'you've done so well, why don't you reward yourself with a wee puff'. Its dumb I know but that is the way it happens and drink is usually the vehicle that leads me to think that way.

So I'm wondering if anyone can suggest something that might make me eventually *hate* smoking ? I was thinking of going to a hynoptherpist to see if they could make me hate it because even now 10 weeks in I still miss a smoke.

Also the other weak point I have is alcohol, if I am to go back on them then chances are alcohol will be involved. I'm wondering is there such a thing as a nicotine free e-cigarette ? I like the idea of e-cigs but because they've nicotine in them I stay away from them but if there was a nicotine free version that would solve my cravings when I'm having a few pints on a Friday night

Agent Smith

Muahahaha wrote: »

Also the other weak point I have is alcohol, if I am to go back on them then chances are alcohol will be involved. I'm wondering is there such a thing as a nicotine free e-cigarette ? I like the idea of e-cigs but because they've nicotine in them I stay away from them but if there was a nicotine free version that would solve my cravings when I'm having a few pints on a Friday night

You can get 0% E-cigarettes.

VIP Do a range of them!

Muahahaha

0% nicotine, really ? Wow I didn't know that was available, I must check them out as it would be especially handy when I'm having a few pints- whenever I'm a bit pissed my mind immediately starts thinking of smoking to balance things up.

the_syco

Muahahaha wrote: »

Hi All, it's been 10 weeks since I gave up and from next week I am fininshed my course of Champix.

This makes no sense. Surely you continued to smoke whilst taking Champix?

/edit; if you don't smoke whilst taking Champix, it doesn't work.


You pick a day, such as day 20. You smoke and take Champix until day 20. You may not want to smoke by day 14, but you HAVE TO KEEP SMOKING, until day 20. then you stop smoking.

Muahahaha

the_syco wrote: »

This makes no sense. Surely you continued to smoke whilst taking Champix?

/edit; if you don't smoke whilst taking Champix, it doesn't work.


You pick a day, such as day 20. You smoke and take Champix until day 20. You may not want to smoke by day 14, but you HAVE TO KEEP SMOKING, until day 20. then you stop smoking.

I took Champix and smoked until around about day 25 then I gave up, that day was 10 weeks ago this coming Monday. I had a more than 3 months supply of Champix as I had a couple of weeks tablets left over from a previous attempt. I used those as I was doing exams this week and recognised the stress of it as a potential banana skin so kept taking the Champix

Anyone got any good tips on how to get over this next section Champix free. I know from previous attempts that within a week of stopping Champix smoking is going to be tempting to me again. If anything I need to be stronger right now than at any time during the giving up process.

the_syco

Muahahaha wrote: »

I took Champix and smoked until around about day 25 then I gave up

Ah, cool. BTW, how hard was the last few days of smoking, whilst taking Champix? Anyone that I know who tried it said that it was hard to do after day 14 or so.

Muahahaha

the_syco wrote: »

Ah, cool. BTW, how hard was the last few days of smoking, whilst taking Champix? Anyone that I know who tried it said that it was hard to do after day 14 or so.

For me it wasn't really hard per se (mainly because I love smoking!) but by day 14 the usual taste of tobacco had gone away- you can feel the smoke being inhaled but the taste that you're used to just isn't there. By that stage you don't really get anything out of them, the Champix is doing its nicotine thing so smoking no longer feels like it is doing anything for you.

It can get rougher though, I remember around week 6 I kissed a smoker on a date and after about 45 seconds I had to pull away as the taste she was leaving in my mouth was literally making me queasy in the stomach !

the_syco

Muahahaha wrote: »

For me it wasn't really hard per se (mainly because I love smoking!) but by day 14 the usual taste of tobacco had gone away- you can feel the smoke being inhaled but the taste that you're used to just isn't there. By that stage you don't really get anything out of them, the Champix is doing its nicotine thing so smoking no longer feels like it is doing anything for you.

It can get rougher though, I remember around week 6 I kissed a smoker on a date and after about 45 seconds I had to pull away as the taste she was leaving in my mouth was literally making me queasy in the stomach !

Yeah. Check with your doctor, but I'm fairly certain you're meant to smoke until 10 days after you feel queasy. The "pick a day" thing is to ensure that you're fully queasy in the last few days, so that you have no inclination to smoke again.

Love2love

I tell you how to hate smoking. Next time you're dying of a hangover, stand next to a smoker. I swear to God, 3 weeks ago I wanted to vomit when I was sitting in traffic and I could smell the smoke from 3 cars over. Urgh!

Now that you've identified your weaknesses you are less likely to succumb to them. I used the E-cig to quit and after 6 weeks I was on Zero nicotine but it done nothing for me so I stopped that too when I was dying of a hangover Starting to see a pattern here and maybe it's time to give up the hangovers! :P

Drum it into your head, that there is no such thing as 1 puff. That's where I always always failed. I tried everything to quit - Champix, patches, gum, inhaler, hypnotherapy, smoking cessation clinics, cold turkey.... It was the e-cig that eventually worked but it might be more because I finally got fed up trying to quit!

Frere Jacques

I smoked for about 15 years and then on September 5th 1999, I decided to have my last cigerette. Apart from having kids and meeting my wife, that was the best day of my life.
You ask how to stay off them long term. Firstly, you have to know why you are giving them up and then it is important to associate and recall the negative connections you have with cigerettes when you smell them. I still like the smell of tobacco and a lot of my friends smoke and I can spend the night playing cards in a smokey room and never want to smoke.
The key, (and where you are falling down) is fantasising about smokes. If you walk around thinking, oh I'd love a smoke, then you will go back on them. I had days where I got bad cravings but each time I hit them on the head by refusing to think of cigerettes after the initial thought came into my head. I never had huge willpower but by not leaving myself think about this, the cravings passed, then they got weaker and less frequent.
Another thing that helped me was excerise. Try to do activities where you can't smoke. Go out for a fast walk or start swimming. Thinks of the money you are saving from staying off the fags and go away and spend a few quid on a new pair of runners and get out there. Then at least you can form a routine to keep your mind occupied and you also get you lungs back.
A few pointers that helped me.
1. I never wanted to smoke when I had kids so decided to quit long before it happened. How could you tell them not to smoke when you are puffing away.
2. I hated not being able to sleep at night unless I had two fags by the bed. One wasn't enough as I might need to smoke that first thing and then I'd have none.
3. I hated being tired all the time.
4. I hated spending the cash.
5. I hated the fact that when I felt stressed I wanted a fag and the main thing the smoke was doing was reducing the supply of oxygen to my brain which was relaxing me. I'm better than that, now I deal with stuff and don't really on fags as a crutch. Same with social occasions. If I felt a bit shy or awkward then I'd go for a fag as a cover. Again I shook that off and the confidence of kicking the habit helped me realise I didn't have to impress anyone and being myself was most important. This led to me being much more relaxed and in turn social occasions no longer bother me, I enjoy them.
I've written enough but hope that you can take some of these pointers to help you and best of luck with it. Now I'm healthy, plenty of energy, play sports (in a social setting, not competitve), have more cash in my pocket (14 years at a tenner a day is €51,000!!!!), I get more than one day out of my clothes, my teeth are whiter....and I hadn't preached about giving up fags for about 2 years but the otherside of that story is that my sister is now off the smokes 2 years.:)
So yeah, go for it, only you can do it but never fool yourself that you can have a few puffs or else all your work is for nothing.
Hope this helps.

Muahahaha

Thanks Frere Jacques, you've really helped motivate me to stay off them and shown me lots of potential pitfalls and how to deal with them. I have started to go down the gym again and it is great to be able to exercise without the feeling of being out of breath all the time. I'll keep at it and hopefully will stay strong and off them long term.