Gave up smoking today

PistolsAtDawn · 07-05-2019 6:03pm #1

Today I gave up smoking after 16 years (Age 15-31).

Woke up this-morning around 7am, it is 6pm now, havn't had one, won't be having one, all I want is one :-(

The cravings are intense, knew I was addicted but never realised it was this bad.

I may check in here over the next few days to update on my progress.

Right now I need to go for a run or something to suppress the desire to quit quitting and go get a pouch of tobacco.

Any advice for me?

PistolsAtDawn · 08-05-2019 9:47am

Day one completed. I managed to stay off the smokes yesterday.

I was about to break at about 10 o clock last night, so I just headed to bed and now glad that I did.

Today I feel a hell of a lot more confident than I did yesterday regarding my ability to quit, simply because I have that one day under my belt.

Hopefully I will be back here tomorrow giving an update on day 3.

GrumpyMe · 08-05-2019 9:49am

Good on ya - you only give up one, the next one. Stick with it, you can do it!

HeidiHeidi · 08-05-2019 9:54am

I just randomly came across this thread on the front page.

Well done, one day down - take it one day at a time.

Giving up the bloody fags is hands down the best thing I have EVER done for myself - I give thanks weekly, if not daily, even now about 15 years later.

I went cold turkey, apart from a weekly talking shop group thing for a few weeks, and I couldn't tell then, and still can't say, if that helped or not!

One notable thing I eventually noticed (and I think you've hit on it after day 1!) is that I had to get once through each situation and then I was fine. First time in a pub, first time out on a boat, first time winning a race, first ****ty day at work, first really brilliant thing that happened - all those endless situations where a cigarette was almost a reflex reaction. Once I'd done it once, and realised I could do it, then that particular one never bothered me again.

I was floored about three years after stopping when I went to a particularly awful, tragic funeral, and afterwards all the men were outside smoking and it hit me like a truck that I'd have killed for a cigarette right there and then. It was the first funeral I'd been to since quitting (and the saddest, awfulest one I ever want to attend.) That was the last time I've ever wanted a smoke.

Tick your victories off one by one, and stay strong (and if all else fails, just go to bed and bury your head

)

Good luck!!!

is_that_so · 08-05-2019 9:56am

The challenge comes in threes they say - 3 days, 3 weeks, 3 months. Keep at it, one day at a time!

Gloomtastic! · 08-05-2019 9:58am

Just remember the cravings always go away, always!

Good luck to you....

PistolsAtDawn · 08-05-2019 9:50pm

GrumpyMe wrote: »

Good on ya - you only give up one, the next one. Stick with it, you can do it!

Thanks for the support :-)

PistolsAtDawn · 08-05-2019 9:58pm

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

I just randomly came across this thread on the front page.

Well done, one day down - take it one day at a time.

Giving up the bloody fags is hands down the best thing I have EVER done for myself - I give thanks weekly, if not daily, even now about 15 years later.

I went cold turkey, apart from a weekly talking shop group thing for a few weeks, and I couldn't tell then, and still can't say, if that helped or not!

One notable thing I eventually noticed (and I think you've hit on it after day 1!) is that I had to get once through each situation and then I was fine. First time in a pub, first time out on a boat, first time winning a race, first ****ty day at work, first really brilliant thing that happened - all those endless situations where a cigarette was almost a reflex reaction. Once I'd done it once, and realised I could do it, then that particular one never bothered me again.

I was floored about three years after stopping when I went to a particularly awful, tragic funeral, and afterwards all the men were outside smoking and it hit me like a truck that I'd have killed for a cigarette right there and then. It was the first funeral I'd been to since quitting (and the saddest, awfulest one I ever want to attend.) That was the last time I've ever wanted a smoke.

Tick your victories off one by one, and stay strong (and if all else fails, just go to bed and bury your head )

Good luck!!!

Thanks for the support.

Yes, that is so accurate, the reflex cigarette after food is a particular pain for me, every time I feel a craving I fight a little battle inside my head and just make myself come to terms with the fact that I won't be smoking and that's it.

A nasty, sneaky thought entered my head earlier, I was sitting at the kitchen table after finishing a bit to eat and I found myself contemplating a drive to the petrol station, getting a pouch of tobacco, "just having one" and then throwing the pouch away (€15 euro for one rollie LOL).
Many thoughts flooded through my head e.g. sure it's only one, nobody will ever know etc... in the end sense prevailed and I remained solid to the cause.

Interesting to hear that you are off them so long and still only a few years ago an event occurred where you felt the need to have one coming on. I guess it never goes away fully.

PistolsAtDawn · 08-05-2019 9:58pm

is_that_so wrote: »

The challenge comes in threes they say - 3 days, 3 weeks, 3 months. Keep at it, one day at a time!

Thanks for the support.

Oh dear god, tomorrow is day 3, thanks for the advance warning. I'll need to be extra vigilant tomorrow :-)

PistolsAtDawn · 08-05-2019 9:59pm

Gloomtastic! wrote: »

Just remember the cravings always go away, always!

Good luck to you....

Thanks, they actually go away quicker than I had imagined they would but not long after I have shook one off then another comes along.

PistolsAtDawn · 08-05-2019 10:04pm

Quick update:

So I have successfully reached the end of day 2. As pathetic as it seems; I never thought i'd get this far.

Pretty rough day today but stayed away from the tobacco so I am very happy with the progress.

I have decided to apply myself to something over the next few weeks to help put my focus elsewhere besides smoking.

There is an old book on the C++ programming language sitting on my shelf with years, never been read, until tonight :-)

Going to start playing around with my computer in the evenings, write a few programs etc... and hopefully this will suffice in keeping my mind occupied in the evenings over the next few weeks/however long it takes for this self-inflicted pain to subside.

[Deleted User] · 08-05-2019 10:06pm

I'll be honest, I tried quitting a number of times, and I know all about the cravings.
I was never successful...

Then I booked into an Allen Carr clinic (got a discount via groupon). Best thing I ever did.
Cravings were almost non existent. 1 or 2 days aof it being a little difficult. Nothing compared to when I tried cold turkey.

I'm 10 weeks or so, and never think about them now.

If you can do it cold turkey, fair play. Lots of people have. You can too
But if you cant, I'd recommend the clinic over and over and over again

P.S. I had tried reading his book, and I couldn't finish it. I needed to go on the course to actually get through it.

Best of luck with it.

Don't think about it, as if you gave something up - that makes it tougher psychologically, as you think that you're missing out
Think about it as if you are now free. That will help

PistolsAtDawn · 08-05-2019 10:48pm

bazwraf wrote: »

I'll be honest, I tried quitting a number of times, and I know all about the cravings.
I was never successful...

Then I booked into an Allen Carr clinic (got a discount via groupon). Best thing I ever did.
Cravings were almost non existent. 1 or 2 days aof it being a little difficult. Nothing compared to when I tried cold turkey.

I'm 10 weeks or so, and never think about them now.

If you can do it cold turkey, fair play. Lots of people have. You can too
But if you cant, I'd recommend the clinic over and over and over again

P.S. I had tried reading his book, and I couldn't finish it. I needed to go on the course to actually get through it.

Best of luck with it.

Don't think about it, as if you gave something up - that makes it tougher psychologically, as you think that you're missing out
Think about it as if you are now free. That will help

Thanks, I appreciate your input. 10 weeks, god I wish I was there :-)

I am going to do this cold turkey, even though I express doubt in these posts about whether I will see this true or not; I am completely committed to quitting, my expression of doubt is more of a means to qualitatively express the angst I am experiencing.

A very good point you make regarding that way of thinking. Are you still getting cravings 10 weeks in? How much does the clinic cost?

I don't know if this helps or not; but what is getting m through so far, what initially got me to finally stop was I just simplified everything by saying to myself that if I never physically place a lit cigarette in my hand, raise it to my mouth and drag on it then I will never smoke again.
It is my brain sending a signal to my hand to grasp the cigarette in the first place and I am in control of my brain, so if I feel this urge coming on while in the presence of another smoker then I will simply overrule my brain's thought, keep my hand by my side and will remain smoke free.

I probably labored the sh!t out of that point, lol.

Anyway, fair play and keep her lit going :-)

[Deleted User] · 08-05-2019 11:08pm

PistolsAtDawn wrote: »

Thanks, I appreciate your input. 10 weeks, god I wish I was there :-)

I am going to do this cold turkey, even though I express doubt in these posts about whether I will see this true or not; I am completely committed to quitting, my expression of doubt is more of a means to qualitatively express the angst I am experiencing.

A very good point you make regarding that way of thinking. Are you still getting cravings 10 weeks in? How much does the clinic cost?

I don't know if this helps or not; but what is getting m through so far, what initially got me to finally stop was I just simplified everything by saying to myself that if I never physically place a lit cigarette in my hand, raise it to my mouth and drag on it then I will never smoke again.
It is my brain sending a signal to my hand to grasp the cigarette in the first place and I am in control of my brain, so if I feel this urge coming on while in the presence of another smoker then I will simply overrule my brain's thought, keep my hand by my side and will remain smoke free.

I probably labored the sh!t out of that point, lol.

Anyway, fair play and keep her lit going :-)

Nope, no cravings. We were told to consider them as pangs rather than cravings. Again, its a psychological thing. There is no physical pain when you're not smoking, rather, there is an urge, or a pang. Its hard to explain.
The pangs did last a few days after the clinic, but they were quite minor in comparison to what I had gone through before.

Now, the first few times I was out drinking were still difficult. I was at a wedding 4 weeks after the clinic, and at the end of the night I wanted a cigarette, but didnt have one. I made sure not to praise myself for that, as I wasn't starving myself of anything, but rather I was considering damaging myself. Would I praise myself if I picked up a knife, and didnt cut myself?

Again, you can see that it's very much a frame of mind

As for the cost, I think it's about €320 generally, but with the voucher, I think it came to €160. Easily paid for itself at this stage.

Dont forget though, a huge number of people stop smoking via Will Power, and you are doing very well as is. Keep it up. There is no reason to think that you haven't smoked your last cigarette

Miss anxiety 89 · 11-06-2019 1:13am

How is your quitting journey going since? Would love an update, im 6 months smoke free myself (cold turkey!)

BeckiB · 05-07-2019 12:35pm

Yes I'd like an update too, hope you were successful!

Gave up smoking today

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