Support for those quitting smoking

paulac · 19-05-2006 12:42am

Just letting you know that there is an excellent website that is completely dedicated to quitting smoking which I found helpful when I tried to quit, I wasn't ready so the process didn't work for me but it should work for others. The website is www.stopsmokingcenter.com It is really good and I'd recommend you have a look

Paula

Pal · 24-07-2006 2:31pm

Having managed 15 days quit now, I am sure you will agree that I am an authority on the subject.

That's a bit tongue in cheek, but actually I am. My qualification is 30+ years of trying unsuccessfully to quit. I have failed so many different ways I used them all up !

Been there. Done that. Nicorette, Gum, Patch, Book, Hypno, Cold Turkey, Zyban, Some disgusting herbal sh!t I don't know the name of.

Nothing worked. Nada. Nowt. Zip.
I was in deep doodah and desperate for a result. Very desperate. I knew I would die if I didn't get quit and I couldn't stop myself smoking my head off.
This was a major head wrecker for me.

Yep. I was an authority. I still am. fail enough times and you will figure out why.

I finally solved my smoking problem by approaching it logically.

( I am not out of the woods yet but happy that it's now only time that I need to elapse. The work is done.)

This will probably take a while to explain so I will just encapsulate

Stage 1. The plan.
[*]Smoking will kill you. You should stop as soon as possible. You should read that bit again. It WILL KILL YOU . You're not too keen on dying. That's why we're doing this thing. Got it ?
[*]You cannot stop because you have an addiction to a drug.
[*]the only way to get rid of the addiction is to stop.
[*]you now know you are in a trap. plan your escape.
[*]pick a day
[*]not just any day
[*]a day that you can last 24 hours free.
[*]we're aiming low here. No point worrying about the rest of my life without smokes. Just one day thank you.
[*]mine was Sunday. A day that was frequently relatively stress free.
No point trying to do this on a Monday morning !

Stage 2. the first 12 hours.
[*]You know it's going to take 72 hours to get the body flushed out. All you have to do is stay on track until then.
[*]Sleep late on Sunday morning. It's noon. I'm 12 hours clean now. Great rest that was. Only 2 1/2 days to go and 40% of that will be in bed asleep. (after 72 hours your sytem will be fairly clean. the effects of nicotine will be minimal then. If you can last 72 hours, the rest is in the mind. The physical bit is sorted)
[*]drink a pint of water. Yuck. get used to it. there's a load more coming down the track. The more you drink, the quicker the pangs go away.
[*]Don't worry about that for now. We need to figure out how to survive the next 12 hours.

Stage 3. the next 12 hours.
[*]Feel crap. Eat the wallpaper. Battle through. Realise that every little sweat, dizzy feeling and pang is as bad as it gets and not as bad as the last one. hang in there. I can get some sleep soon.
[*] Go to bed feeling miserable. It's not all in my mind you know. I genuinely do feel awful. Belly ache too. Know I'm one third of the way home. Feel a bit better about that.

Stage 3. the next 12 hours.
[*]sleep.
[*]wake up
[*]realise I am half way there. be happy about that at least.

Stage 4. the next 12 hours. Day 2 really but it's going to get better now soon.
[*]I have to work today. Keep the head down. Don't get angry in traffic driving in either. don't talk to anybody. just get through the day. the reward will be great.
[*]drink more water.
[*]keep moving.
[*]suck a shortened biro. pretend it's a cig. Don't worry about the hand to mouth thing. I can deal with habit later. there's only one plan now. get the nicotine out of my system. Only time does that. nothing else. I need to pass time. every minute is a minute closer. remind myself that it doesn't get any worse than this. as bad as i feel now, thats it. OK hang in.
[*] drink more. no booze today. keep moving. getting tired. good. the quicker I get to bed the quicker I can get day 3 over with and home free.

cance · 24-07-2006 2:55pm

nice one "pal"

im currently on hour 15 of the smoking strike. 9 years of wasting money on em (fuck you John Player and Sons! :mad: )

im feeling good, was out with the smokers in work today, talking in the sun and didnt request or feel the need for that matter to smoke. but i know the worst is to come, i always found day 2 the killer. Have successfully quit once, for 6 months, but job pressures and booze royally screwed that up for me.

/me waits patiently for "pal"s after the 24 hours mark...

Pal · 24-07-2006 4:24pm

day 3

I have done 48 hours. Yippee.......... Now to get the head sorted because we're looking at the light at the end of the tunnel
I know when i go to bed tonight i will wake up tomorrow clean.
No nicotine = no probem. we can deal with the phsychological stuff after the event. ( Allen carr does it the other way around in essence). I just couldn't pretend that I wasn't having withdrawal.
I was and I am and I am nearly done and I still feel crap.
But I'm on the home straight. it will be absolutely awful for the next few hours but that's it. if only I can get to bed tomight without a smoke I get my life back.
I didn't like being a smoker that's why I'm willing to do this.
I don't like withdrawal either but it will be gone tomorrow.
one puff now puts me back to the start. That's crazy. i'm not doing this for fun. just a few more hours.

Pal · 24-07-2006 4:38pm

Wednesday Morning.

I am clean. 72 hours off smokes.

I might get a pang or two today and over the next few days but they're too insignificant now.

the agitation has calmed down, the cramp in the tummy is gone, the heart is beating at a normal pace.

as my body starts to normalise, i need to know whats' going on.

Most importantly, i need to get comfortable with what used be smoking situations. we're in the head wreck phase of quitting now.

remember you are addicted. kidding yourself now that you can have a drag is exactly what an addiction does to you.

you've sorted the withdrawal, now solve problem number 2. living your life without smoking.

actually this is the easy bit. as if by magic, certain situations seem somehow more enjoyable.

you are puzzled by this. food tastes better too. there's a lot of mixed up stuff going on now but it's all good.

Pal · 24-07-2006 4:42pm

day 5

that went quick.

there's no smell of smoke off me anymore and I'm worried sick about going to the pub tonight.

jeeze, i'm bound to have a smoke.

I'm not gumming any more but everybody will be smoking and i won't

Fear sets in.

clearly not ready for this step, I rent a movie and stay home.

Pal · 24-07-2006 4:46pm

week 2 - day 10

i go to the pub.
having just spent the last 7 days feeling great, i wonder what the hell is going on with this self deprivation.
I have a great time.
I didn't smoke either.

it's true you know. People who don't smoke enjoy going to the boozer as well.

i spent 30 years thinking the opposite.

jeeze, this is good. no hangovers either.

bonus is i'm feeling good about myself too.

looking forward to a few more pints tomorrow.

If you read enough about smoking, you figure out that they put hundreds of chemicals in a cig. this is what gives you the hagover (and what kills you too).

Pal · 24-07-2006 4:52pm

sorry for all that self indulgent diatribe, but i just had to tell somebody. thanks for listening.

Day 15. Still happy. Actually, very happy. Should have figured out the trick years ago.

DivX · 24-07-2006 4:56pm

Congratulations to everyone who is attempting or has succeeded in kicking the habit. If you don’t succeed this time, then no worry in trying again.

I’m just checking back in to say I’m still off the cigarettes since December 03 and its paid dividends in that my health has really improved and obviously more disposable money from not having to buy cigarettes.

So just to say keep at it and it’ll be worth the effort in the long run.

Pal · 24-07-2006 8:07pm

bubby wrote:

No cold turkey will not work. After 3 days there should be no physical withdrawal. The rest is all in your head.

Cold Turkey works just fine.
In fact it is the only sensible way to quit in my opinion.

You are correct about 3 days.

You go on to say that the Allen Carr method worked for you. That's Cold Turkey too. Sure you start off with elation but you're still going through the 3 days cold turkey.

cance · 25-07-2006 9:35am

day 2 presently for me, and its always the worst day for me.

oh how i long, to be in bed for the next 48 hours with a console, a few good movies 6 gallons of water and my door locked.

being around smokers at the bus stop this morning really p!ssed me off.

the hand to mouth thing aint bothering me so much, its the "getting out of my seat to go for a smoke before i realise i have just fallen into autopilot" thats bugging me the most.

the extra €9 euro in my pocket did look very attractive this morning though ...:)

Pal · 25-07-2006 10:11am

I pretended to smoke by sucking a pen and imagining it was a cig.

Those big inhalations of clean air assist in the flushing process.

don't worry about the habit aspect. There is only one thing you need to do now is get through to tomorrow night.

Thursday is a whole new ball game. No more feeling crap once you're there, just the easy phase 2 head wreck to deal with.

and that's the enjoyable bit. you start realising the benefits and the self esteem and confidence and wellbeing justs starts going off the scale.

really cool. But you gotta get flushed out first.

hang on.

ZENER · 25-07-2006 10:56am

Well done guys, well done. Step one to good health achieved.

Cold Turkey is the only way IMO, the sense of achievement knowing you did it all yourself gives you immense confidence in your willpower. After a couple of weeks it would be a good idea to find something to do with all that lovely willpower and confidence plus the increase in wellbeing you should be feeling. Your lungs will start to thank you after a month or so, you will probably go through a spell of coughing up crap, this is good. Your sense of smell and taste will comeback too and this for me is where danger lurkes - eating too much !

Consider going to the gym and enrolling on a program, don't go without getting a full assessment, you won't take it seriously if you don't. Use the extra lung capacity and improved health benefits to achieve a positive outcome. This makes it very hard to think about smoking again because you now know you can't smoke AND be healthy.

Worked for me, I gave up smoking when the workplace ban came in, couple of months later plucked up the courage to go to the gym and worked very very hard to get back into shape. I prefer this to smoking any day.

ZEN

Pal · 25-07-2006 11:00am

Don't find that I'm eating too much. Just enjoying eating too much. Meal time is a really nice part of the day now.

another realisation of something I never knew.

smoking ruins meals.

cance · 25-07-2006 1:08pm

hmmmm,

morning over and my cravings have all but subsided, coffee seems to be the fix today but if i drink anymore ill probably collapse in a fit.

Chewing gum also keeping me entertained but the geniouses in the BT engineering department are definately being paid by the tobacco companies and deliberately stressing me unneccessarily... gits...

girlfriend who also quit had a bit of a stumble and "accidentally" landed on a cigarette. so its back to the drawing board for her! I tihink the "na na nanana" bragging rights are actually motivating me also (sorry hun

)

lunch time!

cance · 26-07-2006 9:13am

Day 3 w00t!

i have survived my usual downfall!

Yesterday was a right stressfull so and so, so i really feel like i achieved something! The cravings this morning were a bit hectic but the morning has been.

didnt sleep much last night, but this was due to body heat! quitting has made me very hot/sweaty + the current weather in dublin isnt helping!

Cheers again to Pal for the kind words yesterday.

Coffee..Coffee..Coffee..Coffee..Coffee..Coffee..Coffee..Coffee..Coffee..

Pal · 27-07-2006 3:33pm

Coffee is not a good idea.
When the nicotine is leaving your system at this time, your ability to handle caffeine is diminished by 50%.

Lose the coffee for a while.

stick with juice because your blood sugar is dropping too.

Listen folks, if you're reading this, please take a look at this guy and then click on my sugnature link with your support. thanks.

John

cance · 27-07-2006 3:55pm

day 4 w00t

still surviving!

urges pretty much faded, just my stupid brain playing tricks on me first thing in the morning and the likes.

Cheers for the advice PAL.

for all smokers looking to quit, listen to this guy, he knows his brass.

Pal · 27-07-2006 4:02pm

thanks for the kind comment but truth be known, i've a lot to learn. it is a vast subject.

listen. More importantly.

you're on day 4.

Cool.

you've made it. you don't smoke now. you've done the 72 hours needed.
there won't be any more withdrawal.

time to chill.

just get your thought process up to speed now.

I find that the folks over on whyquit.com have got a lot of very interesting things to say. well worth a read at this time.

meanwhile. well done friend.

bug · 13-08-2006 11:17pm

right.
For someone who once had the nickname "patty *and* selma", I've finally decided to try and give up starting tommorrow morning.

been smoking since I was 13 now 28...at approx 30 a day.
why?
Because cancer (lung and pancreatic) runs in my family and I physically have a very low lung capacity anyway.
Because I want to be able to breathe properly for the first time since I can remember.
Because I want to go back to the doctor and find out what my results of my chest x-ray are... (I'm not allowed back until I at least try and give up he said)..Nazi doctor

but he is right.
Because I'm ashamed he gave me an inhaler and said "that sounds awful", after he listened to my chest, the gurgling sound I assume as normality.
Because I didnt believe him when he said I had bronchitis again, and I convinced myself he was lying.
Because I dont wan't to be a smoking owlone.

Reading about it has made me scared of the next few days.. Ive decided to attempt the cold turkey option and then if I feel really bad go to the chemist and get the gum as a fail safe..during the work day.

If I make it past 12pm tommorrow I will have some faith in my willpower.

Bottle_of_Smoke · 20-08-2006 4:01pm

bug wrote:

right.
For someone who once had the nickname "patty *and* selma", I've finally decided to try and give up starting tommorrow morning.

been smoking since I was 13 now 28...at approx 30 a day.
why?
Because cancer (lung and pancreatic) runs in my family and I physically have a very low lung capacity anyway.
Because I want to be able to breathe properly for the first time since I can remember.
Because I want to go back to the doctor and find out what my results of my chest x-ray are... (I'm not allowed back until I at least try and give up he said)..Nazi doctor but he is right.
Because I'm ashamed he gave me an inhaler and said "that sounds awful", after he listened to my chest, the gurgling sound I assume as normality.
Because I didnt believe him when he said I had bronchitis again, and I convinced myself he was lying.
Because I dont wan't to be a smoking owlone.

Reading about it has made me scared of the next few days.. Ive decided to attempt the cold turkey option and then if I feel really bad go to the chemist and get the gum as a fail safe..during the work day.

If I make it past 12pm tommorrow I will have some faith in my willpower.

have you read alan carr's book? i dont gum is a good idea - seems like telling a heroin smoke to inject because he's famaging his lungs.

Easyway(carr) shows you how you're not missing out on anything. You'll be able to sit in a smoking room without feeling sorry for yourself - you'll feel sorry for everyone else!

Added bonus that you dont stop smoking til the book is over.

magnum69 · 21-08-2006 5:38am

i'm glad i never tried smoking. i respect those who do it though...so long as they don't blow it right on my nose and i don't get a smell on their stuff either. :cool:

foxy06 · 21-08-2006 7:03pm

went to Allen Carrs clinic and havent smoked for three years and more importantly I havet wanted to smoke.......Well worth the money and theres a money back guarantee.

cance · 24-08-2006 10:41am

One month off the smokes today, and never felt better.

cravings gone, do i still fancy one? nope.... well yes, but like hell am i putting myself through that again

lungs clear, food better, disposable income.

Pal · 29-08-2006 12:15pm

I say well done to cance and foxy and good luck to bug.
It's a pity they haven't approved a forum yet.

cork-langer · 30-08-2006 10:50am

new to boards.ie but my god am i glued to this thread...
Smoking for 7 years(just had one before i came to this internet cafe) and i wanna give up now more than ever, ive read all posts and it seems that Carr's book is the sure way to success.
My best mate quit about a year ago and put it down to 2 things:
1. Routine. He said breaking your fag routine was the toughest. We all have fags at the same time every day; 1 before work, 1 on your 10min break, 1 at lunch etc... so what he did to break this routine(may be a bit extreme) but he actaully changed jobs so efectively started a new routine without ciggies. First day at his job he opted not to go tho the smoking area and told all his new colleagues that he was a non smoker!

2. Socialising. This was the hardest, we all know that after a few drinks your willpower diminishes because 'everything is great' when your drunk and the 'only smoke when i'm drunk' rule comes into place.
Personally, this frightens the bejesus out of me. How will i walk down washington street on a sat night without 20 benson in me arse pocket?

I look forward to reading carrs book in the near future, and best of luck to all who have or are trying to quit!

squire1 · 14-09-2006 11:47am

OK, I've thrown my hat into the ring. Went cold turkey last night and it's been 14 hours now since I smoked. Reading this thread has help greatly with my resolve.

I was off the smokes before for about 8 months but fell off the wagon. It felt great then to be a non smoker so hopefully it will be the same again this time. I didn't find it too difficult the last time as I was so determined that I didn't want to be a smoker anymore. I just took it for granted and slipped up when I should have known better.

This time will be different. I've prepared for this for a while. I have my head right and I'm ready for the withdrawl. Roll on Sunday when i can say that I am no longer dependant on this stuipd drug.

Of the three addictions, for me the hardest to give up is the social addiction. A lot of my friends smoke, a lot of my wifes friends smoke so our social lives revolve a lot around smoking. I have decided not to try and avoid these situations (after Sunday) but to confront them as a non smoker. I do not want to change my life, I just want to have the same life but without the dependance on cigs.

It's my plan anyway so......off I go.

squire1 · 15-09-2006 10:50am

Ok, I'm in the middle of day two now. Still in withdrawl but I'm half way there. I feel the pangs for a smoke but funilly enough I don't want a smoke. I think the mental preperation I put in is paying off. I knew this was going to be difficult but I am ready for it. I knew it would come into my head to "just have one more and I'll start again at the weekend" but I was ready for that too.

Yesterday evening was hard as the kids were both acting up and I had a lot to do. Very stressed out at one stage but managed to get control of myself and realise that it was more to do with the withdrawl than with the kids or work commitments.

Slept really well last night which was stange because I was expecting the insomnia that i had the last time. Maybe the patches do mess you up a bit although I took them off at night the last time. Cold turkey this time, so that's the only thing that is different.

Apparently today is meant to be the worst of the three day withdrawl, so plenty of chewing gum and water for me. I'm trying to avoid caffine even though it seems to ease the withdrawl symptoms for a short while. I've plenty in work to keep me occupied so getting through the day should not be a problem.

Hopefully I'll be back tomorrow or after the weekend to report on proceedings.

ZENER · 15-09-2006 11:44am

You've obviously prepared yourself well for this, realising that it wasn't the kids acting up more than usual but rather your lower tolerance that was to blame is good as well - well done. Try to avoid the coffee if you can, as well as winding you up more - giving you an excuse to fail - there is also some research that says the body can't process as much caffiene in the absence of nicotine.

Cold turkey is probably the hardest way to go but in my opinion it's the most rewarding because it relies totally on your own determination and willpower. The patches are a crutch that present you with another problem - how to ween yourself of those without taking a smoke.

Find something worthwhile to do with your time and improved health - it will improve - something that makes you feel even better about yourself and your newfound confidence.

The best of luck !!!

ZEN

squire1 · 15-09-2006 2:04pm

ZENER wrote:

Find something worthwhile to do with your time
ZEN

Trust me, when you have two kids under two years old, you dont need to try to hard to keep yourself occupied.;)

My kids are the motivation for me giving up the fags. I don't want them growing up in a smoking envorinment even though I never smoked in the house or around the kids. My first attempt to give up was when my wife was pregnant with our first child.

I just dread to think that in 16 or 18 years they will be smokers too.

Support for those quitting smoking

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