Stopping Smoking - wish me luck!!

[Ian Raleigh]

Re: Smoking - wish me luck!!

My Dad was a smoker and always 'talked' about stopping, whilst I was at school in Biology we were
learning about the human body and one day we was learning about our lungs and the teacher had
two glass jars of which had a pair of lungs in them both, one pair was healthy and one pair was
from a smoker! I was shocked to see the difference, when I got home from School I told my Dad
about the lungs and he asked if he could go to school and look at them, I asked the teacher and
he said he will bring both jars to our house then show them to my Dad, When my Dad looked at them
and the teacher explained who the smokers lungs belonged to and how old he was when he died,
at that instance my Dad screwed up his fags and threw them on the fire.

My Dad got such a wake up call by actually seeing the fooked up lungs and not realising the damage he was doing to himself.

He never smoked again.

E-Cigs! What a waste of money as are gum & patch's.

Will power is the way to go and in the end you will be proud of yourself that you did it and FOR GOOD.

 

[Alison]

Re: Smoking - wish me luck!!

When my husband was about the same age as I was when I gave up, he was not just a smoker but he was a pot head too, a very paranoid and screwed up one. His house mate said if you give up smoking you can come on a cycling weekend with me, he thought that sounded like a plan and they went, he came back a non smoker of all things and an enthusiastic cyclist and nothing has changed since.

Alison

 

[brocklanders023]

Re: Smoking - wish me luck!!

I gave up at the start of the year after smoking from 18 to 35. I enjoyed smoking for the most part, especially when having a beer but they just got too expensive, even after going from Marlboro Lights to rollies the year before. The health implications did have a bearing although I didn't feel too unhealthy.

I went on to the e-cigs first and managed to keep off real smokes. The e-cigs do work and defo keep the cravings at bay. After a couple of months I thought why am I wasting money on pretend smokes (they cost nearly as much as rollies in real terms, regardless what the packet tells you) so packed in all together. Because I'd broken the habit of real smokes I no longer related the nicotine cravings with them so have been able to stay smoke free since. I have had the odd one when out and smashed but have never woken up wanting to start again.

Don't get me wrong, I still feel like having a tab from time to time and am not one of those ex smokers(like my girlfriend) that can't stand the smell but I'm confident enough that I can stay stopped.

Good luck!!

 

[suburbanreuben]

Re: Smoking - wish me luck!!

I can say without a shadow of a doubt that you can only give up smoking properly when you have decided that enough is enough and that you want to quit.

[/quote]

That is so so true. You can't do it because other people want you to; YOU have to want to do it, and to be honest, TGR, you don't sound like you do...

I'm happy to be proven wrong though!

 

[drcarlos]

Re: Smoking - wish me luck!!

Don't get me wrong, I still feel like having a tab from time to time and am not one of those ex smokers(like my girlfriend) that can't stand the smell but I'm confident enough that I can stay stopped.

I wasn't at first, it took me about a year before I felt like this (at first I found tobacco smoke to have a fairly pleasant smell as well), but after that it became more and more repulsive.

Carl.

 

[TGR]

Re: Smoking - wish me luck!!

Reuben,

You could be right and then again, you may not be. I am going to try hard to stop - the time is right and that is really the reason i am going for it now. We will see what happens.

Richard

 

[zetecmk2]

Re: Smoking - wish me luck!!

i smoke grass, no problems with that......but i hate smoking tobacco and want to stop! hmmmm. any body had this dilemma? maybe one of those small pipes? i have no need for nicotine in my life...all it does is cost money and harm me. i'm not a pothead....believe me, i know a few! most have had problems with mental health and paranoia etc. i smoke when watching live bands after we have come off stage, and sometimes, on a bike ride to somewhere really scenic....sort of "at one with nature" type thing....bit of a hippy still i suppose. what i'm trying to get across is recriational, not lifestyle. i think this may complicate the giving up nicotine.....hmmm, we'll see!

 

[Raging_Bulls]

Re: Smoking - wish me luck!!

Richard,

I found it difficult to quit cold-turkey. I got angry, couldn't sleep, couldn't focus, etc. However it was easy when I worked out my own 2-step programme.

I got myself a box of the heavy nicotine patches (Niquitin 21mg). I started using those as suggested, 1 patch per day. Applied it in the morning so I would have the strongest effect while I was awake (perhaps it's only in my mind, but it helped).
No real nicotine withdrawal symptoms, but I felt a tendency to smoke at certain places and times because I always did smoke there and then. The patch worked, but the habit itself was still there. Conquering that wasn't that hard, thinking that cigarettes would kill me was enough to immediately suppress that urge every single time.

Once I noticed that I had really kicked the habit (took me about a month, which means I was halfway through my 2nd box of patches), it was time to tackle the nicotine itself. How did I do that? Simple, one morning I didn't put a new patch on. No withdrawal symptoms whatsoever. It was like all of it never happened.

I've been smoke-free for over a year now. I find it unpleasant to smell, especially when visiting people who smoke indoors. No tendency or urge to start again.

 

[TGR]

Re: Smoking - wish me luck!!

Thanks Raging Bull,

I am not sure if i can use patches with the tablets i am on. I should not be smoking by Sunday week and will be able to stay off them for 13 weeks - the course ends then. Following the end of the course of the tablets is when the probs may start. We will see...

Richard

 

[brocklanders023]

Re: Smoking - wish me luck!!

I can say without a shadow of a doubt that you can only give up smoking properly when you have decided that enough is enough and that you want to quit.

That is so so true. You can't do it because other people want you to; YOU have to want to do it, and to be honest, TGR, you don't sound like you do...

I'm happy to be proven wrong though![/quote]


I realised quitting was a good idea but can't say I had the lightbulb moment and had to stop. Each to their own I guess.