All patched up and ready to go....

[pasty]

Attempt number 632 at stopping smoking underway. I've read the books, heard the advice, spoken to my doctor, got my patch on, and my plastic cigarette hanging out my mouth as I type.

I'm 44 in 2 weeks, and have been smoking 20 red marleys a day for about the last 20 years. I get out of breath walking up starts ffs! This time it's for real.

I damned well AM going to give up smoking.

Day 1:
Up at 6, patch on - avoided usual cigarette #1 on way to station
Avoided usual cigarette #2 walking from train to tube at Victoria
Avoided usual cigarette #3 from tube to office
Avoided usual cigarette #4 Took great pleasure telling my mate "I don't smoke" when he asked if I was going out for a ciggie



Anyone else given up recently? How's it going?

 

[Bevendean Hillbilly]

Attempt number 632 at stopping smoking underway. I've read the books, heard the advice, spoken to my doctor, got my patch on, and my plastic cigarette hanging out my mouth as I type.

I'm 44 in 2 weeks, and have been smoking 20 red marleys a day for about the last 20 years. I get out of breath walking up starts ffs! This time it's for real.

I damned well AM going to give up smoking.

Day 1:
Up at 6, patch on - avoided usual cigarette #1 on way to station
Avoided usual cigarette #2 walking from train to tube at Victoria
Avoided usual cigarette #3 from tube to office
Avoided usual cigarette #4 Took great pleasure telling my mate "I don't smoke" when he asked if I was going out for a ciggie



Anyone else given up recently? How's it going?

I'm with Alan Carr on the issue of patches etc. He says it isn't nicotine replacement therapy but nicotine continuation therapy (like saying to a Heroin addict, hey stupid why smoke the stuff when you can inject it)

Have you tried Alan carrs "Easyway" programme? works for me.

 

[Deano's Right Foot]

My advice? Cold turkey and concentrate on ignoring the subject. Do not tell anyone, do not talk about giving up, do not post threads on NSC. It all keeps it at the front of your mind, which is not good.

Patches just kept my nicotine addiction going. I tried patches about 6 times and each time I failed. DOing it quietly qworked (3 1/2 years with no fags now).

Good luck!

 

[tinx]

My advice? Cold turkey and concentrate on ignoring the subject. Do not tell anyone, do not talk about giving up, do not post threads on NSC. It all keeps it at the front of your mind, which is not good.

Patches just kept my nicotine addiction going. I tried patches about 6 times and each time I failed. DOing it quietly qworked (3 1/2 years with no fags now).

Good luck!

Thats how I gave up too. Just stopped and got my head down. struggled for the first three months after that it was easy.

 

[Tooting Gull]

My advice? Cold turkey and concentrate on ignoring the subject. Do not tell anyone, do not talk about giving up, do not post threads on NSC. It all keeps it at the front of your mind, which is not good.

Patches just kept my nicotine addiction going. I tried patches about 6 times and each time I failed. DOing it quietly qworked (3 1/2 years with no fags now).

Good luck!

I'd agree with that, especially the keeping it low-key advice. The more of an issue it is, the harder it becomes. I glanced at Carr's book, and used a couple of the principles, but basically just cold turkey and never used a patch after probably 10-15 a day for 20 years.

Everyone's got their own motivation, for me it was my family - and also just go and try running for half an hour. You'll never want to smoke again.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Good luck squire. Yes - try the running. And avoid places (and mates for a while) with which you associate smoking.

 

[British Bulldog]

Good luck Pasty I hope you manage to quit for good, I've promised myself another go at packing up this year but getting rid of some of my belly blubber is taking priority at the moment. I can't diet and quit smoking at the same time else there'll be nothing worth getting up for.

 

[Woodingdean Gull]

Not sure if this might help but just over 20 years ago I was smoking 60 a day and had been a heavy smoker for a number of years. My GP told me that I had to give it up or else! I’d tried acupuncture and hypnotherapy, (no such thing as patches etc.), but nothing worked. He got me onto a 5 day course, 7.30 to 9.00, Monday to Friday, at the Brighton General with about 50 - 60 other smokers. It was, basically, giving up by willpower.

The course was give by 2 highly qualified medical guys and they explained exactly what addiction was. (They pointed out that most addictive substances end in “-ine”, heroine, cocaine, nicotine, etc.). We were told that the first thing to do is to re-educate the grey matter and to say to yourself, “I choose not to smoke” instead of “I will not smoke”, the psychological reason being that if you did have a cigarette you could still, next time, choose not to smoke.

For the first 3 days, our “diet” was water, fruit juice and fresh fruit as this would wash out 90% of the toxins in our body. They explained, after 2 days, how to counteract the “ratiness” and irritability that you go through when you pack up. Buy a packet of 100 brewers yeast tablets and instead of taking 2 tablets, 3 times a day, take 6 tablets 3 times a day. The B2 and thiamine would help you against the withdrawal symptoms.

Other things were to swop telephone numbers and if you were going through a bad patch, (no pun intended), ‘phone another member of the group as they would be going through the same feelings. Also, go for a short walk or drink a glass of water, both help short term. Take it hour by hour, day by day, week by week. Never think that “I’m over it, I’ll just have one”. For the first 3 weeks, don’t touch alcohol as this weakens the resolve. As it was costing me, then, about £20 a week, I gave my wife £10 a week to put away and the next year, with our 2 kids, that money paid for our holiday in Spain.

I hope some of these points might help, I know they did for me. It’s tough at first but, trust me, it does get easier and, eventually, the craving finally does disappear.

 

[Don't get me started]

I gave up 20 years ago and I ignored it as a big priority and did it gradually. I had fag no 1 at 7.30 so week one I moved it to 8, then week 2 to 9, week 3 to 10 week 4 11, see what I did. you will find that you can easily give up after a few weeks

I also swapped from proper fags to roll ups and I found them such a pain I couldnt be bothered if I had a really weak moment. By the time I rolled it the craving had normally gone.

Once you have stopped, focus on the number of days you haven't had a fag for and if you get a craving think of the effort you have put in and what a waste it would be to start again.

Cut down/out booze as this does weaken you.

Good Luck you will feel much better after a fairly short period of time

 

[Barry Izbak]

I was 44 when I stopped. I'd smoked for almost 30 years, although had stopped a couple of times for a year or more, each time, like an ex drinker, I used to feel like a smoker and knew I'd go back on them, and I did.

Then three years ago I went on holiday to St Louis with my daughter for a week. I used to smoke Cafe Creme cigars (10-20/day) and you can't get them in the States, so when packing my bag the day before flying, I've got to work out how many tins I need to buy to take with me? 2 a day for a week, 14 then at £3 a go! Its then that I decide just not to take any and see how I get on.

Day one all day in airports and planes, no opportunity to smoke. Day two in a completely different environment to normal routine. Day three doing surprisingly well, etc etc

When I came back I was no longer a smoker. Nobody was more amazed than me. I can honestly say that I've never even felt like having one since, a completely different feeling than all the other times I'd stopped.

So although mine was unplanned and a rather extreme example, like others have said above, if you can make a clean break, avoid people and situations you associate with smoking and really decide to do it, you can.

But I'd be interested to know how many ex-smokers have dreamt that they had had a fag? I have and know others who have. When this happens you feel like saying "oh no, I've had a fag after all that effort packing them in" then you get the relief that its not true.

Good luck

 

[Wozza]

Alan Carr's books did it for me.

 

[Taybha]

i gave up for 2 days in the vain hope my sperm count would recover,trouble was i had 2 smokes trying to count them after a jolly good yank. Ask your doc for champix,those and the real will to give up work a treat apparently,you keep smoking and take them until a set day between 8-11 after you started then bingo the smoke tastes like doggy doo on that very day you have in your mind to stop.

 

[Janbha]

I used Champix to give up and did so quite easily it really is an amazing tablet which you can only get on prescription! I gave up for 26 weeks after smoking for 37 years at least 20 a day! Unfortunately I started again due to constant pain issues due to a medical condition I will however try again later in the year and will definately use Champix again!!

 

[BensGrandad]

I smoked for over 40 years but gave up instantly in 1995 when I had mouth cancer and the surgeon asked how much I smoked and drank and I told him a bottle of Remy a day and minimum 30 half corona cigars. He told me the type of cancer I had was due to smoking and drinking neat spirits and I should give up, I asked why what difference would it make, his reply was 'if you dont pack up dont book a holiday for next year as you will lose your deposit'. Very sobering thought have not smoked since the moment he said that to me, and all is well cancer has gone and I shall buy my ST at Falmer what greater incentive.

 

[Woodingdean Gull]

All the very best of luck Pasty with all of this information. Keep us informed as to how you get on.

If you need any support or encouragement, just post on the thread.

 

[South Yarra Seagull]

27 days and counting.....