The Giving Up Smoking Thread!! Part 2

larmy16

Very unusual to find all your friends are smokers Tiger eyes. It was the opposite for me, most of the people I knew did not smoke and I wanted to be one of them.

I agree that the one puff is a very slippery smoke. I know cos I have done it. Gone a whole week and then thought "Oh I can just have one of a friday evening" and before you knew it, I was salivating on a Friday afternoon thinking of that one roll up. Then it crept up to a few (because it was not worth spending all that money on tobacco and then having to throw it away - could not leave it alone!). One weekend I spent about £15 on tobacco because I was having a rollie, getting disgusted with myself, throwing it away, after running it under the tap.

Then I would have to go to the offy and buy another lot. This went on week in week out until I saw all the poeple on this thread not only stopping, but staying stopped!

MumOf2

Have just got to 4 weeks smoke free :j

£168.01 saved by not smoking
560 cigarettes not smoked

Am so pleased! And feel great physically and mentally. Went out for a jog this morning - 36m without stopping through the woods and down the canal towpath, it was really fab. Bought some to-die-for knee high boots this afternoon and thought 'couldn't do this if I still smoked' - what a buzz :j

Agree 100% with comments about not even having one once you've stopped. I didn't smoke for 18 years, then just had one whilst on holiday, then one a day for a few months (and really looked forward to that one - was already hooked again), then very quickly to 20 a day. That was 6 years ago and am now smoke free which is great. Please: not even one puff!

Keep strong everyone - we're all doing so well. Pats on the back for us all :j

MumOf2

little_lily

Totally echo all that has been said about 'just one puff'.

Six years ago, I'd quit for five months and then had 'just one puff' after several drinks. It tasted vile and somehow, that reassured me to the extent that the next weekend, I felt quite safe to have 'just one puff' again - it was horrible, I didn't enjoy it and so there was no way I'd get hooked again, right?

Wrong! That first horrible puff was the start of a very slippery slope and before I knew it, one puff turned to one ciggie, then to a couple if I was out for the night, then a pack of 10 at the weekend - before one month was out I was back up to 15 a day!

I really, truly believe that we are no different to any other addicts - it's all or nothing. Alcoholics don't have half a pint, heroin addicts don't have 'just one hit' and smokers can NEVER have 'just one puff'

So please, anyone who is thinking that one cigarrette or one puff of a cigarette won't hurt - think again! And if you've already succumbed, don't EVER succumb again!

Stay strong, all! You SO CAN DO THIS!!!

XXX

Luvly.cuppa.T

Hey all!

Thought I would share my journey with the ole addiction... I am now 5 weeks free of smoking today, after almost 20 years of it. I did use champix to get me this far, and am really pleased I did. I definately needed that something else to help me actually stop and stay stopped long enough for me to appreciate that I really did want to stop smoking.

That's the thing, everyone always says you need to want to stop for you etc etc, but when you are addicted, how do you know it's you that wants to stop for real, because the addict in you always says, "But I like smoking!", or "What's the point in living a clean life, I'll die anyway" and all them kind of things. The addict in you will tell you anything to keep you hooked and getting the fix! So champix was brill- it blocks the nicotine receptor, and yes I had an angry fit the 3rd day I was on it, because smoking was having no effect! I then cut right down and was very ready to stop, but made myself smoke to make drive it home even more that I did not want this drug any more.

Like most I was sick of it ruling my life- it smelt, I was very conscious of it all and avoided being with people (that I love dearly too) who didn't smoke and made a point of saying it smelt, because they stunted my being able to be addicted in a relaxed way!!! I am now so so so pleased that I can be realxed with the people I love and freely admit how addicted I was , now and how happy I am to be free of it!

My difficulty I guess now is that I also stopped the champix- to me it's just another drug that's keeping me fixed in place. I also had some side effects and in addition I am useless in taking pills regularly. I want done with this all. It doesn't help though that I have psychology training- I have actively avoided looking up certain things in literature to do with smoking and champix. I wanted to give up, this was the best option out there for me at this time- I went with it and worked with it (it with me) and that's all I needed to know. I knew that the addict in me would twist and turn any bit of information to suggest that I remain a smoker- hence oblivion was the best way forward!
But anyway, having since stopped the champix, I have found the craving harder to deal with. In fact, not sure how many will follow me, but it's not cigs I want. I am hooked on the reward that happened in my brain everytime I smoked- that is dopamine was released. In short the reward system is my feeder and I imagine it is for most. Champix deals with this and releases dopamine , but this is also a reason why I wanted to come off that too, as I don't want to be reliant on the reward it gives in my brain.
I wondered how others coped with this?

One thing I have to say is, success really does come down to your mind set. I know I sound like a cheapo advert, but champix really did help me get to grips with what was goin on in my body. I knew that I didn't want the ciggarette- I really don't, I dislike everything about it (although I am happy to be around friends who smoke etc, I don't whinge! I choose to be outside, if I so choose that, rather than be dragged outside due to an addiction).
I knew, perhaps my psychology education has been very helpful to this, that it was the reward system that I yearn to be activated, and NOT the cigarettes. I still know that now, but I also know that I am not getting that fix I like and crave and want and the quickest way I know of getting that is through smoking. I know my mind set has tettered toward the middle danger zone of could have a drag to find out if that does cure me of my current ills, but I also am very well aware that that one drag is as good as becoming a full time smoker again. I am also well aware again, that the reward system is key in this. Also behavioural patterns are key- try to break these before you atually give up, as trying to do it all at once is a lot and too much. However I wouldn't advice in avoiding situations, as you will have to deal with them in the end, and it will build up to become harder to face.

For example for me, I smoke outside only, but this includes my office (which is in the shed!) and I associated internet time and/or work time with heavy smoking. I made the decision in order to help the path of stopping smoking that the office was to be smoke free also. I found this really hard to change in those first weeks and still have a little asscoation with work and cigs going on, but it gets better. Again the mind set is so key. If you don't want to smoke, you won't. But you know what? the level of craving will be absolutely the same whether you chose to smoke or not. The person with the mindset that says I don't want to smoke, also says to deal with this I just need to ignore it- I'm not going to smoke, so there is no negotiating, this will become easier. The person who has the mindset, I am beat, I can't control much, is the person who will end up back smoking. Simple as.

To work with it, I have jotted down things that boost dopamine, such as protein, herbs and vitamins, which I think are crucial in this process. The fix has to come from somewhere, but natural food sources are far better.

I will also say to people that, yes you do want to do this, because you are thinking about it- which means when your addicted self is quietened you will be able to clearly hear yourself say I don't want to be a smoker any more. But as always it's in your hands, no one elses.

A bit long winded, but it really helps me to offload, and it's great for others in the same boat to see someone going through the same thing.

Good luck to all chosing the freedom path, that extra lungage (breathing is fab- there just appears to be an extra 25% of lung to breathe with!) is lovely, what after 40 hours, and your wallet begins to feel the difference almost immediately!

I have promised myself teeth whitening by the professional dentist now, as I have saved as much, if not more, by not smoking, and my teeth desrve to look white now! (and will stay that colour as well , not being a smoker any more!)

Happy Christmas, and best of British to you all. Your mind set is absolutely key in all this- any REd Dwarf fans might be able to appreciate this, where the crew have to remain vigilant to the brain suckers that appear to the crew as sirens, or Kerchansky etc etc: you know what is going on, but it will be presented to you in very deceiving ways. Tis up to you if you want to be royally done over by it, or if you will stand up to it.

larmy16

Amazing post Luvvly cuppa. You sum it up all so well. It is wonderful to hear your journey. I also agree that nicotine is an addiction like any other. I wrestle with mine very rarely nowdays. The cold weather must surely be a huge deterrent!

I do think it strange that we smokers are quite determined to continue to smoke by going outside (to avoid stinking out our homes, avoid annoying non smokers etc) while in huge denial of what we are doing to our INSIDES!

As you say though the addiction will twist and turn anything in order to keep the cycle going. It always helped me to see nicotine as a person who was hell bent on destroying me. I used to yell (internally) at it in the early days.

That must have taken ages to type so thanks. It helped me an awful lot. I must be on month 8 now and it is so lovely to be looking forward to spending time with family this Christmas.

In past years, I would be itching to go home by five, not because I wanted to but because Nick wanted me to!

BruceWayne

i'm in to day 7 of being smoke free, and let me tell you... I feel brilliant!!

even managed to make it through the uni night out virtually unscathed, i have to confess i did have "one puff" and it was literally one! i'm not looking on that as a bad thing though, it was so disgusting and horrible that I intend to use it as my affirmation, in times of weakness I can draw upon that as a reminder of how vile it actually tasted.

you guys are amazing for support as well, I honestly think if I had found this thread the last half dozen times I tried to stop that I probably wouldn't only be on day 7 but perhaps on month 7!

thanks again to all, and I will be back on in a few days... need to get back to work now boo hoo

maytaurus

Hi everyone
Good luck with giving up smoking
I haven't had a cigarette since
friday 13th november (l-o-l) :rotfl:
Being the youngest is often good
but not when you're in the coronary care unit after a heart attack :eek:
(ps
I had previously quit for 12 yrs & then started again,
SO BE WARNED ........... IT CAN HAPPEN

jo1972

mollie123 wrote: »

I think I just have to accept that I'm having a really bad day today.

Hiya Mollie, just seen your post. Unfortunately we will all have bad days from time to time but whether you smoke or not will not change this. If something happens in your life and you feel stressed so light up, this will not alter the fact that something has happened!!

Good luck to everybody during the party season, remember to stay strong and never become complacent. I would imagine there will be a few more people joining us come 1st Jan

larmy16

Bruce I think it is great that you are tackling this horrible addiction while you are so young and it has done minimal damage to your body.

Stay strong everyone, keep posting. Did I miss that Sue is on holiday or something?

FEE_100

Hi everyone, Im on my 5th day of quitting and it still feels like the first, Im gasping for 1... not good I no and to make it worse I just sat an wrote out a huge post all about how I feel and my age how long Id smoked about kids, cravings, how carbbit Ive been,etc etc etc and it bl**dy kicked me off and deleted the whole thing, Im too mad to write it all out again, I might do it later. Glad I found this thread though coz it has made me feel a smidgeon better.... just stuffed 10 pices of chewing gum in my mouth to get me through !