The Giving Up Smoking Thread!! Part 2

nikzGfx

louserendipity wrote: »

hi i have tried the patches and they burn my skin so no go there !
i have done it cold turkey before but my life is in a bit of a mess at the moment and i have always relied on my fags at times of stress
maybe it's a bad time for me to try but then again what's the point in putting it off???
i need to give up but don't know how best to do it
i have the champix tablets but am very sick phobic so don't fancy feeling sick for weeks on end , maybe i should just take them and be done with it but i am very scared !

Will quote from my own post earlier in this thread.

"Not sounding harsh but you have to be in these scenarios, you are an addict of nicotine which has brainwashed you, because it's the feeling your getting from the smoke and nicotine from a ciggie the whole experience of it which NRT's etc don't offer to you. It is hard not to think about it but our brain keeps playing tricks on us because that evil substance has overtaken our brain. I read it takes 7 seconds after 1 puff for the nicotine to reach the brain that is FAST! That makes us happy for a split few seconds and then we go back to the worry of when are we going to have that next ciggie to make me feel the way I did on my last one.

What if the next one you smoke makes you seriously ill? You’re taking a risk with your life with each fag you have. We've all been stupid to do that. There will come a point when you realise you have to stop, until then don't force yourself to stop this will just cause you to fail and start smoking again. Only when your frame of mind is right should you stop, when you realise it's nothing but a waste of money, something that is ruining you and your life, once you have overcome certain barriers then you will be a happy non smoker, just don't go into it thinking you have to this will be more negative.

You will stop when the time is right until then just write down why you smoke, what you are getting out of it, what it makes you feel when you have that puff etc. It will get easier but don't make it harder for you.

It's good to share some of the experiences smoking has caused. I'll share something. When I was with my ex gf, I was with her for 2 and a half years, a year and half into our relationship, she got fed up of me smoking, she gave me an ultimatum, smoking or her? She came out of it, and told me to choose one. I got angry that she even thought that way, but hey she was serious! Of course I didn't want to lose the one I loved, so I gave up smoking! (That's what she thought, sadly I became a secret smoker, I was still smoking while I was with her behind her back of course, while being with her I would not smoke and I could go without smoking, but when not with her I would continue to smoke, what's even bad, I took her to Paris for a weekend holiday, I use to sneak out the hotel to smoke and then go to the bar to have a drink to take the smell away! That's what it does; I got use to the fact of smoking then hiding my tracks. Even my parents thought I had given up and continued to smoke behind their backs. It's bad, I became a liar I felt guilty and still do. We broke up few months ago not relating to my smoking but other issues, but then started smoking even more after the break up but that didn't help at all! Good riddance!"

Good luck in which ever way you stop.

skintandscared_2

For anyone saying they are too stressed to quit at the moment, I have to say, I have never felt LESS stressed than since I quit.

Everyone has a certain amount of stress in their life. It's natural. Think back to your school days when you had the usual angst of growing up and exams and all that. You probably managed to get through most of that without smoking?

It's the need for a fix of nicotine that makes a smoker feel stressed. That's on top of the usual stress you have anyway. Once you get nicotine out of your system, the feeling of calm is FANTASTIC!

Alan Carr says in his book that's it's actually good to quit at a time that is quite stressful. Because then you know that if you can live without ciggies during a tough time, you can cope with pretty much anything!

I can only agree. My partner has been out of work for 3 months now and I've just started a DMP with CCCS. Money is impossibly tight. Plus the bad news about my nephew last weekend. So when I quit last weekend it was about one of the most stressful times in my life I can remember for a very long time. But I feel a LOT calmer this weekend than I have done in ages!!

Get that drug addiction out of your system and life gets soooo much calmer!

MoonRose77

Hi - yes I am posting at some unknown hour for me - but that's to do with our nice neighbours having a party still going on with no signs of stopping til ooh about 3am if normal service is happening. Am I stressed and slightly peeved off - yep, could I murder for a ciggy - yep, am I going to - hell no! I've managed this far I can manage a heck of a lot further even if I am :mad: when I should be snoozing.

That feels better a quick vent and back to near normal again - well as normal as I'll ever get anyway.:rotfl:

Hope everyone else is still going strong xx

Sue-UU

A very good an reassuring post for louserendipity suki1964! I think you're possibly quite right with your thoughts about those who stop using it too.

Hi Graeme, to my mind it was one of the things I noticed first (after the chesty cough) and along with the lack of ashtray smell etc it really helped me feel cleaner!

Hi again louserendipity, so good to hear your better half is quitting with you too! Great news for you and the support you can give to each other will help you both through enormously. To help control the eating drink plenty of water even a glassful about 20 mins before each meal and eat carrots, apples, oranges etc. Sucking Ice Pops is a very good way of keeping the weight off too. Try to get plenty of exercise too that also will help with any cravings. There's going to be so much money saved in your house (!!!), put it in a pot and watch it mount up - a great incentive, you'll get great health back in time too! We all wish you well, but don't forget us on here!

I'm leaving the above where it is as I think (hope) it will help, but after reading your posts below was shocked to see your feeling the way you are so soon. However, it takes us all in different ways and if we can possibly get you through this WE WILL!!! You've had some wonderful advice given from skr80, graemecarter and nikzGfx, brilliant for all!

skintandscared wrote:

It's the need for a fix of nicotine that makes a smoker feel stressed. That's on top of the usual stress you have anyway. Once you get nicotine out of your system, the feeling of calm is FANTASTIC!

The paragraph from skintandscared is so very true too! A Doctor explained that to me once and at the time, because I was stressed (or so I thought) and didn't believe him anyway - I took no notice and added to the stress instead of taking it away! As soon as I did give it up all of his words came back as I so quickly realised exactly what he'd meant, I've never felt so calm since!!!

I do hope you're able to restart again now, if so then just view today's ciggie as a blip and move forward and leave your silk quit meter where you had it. These blips have happened many times before (one last week!) but the quitters were able to do just that and quit successfully.

I couldn't wish you any more luck or love than I do and I sincerely hope for your health's sake that you're able to give it up now. If you'd like to PM me then please do as you're most welcome.

Love and SO many best wishes, Sue.

Well done MoonRose77 for not letting THEM take control of you! I'm so delighted you came here and gave vent rather than the alternative. This is one of those situations we were talking about yesterday and the day before - and another thing you've coped with as a non-smoker as well as such stressful occasions before you quit!!

I'm so chuffed to bits for you MoonRose77!!!!! Excellently dealt with! Sleep well as soon as you can, but just don't let others turn you round - please!

Sue x

kirstymccr

hi all, thought id share my story - this must be my 4th or 5th attempt to stop smoking. Iv tried patches and champix. I stopped for 3 months on one of the attempts but because id not had a drink as soon as i did i wanted a cig.

My last attempt was with the champix and although i did stop after 3 weeks it made me really ill so i had to stop the tablets.

This time iv gone back to the patches and im doing ok so far. I had 2 vodkas last night to try and make sure i dont start again as soon as i have a drink. Its 2 weeks and 2 days since i stopped and i feel good about this attempt!

Good luck everyone, we can do it!! xx

ps this attempt came via boots the chemist, i went to buy patches and the pharmacist can now prescribe patches similar to the stop smoking services the NHS offer. Not sure if they can do it in all the shops but i thought that was a good way to catch the people who 'hate to bother their doctor'

suki1964

I think the champix worked for me where all else had failed as I really did see them as my one and only chance and that if they failed then I was resigned to dying young (have COPD).

So I worked through the nausea and the giddy spells and the feelings of being as high as a kite. I cut the dose and finally cut them out altogether long before the recommended treatment time. For me the belief that they would (had to) work got me through it.

And they did work in as far as long before the first week of taking them the want of a smoke was decreasing and when I did have a smoke I might as well have sucked on a pen for all I got from it.

You really really do need to have the want to stop smoking and you just need to find that one thing that you can believe in if you cant believe in your own will power. I tell people I stopped smoking on the Champix which is the truth but its my will power thats stopping me from smoking again.

The champix were my "in" to that will power thats all

jeaniej_2

Well done to you suki you have done so well and what you say is so true. I am on my fifth attempt now and at the start of week nine tomorrow. In the past I have made numerous excuses to have a cig again stress at work, putting weight on, feeling down in the dumps or even just boredom. You need to focus on the reasons that you gave up in the first place and all the benefits gained from being smoke free. The only person that can do that is yourself. With motivation and help it is possible to stay smoke free and live longer I truly believe that. I also believe it is more stressful being a smoker ie having to have breaks to leave and go outside. So to everyone keep up the good work and never give in I know I want to be free of this dreaded habit so I'm staying focused.

Naomim

joop wrote: »

Hi Louserendipity - I'm taking Champix and just wanted to say that I've never been sick on it. I've occasionally felt a little 'swampy' but that's only lasted for 10 mins or so. I know everyone's different and I might just be lucky, was never sick when preggers either.

That's just for your info, however you quit I wish you the very best of luck - well done for taking that great big step.:T You'll find loads of fabulous support on this thread.

hi Louserendipity,

I wanted to say SNAP tp Joop. I'm also on champix (day 14 of taking them) and haven't been or felt sick at all. When I first started it I got the occasional headache but they soon cleared and I sometimes felt a little spaced out but again it soon went. This all happened in the first week.

I agree with Suki, they aren't a medical cure but they help (although I smoked yesterday sorry guys!:o:o) in the first week I noticed a difference in the amount I wanted to smoke, the taste and what they did for me.

I am determined to stop as this is about my millionth attempt but please don't beat yourself up about it. The time has to be right for you but it seems like you have the determination.

Naomi x

squidykins

I started smoking at the age of 14 and gave up when I was 18. I'm now 22 and training to be a teacher and life in general has been stressful. I found myself reaching for the fags again, what I'm I think. Anyway, I going to try and give up AGAIN. Last time I gave up it took several attempts. Hopefully I can find the will power to do it again. So starting from tomorrow, i'm going cold turkey.

melbury

The NHS have told you it gets easier and you don't have any thoughts about cigs after a few months, but that all depends on each individual. Personally, I'd say it gets less and less the further you get away from those first few days

No sorry, but this is just not true. Only today after lunch I was saying how much I would enjoy a cigarette with my wine. Of course in reality it would have probably made me very sick.

However, I truly believe that once a smoker you are always a smoker, even if you have stopped for some time - for me 13 months now.

It is always lurking there in the back of your mind enticing you. I said to OH that I think I will start again when I am 70, if I live that long of course. I did really enjoy it and don't agree with Allen Carr that nobody actually enjoys smoking.

Good luck to you all, quitting is a very sensible thing to do.