The Giving Up Smoking Thread!! Part 2

boydE

nirelandguy wrote: »

I'm curious, those of you who have quit, was it really as hard as its made out to be?

i have been fine, there has been 2 major factors.

1. reason for stopping, frame of mind. (mine were my age, my breathing and obsessive be behaviour, smoked far to many)

2. support, patches, gum etc... do work

elfen

It can be hard but it depends how you approach it. I'm going on the side of that I don't need the addiction anymore, and that my health and my purse will thank me, and that I can do more with what I save, and I won't die as quick. If you're doing it as you're being forced to, you won't do it, it has to be your decision.

Well, this time last Sunday was my first day as a non-smoker. Here I am, a week later and still going.

jammy_dodger

nirelandguy wrote: »

I'm curious, those of you who have quit, was it really as hard as its made out to be?

hi nirelandguy

having tried and failed in the past i can only say the REASONS for me quitting had changed this time I really really didnt want to be a smoker anymore

fed up of gtting wet while keeping my fag dry

paying all that money in taxes ...pay enough of that in petrol food etc and that i have no choice about

as a 30 year smoker new it would soon catch up on me health wise so it was a now or never last chance saloon for me


so my reasons have helped me stay focused i didnt stop because i thought i should or seemed like the done thing to do i did it

for me

beacause i wanted to


i dodnt thik i could of reached this far without the support of this thread i am not a "group" kinda person so didnt want to join a sessation group or have to discuss things with a councellor but being able to vent my journey and read others experiences has certainly helped and to finally answer your question

i havent found it as hard on this my final quit

i wish you and others well and urge those thinking about it to do it for "YOU " x

larmy16

Being controlled by nicotine sucks! End of.

elfen

Ok, tomorrow will be my first day without the patches. The adhesive is making my skin itch and come up in red patches that don't go for hours, so tomorrow it'll be willpower, extra strong mints and the inhalator when i get home.

Sue-UU

Hello and welcome to the thread boydE, and very well done on 3 weeks towards your new life, new health too! :T The weird dreams, mostly that we're back smoking again, are horrible for a fleeting few seconds, but what sweet relief to discover ...it was all just a dream. "Old Nick" (as we all call it) still trying to get to us through our sleeping hours I'm sure. It doesn't last for too long though, and as you say already, you're not bothered by it, good for you. Bad health drives so many of us to quit, a shame we get to that stage, but better than ignoring it and carrying on. In time you'll feel so much better when your lungs and bronchial parts clear. I wish you a healthy life as a non-smoker boydE, keep your goal and gradually renewed health in focus, your tremendous achievement too which is wonderful!

Congratulations for having got passed your first week elfen!! You've really done yourself proud in the first harder week so hang onto that pride and your wealth from here on and go step by step towards that fantastic goal ahead of you.

Hi NIGuy, I see you're busily mentally preparing yourself for (if memory serves me correctly) tomorrow? To answer your question about how how hard it is: Some people find it harder than others, but others are so relieved to find it far easier than ever they'd believed it to be. The trouble is, when we're facing big changes in our lives we get so very fearful and apprehensive of what it might be like! Like all things in life though, the reality of events is so often far easier than we'd ever anticipated. Try viewing it this way NIGuy, promise yourself every morning on waking that "I won't smoke any cigarettes today, but if I wish, I can smoke as many as I like tomorrow", then renew the promise to yourself every morning. That way I think it all seems less final, less threatening and as though we're not holding ourselves to anything definite. It's a bit of a mental game of pretence, but if it works and is a means to an end...who cares!

Stay with us this time around NIGuy and if the going gets tough then come on here and tell us exactly what your feelings are like and how each day is going. The support here is amazing, why not take advantage of it and see if this time can be.....your time! It is possible to get through and the further away you get, be it minutes, hours, days, weeks etc the easier you'll find it REALLY is! See for yourself and be so very proud of every moment you succeed for, the moments soon add up...and all too soon I found I'd RID myself of those blasted fags!!! Everyone says "if I can do it then so can you!" I can say, and mean that, so will YOU! All the very best D, take it a day at a time and keep reading the book! Incidentally, you guys, by and large, seem to get through it all far more easily, go for it.

Everyone seems to be doing so very well, please folks, keep plodding on to the finishing line, it get closer with every step and is so worth doing. Stay strong and you too will be an ex-smoker someone who's QUIT fags for good, your own good!

Sue x

Larmy....I couldn't agree with you more! Sucks is perfect!

emilyka

nirelandguy wrote: »

I'm curious, those of you who have quit, was it really as hard as its made out to be?

If you had asked me after last time I failed to quit I would say it's the most difficult thing I have ever done (or should I say failed to do!!) But this time round I have approached it with a different mindframe and reasons to want to quit that are more meaningful than previous attempts so it has been easier. I have also found that the Zyban has been an absolute saving grace although I am now forgetting to take the tablets fairly regularly and still feel okay so maybe it's partially a placebo effect!

Em

roadster1

nirelandguy wrote: »

I'm curious, those of you who have quit, was it really as hard as its made out to be?

I just stopped (30 a day habit) after many, many years. I was 58, smoked since i was 14. No patches, gum etc. Been given up over a year .

3 days of hell, so get something to occupy yourself. 1 month of physical craving then...............nothing! Still get the od craving but easy to ignore.

I didn't tell anybody so didn't get those really irritating "How's it going" comments / reminders. Absolutely no substitutes either but still put on 2 stone.

Only noticed an improvement financially, my doc said it takes 2 years to get any significant health benefits.

Just do it! Who's the boss of you? Your brain or nicotine?

Vashda_Nerada

Hey all :wave:

That's me on 28 days now & still doing great:j

I went to the dentist yesterday as I was getting some bleeding on the gums when I brushed & he said that it's quite common for people who no longer smoke as the nerves are waking back up, I didn't even think it would be related to not smoking but there you go.
I also got my teeth cleaned up, got all that horrible nicotine staining removed. My teeth feel great now, it's amazing how little things like that really give you a boost


Also, here's a question for all the ladies who no longer smoke.

Did any of you find that stopping smoking affected your menstrual cycle in any way?

I know smoking has many effects on your cycle and fertility, I guess I just didn't think it could halt/delay your AF when you stopped.
It's a big shock to your body no longer getting all those chemicals, etc pumped in so it's not really a great surprise if it can.

allthatmularky

nirelandguy wrote: »

I'm curious, those of you who have quit, was it really as hard as its made out to be?

This was my posting from the 19th June last year - I had given up on the 3rd May - it was easy and I was having to pinch myself just how easy it was. I'd had all the negative thoughts ...... I'll give up when work is less stressful,.....next week.....I'll do it on holiday.... its easy for them but not for me etc, etc.
I think its just finding the right method but also wanting to stop (not quit) - Allen Carrs audiobook was excellent for me.

Guess what? I've not smoked since and have more time, more relaxed and my one BIG regret?

Why the hell didn't I give up earlier!!.

If you want it enough you'll get it

allthatmularky wrote: »

Just posted once before on this thread - have followed the standard on this post (or seems to be) posting my method and since when - I mention this because I found it difficult to remember when - I'm not counting the days since it seemed easy.

My reason for posting is this - I did find it easy and just wonder if my experience might be of use to others. I notice quite a few others used the Allen Carr method and seem to find a bit of a struggle.
I don't know if reading the book as opposed to listening to the audiobook may account for the fact I found it easy and others are having difficulties - I listened to the audiobook and it seemed virtually immediately the cravings stopped ...... I had a few pangs for the first two days (as explained by Allen Carr) and then virtually nothing.

I don't know if listening may suit others rather than reading - but probably worth a try.

I've been impressed with all the support offered by regular posters - folks like Sue-UU, etc - there seems to be some really good support on this thread.