The Giving Up Smoking Thread!! Part 2

chevettehs

Hey all. Just thought I would drop in to see how everyone is doing and hopefully give a little encouragement to those who are new and/or struggling.

I'm now past the 8 month mark. Largely been a 30 a day minimum man since I was around 20, more if I was out and about! This is the first time I've managed to make it stick after several attempts trying and never really lasting more than a few days without previously.

Would say I am one of those examples where if I can give up anyone can, because I was a smoker who really liked to smoke. Although I now kind of look at it and can't understand why.

The things I think made it stick this time are:

1. This thread. Even when not contributing, seeing how others are doing and seeing your not alone in it really helps.
2. Talking about it is surprisingly helpful. This was the first time I have really talked about it when giving up and it is amazing the difference it made,

The money saved is nice too for those who don't know I work for someone else and do some work for myself. I have now been able to drop a day a week at my employer through the money saved to give me time to pursue my own interests, if that isn't worth giving up for I don't know what is.

Something I have also found helpful was taking multi-vitamins. I spoke to someone in Boots because I felt generally lousy after stopping and they recommended it to help the body fight and recover.

Final thing I would like to say is if your not feeling better very quickly after stopping do stick at it. It's only really in the last couple of months I would say I have started to feel a lot better after a long time of feeling ropey (nothing specific, just a general blurgh feeling). A guy I work with gave up years ago and was the same as me in feeling rough for quite some time after stopping.

It does improve and you WILL feel better eventually.

Good luck folks and keep at it. It is very much worth it in the end!

I_Wanna_Retire_Someday

Still going - 9 months yesterday....

....keep going everyone:T

larmy16

Great post Chevettehs. How lovely that you have been able to cut down on your working hours. I am envious!

Hi IWRS - good going. I had another smoking dream recently, that makes three in the past week or so! They have always been after being in the company of smokers. In the dreams I am really disappointed with myself and there are always to cigs or rollies involved.

I think this goes back to my sad life of promising myself to only smoke 2 on a Friday evening. Of course I never could stick to it!

Have a good smoke free weekend all.

chevettehs

Well done IWRS it's amazing how long ago it seems sometimes doesn't it.

Larmy, I had that a few times. Woke up one morning thinking that I had gone out the night before bought 20 and smoked them all, felt terrible in the morning until the brain twigged that it had been a dream. The cutting down on working hours has been wonderful, besides the smoking thing I get much less time getting stressed at work which can only be another additional health benefit.

Sue-UU

chevettes, that is a terrific post!:D Many congratulations, you've succeeded and given others so much to think about. :T:T:T Thanks so very, very much for coming back and letting us know. I'm chuffed to bits for you, even more so with what I've just read in your sig! Great work Chev, you're getting your life way back in order!

About the dreams you and larmy still get, I had those for ages after I quit and had the awful shame part on first waking..followed by the fantastic relief in realising it WAS just a dream! How you can have two such feelings so swiftly is amazing. I know much of it is because we've smoked for so many years and it's locked into the brain for so long, but I wonder if it happens to keep us on our toes warning us not to get complacent. Maybe not too bad a thing!

Hi IWRS and many congratulations to you too on such a brilliant achievement!!! :T:T:T

How about us closing with the quote from chevettes, I can't beat that he's said it all perfectly.

Sue

chevettes wrote:

I'm now past the 8 month mark. Largely been a 30 a day minimum man since I was around 20, more if I was out and about! This is the first time I've managed to make it stick after several attempts trying and never really lasting more than a few days without previously.

Would say I am one of those examples where if I can give up anyone can, because I was a smoker who really liked to smoke. Although I now kind of look at it and can't understand why.

oldreekie

Hello everyone

It is very quiet on here at the mo'. Does that mean everyone is enjoying a smoke free life?

FREEDOM :j:j:j

larmy16

oldreekie wrote: »

Hello everyone

It is very quiet on here at the mo'. Does that mean everyone is enjoying a smoke free life?

FREEDOM :j:j:j

I am despite the odd smoking dream!!!

choille

I am despite the stress. Smoking doesn't relieve stress in any case - just can seem like that at times.

oldreekie

larmy16 wrote: »

I am despite the odd smoking dream!!!

Strange but, on waking, I have no recollection of any dreams. However, I am finding that I could sleep around the clock. I wake more exhausted than when I went to bed!

Would love some of that energy some of you have found upon ditching the evil weed.

oldreekie

choille wrote: »

I am despite the stress. Smoking doesn't relieve stress in any case - just can seem like that at times.

Sorry to hear that - deep breathing and watching the sunset? Scratch that - we have not seen the sun for days so I guess you are wellie deep in mud.

The midgies are driving me demented - cigarette smoke always kept them away. What do we do now??