A (non) smoker's tale

milliejon

As I suspected, I need to read the book again. I'm determined to quit, but I think I'm scared that I won't be able to cope in stressful situations.

I have a 3 year old and a 6 month old baby, and I work full time as a PA (my boss is great but very scatty!).

I've just found the thread that was mentioned in the MoneySavers Arms, and the link to the site to download the SilkQuit Meter (tells you how much money you've saved etc).

I'll update soon.

milliejon

I'm giving up today. Allen Carr's book was well written and helpful, but a bit difficult to follow. It was written a little like The Telegraph, but I prefer The Daily Mail. Last night I found a website called http://www.cognitivequitting.com/, which uses the same sort of techniques as Allen Carr but it explains it more simply. It's also free, so no need to spend £9 on the book.

I have one cig left which I can't throw away as that would be a total waste of money. I'm going to smoke this in a few quiet minutes so that I can really think about the stink, the horrible taste and the whole pointlessness of it all.

The SilkQuit Meter is really helpful. Not only does it tell me how much money I've saved, but how much extra time I've had since not spending time smoking. That's more time for my hubby and kids and I'll be more productive when I go back to work next week.

I'm prepared for the withdrawal symptoms and will just deal with them.

I can't wait to be a non-smoker.

milliejon

Well I've just outed my last one. According to my SilkQuit Meter I achieved the following already:

• Non smoker for 9 minutes and 6 seconds
• 0 cigarettes not smoked
• Saving £0.03
• Life saved 0 minutes

Wish me luck.

summerday

Well done millie! Making notes from the book and keep re-reading them sounds like a good ide. Keep us updated on your progress. This is such a worthwhile thing to do for both you and your family both moneywise and healthwise.

margaretclare

taplady wrote:

My OH has now made another appointment for the smoking clinic in his battle to give up.He is 43 and has had a triple heart byepass after 2 heart attacks and the hold that cigarettes has over him is so strong that he cant give up even with his history!
he has given up many times but as soon as he is under stress its the first thing he reaches for.I do hope he is successful this time as I can see me being a widow very soon!:(

Another story to try and persuade you smokers to give up is that my shift partner from work died at 40 from lung cancer! he couldn't give up and he had asthma as well!

The money side of it means nothing to me.I just want my hubby alive!

I sympathise - oh, do I ever!

I wish there had been such things as smoking clinics around in my first husband's lifetime. Over 20 years he was told many, many, many times: 'you must give up' but it never really got through to him. I even had senior consultants laying the responsibility on to me: 'you're his wife, you must stop him smoking!'

One of the worst things that happened was before he went for coronary bypass in 1975 - this type of surgery was fairly new then. We went for a discussion with the surgeon, he emphasised smoking and weight-loss, told us all about what would happen etc, then as we got up to leave, he pulled a packet of fags out of his white coat pocket and said 'It has been a stressful morning, I need a smoke'. The look on my husband's face was incredible. We went out of there, and I'm afraid, following that incident anything anyone ever said to him about smoking went in one ear and out of the other. If only that surgeon has managed to wait one minute until the door closed behind us!!

I noticed that half the time my husband didn't realise he was doing it. We'd sit talking over a cup of coffee, and his hands would make those automatic movements, it was so much a reflex action with him.

He died in March 1992, 20 years after his first coronary which happpened when he was only 38. It wasn't a pleasant way to go either - years of declining health, unable to work, strokes in his last few years. The most he ever managed in the last 18 months of his life was that he didn't smoke in my presence. But I know darned well that he did the moment I went to work.

I have seen people with smoking-related illnesses, amputations, you name it, and they've usually rationalised continuing their habit. 'Oh it's my only pleasure'. I even see retired people whingeing about their inadequate state pension and still managing to smoke. OTOH, I was surprised that my daughter managed to kick the habit. She did it just like the OP has done. She sat down and worked out what it was costing her. As she enjoys nice holidays, diving off the Maldives etc, she managed to stop! All credit to her.

My present husband had a scare many years ago - got bronchitis with pleurisy, and the feeling of not being able to breathe scared him so much that he stopped smoking. He says he was never a big smoker - about 5 a day, and following that scare, he carried a packet around with him in his pocket for weeks until they fell to bits. However I've known people who've had much worse scares and it didn't scare them *enough*!

Best wishes

Margaret Clare

seven-day-weekend

I was able to quit smoking after 25 years of being a moderate-heavy smoker with a smoker's cough.

The way that worked for me will not help everyone, but it may help someone: I reached a point where I thought 'it's now or never', and asked my church leader to pray for me, which he did. I felt a 'whoosh', go through me with a force that nearly knocked me over and then I couldn't stop shaking.

I had no cravings or withdrawal symptoms and have now not smoked for 15 years.

milliejon

Well. I'm nearly at the end of the second day. It's been a bit rough and I don't have any finger nails left but at least I haven't given in. I usually say I'm quitting and then after about 6 hours I give in.

I haven't left the house yet though either. Perhaps I'll try tomorrow. I just hope I can trust myself to walk straight past the cigs in the shops and also don't find myself walking in some poor smoker's personal space!!!!

By the way, I still have £8.44 in my bank account that would have been gone by now.

GreyPilgrim

Well I'm proud of you. You'll find that everything you do that would normally have you smoking will be one more pat on the back...everytime you walk past the newsagents without buying a pack is one link of the chain you've broken. Every time someone offers you a cig and you turn them down, another.

Keep going!! You can do it!

Churchmouse

Have just read this thread from start to finish, and oh do I identify with so many posts!!
I started smoking when I was 14 years old:eek: Then it was just now and then, but a good proportion of my Saturday job wages were eventually being spent on the evil weed. Then I started full time work and could afford my habit. Truly addicted I found the money for cigarettes first and everything else followed.
Years went by and I made odd attempts to give up. Some lasted a day or two, more recently attempts lasted for months, then I would think, yes I can have just one because I've given up. How stupid was that!!
To cut a long story short, my darling mum died in March this year, primarily from small cell lung cancer, caused by smoking. Three and a half weeks before she died I decided that was it and I haven't smoked since. It was the right time for me and I KNOW that I have quit. I'm not so arrogant as to say a cigarette will never pass my lips, but I am determined that if I do lapse it will be just that, a lapse not restarting smoking!!
I was so addicted that I used to say if it came to it I'd smoke rolled-up old socks!! I'm not going to say that if I can do it anyone can, BUT I am saying keep trying, never stop trying and good luck everyone!

sparkle_monkey

If you want it bad enough you CAN quit successfully. I quit before for 2 1/2 months and then just decided to smoke occasionally - same old story - was back up to usual consumption before I knew it. Anyway, this time is different, I'm almost 6 1/2 months quit and that's it. I hate the smell and watching people feed their addiction has been the best deterrant.
I can't justify smoking. If I'm spending hours cutting back on all the fun things I'd like to do - like taking trips, going on holiday then why would I burn my money and slowly kill myself? Smoking doesn't improve my quality of life in a single way, it robs me of time with family and friends and increasingly makes me an outcast at social events. I think this is the same for most smokers.
I really really wish you all the best with your quit. If you ever feel like you're wavering take a look at https://www.whyquit.com. It has been my life line.