Who's quit smoking cold turkey?

tbourner

It does seem to be a willpower thing, I've heard a couple of people say they gave up several years ago and found it very easy, and others who keep giving up and going back to them!

When I said about banning them, I didn't mean for Zoe, if she wanted to buy some I'd persuade her why she shouldn't but I wouldn't stop her. I meant ban others from smoking in our house now she's trying to quit. They've never smoked inside the house anyway, only ever in the garden, so that's not much of a way of stopping them by pushing them out into the sun!

Quote from someone else I know:

Am giving up at the moment, I find stabbing people in the face and generally hating life helps

tbourner

Ashamed wrote: »

The only advice I can offer is this. We men know when the time of the month has come for our better halves, we know because the wife starts acting like she wants a divorce for no reason at all. Over the years we have learnt how to deal with this ourselves. Unfortunately now, the time of the month will last another 3 months or so rather that the 3 - 5 days you usually get. Just be careful, kind, considerate & loving. It's not her fault she's acting like this, she will get better.

She's been on for the last 4 days as well - maybe not the best time to quit, especially for me!!

Fiddlestick

tbourner wrote: »

Yesterday she was coughing up green stuff, and today says she feels like !!!!!! and has almost lost her voice, we didn't get much sleep last night.

Make sure and reiterate that the crap coming out is her lungs clearing themselves after years of smoking.

It may take a week or so to stop but she will feel MUCH better for it.

If she thinks that what she is coughing up now is disgusting, what does she think of putting it all back onto her lungs every single day?

tbourner

Yeah I've been saying that.

I think we'll have to treat ourselves to a Harvester or something the end of this week if she's still doing as well as she is now. See if she can actually taste her spitroast chicken now!

sross220388

Hi Everyone,

I'm in the process of quitting. Smoke about 10-15 a day, unless I go out drinking when it could be 20+ in a day and night out.

Started last week by banning smoking in my car, I only bought it 6 months ago and its the first car I've owned that's worth owning and by smoking in it I was treating it like crap. Then I decided to stop smoking at work (40 min drive away btw...).

Last week I limited evening smoked to 3-4 maximum.

This week I'm going to try and have just 2 in an evening.

Next week, none.

I'm terrified of the week after next, no cigarettes will be tough but like someone posted, I've got a pot set up for cigarette money, I was spending £6-£7 every other day on them, now I transfer £6.50 to an online savings account every other day with a genuine smile on my face.

Somebody else posted that you cannot quit for someone else, but I think I disagree slightly. I met someone recently who lost a grandparent to smoking and has gently pushed me to quit, so the feeling of wanting to quit for myself is great, but made even better by quitting for her.

magical28

I quit smoking 7 years ago and I still crave them every now and then!

What made me quit was that my new BF at the time hated it with a passion and actually gave me an ultimatum of quitting or splitting up. I took the first option!

I dont think he would have actually followed through with his threat but it made me realise that he meant more to me than a fag. And yes, we are still together now!

So, stay strong and strict with her or she'll never do it. Also, she has to actually want to quit as well or it's no good.

danothy

Without sounding too bleak, in my experience (as someone who's quit smoking cold turkey) there's not really much you can do to support someone who is giving up an addiction, it's more for them to get it right than you.

I was asked to give up smoking by an OH about ten years ago, which I did, but when the relationship ended I went straight back on it as my reason for quitting disappeared. Further down the line (about three years ago) I was asked again by another partner, and one again I gave up smoking (cold turkey again), however it's been a year since that relationship ended and I've not gone back to it this time (thankfully).

If I was to pose a theory on why it would be that the second time around the OH didn't provide support, or even mention it more than a couple of times after I agreed to quit, and that seemed to foster a mental attitude of "well that's the quitting smoking done with" within me, meaning I could move on to just being a non-smoker mentally.

Additionally, over the years of not smoking my priorities turned more to looking after my health in general so the reason for not smoking became less dependant on it being for my OH.

For me at least the lack of involvement / interference by other people made it my achievement (I think this is important) and meant I wasn't having the concept of smoking brought up all the time, and I was lucky in the timing in that my reasons for not smoking haven't and are unlikely to evaporate.

My advice is to just act like it's already been done, and be pleased that it has been done, but don't treat it like there's still a battle to be had. Also, if the reason is financial then look to transfer the motivation to something that isn't going to go away if your surcumstances change.

I hope this is of some help, I can't claim that this is the best course of action, but looking back I think it's why I'm not smoking now.

petebates26

Just keep being postive - but don't take it personally when it's thrown back in your face! It will be, but it's not personal!

My girlfriend and I gave up together in January - so I can say that having the support of your partner is invaluable! I reckon if one of us started again, so would the other!

My advice would be to keep your head down when the withdrawl's making her snap! Wait until she's calm and then tell her how proud you are and how much it means to you!

I know a lot of people will disagree, but I found it easy. I smoked for 18 years and always struggled to stop. I think a lot of that is seeing through the trap - the tobacco companies give massive amounts of money to the NHS, who in turn produce advertising to tell us that giving up will be the hardest thing that we ever do - that's a myth. It's not - the only difficult thing is realising that it's a trap and getting the understanding that a little paper tube isn't stronger than you! It's not a powerful thing - it's the nicotine that's powerful!

But, when you realise that it's one of the most rubbish drugs in the world, that's when you've cracked it! Pain killers relieve pain, antibiotics kill infection, alcohol gets you drunk, illegal drugs get you high - this one - the most expensive one - gets you hooked. Then nothing. That's it. Rip off.

tbourner

I seem to be coughing up just as much greeny yellow crap as Zoe is!! Maybe because I lived with a 40 a day smoker before we moved in, this is the first chance my lungs have had to clean out properly? Anyone else given up passive smoking?

KittyBoo_2

I have never been a heavy or even regular smoker but I lhave started again with the ciggies.
I stopped earlier in the year but have started again because I visit someone who is a heavy smoker and it sets me off.
When I'm not there, I don't smoke but it is getting on my nerves that I can't kick the habit.
Good luck to anyone trying to stop.