The Giving Up Smoking Thread - Part 3

Sue-UU

powerful_Rogue wrote: »

Thanks Triciaxxx,

I suppose the saying "Once a smoker always a smoker" rings true. It only takes one puff to get hooked again. Im going to pop up Tesco later on and see what they say.

I hate having the wheezy chest again and im just about to get into running....even booked myself into a marathon in October, so 7 months to train and I dont want the cigarettes to get in the way.

Hi the PRogue!!! Good to see you, though such a rotten shame about you falling back. I'm positive you can take patches as many times as you need, it's Champix and Zyban people aren't usually let to have more than once. I don't agree with the "Once a smoker always a smoker" thinking as anyone can have a fag or two and be hooked straight away to. We need to always remember that nicotine is a very powerful drug and humans can be very weak. Up to you now to say "Well, I'm NOT going to be weak any more, I'm going to stick to quitting nce and for all, no matter what!"

Never go anywhere near a fag again PR, it just isn't worth it! You're already suffering from wheezy chest....don't make t worse!!! Go on with the running and look ahead to the marathon....and the longer life as well as the long run! You CAN do it and STICK to it. Prove it to YOU!!! :j

What a shame you've given into the occasional puff, Kat, where's the point? That could even be causing the coughing, If I were you I'd go back on the patches quick or you'll be back to full-time smoking and coughing far more so, I'm quite sure of it. Having puffs whilst you were still on patches shows you that surely?! Be brave Kat and get back to not having any....unless you wish to go back...then re-start again soon, and you will! Best wishes. Read the PM again at weak times and read all the posts through. You can make it and we'll all help! Also have a look at the post I put onto Lucy earlier, it spells out why you're smoking the odd ones on there; please have a read through as I think it'll help, at least I dearly hope it will. Sue x

Take care everyone and have a great weekend smoke-freeeee!!!:j

Sue x

[Edit] Fantastically worked through Lucy!!!!!!! You're a little marvel and just know that you ARE set to do this and win!!! I can see what you mean though, the weekend n all, so very, very well done!!! Have a great work out.

Sue x

janie-h

Lucy1010 wrote: »

Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DMS, Dundeedoll and Sue!!!

I had a crazy hour earlier, I haven't been that bad all week! I guess because it's the weekend and an excuse to smoke and drink and because there is no reason to get up early on a Saturday! I felt completely besides myself!

Sue hun, I did read all of the material you sent me but do you think my irrational mind would take any notice at the time of serious cold turkeyness??? Oh no! I was pacing up and down, up and down like a crazy woman, fighting fighting that feeling! I came here but no one was here So I shut down the laptop and went out for a little while...

I am OK now, cravings have gone!!! Nice couple of glasses of wine and a few choccies and I am doing good! I will go the gym in the morning and have a good workout!

Thank you my support group!! I don't know what I would do without you! I am so happy that I resisted that awful drug!!! I know that I can get through it now after getting through tonight! You are amazing, thank you for being here xx



xxx

Hi Lucy

Sorry you seem to be having such a hard time! I remember those cravings from previous attempts of giving up - they drive you mad :mad: But you can get through it. You have tonight :T and you will again, and as everyone says it does get easier.

I think a group hug is in order ! :grouphug:

slugger09

So here I am, finally made it through the week and into my first weekend not smoking, I always fail on a Friday evening but here I am in Saturday and very much in unexplored waters. For the most part today hasn't been to bad, I have pottered around the garden, went for a walk, went to the shops etc, anything to sort of distract myself but I am at the point now where I can't be bothered distracting myself any more, I just want to relax on the sofa on the net or watch TV but I am finding myself thinking about smoking, add to that I always have a few beers on a Sat night and am going to have to give them up so am very much craving that also, having my Saturday night drink was very much the highlight of my week so it feels like I have lost a friend and I darn't drink or i'll start smoking. I think one thing that got me over last night was the fact I found out a good friends mother who was almost like a mother to me in some respects has got lung cancer, she was a 40 a day smoker and has only a couple of months left so that has really made me think.

Kiwisaver_2

Aww (((Hugs))) Slugger!!! You could make yourself something nice and exotic to drink, try some non-alcoholic cocktail (mocktails) or some sparkling juice drinks such as Appletise, so you don't feel deprived and I'm sure you'll not even notice the lack of alcohol.

I don't drink much at all these days except when with company I might have one or two. Earlier this week I went for dinner with a friend and had just one glass of wine with the meal. The association of cigarettes with alcohol is such a strong one and it was a tough couple of hours out for me and hardly worth the glass of wine. In hindsight I may as well have had something non-alcoholic and saved myself the agony.

Today marks my 7th week fog free!! This was my first week sans patches and it just happened to be the most mental week at work ever, being the end of the first month with new computer systems implemented. OMG the dramas, I have lost count of the number of deep breaths I have taken and times I had to really bite my tongue. It was just one of those impossible situations everything that could go wrong did go wrong and you're still running to an impossible deadline being expected to provide the same outputs; just THE most stressful and unbelievably crazy week working late every night. Still, as always, it all got sorted. I lived to tell the tale and didn't drown my sorrows in alcohol or smoke 100 fags - so alls well that ends well. :T I'm not sure quite how I survived without being dreadfully rude to some people.

Triciaxx

Sue-UU wrote: »

OK, Lucy,
Everything we've done during the time we smoked has been timed to when we next have a fix, little wonder then that you're still get bugged by 'thoughts' after we've stopped.
Sue x

That is so true:mad::mad::mad: I didn't realise just how much it controlled me till I stopped.

Park at the far side of the supermarket carpark - getting some extra walking in is good for me (and smoke a cig while walking )

Get up from the 'puter regularly so I don't get stiff. (and have a cig )

It's also like a bereavement. After my Dad died, I would see something and say to myself 'must tell Dad.' Then I would realise he was dead and it would hit me again. I used to watch for things to tell him about when I phoned him each day and the habit lingered. I still think it once in a while after 25 years. It doesn't hit me now in the same way but some little neurons still fire away at certain triggers. I'm sure it's the same with cigs - there will always be some corner of my little brain that is a smoker. :rotfl::rotfl:

Slugger Well done for resisting.:T You feel so lost the first weekend. It makes you realise just how much of a hold nicotine has on you, doesn't it. :eek:

Kiwi Six weeks :T:T :beer: It has gone by so fast. You have got the nicotine out of your system and just (where's a hollowly laughing smiley when you need one?) have to meet these associated things. As you'll see from my post above, I'm still meeting them. :mad:

I'm trying to look at them as a list to tick off. We went into a city to meet a friend for dinner the other evening - being good MSE types, we went on the train with our passes and there were people outside the station at each end desperately puffing away outside - guess what? Not one of them looked as if they were enjoying their smoke. :eek::eek:

They were smoking because they HAD to. "Poor souls." I thought (and felt smug.)

By the way, perhaps some people deserved you to be rude.:cool:

Janie I bet you felt a bit smug after beating the evil nic into submission. :T:T:T It's funny but even when there is no one on here, the thought that I am not alone is still helpful. After all, though I don't know who any of you are, I might even have seen you. Perhaps you were the woman I saw looking as smug as me the other night :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Everyone else Keep going. We can do this - together.:j:j:j

slugger09

Well I have made it, Last night was a bit of a struggle, not cravings as such just more boredom, so I have beat the last link in the chain the weekend, it always knocked me of the horse but I've beat it. So I am at the stage now where I have no interest in smoking, sure the triggers are still firing of like when I have a cuppa tea but they last seconds.

I don't know I thought by the talk of Allen Carr etc that when you beat smoking it was going to be some big glorious moment, I don't feel any different, I don't feeling like rejoicing and saying "Yippie I'm a none smoker"

I am using Nicorette patches and I am questioning if they actually do any good, a few days now I go to take them of at night to discover they have already fell of at some point during the day.

determined_new_ms

Hi everyone :wave: sorry I'm not around so much these days but there's always soooooooo much to do & so little time in which to do it!

I'm definately a non-smoker now (went outside with a friend who is a smoker yesterday at her leaving do to keep her company while she had a cig and the thought doesn't even go through my mind of having a puff :T) although slugger there aren't any balloons & banners out for me to say "you've made it! welcome to the holy grail" either :rotfl:

well done on getting through ur first weekend smoke free slugger - the first of many! After my slip up in the beginning of Feb I have realised the longer you are from having a puff the less pull towards it/less thoughts about smoking you have. It rarely goes through my mind I want one now but the first 2 days after those 2 OMG :eek: I could think of nothing else!

Kiwi excellent news on the work thingy :T I must say I can be extremely abrasive towards my oh when I'm feeling stressed


am aching today after my excercise class :j am and trying to be healthy again...

keep up the excelelnt work everyone x

Sue-UU

Oh dear slugger, I'm so sorry to hear about your friend's Mum, do her and yourself proud by showing you both that yes, you can do this and you will as you certainly don't want to become like her, poor soul. Good for you in pottering in the garden and walking, stick to both. Is there any indoor activity (yeah, that one too!) that can really get you thinking or engrossed? Think about that one, modelling, carving, painting, sketching, learning a language - anything! You can still relax on the sofa, put your favourite music on and lie on it and let yourself be absorbed.

slugger09 wrote:

I don't know I thought by the talk of Allen Carr etc that when you beat smoking it was going to be some big glorious moment, I don't feel any different, I don't feeling like rejoicing and saying "Yippie I'm a non smoker"

Some of us do in the early days, some don't, but just wait until you're a few weeks/months free, I bet you feel that way then!

[/Quote=slugger09]I am using Nicorette patches and I am questioning if they actually do any good, a few days now I go to take them of at night to discover they have already fell of at some point during the day.[/quote]

A difficult one, slugger, but if you really think it's worth trying then do so, but have the patches at the ready just in case. You get on ok when you're at work don't you, so leave them off then and see how you go..just beware! You're doing great so far slugger, you're passed that first nasty bit, if you can do a part then you can do the rest and achieve you first weekends free!!! Brilliant on getting through Friday night and Saturday!!! :T:T How about today?


Can you keep your head when all about you are losing their's, Kiwisaver? Sounds like it to me as you definitely got through it all and didn't need a fag...not that it would have helped in any way. Fantastic news about being free for 7 weeks - quite a success even that far for anyone who's smoked for a good while. Great news, Kiwi!!!:T :j:T


How right you were, Tricia in putting the missing/thinking of fags alongside your dear Dad's passing, you sounded so very close to him, what a loving relationship and how fortunate you were. It's true though as it is that sudden thinking that sweeps in to take you back to the way things were, but with time, we get there. Great news of 2 months and 2 weeks Tricia!!! :T:T:T


Hi DNM and very good news of 2 months and 5 days, my how the time has flown since you first came here! :T:T:TIsn't an amazing feeling when you can be next to someone who's puffing away.....and not be affected! I just love it!

Onto another week free from that awful life-threatening habit, free from the white sticks of peril. Keep strong everyone and know that all this is not in vain so long as you say NO and never get tempted - it's never, ever worth the risk!

Sue x

determined_new_ms

ur really something Sue :A ts pretty awsome how giving you are we know little bout u and yet ur always here to support each of us to help us along. I can only speak for myself but the persoanl encouragement has really helped me so thank you very much!

yep it has been that long and it has flown by! :T was fantastic cleaning my car today and now having a clean car to drive tomorrow :j I'm not sure how to desribe it but it really does feel like I've given up for good this time and right now life is fantastic! I really hope it is the same for my fellow quiters out there x

Casperthefriendlyghost

hi everyone

I had my last cigarette at 09h00 on the 28th January 2011. I've now stopped for 37 days, 11hrs, 52 minutes! and have saved a total of £242.22! I'm really pleased about that. I've given up before but started again when my mom suddenly died 20 months ago so it hasn't been that long that I started again, but I'm tired of giving up and starting again. I gave up for 2yrs previously & then my brother died suddenly 10yrs ago & I started again.

I simply have to find other coping mechanisms but am hoping that this time it will be for good! Just got to take it one day at a time and hang in there.

Thanx for the support guys. I don't post much but always read this thread. It's fantastic to be able to come here and not feel alone.

Cheers
Casper
xx