The Giving Up Smoking Thread - Part 3

Prudent

Thank you to everyone for a very inspiring thread.

I am wondering if anyone could give me some advise in how to support my daughter?

She is 18 years old and at college and has made the decision to give up smoking. She stopped three days ago and is having a really rough time with withdrawal symptoms. Today she has been very tearful, dizzy, angry and shaky and has not been up to going to college.


I asked her about patches and she said the patches and inhaler can be very expensive and she is worried it would cost more than smoking. She is very short of money just now. I will help as much as I can. Is it possible to get these on presription as she gets free prescriptions? Are they useful or is she better continuing without?

I have bought in lots of her favourite snacks/drinks etc (she isn't overweight so that isn't a concern just now) to distract her.

Do you have any other tips?

I am very proud of her decision to give up and want to support her in any way I can. As I have never smoked, I am not really sure what she is going through or what helps.

Thank you in advance x

rubytwilight

Prudent wrote: »

Thank you to everyone for a very inspiring thread.

I am wondering if anyone could give me some advise in how to support my daughter?

She is 18 years old and at college and has made the decision to give up smoking. She stopped three days ago and is having a really rough time with withdrawal symptoms. Today she has been very tearful, dizzy, angry and shaky and has not been up to going to college.


I asked her about patches and she said the patches and inhaler can be very expensive and she is worried it would cost more than smoking. She is very short of money just now. I will help as much as I can. Is it possible to get these on presription as she gets free prescriptions? Are they useful or is she better continuing without?

I have bought in lots of her favourite snacks/drinks etc (she isn't overweight so that isn't a concern just now) to distract her.

Do you have any other tips?

I am very proud of her decision to give up and want to support her in any way I can. As I have never smoked, I am not really sure what she is going through or what helps.

Thank you in advance x

Oh I remember that!. I started smoking at thirteen (blush) . Community pharmacies are in partnership with GPs and there is a scheme where you get twelve weeks nrt which will be free to your daughter as she doesnt pay for prescriptions or one charge per month for those who do pay
You just speak to pharmacist and they give you a date for a week later to pick up first weeks supply, you can get "breathylised" lol for your carbon monoxide reading which you'll see dropping during the quit and can be motivating.

if she can be bothered exercise, walking etc can be good as early stages can be fraught and good stress reliever. get her to put her saved pennies in jar and plan small rewards for success cd, new top etc

The Alan Carr book can be helpful too for all the excuses your brain throws up as you slay the nicotine demon, good luck to her.
what a nice mom you are :T

Prudent

Thank you Ruby. I will pass all this onto her. I will have a look on Amazon for the book.

irishgirl62

I got breathlysed for carbon monoxide today at the smoking clinic and it read at 4!!! two weeks ago as a smoker it was 29! I felt really pleased :-)

Lucy1010

Hi Team!

Just checking in!!

I had a bit of a moment earlier, I suddenly had this urge to smoke and it was HUGE, the craving hit me so hard and stayed with me for at least an hour, it was horrible. BUT I fought through it and now I feel great for beating it! I ate a packet of crisps and a bar of choccie to help me through, so much better for me than a few cancer sticks!

You are all doing so well and for those of you on your journey to nicotine freedom, you can do it!! If I can do it anyone can do it!

xx

CompBunny

Hi everyone and a warm welcome and congratulations to new non smokers!

Just checking in again. Today was my first day without patches - accidentally - but I'm going to try and continue without them.

My partner has done especially well with quitting - he took up running about a week after we quit, and he is already able to run over 2 miles, this evening he did 1.76miles in 15minutes! Before stopping smoking, running even for one minute would have made him exhausted and short of breath. I'm very impressed!

I still eye strangers smoking with envy but I'm in control of this:T When I used to smoke it would always feel like people were giving you "evils" for smoking, but in reality they were probably recent ex smokers throwing lusty looks at the cigarette!:rotfl:A ridiculous thing to be envious over, a poisonous smelly expensive stick of plant muck, but its funny once the craving has passed

On the plus side, my skin has started to look more healthy and my gums are a nicer shade of pink... I'm so glad of this, health problems mean I can't take up running too but these physical changes are my own little positive!

Anyway, good luck and happy thoughts to everyone!

Prudent

I am so impressed with the detemination here. If I could apply your determination to my diet, I would have a fabulous figure!

I have spoken to dd about free patches, but she is worried about getting hooked on them and then it costing as much as smoking.

She says she missed something to hold and put in her mouth and is also really short of energy. So today I am off to buy energy drinks, those cute little chuppa chops (spelling?) lollipops and some chewing gum for her. Any other ideas welcome. I am also encouraging her to eat good stuff at meals and take vitamin tablets to replenish the good things in her body.

Kiwisaver_2

Triciaxx wrote: »

Is Kiwi around? I haven't seen a post from her recently. If you're lurking, let us know how you are doing, Kiwi. We worry when 'one of our agents is missing'.

Agent Kiwi checking in for duty! Sorry I've no excuses, the past couple of weeks have been a bit of a blur and I don't even know what I have been doing but seem to never have a moment to myself. Welcome to all the newbies, I hope you are staying strong!

Weird things still get me everyday as I notice something else, this week I too have been a little fixated on seeing other people smoking; noticing and being surprised at seeing the smokers in my rear view mirror, or noticing the smell of smoke from cars two or three vehicles away as I am sat in traffic.

I am another that still hasn't told very many people that I have stopped, for sure I wanted there to be a significant period of time under my belt from not wanting pride to come before a fall, so I could casually say 'Oh gosh didn't you know, I haven't smoked for over two month's now.' :rotfl:

Most people I work with probably didn't know that I smoked unless of course they came close enough to smell it, or they spotted me standing on the street corner at break times, so I had no need to make any grand announcement there. It would only be other smokers I would expect to perhaps miss my chats outside (seems they haven't missed me yet) Certainly most others wouldn't even know or care that I had ever smoked, far less given up. I did give warning to a couple of people who matter most to me, just in case I was acting a little odd, or getting extra stressed. :rotfl:

So imagine my surprise when an almost stranger (I meet with them once a week or so in a professional capacity only and not at my office) said to me: 'There's something different about you! What is it?' I kind of shrugged modestly as you do: 'Dunno!' Thinking along the lines of haircuts, hair colour, shoes, different make-up, clothes I honestly didn't know what she was referring to or where she was coming from and I carried on with what I was doing and walked away. She came back at me and wouldn't leave it. 'No, she said, you're different, something has changed, I can see it in your face!' Umm, I don't know!! Ahh she says, I know what it is, you have given up smoking haven't you?' To say I was gob-smacked would be a total understatement, I still am shocked and amazed that someone might notice by a look in my face or my demeanor, aside from the smell.

I do however feel that there is a downside to all this, I am eating for all of New Zealand and England at the moment. I have to sort it out because it really is going off the scale and I'm snacking on all kinds; as well as fruit, yoghurt, juices, breakfast cereals, toast, nuts, chocolate and crisps. I wouldn't mind, but I was never what you might call a chocoholic and never in the past would have thought to go in a shop and buy a bar of chocolate or some biscuits for myself to eat on the run or in the car before getting home. :eek:

Two months, one day, 11 hours, 32 minutes and 6 seconds.
907 cigarettes not smoked,
Saving $627.79.
Life saved: 3 days, 3 hours, 35 minutes.

jammy_dodger

Prudent wrote: »

I am so impressed with the detemination here. If I could apply your determination to my diet, I would have a fabulous figure!

I have spoken to dd about free patches, but she is worried about getting hooked on them and then it costing as much as smoking.

She says she missed something to hold and put in her mouth and is also really short of energy. So today I am off to buy energy drinks, those cute little chuppa chops (spelling?) lollipops and some chewing gum for her. Any other ideas welcome. I am also encouraging her to eat good stuff at meals and take vitamin tablets to replenish the good things in her body.

Hi prudent how lovely helping your dd through this ,
sipping water when cravings come and inbetween helps enormously or sucking ice pops or lollies the cool mouht thing really helps with craving ...
After 3 days the nicotine will be out of her system and its the psychological cravings and habits that are hard to break , distraction at those key times one would normally associate with smoking helps or a temporary change of routine

write down the benefits of being a none smoker and pin them up somewhere to remind yourself if ever tempted , obviously the financial benefits are HUGE but not smelling like an ash tray , clearer skin healthy lungs etc etc are all benfits too , maybe tally up on daily basis the savings made not buying tose sticks

we wish you well and keep postinng
jd xx

**Kat**_2

Just a quick check in. I still read every day, just don't post. I am doing ok, don't really crave cigs now and don't like the smell (can't smell much at the moment though as really full up with a cold). I want to start exercising now but don't know what to do....