The Giving Up Smoking Thread - Part 3

Kiwisaver_2

Hello good people, 'old' and new :wave:.

There was I, a newbie off the the block twelve months ago today and I have been counting the last few days until I could to come back to tell you all that I made it to one whole year without a smoke. :T

Honestly people there I was a smoker for 30ish years with one or two failed attempts behind me. With the love and support of people on this thread I made it through to twelve whole months of being a non-smoker. I can't pretend it was a breeze and I can't swear that I will never be tempted ever again, but I barely ever think about smoking now.

I owe a huge thanks to all those that offered support and advice on this thread; I doubt I would have had the strength or willpower to have made it on my own. So please do keep coming back to the thread, keep reading, let it all out, share your worries and triumphs - it really does help to know you are not alone.

The only downside for me has been a gain in weight of 12 pounds but really I am not beating myself up about that. I said all along I'd rather deal with one thing at a time and concentrate on staying of the fags than stressing about gaining a few pounds. This year you'll find me mostly hanging out on the Old Style Weightloss thread; I lost 2lbs last week.

The early days will be some of the hardest times you'll face, there are bound to be tears and tantrums but believe me, it will get easier.

Kia kaha - be strong!!

Erme

Little_bit_dizzy wrote: »

Hello everyone.

Tomorrow evening at 5.30pm I'll be up to a week of non-smoking! Still cold turkey, and still (surprisingly) ok. I've had a couple of 'Oh, I usually have one now' moments but nothing too tricky just yet, though from previous experience I know that the cravings will come. For me it's usually about 10 days in...

Well done to everyone who's remaining fag free and yes, Erme you're dead right, it does stink! I had the pleasure of a smelly collegue yesterday that reminded me of 'eau de ashtray'!

Och sounds fab...Yeah I remember when I first really smelt 'eau de ashtray' (in the corner shop behind a queue of smokers)...really glad to be free of that :j

linen53 wrote: »

I appreciate your input Sue and I guess I'm trying to adjust to the English way of presenting myself on an English forum. In other words, I'll try to tone it down a bit. I apologize for any offence.

Quitting smoking did take 18 months for me to accomplish. And most of the Americans I speak with have a very difficult time as well. I did become slightly hysterical at times while quitting, say for the first six months or so. After that it was only a tiny bit easier. Each day was torture for me for the first 12 months.

It's great that so many don't have an extremely difficult time in quitting but there are those that do, such as me. As you say yourself, all of us are different and our experiences are different.

It doesn't matter where you are in the world, the task of quitting is the same more or less for all of us. The commitment it takes is also the same. We all need support while we go through the withdraws and the experience of others can help us achieve this goal.

For me, if I'd known upfront it would be so difficult it would have been easier to prepare myself. The only reason I quit smoking was because of health problems. I didn't want to quit. I had to.

So my original post still stand for the minority population which find it very difficult to quit, though I would have toned it down a bit if I had it to do over. :think:

Yeah everyone has their faults. What's wrong with trying to be upbeat and positive? I have a disability that makes it hard to quit (never mind meds interactions) but I am doing it via the e-cig.....

It is possible. Yeah the best things in life are never easy. If it's worth doing it won't be.

But that doesn't mean you have to get so negative......I am now questioning why you are on this thread Linen

E

Katiec950

linen53 wrote: »

Thank you Farzackerly. My purpose in posting is to give an account for so many who find it very difficult to quit. It can be discouraging for those like me who hear nothing but "Hey, it only took a couple of weeks and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," over and over. These people will never post here past a few weeks. They will go where they can find continued support.

Personally I agree with Sue here and find your postings unhelpful. I can understand your reasoning behind them but in several pages you have posted numerous times and all of it comes across as negative. You only needed to make your point once.

We are not idiots - of course we know stopping smoking is not easy. If it was we wouldn't even be having this discussion but the important thing to remember is that people on this thread (Look back at the number of people who have been on here) come on for SUPPORT and not the doom side of quitting. It is an emotional time and we need to take it one step at a time. We are all fully aware how hard it is and by posting this so many times as you have done over the past few pages you are just making it harder. If you were trying to be helpful why not just post once and leave your opinion to be adopted or not? Or better still talk about the days you were proud of yourself for saying no to a cigarette?

As I said I agree that smoking is not easy but we don't need constant reminders of how easy it is to fail.

I do not want to start an argument and I must say I am glad you have managed to stop smoking and that it has worked for you but please respect other peoples' opinions, feelings and the support Sue has been providing people.

:beer:

pookiewn

Hello, may I join in please?

I cant stand the smell, the ashtrays round the house and what a waste of money! But cant quit So I've ordered some e-cigs via groupon and hoping this will help me on the rocky road. I'm rather impatiently waiting for them to arrive, but are trying to distract myself with other things to do to cut down if nothing else!
From the few posts I've read it seems like a great place to keep my fingers occupied instead of using them to roll and smoke

RainbowDreamer

Hello all you nice smelling, fresh looking people

I am now on day 15! I am no longer using nrt. Haven't craved for 2 days and loving it.

I love that I can test food better, that I can smell my perfume

Your all doing so well!

Fundamental_2

linen53 wrote: »

Thank you Farzackerly. My purpose in posting is to give an account for so many who find it very difficult to quit. It can be discouraging for those like me who hear nothing but "Hey, it only took a couple of weeks and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," over and over. These people will never post here past a few weeks. They will go where they can find continued support.

Unfortunately, your original post did not include this explanation; it actually came across that everyone would experience a similar amount of discomfort as you had. Had it included the above statement, it might not have attracted the resulting attention.

linen53 wrote: »

Though you've attacked me on several occasions I hold no grudge.

I, for one, do not consider that you have been 'attacked' in the slightest. Sue merely provided her opinion as to the content and reasoning of your post; surely you cannot consider that this constitutes an 'attack'?

Farzackerly wrote: »

That's just your opinion. Don't presume to tell me what I'm suffering from, that's entirely my knowledge and not yours.
Go easy on the bold type, too. It makes you look strident.

Sue was not telling you what you are suffering from; I believe she was pointing out the difference in the two forms of 'addiction' as this relates directly to their diagnosis, treatment and recovery. If you do not wish to hear comments on your illness then I would recommend silence as the ultimate filtering/shielding/defense mechanism.

If you read Sue's previous posts she makes a habit of using bold type; I suggest that any negative inference made as to its usage is yours, and yours alone.

I have only been a member for a short while but I do not like the way this thread is heading.

FDM

linen53

Katie & FDM as with all of us you have a right to your opinions. I'm not here to start an argument or to change the tone of this thread. People are coming here and hearing what they need to hear. Whether it's encouragement, or how hard it is for some to quit. We are all different and different things work for each one of us.

Sue has been coming here for a long time and she has done a wonderful job in encouraging people. On the other hand, some people want to know they are not alone in having a very difficult time quitting; that someone else struggled with this affliction as they now are. An American saying comes to mind: Different strokes for different folks.

In my opinion, neither approach is wrong. Both have their advantages and disadvantages.

So if you find my posts offensive just skip over them and leave them for people who are finding encouragement from them.

Farzackerly

Oh, dearie me - I've gone and ruffled a feather. Bad Farzackerly!

In the meantime I'm just getting on with my own plan - and no, I will not shut up - this is not anyone's personal thread and it's open to all and any contributions and opinions. Sometimes negativity happens - big deal, if anyone's so influenced by either linen or myself pointing out that the poison we've been intaking for years has a good old grip on us, well, get used to it - in my opinion, forewarned is forearmed.
All I seek to do is simply point out there are pitfalls and the traps lie in wait for the unwary. If only we could just have the one fag and not be back on a pack a day within the week, life would be grand. I know from bitter experience it's not as simple as that and I'm just mentioning it.

I don't see how anyone can be put off by that - there is a whole range of addictiveness and some will find it easy, some will find it hard, but it's surely comforting to know that however hard it is - somebody's done it before.

Oh, and by the way - this nasty drug we all have an addiction to (and we all still do) is lying in the bushes waiting to ambush us again, so it's a question of how well prepared we are for it.
If anyone actually bothered to read closely what I wrote, instead of just going off on one, they'd see I'm fully supportive of quitting efforts and I'm not trying to dissuade anyone from it, just relating my own experience and methods. They would also see I have a fairly negative attitude to the purveyors of this horrible stuff; indeed, in a forum where family members might wander in, I can't politely express my feelings about these dealers of death and disablement. If anyone can't handle that - I don't know how they get out of the door in the morning.

p.s FDM - your bold looks big in that

Kiwisaver_2

linen53 wrote: »

Sue has been coming here for a long time and she has done a wonderful job in encouraging people. On the other hand, some people want to know they are not alone in having a very difficult time quitting; that someone else struggled with this affliction as they now are. An American saying comes to mind: Different strokes for different folks.

Perhaps you didn't read the whole thread, but you seem to be focussing on one or two posters themes that you don't like. I never felt I was alone in my own challenges and difficulties; if you read the thread you'll find some very candid reports of the challenges and trials people have faced, the anguish and the joys are all welcome here.

This thread has a very long history of being non-judgmental and non-threatening. It was for me a safe place to come and share concerns, vent spleen, or sometime even laugh at myself and others about the stupid things we've done whilst being a smoker and trying to quit.

I certainly didn't come here looking to be told that I was doomed to fail, was wasting my time or that nobody makes it and that we'll all be back to smoking again before the end of the year. No, kidding! :rotfl:

Surely you can see that Sue-U is just one of many who have contributed to this thread. All have experiences, pains and triumphs to share - nobody says it is easy, especially not in the early days. Later on when the rawness and day to day reality of living for the next hour wthout reaching for a fag has gone - only then perhps can we say it was easier than we thought. Those days for me are all of a blur and yes now it does seem relatively easy and I would encourage anyone to give quitting a chance.

Giving up smoking is journey, one day at a time, one foot in front of the other and you just have to keep putting your foot out and stepping, no matter how hard it all seems. For a while we may need crutches and support, but eventually we will walk out the other end on our own two feet, so proud and with head held high because 'we did this'. If I started smoking again this year or next year it still would have been worth it and would take nothing away from how I feel right now after having been stopped for one whole year. It would take one heck of a bad day to make me want to undo all of this and put a cigarette in my mouth - but I can't say for sure that won't ever happen.

We alll have different means of quitting, different strategies and ideas of our own, differing advice and periods and levels of addiction and we all have different opinions about the help and resources available to us. We take from it what we can. This thread is hardly one big nodding happy clappy bunch of brainwashed eejits singing the same song and saying that beating smoking is easy.

There is no magic bullet; it is an addiction and it is hard to beat but with the right frame of mind, goals, focus, support and encouragement people can and actually do quit and manage to stay quit. I don't see what pleasure people get from trying to undermine that positive 'can do' attitude, unless of course they are themselves possessed by the nasty old nic o'teen and trying to justify their own smoking habit.

Erme

pookiewn wrote: »

Hello, may I join in please?

I cant stand the smell, the ashtrays round the house and what a waste of money! But cant quit So I've ordered some e-cigs via groupon and hoping this will help me on the rocky road. I'm rather impatiently waiting for them to arrive, but are trying to distract myself with other things to do to cut down if nothing else!
From the few posts I've read it seems like a great place to keep my fingers occupied instead of using them to roll and smoke

if you don't get on with that e-cig don't worry. I have a good experience on e-cigs as does at least one other. So like don't give up if this groupon e-cig doesn't work.

PM me for more info. I'm not allowed to put links to info sites on here . sorry

I've gone almost 19 weeks (19 weeks tomorrow) on the e-cig and love it

E