I've GOT to give up smoking

notechno

For medical reasons that aren't relevant here, for now at least, I have to give up smoking. Now I know that should be a great impetus and should have me stubbing out and never looking back. But I know me, I know the excuses I'll make. How every pack I buy is the last pack ever, if I can just get past this stressful episode then it'll be easy blah blah blah. I'm a single mum to a 12 yr old, again all the encouragement I should need. And it is...most of the time.

But I need more encouragement. Do any of you have any tips, no matter how off-the-wall they might sound? I smoke roll-ups, so not much of an incentive financially as they only cost me about a fiver per week. I only smoke between 8 and 10 a day, so there are lots of times I'm not smoking, but the times I do are very firmly entrenched (first thing in the morning, breaks at work, after my tea, just before bed - they're all hooks I hang on to determinedly)

Any ideas/help most welcome!!

Plans_all_plans

Have you tried the inhalators: they seem quite a good idea and if you'll miss the habit of 'hand up to mouth' then they'll wean you off that as well as giving a nicotine hit.

Ask at your GP about help from your Primary Care Trust: in my area they seem to run group meetings for free (posters everywhere) It sounds a bit like a weight watchers meeting, but instead of a weigh in they do a carbon monoxide test on you every week! The rest of it sounds like I imagine an AA meeting to be: talking about giving up, triggers, feeling etc.

Good luck with it.

vesper

My mate really recommended the e-fag as he said it kept his hand busy and the thought of putting a cig in his mouth. I think it all depends on the habits of each person, if you are a social smoker or smoke in certain situations. I found I tended to smoke in the evenings only when I was at work (I work on a bar) and smoked as an excuse for a break and go outside.

Make sue you keep plenty of healthy snacks in the house though if you were quitting, I found the munchies terrible for the first few weeks. But I just gave up one day and that was it (I defintely do not recomment it that way)

kate1976

I've just got this http://www.totallywicked-eliquid.co.uk/products/electronic-cigarette-starter-kits/titan/titan-510-compact-kit-available-in-6-2-product.html Heard really good things about it, I shall be starting it in the next few days when my cigs run out.

Good luck.

hethmar

Theres a giving up smoking thread on here somewhere which gives mutual support -

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2957492


Meanwhile, I gave up after 40 years 5 years ago, so you can do it. One of the best incentives for me was downloading the silkquit meter which records the amount of money you have saved, the number of fags you havent smoked and the potential extra time you have added to your life. Google for it.

Ask your Gp for help too - either in the form of patches or inhalators. I found the inhalators best for me, as I needed to be able to pick something up and bung it in my mouth when I felt stressed. In fact I still keep one handy round the house or in my bag, just in case:) What you must do is get rid of anything to do with smoking in the house. Throw out lighters, ash trays and just dont go to the same shops where you bought your cigs as it will make you want to buy them. DO NOT keep a few in the house just in case - my first attempt was a failure because after a couple of months and a very stressful day I decided the half fag in the drawer wouldnt hurt. Apart from it buckling my knees and feeling a rush of blood up my legs (which still didnt put me off, though clearly poisons rushing round my system), I was back on 30 a day within a couple of weeks.

Think all the time, I will not smoke for an hour and then again for the next hour and so on. And if you dont eat breakfast, start eating it! That way you have a new routine for the morning. And get plenty of fruit in the house and eat that after dinner or whatever, the times when you normally have a fag.

patchwork_cat

I have heard very good things about Allen Carr quit smoking books.

RedBern

Good luck with the giving up. Contact the smoking cessation service in your area - they provide support and advice for you - can't find the figures but it is something like you're twice as likely to be successful if you have help from the cessation service.

Also, I know a lot of people have stopped after reading the Alan Carr book - including a friend of mine who was a 20 a day girl, and didn't really want to stop but was worried about her health. She stopped after reading the book and has never smoked since (about 4 years now).

dundeedoll_2

Hi
You've had some good advice already..........I think the cessation services in particulatr are extremely helpful.

I stopped just over 8 months ago. I didn't use anything, did it 'cold turkey' and with the help of the Stopping smoking thread on here. I KNOW that without that I'd have been smoking again.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2957492

If it's OK with you, can I send you a couple of PMs?

crumblepie

The giving up smoking thread lots of good advice on there. ( it's in the debt free diaries bit of the forum) There's a webste too whyquit.com loads of stuff on there.

I gave up two months ago by cold turkey. I'd said I'll give up but hadn't quite got to the point of giving up then one day said " from tomorrow I will not smoke" and I haven't. Only used to smoke outside so didn't have the issue of sitting down with coffee and ciggie and the tv. The hardest part of giving up is the habit... you know that I'll just have a cig then I'll do...I've tidied the house I'll have one...etc etc.

Water and sweets, that's how I did it. Sip water when you feel like you want one. This is a two way thing, it concentrates your mind on something other than smoking and you're not reaching for the biscuit tin. After a couple of minutes the craving goes. The sweets are to help the blood sugar levels during the first few days. - jelly babies were my sweetie of choice. The first three days probably the hardest and from then on much easier.

good luck.

ps I'd read the Alan Carr book three times and it didn't work for me.

jackieb

My husband bought the electronic cig but it didn't work for him. He went to the doctor and got prescribed Champix. He works offshore and wasn't allowed to take them offshore at first (incase he tried to jump overboard or something!). He started taking them as soon as he came home again and by the time he was due away again it was okay for him to take offshore with him. Some people have bad side-effects with them. At first you smoke normally while taking the pills. It made dh sick, but he carried on taking them. That was 10 months ago and he now hates smoking, and when people smoke around him. He says he has no cravings at all. He has tried many times to stop and nothing has worked apart from these pills.

Good luck!

Sagz_2

A bout of pneumonia helped me to give up - I wouldn't reccommend it though!

OH gave up using Champix and the support of the doctor, the pills stopped the craving for nicotine and he found they were much better than the patches he'd tried several times before.

Whatever you choose to help you, I wish you luck xx