The Giving Up Smoking Thread!!

antronella

I am struggling too and its only been just over 3 hours I live alone, and that is new..so I don't have anyone keeping an eye on me. It's all I can think about..I've even had a snooze to get away from the craving......

tattycath

Hi Antronella. Just try and relax. A craving is very short, the thing to do is occupy yourself. Find something you enjoy doing. (watch a film, read a book, do some baking...)I don't know what you think you will enjoy. But there must be something you can do to take your mind away from how you are feeling. You are doing great, it's just a case of reprogramming your mind to replace having a cigarette with something else until the cravings subside. I hope this helps.

Frugaldom

Hello all quitters, my final 20 pack is slowly going down on the run-in to final quit. It's 2.30pm and I have had 1 ciggie today (I'm using the 'delay first smoke' preparation method LOL). I had worked out that it would need ro be done on a 5-5-4-3-2-1 countdown to total withdrawal - 6 days to finish my last pack. So far, so good.

Wishing everyone loads of luck and success and am looking forward to banking my extra £500 next year. Brand new ICICI 6.41% interest account all ready and waiting, +ve mental attitude geared up and ready to go

BrickingIt

antronella wrote: »

I am struggling too and its only been just over 3 hours I live alone, and that is new..so I don't have anyone keeping an eye on me. It's all I can think about..I've even had a snooze to get away from the craving......

I'm down to my last ciggy, snoozing is good, as tatty said I would try and plan your day out, eg watch a film for the next few hours, then go out and do something.

The best advice though is forget ciggies exist. Just say to yourself they don't exist.

BrickingIt

nykmedia wrote: »

Hello all quitters, my final 20 pack is slowly going down on the run-in to final quit. It's 2.30pm and I have had 1 ciggie today (I'm using the 'delay first smoke' preparation method LOL). I had worked out that it would need ro be done on a 5-5-4-3-2-1 countdown to total withdrawal - 6 days to finish my last pack. So far, so good.

Wishing everyone loads of luck and success and am looking forward to banking my extra £500 next year. Brand new ICICI 6.41% interest account all ready and waiting, +ve mental attitude geared up and ready to go

Tried it many times and failed, it went 5-5-4-3-10-20-20:rotfl:.

melbury

antronella wrote: »

I am struggling too and its only been just over 3 hours I live alone, and that is new..so I don't have anyone keeping an eye on me. It's all I can think about..I've even had a snooze to get away from the craving......

Don't know if this will help you or not, but here goes. A few months ago there was a get healthy type programme on TV and one episode centred around a girl in her 20's who smoked about 20-30 ciggies per day. Anyway they took her to meet an older woman who had been suffering severe breathing difficulties and it was discovered that one of her lungs was not functioning because there was a tumour the size of a tennis ball in there - obviously caused through smoking. Now they got the girl to sit and basically watch the surgery on a monitor and then brought out this tennis ball sized tumour to show her. She was obviously very distressed and said that each time she had a craving to light a cigarette she would visualize that tumour and there was no way she would smoke again. Perhaps some of you saw this, just hope I have got it right.

I thought this was a pretty good thing to do, although I didn't start doing it myself at that time, I was just so horrified that I had to light up to calm myself down (as we smokers do of course). However, over the past three days when I get a craving I visualize this terrifying mass and also my throat with filthy smoke rushing down it and it does help :eek:

I suppose it all boils down to the fact that we don't believe it will happen to us and we enjoy our smoking.

yellowmonkey

One month today :j :j :j

Really cracked it this time and the main reason is the mental state i am in. To all those struggling with the evil weed try to get yourself in the right frame of mind. If you are giving up try to stop moping about having a ciggie. Do you want to go the rest of your life moping about not having a fag. What I did was say to myself "I have given up so stop whinging about it and get on with things " It worked for me and after taking the decision I did not want to spend the rest of my life being miserable over something that was killing me. It is hard for some and indeed for me as I have tried at least 10 times before this successfull stop.All i did was not have a fag. I dont need it to survive and to stop doing it I made sure I was in the right frame and coming upon this thread has helped 100%.
Enjoy the smell of yourself and your clothes and when you come across smokers breathe deeply of the aroma after the have had a ciggie. I for one am gratefull that I no longer smell that way.

I am sorry if you are finding it difficult and my post about how easy it is is getting up your nose but I am just trying to convey that it is POSSIBLE and also ENJOYABLE.

All the best to you all and Hi :hello: to the old hands.

ym

melbury

Well done yellowmonkey - you are certainly not getting up people noses, you have done brilliantly.

I think my problem is that I always view cigarettes as a trusted old friend(they have been for 36 years) rather than a potential killer. After such a long time it is hard to imagine life without them - did I really say that? it sounds absolutely pathetic - as you say I must stop thinking about them and whinging about them and look to the positive things like not stinking and feeling embarrassed by my fag breath!

I am worried about putting on weight though, how are you getting on with this?

Beccatje

I quit smoking (again) on sept. 3 of this year.
And so far I"m doing great!
I feel SO much better! That eternal cough I used to ahve is gone. No more panting going up the stairs, no more coughing after laughing. I can breathe deeply and freely now!
And I have NOT spent over 500 euro's on fags!

It's not always easy, but it can be done. Especially with some much needed, wonderful support from others in the same position!

If you have any questions, please feel free!

Becca

yellowmonkey

Not too bad really ref the weight gain. Gained about 4lbs so far. I am 5'10" so am about right for my height. 13st 6lb in old money. Trying to eat a bit healthier though and have a liking for pork scratchings :rolleyes:

ym