The Giving Up Smoking Thread!!

JoeHel

I'm booked in to see the hygenist on Monday to get rid of the tar stains on my teeth, and now they WON'T be coming back!!

Frugaldom

Can someone please tell me at what point the 'nicotine withdrawal' symptoms begin? I have never had them before, that's the only reason I ask. Last cigarette was yesterday, so it's about... 32 hours (ish) ago

JoeHel

nykmedia wrote: »

Can someone please tell me at what point the 'nicotine withdrawal' symptoms begin? I have never had them before, that's the only reason I ask. Last cigarette was yesterday, so it's about... 32 hours (ish) ago

When you were a smoker, how often did you light up? What time was your usual first one of the day?

The big myth is that withdrawal pangs are some sort of horrendous pain that grips you. The truth is, withdrawal pangs are more like an annoying little "itch". They do not hurt and are not even bad enough to wake you up or prevent you sleeping. If you ignore them they disappear within 3 minutes. If a smoker is somewhere like in the cinema where they are not allowed to smoke, and fancy a ciggie but know they will have to wait half an hour, they will have a little craving but will ignore it and it will disappear immediately. As they exit the cinema they will have a stronger urge because their brain now knows that there's nothing to stop them lighting up. That urge that you would feel in the cinema when you know you can't smoke - that is the exact same withdrawal pang you feel through the 72 hours it takes to eliminate nicotine from your bloodstream. It doesn't get any worse than that!

Physically, nicotine begins to leave your body as soon as you finish smoking a cigarette, but in the average smoker (i.e. a 20-a-day smoker, which it doesn't sound like you are) your body starts a slight craving approximately half an hour after putting a ciggie out. Actually, this "craving" is so slight that if you are not in the routine of smoking every, say, hour or so, you wouldn't even notice the "pang".

BUT if you had never had a craving, you would never have smoked any more than your first cigarette. From the sounds of it, you have formed an association in your brain between sitting at a certain table and chatting on the phone, to having a cigarette. Is there anywhere else that you smoke?

The good news is that you apparently only have to carry out a task 6 times in a different way to re-train your brain and unlearn previous unwanted behaviour. So you should find that after the first few times being on the phone without a ciggie you will soon get used to it. I have now done most of the tasks I was worried about, without a ciggie. I've done the long car journey, the overtime at work, the visit to the dentist, the walk into town, etc. And it's true - each time you do it without a ciggie, the more "normal" it feels.

If you don't have the physical pangs that a 20-a-day smoker has, in theory you should find it easier than anyone to quit!! :j

Frugaldom

I spent last year cutting down because I was on a tight budget, so some days I didn't even have cigarettes, other days I did. There is only one room in the house that I smoked because nobody else here smokes at all. However, I have now moved my conmputer into a different room rather than the one adjacent to the kitchen and know that I can't smoke in this room anyway. I also moved the phone! On average, I'd say I was down to 40 a week until last week, when I bought my last packet and did it the 5-5-4-3-2-1 countdown to finish and just kept delaying the 'first' one until today there has been no first. I guess it's horses for courses and I find this fits in with my way of thinking

JoeHel

nykmedia wrote: »

I spent last year cutting down because I was on a tight budget, so some days I didn't even have cigarettes, other days I did. There is only one room in the house that I smoked because nobody else here smokes at all. However, I have now moved my conmputer into a different room rather than the one adjacent to the kitchen and know that I can't smoke in this room anyway. I also moved the phone! On average, I'd say I was down to 40 a week until last week, when I bought my last packet and did it the 5-5-4-3-2-1 countdown to finish and just kept delaying the 'first' one until today there has been no first. I guess it's horses for courses and I find this fits in with my way of thinking

Good for you!! You are well into your second day without any noticeable pangs. All you need to do is exactly what you're doing now! Don't worry about looking for problems that aren't even there for you (ie withdrawal pangs) and just be glad you don't have that to worry about. The first time you take a call without a ciggie will feel strange. Each time after that will feel slightly less strange. Literally after just a week or so it will feel quite normal. Two months into my quit and I honestly can't believe I ever smoked!!

oops_a_daisy

Well I am nearly through my first day :T I have had a few small 'pangs' but have managed to keep myself busy. I actually felt so ill after having a few too many drinkies last night ( and far too many fags too :rolleyes: ) so i dont think I could have faced one today anyway. I bought my patches from Tescos - 2 packs for about £18 I think it was so a LOT cheaper than about a fiver a day on fags. I darent dream that this time I might actually succeed as I have failed so many times so I will take it 1 day at a time and hopefully I might get there eventually.

Frugaldom

Good luck 'oops' - one day at a time sounds ok to me and the least little 'thought' of a ciggie and I'll make myself busy

tattycath

Hi everyone. Just thought I'd check in before i go up to bed. Well I have gone a full month now with no cigarettes. As I have said earlier I did stop for 6 months last year-and I also stacked on a couple or so stones in weight:eek: I started smoking again at the end of august and the weight went. I used to replace cigarettes with food. I stopped smoking at the beginning of December and decided not to use food as a substitute for cigarettes-or if I did it would be something healthy. In the first month I have not had weight gain. And over christmas my OH said the average person puts on approximately 8lbs in weight-so I have consciously not pigged out over christmas and not smoked either-the only addictions I seem to have at the moment are MSE and saving money!!!!! My OH is an MSE widower most of the time (bless him)!! Any way continued good luck to everyone and I think I might go up to bed ... if I can tear myself away from pc!!! lol

Frugaldom

CONGRATULATIONS TATTYCATH - ONE FULL MONTH!

Have you been saving the ciggie money?

tattycath

Hi Nykmedia-thanks. In answer to your question, I have not particularly put certain amounts of money away, However, I have been saving change etc during December. I have a sealed pot that feels quite heavy and I think I have managed to save about £65 in my piggybank-I will have to check actual amount. So I feel quite pleased with myself. and will be putting money out of pig into bank ready to start saving again this month. I am also starting another money box for all the money I save from redeeming coupons/vouchers. for example If I use a 50p voucher at the checkout for my grocery shop, I shall put 50p out of my grocery budget into a separate moneybox so I can see the savings-hoping to have enough for a month's shop by about september!!!
This isn't me going to bed is it!!!
Must try harder.