The Giving Up Smoking Thread!!

bones61

Sue-UU wrote: »

When someone new comes on, I send them a PM of possible useful tips and things to expect, but as you don't have a PM facility enabled I'll post it here for you and hope it's of some use.

I went to edit sig and re-enable PMs before posting yesterday ....
ermmmm I got one right PMs enabled now.
Thanks for the tips, I'll re-read and copy to somewhere in the morning.

well .. still a non smoker after 27 hours and feeling quite good about it.
no panics, cravings or mad urges. no sneaky drags from DWs either.
I think that the time is just right for me for kicking the bad habits.

Yep, feeling happy and proud. Confident in myself too.

good luck to all, more from me soon :j :j

hethmar

I havent read all the thread but I just wanted to give some encouragement to you new non-smokers. I smoked at least 25 a day for 40 years. I was coughing up phlegm (very lady like) every morning and when one of my sons did a recording one christmas when it was played back I could hear some old hag coughing all the time in the background. I hated the way my hair smelt all the time, I hated the smell when I opened my front door. And I hated being a slave to something that was killing me.

I slowly cut down the fags over about 3 weeks - one morning I woke up - no fags in the packet - panic - in normal circs Id have gone driving down tothe nearest garage that was open to get my drugs, without my make up and even in my slippers. I reached for my coat and I suddenly thought "No, I wont be a slave to a fag". I had a couple of cups of coffee and then went to the chemist and bought some nicotine inhalers. They can make you feel quite sicky but they were there and I could suck on one if I wanted. I kept thinking I wont have a fag now - I never thought to myself Ive stopped, just I wont have one now.

That was 2 years ago guys Yes, Ive put on some heft weight but then people say how well I look. One of the first things I noticed was my skin. I felt this strange buzzy sort of feeling in my face but I read up this was the oxygen getting back into my skin and my sinuses clearing! I thought the best way to keep going was to spend the money I was saving on things I really wanted.

I had a facial - brilliant, my skin shone - it has carried on like that and even at my age people now compliment me on my skin. I bought a beautiful Radley shopping bag. I had my top 6 front teeth capped - £3000 - but that was just over what I spent in a year on fags! and they look brilliant, have taken 10 years off me.

Download the silkquit meter which tells you daily how many fags you havent smoked, how much you have saved in money and how longer you will potentially live as a non smoker. When you look at the number of fags you havent smoked - I stopped using the meter when it got to 5000 fags - I mean, just imagine that many fags in a pile! Disgusting.

Oh I do feel superior when I see people rushing outside a pub or theatre to have their cancer sticks in the cold and rain

If I can do it, anyone can, honestly.

joop

I hope you don't mind me rambling on a bit but I need to get some stuff off my chest.

I have been taking Champix and my stop date is tomorrow, but I haven't smoked today - first day in 7 years - and I feel elated!

I started smoking when I was 14 - gave up at 24 - started again - gave up - started again and I'm really sick of smoking but scared that I'll fail again.

I've been having anxiety attacks; breathlessness, tight chest, thinking I'm ill etc. and the Doc wanted to put me on beta blockers. I don't like the idea of that so - Light Blub Moment - give up the fags! Take away some of the risk!

I really want to give up , I'm sick of the smell, the taste, the money, standing outside the pub under an umbrella in the rain while my friends are toasty-warm in the pub looking after my drink - ridiculous.

I want to give up for me - in fact I don't want to "give up" I want to "get rid".

Wish me luck?

hethmar

I really do wish you luck joop. Have you tried relaxation tapes or hypnotherapy? Honestly, the way to go is not to feel you are fighting it. When you start thinking about it you actually convince yourself you do NEED a fag. But think, after you have a fag, do you actually feel any better? Nope, you dont, you just feel dirty and weak - well I did anyway. Just think "I wont have one today". And for goodness sake dont have any in the house, just in case! The first time I tried I failed because after a trauma, I thought Ill just have a couple of puffs of that one fag I hid. I thought I was going to have a stroke when I took the first puff after 2 months off them - I could feel the blood rushing up my legs and I went really wobbly - I just carried on and by the end of the week I was on 25 a day again. DONT have just a puff, it never works. Get the inhalers.

Download the silkquit meter and does your GP have stop smoking groups? You can probably get patches or inhalers on prescription.
http://www.silkquit.org/sqmmiv/meter.aspx

Do what I did - make a list of what you are going to spend the money you save on. Its frightening when you think how much you have wasted on fags. Do a list and buy the stuff to reward yourself I think you will also find, as I did, that a lot of the symptoms you are having - I had heart palpitations aswell as all those you mention! - will go - partly because you feel proud of yourself that you have controlled yourself and had the strength to give up this **** which is making you feel ill anyway. xx

joop

I really don't feel like taking even a puff. These tablets really are quite astonishing - they seem to take away the thoughts of having a ciggie and when you do they taste really dirty. Also, my three kids (big kids) smoke, they have been banished to the conservatory and it STINKS which is even putting them off.

The last time I gave up was to try to encourage them to (DD wasn't smoking then). It didn't work so I gave up giving up in a weak moment and, like you Hethmar, was soon back to 20 a day. This time it has to be IT. I'm 50 next year and I just feel I've been gambling too long.

jancee_2

Good luck to all the quitters. You've got great support here and no doubt you'll save loads of money.

I enjoy smoking and have no intentions of giving up - I quit for ten years [I know!] several years ago then started again. Strangely, I didn't feel any 'better' health wise but that's subjective and many of you will have different experiences.

While I have no wish to inflict my habit on others - I'm considerate and mindful of where I smoke - I do feel that the legislation has gone over the top. I would have been pro separate rooms in public places. Why not? And if we're going down the road of 'for your own good' are fast food places next on the hit list?

By the way, the evidence for second hand smoke damaging your health is highly disputed. But you are perfectly entitled to dislike the smell.

Ummm, on reflection perhaps I should have started a separate thread since this is for support in quitting. Mods please move if appropriate.

hethmar

jancee, I used to feel that way but I lost my mother to lung cancer and then my brother in law - at the age of 52 to the same thing. I also felt I was playing russian roulette with my life and life is so short and precious anyway. I want to be as fit as I can be for what remains of my life and I dont want to feel like I am a slave to a drug. Sorry to hear you didnt seem to reap any health benefits. Have to say my hair shines, my skin is great and I dont wheeze or cough now which is wonderful. On top of that my gums which were dodgey have now become very healthy again. My dentist said smoking was the major reason for loss of teeth and I dont doubt it.

I have to say each day I still think, I wont have a fag today. Im sure it must be the same as alcoholics. Once a smoker, you have you realise the temptation will be there so every day I reinforce the reasons why I wont start again and every day I still think "this is a day I wont smoke".

jancee_2

hethmar wrote: »

jancee, I used to feel that way but I lost my mother to lung cancer and then my brother in law - at the age of 52 to the same thing. I also felt I was playing russian roulette with my life and life is so short and precious anyway. I want to be as fit as I can be for what remains of my life and I dont want to feel like I am a slave to a drug. Sorry to hear you didnt seem to reap any health benefits. Have to say my hair shines, my skin is great and I dont wheeze or cough now which is wonderful. On top of that my gums which were dodgey have now become very healthy again. My dentist said smoking was the major reason for loss of teeth and I dont doubt it.

I have to say each day I still think, I wont have a fag today. Im sure it must be the same as alcoholics. Once a smoker, you have you realise the temptation will be there so every day I reinforce the reasons why I wont start again and every day I still think "this is a day I wont smoke".

Hey - I totally respect your views. Sorry to hear about your losses.

joop

Hi Jancee - I'm not anti you or anyone else smoking, just me.

jancee_2

joop wrote: »

Hi Jancee - I'm not anti you or anyone else smoking, just me.

Thanks - returned in spades.