Give Up Smoking or Die Trying

[richtea78]

Just ticked over the year of non smoking. Really quite pleased. Might have a celebratory ciggie!

[WinstonWolf]

Don't!

[HQ2]

Well done guys. I still battle this daemon regularly. I seem to go about three weeks clean before I wobble, then smoke for a couple of weeks before getting my head round it and quitting again (cold turkey). Rinse and repeat.

There's a million reasons not to smoke and only one to smoke (that being I'm an idiot).

[richtea78]

Champix worked really well for me after trying loads of things

[Du1point8]

vaping worked for me... now been a week without smoking and vaping a lot less nicotine then I would normally smoke... will cut down then give up completely.

[Gargamel]

Am still giving up, have been off them for a month, however Friday in the pub fell off the wagon and "rewarded myself" with a couple of smokes.

This seems to always been my downfall, when I have been good, I still see have a cigarette as a reward, or a positive experience.

Fact is I still enjoy smoking, but it is ruinously expensive, leaves me stinking and clearly is no good for you. But I do still get good feelings when I smoke....argghhhh

I wish I could just have a couple and leave it, but I will do that, then buy a box and before long I am back to ten a day.

[MGZRod]

I've decided to stop as of tonight. Finished my packet and thought, fk it, I'm done.

21 years old, been smoking since 16 or so. Past couple years have been 20 a day pretty much non stop. Hated myself for it, a couple friends are stopping too which I think will help. And a new lady in my life has said she'd help with what she can (ex smoker).

Shall fire through it, will be saving around £210 a month, which is scary...

[MrOrange]

Du1point8 said:

vaping worked for me... now been a week without smoking and vaping a lot less nicotine then I would normally smoke... will cut down then give up completely.

This, for me. Joined the Stoptober thing at work with the aim of reducing fag consumption by 10% a week, replaced with vaping. Used to smoke 15-20 a day, for 30+ years and never tried quitting before.

Smoked a couple the day after I started and one the following weekend so I'm 7 month clear now. Still vape, mainly fruit flavours with FA nicotine. Can't imagine going back to tabs.

Vaping was the crutch for me. Worked a treat.

All the folks who started Stoptober with me are back on the fags.

[Du1point8]

Gargamel said:

Am still giving up, have been off them for a month, however Friday in the pub fell off the wagon and "rewarded myself" with a couple of smokes.

This seems to always been my downfall, when I have been good, I still see have a cigarette as a reward, or a positive experience.

Fact is I still enjoy smoking, but it is ruinously expensive, leaves me stinking and clearly is no good for you. But I do still get good feelings when I smoke....argghhhh

I wish I could just have a couple and leave it, but I will do that, then buy a box and before long I am back to ten a day.

not to be the ex smoker here, but try vaping... it removes the tobacco and tar and gives you a strong hot of nicotine which is what you are getting with the smoking... it works and means you dont suddenly crave a cig as you have got the nicoine fix already.

[joscal]

Been smoke free for over a year, was bloody difficult at the start but now wonder why I ever did.
Now see it for what it is, an addiction that costs lots and shortens your life.
I was on forty a day so if I can do it anyone can!

[Bungleaio]

Top work everyone!

How are you doing Gus, still off them I hope.

[gus607]

Bungleaio said:

Top work everyone!

How are you doing Gus, still off them I hope.

Yeah ! Not been near one either. Three months now & to be honest it has been very easy, much easier than I would have ever expected. Possibly the main reason why it has been easy is that I have been off work since the MI so not under any work related stress at all.

Going for heart surgery soon followed by leg surgery, yes, both smoking related !

On the bright side I'm a grand or thereabouts better off.


Finally on a serious note, I attended a mate's funeral last week, 62 year old bloke, fit & active until last September when he was diagnosed with lung cancer (ex-smoker).
Seeing his distraught wife & daughters at the funeral was very emotional.

[Bungleaio]

Glad to hear you are still off them Gus.

What you have experienced are the greatest motivators into giving up and staying off them. We've all seen the warnings and thought yeah whatever that will never happen to me. I know someone who is 95 and they've smoked since birth. When things do happen it really makes you wonder why you ever took the chance and spent a small fortune in the process.

I hope the surgery goes ok for you mate.

[gus607]

Thank you !

[toon10]

Bungleaio said:

Glad to hear you are still off them Gus.

What you have experienced are the greatest motivators into giving up and staying off them. We've all seen the warnings and thought yeah whatever that will never happen to me. I know someone who is 95 and they've smoked since birth. When things do happen it really makes you wonder why you ever took the chance and spent a small fortune in the process.

I hope the surgery goes ok for you mate.

My uncle is into his 70's and smoked between 20 and 40 a day pretty much since he was 15. He's fit, active and appears to be in decent nick compared to other men his age. Trouble is, for every smoker like this there will be many more with much more serious health problems.

I'm ashamed to say I managed a couple of months but I'm very much on them again. Good luck to all those who have been successful. I know I did it once for 8 years so I know I can do it again.

[ascayman]

5 and a half months clean for me very pleased still the odd craving but able to fight them off!

[silverthorn2151]

3 3/4 years for me now and no backsliding.

I am at the stage where I abhor the smell of it....even the cigars I loved so much. I'm not a preacher though, just a walk away type. Keep at it those going through it.

[blindswelledrat]

toon10 said:

My uncle is into his 70's and smoked between 20 and 40 a day pretty much since he was 15. He's fit, active and appears to be in decent nick compared to other men his age. Trouble is, for every smoker like this there will be many more with much more serious health problems.

My mother was identical to your uncle. At 72 she was backpacking around the world on her own and staying in hostels and loving life.
At 73 she had her first stroke
At 76 shes just had her second and is virtually paralysed down one side and is unlikely to walk again.
Both significantly smoking related. The point is that all these healthy 70 year-old smokers are only healthy until the day they aren't, and then it is very quickly downhill.
I used to see her as a reason not to stop smoking and now I see her as the exact opposite. She should have had another 10/15 years enjoying life and doing what she loves doing and now she has potentially 10-15 years of sitting in a flat doing being depressed.
Hopefully for her it wont be that long
Anyway- a rather sad aside is that she hasn't smoked for 5 months now because she has been hospitalised. Now she is at home and really wants us to buy her fags but we wont do it because she is incapable of holding a cigarette properly so will undoubtedly set herself on fire.

Anyway 2 months for me. I leased myself a new car with the money I am saving so now I cant let myself start again because I am stuck with the lease.

[kcrimson]

I quit in November 2012 after 25 years smoking. I had not planned to quit, but my wife had given up using Nicolite ecigs so I thought I'd give them a go and it worked!

Still on the ecigs after 18 months, but stayed off the fags.

[HQ2]

Still wobbling here. I'd like to think I go about 3 weeks not smoking then 2 weeks smoking, but in reality the numbers are shifting and not in a good way.

I've just ordered some more vaping gear so will give it a go (again!).