Giving up smoking
Discussion
Stick with it, that's all I can say.
My mum smoked for 50 years and I tried everything to get her to give up. One day she said to me "Do you know what would make me give up? A grandchild." I just said that maybe she should give up now and give herself more chance of seeing her grandchild. That seemed to strike a chord and she quit for a while and then gave up the fight and went back to smoking. She died of lung cancer while my wife was pregnant with our daughter, never even got to see the ultrasound pictures. I don't know if that helps focus your mind any but I thought I'd share.
My mum smoked for 50 years and I tried everything to get her to give up. One day she said to me "Do you know what would make me give up? A grandchild." I just said that maybe she should give up now and give herself more chance of seeing her grandchild. That seemed to strike a chord and she quit for a while and then gave up the fight and went back to smoking. She died of lung cancer while my wife was pregnant with our daughter, never even got to see the ultrasound pictures. I don't know if that helps focus your mind any but I thought I'd share.
Take control! (my doctor said.)
I stopped, more or less easily. I figured that the the easiest (pre-vape) way was a) cut down gradually over three or four days, b) use nicotine patches to supress the cravings, and c) have another reward instead of a Kent Filter.
So decided to make just ten cigs last those three days, but cut them in half and threw the top half away. Applied nic. patches, bought lots of soft mints, nuts and apples, stayed out of the pub. Stubbed out the half-cigs after a couple of drags and ate mints/fruit/nuts.
By the end of day three the nic patches (now cut in half and used for half an hour) were enough, hated the cigs, and the faff with the patches and I'd stopped smoking by Day Four.
What seems to happen now is that social triggers switch on a distant craving that 'something' is missing; Food, drinks, smell of a ciggy wafting past.
That never goes away, but the thought of smoking now is quite revolting. :-)
I stopped, more or less easily. I figured that the the easiest (pre-vape) way was a) cut down gradually over three or four days, b) use nicotine patches to supress the cravings, and c) have another reward instead of a Kent Filter.
So decided to make just ten cigs last those three days, but cut them in half and threw the top half away. Applied nic. patches, bought lots of soft mints, nuts and apples, stayed out of the pub. Stubbed out the half-cigs after a couple of drags and ate mints/fruit/nuts.
By the end of day three the nic patches (now cut in half and used for half an hour) were enough, hated the cigs, and the faff with the patches and I'd stopped smoking by Day Four.
What seems to happen now is that social triggers switch on a distant craving that 'something' is missing; Food, drinks, smell of a ciggy wafting past.
That never goes away, but the thought of smoking now is quite revolting. :-)
TBH I never bought the the nicotine addiction b
ks,lots of people make alot of money from that myth.
Stopping smoking is easy,you don't wake up in the night needing to top up the nicotine levels in your blood.
Anxiety is the real reason people carry on smoking,the anxiety of forgetting your ciggies,the anxiety of not being able to smoke during a flight etc.Think about it a bit and I think you will agree.
Don't for a minute think it is easy overcoming the anxiety but it is possible.
I used to smoke between 20 and 40 aday while driving and have now been a non smoker for nearly 10 years.Best thing I did was stop smoking.
ks,lots of people make alot of money from that myth.Stopping smoking is easy,you don't wake up in the night needing to top up the nicotine levels in your blood.
Anxiety is the real reason people carry on smoking,the anxiety of forgetting your ciggies,the anxiety of not being able to smoke during a flight etc.Think about it a bit and I think you will agree.
Don't for a minute think it is easy overcoming the anxiety but it is possible.
I used to smoke between 20 and 40 aday while driving and have now been a non smoker for nearly 10 years.Best thing I did was stop smoking.
Started at fourteen until sixty one, up to fifty fags a day. On the way in the back of an ambulance to the local hospital with a heart attack convinced me that it was time to quit.
I had tried a few times in the past & failed miserably until that afternoon. I have not smoked since & was the easiest tking I ever did.!
Don't mess about with aids or gadgets, if you really want to quit, then do it. The secret I found was not to think about smoking & the craving soon goes.
A bloke aged thirty two in the next bed in hospital couldn't wait to get out to resume his smoking habit again. I heard a few months later that he didn't survive his next HA. So sad & a tragic waste of a decent family man.
Two & a half years later, still fag free & quite honestly hate the things. I smile when I see people walking down the street using one of those vaping things ! They really do look quite silly ! All they are doing is deluding themselves that they are quitting, when in fact they are swapping one habit for another.
On the plus side I'm having my second holiday away this year, tomorrow, before my third holiday in November !! I have never been so better off financially in my life.
Remember, if you want to quit then just do it, if I can anyone can, Just DO it & good luck to anyone who is quitting.
I had tried a few times in the past & failed miserably until that afternoon. I have not smoked since & was the easiest tking I ever did.!
Don't mess about with aids or gadgets, if you really want to quit, then do it. The secret I found was not to think about smoking & the craving soon goes.
A bloke aged thirty two in the next bed in hospital couldn't wait to get out to resume his smoking habit again. I heard a few months later that he didn't survive his next HA. So sad & a tragic waste of a decent family man.
Two & a half years later, still fag free & quite honestly hate the things. I smile when I see people walking down the street using one of those vaping things ! They really do look quite silly ! All they are doing is deluding themselves that they are quitting, when in fact they are swapping one habit for another.
On the plus side I'm having my second holiday away this year, tomorrow, before my third holiday in November !! I have never been so better off financially in my life.
Remember, if you want to quit then just do it, if I can anyone can, Just DO it & good luck to anyone who is quitting.
I'd never wanted to stop.
I became poorly, it was found that I now have that COPD.
I was given the choice of carry on as I was and I would be sat at home on oxygen in twelve to eighteen months receiving palliative care, or stop smoking, use an inhaler, and see how we go.
I chose the later of course, it is now a little over twelve months later.
I use a vapour stick thing, e-cig, whatever you want to call it, I've been at zero nicotine for over six months now but I like the "hit" and flavours.
I was surprised at how easy it was to stop.
All is not rosey of course, I can become breathless sometimes , other times I feel fine, I am much weaker than before I became ill.
Stick with it, I would now actually do anything to turn back the clock, but I just wouldn't listen.
I became poorly, it was found that I now have that COPD.
I was given the choice of carry on as I was and I would be sat at home on oxygen in twelve to eighteen months receiving palliative care, or stop smoking, use an inhaler, and see how we go.
I chose the later of course, it is now a little over twelve months later.
I use a vapour stick thing, e-cig, whatever you want to call it, I've been at zero nicotine for over six months now but I like the "hit" and flavours.
I was surprised at how easy it was to stop.
All is not rosey of course, I can become breathless sometimes , other times I feel fine, I am much weaker than before I became ill.
Stick with it, I would now actually do anything to turn back the clock, but I just wouldn't listen.
I gave up when on 30 a day, 30 yrs ago.
It was hard, no vaping machines, i went completely cold turkey and it was quite hard for 3 months or so and the craving diminished during the next year. I think it is the only way to successfully stop if you really really want to. I found you need to break the habit of when you usually smoke - like after a meal,down the pub, with a drink, after sex etc etc. Do something different when you usually light up - such as after a meal go for a walk, don't go to the pub for a while - i think you get the idea.
It was hard, no vaping machines, i went completely cold turkey and it was quite hard for 3 months or so and the craving diminished during the next year. I think it is the only way to successfully stop if you really really want to. I found you need to break the habit of when you usually smoke - like after a meal,down the pub, with a drink, after sex etc etc. Do something different when you usually light up - such as after a meal go for a walk, don't go to the pub for a while - i think you get the idea.
smifffymoto said:
TBH I never bought the the nicotine addiction bks,lots of people make alot of money from that myth.
Stopping smoking is easy,you don't wake up in the night needing to top up the nicotine levels in your blood.
Anxiety is the real reason people carry on smoking,the anxiety of forgetting your ciggies,the anxiety of not being able to smoke during a flight etc.Think about it a bit and I think you will agree.
Don't for a minute think it is easy overcoming the anxiety but it is possible.
I used to smoke between 20 and 40 aday while driving and have now been a non smoker for nearly 10 years.Best thing I did was stop smoking.
This is so true about the addiction myth. I smoked 30 a day for 30 years, and gave up two years ago with no patches, gum, vaping machines or any of the other money spinning rackets attached to giving up. FFS, even your doctor would probably tell you how hard it is to give up- it's all bullsks,lots of people make alot of money from that myth.Stopping smoking is easy,you don't wake up in the night needing to top up the nicotine levels in your blood.
Anxiety is the real reason people carry on smoking,the anxiety of forgetting your ciggies,the anxiety of not being able to smoke during a flight etc.Think about it a bit and I think you will agree.
Don't for a minute think it is easy overcoming the anxiety but it is possible.
I used to smoke between 20 and 40 aday while driving and have now been a non smoker for nearly 10 years.Best thing I did was stop smoking.
t. That kind of myth reinforcement is not helpful at all.I didn't develop cravings, have nicotine withdrawal, get a cough or have any of the other things people might associate with giving up. The perceived addiction is a mental one only, keep thinking that and you will give it up more easily.
I can't be proud that I've now stopped doing something stupid, but I'm glad I did.
Good luck with giving up, keep believing that there is no addiction and you will succeed.
Agreed. The hardest thing for me was dealing with the mental addiction and feeling that everyone was looking at me because I wasn't smoking. This lasted for, maybe, three weeks tops.
I had no cravings / no desperate need to smoke / no triggers.
We were at dinner last night with two other couples, all of whom smoke. It was quite funny watching them all bob up and down from the table all evening long.
As for vapes. People just look bloody stupid walking around with these silly contraptions.
I had no cravings / no desperate need to smoke / no triggers.
We were at dinner last night with two other couples, all of whom smoke. It was quite funny watching them all bob up and down from the table all evening long.
As for vapes. People just look bloody stupid walking around with these silly contraptions.
Richie Slow said:
smifffymoto said:
TBH I never bought the the nicotine addiction bks,lots of people make alot of money from that myth.
Stopping smoking is easy,you don't wake up in the night needing to top up the nicotine levels in your blood.
Anxiety is the real reason people carry on smoking,the anxiety of forgetting your ciggies,the anxiety of not being able to smoke during a flight etc.Think about it a bit and I think you will agree.
Don't for a minute think it is easy overcoming the anxiety but it is possible.
I used to smoke between 20 and 40 aday while driving and have now been a non smoker for nearly 10 years.Best thing I did was stop smoking.
This is so true about the addiction myth. I smoked 30 a day for 30 years, and gave up two years ago with no patches, gum, vaping machines or any of the other money spinning rackets attached to giving up. FFS, even your doctor would probably tell you how hard it is to give up- it's all bullsks,lots of people make alot of money from that myth.Stopping smoking is easy,you don't wake up in the night needing to top up the nicotine levels in your blood.
Anxiety is the real reason people carry on smoking,the anxiety of forgetting your ciggies,the anxiety of not being able to smoke during a flight etc.Think about it a bit and I think you will agree.
Don't for a minute think it is easy overcoming the anxiety but it is possible.
I used to smoke between 20 and 40 aday while driving and have now been a non smoker for nearly 10 years.Best thing I did was stop smoking.
t. That kind of myth reinforcement is not helpful at all.I didn't develop cravings, have nicotine withdrawal, get a cough or have any of the other things people might associate with giving up. The perceived addiction is a mental one only, keep thinking that and you will give it up more easily.
I can't be proud that I've now stopped doing something stupid, but I'm glad I did.
Good luck with giving up, keep believing that there is no addiction and you will succeed.
I smoked for 5-6 years. About the same quantity as the OP. I am coming up to a year without smoking now, and I think the only way to really do it is to go cold turkey. I recommend getting a stop smoking app, and spending the money saved on a gym subscription or something to work on your fitness.
Edited by anonymous-user on Monday 19th September 13:03
Try a strong menthol, you get a proper hit. Also when your brain reminds you your a smoker just think remember you not any more and move on with your life. Thinking about it more and more will eat away at you.
When I smoked I tried a few ecigs. They leaked, burnt and cost me a fortune in trying them along with trying to find a decent liquid. Then decent carts were invented and eliquid using freebase nic, I bought 40 Marlborough lights and said once these are gone that's it.I got through 15 and that was it. I don't miss my breath,hands and clothes stinking of stale smoke.
When I smoked I tried a few ecigs. They leaked, burnt and cost me a fortune in trying them along with trying to find a decent liquid. Then decent carts were invented and eliquid using freebase nic, I bought 40 Marlborough lights and said once these are gone that's it.I got through 15 and that was it. I don't miss my breath,hands and clothes stinking of stale smoke.
What strength liquid are you using?
I haven't had a cigarette for more than two years. The funny thing is that I never actually intended to stop.
I only got the e-cig to make a holiday easier. I haven't fancied a real cigarette since.
The first liquid was 36, which is now sadly banned. I took 4 bottles on the holiday, but only used one. A quick calculation showed that I was using the equivalent opf 3.5 fags a day. I had been smoking 50 - 55.
When they cut the strength to 24, my consumption shot through the roof.
I still love the smell of a cigarette, and sometimes I join the smokers outside a pub.
I haven't had a cigarette for more than two years. The funny thing is that I never actually intended to stop.
I only got the e-cig to make a holiday easier. I haven't fancied a real cigarette since.
The first liquid was 36, which is now sadly banned. I took 4 bottles on the holiday, but only used one. A quick calculation showed that I was using the equivalent opf 3.5 fags a day. I had been smoking 50 - 55.
When they cut the strength to 24, my consumption shot through the roof.
I still love the smell of a cigarette, and sometimes I join the smokers outside a pub.
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