Discussion
(before anyone reads on, I apologised for the amount of times referring to I. Also I'm not posting for encouragement or praise, only to share my thoughts on smoking as I know it is a strong issue for a lot of PH's);
Went to an Allen Carr clinic on Saturday.
Listened and trembled with nerves (nervous about the idea of giving up my so called pleasure) for 5 hours
Some of it sunk in, some did not
Went home fully intending on not smoking again
Got to about 9pm and felt incredibly angry, wanting a physical fight with someone
Got to about 11.30pm couldn’t take anymore, got in car & punched the security steering lock (covers wheel)
Hand swells, drive like an idiot to all-night garage and buy fags/lighter
Get home and stare at packet of fags for about half an hour.
Sod it! Open pack & smoke 2 (one after another)
Regret it
Stay up for a few hours, but don’t smoke
Eventually go to bed
Wake up early Sunday morning, tell myself I do not want a cigarette.
Have now not smoked since Saturday (have never gone longer than a couple of hours before, EVER, bar sleeping/flights)
Didn’t sleep much last night, up nearly every hour – but feel fine & fresh today
Now, (the way I see it) the reason I failed on saturday night was because I kept telling myself I wanted one but could not have one (which is like watching a cancer advert – it makes you smoke MORE! Or on no-smoking day – it makes you smoke MORE!!).
The reason (maybe a bit premature here) that I’ve since succeeded is because I’ve realised that IT wants a cig and I won’t let IT have one.
It is stressful, I’ve been frowning a lot, grinding my teeth and feel I may have a short fuse – however even though the ‘want a cig’ thing is constantly stuck on my eyelids & forehead– I seem to be able to take a step back and laugh at not feeding the little bastard anymore.
I have also smoked skunk for many years (every night for at least the past 5 years) which I felt I was completely addicted too – I thought giving up this aspect of smoking would be horrendous – however I’ve found it is the cigarette that dominates here. I also keep thinking I’m bored, but I’m not at all – I’m just feeling more energetic. Do I miss feeding it? do I balls!!!
Went to an Allen Carr clinic on Saturday.
Listened and trembled with nerves (nervous about the idea of giving up my so called pleasure) for 5 hours
Some of it sunk in, some did not
Went home fully intending on not smoking again
Got to about 9pm and felt incredibly angry, wanting a physical fight with someone
Got to about 11.30pm couldn’t take anymore, got in car & punched the security steering lock (covers wheel)
Hand swells, drive like an idiot to all-night garage and buy fags/lighter
Get home and stare at packet of fags for about half an hour.
Sod it! Open pack & smoke 2 (one after another)
Regret it
Stay up for a few hours, but don’t smoke
Eventually go to bed
Wake up early Sunday morning, tell myself I do not want a cigarette.
Have now not smoked since Saturday (have never gone longer than a couple of hours before, EVER, bar sleeping/flights)
Didn’t sleep much last night, up nearly every hour – but feel fine & fresh today
Now, (the way I see it) the reason I failed on saturday night was because I kept telling myself I wanted one but could not have one (which is like watching a cancer advert – it makes you smoke MORE! Or on no-smoking day – it makes you smoke MORE!!).
The reason (maybe a bit premature here) that I’ve since succeeded is because I’ve realised that IT wants a cig and I won’t let IT have one.
It is stressful, I’ve been frowning a lot, grinding my teeth and feel I may have a short fuse – however even though the ‘want a cig’ thing is constantly stuck on my eyelids & forehead– I seem to be able to take a step back and laugh at not feeding the little bastard anymore.
I have also smoked skunk for many years (every night for at least the past 5 years) which I felt I was completely addicted too – I thought giving up this aspect of smoking would be horrendous – however I’ve found it is the cigarette that dominates here. I also keep thinking I’m bored, but I’m not at all – I’m just feeling more energetic. Do I miss feeding it? do I balls!!!
I read his book and it didn't help at all.
However, I decided to give up on New Years Day this year and havent' had one since.
I truly believe that your mind turns it into a much much bigger issue than it is. I just kept telling myself that it's pathetic to 'need' to get smoke in me and since the first week I've seen myself as a non-smoker. Long may it last.
However, I decided to give up on New Years Day this year and havent' had one since.
I truly believe that your mind turns it into a much much bigger issue than it is. I just kept telling myself that it's pathetic to 'need' to get smoke in me and since the first week I've seen myself as a non-smoker. Long may it last.
Keep at it lad! It aint easy.
Consider what I did - about 7 weeks without now.
I went cold turkey for the first 4 days... a bloody nightmare... I was angry agressive, pissed off, depressed, stressed, couldn't sleep....
Eventually I got some 2mg Niquitin CQ lozenges from the chemist. They gave me the 'hit' that would normally come from having a cigarette. Don't eat a full lozenge though, just bite off a bit and stick it under your tongue when youi feel like having a cigarette. The craving just goes and you're ok for a while.
No doubt this is replacing one craving with another... so to speak, but don't worry, it's a lot easier to give up the lozenges after a few weeks than it is changing the whole habitual nature of a smoking habbit.
I took some grief off people who thought it a joke that I'd swapped 20 fags a day for 6 lozenges... but I haven't smoked since giving up on Jan 2nd.
Don't go back now! Keep it up, and play what ever games in your head you need to not go back to smoking!
I think it was srebbe64 who posted a list about the excuses smokers give them selves for starting again. Basically you have to get your head straight around the fact that you don't smoke any more, no matter what, it's just not an option.
So, try something that will kill the craving, I found lozenges way more beneficial than patches, and just keep up the mantra.. I don't smoke.... I don't smoke.
Consider what I did - about 7 weeks without now.
I went cold turkey for the first 4 days... a bloody nightmare... I was angry agressive, pissed off, depressed, stressed, couldn't sleep....
Eventually I got some 2mg Niquitin CQ lozenges from the chemist. They gave me the 'hit' that would normally come from having a cigarette. Don't eat a full lozenge though, just bite off a bit and stick it under your tongue when youi feel like having a cigarette. The craving just goes and you're ok for a while.
No doubt this is replacing one craving with another... so to speak, but don't worry, it's a lot easier to give up the lozenges after a few weeks than it is changing the whole habitual nature of a smoking habbit.
I took some grief off people who thought it a joke that I'd swapped 20 fags a day for 6 lozenges... but I haven't smoked since giving up on Jan 2nd.
Don't go back now! Keep it up, and play what ever games in your head you need to not go back to smoking!
I think it was srebbe64 who posted a list about the excuses smokers give them selves for starting again. Basically you have to get your head straight around the fact that you don't smoke any more, no matter what, it's just not an option.
So, try something that will kill the craving, I found lozenges way more beneficial than patches, and just keep up the mantra.. I don't smoke.... I don't smoke.
Nuff respect to those of you coming off the evil weed. Did it myself in October 2004, after being a 20 a day man for 20 years. I decided that I was going to stop for a number of reasons, but the main one was that I wanted to stop on my own terms, rather than go another 10 years, or, even scarier, less (I have just turned 40) and have a doctor tell me I'd better give up or I'll be dead in six months - that sort of pressure would be intolerable.
Anyway, I stopped there and then when that last packet ran out and funnily enough I never felt cravings for one as posters above have. One thing I was adamant about though was to stop when I felt, not on rubbish like New Year's Eve, or No Smoking Day (WTF?), and not to tell anyone either. I hate the thought of every single topic of conversation being whether I was coping, whether I'd felt like one, whether I'd had one, how long was it now and all of that nonesense.
Anyway, I'm whittering now, sorry. But to those that have just stopped, keep at it, and keep strong. If you want a little incentive, at today's prices 20 a day is roughly £150 a month or £1800 a year, and I reckon since packing up I'm about £2.5k better off!
Good luck!
Anyway, I stopped there and then when that last packet ran out and funnily enough I never felt cravings for one as posters above have. One thing I was adamant about though was to stop when I felt, not on rubbish like New Year's Eve, or No Smoking Day (WTF?), and not to tell anyone either. I hate the thought of every single topic of conversation being whether I was coping, whether I'd felt like one, whether I'd had one, how long was it now and all of that nonesense.
Anyway, I'm whittering now, sorry. But to those that have just stopped, keep at it, and keep strong. If you want a little incentive, at today's prices 20 a day is roughly £150 a month or £1800 a year, and I reckon since packing up I'm about £2.5k better off!
Good luck!
bjwoods said:
When someone offers you a fag.... 
Just say I don't smoke ---- NOT i'm giving up..
Big phsycological difference.
B
your spot on (this was the difference in my thinking which has helped)
still no spoking & to be honest no real cravings at all - just a little voice in my head saying 'cig cig cig' or when had meal etc.. 'right now time for a cig' - but again, just finding it amusing each time it happens now
soir said:I did the Allan Carr thing last April - haven't touched one since and have no desire to either.
The reason (maybe a bit premature here) that I’ve since succeeded is because I’ve realised that IT wants a cig and I won’t let IT have one.
You're on the right tracks with that. Just keep reminding yourself that it'll reduce/get easier etc.
Also, you should be entitled to two follow up sessions (within the next 3 months) if you feel you need them - free of charge. Use them, you've paid for them!
All the best though mate - feels great when you've done it.
soir said:yep - I had that for a while too. It wasn't long before it was absurd to be thinking about having a cigarette.
just a little voice in my head saying 'cig cig cig' or when had meal etc.. 'right now time for a cig' - but again, just finding it amusing each time it happens now
You do need to keep reminding yourself why they are basically rubbish.
For a long time (6 months plus) I would leave the house and mentally check "phone, wallet, keys, fags".
I used the Allan Carr book and CD's. Worked a treat.
CD's were good because I ripped them to mp3 and listened to them on the commute to work. I used to smoke about 5 on the way to work..
It was 100 times easier to give up after reading the book. You might need to read it a few times though and really think about why you smoke and what you used to be like before you smoked.
Never give up giving up - that's the main thing.
CD's were good because I ripped them to mp3 and listened to them on the commute to work. I used to smoke about 5 on the way to work..
It was 100 times easier to give up after reading the book. You might need to read it a few times though and really think about why you smoke and what you used to be like before you smoked.
Never give up giving up - that's the main thing.
Sorry I don't have time to read through this topic...but had to say TRY NICORETTE CHEWING GUM!!! Worked for me. I gave up just under a year ago and couldn't have done it without the chewing gum. Only thing was I became addicted to them for six months, but they're a lot easier to quit. Now I cannot stand the smell of cigarettes...it seems like everything I buy off Ebay stinks of cigarettes. Disgusting!
Good luck!!!!
Good luck!!!!
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