giving up smoking (helpless case!)

[irf]

help!

i genuinely think i'm a hopeless case, if i speak to someone about giving up i tend to light up

been smoking since i was 14 and am approaching 40, not sure i even enjoy it although i definetly love the idea of being able to light up sometimes.

i'm such a hopless case that i read allen carrs book on how to give up, understood it, agreed with it and lit up within 2 hours.

if anyone was to say, easy to stop, just dont light up, i'd fully agree!

i've got many many reasons to give up, a 4 year old son who copies everything daddy does (i dont smoke in front of him), the expense, i'm even thinking that i may have to sell my car and for anyone that knows me would know how that would affect me.

giving up would make a MASSIVE difference. can anyone help?

[vit4]

Not sure if this is of any help, but I found since switching to roll ups from normal cigarettes I smoke a fair chunk less (and save a packet). Just can't be arsed to roll up 'for the sake of it'.

[southpaw]

Champix.

[firman]

southpaw said:

Champix.

This! I gave up using Champix ans have no cravings ever, My friend went cold turkey (boasts about it) and still gets cravings.

[anonymous-user]

Im gonna go to the doc and ask for these, desperate to give up have tried everything except these, I found the Allan Car book good for a couple of months but that was it

Did you guys notice any side effects with the champix?

[thepeoplespal]

southpaw said:

Champix.

If you can go through the hassle of getting it, I've seen quite a few chronic cases come off the fags. You are actually supposed to take it for up to 6 months, even if you think you have entirely stopped. If you do light up under stress or a moment of weakness you derive no benefit from the nicotine and are much less likely to fall off the wagon and go back smoking.

There are plenty of people who have stopped spontaneously using it, but you can't have it at all if you have a history of depression and as long as you are aware of that and stop if you have this side-effect you should have a reasonable success with Champix

Edited by thepeoplespal on Sunday 15th May 17:51

[southpaw]

No side effects for me, I was actually happier as I knew it was working and was breaking the habit! Plus spending less time standing outside in the wind/rain/snow

[Cheese Mechanic]

Go to your GP and explain what you wish to do..and of course explain why you want to give up.

I stopped with Zyban. That is what they used before Champix, has more side effects though.

Can never have a ciggie again though, or a joint. It wakes up the receptors if you do..takes you back to day one.

Don't think about it, get down the quacks!

Oh yeah, I had the tablets near 3 months before I started them..time has to be right, you see.

[irf]

i'd never even heard of these before

sounds good, if i've got it right, get on these tablets, it takes away your craving and even if you do have a cigarette you dont feel any benefit?

need to make an appointment with my GP i think, probably take 2 weeks before that will happen but definetly something i'll do!

thanks everyone.

[Bing o]

Just man up and quit. It stinks, it looks common, it costs a packet and it will most likely kill you in several unpleasant ways.


(ex-smoker here who wishes I hadn't spent thousands on killing myself over the years)

[Vieste]

You do know Champix sends you mad ?

[N Dentressangle]

Champix or Zyban

then



+

http://whyquit.com/


You'll do it when you're ready to, and when you really want to. No-one's an irretrievable addict. I found the 'whyquit' site with its little readings and videos immensely helpful. I thought Alan Carr was mostly a tt who had conned me out of some money. But hey, it's whatever works for you!

[Antony Moxey]

I was a 20 a day man (Marlboro reds too) for 20 years, but when I decided enough was enough I just stopped (well, I finished off the duty-frees first, no sense in wasting them and besides, what more harm could an extra couple of packets do?) and haven't had one since. That was about six years ago. Yeah, I know, smug b**tard.

Anyway, OP, please don't take this the wrong way, but are you sure you actually want to give up, or do you just want someone else to give up for you? I would say an awful lot of it is down to will power, and think if you really want to then you will. Easy to say I know, but I can't help feeling that all of these no smoking aids are just taking away your own responsibility for doing it yourself and that it's too easy to give in and blame whatever it was you were trying.

Sorry if all that sounds harsh, and this is a genuine question as I found it easy to give up meself, but could it be as simple as MTFU? One thing I would say though is don't make a big thing of giving up, doing it on No Smoking Day or as a New Year resolution and don't tell anyone - the only conversations you'll ever have is about how long it's been since you had a fag and how difficult is it, plus you'll always get idiots offering you a smoke just to test you.

Good luck anyway!

[no comment]

Threads like this make me smoke more

[davepoth]

If you're smoking loads a day you are going to find it hard to stop quickly. Even smoking one cigarette a day less is going to make a difference, so start there. Make a conscious effort to wind down the number of cigarettes you're having - for example going from two in a lunch hour down to one will help.

If you can try and make changes to your daily routine so that the spots where you always smoke aren't there any more (perhaps immediately after dinner; if you change the routine so you do the dishes straight after rather than smoking straight after, you've straight away gone ten minutes more without smoking) you'll also drop a couple of ciggies out of the daily run.

You'll find it easier to stop from a low base that way.

[irf]

thanks fellas, i am taking it all in, i think it really is a case of MTFU and get on with it.

i probably am finding excuses not to give up but i really do HAVE to give up!

reading these type of threads do give me motivation, then i find myself making excuses and within 20 minutes after having an argument with myself in my head i've got a fag in my mouth!

i need to set a date and just get on with it.

[Bing o]

Don't set a date, do it today and see how much better you feel and smell in a week.

[Jem0911]

As above.
Pick a day. I did Christmas day three years ago.
I used the gum for a morning it was minging.
I bought normal gum used it for week got lock jaw.
Haven't smoked since and won't again.
It's all in the mind fraid to say.

If you WANT to give up it's doable.

Sadly I have also used the same technique to give up drinking.

So I now do neither.

Living on the edge baby!

[irf]

you know what the stupid thing is? (excuse time again i know but just saying)

people talk about giving up and failing after 1-2 days, a week, 2 weeks, 3 months etc etc but for me i would genuinely be pretty pleased with 5-6 feckin hours!

i'm gonna give it a day or two, maybe start from tuesday or wednesday morning, give me time to psyche myself up and just get on with it.

[Antony Moxey]

Also, get rid of everything to do with smoking too - matches, lighter, ashtrays etc - you want to make it as difficult as possible to start up again.