Giving up smoking....

[Mannginger]

Any hints and tips?

Am very reluctant to go the patch/substitute path as I feel I will just get addicted to those instead.

[danger mouse]

mmm... cold turkey

[Big_M]

Well done mate - did it myself many many years ago and for several years after still craved a ciggie.

I always had coffee and a fag - so I gave up coffee as well and had tea instead. Look at the situations when you smoke and try and avoid those situations ie Pub, after a meal, etc and find something else to do.

[beano1197]

Record how many £££s you have saved. I went for with my savings!

Edited to say: one day I'll get the picture posting thing right!

>> Edited by beano1197 on Wednesday 20th November 18:22

[Mannginger]

beano1197 said: Record how many £££s you have saved. I went for [pic] www.fotango.com/p/eba00175610f00000003.jpg [/pic] with my savings!

Jesus - what were you on 200 a day???!!

[beano1197]

No - more than that, have to cover the petrol costs too!!!!

[Mannginger]

Big_M said:

Well done mate - did it myself many many years ago and for several years after still craved a ciggie.

I always had coffee and a fag - so I gave up coffee as well and had tea instead. Look at the situations when you smoke and try and avoid those situations ie Pub, after a meal, etc and find something else to do.

Am in the same situation - keep trying to tell myself that I can become a "social" smoker and only hit the tabs when I've been drinking, but I know that's not going to work

Have to go out tho - am at uni, would be like trying to go without water.

Cold turkey is the way to go I think - but my flatmate doesn't want to give up yet - git - and it's very hard to go without when you know there are cigs in the house

I think I'm just weak!!

How long did it take you to stop? And how many attempts?

[johnelliott]

There is a big secret about giving up smoking, and I'm going to tell (I gave up about 10 years ago). What is the secret? It's this- giving up smoking isn't difficult, it's easy. You just stop. The problem most people have is that they are obsessed with smoking, and they believe that it is very difficult to stop.When they find that it is easy, they don't believe it, and they start to imagine that they are in fact suffering badly and get so confused that they have another fag while they are thinking about it.
The Alcoholics Anonymous people know all about the obsession aspect of addictions, and have some interesting stuff to say on the subject.

John

[ErnestM]

Big_M said:
... Look at the situations when you smoke and try and avoid those situations ie Pub, after a meal, etc and find something else to do.

Sorry, but I am not going celibate no matter how good it is for my health!

"Do you smoke after sex?"
"Dunno, I've never looked..." Badum bum...

ErnestM

[mel]

Be warned I don't think the "craving" ever fully goes however high and mighty all the ex smokers get. I gave up about 8 years ago after an accident that left me with a torn lung and only one good one. About a year ago I had the urge to have a social cigar thinking it's not that bad, Now every time I go on the piss I smoke cigars at the same pace others do cigerettes

[apache]

it does mel, I stopped after I saw my father in law having a heart attack 15 years ago....I think you need a good incentive or be able to switch yerself off to it....can't stand the smell now though

[mrs brazzi]

Hi everybody, this is my first post but hubby's been doing this for a while so I thought I'd look in from time to time.

I stopped smoking 8 months ago but knew I'd need some help as I have tried cold turkey in the past and always caved in. I went straight onto nicotine gum which I thought tasted disgusting! Then I tried the flavoured gum, and found the one that suited me was fruit flavoured!!! Surprisingly I found I could make do with the lower strength, 2mg.

I wouldn't recommend trying to do it quickly, just try another form of nicotine until you get used to not actually smoking. Then it took me another month to ween myself off the gum, but I've been nicotine free for about 2 months now.

Mrs B

[Mannginger]

mrs brazzi said: Hi everybody, this is my first post but hubby's been doing this for a while so I thought I'd look in from time to time.

I stopped smoking 8 months ago but knew I'd need some help as I have tried cold turkey in the past and always caved in. I went straight onto nicotine gum which I thought tasted disgusting! Then I tried the flavoured gum, and found the one that suited me was fruit flavoured!!! Surprisingly I found I could make do with the lower strength, 2mg.

I wouldn't recommend trying to do it quickly, just try another form of nicotine until you get used to not actually smoking. Then it took me another month to ween myself off the gum, but I've been nicotine free for about 2 months now.

Mrs B

Thanks for the advice Mrs B, and everyone. Will just try and stick to my guns now.Who knows, maybe in 20 years I will be able to afford a drive in a TVR (still dreaming!!)

[Cotty]

I have tried many times to give up smoking. I think the best thing to do is keep trying until you succeed be it patch, gum, cold turkey etc.

I tried one form of acupuncture where they stick 22 yes 22 needles in you and leave you hooked up to a machine which sends pulses of electricity into two needles in your ears for half an hour. Now I don’t mind needles but I really fancied a cig after an experience like that.

I have read Allen Carr’s Easy Way To Give Up Smoking and did give up for a few days but a girl at work went to one of their seminars and has not smoked since. Its £150 but think what you will save in the long run. I am going to try it myself to help my new years resolution.

Good Luck

Paul

Ps I found the patches really good as you forget they are there.

Pps no gags about putting the patches over your eyes so you cant find your cigs

[Imelda]

Giving up's easy.

I've done it four times now.........

[Mannginger]

Has anyone tried hypnotism? There are a few places near me that advertise and I am sorely tempted - I admit I am a bit sceptical though. If anyone has tried it and it worked - let me know and I'll book myself in - anything for the easy way out eh?

[jmorgan]

I've given up more times than I care to remember. Whilst working and not near a boozer I'm OK. Evening off and a few tinnies and I'm out the back doing chimney imperesions.
Anoying thing is I work in a job where there can be a lot of pressure and I don't feel like a gasper after a stressful drive to a location and meeting on air times.
Must be the booze?

[sp60]

It's easy to stop smoking.
As long as you remember you can start again whenever you like, it doesn't seem so bad!

[Simonelite501]

Which ever method you choose, I hope it works for you. Personally, I believe that you must really want to stop, not just think you should, but really want to, or you have little chance of sucsess. I gave up 7 years ago, when my wife became pregnant. The decision was based on the well being of my child, a bigger insentive than any other I would imagine. I just stopped, half way through a pack,just binned the rest. Minimum of 40 a day to zero in one foul swoop. It wasn't easy, and sometimes I still would love a drag, but after so long it would be a shame to give up giving up. Best of luck, Simon.

[williamp]

I had an ex once who was trying to give up. She had a good idea..

If she smoked, say 15 a day she would take an empty packet and put 14 in it. Then used her will power tro keep to 14 in that day.If she went out was stressed or whatever, she would stick to those 14. Then, after w while, she went to 13 and so on.

But like the other person said, what works best if best for you.