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Giving up smoking
Are there many ex smokers here or perhaps you know of somebody who gave up smoking?
Just wondering how this was achieved: e-cigs, arm patches, tablets or whatever?
(P.S. I gave up the real thing 6 days ago myself. On an e-cig plus tabs slowly reducing as I go along with aim of total cessation soon - wish me luck!)
Just wondering how this was achieved: e-cigs, arm patches, tablets or whatever?
(P.S. I gave up the real thing 6 days ago myself. On an e-cig plus tabs slowly reducing as I go along with aim of total cessation soon - wish me luck!)
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Not a very helpful response there. You're obviously a non smoker.
I was asking for opinions from the ex smoker's point of view, thinking mostly about the withdrawal symptoms, how did they cope?
I use skycig.
they really help as I actually get to smoke - all other attempts have failed.
Go for it , treat your body to health .
I associated a cup of coffee with having a ciggie. I couldn't give up coffee but I changed where I drank it ie I'd take my cuppa outside - just a slight change in a pattern to get me away from thinking cuppa = ciggie time.
I had terrible food cravings in the first few weeks, so started buying seedless grapes to scoff my face with, rather than succumbing to chocolate or more savoury snacks.
I agree with this...except I've never gone back. I did it cold turkey and just sipping water from a bottle. This also kept me out the fridge and stopped me putting on much weight. I did gain a bit but lost it all again by the end of the first year.
You have to want to give up smoking,really want to or you will fail.
NRTs will help with cravings(my OH used tabs) but to me the key is to know what your triggers are eg do you always have a ciggie after dinner and to do something to combat those times.
I made myself busy at those trigger times,polished a table,sweep a floor etc etc do something with your hands to take your mind off it until the craving goes away.As time goes by the cravings become less frequent and last for shorter periods of time until you get to the stage where you have to think on when you last had a craving(if that makes sense!)
You know you can do it and I wish you the very best of luck
I had made the attempt to give up using several different methods, but eventually found one (I had to go into hospital and so give up for about a week and when I came out I just shrugged my shoulders and thought 'used to but I have given up').
My best previous attempt was a success for a month, when I decided to allow myself two per day. I kept it up for a couple of months but when I asked a doctor about it he said that it did not work and I must either stop completely or just smoke normally, so I started again.
He was an idiot. The truth about an addiction is that we must each find the method of dealing with it that works for us, and if a method works, that is the right one.
A chap I play poker with had been on patches and gum for well over two years, but recently has come off them and says he is OK now.
I have not had a cig for 12 years but I still sometimes dream that I have started again - I don't think it will ever go away, I am still an addict but I won't smoke again.
I have to say I didnt want to give up really - I did as OH was giving up and I wanted to support him, there was no great desire on my part (though I feel a lot healthier I have to say)
Don't view it as "giving up" that implies you are missing out on something - you are not!
OP, start to look at it as stopping smoking
I am an Allen Carr success story. I read his book in one sitting on 8th May 2011 and I've never had another smoke.
I've never had any cravings, any wobbles or any moments of feeling crabby / moody. I just stopped....
Something in my mind just clicked and that was it.
It did take me 18 months to actually get round to reading the book but seriously that man knew his shit.
Read it.... today
The first month was the hardest, when I was past this stage I found that I stopped thinking about smoking. Went 'cold turkey' for the first three weeks, then I realised the cravings were still there so I would take a boiled sweet when the urge came which certainly helped. I did buy a pack of nicotine gum for emergencies, which I only used twice.
Give up at a time when you know that you're going to be stress free for a few weeks e.g. during your holidays.
Avoid activities that you usually do whilst smoking e.g drinking cups of tea, going on the internet.
Whenever you feel the urge for a smoke eat a bag of crisps instead.
I used patches and an inhalator (via NHS) and you are weaned off nicotine so gently that I would recommend this method to anyone. I finished the full course of patches (which was a couple of months I believe) but used the inhalator a little while longer. Usually with no cartridges in it, I just needed something to fiddle with.
I feel much better, everything about me is better - hair, skin, teeth, sleeping and I am much more relaxed. I am lighter now than I was 10 years ago and very much fitter.
Best of luck. You won't regret it.:)
The approach I took was not to tell anyone that I was quitting, so I wouldn't worry that if I failed my friends and family would be disappointed in me. The last thing you need when giving up is stress/worry!
I didn't go out drinking for a bit as it's so tempting to have a **** after you've had a couple of drinks, especially if your mates are all outside puffing away.
Also I know this bit'll sound weird, but I didn't tell myself I was never going to smoke again, I just told myself I wasn't going to smoke "today" as it feels less huge. Then the next day, you tell yourself you're not going to smoke on that day either and so on and so on. And if you do have a ciggy, you've only failed at not smoking on that day, the challenge of not smoking tomorrow is completely separate, so you can still succeed at that!
Best of luck!
If it doesn't work, get some e-cigs. you may or may not quit while on them, but your health and finance wont be ruined.
Bought an electronic cigarette 4 months ago, not as an aid to give up as that is not their design, just thought it would be healthier, not touched it in 2 months.
this worked for me.
edit: no withdrawal, slight cravings, no moodiness.
That's what my dad did at age 45. Never smoked since. He told me he stopped because he finally wanted to. Previously he tried to stop because he felt he ought to but didn't really want to.
So I guess the basic answer is that you have to want to stop.