squeezzii

has anyone sucessfully given up smoking, I not talking about the new year resolution people specifically, just anyone who has been sucessfull and what method did you use?

Fly Away

I gave up 12 years ago and haven't smoked since.

I tried the patches etc and they weren't much help. In the end, i cut down gradually from 40 a day to 10 a day. Then I went out with a friend and smoked really heavily that night. I woke up the next morning feeling awful. I decided not to smoke that day. Then the next day and the day after. I bought lots of chewing um and every time I wanted a ciggie, I had a stick of gum instead. After 3 months I felt like a non smoker and didn't need the gum. It was hard but do-able.

Good luck

helena39

Hi,

I gave up a year ago. I used patches for a few days and I was grand after that. For me smoking was just a bad habit so once I broke the cycle I was fine. I have no problems around people who smoke and now enjoy not smelling like an ashtray. Good Luck
Helena

homewardbound

I am going to try the tablets... not zyban but the new ones called CHAMPIX.. my friend gave up after 20 years smoking and 3 people she knows also used teh tablets and they stopped.

I've tried the patches and lozenges - were pretty much useless.

iamthecreaturefromuranus

I gave up seven years ago.... all you need is severe flu, a temp of 100+, hallucinations and a complete inability to smoke for a week unless you wanted to cough parts of your lung up... worked for me anyway

Donna&Neil

Hi yeah I gave up a long long time ago, fell pregnant with my son & just stopped. Now I am not suggesting this as an alternative to the patches, but hey it worked for me.

Wendy

I stopped last March by reading Alan Carr's Easyway to Stop Smoking book. I only bought it to prove it was a load of crap and wouldn't work I read the book in 3 hours, and haven't picked up a cigarette since


Here's the before and after posts and the post in the thread that made me read the book

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showp...07&postcount=9
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showp...8&postcount=12
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...smoking&page=4

I believe Vim also doesn't smoke still

Thanks to Sasbear for her thread, without it I would no doubt still be smoking.

IvanM

I went cold turkey and confronted typical smoking scenarios. I am sure I went to the pub far more at the time and ate lots of bags of crisps. Exercise will also help. I have been smoke free over 10 years.

Confronting the smoking scenarios up front made dealing with them much easier over the following year.

22B

My OH used Champix and has been smoke-free for about 8months.

Even more impressive when you consider that I am still puffing away in front of him!

Pommy Dan

I tried Hypnosis about 2.5 years ago and it kinda worked for about 8 months. Was tough, though.

Smoking slowly creeped back into my life until i was back on 10+ a day.

Started to hate myself for it and knew i had to sitch it so my g/f and i took the plunge on new years day.

threw all ciggie related apparatus out, she got patches and i got lozenges.

is now day 13 and i haven't had a cigarette.

the key, i think i WANTING to stop. If you want to enough, you will. Simple.

the pub smoking ban helps a lot, too...

hitchcock71

whats the difference between zyban and champix

Daydreamer123

I tried zyban when it was on its final trials. I didnt want to smoke, but it had terrible side effects. I stopped the course and started smoking again. A few years later i thought I would not smoke that day and see how long I could last. Came home from work feeling exhilarated, told OH, before he had a chance to offer me one. He thought he would try too, so we just stopped. I think we tricked ourselves into quitting, none of that last smoke stuff, just a surprise quit if you know what I mean.
I didnt particulary want to give, just thought I would see what happens. was tough for a week, strangely it felt like i had lost a friend! I am super stubborn though.

Wol

Thirty five years now.

Just decided one day what a ludicrous thing it is, walking around with a fire a couple of inches from your face, dragging in 3,000 chemicals each breath.

The slightest whiff of smoke now from across a room makes my mouth and throat burn so what it does inside God knows.

krestsaf

Hi All

Well I was not a heavy smoker about 10 a day and always menthol. Been smoking about 10 yrs, university peer pressure and the likes.

Tried in the past to give up, used nicorette gum first, was gross tasting but worked and stopped for about 3 mths before going on holiday to Greece and cheap cigarettes etc.

Tried again year before last with patches, but missed the social side of cigarette break at work and ended up with patches and smoking too.

April 2008, nothing quite like a cancer diagnosis to make you want to quit there and then. I had a liposarcoma in my leg, quit cold turkey and never looked back. Agreed my cancer was not a direct result of my smoking, but why increase your chances of it reoccuring by smoking?

My opinions of smoking have also changed. I dont mean to offend but I managed to quite without help at the most stressful time ever. I have never once complained I need a cigarette etc. I can notice people who now segregate themselves as they are smokers loitering outside pubs, restaurants, hospitals etc. I smell the nicotine of smokers who are in close contact with me and wonder was that how i was. I have no respect for smokers who light up in front of non-smokers, like they have the majority vote, its their choice and others should not have to breath their smoke also.
I can now just see it from another point of view, but when i was a smoker I was oblivious to all around me and just needed that fix.

All I can say is, GREAT JOB all who want to quit. YOU CAN DO IT. just be positive. Put yourself in my position, how would you feel being given a cancer diagnosis tomo. What have u to fight for, and who do you want to win, you or the cigarettes and cancer? Perhaps this may seem extreme, but volunteer one day on a hospital ward or radiology, not all cancers are direct from smoking I agree, but it definately makes you think when listening to peoples stories and seeing thier suffering, I know from experience.

COME ON YOU CAN ALL DO IT - POSITIVE THINKING

homewardbound

Yeah everytime i stop i feel like im losing a friend... through all the good times and bad smokes have been there for me... I treat myself with smokes. ie... I'll clean the kitchen and then I'll have a smoke...

It is very much like losing a BF

Anway once Australia day is over I'm going on the champix!