purple80

Yeah, I ducked Sorry I disppeared,computer crashed, must have been the shock of me setting a date!
Charlie

Cookie

I used to smoke many many years ago. Both parents were smokers and statistics show that children often follow in their footsteps. Thats incentive No 1 for you! I gave up smoking when I became pregnant for the health of my baby. Its not easy but I suppose the morning sickness helped me out in that department.

When the smoking ban came into effect in Scotland it was the best thing that happened in a long time. No more having to enjoy dining out with smoke wafting about the restaurant/pub (and often right into your face). No more going out for a drink in the evening and coming home smelling like a wet ashtray. It also encouraged people to smoke less or attempt to stop smoking completely. There is also no smoking in Nova Scotia which is great too.

When you stop smoking you have to 'want' to stop. You can't just stick on a nicotine patch and hope you'll stop - you need a great big helping of mind over matter. You have to brainwash yourself. Seek out lots of self-help too and read all you can about it to give you encouragement, support and get tips on what to do when you have a craving. Ban smoking in your house too, even for guests. I abhor the smell of smoke now.

Finally, also think about all the lovely money you will save. It costs a fortune to smoke and you should add it all up on paper then convert the cash into a dream car/house/trip of a lifetime to help give you incentive.

Good luck

Robin (The Gadget family)

Thank you Yes-can-do, I appreciate you coming in and supporting our thread. You are right of course, I do have to want to give up, and you are right on another count as well, my son started smoking last year! Gulp! Thank goodness I don't drink too, or that would be another example that he could follow!

Miss Eck

I was just flicking down thru the forums and seen a smoking thread so had to have a read. I gave up on 1st March and it is the best decision I have ever made and I rarely miss them now. I got to a point where I was on the treadmill and holding on for dear life as I would just be wheezing away!

I live in Dubai, where ciggies are really cheap (about 1 quid a pack) so when it comes to cost there is little incentive to give up unlike in the UK. For me, it was health reasons and also the thought of looking like a wrinkly prune further down the line!! I had that it was becoming increasingly anti-social. Hardly any of my friends smoke, so going to dinner parties was always difficult. Only one colleague smokes, so again on work outings, I would feel like I was sneaking off to have a fix.

I read Alan Carrs book a few years ago whilst on holiday (borrowed from a friend) and found it really hypnotic. I never got to finish the last few chapters and when I returned from hols I never got round to buying the book. I know a lot of people that this has worked for.

To give up I used patches for about a week and also got a thing that looks like a cigarette (made from plastic and has a nicotine flavour, but no actual nicotine). The latter has been a life saver on many occassions. When you give up it is know what to do with your hands. The hardest part of giving up is getting out of the habit. For me once the first 4-5 days were over I did not have any actual cravings for nicotine.

There are times that I still fancy one, i.e. after a meal, getting the smell of one as you walk past someone (strangely, I don't find it too repulsive) or simply watching TV and seeing someone light up. But then I remind myself of how difficult it was to make the decision to give up and finally stick to it. I don't

If you do make the decision to quit and you get cravings, just tell yourself that each craving lasts only 3-5 mins.

Good luck

Robin (The Gadget family)

Oh wow, Miss Eck, thank you so much for contributing such a long and detailed post, and huge congratulations for giving up too.

I really like the idea of having the nicotine flavoured cigarette as a crutch, I could see that really helping with occupying the hands, I'd not heard of that option before.

Good for you, you should feel really proud of yourself, it must be a great weight off your mind. I do live with a lot of guilt about it.

And of course I really want to live long enough to enjoy a long retirement in Canada, with family, kids and future grandkids around me, just from a personal point of view.

Miss Eck

Thanks.

It is always good to get encourgagement from others - so hopefully my post will help you.

I found the nicotine flavoured ciggies here in a chemist; I had never seen them before. In the UK you can get the nicotine inhalator, not sure if you know of this one, but that is also a great product when it comes to know what to do with your hands.

Well, it looks like you really want to give up .. you should just set a date to quit and stick to it. I set a date for 1 Feb but when it came to it, I just had no willpower. Then a couple of weeks later I got angry with myself so then set a new deadline and now I am so pleased that I did stick to it.

It is so nice to be getting back a sense of smell again. In Dubai the flowers do not smell like they do in the UK - when I smoked I could not even smell the flowers - now it is such a difference. It is little things like this you appreciate. Also when you meet someone and they smell like an ashtray, you think to yourself, gosh, I used to smell like that! That is a good enough incentive to stay off them (albeit sometimes when you get the whiff of smoke it is nice).

Once day 3/4 is over with (and you have not killed anyone ) you will feel better .. after 7 days, you will look back and think "wow that was easy" - hopefully.

Everyone on here can offer you support along the way

britishvixen21

You are so right, I gave up Febuary 2nd, been smoke free for 9 weeks and 4 days now!!

I used to patches and they were a god send, Even if you wanted one really bad which was rare you couldnt smoke anyways as its really dangerous if you smoke with them on. I did the full 9 week program and stepped down gradually and it really really worked.

As for setting a date, I didnt do that, quitting has been something I had been thinking about for a while but one day i jsut went into the chemist and bought the patches and my freind stuck one on my there and then. I handed my cigs to the nearest homeless guy and i have never looked back, My OH didnt quit but he has to smoke on the balcony, but it doesnt bother me anymore. I like the smell when he is smoking it, but when he puts it out and comes in eewwww boy does he smell bad!!!

Basically you have to be ready to quit and really really mean it, I just had an epithany that day in the chemist and that was it, my OH lasted 2 days as he really didnt want to quit, but felt the peer pressure to do so.

I am in Toronto where you cannot smoke ANYWHERE and that makes it a lot easier, after July 1st in England you will find it a lot lot lot easier.

The patches are great and the gum although it does taste awful, but hypnosis and all that rubbish, dont bother, will power and some extra help from the chemist will get you through trust me!!

Good luck

Robin (The Gadget family)

I'm still waiting for my epithany then. I assume that you mean some kind of shining light or sudden realization, though I have been hunting for the word and can't find it. I'm not the word police but if I come across a word that interests me and that I don't use, then I go off and look it up. (Too many childhood games of Scrabble with my mum). It's not in my Chambers dictionary or Roger's Thesaurus but it sounds good! Nearest is Epiphany = a realization or comprehension of the essence or meaning of something or someone.
Yep, that's what I need.
Thanks for contributing, and I admire anyone who has managed to give up, I really do, because it's the one thing that I haven't yet been able to do.

Souvenir

Interesting to see the varied reviews of Alan Carr. I read his book in one go about 15 years ago and gave up immediately. No withdrawal symptoms whatsoever. I was off the weed for nine months, until I went to a party.....

Alan Carr died of lung cancer a few months ago. I doubt if he was too upset by that. His work helped hundreds of thouands, perhaps millions, from going the same way.

Miss Eck

Another success story .. well done

I am all for smoke free areas etc. I guess July 1st will encourage a lot of people to give up.

Robin - I was a chain smoker. My DH used to smoke as well but he was sickened by how much I would smoke and kept reminding me that I would die a very horrible death if I did not re-think my lifestyle.

Years ago, my aunt's husband got cancer and had his legs amputated to stop the spread. Later they found that the cancer had spread and he died not longer thereafter. I kept this thought in the back of my mind when I gave up. He was only in his 50's. I look back and think what a waste of a life.

Not wanting to use scare tactics, but stories like this are really sad.

I am sure you will find the willpower and hopefully soon you will be writing on here about your success

Cookie

Well done! Keep up the good work

swoops

Smoker for 30+ years..Now 2 years..11 months..19 days and 17 hrs... ..how sad is that when you know the last time you had a puff..It was always nagging me in the back of my mind about the chest x-rays for the medicals..I went cold turkey..best thing I done for MYSELF and my family..I picked a date on my calendar to stop..I kept telling myself..this is the chance to start a fresh and look forward to the future....best thing to come out of giving up the weed...is when your wife tells you that you smell nice and plus I wanted to take in that Rocky Canadian Air...and thanks Vicki for just being there..

raine66

Just a quick one from me right now, as one way out the door.

I am on day 8 of giving up, for the third time.

I didn't really make a concious effort this time and set a date or anything I just ran out of cigs and decided that there was no time like the present.

Will give more details on why etc when I have more time, good luck to everyone.

Mountain Girl

Good luck in giving up.

We all have our little vices, dont be too hard on yourself.

mad city fan

Hi I am an ex smoker of nearly 7 months and pat myself on the back each morning, as much as for my health I couldnt afford nearly £8 a day as I was smoking 30 a day, like you if theres one thing I would change about my life if I could start over is that id never start in the first place, I think if its in your head to give up then thats at least a start, its hard but not as hard as I thought but just give it a go and see how you go, like they say if at first you dont succeed good luck