How do I stop smoking?

[SallyAnne]

What's worked for you?
The 1st 2 weeks I used the patches - they stopped me from crying hysterically and/or screaming/killing etc
After that initial period I hated tabs so much, I didn't even want the patch on.

Do you still get cravings?
Hardly ever. It's nearly 2 years for me, and I LOVED smoking. I really wouldn't touch one now - can't even stand the smell.


What's keeping you stopped?
I know that if I start again I'll never give up. This was my last chance. If I ever start again, I'll die through it. Fact.


Did you set a date and do it?
No - I just did it. And that's the only way to do it.


Did you plan, and/or cut down gradually?
No - cold turkey straight away.


Did you just stop on impulse one day? If so, what was it that gave you such resolve?
It was day 2 of the smoking ban and a group of us were out for my best mates (non smoker) birthday in Newcastle. Pretty much all the group spent the whole night outside pubs, leaving her alone in the pub.
She had a right paddy at the end of the night and loads of people fell out - it was a right mess. Fights and everything.

Then it was like day 4 of the smoking ban, and I was out with my hubby drinking in town. I left him for like the 5th time that night to go outside into the rain to get soaked...the cold had made me sober. Peopel were shoving each other to get th elittle bit of shelter available...it was no fun at all.
I just got so p*ssed off I said that was it and chucked them away.


Did you make it public and thus put pressure on yourself, or quit quietly?
I made it public, and I wore that nicorette patch like a fooking badge!! Short sleeved tops all week - worn with complete pride. It was like it was giving me strenght it being on show.



At the end of the day RH you'll get loads of good advice on here, cause loads of people have been thorugh it. but there's no easy answer.

Do you have faith in yourself?
Do you believe in your own inner strength?
If so, you'll succeed.

It's all about having strength of character, and listening to your brain over your demons. Dont let anyone ever tell you this is easy, cause it isn't - but it IS achievable.

[minestrone]

Gave up with champix, never even wanted to smoke, and think anyone who wants to give up consider it.

Really I only smoked when I drank, maximum 40 a week, but could never give it up, one beer and I was smoking.

[AlfredJPruffock]

Well done Sally - I happened to catch a whiff of tobacco smoke the other day and it almost made me sick. So glad I stopped.

Never again.

[NotAllThere]

Nicotine is one of the most physically addicting substances. An analogue of nicotine is used by your body to stop nerves firing continually. When you smoke, the body stops producing this analogue. When you stop, you've got much reduced levels available, so your nerve impulses don't dampen, so you feel crap.

The physical effect combined with the power of habit is what makes cigarettes so addictive. Nicotine supplements remove the physical symptoms of withdrawal. This makes it easier to break the habit of smoking. When the habit's broken, you can then eliminate the physical dependency on nicotine.

You still need willpower to break the habit side.

[rhubarb]

I gave up 18th July 2003.

Reason for giving up : The company I was contracting for decided to close all their smoking rooms, and paid for "stop smoking hypnotherapy" for all their employees and contractors.

The hypnotherapy was the biggest pile of **** I've ever experienced. I thought I would lay down, fall asleep and wake up an hour later not wanting a fag. Instead I laid there for an hour while this woman talked at me in a dreamy, up and down voice saying stuff like "you do not want a cigarettttttte, they are eeeevillllll".

So, the session finished and I left there fuming at how crap she was. But I had it in my head that THAT was the day I would become a non smoker, so I didn't have one. PLUS she made me throw my nearly full packet of fags in the bin before I left her room. Still pretty narked about doing that. Such a waste.


Anyway. I've not had so much as a puff since then - so you could say the hypnotherapy did in fact work!

Right now I could murder one. Every single day it's getting harder and harder to not have one.

Writing about it has made me want one even more.

Rhubarb.

[original PM]

i did give up but it was just will power at the time.

I have since relapsed and thorughly enjoy a good smoke (always outdoors away from wife and kids!)

interestingly enough I went to visit some of our funeral homes today

out of the 10 bodies currently in situ only 1 was a smoker and died of smoking related diseases - which suprised me!

so according to todays stats 90% of dead people are non smokers and only 10% are - so reach for your tabs and puff away!!!

[ookook]

They do that to me too! Not always nightmares but whenever i wear one at night its always bizarre really vivid dreams without fail.

Snap, totally bizarre weird long vivid dreams, my armchair doctor theory is that the nicotine stimulates you enough to stop you dropping into the final stage of sleep so you stay dreaming.. Although the solution is pretty obvious - take the thing off at night.

[interested]

What's worked for you?
Read the Allen Carr book, didn't work. My g/f made me to go on the Allen Carr course - it's about 4 hours in Raynes Park, cost about £150

Do you still get cravings?
No

What's keeping you stopped?
Just don't want to anymore. I know I'll never smoke again

Did you set a date and do it?
No - walked into the session highly sceptical, thinking 'there's no way you are gonna stop me smoking matey'

Did you plan, and/or cut down gradually?
Stopped that instant

Did you just stop on impulse one day? If so, what was it that gave you such resolve?
Yes, as a result of the session

Did you make it public and thus put pressure on yourself, or quit quietly?

Didn't really publicise it.

I smoked 30 a day for about 10 years and the Allen Carr session (it wasn't actually with the man himself) worked for me. I talked to the bloke after and he said there's only a few central tenets to the whole thing; some of which worked for me and some of which didn't. Apparently the book just repeats these over and over again (I didn't read it). I have not smoked since I left the room, despite the fact I went to the pub immediately afterwards. That was 8 years ago.

Things that I remember worked for me:
1) Apparently nicotine, whilst highly addictive, is only present in your body for a couple of weeks after you stop - after that it's purely psychological. Easy to fix.
2) Something about remembering how awful you felt your first cigarette was; and thinking about how to revert to that state of mind
3) The myth that cigarettes de-stress you. It was explained to me, but I can't remember exactly how.
4) Actually enjoying smoking - the guy got into a discussion about whether it was the cigarettes you actually enjoyed or what you actually did; ie you enjoy a tab with the first cup of tea of the day; after lunch, with a pint etc; but you don't necessarily enjoy the other 15 tabs a day if you really think about it.
5) Patches, gum, cutting down etc is all bollox. It doesn't work.

[ruth11]

The main thing is to WANT to. And I mean REALLY WANT to.

I want to. And it's not enough.

I smoke only about 3-4 a day, a few more when I go out, but never more than 10. Really light smoker in the grand scheme of things, but I can't stop.

I find patches have helped before when I've tried, to take the edge off it, but at the end of the day, it's the act of smoking that I enjoy so much. I've tried hypnosis - I wanted it to change my thoughts so that I didn't want to smoke any more. It didn't.

When I smoke, I want to quit, because I have to use my asthma inhaler daily now, whereas I know that as soon as I quit, within a couple of days, I won't need it at all. But as soon as I stop, I think "Why the hell am I denying myself this pleasure? - I don't smoke enough for it be dangerous" (yes, I really convince myself of that!)

I was going to quit a couple of months ago and then I bought tickets to the Download Festival. I convinced myself there's no point giving up now cos I'll never go the whole festival weekend without smoking.

It's a circle that I will keep going round and round in until finally, one day, I will REALLY WANT to - and then I fully believe that it will just happen. As long as the strongest feeling I have is "I don't want to smoke any more", I'll do it. But right now, that's simply not the case.

Maybe I'll give those Champix a go when I try again - they seem to have good results and my Doc already said they'd prescribe them for me when I really want to try again.

Good luck however you do it.

[realityhack]

Cheers for the responses so far.

I have the Allen Carr book, I have an unopened packet of Champix at home, I have gum, I have the reasons to quit - but I'm not looking forward to the experience. Last time I tried I was an utter b'stard to be around and felt gnarly for about 2 weeks. Also - I had 'brain fog' for a few days, couldn't really focus on anything, felt like I was stoned at it's worst.

Maybe I should read the book. Ironically I lent it to someone who actually read it and quit that day onwards (and is still on the wagon after 5 years).