Stopping Smoking

[hectic]

Anybody else giving up today?  I have and its killing me already!

[Grunty]

When I gave up 30 years ago by saving the money for something I really wanted, I found there was one danger point.  When people offered me a cigarete, I would think "Just one then, to see whether I enjoy it".  Then I would buy some to hand them back, and have to start giving up all over again.  It's never too soon to say "No thanks, I don't smoke".

[sunflower68]

Hectic it's such a good move you have made.  I know everyone says it but you will SO notice cashflow differences.  Keep reminding you too of the hassle smoking is these days; all those times you have to put a conversation/work/a meal etc on hold to go and have a puff.  Now you can get on with life.  And I think the habit is the thing to break.  Change your way of doing things too - go a different route to work etc so you don't get reminded of old habits, old places you'd light up.  Good luck. xxx

[gazzawazza]

Magicdice, you say that you enjoy smoking, have you read the Allen Carr book mentioned earlier? 

I've never smoked but picked it up in my sister's house one day.  In the book he explains that people who say they enjoy smoking are really fooling themselves because they don't want to face up to the truth (ie they don't really like it but are addicted to it) and what facing up to that truth really means (that they are going to have to deal with the problem by trying to give up). 

My sister gave up after reading the book and would recommend it to anyone thinking of quitting, whereas my brother-in-law had to resort to that anti-smoking chewy.

Having read a few chapters of the book I would also recommend it but I think you need to approach Friday (and beyond) with a little bit more determination than it sounds like you have in your post!  

All of this said, the very best of luck to anyone who is trying to quit.  Think of the pros and cons of smoking and I really can't understand why anyone starts in the first place.  Best of luck.

[silly moo]

After nearly 40 yrs - up to 25 per day, I''m also trying to give up.
Support from others is good - nasty snide coments NOT good.
So far I've done 2 per day for 5 days, and this is day 4 with no cigs at all.
Good luck.
I'm using patches to start with plus a nicassist fake cigarette.
Eating lots of fruit and chewing lots of gum.
Hope we both make it.

[dmsjps]

Hi hectic, I really hope that you - and anyone else who's trying - succeeds in stopping smoking. You've got past the worst bit: admitting that you want to stop. If you really want to, you can do it and you won't regret it.

 

It's good to hear everyone's experiences of how they stopped because they're all helpful ideas, plus different things work for different people and just because you try something that someone else swears by and it doesn't work for you, that doesn't mean you can't do it because you do want to, so you can.

 

I stopped smoking approx 8 years ago and I don't know if anyone's tried my method, but it was the only one that worked for me. This is really sad, but it's how much I wanted to stop. I waited until the Easter school holidays, when I wouldn't have to ferry the kids to and from school and my husband would be there to look after them and do all the house stuff, I amassed myself a huge pile of books to read, then I went to bed ... for a week! The only reason I got up was to eat, drink, shower, change and do my teeth. After that first week, I could gradually reintroduce myself to normal human life and I've never looked back.

 

Told you it was sad, but I don't care because it worked when nothing else did. The worst thing is, now my 17-year old son is smoking!

 

I really hope you find a way to get through it and become a non-smoker because if you do, you will look back and wonder why on earth you ever started. It's true as well: you do have more money available.

 

Good luck!

[blueeyedlass]

hectic  this is just to ask how you are doing with the no smoking ??????

[silly moo]

How are you doing hectic?
5 days now !