duSTI's PA

Hello Everyone

As title really , I'm going to the doctors tonight to get my free NHS patches and to join the "Give up smoking group" .

Has anyone on here given up smoking and how did they find it / cope / ups and downs etc etc . Did you give up sucessfully ??

any tips that you can pass on that worked for you.

Flatcapdriver

I'm now in week three. Week one with patches but very trigger happy in the anger department so binned the patches and am now much better.

Still on the booze though...

TonyFlow

Yup - gave up @ new years, cold turkey - best thing I have ever done (well OK, maybe not THE best thing I have ever done). Feel so much better now!
I thought the 1st week was fairly difficult, but after that, didn't really miss the **** at all!
Good luck m8, keep at it!

duSTI's PA

Hi Guy's

How many were you smoking a day and for how long had you been smoking

drumsterphil

iTrader: (1)

Bloody 'ell Micah! (Mark + Debs and now you!!)

Gave up 4 years ago - really wasn't that difficult to be honest, the 1 st week was trying to find things to keep you occupied when you ordinarily would be having a *** but after that you get used to not smoking pretty quick!

Good luck!

Flatcapdriver

About 30-40 per day. Stay out of pubs for a couple of months and avoid other smokers and you should be alright.

Scoobychick

iTrader: (1)

Gave up four years ago after 25 years of smoking 20 plus **** a day. Did it using just willpower and found it surprisingly easier than I thought it would be.

As Phil says above you do get used to not smoking pretty quickly and after a while it seems crazy that you were ever so addicted to something so bloody expensive and horrible.

Trashman

Quit from 30+ a day 20 months agho. Used inhaler for a while. Did what everyone says fails - cut right down then stopped, and was using inhaler and patches during that time. Have picked a day and stopped before, always started again. Also didn't make anything of it - didn't actually tell anyone until I was well clear so didn't have to put up with people going on and on about it. If I didn't make it - I only had myself to contend with. Wish I had joined the gym when I quit rather than 15 months later though!!

jods

I didn't find patches helpful cos it kept me craving nicotine

I've said it before and I'll say it again - ZYBAN
I had to pay for it but I believe you can get it free on the NHS now.

It was great for me, took it for 3 months, 5 years later I haven't touched a cig AND I don't crave - even when having a cheeky shebert or two!!

joni

Exactly the same for me...except that I had the added incentive of not knowing for five weeks the cause of coughing up blood ....that did it ........burst blood vessel in the throat BTW and nothing smoking related bar the cough the caused it.

leonpoole

I used to smoke about 10 a day and packed in 8 months ago. I found it fairly easy especially after the first 2 weeks. I didn't use any patches or chewing gum just stopped dead. The hardest part for me was when i had a drink and then i would really crave for one.

MBK

Hypnotherapy is a great help to those giving up, only about 5% of smoking is the actual addiction, the other 95% is the habit or feelings associated with the act so join hypnotherapy with the patches and you should be able to give up really quickly. A good hypnotherapist will also help you put positive habits in the place of the old ones and clear any 'reasons why you used to smoke'. Its proven to be over 70% effective. Smoking cessation is a 1 or 2 session solution and prices range from £25-75 per session. Your local NHS providers will hold a list of alternative practitioners and the 'give up group' may also have some details, make sure they are qualified and you feel happy with the person if you do go for it.

I've always been a non-smoker so can't comment from personal experience! I work for the NHS and have seen the standard methods such as patches work along with my interest area of psychotherapy and hypnotherapy. The only people who consistently fail are those who have other reasons to smoke that they are not willing to face or give up (extreme stress or a belief that smoking actually does something positive for them in most cases).

Good luck!

Matt Classic

Hypnotherapy was how I stopped. Smoked for 12 years, then stopped for 3 years but went back to smoking when I drunk, used to do 30 a booze session, so not good every week
Couldn't give up the **** coz I do like the whole drinking and smoking thing. Finally went to see a hypnotist 5 weeks ago, since then not smoked at all and had some massive nights on the sauce as well.
Bizarrely enough I dont even think about it now when I'm drinking.
Was the best £35 I spent, one session of an hour.

I was a massive sceptic of it as well prior to going.

Jaydee5

Sorry but have to take advantage of this thread and brag about how smug I feel!!


Gave up nearly 6 months ago....no patches or any other aids (i have this feeling that they're all just another thing to give up at some point).

On a scale of one to ten, how hard was it? ...this time about 3.

I admit i've tried numerous times to give up before and failed and never knew why. This time..I planned ahead and picked the day I would stop....my head just seemed to be in the right place when the day came.
I convinced myself that my body wouldn't need nicotine after 3 days so it was a case of get through 3 days and then tackle the rest.

I know i said i'm smug about this...and i am....but because I REALLY wanted to stop...it was a lot easier than I thought.

I'm female and vain so I also joined Weight Watchers to maintain my weight...just to make sure I didn't use the possible weight gain as an excuse to give up giving up

Absolutely, definitely possible for anyone to do it....so go for it STI's PA (sp)

Getsum

Quit about three months ago, cold turkey. Well, to be honest, I cut down to 3-4 a day, then quit. It HAS to be something you want to do, if not, you'll start again. I know others who used the pills, patch, and gum. To me, whatever it takes, do it. There's no bragging rights to doing it cold turkey, the most important thing is that you quit. Try to stay around positive people who will support you, not friends who smoke and want to see you fail. Get rid of any excuses to start again beforehand, like matches, ashtrays, lighters, clean out the car too. You want to create an atmosphere around you that is condusive to not smoking.


Do I still crave a smoke? Yes, especially when having a pint (or three!) But it is a passing thought. I can go to the gym now and have a better, more productive, workout without all the gagging on phlem.

Good luck to all who have, and will quit! Lee

MBK

Nice one Matt, great story and exactly what I mean about hypno - can help when there is a link to something else.

Jaydee5 - hypno is also great for keeping your idea shape & size, replace those old habits with new positive behaviours!! Paul McKenna's book I Can Make You Thin, with a Hypno CD is well recommended for fiver from Amazon!

ScoobyDoo555

Not that my opinion (nor anybody else's on a bbs for that matter!) actually counts for owt, but I have the utmost respect for peeps trying to give up the ciggy

I smoked for a while when I was a kid (bit stupid really, as I had asthma!!!), thankfully never got hooked to em.

Can't offer any more than moral support, so the very best of luck - well done!

Dan

Jaydee5

Thanks for the info MBJ about hypno for body shape etc(highjacking the thread..sorry)


Thankfully it hasn't been too bad for me..put on half a stone and folks say i look better for it...just a smaller wardrobe now LOL

I agree with 555....lots of moral support is the best thing to keep you on track.

I had a *weak* moment going into 6 weeks and i came into work one day to a small but beautiful bunch of roses and a *wish you all the best* style card telling me how amazing i was at giving up. Really did the trick for me cos i knew folk were really behind me....never looked back since

Deep Singh

gave up 4 months ago after 20 years. Used the gum. First 2-3 weeks were bad,after that not too bad. Well worth it

mart360

20+ a day man!!

gave up 5 1/2 years ago on no smoking day... along with a certain gay celebrity!! who didnt do it!!!

tried once before during the divorce, but not a good time...

anyway did the cold turkey route.... first 4 days were pretty grim, nausea cramps, shakes... then it was change of venue for meals etc....

i had a deal that 12 weeks after giving up, i would be allowed a pack of cigars for my wedding... done and a bit strong to say the least..

i had every intention on restarting on my honeymoon, to the extent i even scrounged a ***.......

it was bloody awful, and i didnt restart..... even though many of my mates have done...


i even got a job with loads of duty free,s avaialable, and still i have ignored it..

i have only had 1/2 a *** in that time, and that was when a close friend died, even then i only managed 1/2

biggest prob was weight gain, took 12 months just to wean myself off polo mints...


just think 365 days time and you are a non smoker!!!



M

Leslie

Falling off the roof and spending 10 days in hospeital did it for me. Can't recommend it as the best way to do it though.

Good luck

Les

duSTI's PA

Bloody 'ell Micah! (Mark + Debs and now you!!)


I know shocking is'nt it

duSTI's PA

Well what an excellent response from everyone thank you .

I have been a smoker for 19years between 15 to 20 a day and when I lived abroad I was pushing about 30. This is my fist time at giving up and I have been smoke free since 10.30 last, as everyone has said it is about breaking the routine you get into. I was dreading this morning because I always had a cup of tea and a ciggy befor getting ready for work, and the witching hour is nearly upon me 10.30 *** break, but I shall be doing something else instead ( running around the office pulling my hair out no doubt) , My closest friend is on her last day of patches today and has not had a single ciggy since she started so WELL DONE YOU aka The Better Half to RB5 286 .
I'm feeling a little bit tetchey and the patch is starting to itch.

To everyone on here that has offerd advice and encouragement thank you and I will keep an update going which will also intern help to keep me away from ciggy break syndrone.

duSTI's PA

Hi Les

Just a bit drastic for me ( hope your all ok now though )

duSTI's PA

Well done on reaching week 3 ! the patches have just started to itch !!!

duSTI's PA

After reading this last night befor I went to the doctors , I did ask about Zyban unfortunately my doctor is not an advocate of Zyban , he said they have a much higher success rate on patches, I went for patches , but I have heard from others that they were better on Zyban than patches ,I have never been that great on taking tablets to be honest with you .

but thanks and well done

duSTI's PA

You go and be as smug as you like , you have every right to be Well done

TonyFlow

If you remember that it is all about dendrites (basically pathways in your brain that lead to actions/thoughts). Addiction means that one dendrite is larger than another (i.e. I WILL have a ***, and i WILL NOT have a ***), and as brain activity is basically electronic signals, the signals go down the path of least resistance (in the case of smoking, they go down I WILL have a ***!).
With each route down a new dendrite, chemicals are left behind which basically give the dendrite less resistance, and as such, we can train our brains, i.e. the more we DO NOT have a ***, the easier it becomes (and eventually, the DO NOT have a *** dendrite offers less resistance than having a ***, and as such, the addiction is cured!)

Thats the way I looked at it, and I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it, and as soon as 0:01 1/1/2005 came, I was no longer a smoker (i think it is unfair to say you are a smoker trying to give up - if you don't have any ****, you cannot be a smoker!)

Flatcapdriver

Les, humans aren't meant to fly that's why we build aircraft.


Good luck with the patches. I'm still trying to scrape off the glue from my legs.

MJW

Allen Carr's book The Only Way to Stop Smoking Permanently is reputed to be a good help for quitting smoking.