Help to stop smoking please.

[Frenchieboy]

OK Guys, before anyone says it I know I have no-one to blame but myself and that I am slowly killing myself (Well maybe not quite so slowly) and I will openly admit that I have a terrible lack of willpower! I have stopped smoking twice in the past, both times with the help of the doctor, but have started again a few months later. The first time I stopped I used the "Nicorette" patches combined with the cigarette style inhalator and the second time I used the tablets. I got on fine with the patches and the inhalator but found that it took a lot of determination. The tablets worked fine but they caused havock with my sleep (Nightmares etc.) and caused some terrible mood swings which my poor wife was often on the receiving end of (It was only verbal). Both times I was "helped" by my doctor and the second attempt was also with the help of a "stop smoking councellor" who I found very patronising.

I am now at the stage where my smoking has gone up to such a state that I am far too embarrassed to say how many I am smoking each day. I know that this is seriously damaging my health (As well as my finances) which is not all that good at the best of times. It really dawned on me last night when I was out lamping. The permission I was on is very hilly and I walked up to the top ( a matter of about half a mile, all up hill) to where I knew that I would find a few rabbits and a fox or two. The only problem was that when I got to the top and put the lamp on a rabbit I was puffing and panting so much that it was inpossible to take a shot for over 5 minutes and within walking another 100 yards or so it was the same again! I gave up on the session, sat down and thought about my situation and what I was doing to my health which almost left me in tears. (My older brother had to have a lung removed last year because of lung cancer which, I hasten to add was not smoking related)

I am at my whits end now. I don't realy want to go back to the doctor and ask for help again as it is too embarrassing after he "bent over backwards" to help me last time I gave up.

PLEASE, can anyone offer any suggestions or help that might help me to stop smoking permenantly? Serious suggestions and help please, silly comments are not going to do any good as I feel bad anough about it already.

[docholiday]

Go back and see your doc for more help dont worry about it if he is a half decent GP ( and he sounds as if he is) he will be only to happy to support you, with your familly history please give up..........good luck you will find a way

Doc

Edited October 14, 2009 by docholiday

[Evil Elvis]

Youre already half way there in mentally deciding enough is enough....your gp shoud help again. its in his interest NOT to have someone on his books with chronic obstructive airways disease!!!! You may well still end up with it to some degree later but by stopping now now you will reduce that risk. Easy for me to say as a non smoker..........good luck. Speak to Mungler...he used some hypnosis dvd i think

[Alpha Mule]

Keep trying! I've lost count how many times I've tried and failed. I've been fag free since August last year now. I decided the big day for me was my son's birthday.

The Doc will help you again, it's his job. His attitude may also be part of his 'therapy'. Making you feel sheeite about smoking may be his way of encouraging you. He may well have had a hard time giving up too.

 

Which pills were they? There are a few different ones out, so you may not suffer so badly with a different one this time.

 

Take it one fag at a time. Looking at the rest of your life without one can be a bit daunting, try making your wait for your next one last just another 15 minutes and when that 15 minutes is up, try to make it last another 15 minutes,,,,,,

[al4x]

the big thing is really wanting to stop after that you just have to do it, cold turkey seems the most effective way, all the nicorrette ******** does is replaces it and draws the process out longer and makes it easier to fall back on something.

[Mungler]

Have a look here:

 

http://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/ind...&hl=smoking

 

The starting point is that you have to realise that:

 

1. the addiction is purely mental - physical addiction passes within 2 weeks.

2. you don't *need* to smoke to get on with your life; it doesn't actually help you at all e.g. in relieving stress or sorting you out first thing in the morning with a cup of tea

3. giving up is not depriving you of something you enjoy - this one was key for me; having stopped before for a year, but whilst thinking every day of that year "I really like smoking, I wish I could have a cigarette today" it was only going to be a matter of time before I fell off the wagon and had one. Once you give yourself permission to fall off the wagon once, it become easier to fall off again, and again and then all of a sudden you are smoking full time again

4. watch the Alan Carr DVD it is an eye opener

5. you don't need patches or nicotine ventilators - you are just shifting the addition to another form. Also, I bet in 10 years it will be proven that the nicotine replacement products are as toxic as smoking itself.

6. once you have worked out all of the above, you will realise that (a.) you actually neither enjoy nor need to smoke and (b.) you can never have a cigarette again (but if you do it right, you want actually want one).

 

Once I had "worked it out" in my head, I felt quite daft for being mugged off generally about smoking. It's probably the most stupid thing I have done (and carried on doing).

 

There's no point going on about the health aspects because they are so well known. Given that the early smokers who never knew and were never told of the link between smoking and cancer are long dead, there's not a smoker in any cancer ward in this Country who doesn't / didn't know that smoking is rather bad for you.

 

Now, **** off and sort your head out. You don't need the doctor and you don't need patches.

 

I would start with the Alan Carr DVD and if you are serious you can pop out this afternoon and buy yourself one.

 

EDIT:

 

I should add that my stopping smoking was not purely the Alan Carr DVD. The starting point can be credited to Evil Elvis and a chest X-ray : I believe the diagnosis was "early degenerative changes" and I am 37.

Edited October 14, 2009 by Mungler

[Frenchieboy]

Thanks for that Evil Elvis! I will PM Munger straight away as I am prepared to try anything.

This is not meant as a stab at anyone at all but I wonder if non smokers truly realise how hard it is for smokers to stop! I NEED to stop, I know that I am steadily killing my self but I feel powerless to do anything about it. That might sound like a defeatist statement, but that's the way I feel right now! The only reason that I have not approached my doctor again about it is through embarressment! It's ripping me apart when I think of what I am doing to my body. I don't want to die before my time, not so much for me but for my wife and my loved ones!

[DaveB916]

I gave up after my young son came home from school having had a lecture on how bad smoking is for your health. he begged me to give up and said he would even give up his pocket money. It was such a plea there was no contemplation required, I gave up the next day.

 

Wasn't easy but.......... I also put £5 a day in the gun cabinet it is amazing how quickly it will turn into a new gun !!!

 

 

 

 

Dave B

[bignoel]

i have tried so many times my gp wanted me to go to group meetings but explained i cant do group meetings looking at pic's to put me off we all know what smokeing does for us . and talking wont take the erge away was told that a tablet form treatment is very good champix i think its called hopeing to try .keep trying buddy

[Guest stiv24]

I've been there too. I agree with EE get back to the doctor. I also gave up with the doctors help using the tablets. It is hard work but stick at it.

 

I had a tough time giving up and only the memories of that keep me off the fags now. I know that if I started smoking again I wouldn't be able to stop. I've been smoke free for 6 years and I was on 30 a day often waking in the night for a smoke.

 

It can be done, best of luck

[Frenchieboy]

It's the Champix tablets that I used last time. They did work but as I said, they seriously disturbed my sleep patterms and gave me horendous nightmares!

[100milesaway]

I went from smoking sixty a day to none. Firstly, you have to really want to stop, not wish you could but really want to.Next set a date , not a soon date, but a date like April 1st, very relavent, gives you something to set you off. Pills, potions , shrinks won't help, just little old you really wanting to stop. Worry beads are excellent for keeping the fingers busy.Your house ,clothes ,hair ,breath,car,won't smell anymore, and let me just let you into a secret, most smokers think they smell of ciggy smoke, well you don't, you smell much ,much worse. Hope this helps and Good Luck !!!!!!!!!!!!

[Chard]

Elvis is right, Frenchie. the difference this time is that you want to quit. I found it impossible to give up over the years, when I just felt that I "ought to". But 5 years ago, I reached the stage where I knew I wanted to stop, like you, health and finances were my concerns.

 

Cold turkey is the only way as far as I'm concerned, but having seen the Alan Carr DVD (after I'd quit), I can imagine that that could work, if you go along with it to the letter.

 

Watch your weight though. I put on between 3 and 4 stone :unsure: so I have replaced being out of breath because of knackered lungs with being out of breath dragging excess weight around .

 

It's been 5 years now and I know I'll never smoke again, I don't miss them at all, despite frequently being in the company of smokers.

 

Good luck with it

[Mungler]

Wot he said

[hodge911]

could always do it the way my mum did .................

 

she had a fall broke her hip and was in hospital for 6 weeks result of 6 weeks cold turkey she never touched another fag and was much better off financially aswell as she was quite a heavy smoker there is also loads of other +s to packing in

1 health

2 finances

3 your house,clothes etc wont smell of them etc.

all joking aside mate i DO REALLY hope you manage to kick them

GOOD LUCK !!!!!!!!!

[peck]

I am currently in the process of giving up, the thing that i use are the niccorette lozenges, 4mg, they are the only thing that has helped me, i have smoked since i was 14, i am now 60. i used to smoke a 1/2 oz of old holborn every day without filters.

 

NOW THIS IS THE IMPORTANT BIT.

EVEN IF YOU SUCCUMB TO HAVING A FAG KEEP TAKING THE LOZENGES AND KEEP TRYING TO GIVE UP. REMEMBER HOW MANY YOU USED TO SMOKE AND THEN SAY WELL I HAVE HAD ONE FAG TODAY, MAYBE I WILL HAVE ONE TOMORROW BUT KEEP TRYING AND DO NOT GIVE UP GIVING UP, YOU MAYBE WILL HAVE 2 0R 3 A WEEK BUT THE LONGER YOU CAN GO THE BETTER.

i find the lozenges good because it keeps my mouth occupied and is feeding me nicotine at the same time,

you sound like me, as if you are addictede to nicotine, its ok everyone saying just give up but its not that easy as we know. keep taking the lozenges and keep trying, even if you have one fag keep on giving up.

 

LAST POINT.

DO NOT BUY ANY FAGS, SCROUNGE ONE IF YOU HAVE TO BUT DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES HAVE ANY IN STOCK OR YOU WILL SMOKE THEM AND YOU WILL BECOME DISSILUSIONED AND START AGAIN.

 

REMEMBER YOU HAVENT SMOKED YOUR LAST FAG YET SO GET THAT INTO YOUR HEAD AND I HOPE THESE FEW WORDS HELP.

Edited October 14, 2009 by peck

[al4x]

hate to say it Peck but you won't be successful, until you say I'm not having another thats the only way.

[yanibaby]

Try the Champix again (I'm assuming that's what tablets your Doctor gave you) My husband went through the same thing, the nightmares and mood swings etc, but you really do need to just put up with it (easy for me to say, I know!) - explain to your wife beforehand that you need her support, and apologise in advance for any moodiness - she'll understand. My husband's first two attempts with the Champix failed, mainly due to his willpower and not really wanting to quit, and he started smoking again once he'd stopped taking the tablets. But his third attempt was more successful, mainly because his whole attitude towards his health etc changed - this time he actually wanted to stop... and you're clearly in that place now, so get back to your GP and just work at it. Good luck!!!

[Chard]

hate to say it Peck but you won't be successful, until you say I'm not having another thats the only way.

 

 

You got that right, chap. I'm afraid there's only one thing I can be sure of about Peck's post and that is that it's got "FAIL" written all over it.

 

There's no such thing as cutting down, it's temporary. If you haven't stopped, you won't quit.

[Frenchieboy]

That's very true al4x, but unfortunately it is much easier said than done for some people (Myself included).

p.s. Please do not take that remark the wrong way, it's not pointed at you or anyone in particular, it's just that some people just don't understand how hard it can be for some people to give up smoking a times.

Anyway, I haven't had one for a few hours now. That might not seem like long to most of you but for me it is an achievement as I have been smoking well over 50 a day up to now!

[al4x]

oh believe me I do Frenchie, I had an ex who smoked at your level and it was killing her she knew it so been there and watched it and she did it, you wouldn't believe how ill she was for a week and it slowly got better apart from the other cold type bugs she seemed to get at a drop of a hat for months afterwards. She had tried everything and if you replace it with anything or still think if i'm desperate I can have another it won't work. If you're to have any success you have to stop, I'd say get out shooting or do anything to avoid sitting and thinking about it. It does amaze me how people can afford to smoke 50 a day apart from anything else as thats a similar figure to my mortgage

Edited October 14, 2009 by al4x

[BlaserF3]

I smoked for 41 years and stopped on 01/01/2006. At work I have about 40 steps to climb and one morning in November when I reached the top I could hardly breath. I went back home and my Wife took me to Hospital as I thought I was having a heart attack and I felt as if I was going to pass out.

 

They checked everything and is was just my lung capacity that was low so I promised everyone that I would stop smoking on New Years Eve.

 

I went to see the Nurse and was given some 12hr patches. At 23.50 on New Years Eve I had my last stinking fag and I have not had one since.

 

I kept using patches for 21 days then stopped using them.

 

But I never once thought about wanting one and that is the difficult part to overcome.

 

Mentally you have to sort yourself out.

 

Like Chard I put about 3 stone on in weight and it's hard to get rid off but fags will kill you and now I cannot stand the smell of someone smoking one or someone who has just had one.

[Frenchieboy]

You are of course perfectly right there al4x! While the "dominating" factor for me is the health side of it the money I have been spending each year could easily have paid for a good quality 22-250 rifle to replace my old BSA, a top quality scope and a good moderator.

I will openly make a promise here and now - If I can successfully give up permenantly I will put by at least £10.00 per week into a "Better Gun Fund" and treat myself to better gun for Christmas 2010!

That isn't making it sound any easier for me but it is even more incentive!

[leaseone]

I went on Champix in March2009 and have had ONE drag since(total ****) and made me feel sick and dizzy so i wont be doing that again.

 

I agree it is hard but you still have to keep trying

 

I was smoking 40 a day, and now I can breath between clay stands rather than puff out of breath, my hands feel warm as well.

[Mungler]

You have to fix your mind first. The physical addiction passes in 2 weeks. The rest is in your head.