Packing in the Fags.

[Dougy]

4 hours ago, Hamster said:

Very true, I seem to crave the habit as I don't smoke at home or work or at all unless I happen to have a gun in my hand  then the desire to complete the happy picture becomes compulsive. It's breaking the habit of associating one with the other rather than the nicotine itself as the ones I get are really thin low tar stuff, when I occasionally get given a normal cigarette I sometimes wonder how people can smoke them regularly. 

It was a pint with me, my maximum beer intake is 2 pints, and that could be over 3 hours so not really the landlords best customer. But I just craved for a smoke or 3 when drinking.if I didn't drink then I didn't smoke. I reduced my nights out from every night either after foxing or just a brake from the house to just 3 nights. This broke the habit to a point that I can go out, have a pint and not crave for the fags. They have been replaced though with a bag of spicy nobbies nuts now and again. 

[Rewulf]

23 hours ago, Scully said:

Unfortunately yes. I amoked at least 20 a day for about 30 years. 

Getting your head right is the answer. ‘Giving up’ implies to your brain that you’re sacrificing something, you’re not . The only sacrifice is the one you make whilst you’re smoking, namely to your health and your wallet. Once you’ve made up your mind to ‘stop’ then you’ve done it. 

Its all in Mr Carrs’ book. 

Dont wait for that moment of euphoria because it doesn’t happen; all that happens is you get in with your life as a non smoker. 

I was so excited and happy when I stopped, that I went to the pub to celebrate. The sense of freedom sitting there with a drink watching others smoke, and knowing I’d stopped, was wonderful. 

I too smoked about 20 a day for about 20 years, the weird thing was , I had no urge to smoke while I was at work, but as soon as I got home, or went to the pub,that was it.

I knew it was bad for me, but it was like a 'reward' situation.
Eat something, have a fag.
Something stressful happens , have a fag.
Get a drink in, have a fag. 
Go to bed, have a fag first.
In my rational mind, I knew it was stupid, cigarettes killed both my parents through cancer.

Once Id got my head straight, I convinced myself it was detrimental to my health, had NO benefits to me socially or mentally, and costs aside, was just stupid and disgusting.

12 years on, I still think like that, I had a week of patches at the beginning, but they really irritated my skin.But it really is mind over matter.
Very very occasionally, if Im with someone whos smoking (the smell doesnt actually bother me ) Ill have a quick pull to remind myself how horrible it actually is .

As an aside, I know people who have used the ear stitch thing (chinese medicine) and it has been very very effective.
One person pulled his own stitch out because he wanted to smoke, and couldnt physically do it with the stitch in.
 

[Scully]

1 hour ago, Dougy said:

It was a pint with me, my maximum beer intake is 2 pints, and that could be over 3 hours so not really the landlords best customer. But I just craved for a smoke or 3 when drinking.if I didn't drink then I didn't smoke. I reduced my nights out from every night either after foxing or just a brake from the house to just 3 nights. This broke the habit to a point that I can go out, have a pint and not crave for the fags. They have been replaced though with a bag of spicy nobbies nuts now and again. 

During one of the many times I tried to stop ( before the book convinced me there are no withdrawal symptoms ) I convinced myself that I would only smoke the occasional cigar when in the pub. It wasn't long before I was waiting for the days work to end so I could get home, have my tea, then go to the pub EVERY NIGHT  just so I could have a smoke, and ended up chain smoking cigars. My OH pointed out it would be cheaper to start smoking again, so I did. 

There are times when I pass a smoker and get a whiff of smoke and think 'mmm, that smells nice', and other times when I think it smells awful, but I never crave a smoke at all. When I was nursing my dear Mam in bed as she lay dying from lung cancer, I would now and then light her a fag when she got the urge for the very thing that was killing her. The taste in my mouth was awful and would go and brush my teeth. 

I feel for those shop and bar staff I see outside shops and pubs, cowering from the cold and wet in a doorway, dragging on a fag. They're not enjoying it; they're just getting their fix before going back in. I think to myself...'thank god I don't have to do that anymore'. 

Every now and then I dream I've started smoking again; it's such a relief to wake and realise it was only a dream.  

[margun]

On 20/04/2018 at 09:53, Hamster said:

The most I ever smoked was 2-3 packs a week but gave up when I got married because I didn't want to smoke in the house BUT I still smoke when out clay shooting which means I can go days without a single cigarette but then binge out and have several on a Sunday, sort of hate doing it but seem to enjoy it with the occasion. 

Wish I could be a social smoker!

I smoked since I was 14, quit for 3 years in my mid 20s, 15 a day. Fell off the wagon (a cigar to celebrate child number one put me on the slippery slope). Totally stupid move, I fell back hard and quit just over a year ago, 30 a day. I can’t do nicotine, too addicted and always will be.

Both times, patches and gum worked with willpower. The key is you have to want to stop, it’s actually not too hard in my experience if your heart is in it. 

Tried vapes, didn’t like the mouthfuls of bitter liquid, plus when it ran out of charge at 10pm on a Saturday, everyone has a spare fag but no one has a spare vape.

The cravings still rear their head every now and then, but at a much lower level and for a very short time. You learn how to deal with them.

 

[peck]

The thing is with trying to stop smoking is that if you do have a fag dont just say to yourself "oh well i tried and failed " carry on trying to give up, one fag is not the end of the world. Keep on giving up. 

[Marccus]

I packed up nearly 5 years ago  using vaping as an alternative to cigarettes.  I started off with vaping juice with the same nicotine strength as the cigarettes and then over a period of time reduced it down to nothing.

I think it took about 3 months in total then it was just the habit to quit as Dougy says.  I won't say it was easy but 100% worth it.

A few treats along the way with the money saved and saving for things keeps you motivated.

Good luck Robert!  It'l all be worth it!

[kenholland]

one set of lungs one life nothing more to say.

[Sha Bu Le]

Joined the stop smoking course at my local chemists, they had 2 or 3 dispensers as advisers, does not need a professional pharmacist apparently. They  see you on a 1 to 1 basis and are really helpful.  The young girl who helped me was also a looker which may or may not have helped. 

Was given the patches but failed, then tried the substitute plastic  inhaler things with the filter thing in; failed on that also. Was finally prescribed champix tablets which helped a lot and I finally got off the things after 50 odd years. 

They analyse your breath at every fortnightly visit so can see any improvement. Was really chuffed when after two tests of negative results I was declared a non smoker. They make allowances for traffic pollution etc so if a 1 or 2 is measured it does not count.

That was over a year ago since finishing the course not had a cigarette , do still have a fancy now and then but put it out of my mind. 

So I would recommend your local pharmacy if they are in the scheme.