Well, after about 30 years of smoking I put out my last one
Discussion
I gave up about 3 weeks ago... Best decision i've made!
I found the nicotine gum, despite tasting like the devils arsecrack, Helped immensely with the cravings in the early days. Once the craving dies down after a few days you'll feel alot more clear headed and alot healthier than while you was smoking.
Only time i get the cravings now is if im drinking!.
I found the nicotine gum, despite tasting like the devils arsecrack, Helped immensely with the cravings in the early days. Once the craving dies down after a few days you'll feel alot more clear headed and alot healthier than while you was smoking.
Only time i get the cravings now is if im drinking!.
I tried to quit a few years ago using patches.
Lasted about a month.
Went to the pub one night with a patch on and after a few beers decided to have a sly ciggy.
Which lead to about fifteen ciggies whilst still wearing the patch.
Decided to walk the mile home.
Woke up on the pavement about 2 hours later covered in blood and a broken nose and smashed glasses.
Wont be doing that again!
Lasted about a month.
Went to the pub one night with a patch on and after a few beers decided to have a sly ciggy.
Which lead to about fifteen ciggies whilst still wearing the patch.
Decided to walk the mile home.
Woke up on the pavement about 2 hours later covered in blood and a broken nose and smashed glasses.
Wont be doing that again!
Its great!
After many months / possibly years of cutting down and a few 'test runs' I stopped for good, partly due to seeing the difference it makes to your life insurance and also with the acceptance that I really didnt enjoy it anymore, nothing good is ever going to come of it and actually I didnt look cool smoking after all.
Anyway - fast-forward 8 months and I managed to get through a whole beer festival without caving in to (or actually missing) smoking at all.
Its also amasing how unattractive women that smoke become too!
After many months / possibly years of cutting down and a few 'test runs' I stopped for good, partly due to seeing the difference it makes to your life insurance and also with the acceptance that I really didnt enjoy it anymore, nothing good is ever going to come of it and actually I didnt look cool smoking after all.
Anyway - fast-forward 8 months and I managed to get through a whole beer festival without caving in to (or actually missing) smoking at all.
Its also amasing how unattractive women that smoke become too!
I gave up 5 years ago, I was on 40-60 a day and went onto nicotine chewing gum which I was addicted to for 2 years 
. I downloaded a chart from the net that had daily information about what was happening to your body ie 24hrs blood nicotine level back to normal, and so on it really helped me.
Good luck it is the best decision you have made for a long time.
Alan
. I downloaded a chart from the net that had daily information about what was happening to your body ie 24hrs blood nicotine level back to normal, and so on it really helped me.Good luck it is the best decision you have made for a long time.
Alan
Adenauer said:
It said in the book that the first 5 days are the worst, and after about 3 weeks that should be it, I certainly hope so.
Congratulations. I used the Allen Carr book and stopped on 1st October last year. Oddly, I found the first week easier than the second week. I found that it required effort, but I was certainly never tempted to buy cigarettes. The key IMO was remembering that no matter how you felt, a cigarette would not make you feel better.
It's little things that you don't realise. Plus, after a couple of weeks, when you get up close to someone who's just had a cigarette it shocks you what they smell like!
Adenauer said:
SimonV8ster said:
But at least you don't smell anymore
That was weird, actually, as I was leading up to 'giving up' I actually began to hate the smell of myself after I'd had a cigarette, almost as though I'd suddenly become far more concious of the smell, strange.Then you realise it does NOT work
7 years and counting.
6 months for me. The first month was hell, and then I was fine untill about a week ago. now I really want one, the smell of a cigarette does not put me off and I'm having really vivid dreams about having a cigarette.
I went cold turkey, still not caved in to "just one more" yet though.
I went cold turkey, still not caved in to "just one more" yet though.
I gave up three years ago, and never looked back. I'm one of the lucky ones, my missus had a very hard time with withdrawal symptoms.
The advice I can give is:
If you feel you need a fag, distract yourself, quickly !
Don't sit next to smokers for a while, but having said that, smokers are pretty much hounded from everywhere now.
Certain situations, or people will make you reach for the fags. It is just habit, ignore it, and try not to think about it.
After a week or so, the dry cough will start, as the tiny hairs in your throat start to grow back. This can last a few weeks. All part of it I'm afraid, as is the almost certainty, that you will put on weight. Food will suddenly begin to taste magnificent as your taste returns.
If you do weaken, don't beat yourself up, and consider it a failure, just accept it as a blip, and move on.
Even three years on, I occasionally get the urge, which makes me laugh now, as I see it is the habit, rather than the nicotine.
Good luck, and if you want a reminder of how you have been paying for the NHS for years, stick a fiver in a jar everytime you would have bought a pack.
The advice I can give is:
If you feel you need a fag, distract yourself, quickly !
Don't sit next to smokers for a while, but having said that, smokers are pretty much hounded from everywhere now.
Certain situations, or people will make you reach for the fags. It is just habit, ignore it, and try not to think about it.
After a week or so, the dry cough will start, as the tiny hairs in your throat start to grow back. This can last a few weeks. All part of it I'm afraid, as is the almost certainty, that you will put on weight. Food will suddenly begin to taste magnificent as your taste returns.
If you do weaken, don't beat yourself up, and consider it a failure, just accept it as a blip, and move on.
Even three years on, I occasionally get the urge, which makes me laugh now, as I see it is the habit, rather than the nicotine.
Good luck, and if you want a reminder of how you have been paying for the NHS for years, stick a fiver in a jar everytime you would have bought a pack.
Cheers for all the encouragement, chaps 
Obviously I want to stop for health reasons, but also as my two daughters and my wife want me to stop, and we're going to Florida in July and I really don't want to have to 'nip off' to smoking areas every half an hour.
I reckon that's incentive enough to see me stick to it.
Obviously I want to stop for health reasons, but also as my two daughters and my wife want me to stop, and we're going to Florida in July and I really don't want to have to 'nip off' to smoking areas every half an hour.
I reckon that's incentive enough to see me stick to it.
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