Stopping Smoking for 2009 thread

[Couperman]

I found the smoking ban really helps if you are trying to give up. Every time I had cracked previously I had been in a pub full of smokers.

6 months for me now and I feel so much better. I stopped using Champix. This really helps but can have rather nasty side effects (including suicide, if you believe what you find on the web), and you have to go an see those nurse types you mentioned.
I had a few extremely vivid dreams, a couple of which were quite frightening but nothing other than that.

If you are determined you will suceed.

Good for you and good luck!

[terrier]

The hardest part with me was getting used to NOT buying the darned things. Once I broke the buying fags habit, the rest just sort of fell into place. The theory being, if I didn't have any, I couldn't smoke them

[Flummery]

Good luck with it. Never smoked but I can sympathise and offer support with the best of 'em. You've been a non-smoker before so you KNOW you can do it!

[firstimer1]

well Maureen we really are in the minority, but i will be with you as i am GIVING UP SMOKING at new year aswell so together WE WILL DO IT good luck to us both speak soon Belle x

[smallblueplanet]

...You've been a non-smoker before so you KNOW you can do it!

How true. This is one of the things I used to think of....

The reason people say things like 'this is how I stopped...' is because there's not just one way to stop wanting to smoke. Certain things resonate for some people but not for others...

Good luck, I hope you find the determination to stop smoking.

[shirlthegirl43]

I gave up over 8 years ago. I just decided to stop and didn't use any aids - well, I kept a full ashtray which I used to sniff if I felt an urge to light up (yeuch) and if that wasn't offputting enough, I sprinkled water in the ashtray.

Be warned, you will cough like hell for a few weeks - much worse than any cough you have now - but once that passes, you will personally smell better (sniff the ashtray and that is what you smell like to non-smokers now), be able to taste food better and overall feel much healthier.

[sharonr]

Good luck to you.
This is going to make me sound old, but I gave up 20 years ago and have never smoked or wanted to since then.
You have reached the first goal by wanting to. give up.
When I gave up it was just willpower. I told myself everytime I had a cigarette that it made me feel sick and after about a week I couldn`t face another one and I`ve never looked back.
Keep us informed on your progress.

[valmarg]

It's more than 20 years since I gave up the evil weed. I was extremely fortunate in having a very good friend who made me save the money I would have spent on cigges. When I gave up B&H were about £1.50 for 20.

My friend came to me each day and demanded the money I would have spent on ciggies. If I was a bit short of money she would have said 'you would have found the money for a packet of ciggies, so you can find it now'. She was relentless. She put the money in a Post Office savings account for me, and the annual savings were £750.

With my savings we bought a 12' x 12 greenhouse, carpeted the 45 sq yds lounge.

I know that doesn't seem much now, but look at the price of 20 B&H now, and you are talking about £2000 a year.

My main incentive to those trying to give up smoking is basically financial.

If you smoke B&H for the next 12 months you will be spending the best part of £3,000.

Think what you would enjoy more with that money.

Carry on smoking by all means, but after 12 months, if someone tipped out of a carrier bag £3,000, and you struck a match and set light to all that money, you would be a bit miffed. But that is exactly what you are doing now.

I wish you all the luck in your efforts. I've done it for more than 20 years so it can be done.

Hang on in there.

valmarg

[piskieinboots]

Cold turkey (!) and lots of water (drinking it) worked for me - it took me probably four attempts of stopping but it clicked in the end.

I got fed up of having to keep going through that bad bit of the first 24/48 hours - seemed pointless - I stopped in 1995 and haven't wanted to resume once.

We're all rooting for ya

[tricky]

best luck Maureen
It is great when you say to people I DONT SMOKE i got a buzz out of it
most of all i saved a b****y fortune
it is hard but well worth it ,this is my third time now and hopefully the last
The house , car smells better too and trust me as your walking down the street
you crave to find fags
do you work for the fags and the goverment not me no more

[lynda66]

i had a very simple solution to giving up ..... i got pregnant, lit a fag threw my guts up and didn't smoke another for 6 years ....... although, i always have to go to extremes, and nicorette would probably be cheaper

[terrier]

[ I know that doesn't seem much now, but look at the price of 20 B&H now, and you are talking about £2000 a year. ]

I've just realised I can't afford to smoke anymore but the down side is I can't afford to drink in pubs either

[jackie j]

Good luck to every one who has decided to stop smoking. One small step at a time and before you know it you will be saying cor I havent had a smoke for xxxx days. My mil had to give up a few years ago when she had a heart attack, it stopped her and she hasnt smoked since, it was her wake up call.

[Dobby]

Hi maureen
I am going to give it a go have a look on youtube
YouTube - Introduction to Allen Carr's Easyway to Stop Smoking
Lison to him I stopprd for 2 Days yea I know but my exscuse to smoke again was well MrsD smokes also I have not finisd the book
but I am going to re read it and be determind to stop
lets do it together

This one is horribell cos its true only play this if you really wont to stop
YouTube - Stop Smoking Quit Cigarettes in Minutes!

[Nicos]

I don't smoke Dobby, but I watched the video....it's quite to the point isn't it?? I was expecting to be shown bits of cancerous nicotine ridden lung taken from a cancer patient- but to be honest I think his approach would have worked better on me.
And yes- we have had a family member die of lung cancer- and it's not nice. He blamed the free cigarettes in the army during WW2 which got him hooked.