Struggling to stop smoking....

Re: Struggling to stop smoking....

Vicky RVN — Sat, 02 May 2009 00:43:27 GMT

I have never tried smoking...and never want to! Not something i want to get addicted to. My mum has smoked for years, and it has always really worried me. I don't want her doing that to her body! My nan passed away on 13th of last month and since then my mum has not smoked. Am feeling very proud of her It might be because my nan had lung cancer (as well as having it in other organs), so maybe seeing her suffering made mum realise what she could be doing to herself. My nan never smoked though.

Re: Struggling to stop smoking....

Kerry Spain — Fri, 01 May 2009 14:52:30 GMT

I detest smoking inside, I've always smoked outside. I'm smoking rolls ups now which is cheaper and I tend not to smoke that many of them. I may smoke 1 or 2 in the day whilst at work and the same at night. So thats up to 5 roll-ups per day, the killer is (no pun intended) I smoke 4 times that amount when I go out drinking.

We all have our vices...

Re: Struggling to stop smoking....

Helen Freer — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 14:28:40 GMT

I agree, I was so proud of him giving up after so long. We always had a celebration meal on the anniverseray of him giving up.

Re: Struggling to stop smoking....

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 14:19:51 GMT

Wow, thats amazing Helen

Re: Struggling to stop smoking....

Helen Freer — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 14:10:09 GMT

Hi STRVN,

I don't know about the DVD/CD but Dad went to an all day seminar that was on offer as a member of the FSB.

He worked out that if he stopped smoking for a month it would pay for the day ! but if it did not work he would get another go for free and also there was a money back guarrantee.

So he recommended it to anyone as it helped him stop smoking after over 50 years.

Re: Struggling to stop smoking....

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:59:11 GMT

[quote user="heather mac"]

I know you are talking about a different guy but I keep thinking of alan carr the comedian with the glasses!

[/quote]

lol thats what i was thinking when my friend told me about him......... lol it might be him, but I doubt it somehow

Re: Struggling to stop smoking....

Mac Feather — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:51:43 GMT

I know you are talking about a different guy but I keep thinking of alan carr the comedian with the glasses!

Re: Struggling to stop smoking....

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:04:58 GMT

Hi Helen, it was the Alan carr DVD/CD my friend had and she raves about it.

Re: Struggling to stop smoking....

Helen Freer — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 21:47:31 GMT

I have never smoked but my father smoked from joining the army (18) until 3 years before he died and smoked anything from 20 -60 per day.

He tried giving up many times (probably for others not himself), he tried cold turkey, eating sweets(put on weight!), patches; nicotine replacement (substitute cigarette), trying to reduce the number of cigarettes smoked each day & staying away from friends who smoked but then started smoking again.

3 years before he died he decided to go on an 'Alan Carr's stop smoking seminar' (he decided he wanted to give up)he told me was allowed to smoke though the seminar and then put out his last cigarette.

He never smoked another cigarette from then on and did not want to and he was still able to mix with people who smoked without feeling the urge to smoke. He also saved up the money he would have spent on fags in a jar and so could see it as an insentive and was able to go on a few cruises as a treat with it!

Re: Struggling to stop smoking....

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:21:22 GMT

I dont smoke anywhere but my back door, years ago I smoked in the house, but I hated the stale smell of cigarettes in the morning, so knocked that on the head.

I like the patches, but it's like anything dicipline or willpower if you like is the main thing.

I would wear the patches for a cou[ple of weeks most then go cold turkey after that.

I did go cold turkey altogether once.....NIGHTMARE!!!!!!!!!

Re: Struggling to stop smoking....

Arlo Guthrie — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:14:39 GMT

I'm struggling to give up too. But I was a 60 a day man (usually smoked within the confines of a very small, one man office, so I was probably re-breathing another packet on top of the three I smoked directly).

The thing that has helped most is having a rule that I don't smoke in the house or office (made easier by the fact that I'm renting at the moment). Brought me down to less than a packet a day. At last, my desk doesn't look like Pompeii on a bad day.

Not quite sure I know how I'm going to crack the remaining 15-a-day, or so. Tried hypnotherapy, laughed my way through the whole thing and lit up the moment I got out the door. Tried anti-smoking drug, which made me annoyingly happy, but also frighteningly ill if I had a drink. Seemed to help, but not enough. Tried inhalors and patches. Likewise helped, but not enough.

Daughters provide some added motivation now (i.e. I'd like to live long enough to see them grow up!).

Re: Struggling to stop smoking....

Kerry Spain — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:04:47 GMT

Sorry Caro that was my round about way of agreeing with what you are saying about wanting to give up

Re: Struggling to stop smoking....

Kerry Spain — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:03:45 GMT

[quote user="Caro Laithwaite"]

One of the biggest things is do you want to give up or is it others urging you to. If it is others you are on a hiding to nothing if it is you then decide on the reasons. ie child growing up or family member died slowly of lung cancer or some other reason/s and have lots of things around to remind you of why. When you get the urge look at the memories.

[/quote]

I'm still waiting for the day that I actually WANT to give up... at the moment I don't so there is no point me even trying...

Re: Struggling to stop smoking....

Claire Cameron — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 17:49:04 GMT

Have you contacted your local Stop Smoking counsellor? ask your GP or pharmacist? my mum is a nurse and runs loads of these sessions and has huge success rates x

Re: Struggling to stop smoking....

Caro Laithwaite VN — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 17:09:51 GMT

Re: Struggling to stop smoking....

Felicity Caldwell — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 17:00:00 GMT

Thanks guys - everyone has such good advice!!

I always find I have about 3 before work in the mornings (dont usually smoke at work) and then I cram in as many as I can when I finsh work. Free weekends are a nightmare - will easily go through 40 if im not going anywhere/doing anything etc...

Re: Struggling to stop smoking....

Mrs Dot Dot — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 14:53:35 GMT

Hi Flick87... have you tried the nicotine lozenges?.... 'sweeties' as I use to call them..... For me, I found them alot better than the patches..... I was on them for almost 2 yrs! with the very occassional, drunken ciggy...I then had to wean myself off them but it only took about a month with not so severe withdrawel symptoms.

It depends on what type of smoker you are I guess, but I liked them alot better because you get a slight nicotine kick once you start sucking, they taste abit horrible at first.. kind of bitter but also sweet... but I found I also got that great body relaxing feel you get when you first take a drag after not having one for a while, which is what I liked as well. I also used to get abit of a nicotine tingle on the tip of my tongue which I also looked forward to.

When you give up, it makes you realise how much you reward yourself (sub-consciously) with a ciggarette.. eg. I'll just do this then I'll have one, or I'll have one after this etc and that's what I found really difficult so I found with the lozenges you could carry on doing a similar thing, to a certain extent, by having a 'sweetie' ....... Anyway they worked for me, and I was very plsd with myself, as anyone should be who gives up.

I'd smoked for almost 20 years and being honest, a good 20 a day... it took more than 1 attempt but only 1 with the lozenges, but as I said before | spent 2 years on them but they worked for me.

I have now been ciggie and 'sweetie' free for almost 4 years and am a very anti smoker... the worst kind! They STINK! So good luck... it is so, so hard!

Re: Struggling to stop smoking....

Fleabee99 — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 14:39:52 GMT

lollypops are supposed to be good so your mouths doing something

i use lollies while dieting (low cal ones obviously lol)

Re: Struggling to stop smoking....

Fiona Leathers — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 11:49:33 GMT

Gave up cigarettes & coffee in the same week - horrific time - shakes, headaches, aggression, until I started drinking coffee again then I was fine and didn't have any craving for ciggies!!

Only time I feel I want to smoke is if someone is one the phone to me and I can hear them smoking! But otherwise the smell makes me ill now.

Re: Struggling to stop smoking....

Mac Feather — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 18:40:58 GMT

Hey Flick,does Andy know you are having a fly puff?

I havent smoked since last month when I was on a night out- am surprised I havent smoked during the recent nonsense. And I usually crave cigarettes at lambing time but so far I havent had the urge. However Charlies still puffing away!!!!!!!!!

Re: Struggling to stop smoking....

Jacqueline Gallacher — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 11:59:30 GMT

I smoked for twenty years, 30 a day at the end up and tried books, pathces cold turkey and everything I could but always felt deprived of ciggies and craved all the time, I really wanted to stop so I go hypnotised, never touched a ciggie again thats been four years now, if you really want to stop it will work, and no cravings. good luck

Re: Struggling to stop smoking....

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 11:23:39 GMT

Hi Flick,

Have you tried the stop smoking CD?, there is a book to accompany it, and it is seemingluy quite good. My friend has stopped smoking using this.

What I tend to do is, when you feel the need for a cigarette,that feeling is no worse thatn if you had had a cigarette a few hours previous, even if it has been a few days. It is a lot of mind over matter.The thing is the more you concentrate on that cigarrete, the more you feel like you need it.

1 day at a time.... 1 hour at a time in the first few days.

I always think it's best to prepare months in advance, thats the way I have always done it...I have stopped 4 times, the longest being a year. I would cut out certain cigarettes, and definitely habit ones(the ones you smoke but dont really crave for) first, then concentrate on the ones you do crave for.

I would plan everyday like a military operation, ie what was I doing, would I encounter any smokers, and what I would do in that situation etc. I would always reward myself at the end of the day with a nice bath candles music and a glass of red wine, and then I would be in bed really early too.

On really bad days, I would say to myself, never mind tomorrow will be better, because not everyday is the same, some days you barely think of smoking at all while others all you ca do is think of it.

I like you still have the odd one, especially when I am drinking alcohol with friends, so my dicipline is away for now and once the dicipline is away it is hard to get your head back round it, so again I am mentally preparing which will take a few weeks.

It's not hard to stop........ it's staying stopped that is the hardest.

PM me and we can prepare together if you want, plus I always find it helps if you have someone who is going through the same, becasue you can talk to them and encourage each other.

One thing I will say is dont beat yourself up about it, because that will make you smoke even more.

I remeber one time I called the smokeline, I had been stopped for 3 months but had a cigarette, I called the smokeline for moral support, and I got this total idiot on the end of the line, instead of saying, ok thats fine, but you need to get back on track, etc, she said to me "oh thats it then, you will have to start from the beginning again now" I felt like I was getting a telling off, when all I wanted was support, and the thought of starting from the begining again.... well I just went back to smoking, and it was about a year before I decided to give up again.

Anyway goodluck, and pm me if you like

Re: Struggling to stop smoking....

Saskia Quinn — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 08:45:14 GMT

There are lots of tips you can use.

Have a jar to put money into that you would have spent on cigs and watch it grow! Count up the price - how many you smoke a day, what that costs per week/month/year.

Make a list of the reasons why you want to stop and stick it somewhere that you will see it every day - save money, smell nice, food will taste better, lovely white teeth..... the list is endless!

Make sure and get support from family and friends and let them know what you are doing. Avoid the company of people who smoke for the first few weeks as it may just tempt you again.

Plan to treat yourself at the end of your first day - nice relaxing bath with candles first week - get your hair done etc.

Most important of all - good luck