Tips on stopping smoking!!!

[Stampy84]

Aghhhh
I’ve stopped to today, I’ve not had one since last night. My smoking had crept up to 20 a day, bloody awful and expensive..
My cravings come in waves, I’m riding them out by keeping busy!! But I’ve realised I reward myself with most things by smoking!
How long does this last??
When does that devil on my shoulder giving me reasons why I’m ok to smoke go away??
Any tips?

My AIBU?
Shall I just stop after lock down?? Or just get on with it and ride the storm, if I can stop smoking now, I have a better chance of staying of them?

[Stampy84]

*off them

[mamma2016]

Read Allen Carr's The easy way to stop smoking.
You have to keep smoking all the way through it though, but it really does make it easy to stop.

[BernardsarenotalwaysSaints]

Yes Allen Carr! Worked for myself & Dh.

[RamblingRose1]

Stay off them now if you Can, best thing you will ever do for yourself and your bank account.
This sounds mad but I started running, could only manage ten minutes at first and felt crap but very quickly I appreciated feeling more healthy and started getting better. You can't do both and after a few months I caved in and had a cigarette, hated the way my lungs felt contaminated again and couldn't run properly for a bit so it put me off once and for all.
At the start it was a distraction, then it made me feel Good, now it's a way of life and the thought of smoking seems absurd 😁
Well done for taking the first step and however you do it I wish you the best of luck.

[kyles101]

Ah, well done! Getting pregnant made me stop and I've not had one since, although 18 months on I still have the (very) occasional "oooh" type craving. But then I remember I don't want to die, or smell, or get hooked again and spend an extortionate amount of money every day for the rest of my life!!

I feel your pain though, now is a brilliant time to do it because all of your usual habits and associations won't be there.

I'd recommend Alan Carr's easy way to stop smoking too, it's a great read and helps you to identify and separate the craving from "you"

Good luck, you can do it!!

[Stampy84]

Thank you for your responses!
I’m struggling a bit here!
You ha e to keep smoking with the Allen Carr?? Why did that just make my heart leap with joy?

@ramblingrose
Thank you! I’m certainly going to try and think of the money I’ll save, and in all honestly I feel zapped of energy after smoking! I only every enjoy maybe 1-2 out of the 20!!

[EmeraldShamrock]

Allen Carr. The audio book is good as a takes a few hours, use your hands while you listen so you can concentrate, knit or something.
If you download the latest audio app you get a free token for a book.

[Smarshian]

Another recommendation for Allen Carr. I read it and never smoked another cigarette. It’s been 5 years.

[Chandler12]

Ah I’ve been here before! How you feel is short terms I promise.

After 3 days you’ll feel almost human again. Put everyone in your life on notice that they should not speak to you during this time! Physical cravings gone.

After 2 weeks you’ll stop even thinking about it. Mental cravings gone.

Can vouch for Allen Carr too I could only stop after his book it’ll completely change your outlook on cigs. You can smoke while you read it if today just isn’t the one

[MarigoldHotel]

Following with interest as I quit a week ago and stupidly caved and bought a pack of cigarettes this morning 🤦🏻‍♀️

Good luck stampy, it’s bloody hard this quitting lark!

[petermaysawthefuture]

Vaping is the only way I managed to stop. Tried patches, hypnosis, I even paid to got to an Alan Carr stop smoking thing in Birmingham. 3 years without a cig now, but I am totally addicted to my vape unfortunately.

[Stampy84]

Is there any particular Allan Carr book? Or is there just one stop smoking one he does? Will order it now!!

[EmeraldShamrock]

His newest one is available on audio. It really changes the way you think about smoking. I used patches too he advises against it but I found myself irritated and failing with a little hit of nicotine.

[EmeraldShamrock]

It sad he died of lung cancer in the end.

[EmeraldShamrock]

*It is

[mogloveseggs]

Dh and I went cold turkey 10 years ago.
What I remember is that cravings only last 3 minutes, and the second week is worse than the first as thats when you beat the "habit". Best thing we ever did.

[SharpieInThe]

You can do it!

Honestly, I swear you can.

I did and I was the worst quitter ever. If you'd met me before you'd never have believed I would ever quit.

If you cave, you have to do this all over again, every craving you've rode through was for nothing. If you get through this first 24 hours which are the worst, you never have to go through that again. You'll have done the hardest bit and every day will be easier.

Ice drinks. Ice lollies. Brushing my teeth. Sweet lollies. All helped me.

Try and avoid your triggers. For me that was coffee, tea, phone calls and alcohol.

You can do this.

[DENMAN03]

Maybe try the patches.. that's what I did. I gave up on the 1st January and followed the course. Still have the odd craving even 6 months later but feel so much better for it! Plus have saved over £2k. If money is a incentive then put it in a pot. The amount it grows is staggering and really helped me to give up.

[Sunshineandcoffee]

Tablets, they change your senses so you continue to smoke with them . Then all of a sudden a few days later your taste buds go yeuch and you stub them out early. Then a day or two later the thought of lighting one has the same disgust reaction.

[Amber0685]

Patches

[Sunshineandcoffee]

Champix is the name

[Muh2020]

I went cold turkey.
After 3 weeks off the fags, I knew I'd never smoke again.

[Happynow001]

I gave up a few years ago now but I used patches (if I remember correctly) you could get patches in different strengths. I used to alternate those with nicotine "cigarettes" for the hand to mouth smoking movement. Good luck whichever method you try.

[NowYouListenToMeFella]

Best of luck OP. I'm off the cigarettes two weeks. I used Champix. Last day of the tablets today. No cravings, thank god. Hoping that doesn't change after I finish the champix.

I only smoked menthol cigarettes and they were banned here since May 20th. It helps knowing even if I want to I can't buy them.