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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think I am, in fact, doing well at quitting/drastically cutting down smoking?

36 replies

DooinMeCleanin · 07/09/2011 10:24

It is very possible I am being entirely unreasonable, if I am I blame lack of nicotine.

I promised to stop smoking after our holiday for financial reasons. I brought back 200 cigarettes and vowed that when they were gone I'd quit. When my plan of using the 200 to cut down slowly didn't quite work out as planned I decided that stopping completly after smoking 30 a day might be a bit ambitious.

I bought 10 yesterday and smoked 7 of them . Now I admit this is not what I planned and is far from ideal but I still cut down to less than a quarter of what I usually smoke in just a day. This imo is good.

Twattish tells me I have no will power. I have failed. I am in denial and will never quit. This is unfair after I did so well yesterday. My mum who also failed at quitting full stop yesyrtd

OP posts:

adamschic · 07/09/2011 11:06

Shame the Alan Carr course failed you. I think its wrong to say you won't suffer nicotine cravings, because you will. It's just your mindset that needs to change. Thinking OK this craving won't last long and it's a step on my way to recovery. Think of it as every craving is a cigarette not smoked, until you don't need them anymore.

I quit 7 months ago. I had tried a failed many times. Once quit for 7 months and started again but only smoked 10 a day after instead of around 17 pre quit. It took me another six years to last longer than a month without smoking.

I will be honest and say that I still get thoughts of wanting to smoke, they are not cravings anymore and it soon passes when I remind myself of how far I've come. They reckon the first year is the worst then it is so much easier but that doesn't mean you suffer for a year (physically you are over it in around 5 days) just that you have to be on your guard when the thoughts creep in.

I think if you try to cut down you are actually suffering more as you will have to still go through cravings but have to go through them anyway as you are rationing your cigarettes. Therefore you won't get used to being without. Your brain might get used to the reduced nicotine hit but not many people actually quit this way.

I am shocked at this statement and wonder if Babybarrister can back this up.

'Some studies suggest that giving up is the sign of the onset of lung cancer and you should get it checked out' (cannot copy exact words)

BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack · 07/09/2011 11:08

if you dont want to quit dooin then you wont be able to........I can guarantee you that! When I didnt want to quit and I tried everytime I blinked I saw massive great cigarettes floating before my eyes and I counted every minute since I last had one.........

I feel your pain but if you dont want to then you wont.

spookshowangellovesit · 07/09/2011 11:08

seriously dooinmecleanin read the book because honestly even if it doesnt help you stop smoking ( and you have nothing to lose because you can smoke while you read it) it will point out things like do you actually enjoy smoking, the mentality behind smoking, the addiction process etc. give it a go.

adamschic · 07/09/2011 11:14

Oh, sorry see you haven't even read Allen Carr, please give it a go, it might work.

EricNorthmansMistress · 07/09/2011 11:17

Agree with Spooks about Allen Carr. I stopped with it in Feb, my brother has stopped with it, best mate, and several other people I know. If you don't actually want to stop then it might not be the time to try - but once you decide you want to be a non smoker then read it. It's amazing. He's not lying when he says it's easy and actually enjoyable. The feeling of being free from cigarette addiction is incredible.

Cutting down is pretty pointless, by the way. And one day of 'only' seven fags and constantly feeling like you want a fag is not progress.

MinimallyNarkyPuffin · 07/09/2011 11:18

If you don't want to quit then you won't.

Flowerista · 07/09/2011 11:18

Cutting down just did not work for me, nor did saying to myself every Sunday "thats it" , by Wednesday I had one hand curled around a glass of wine and the other lovingly stroking the wrapper of a packet of Silk Cut. I stopped cold when found was pregnant ( just celebrated 5th anniversary) and then the government did me a huge favour by banning it in public places. The final hurdle was avoiding it indoors (easy as didn't want to smoke around DS) and the garden. Dh quitting a year after me also helped there. It took 2 years before I realised I didn't fancy a fag with my glass of wine, and there have been umpteen occasions when my willpower wobbled.

My only advice is you can only quit when you want to, and at that point throw the rest of the pack away and get your friends and family to back you by not giving you a cig. Try to get to a month, then think about how hideous it would taste if you had one, or sniff a cold ashtray (boak) and try to stick it out for another month etc. You can do it!

MinimallyNarkyPuffin · 07/09/2011 11:20

And the Allen Carr thing is not the only way. Nicotene replacement patches and willpower work.

ripstheirthroatoutliveupstairs · 07/09/2011 11:22

I don't want to stop smoking, but I am currently on day two of my Celebrix. I love smoking even though I am virtually the only person I know who smokes.
I just can't afford to carry on hence the drugs.
I do agree that you can't just cut down. I've tried that many times, although I did reduce my cigs from 30 to 20 a day which I think is a good effort.
Good luck dooin and if you want another to do, my house could use a going over

JosieRosie · 07/09/2011 11:29

'Well there is the problem gracie, I don't want to quit. I enjoy smoking'
Me too dooin, me too. I know that's not a very PC thing to say but there it is, I enjoy it. I used to smoke 20-25 a day, I'm now down to 1-2 a day and have been for about 5 years. I don't think I could smoke 20 in a day now even if there was a gun to my head! Cutting down can work. I tried to quit a few months ago and managed about 10 days, but my heart wasn't in it so I went back to 1-2 a day. I also know a few people who gave up after reading Allan Carr so it may be worth a try but it's true what they say, you have to really feel sick and tired of it if quitting is to be successful. Good luck whatever happens!

SherlockHolmes · 07/09/2011 11:30

You have improved, but haven't succeeded. IMO the only way is to stop altogether. Make a fresh start - get rid of all your ashtrays, lighters etc. Spend the first day (if you can) getting your house really clean; wash curtains and carpets and soft furnishings to get rid of the smell (if you smoked indoors). Open the windows and let fresh air in; wash any clothes that may smell of smoke. Be absolutely determined that you're not going to smoke at all any more. Read Allen Carr's book, log on to quitting websites for support from others who're giving up. Download a quitmeter, which registers how much money you're saving, how much time you're adding to your life etc. Use patches/gum/ecigarettes - whatever it takes. I ate loads of sweets instead, but took up exercising in the evenings (to a video) so didn't put on too much weight. It wasn't easy, but now (11 years on !!!) I'm so glad that I did. The best thing to do is to keep trying - don't give up giving up. Get as much help as you can from the NHS/friends/family and you will do it. Really you will.

PS I smoked 40 a day so it can be done. Good luck.

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