This stopping smoking lark is hard

[SPsWouldCatFishNev]

I'm eating the nicotine cravings! I'm at the bottom of a Pringle tube, I have a back up tube.

I have half a bar (large bar) of milkybar waiting which I know I will eat.

I really just want a cig. The fact alcohol is been enjoyed means the cig craving is more than usual.

I went cold turkey before and I put on half a stone! I caved after a night out. I have now, the past week gone cold turkey.

Can I replace food with something? I have a pen which I hold like a cig so I have the feeling

I know I have 2 cigs in the house and I haven't cracked yet but I am getting there

Yes! He just debunks all the smoking myths. The physical addiction to nicotine is pretty insignificant, not that the Nicorette people want anyone to know that.

My dh has done amazingly well on the electronic pipe thing. I'd recommend it. After a few months he is on the lowest strength nicotine and only has two puffs at a time.

I know it's working as he sometimes leaves it in another room for around 3 hours.

He used to smoke every 20 minutes.

I do find I smoke less with vaping. I couldn't care less that I'm inhaling a little nicotine to be honest. Better than nicotine + 4000 poisons inc arsenic & rat poison you're inhaling with a real ciggie. No more hacking cough, and stinking of smoke. I can definetely feel a marked difference health & energy wise, since binning the real thing.

I don't want to stop smoking for now, if ever,anyway. So vaping seems a better way to indulge.

OP, a mate did smoking cessation intensive hypnotherapy session. It worked for her. Can't recall name of place but its in Bromley so maybe you can google it. Never know, it could work for you

I miss smoking so much. I quit as soon as I found out I was pregnant. I don't find the quitting bit hard in pregnancy because I know I can start again when its born, but this time everyone I know has selfishly quit at the same time and there is a lot of pressure to not start again... I could cry! I love smoking so much :(

Good on you all for what you have all achieved though :) I hope you continue to succeed :)

There is a vaping thread atm. It's on AIBU, called something to do with being evangelical. Most of them seem to have stopped the cigarettes really easily. Maybe worth having a look, op?

Used to smoke 20 a day - now only 6, elites help, but can't see how I stop
Completly. Any advice would be welcome.

The electronic fags WORK - simple as.
You can use them all and anywhere and they deliver nicotine (which is what you crave).

Over time (usually a very short period) you'll start to feel a bit stupid sucking on a battery operated toy in public and within weeks you'll be free...

If it takes six months - so what - as long as you give up the fags you're a winner.

The e-fags DO WORK and you just need to find your favourite one which replaces burning tobacco.

You only crave nicotine for a few days the rest are mental cravings................................

If you go to your local pharmacist you will get all the support you need for 12 weeks - and you dont pay a penny. e-cigs are still nicotine and you would still have the hand-to-mouth thing. You need to break that cycle. I used patches and tablets. 5 months now from 40 a day.

Put your postcode in here and you will find your local participating pharmacy.

smokefree.nhs.uk/ways-to-quit/local-nhs-stop-smoking-service/

don't give up - you can do it

you may gain weight but the alternative is to be a jolly thin corpse if you die from emphysema or cancer

I smoked for 20+ years - gave up 3 and a half years ago

yes I gained weight but i can exercise so much more/better now my lungs work properly that it did come off

good luck - you CAN do it x

I quit years ago but in times of stress I still crave cigs. It is more "oh, id love a smoke... oh,wait, i dont smoke anymore" Something to bear in mind! What stress busting techniques would work for you?

Deep breathing ( yoga style) works for me to an extent, though unfortunately I now have a problem with binge eating ( far preferable to smoking IMHO). Before pregnancy discomfort I also binge exercised which helped a bit ;)

Gave up 10 years ago. I put my success down to taking up knitting. Bizarre, but it worked and has the side benefit of lots of nice Christmas presses for the family.

free pdf of Allen Carr,s book

Any advice would be welcome

I was a heavy smoker but gave up 15 years ago.

I reduced the number of cigarettes I was smoking to about 5 a day and I started smoking roll ups - because you can have just one or two drags to satisfy craving and then let it go out in the ashtray.
One roll up would last me all day.

I then stopped the rollies and I chewed gum - not nicotine stuff - just normal gum.
Every time I felt the urge I chewed.
After 4 weeks the main withdrawal was over.

I think I was successful because I reduced the nicotine right down and then all I had to do was break the habit.

Good luck to anyone trying to quit.

I understand that people have differing opinions on the vaping. But as some who had failed using patches, gp, pharmacy scheme, Allan Carr and smoked through losinga parent to ccancer I just want to say it's not always easy and different methods wok for different people.

I'm vaping less than I smoked an using a lower dose afterjust one week. It's not perfect. But i am a non smoker. 4000 chemicals less. To some i may still be a smoker, but I just had my first fag free week and I'm very proud of myself.

I have up for 18 years then stared again five years ago, seemed a good idea at the time.......

I started smoking aged 14 and have up when I was 34. I was nearly up to 30 a day. I had a load of duty frees and smoked the lot in a few days. After that last one, I threw all my matches, lighters and ashtrays away, slapped on the strongest patch I could buy and went to bed.

I kept using the patches for about 6 weeks. Yes, they did irritating my skin and give me very odd dreams but I had no cravings at all. It'll be ten years next June since that night!

I was such a heavy smoker and couldn't relax for an rebirth at home without at least half a packet just in case! Any less and I would get dressed and head out to the shops to get more.

I loved smoking and still dream about it.

Keep going, you're doing well. Have a think about giving the patches another try.

Rebirth? An evening!

A rebirth at home?!

I also tried patches, hypnotherapy, patches, Allan Car, patches, acupunture, patches, inhalator, patches. I despaired.

e-cig stopped me smoking overnight. I smoked roll-ups and I have some tobacco in my bag. I am disappointed on the rare occasion I have to use it. I much prefer vaping.

Piss off anyone who sneers at vaping. So what if it's still nicotine? Just piss off, it's a bloody miracle I've stopped smoking and I'm dead proud of myself. Rome etc.

I did put on weight because I stuffed my gob with chocolate but I was recently on the telly and I was so horrified at my appearance, I'm coming back down the other side with my weight. You will probably find that the half a stone is all you're going to put on the rest is down to binge-eating so don't panic, you're over the worst weight-wise.

I am 41 weeks pregnant and haven't smoked since i found out, but I haven't stopped... I'm just not having one at the moment!

I find that as soon as I tell myself I am stopping/have stopped I can't think of any else but having a fag... I still have a packet in my bag and could have one if I wanted one, I just don't want one!

I'm not sure how well I'll do after I'm not pregnant and go out for a drink but I'll have to wait and see! Good luck and well done for doing a week... It's bloody hard!!!

Good luck. It's been 18 years for me now.

There are 2 aspects to giving up smoking, the physical addiction and the mental habit.

The physical wasn't my problem. I didn't need the nicotine but for those that do they should talk to their pharmacist about what products are best to suit how and when the nicotine is needed and whether as a constant background amount or a sudden hit.

The habit dude was my problem. So I thought about when and where and whose company and what mood I was in when I smoked. At first I avoided those triggers and then when I felt better able to cope I weaned myself into them again when I was on a good day. In some cases keeping my hands busy was enough. I'd read for example. The greatest help was my smoker friends who fully supported my wish to quit and never offered me a fag or tried to question my decision.

Good luck

I think if you've gone cold turkey for a few days you should definitely try the Allen Carr method as it seems to have a fairly high success rate.

However, it doesn't work for everyone - it didn't for me - and if it doesn't for you, I would definitely recommend an e-cig. I have tried just about every method ever devised (except Champix) and failed. I'm on day 53 with a vapouriser now and smoking just seems like this weird thing other people do. It took no effort at all to make the switch (except for clicking 'buy' on a few websites ). It's not smoking - there is no smoke.

Forgot to say - well done!