To ask for your experience if stopping smoking

[smashems]

I smoke between 10-15 cigarettes a day and I'm sick of it. I have 2 DC- my oldest knows I smoke (although I don't do it in front of him) and I know he doesn't like it. I'm sick of sneaking in the back garden for a quick cigarette when I could be getting on with jobs or spending that time playing with my DC (I tend to stay away from them for a little while after I've had a cigarette so the smell is not so strong). I'm sick of not socialising in the canteen at break and lunch at work because I'm too busy outside in the rain/cold having a cigarette. I'm sick of coming out of a lovely bath then making myself feel gross/smelly by having a cigarette afterwards. I'm sick of the smell of it on my clothes. Not forgetting the damage it's doing to my health. So I've made me decision that I want to quit but where do I start? Do I go cold turkey? Buy some patches? Go to a support group? How can I manage my mood when I'm withdrawing?

I'd love to hear your experiences. Here's to a healthier and happier 2018. Wish me luck!

After many attempts, I found using Champix really helped me. It really really helped with those early day cravings, made it so much easier. You start taking it and then give up within 10 days or so of taking the tablets. It makes smoking quite grim anyway so it becomes quite easy!

I am now 6 months smoke free. I also have a stop smoking app on my phone which totals up the cigarettes not smoked, health benefits and cash saved, which is quite motivating.

Like you I was also hiding out in backyard, hiding from children! Felt really good to go away to friends, and not having to sneak out somewhere to have a fag! Go to your go or stop smoking nurse who should be able to advise you on a method and support.

I watched the Alan Carr DVD smoking guru rather than the chatty man)and just went cold turkey . Once I had made the decision to stop I found it so much easier than I ever imagined .

I had smoked 20 a day for over 20 years apart from pregnancy/breastfeeding.
I love that I don't smoke and I dont miss it at all. 5 years stopped (ish I don't even really remember now which is a good thing I think.

Vaping. I know that some consider it to be cheating but I'm 4 months off cigs after 25 years of smoking having only ever made it to about 3 weeks quitting before (pregnancy breaks excepted). Most towns now have a vape shop - go and talk to them.

I went cold turkey and it was hard the first three weeks. Once those were past, the sense of "missing" something was gone. It's been a few years now and there may be one or two times a year that I think about wanting a smoke.

I will say that I was highly embarrassed once I started noticing how people who smoke smell. If had been able to smell myself when I still smoked I'd have stopped there and then.

Honestly. I woke up with a rotten hangover and couldn't face smoking. It started to ease of in the late afternoon, but instead of smoking I started crocheting a blanket. I worked on that blanket non stop for four days, by then the worst of the cravings had passed. That was in the early '90's. I still miss smoking!

I’m 9 nearly 10 years smoke free, you have got to want to quit. It took me a few attempts to do it longest before this was a year. I read the Allen Carr book as it challenges how you think about smoking and I signed up to a boots scheme, paid one prescription and got the patches. I went back every week to get tested to show I was quitting and got another box of patches.

I think you probably have the mindset to quit from sounds of your post and that is key to being successful. You will need to change your habits to new ones that you don’t associate with smoking. Good luck!

I started off with patches but they gave me nightmares so I went cold turkey, the difference was that I really wanted to give up. I’d tried several times before (smoker for 20 odd years).

My dp vapes, he uses the tobacco flavour and it’s odorless to everyone so he doesn’t stink and can vape indoors without bothering anyone. His vape machine broke the other day so he bought some real fags, had 1 an sthrew them away as he didn’t like smoking them.

Oh and regarding vape machines, buy the decent one, about £60, the cheap ones that look like fags are apparently crap and don’t work well

Allen Carr book. Once you've decided to quit - read it. I went cold turkey. The book says not to avoid situations where you would smoke - so I finished the book and went with my DH to the pub (pre kids era!)

The book taught me there's never a 'good time' to quit. You will always be stressed - so want a cigarette. Or there will be a wedding/party - so you will want a cigarette as the temptation will be too much. But if you want to quit just do it.

This was 12 years ago. I've not had a cigarette nor even a whiff of desire to have a cigarette. The thought of smoking now is just alien to me

Good luck!

DP and I both went cold turkey. I found the first two weeks the hardest but my health anxiety made it a lot easier to stick with! DP found it harder but he had been smoking more and for much longer than I had. Got there after one bad week when he was very stressed at work at picked it back up. He loved that app that tell you how much you've saved and how many cigarettes you would have smoked!

In terms of managing moods, I'm not sure I did. But I did find people were very tolerant when o warned them what I was doing and apologised in advance if I was short with them. I was also sure to apologise after, every time and very sincerely, if I slipped up. Pretty much everyone was understanding and supportive and that stage didn't last too long in the grand scheme of things

Best of luck with it and don't be discouraged if you have the odd set back, you can do it!

I’ve just stopped (again) as I can’t afford to smoke and pay for a wedding. I haven’t smoked since midnight rolled round on NYE and I’m twitchy, anxious and can’t sit still.

I decided to go cold turkey as I’m an all or nothing sort of person and cutting down wouldn’t work for me.

I’ve started transferring a days worth of cigarettes money into my wedding savings account everyday. I used to smoke about $13.50 worth of cigarettes everyday and the only thing stopping me from smoking again and actually seeing a cash benefit is to move the money over everyday.

Allen Carr book for me to. Busted soany myths about how the addiction works. Once I stopped being afraid of going with a fag, it stopped having a hold over me. I'm 14 years stopped and don't miss any of it.

Good luck op, you can do it!

I smoked for 40 years and gave up around 3 years ago. I agree with the poster who remarked on the smell. Smokers absolutely stink and they make everything around them stink too, even if you only smoke outside. You can honestly only smell it if you don't smoke yourself.

I went cold turkey but also read the allen carr book - it is very good. Good luck all those giving up.

Going without a fag. Ahem.

Been stopped 4 years after a 10 year 20 a day habit.

Vaping was the only thing that worked for me. Decent battery and tank, range of juice to find your favourite and off you go. .

I very very occasionally want a fag. Only very rarely though. Maybe once or twice a year. I had 1 fag 2 years ago after something awful (friend had her pony pts) and it was fucking vile. Had our pony pts and said that if I wanted a fag afterwards I would. It never even crossed my mind.

Go to your vape shop. They will help you. Be prepared to spend a bit (probably about 10 days fag money on what you currently smoke) and ditch the fags. Don't just try and cut down. Chose a date then switch to vaping.

I was literally sitting watching tv one night & realised that I couldn't face going outside in the cold & wet & wind.
I decided right there & then, that I wasn't going to smoke anymore. I just stopped & never smoked again (over 15 years ago now)
I didn't have any cravings or withdrawal, because I saw myself as a non smoker.
Good luck OP ❤️❤️

I too went cold turkey.
I had no plans to stop, I went out one night and did my usual trick of smoking so much I didn’t fancy one the next day.
When I woke up on day two i thought I would see how far I could go.........and five years down the line I still haven’t had one.
I had to keep my half full packet for six months though. I looked in it every day and if I fancied one I physically talked myself out of it.
I’m so pleased I did it.
You need to do it your own way and don’t be disheartened if you fall off the wagon.
Another good trick I did was putting the money I would have spent in a money box which I would open occasionally - sometimes we had a night away, a meal out or I would put it in savings, or buy myself /my DD something nice. Even if you put half the money in it’s £140 per 4 weeks. Full money is £300 per month. When you see it laid out in front of you it’s a massive incentive to continue, just think, ten months would be £3000! Its a holiday, pay off credit cards, pay a chunk off mortgage, brilliant start of savings, it’s that watch you have coverted for years, big deposit on a new car........the list is endless.
And think how proud your DC will be. You will be setting them a great example and you might stop them from starting.
I wish you the greatest luck and it sounds to me like you are mentally ready! Just go for it- you have nothing to loose by trying.
Oh, and my mother smoked for 35 yrs and she stopped after being hypnotised by a professional.

I haven't smoked for two years now due to vaping . It's the only thing that has worked for me. I tried everything to stop previously and always went back to fags. Give it a try, it's a great way to get yourself off the fags. I couldn't bear to smoke cigarettes now and I'd smoked for over 20 years!

Go for it go for it go for it.

I've never managed to stop completely and stopping methods vary between people but there are options like Allen Carr, champix (my american friends hate the British name, think it's called 'chantix' there), NRT, willpower, vaping etc.

I always like to hear of someone breaking free of nicotine :) It is a cage.

Like a PP it was when I woke with a horrendous hangover, unable to smoke, by the time I could face it I just distracted myself.

Also, I found it really easy to stop. After 20+ years as a smoker I think by 4 days I had stopped thinking about it.

You can definitely do it!!

After smoking from my teens (varying amounts over the years) I stopped just under 3 years ago and I can honestly say it’s the best thing I ever did!!

I don’t remember the the pinnacle moment that I decided enough was enough but I do remember my 4 year old replying to her sisters question of “what’s that smell” with “it’s just mummy” after I had been for a cig and feeling utterly disgusted with myself, I’m hopeful I wasn’t too late that they won’t ever remember me doing it (never smoked in front of them)

I used the Allen Carr book and it really worked for me (my husband also stopped drinking after reading his book!!) I had one failed attempt and then tried again the week after and that was that!!

Remember

Smoking doesn’t bring anything to the party, millions of people drink, eat and socialise without fags and they still have a great time, you don’t need them to heighten living, can you imagine needing heroin to get through a dinner or the cinema...It seems ludicrous right!?

Every time you light up it’s not “just the one” and its definitely not an amazing feeling, you are just relieving the craving from the last cig!! It’s big circle that you have the power to stop!!

Get angry Nicotine companies are lining their pockets by poisoning you, they are rich because they have made a product that is so destructive it kills thousands every year and there are getting away with it!! Do you think they smoke!? Of course not they know how dangerous it is but they will happily take and make money on people that do!!

Bestest of luck...please feel free to message if you want or need any support!!

Thank you for sharing your experiences. It's made me really excited to stop smoking! I'm keen to read the book - does anyone have a link? I did a quick google search and there are a couple of different books so not sure which one to go for?

I think the Allen carr book says nicotine is one of the fastest acting addictive drugs ever. Remember that first cigarette? It was awful! You're coughing and thinking - well there's no way I'll get addicted to that. But you already are.

The flip side is that the effects of the addiction are also fairly short lived. I think (please correct me if you've read this more recently than me!) the worst of the withdrawal symptoms are within a few days. Within a few months your brain chemistry is back to normal.

Does anyone know the difference in these books?