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!

I just stopped, but I was never really addicted so it was easy for me. I’ll still have one with a drink but I only drink maybe twice a year.

My husband gave up smoking about 2 months ago. Something clicked in his head that made him think he wouldn’t see his children grow up. He went cold turkey and I am so proud of how well he has done.
It is definitely something I think you have to really want and be in the right frame of mind for. He has had a terrible cough for years which is now so much better. Several previous attempts to quit have failed.

Allen car for me too. I haven't smoked for almost 15 years now. However I have had the occasional slip up during those times (normally involves too much wine )) but quickly got back off it again. My partner really hates it and I really love him so that was a big incentive.

I could never give up when it was someone else willing me to, because I'm stubborn like that. I could only give up once id decided to.
I ended up going cold turkey. I got to the end of my pack and then didn't buy any more. I kept myself busy so that I didn't have that "break" I would normally smoke on. It helped that my Dp was very supportive and understanding when I was a bit ratty for a couple of weeks.
When my Dad quit he used the gum and patches for about a year (from memory it could have been shorter) and has never smoked since.

I quit cold turkey the first time before we started ttc, I tried patches but they made me itch like crazy!
That lasted 4 years then stupidly gradually started up again.

3 years in and i started vaping back in October and haven't wanted a cigarette since. I feel loads better already and am enjoying seeing the savings add up.
I will take coming off the vape very gradually, I started on 12mg nicotine and am now on a mix of 6 and 3, I feel I've made the biggest step health wise already so am happy to deal with the vaping slowly.

My method was a tad extreme and I don't recommend it. After having smoked 30 a day for over 50 years and having tried several times using different methods (Alan Carr did absolutely for me) I stopped after having a fall and breaking my hip and thigh bones which resulted in me being in hospital on traction for eight weeks. They unreasonably refused my suggestion of a six foot pipe out of the window, slapped patches on me and I haven't smoked since (3 years ago). I still fancy one occasionally but realise I would be beyond stupid to restart for all the obvious reasons..

I wish you the very best of luck.

Another vote here for Champix. I gave up at the start of last year after 34 years of smoking 10-15 a day and have stuck with it despite 2017 being a stressful grind of a year.
Champix was recommended to me by a mate and I wouldn't say it was easy - you need to bring your own motivation and willpower to the party - but the course of tablets really gets you through those difficult early weeks and that gives you the momentum to stick at it.
And, as a PP said, using an app that tells you how many you haven't smoked, how much you have saved and what the health benefits are really helps too.
Good luck, OP - you will be amazed how much better you feel.

I used Boots own patches 9 and a half years ago.

Andnone, so sorry about your DH and his illness. Your post has actually stopped me from falling off my new year wagon. Best wishes to you both.

I'm currently vaping. Have been trying for ages to give up. It's so hard.

serial thanks. Well done on your resolve!

Allen Carr for me too but unlike pps I read the book and couldn't manage to quit. I also tried champix, patches, hypnotherapy... the works. Finally I went on a day's Allen Carr Easyway course. Pricey but worth every penny - I drove away a non-smoker. That's 7 years ago now and I've never been tempted to pick up a cigarette. Good luck OP - you will love your life so much more after you quit.

I gave up last Easter after smoking 20 a day for 40 years. Haven’t had one since and I hate the smell.

I bought a huge vape; cloudchucker lol. And started on 12 mg nicotine. My mods are a little smaller and I’m down to 3mg nicotine, looking to cut down to 0 nic by end of year.

I tried everything before this, patches, inhalators, sprays, acupuncture and hypnotherapy. Nothing worked.

Go onto the Planet of the Vapes forum and ask for help. Most shops will sell you rubbish and are aren’t that great to visit. I’ve been to the Vape Expos in Birmingham as well and they are real fun. Both my sons vape and I’m glad they both quit smoking this way.

I'm on day three off and I just had one. Been trying since Christmas Eve and this is already my third failure. Starting again tomorrow. Putting the saved money from each day into a box is really eye opening, there's 15 quid in there from only really a week.

I smoke about 30 a day. I stopped about 4 1/2 years ago, two weeks before I had to have major surgery - hospital's recommendation. I told myself I could smoke when I returned from hospital. I found that after I finally got back home, after several weeks, the urge had diminished. I found that it helped if I treated myself and used savings from cigs to buy things that I wanted, but were a bit of a treat and I would not have normally bought e.g. several lovely cashmere jumpers. Don't be like me, however, and develop a processed carb habit - many extra kilos have proved to me that chocolate croissants/scones with jam and clotted cream/cream sponges, etc really are not my friend.

However, in years gone by, I had stopped for two and a half years and also about eight months, and found that it only took bumming one smoke to get me started again - but I probably do have an addictive personality. I know now that I can't have "just one".

So, my major warning is, if you do stop: Don't tempt yourself.

That should "I smoked" - so much for my careful proofreading.

Vaping working for me and my husband. I tried cold turkey and nicotine patches prior to that but didn't have any success.

It's a hell of a lot cheaper, you don't stink, it helps wean you off the nicotine as you can gradually cut down the nicotine strength in the liquid

E cig. Smoke it in the toilets at work if you need it.

I should also add that I did a course run by a group called Smoke Enders (did stop for 2 1/2 years, so I suppose it did work) and tried e-cigs and nicotene replacement patches and gum - didn't work for me.

Cold turkey was how I stopped 4 1/2 years ago - and I say that as I touch wood as I don't want to tempt fate by being complacent. I will always worry that it's only going to take something that I can't cope with to have me smoking again.

I've tried it all, and stopped most ways. For me it was never hard to quit, it was hard to stay quit. Saying that, currently 5 months smokefree.

Champix works but is not recommended for people with certain MH problems. I'm not even sure all doctors realise this. Since I was prescribed it even though I've had MH problems for years.

I never really got on with nicotine replacement because I really missed the physicality of smoking. Banging a patch on didn't really work.

I've been vaping since last July. Just the cheapo £10 sets, though I've bought some bigger batteries. At first I was vaping constantly 18mg juice. Now I'm down to 6mg and I don't think I've touched it today. It's standing by the side of the laptop but I'm not craving.

Good luck btw!

I went cold turkey after a combined horrible hangover+flu/cold two years ago.
I had been feeling shit for a while about smoking for all the reasons you mention + vanity.
I am genuinely surprised how easy it was. To start with I missed it perhaps 10 minutes a day (esp with coffee or after spicy food) and I still miss it every day but only for about 10 seconds. Chewing gum, mints and strong mint tea helped I found.
You can do it!

I stopped 7/8 years ago. It wasn't anything momental. One day (after having a cigarette that morning) I just decided I didn't want to do it anymore. I really didn't want to do it. So I quit - left the remaining cigarettes in my pack on the table for my mum and that was that.

I've not counted days and I couldn't even tell you what year I quit now, but I think that's helped to normalise being a non-smoker rather than spending my days dwelling on when I had my last cigarette.

Basically I think you need to really want to do it to begin with. The intention is half the battle. Get past the first three days and start finding ways to change your habits and it's already several times easier to maintain.

Don't leave an empty space where you expect it - replace your habit with something else to begin with - for example, after dinner spend 5 minutes doing a logic puzzle/sudoku to take your mind off what you are missing.

It does get much easier and over time not only will you not miss it, but you'll be repulsed by it.

Good luck. OP!

Oh, if you do slip up, don't say 'I'll start again tomorrow'. Just continue from that moment on and don't have another one that day. Leaving it to tomorrow to quit is a sure fire away to never succeed.

Lovache, that’s not failure, that’s success x 19 (based on a 20 a day habit). Well done!

I smoked for a few years when I was at university. I cut down and then quit about ten years ago, (when I graduated). I found it a lot easier this way, than going cold turkey, (which I’d tried once before). I think if I still smoked, I’d try vaping. I have a friend who is a thoracic (lung) surgeon and cancer expert, who is a big advocate of vaping as a replacement for smokers wishing to stop.