In thinking there has got to be a way.....I can give up smoking.....tell me how PLEASE

[shelikespinacalada]

I just have got to.
How did you do it?

I've tried vaping, hypnotherapy, patches, gum, champix, willpower, doing it for others,doing it for myself.

30 years now of smoking.

I'm baffled as I don't want to smoke but continue. Doesn't matter if I'm stressed or not. I just do it.

What worked for me was not buying any ( and a bad case of flu). I kept telling myself I'll buy some tomorrow, and didn't.

I used patches and a sticker chart, it worked the second time I tried. The difference the second time was I banned smoking in the house and avoided places where people smoked. 18 years ago, I'll never smoke a fag again.

I read the Allen Carr book. I read it over a weekend, went from 15 - 20 a day to nothing overnight and never smoked again. That was 14 years ago.

And change your routine, like get up and wash the dishes straight away after dinner instead of having a fag, knit while watching tv so no fidgety fingers looking for the tobacco/fags/lighter, brush your teeth often so your mouth feels too clean to suck a fag, stuff like that...

I remember the moment when I knew I'd quit for good. I went to the cinema with a group of friends and the film was long, I think it was a Lord of the Rings. By the end they were all bouncing in their seats desperate for it to be over so they could get out and smoke. They practically ran out when the titles came up. I just felt so free to not have that need hanging over me anymore.

Morning was my worst so instead of going outside for a fag i put the kettle on and go outside to put recyling in the bin it is a bit bonkers but i found it helped me I purposely leave it till the morning

vaping worked for me, the only thing

I haven't succeeded yet, watching these with interest. I gave up while pregnant but my husband didn't, and I went back on 😔 I am terrified of mouth cancer

Try not giving up, stay with me.

My dad never gave up smoking, he just decided to see how log he could go without a cigarette. He's at 40+ years now.

It works because you are doing something positive. If you only last an hour the first time then you know you can go an hour, so make it an hour and 10 mins before the next one.

Obviously if you can start with a day that's brilliant, but doing this means you can never fail.

Definitely Allen Carr, read it whilst continuing to smoke and then stopped. Cold turkey but didn't experience any cravings etc.
No patches/gum/whatever.
I'd stopped several times before but five years on I can honestly say I never give smoking a thought.

I did the Allen Carr book too. Became an instant non smoker with zero will power required and have never even thought about or wanted to have a cigarette since. This was about 10 years ago.

Joining in. I have given up numerous times for fairly long periods but it always seems to sneak back. Usually when I have a few drinks and then before I know it I'm back full time. Found the Allen Carr book doing a tidy last night. I also have a vape, patches and Nicorette inhaler ready to go. Don't know which option to go for. Agh.

Allen Carr.

I gave up when pregnant for the first time but to my shame, started again afterwards. But after being pregnant for the second time, I never smoked again. It's been over 6 years now - and I LOVED smoking.

To be honest, if I ever let myself have a drag/just one when pissed, it would be the slippery slope for me. I can NEVER let myself start again. I have 3 children and the thought that I may inflict cancer on myself through smoking and leave them forever, is enough to keep me from ever touching one again. But honestly, that's the only thing stopping me.

I tried looking for the Allen Carr stuff on YouTube to see what it was all about and it just felt like being talked down to so I didn't think it would work for me (I probably just didn't "get it")

So I got a vape, and juice with nicotine to start with. I set a routine for it so I make a cuppa (like I would've for a fag) and vape while I have my tea, then carry on with my day.

It's been three weeks so far and while I have had maybe 4 actual fags, each time I went back to my vape thinking, what was the point of that, camping now feels much better. And actually, it's reduced what I've smoked because even though it's quicker and easier (used to smoke tobacco so no rolling time), it feels less "urgent" so I might have had a fag within 10minutes of waking up previously but now it might be an hour before I vape, because I know it's there and ready, there's no rush. I do think I'll probably just stop completely at some point but this is a nice middle ground for now.

Good luck OP - I notice the change in my pocket already.

*vaping not camping. That would be a very inconvenient substitute for smoking...

And my dh has quit and started vaping too and also (as far as I know) has done really well with it.

Allen Carr didn't work for me at all. Still smoking! But, I know in my case, my will to give up just isn't strong enough right now. It's a tricky one because I'm not stupid, I know all of the good reasons not to be smoking but I enjoy it. I go to Japan a lot and they still have many cafes and restaurants where you can smoke. Going into a cafe and being able to relax with a coffee and a cigarette is bliss! The fact I've just written that sentence probably shows why Allen Carr didn't work for me! I wish you good luck OP!

I smoked for close to 20 years and didn't even finish the Allen Carr book and I gave up. I haven't smoked for a few years.

The Allen Carr method does not rely on willpower. That's not how it works. You don't need to grit your teeth and power through, you just need to relax and go with it.

My husband gave up cold turkey a year ago next month. I honestly believe if he can stop then anybody can.
For him it was a mental thing. His best friend had just died (not smoking related tho) and he realised he was less likely to see his children grow up if he carried on. He believed it would kill him soon.
Good luck xx

I’d try the Allen Carr method.

I’m not convinced of the safety of vaping and e cigarettes. Better to quit totally if you can.

Vaping works wonderfully for me.

I don’t feel like a non-smoker at all, despite not having had an actual cigarette for nearly three years.

You just need to push through the first couple of weeks of adjusting to the new tech.

Obviously, vaping is no good for anyone who wants to quit nicotine full stop. I’m as addicted as I ever was.

“*vaping not camping. That would be a very inconvenient substitute for smoking...”

Actually- you could be onto something. Maybe if you hide your fags in an 8-berth tent that you have to fully erect every time you want one..... Could put quite a few people off.

Going into a cafe and being able to relax with a coffee and a cigarette is bliss! awful statement in reality but very true for smokers. Definitely. I remember before it was banned in cafes, feels like such a weird thing to be able to do now, to be acceptable to smoke within a couple of foot of someone who's eating!

SaucyJack I don't feel like I'm missing out either tbf (though only 3 weeks in) but I don't feel the need for an actual cigarette now, at all. I'd even cut down the nicotine in the juice to see what happens but I'd need someone to do it for me and not tell me, see if it was really all in my head or not. But I call vaping "going for a fag" or "having a smoke" anyway.

Haha it's like you know you have a problem when you're outside work having a fag in the snow... I would've put up a bloody tent lol, but maybe not quite so often!

My dad never gave up smoking, he just decided to see how log he could go without a cigarette. He's at 40+ years now.

This worked for me. I decided to see how long I could go without a fag, back in 2001.

Turns out it’s a lot longer than I thought, and all without the hassle of ‘giving up smoking’

Nothing worked for me, including the Carr book. I finally had no choice as I had a fall which resulted in being in hospital on traction for eight weeks and they slapped patches on me.

It's a tad extreme but it worked