AIBU to ask you how you quit smoking?

[BooksAndGin]

I'm going on a massive life change mission in January.
I suffer with chronic illnesses, bad mental health that's effected in every way possible, I always come to a crash in April as it's the anniversary of my three sons death.
I don't want that to happen next year. I want to be level headed and positive.
So the first thing I need to do for myself is quit smoking (for my DC, my health! And myself)

How did you give up smoking? I don't want tablets, vaping, patches or anything like that but at the same time I can't go cold turkey as I tried this year and failed.

Thank you

So sorry for the loss of your sons OP. Have you considered hypnosis for giving up smoking? Worked for a friend of the family when I was a teen many years ago, she never smoked again and this was about 40 years ago.

The thing is, you have to really want to do it. Telling yourself that you MUST do it, is a recipe for failure . Same with doing it because the doctor told you / someone else told you / you think you should for your health etc. All of those are going to fail , because deep down you'll be wanting a smoke and you'll be fighting against yourself.

I gave up cold turkey because for several months I'd been thinking that I wanted to be a non smoker. When the day came, I literally stopped cold because mentally I was ready. That was 20 years ago and I haven't had one since .

If you don't want to try cold turkey and you also don't want to use any nicotine substitutes, I'd suggest maybe some hypnotherapy which might put your mind in the right place. But like I said, the best way to give up is to really, really want to be a non smoker. Good luck on your journey .

Alan Carr.s easy way to stop smoking. I stopped about 6 years ago after smoking for 15 years 20 a day smoker. I Tried champix, vaping, patches, hypnotherapy, cold turkey and nothing worked as I still craved a cigarette so started again, I read the book and stopped then and have never smoked or craved a cigarette again. I can spend time with friends who smoke, there are usually cigarettes somewhere in the house but have never had the urge to smoke again.

I see you don't want vaping as a suggestion but that's what worked for me. What about a stop smoking app ?

Another vote for Allan Carrs Easyway to Stop Smoking. I was horrendous and this was truly life changing. I don’t miss smoking at all. Can’t believe I used to smoke to be honest.

Herbal cigarettes

I did Paul McKenna how to give up smoking cd & book
Best thing I ever did, it'll be 10 years in February and I've never put a cigarette to my lips since

Why don’t you want nrt? Cold turkey failed miserably for me. Nicotine gum worked brilliantly. Stopped twelve years now.

First and most importantly I'm so sorry.
Bless you.

Secondly I know you said no tablets but it took a few weeks and worked amazingly for me and I haven't smoked in a year I just don't have the urges anymore.

I don't know how a tablet once a day managed to stop me it's crazy.

I was prescribed zyban or bupropion.

What ever your choice good luck.

For me it was simply one at a time. Delay going for my next fag by doing some thing else instead. So not that I wasn't going to have a smoke, just later. I started at 20 a day and eventually, after a few months had one a day after work.

That one stuck for a little while, but the point being by that stage I wasn't addicted, it was routine, so I eventually kicked that too.

Someone once asked about how do I tackle problems, and my answer was to break it down into manageable pieces. And in hindsight that's what I did - I gave up one at a time.

So how do you approach problems when you're faced with them?

I gave up after smoking for thirty years. It was easy. All I have to do is bring to mind the look of horror and pain on my frail Mums face when I told her I had lung cancer.

Not to mention how I felt telling my DD, my sis, my friends ect.

Twelve years later, I've still not touched a cigarette. But the look on my Mums face had never left me

I used the spray. Was a bit scared to smoke after a couple of sprays of that stuff. You get used to it after a few episodes of meaty hiccups.

Killed the craving dead though.

I went cold turkey. Essentially the options are what you listed.

I was a twenty a day for 10 years before giving up.

I had an operation and was advised to stop so I did for the 4 months leading up and never started again.

One thing is that I never said I’d never smoke again. I’ve had a few lapses but never more than an evening at a time. I probably have 20 fags a year max when pissed and carried away so very rare these days.

Good luck OP - you’ll feel so much better for it.

What spray is that gamerchick? A nicotine spray?

I am really sorry about your sons.

I gave up this year. Started exercising more and just stopped. I did kind of cut down, and then found I'd had one in a week and then that was it.

Gave up alcohol.

Alan Carr

Another vote for alain carr book. That's how I quit in the 90s.

I used champix. Gave up 9 years ago after smoking 20 a day for 30 years. Have never had a cigarette since.

I wish you luck - but it seems self defeating to say you don't want to try patches, tablets, vaping, nicotine replacement or going cold turkey. It seems to be ruling out most methods that work for people.

Buried my mother who died of lung cancer.

I smoked 20+ a day for 40 years (actually for 47 years, I had my first at age 11 and I'm now 58) and gave up pretty much overnight on the 9th of November 2021. It was far easier than I thought.

Firstly be aware that nicotine isn't addictive. Yes, you think it is because the it's in the interest of tobacco, pharmaceutical companies and tax collection governments departments to perpetuate that idea.

True addiction means that the substance you are ingesting replaces and takes over something that your body needs, so stopping it triggers a physical response. There's nothing in tobacco that your body actually needs, otherwise you'd get up 5 times a night to get a 'hit'.

Yes, you got (get) a dopamine hit when you first smoked because your brain equated it to social inclusion, or stress relief or boredom or whatever caused you to start. Most people started smoking - like me - at an age when health and cost weren't even a consideration but being cool and part of the gang were paramount.

First you need to stop thinking that you're 'giving up' - that implies losing something that's important to you (like removing an unwanted toy from a child, all of a sudden it's the best thing ever!). Instead think of it as casting off something that's rather stupid, immature and weak. Do you really want to be someone who's associated with those words?

Secondly, keep a smoking diary. Write down the time of every cigarette and why you are smoking it - habit, stress, boredom, enjoyment or something else? I bet you anything any 90% are habit. So they are the first and easiest to go.

I stopped smoking because I'm training as an interactive hypnotist so wanted to a A/make sure that it works and B/have some credibility so not sure how I can describe the next step without self promotion but basically you need to convince your subconscious that smoking is no longer a good idea and that you don't need it. The first 3 days are weird and not particularly easy but after that it's only weird!

Alan Carr - I think EasyWay now comes in a couple of different editions, the one I used was a slimmish book, about 120 pages. I went from 20 a day for fifteen years to nothing, and still off them very happily many years later.

Quickmist spray.
Stopping smoking (30 a day for years) was a doddle with this. Never smoked since.

Good luck op!

Another vote for the Easy Way To Stop Smoking by Allen Carr. I stopped 13 years ago using this, and I haven’t had one cigarette since the day I finished the book. This was after trying every other method known to man at the time! Nothing else worked, and I was amazed that the book did, I honestly believed I’d be hooked for life as everything else had failed.

I’m so sorry to read your post though and as the risk of sounding like a cliche, be kind to yourself.

Dh had a heart attack at 42. That did it instantly