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

I quit twice, first time cold turkey, it was hard but it worked. I took up smoking again after about 3 years - no idea why, pure stupidity.

Second time around I used nicotine gum, it was easier in some ways but it took me a long time to give up the gum as well (I didn't actually need it, but I was scared to stop)

The Allen Carr book did nothing for me, I read it, accepted he was right but didn't make me stop.

I've been cigarette-free for 12 years.

I went cold turkey.

I also found Allen Carrs book utterly useless

Vaping did it for me. I had the “super cold” and the coughing was the most horrific I’d ever experienced (and as a smoker of 30 years I’d had a few coughs!) I actually didn’t mean to stop smoking, I just wanted to kind of do half and half. I woke up and thought I’d see how long I could go before I sparked up. I noticed pretty much straight away that my cough was getting better and I’ve not sparked up since. That was 7 weeks ago.

I know you said that you want to go cold turkey but a lot of people struggle with that so please consider a nicotine replacement of some kind. Especially for day 3!

Good luck 🙂

I've used 'no trance' hypnosis on my partner over the last couple of days to help him quit (12yr, up to 40/day habit). He was very skeptical but now he's walking around like a lost soul...picking up a cigarette, lighting it and then putting it out again, muttering 'this is too fucking weird."

Why? NRT does not work for everyone and just prolongs the pain.

I went to an Allen Carr clinic, it was pricey (around £250 for one day seminar might be more now). Have not wanted to smoke since, never had a craving since I left the building six years ago.

One day at a time. 'I'm going to make it to bed without smoking today'. And in challenging times, 'I'm going to make it home from the shops without smoking', then focus on the next bit of time.

I also found being really lazy and having snacks/nice drinks for the first day helped. No harm in some chocolate. And keeping hydrated. Keep rested, keep well fed and stay away from stress and smokers! At least to start... Best not to push yourself too hard in early days.

You can do it!

And I am really sorry about your bereavement, I can't even imagine the kind of suffering such a loss would bring.

I went cold turkey and I would never, ever recommend going cold turkey. Although apparently the Alan Carr method can make you quit overnight. I think, if there are ways to earn yourself off such as nicotine gum, then use them. It's easier to change an addiction than just to stop dead.

Vaping. I was a heavy, heavy smoker and quit instantaneously with a vape and 20mg nic salts. Get a sub ohm vape, not a cheap one, and ensure you're buying nic salts for the throat hit.

I know you said you didn't want to vape, presumably so you're not picking up another habit as compensation, but it's so much safer than smoking.

I tried everything and nothing worked, I must have tried up to 100 times.
Then I booked two weeks off work and went cold turkey.
It was hell but I've never smoked since for 30 years.

I quit successfully using a brilliant website called whyquit.com - also after using Allen Carr's book which didn't quite work for me.