Ex Smokers, can i ask a quick question please?

[AgentFelix]

How did you quit?

NRT
Champix/Zyban
Gradual Reduction
Cold Turkey/Willpower
Other - hypnosis/acupuncture etc

I'll be back in a few hours

TIA

Oh, in case it matters, I want to know if Joel Spitzer (Why Quit) is correct about most smokers quitting cold turkey. I don't have many ex-smokers in real life to ask.

Hypnosis. Tried many, many times to quit but it was only hypnosis that shut that little voice up nowI sound like an odd ball
Haven't smoked for two years having previously smoked for 15!!!

Cold turkey

Cold turkey, been a non smoker for 9 years now.

I'm very good at quitting, I've done it loads of times . Those occasional 'social' cigarettes would eventually lead me up the path to become a smoker again and again even after 2 years!

Quit cold turkey properly about 10 years ago.

Cold turkey, 7 years ago.

I didn't 'relapse' for a few years but the last twice I've been out (hen night and wedding, rarely go out anymore) I've had one and enjoyed it

I'll never go back to smoking at all, but think I could be a secret social smoker if I went out more!

Cold turkey, I decided I wasn't going to smoke once the ban in public places started in 2007. I resorted to frantic cross stitching every evening to keep my hands busy. My friend took up knitting for the same reason- everyone got a scarf for Christmas that year!

Cold turkey - DH though, not me (nonsmoker). He tried a few times before with nicorette/ other substitutes but cold turkey was the only thing that worked. That was 8-9 years ago, seems to have stuck!

Cold Turkey, with a hefty dose of Alan Carr's book (the bit that worked for me was the cartoon of a Nicotine Monster, and how feeding it made it grow and shout louder, whereas starving it shrivelled it - after final loud yells for attention, of course ).

It gets better surprisingly fast, and you will dream in vivid colours as proof that your brain is getting more oxygen - as well as smelling, tasting, and being healthier. Best thing I ever did.

Good luck!

I just gave up. sorry it's probably not what you want to hear.

A friend of mine has had success switching to e cigarettes.

I used nicotine replacement patches and those funny little plastic cigarettes - for me the hand-to-mouth repetitive action was a big part of the addiction. I was 20+ a day. Haven't smoked at all for 10 years.

The weird thing is, I now have regular-ish dreams that I've lapsed. In the dream, I'm so disappointed with myself and eventually I wake up .... then I realise it was a dream and I am so happy. It's like a little unconscious reminder to myself to not ever, ever take up smoking again. Odd.

I still stand too close to other smokers to get an illicit lungful of their cast-off smoke, though. Mmmmmmmm

Cold turkey. Took a few tries but been a non/s for 6 years now. Sometimes I get a craving from a whiff of smoke, but when I actually think about taking a drag I feel queasy.
For some reason, keeping a box of fags in the house seemed to help me quit. When giving up it used to drive me mad late at night thinking about how to get my filthy paws on a ciggie, so having them there just helped me to keep making the choice not to smoke. Don't know if that makes sense? It did to me!

I did the Paul McKenna book and CD

It was amazing, in all the previous attempts I had still had a social fag/holiday fag/sad fag
I never completely gave up

This totally brainwashed my thinking about cigarettes, I know for a fact that I will never put another one in my mouth, I just can't see it happening ever, or why I would!
It's different to the Allan Carr method which I didn't find any good. You read the book, learn a few techniques and then fall asleep to listen to his hypnosis every night for 2 weeks
It's been over a year now and I don't miss it one bit. Best £6 I ever spent!

(Am total convert, I did his flying cd too and cured my phobia)

I have the to ability to just stop when I want to. I do enjoy smoking but haven't for over a year.
If something gets me down I do get cravings for a ciggie but so far haven't succumbed.

another vote for Allan Carr. Ten years. And i was a 20 B&H a day gal.

Cold turkey 60 a day to 0

Dp has just done the same but from 20 a day. He's not had a cig for 6 weeks now and he heaves at the smell of them now after 18 years of being a smoker. So proud of him

Cold turkey after reading Allen Carr.

Cold turkey.

The positive pregnancy test was key. Much easier to give up for another person than for yourself.

cold turkey the first week, then Alan Carr's 'Easy Way to Stop Smoking' to keep me going. Brilliant book. 20 a day + smoker to nothing for over 8 years now.

Champix after 26 years of 20 a day. Over 3 years down the line and the smell makes me want to vom.

Tortoise read Alan Carr, even though you are not smoking, after that book you will no longer feel like you are "not succumbing" to something you want, but that you are liberated from it forever. You wont suffer or feel deprived ever again (or "enjoy" smoking)

60 willough? Bloody hell!!! And well done

Cold turkey. I was pregnant, and every time I wanted one, just told myself, 'tough shit, you can't.'

Thanks everyone

Well done all of you. I'm in awe. Good to see I'm not the heaviest smoker ever - I'm on 40 B&H a day which is still pretty disgusting and bloody expensive.

I'm planning to stop on Monday, cold turkey.

I haven't added up the scores yet, but it looks like cold turkey wins hands down.

Off to watch a DVD with DP.

Cut down to 3 a day for a week then cold turkey.

Another cold turkey here.

I kept getting bronchitis. My last cig made me puke (I had bronchitis again) and I couldn't work out why I was still smoking.

That was in 2005 / 6.