Quitting Smoking One Day at a Time

[AgentFelix]

I took my last puff at 23.59 and I am not going to smoke for the rest of the day, or the day after that, or the day after that ...

Bit of a blow at 00.00 when I gathered up my ashtray, lighter and 4 remaining cigarettes to find I had an unopened pack of 20 hidden on my desk. DP now has the somewhat crappy job of distributing said pack somewhere in the neighbourhood. I was going to post them through a (smoking) neighbours letter box but I don't know her very well and thought it might creep her out.

Does anyone want to buddy up?

I'm going to make myself accountable to this thread. Support is very welcome.

DP has just come back and assured me he has left fags where I won't find them. I just hope that the person who comes across them hasn't just started their own quit.

I've been going to the gym and the exercise does really help! Good for you emin and water with the running.

Last time I quit I used the NHS stop smoking service and got all my NRT on prescription. Met with a counsellor once a week and had to breathe into a little machine to tell if you were cheating or not. I found it really useful and was a bit despondent this time because I thought I couldn't do the same program - too far away, not fitting in with work etc. Then last week I discovered that my local Boots runs the same program!! I'm going back tomorrow on my way to work after I drop the DDs at school.

Oopla, good luck with your support group tomorrow - hope you meet some fab people!

emin I think under the circs you were justified slipping a bit. Agree with water, please don't beat yourself up but at the same time, make sure you climb back on the old wagon!

Can I join? I've smoked for 20 years - heavily in uni years, none while pregnant, then very light (15 a week at most) for the last 7years or so. But it's still got a hold on me, while I'm also living in fear of the effects of smoking. I sometimes wish that I could fool myself into believing I was pregnant again as it was the only time I found giving up easy :)

I totally identify with that marlene (love your username btw!) Actually, in my first pregnancy, I still found it quite hard to stop (I did stop, as soon as I knew, but was really resentful about not being able to smoke) but found it easy to stop in 2nd pregnancy.

Hi all. I have been following this thread for two weeks now and it has been good support (I am on day 14 today woo hoo!!) Well done to everyone who has the strength to quit.

I have smoked for 26 years (hanging my head in shame here) but have been trying to stop for 23 of them! As far as I am concerned, I can never have another cigarette again. Full stop.

I can no longer cope with the continual anxiety about every pain/twinge/lump; is it cancer or some other smoking related disease? The constant fear that I won't see 60 and my girls will be without a mum.

In a positive note, I am also a runner, have been doing it for a year now (since my last failed quit). Went back to the smoking in time of stress but kept up the running. It really helps to feel my lungs filling properly with pure healing air. Am already noticing an improvement after 2 weeks; my lungs feel like they expand an extra inch or so.

Wish I could sleep properly though. Wake at stupid o'clock every morning! Still dark when I get up these past two weeks! So far it's my only noticeable side effect though. Oh apart from craving a fag most days

Nrt has really shifted my perspective of smoking. I'm not craving a cigarette, I don't miss smoking- I am dependant on a drug. I am essentially an addict. Have smoked so heavily for the last 15 years that actually have never been through the slightest hint of withdrawal before so am really shocked at the depths of deception my body and mind will go to to try and get me to light up.

So very pleased to have stopped, feeling a bit shaky about weaning off nrt but absolutely resolved that I am not going to live the rest of my life swinging from one hit to another.

Fuck you nicotine!

Yeah, FUCK YOU!!!

Welcome Marlene - are you thinking of quitting now? You've come to the right place!

Welcome also to Dallas - day 14, very well done. Tomorrow will be one week for me. It feels great doesn't it!

I feel the same as Oopla about the NRT and actually that is where I failed in my last attempt 2 years ago - caved in and had "just one" when I was coming off the NRT. So I will have to be extra careful this time.

waterlego have a luvverly time at the pub tonight and very best of luck for tomorrow!

I smoke 20 roll ups a day......or rather I did. I started weight watchers five days ago and now having a smoke makes me feel sick and dizzy. I've had three today and didn't enjoy them at all. I have a 50g pouch in the draw.......do I throw it away and just stop now? Someone please come and take it away from me

THROW IT AWAY!!! or run it under the tap, or give to someone.

Help! I can't throw it! Quick! Do it now? Right now? hyperventilating

UNDER THE TAP - NOW!!!!!!!

Down the loo!

I quit in 2005 after smoking for 14 years. It was about the 5th attempt and I learnt more during each one. If anyone needs any support or tips that worked for me, feel free to message.

Omg omg omigosh it's all soggy and smelly in my bin! Argh got to take it outside.

Just managed to catch up with thread after a manic few days at work! I love Fridays! Unfortunately Fridays mean wine in the rock house, so thinking a lot about having a cig. I kind of feel that I don't want one but at the same time I do. I'm so proud of myself for getting to 5 days, I don't want to, and won't, give in!
So nice to see lots of new people joining us! Good luck! We're here for you!

Queen, well done for soaking it! Take it outside quick! And eat some chocolate to take your mind off it!!

I can't I'm on weight watchers, arse bugga bollox

JRock- know what you mean about Friday evening. Was always wine night in my house too. I say WAS. I'm not gonna be drinking for a long while (until I am confident I won't cave). Sitting in, sober, smokeless, watching The Voice, bored BUT healthy and breathing still

Massive well done for wetting it - the amount of half full cigarette packets I've run under the tap!! Another good day for me . met eldest dd at the park with two of her charges (she's a nanny) and lolled in the garden for the aternoon - after having scrubbed the kitchen and cleaned the fridge (one of those jobs I never think about!) amazing how much gets done not smoking. Also still not drinking although was tempted tonight :( It's been 8 days without both - apart from my blip- and I love the energy. I always forget how good it feels. the running is a massive help too. Looking forward so much to the next one tomorow. I can't quite believe I'm doing this! Well done everyone else. We rock. queenfaeriecakes you've done brilliantly already!!

Wtf have I done? I'm going to have to make a tea every time I want a fag

glass of water really helps - or juice. honest!

Eminem [hugs]. We do rock!

Waterlego . Thinking of you as I'm typing this. Let us know how it goes.

Marlene4B Welcome, of course you can join. When are you planning to quit?

Wannago Thanks for joining us here. My sleeping pattern has gone mad since I quit. I either can't sleep for more than 2 hours or I sleep in until lunchtime.

Oopla - Fuck You Nicotine . I'm completely onboard with that.

badger please join in on the thread. I love hearing about how other people quit. It makes me remember that it's possible.

I have had such a hard day today and the only thing that kept me nicotine free was this:

"Felix, thanks for the great list. I'm soooo impressed that you are going Cold Turkey after a 40-a-day habit."

DP and I are in terrible debt. We're barely keeping our heads above water. DP was diagnosed with a serious illness a couple of years ago and was retired from his employer. He's under 40! We are living on a tiny pension and we are stressed out, both of us. We couldn't have planned for this, nobody could have.

The past few years have been so worrying and I have smoked and drank and smoked and smoked. I got to the stage where I couldn't afford it anymore. We were actually getting further in debt to pay for my cigarettes every month.

So, I stopped on 20/05/13. Today I found out that I have to pay an extra £300 to BT for excess broadband charges due to DP getting bored and downloading loads of programmes from Netflix. It has wiped out everything I've saved from not smoking and I am fucking gutted. I really wanted to be better off but we are actually worse off.

Queen well you can't go back now ... You'll be fine. You've sent a really strong message to your sub-conscious that you're serious about quitting. [swot]