Advice on the lead up to stopping smoking!

[BernieBear]

I am planning on stopping smoking (takes deep shuddering breath) - don't know why I am so scared but I am. Basically I want to prepare myself over the next few weeks (may even be a week/days) and want some tips (tried and tested) on anything I should do. I have contacted the local cessation clinic, although haven't heard back yet.

My reason - I don't want to die and I want to see my ds grow up. Also am a single mum and can't afford to leave my ds.

I have quit twice before, once when I was pregnant and once before that for 6 weeks (using patches) oh and before that for 6 hours.

I don't ever smoke inside, but still manage to smoke 20 a day - lets just say Gardening has become a passion .

How should I prepare? I really want to get it right this time, the only problem is is:

1. I enjoy it.
2. I am petrified of having the constant craving/feeling like something is missing forever.

Please, be nice!

Mellowma could you use a bong or a pipe? Or stuff the joint with a herbal (non-tobacco) cig instead?

Mellowmama, I think you need to give up the weed as well. I used to smoke it in the past, and there is no way that I could be having s joint in the evening and stay off the fags. for people used to joints, bong and such like dont' really hit the same note.
I don't miss hash at all, admittedly I had already stopped smoking it regularly when I quit the fags, but even so......

How did I find giving up the weed...???Hmmm well I walked the kids to school stoned for a week...smoking joints instead fo fags first thing in the morning and realised it was an all or nothing situation.
Tryed a pipe, didnt do it for me...and abstinence kicked in.
Had smoked weed for 10 years on and off, always had a bit floating about somewhere.
Realised my joint and fags were one and the same...I couldnt have one without wanting the other.

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You are a MellowMa PMSL Sounds like your gonna have trouble...or you need to get your head round being straight for the rest of your life

Wow, thats a lot of weed, Mellowmama, I'm sure prices have gone up since my time, but even so.
Do you give up while pregnant btw, if so, can you access that motivation for the sake of your children born, as opposed to unborn?
Unless you are loaded, that a lot of money that can be spent on family stuff.
Damn, I think I have come across as disaproving and I didn't want to do that. I am at the amount though tbh

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Your lungs must be made of steel. Or thick and black. That is a mighty amount of weed.
Oh, imagine sharing an ashtray with your dcs.......

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It doesnt sound silly at all MellowMa, thats the nature of addiction.

Could you afford some hypnotherapy or something to help you break the pattern, it sounds like it is pretty entrenched in your life and would be really hard to go cold turkey.

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YOu won't miss it, I quit a few years ago, and as soon as the actual cravings had gone, I realised how little it had meant to me anyway.

Find something to occupy your hands, like knitting or Playstation. Absorb yourself in Playstation!

Mellowma dh & I used to smoke shedloads of weed when we were young and lived in London.

We only really gave up after we moved back up here, as we didn't have a supplier and all the dealers around here also sold really hard stuff too so we were too scared!

I know that doesn't really help!

I am just loving the thought of hardened dope smokers turning to knitting, maybe its what Robbie needs Not mocking, it is a good suggestion, it has just given me a funny image.

I still stick two fingers up at the nicorette displays in Boots.

You know why?

BECAUSE I WILL NEVER HAVE TO SPEND £35 A WEEK JUST TO FEEL NORMAL AGAIN!!!!

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But I must say I don't miss it at all. (Meant to add that!)

It's not silly, thats quite a habbit you have there. I think it will take a lot of determination and will power to give it up. I wonder if you could get some annonymous advice from a drugs and alcohol team. I know that might sound off putting, but they are the specialists you know.
They usually have walk in appts, to just talk about things first. I think giving up weed (when you are smoking that amount and for that long) is a very different kettle of fish than giving up fags. Thats not to say that giving up smoking is cigarettes is easy, but it has a whole different list of associations.
You metion depression, and I wonder if you are self medicaing, i.e deliberately getting so out of it, that whatever is hurting, stops at least for a while.
A drug and alchohol team would be able to offer some counselling.
What do you think?

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I would say quit it all. Nicotine is nicotine however you smoke it so it all has to go.

good luck

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I agree, give it up in one go, it may seem like doing a lot at one time, but you are liable to not suceed at any of your aims if she only give one habbit up

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I was thinking about this whole craving malarky, and I wonder whether the Paul McKenna tapping method really works? I have seen him to do it for someone addicted to caffiene and the difference in her before and after was amazing.

I will find his book later and write down the method, and then you do it whenever you feel stressed with a craving. I was going to do it as part of his weight loss method but got pg so didnt bother. I would be very interested to see if it works.

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