TheQueenofQuotes, mosschops30, Fakeblonde, Mammya and gothicmama's (and anyone else who would like to join us) STOP SMOKING THREAD........

[TheQueenOfQuotes]

Thought I'd start a new thread for us all.

gothicmama and Mammya - how's it going??

Everyone else ready for tomorrow?? I washed my dressing gown today (no I haven't flipped - I wear it in the mornings when I go out for my first ciggie of the day.....or should I say I used to....so it was smelling of smoke). It's all nice and clean. Tomorrow I shall wash my summer jacket as that reeks.

Got 5 cigarettes left which I shall probably finish tonight (hate throwing things away , planning on a Vodka and Apple Juice (or 2 ) this evening and I'll smoke my last cigarettes with them.

I'm on very friendly terms with most of the people that work in the local shop (where I usually bought my ciggies) and today I told the ones that were working NOT to serve me ciggies anymore, and I shall tell the others as I see them.

The next closest place I can buy them is Morrisons, which closes at 8pm (so I can't pop down after DH gets home from work - local shop doesn't close until 11pm so I can) and is a good 10 minutes walk away. I figured if they won't sell me my ciggies then I'm not going to be very inclined to traipse down to Morrisons for them - well that's the theory

I'm not ready, I'm not ready, IM NOT READY

havent finished Allan Carr

am scared

come on moss you can do it.

I'm not really sure how I'll cope when i need my "5 minutes timeout" from the kids without a ciggie in my hand but we CAN do it.

ok, we can do it. I am going to the gym after work tomorrow to get my mind off the fags.

Wheres everyone else are they slacking

A heartfelt message from a stranger in your midst:

It can be done, it can be done, it can be done, it really really can be done. It's not as bad as you think, life without fags is so MUCH BETTER although I know you think now it will be so MUCH WORSE.

You'll probably never feel better about yourself than when you realise you don't crave fags any more (and it happens in such a short time, IME).

Have something ready to fill that 5 mins when you would normally sneak outside for a fag. Breathe deeply. Keep calm. Make your number one rule to put every single penny you would have spent on fags in a jar and spend it on something lovely for yourself.

Keep busy. Embark on a project.

Honestly, it really can be done.

Your aunty daphne xx

that's the spirit moss .

I was planning on doing a whole stack of housework (ironing, mopping floors etc etc etc etc) and routeplanning (for DH) today - but I've decided to leave them until tomorrow to give myself something to do.......

Oh I completely agree about putting the money aside. It's so lovely when it mounts up and you can spend it on something really enjoyable like having your hair done or going out for a meal which tastes great and you can actually ENJOY without thinking when you can next sneak out for a cigarette

Good luck all of you - I really admire what you are doing

I decided to start being stopped from tomorrow with you lot itfelt to lonely on Friday plus had stressful day Saturday so not bets timing - I 'm such a wimp - together we can do this

I am about to go out and smoke my very last fag

sending good vibes to you all for tomorrow

Oh god, i really need to give up, but keep putting it off

Does anyone know...how many days until it gets better? as in is it 1/2/3/4/5 days of hell until it eases?

Dreading it, but need to do it badly,

a) for health

b) because i don't want my kids to smoke when they are older(much higher percentage of your children smoking if parents smoke.

and

c) just cannot afford it anymore, could spend the money on much more worthwhile things

Don't think of it like that, moss!

Just take it one step at a time, minute by minute, hour by hour.

Get it in you head guys that you CANNOT avoid fags, or the shops that sell them.
Just remember they are not your fags. Yes they are in the shop, but they are not for you. You want to stop smoking. Not go and buy 20 more.
It will only put you back where you began.
And you will have to do it all over again.

You will always want to stop smoking. Even when that JUST ONE voice is screaming at you, I can tell you that 2 puffs into the smoke you WILL regret it, so dont.

My dad quit after an astounding FIFTY-TWO years!

He printed out strips that read, 'You're only a puff away from twenty a day' and taped them ALL over the house to help him out.

He did have lots of help from Zyban, but he still needed the willpower.

He did it.

only read opening post but i gave up (for the 2nd time 2.5yrs ago. Soooo glad i did (esp in light of recent restrictive measures). I did it with a friend and we would text, ring scream at each othe when it was hard. And it was hard even though i read Alan Carr's tome. It took weeks for me not to be obsessed by it and months before i stopped really thinking about it (sorry!). in the beginning i was thinkg abt it 24/7. It seemd that every waking moment was a "dying for a fag" moment. I would have slain my parents for a fag sometimes , but stopping with a friend was my absolute and definite saviour. Good luck - it is soooo worth it.

come on pucca the more the merrier.

Thanks expat I forgot that I was just not having one tomorrow morning, then tomorrow afternoon then Monday etc, much easier that way

REally try to put it OUT of your mind, moss. I know how hard it is, I was a pack+/day myself.

Sometimes, it really is minute by minute.

I smoked Marlboro Lights.

Moss...I am like you though, scared!

I keep trying to tell myself that i managed to give up coke and weed (when 21 long before kids of course!), but fags is going to be tougher i know it!

CC - I may not be able to avoid the two shops I buy (bought) mine from (Berkley Menthol - lots of places don't seem to sell them) BUT I have told them not to sell me any at the local corner shop where I bought 95% of them (and as I always have a chat with them no matter who's on the till I know they'll do it)

What I found helped was not to say 'this is my last cigarette ever' but just take it a day at a time.
I did the 'last cigarette' thing after new year and the fact that I'd decided to never have one again just made me really want one and I started again.
the second time, i said to myself, if i want a cigarette in the future, i can have one but for today I'm not smoking. Four months later i still haven't had that cigarette and knowing that I can have one whenever I want helps to prevent the cravings.
Does that make any sense?

Thank you, Lyra! You put it so much better than I did. But that's exactly what I was trying to say.

just off to bed........but just posting to say goodluck today everyone

Well I am not pleased with myself as I had a couple today . Aaaargh! When will I learn.

So I will be joining you in quitting tomorrow after all!

Actually I like Lyra and Expat's approach, I will try that.

Good luck for tomorrow, or actually, today, everyone!

We can do it!

well I've made it to lunchtime (not bad seen as though I've been up since 4.30am . Now back from church and it's my "usual" time for cigarette so feeling rather "lost" as to what to do with myself....having missed my early morning ciggie too I have to confess I spent most of the service thinking "I want a cigarette" rather than paying attention

TQOQ - well done you !. Youwill think aabout it all day for ages yet but it does get so much easier. I used todrink loads of water when I stopped. a)because it made sense to cleanse myself inside! and b) because it filled a void. It wasn't as good as a fag but it was a habit to replace a habit iyswim. I also had loads of mints to suck on which seemed to help a little. keep it up!

hmm well I cracked and had half a cigarette (cleaning out my bag at 12 - just after my last post - and found a box of 10 that I'd obviously bought at sometime and forgotten about). Managed to stop myself until just now .

But I will NOT have another one today (I'll think about tomorrow when I get up).

Still I suppose it's an improvment....by this time on most days I'd have had at least 4....