how on earth does anyone ever

[bleurgh]

stop smoking

I want to so much

I go without for weeks when visiting, up to eight weeks at a time

I stopped with all my babies and bf-ing

I very rarely do it in company

and yet it's my only thing that's me mine, my big flop and relax after they are all in bed as I don't drink so don't have that glass of wine thing

I'm on about ten a day

all you strong people out there -- HOW HOW HOW did you manage

please (beg beg) all top tips welcome

Tilly - good going! I dream of day 12. Massage sounds brilliant idea. Ernest thank you .. I am stiff with determination.

Well done, do get the Allen Carr book as it'll give you the support you need in these early days. And remember, when you're feeling a bit more confident and that little voice tells you that one puff will be OK DO NOT LISTEN, it is wrong. Never let another pass your lips else you'll be hooked again.

bleurgh, i stopped smoking 3+ years ago. For me it was bloody hard and part of me still really wanted to but the logicla part of my brain knew i had to give up. I foudn the first week incredibl hard and that is why i know i will neer have another. I really dont know if i could do those first 4/5 days again and knew that one slip, one cigarette would set me on the slippry slope of smoker-dom.
What could you fill your time with instead of moking? Are you a crafty person? could you start a 'making -somethign' project as the thing to look forward to doing when your DC are in bed and its your time? Something different to how you spend your evenings with cigarettes?
I made a chart to keep a visual reminder of how much i had saved each day/week by not buying cigarettes...the number was soon disturbingly high and became an incentive in itself.

Lots of luck.....

How's it going bleurgh ?

really kind of you to ask

I'm at teatime on day 2 and about to go to a party

the party thing is lucky because I never smoke at parties and otherwise I would be a bit twitchy

so far -- FINE.. have tried to keep very busy and not think about it!

thankyou!

how's it going with you

Oooh - have fun at your party. 1 more day to go and then 90% of the nicotine will have left your body . Well done

I'm fine - it will be 2 weeks tomorrow Visited a smoking friend today and had a few seconds of weakness when she went outside for a ciggie, but nothing major.

The funny thing is, I can't quite believe it.. I'm just sort of not having the next cigarette. I'm bouncing on my toes a little bit but not completely freaking out.

Is that your first moment of weakness in.. how long?

There's been a couple of moments where I'd have probably had one if they'd been in the house. I really miss the one I used to have just after putting dd down to sleep for the night but on the whole, its been fairly easy. My danger point is when I've been stopped for a few weeks and then think I can have "just one" when I'm out drinking or something. Its the way I've always res-started. I just have to accept that I can never have another cigarette again

On day at a time though

patches

didnt use the whole programme thing - ie stong ones for so many weeks, then not so strong ones for certain number of weeks - i bought the middle strength ones and used them for 3 weeks then the mild ones for a week then the mild ones cut in half for a week then that ws it
i used the 24 hr ones as i used to wake up at 6 am DESPERATE for a fag if i used the ones that you removed at night

my auntie who smoked for years and years and loved smoking stopped using allen carr after she was told she would have to have her leg amputated if she continued smoking

everyone keeled over with shock when she stopped - allen carr must be a miracle man if it stopped her

that was 3 yrs ago

occasionally i take a drag of a mates fag but each time i almost throw up so it doesnt entice me back

I found that setting myself small goals - getting to lunchtime, bedtime, 24 hours, a week, a month etc really helped. That was 12 years ago, and although once in a blue moon I get a craving, I haven't had a single puff.

i found it didnt think about fags at all when i had my patch on

Thanks guys, Tilly that's it -- I can't have them in the house. I walked past a shop today and automatically thought, oh I need some cigarettes, then thought dully, oh I can't, and then just walked on, which I thought was pretty good. Once I'm in the house, it's so remote, then there's no choice. That is helping a lot.

This is OK actually though I do feel a bit like nothing can ever replace it, like chocolate or bubble baths, but then nothing can ever fill my lungs up with tar in the same way either. So I think I can at least manage another day, which is the crucial thing.

By the way, congratulations to all, I like stories of how others did it. It is still AMAZING that anyone does it at all.