Can anyone help me quit smoking?

[violetbloom]

I'm so keen to stop. All advice and tips very gratefully received.

thanks Violet, I know I am not up against what some of you are in terms of habit, I may just stalk you all for a bit longer then rather than posting and use you for inspiration.

Hello... posting and looking for some moral support as I'm stopping smoking tomorrow - have been stopping / starting for a few days but am just too weak

anyone else stopping soon?

Hello, novice and fluffy! Hello all ...

I'm four weeks today, yay! It's ok now - cravings gone, insanity stopped, I am stress and smoke free. I've broken the cycle of feeling stressed and depending on fags to get me out of it.

I have been eating, as you all know . And it did the job nicely. I gave myself licence to stuff my face whenever I felt like it, but now I'm calmer I've just started dieting so hopefully within a month or two I'll be back to a 'normal' life - not smoking and not overweight I hope.

Take courage, everyone - it's hard but only for a few days, and - I've said this before but it's so true - I never thought I could do it, but I did. I was such a hardened smoker, so dependent and felt so weak and controlled by it - but a few days' madness are well worth it, believe me. I feel so much happier and in control of my own life now.

I'll shut up now. But go for it!

CJ - thank you!! I kept thinking the madness bit was going to last for ever which is why I kept giving in to the lure of the evil sticks.

Today is the first day of the rest of my life!

Good for you, Fluffy.

I found that laughing off the madness (ie going slightly more mad) helped a lot. Just going 'ooh, look, I'm being a bit fucking insane again - with manic leer - kind of took the edge of it ...

Good luck, you can do it.

Anyone else giving up stopped smoking recently? Am struggling and could do with some support!!

That's great CJ, you're definitely through the worst part now. I'm 3 months free on Friday I think. I've slightly lost count now which is a good thing I guess.

Fluffy, just go for it. You know it's going to be hard. Look at whyquit.com and keep looking at it, there are things there which will help you know what to expect and things which will keep you focused.

I did exactly the same as CJ during those first few days / week - I developed a kind of cavewoman roar that I'd do now and then. I told dd what it was for and explained that I'd be grumpy for a while. She was so happy that I was quitting and she did find it vaguely amusing that I would freak out now and then. She did get the rough end of my tongue though. There are moments in those first few days which are really tough, you feel like the bottom has fallen out of your world, like you don't have a clue what you're doing, can't focus etc. But after 3 days that intensity gets less and you really do find that you've gone for longer and longer periods of time without smoking.

We'll be here to support you.

hi guys, been going through a long dark teatime of the soul - thank god for Allen Carr.

Still not smoking and pretty determined not to, but it hasn't been easy. However it is so important, I've got to do it, life can still be sweet without a fag.

really really good luck to everybody - honestly if I can do it you can

I'm so glad you're hanging in there, basking. I had a horrible feeling you might have thrown the towel in! I think out of so many people who have been on and off this thread that very few of us have seen the quitting through so it's brilliant to hear from you.

Dare I ask if you've found it getting a little easier yet?

Well done. You won't regret it. I haven't had an urge to smoke now for weeks, not days or hours, literally weeks. Even thinking about it now, if someone gave me a fag I wouldn't fancy it. It stinks!

violet thank you, have to say that for me it hasn't got all that much easier. I think cj and I quit at around the same time and she's going great guns, I'm sort of bringing up the rear so to speak . I suppose it's different for everybody. I do have more energy, feel lighter, cleaner and lots of good things, BUT I pretty much always want a fag - a constant craving that intensifies and fades throughout the day. Right now it's strong. I've put on about a stone, through snacking. I did try the cupasoup method!

The thing is I HAVE to do this. I have 3 children and I simply cannot live with the guilt anymore I just can't. I'd love ONE cigarette, but there's no such thing - so that's that. I've had a pretty good innings, pretty long smoking career and now it's time to stop. I just hope I can do it, sometimes I think I'm going to crack, but so far I haven't quite.

Have been a total bag to my family though. I just keep thinking that by the summer I should start to be feeling better. Please.

Oh poor you, basking. Remind me, are you using NRT or did you go cold turkey?

You are so right. You have to do this sometimes. So don't turn back now, no matter how tempting it would be. And a fag now really would taste yuck.

Actually just read back and saw that you aren't using NRT. That is really good. You'll only have to go through this once! I've heard that coming off NRT can be like doing a mini quit all over again although all the habit associations are gone of course.

So have you not found that you're not thinking about fags for longer periods of time each day?

Basking - I am 3 days in and my murderous rage has nearly subsided (nearly note!!) I am eating more, drinking more fruit juice (can't be that bad for me) and also having some pear drops which seem to help (but also make me want to throw up (i'm pregnant).

GOOD LUCK to you, you CAN do it!! It's not easy but every minute, hour and day you don't have a a fag is one step closer. For people like you and me there is no such thing as just one...

hi guys how are you all doing?

thanks for kind words fluffy and violet - sorely needed, think I might climb everest after I've done this!

still feeling pretty crap - yesterday was truly horrific, am determined to keep a handle on things today, hope everyone else is surviving.

Basking, you're really doing well you know, to still have such strong cravings after all these weeks and to be still sticking with it.

Are there any things that are making it worthwhile for you? You must be having some craving free moments? And a clearer chest? I remember my chesty cough disappeared within a week or so and that helped to spur me on.

Keep going. You'll never regret quitting. You will regret giving up on quitting.

day 15 here, on 2 cart. on the inhaler a day, need to get it down to 1 then stop, and I will be done

Hi there everyone. I am here to confess to slipping at the weekend and get some support to NOT DO IT AGAIN. I feel so sad and disappointed in myself

Basically we had a party at our house on Sat night, my LO went to stay at my mum's and we got so drunk, I just completely caved in, had about 10 fags. I found the rest of the packet on Sun morning and threw them away. I am furious with myself. So this week:

• no drinking (when I drink, my craving is so strong)
• go for a couple of runs (remind myself how good it feels to exercise)
• stay at home, no socialising
• nice foodie treats to keep me occupied
• be kind to myself

any other top tips you wonderful quitting ladies?

Novicemama, so sorry to hear this but glad you're back for support.

Be kind to yourself is the most important one, I think. That was what helped me to see it less as a battle, more of a challenge. Being kind to yourself will help you to feel supported and give you inner strength.

There's my deep thought for today . But seriously, you'll do it. You sound in the right frame of mind.

thanks CJCregg, I am beating myself up so much for having caved in, but you're right, I have to be kind to myself to keep my strength up. Part of the problem is that I only really smoke socially so I kid myself that I'm not addicted. I can go days without wanting one, then binge on 20 on one night out so I am effectively smoking just as much as people who smoke every day but I justify it by saying I am a 'social smoker'

My chest felt awful yesterday, I just have to beat it for the sake of my LO - she's only 2 and the thought of missing out on her growing up due to smoking. Oh God, it's really upsetting.

So I went online yesterday and ordered the NHS quitpack - has anyone else used NHS help too?

hi novicemama, I was a binge smoker too but will be 4 weeks tomorrow since I last smoked.How long did you manage before the weekend?

I smoked every time I had a drink but rarely went more than 3 days without. Just getting past the first week was the hardest part.

I used the NHS Quitpack,some interesting stuff but mostly crap. The websites(links are at the beginning of this thread) were much more useful.

Your list looks good but I would be wary of not 'socialising' at all; you need to stay positive and it can be really demoralising to deny yourself stuff.
Think positive, make positive choices.Could you do things that aren't a trigger for smoking instead:cinema,theatre,meals out etc.?
Good luck.

hi Intothegroove, until you stopped, how many were you smoking and how frequently?

The last few weeks I have smoked one night each week, normally at the weekend after drinking - 10 this weekend, 2 the weekend before, 6 the weekend before that. It's pathetic really as I manage fine the rest of the time. My DH hates it, and I HAVE to quit for my LO's sake. I've just started another thread on here as my chest is quite painful and I have CONVINCED myself I have a tumour. I need this to be a huge wake-up call.

novice,
I was smoking anywhere between 2 and 20 roll ups on the nights I smoked, which would be wheneverIgotpissed every 2 or 3 days.

How long have you been smoking?

Anyone got a fag? Really, if anyone in my immediate vicinity was a smoker, I would have cadged a fag ages ago. I stopped smoking for about 5.5 years and started again about a year ago. I stopped again in November, and have occasions when I smoke a few fags then I don't. I would quite like to be a smoker at the moment, however stupid stupid stupid that may sound. I shall try some Valium instead. Apparently it does the job

silent catastrophe - you and me both.

Big glass of wine?
Vast quantities of chocolate and v strong burning hot coffee?
Crisps and a can of coke?
Extra strong mints?

If you are in Norfolk I'll see if I can find a few dogends in my plant pots (classy emoticon), or failing that one of us can nip down to Londis for 20 bensons.

That's the trouble with smoking, you're always going to miss it!

I try to remember the parts that I won't miss though like being smelly and most importantly worrying that I'm cutting my life short and facing a horrible self-induced death.

Kind of puts things into perspective.