Attentions Ex-Smokers . . .

[Dappy28]

So ive smoked on and off for about 15 years with about 4 of them being off. On two ocassions i quit for about 2 years, I decided i wanted to stop and I did with no aids. About 6 months ago I 'treated' myself to some cigaretts on a night out (nights out are rare these days) and low and behold im a fully fledged smoker. . . Again.

Tomorrow is my day to quit. Ive built myself up to it, but i am so unmotivated and have no idea why. I know it is wrong and i have two small children but even that isnt giving me the kick up the butt i need. I need to change my mindset and remind myself of the positive aspects of quitting and how good i felt after no cigs for a couple of years. I feel so far away from that . . .
Please share your positive experiences and reinfoece why i need to quit this disgusting, expensive habit. (Ps i dont want to use ecigs / NRT . . Cold turkey is the way for me)

I've given up for 3 years, this year I have treated myself twice to ten fags.

The day after was horrible but I just didn't drive past a shop. I did need milk but sent dd to the corner shop so I wouldn't say fuck it and buy more.

You are buying yourself cancer, do you want lung cancer? Do you want to make yourself broke buying cancer?

I also think the smell is unprofessional and remember dc are more likely to smoke thus give themselves cancer if you smoke.

Think of the smell. Do the old change in the jar trick and use it to buy some gorgeous fancy perfume, safe in the knowledge you'll be getting the value from it

The change is the jar is a good idea. I dertainly dont want cancer. I so need to stop this. I am so busy, going for a smoke is like 'me time' just to have 5 minutes but really is 5 minutes of making me ill and smell gross

I went cold turkey ten years ago and it worked where nrt didn't. I just decided that however crap I felt, I wasn't going to smoke and every hour that passed meant more nicotine lol eabibg my body. I only had one really bad day. The cravings stopped at day 3.

*leaving my body

Stop thinking about "treating yourself" to a cigarette - I find that idea revolting. Maybe a mindset change is needed?

Honestly though, while it's nice to hear support here, nothing anyone says will make any difference. You'll give up successfully only when you want to and no external factor will change that. Also when the time comes that you decide this time you are giving up forever and will never smoke again - that is another switch that only you can click inside your head. When you reach that point, cigarettes wont be considered a treat.

I think you need to want to quit. From the sounds of it you don't want to quit.

The Alan Carr book helped me a bit, it's worth a look but yes you really need to want to stop.

The Alan Carr book did it for me. Finished the book, thought I'd given up entirely, hardly thought about wanting a cigarette.

Except surprised myself by 'absently' having one after about a week, so read the book again and have honestly not had a twinge of a desire for a cigarette since (3 years now).

Yes I read it more than once and it did plant some seeds in my mind ikswim. Good luck op.

I totally get the me time thing. That was my biggest stumbling block and deep down I didn't want to give that up

I have no advice though as I dodged the issue and took up ecigs, but that's not what you want to hear

I really do want to quit but was lacking in motivation. Its mind over matter and im in a positive mood to quit today.

I do believe that external factors help, they aid the change of mindset so yes tgis was useful

I think it's only you that can provide the motivation. If you're not motivated it means there is a part of you that does not want to stop.

So you won't.

If you really want to stop something then you will, without the help of other people, which is always an artificial motivator.

I do believe that external factors help

Physiologically, this is merely seeking reasons to not blame yourself when it doesn't work. You can blame lack of support. You can blame negative people on a mumsnet forum. You can say to yourself "if only people around me were more on my side with this and helped, I could have done it then".

The only time you will succeed in quitting long term is when you are the only factor in deciding to quit.

So... I really hope your positive mood today helps you. You don't need a positive mood to give up, so don't feel that if you wake up tomorrow in a less positive mood that this is a reason to smoke. Again, this is just shifting blame (my mood wasn't right). You can have really bad days and still not smoke.

Good luck.

Yes external factors can help. Avoid going to places you associate with smoking. Whether that be down the local pub or whatever.

I firstly stopped smoking at home and at work. Then i found myself only smoking when i went to the pub once a week or two. Then i slowly saw the amount of people smoking at the pub reduce so i then cut out that last vice by going cold turkey (and eating a lot of monster munch in said pub lol). I then made the mistake of going onto those vapes, which are super addictive i found, then found myself back on tabbaco and smoking at home, work, walking down the street, etc. I then had to start again over. I have now cut out the smoking this year but also not going down the pub in January to do the dry January thing so it means my last smoking vice down the pub has been shut off. Hopefully by February i will be clensed again.

I agree that 'treating yourself' doesn't sound like you want to quit.

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3453223.stm

These ads did it for me. I used to drive past a massive billboard one every day. None of the other health warnings got through but I find fat repulsive. I've never been able to eat it on meat and it makes me queasy to see other people eat it.

Hi, I know it is very difficult to think of the future regarding your health.
I have the most dreadful asthma, and probably COPD Chronic obstructive Pulmonary Disorder I cough and cough all the time, Lots of antibiotics and steroids which make me hungry put on weight, and lower resistance to infections.
I wish to God I had never started, it's the worst thing I ever did.
It is now 30 years since I stopped, and there is no doubt in my consultants mind that smoking is the cause of my present condition.
Stop now.
Good Luck

Hey Dappy, how's it going?

If you have managed to stay off the fags, well done!

If you haven't, please treat it as a blip and don't lose your determination. If you want to do cold turkey, I'd also recommend the Allen Carr book - it works for loads of people. Also, get in touch with your local Stop Smoking Services who can offer support and have a relatively good success rate.

I always thought life without fags would be miserable, but it was so liberating giving up. I used a mix of nicotine gum and chocolate raisins. No more panicking about running out, no more fidgeting at the cinema because you're gasping for a fag...and the best thing was my hair still smelling of nice shampoo at the end of the day. You can do it! (And you should def buy something nice with your fag money for a while. 20 a day is a new top every few days!) Good luck!

I think it is the treat mentality that is the problem
You need to see yourself as a non smoker not as a smoker who is denying themself.

My ex was and still is in this loop for tears as he keeps giving himself permission to have just one on a night out.

If you think you will crack on a night out take nrt with you then and at no other time. If there is a beverage be that wine or whatever that you find 'goes with' a cugarette, drink something else.

If you have a night out without smoking, give yourself a genuine treat the next day, clothes, perfume, whatever.

But smoking isn't a treat. Cigarettes are only a treat when you are smoking because it briefly gives you respite from the never ending nicotine withdrawal that the addiction causes which makes you tense and craving. So a cigarette eases the tension that addiction causes. They are not in and of themselves enjoyable.

Once you have gone cold turkey you are no longer addicted. The nicotine craving has gone. So treating yourself to a cig is treating yourself to withdrawal symptoms, anxiety, tension etc.

Hi op, how are you doing? I've set my quit day for Monday . Good luck

How are you getting on OP?