GP Help me Quit Counselling

[NearlyNewHip]

Has anyone done this? All I want is to try the drug Varenicline to help me stop smoking but I have to go through the Help me Quit counselling first/as well as. As far as I can see I'll have to take time from work for an hour a week for 7 weeks for a counsellor to talk at me. Is it as bad as I'm imagining? A counsellor probably telling me to go for a walk in nature or take up a hobby for when the carvings hit ..... Has anyone been through it?

I gave up 25 years ago tried absolutely everything available on the market then. Nothing worked. In the end I just went cold turkey and that worked. It wasn't pleasant but it worked. Giving up smoking is hard.

Thank you for replying. My thoughts are cold turkey but with the drug to help with the worst of it. I really thought that with all the Stop Smoking campaigns they'd just give me the medication....I honestly can't think of anything worse than talking to someone who has probably never smoked themselves and thinks that going for a walk in nature will help. But if its a hoop I have to jump through.......

I stopped 30+ years ago. Every time I wanted one I promised myself I'd have one tomorrow, the next day I did the same ... it worked.

I took Champix and it made me severely suicidal after about 36 hours so they took me off it. It’s awful stuff (I had no history of depression) and I can understand why GPs would only use it as a last resort. I gave up using a vape and weaning myself down the various strengths. It wasn’t as difficult as I’d anticipated. I’d definitely give the counselling a go with an open mind, at least you’ll be able to say you’ve tried it. Good luck!

Everyone says it but the Alan Carr book really is amazing - it's repetitive but it really does the trick .

If you haven't tried it yet, I'd recommend starting there before doing anything else. It's worked for me so many heavy smokers I know. I can't believe I ignored their recommendation for so long.

Will order myself a copy online and give it a go! Anything is worth a shot, the only thing I absolutely don't want is to replace the smoking addiction with a vape one, so that will be a last resort x

@NearlyNewHip I'm going cold turkey tomorrow. Want a hand-hold?

I'm the worst smoker in the world. Smoked for 50 years, since I was 15. Started when I was 12, though it took persistence.

I have tried and failed with every method, including Champix and Varenicline. I was allergic to something in the Vape liquid so that didn't work either. Nor did hypnotherapy, gum or lozenges.

I have given up before, always Cold Turkey. For 1 year when I was pregnant in my twenties, then for two years in my thirties, and in 2023 gave up for 3 months. I've made it to 4 days on a few attempts, but gone back.

I'm now approaching 70, and I have to stop. And tomorrow is the day. So why not join me?

There's an exciting world out there, and the time to enjoy it, but only for people who aren't worried about when they can sneak away for their next cigarette.

I won't go cold turkey tomorrow but you know what ?? I will try to see how long I can go between cigarette breaks and reduce the amount I smoke. Anything less than my current 20 a day will be a win and show me that I can survive!!!!

Good luck to you for tomorrow x x Please keep me updated x

Thanks, @NearlyNewHip . I don't want to de-rail your thread with my progress but I'll be around with the odd update and to cheer you on.

Good luck, any less than 20 and you're headed where you want to get to.

I forgot to say - my two year quit was through the Allen Carr book. It was brilliant, made it almost easy.

then like an idiot after a couple of years I thought just one won't matter at a party. That turned into 20. And here I am several decades later.

I think it's a bit like being a sober alcoholic, you cannot have another cigarette, ever.

I'm trying to focus on cost and the money I could save or the other nice things I could buy for myself..... Prime will deliver my book tomorrow!!