3rd attempt at quitting cigarettes

[Lostand44]

This will be my 3rd attempt after smoking for about 25 years.

I feel differently about it this time, I’m looking forward to it! I remember the other attempts feeling quite half hearted about it.

My main motivation is financial - it’s so expensive and I just can’t afford it anymore!

I have my ‘quit kit’ ready - patches and inhalator from the smoking cessation service, I’ve downloaded the NHS app and I have a vape that I bought before speaking to the cessation nurse. I didn’t really get on with vaping though so that’s more of a back up.

I have 2 cigarettes left from the pack I bought yesterday (that in itself is a shock as I usually buy a pack a day!) and I am just about to make a cuppa and smoke them. I purposely left it until this time on a Sunday because I know it’s too late for the local shops to be open so unless I want to go to the petrol station (I don’t 😂) I will have to get my nicotine hit another way!

I so hope I manage to kick the habit this time and will be updating here so I can re-read this and remind myself of how I feel right now if I get tempted!

Well done you! Quitting smoking is really hard work but it sounds like you are well prepared. Don’t feel bad that you have failed previously because most people who succeed at kicking the habit do so after many failed attempts. If this isn’t your final and successful attempt go back and ask for more help. It’s been 20 years since I smoked and I still sometimes fancy one but I never would start again. You can do this, good luck!

Well done 👏 When I gave up over 20 years ago I spoke to Quit Line which was probably the equivalent of the cessation service, and they said each craving lasts a few mins so find something to do for those minutes. I decided I’d make a cuppa and it worked for me to do it that way. I liked the idea that the craving was only going last a few minutes when it felt like ‘oh god if I feel like this now, how am I going to feel in 2 hours??’. So to know that no, it will only be a few minutes and then it’ll go away again till the next craving, was really instrumental for me.

I did it cold turkey which is a different method to yours but whatever works for you is great.

Well done again! You’ve got this. 💪

I had one session of hypnotherapy in 2009 which I thought was a disaster and had not worked and I have not had one single cigarette since that day.

Thank you all for your replies! I’m smoking my last cigarette as I type and to be honest, I’m not really enjoying it - I haven’t really enjoyed smoking for the past few weeks.

It’s good to hear from others who have successfully stopped smoking, I’m hopeful that in 20 years time I’ll be cheering someone else on and telling them I’m a long time ex smoker!

No doubt I’ll have cravings and maybe even find this really difficult, particularly around other smokers or when life gets stressful but I really do feel like I’m ready this time.

Allen carr.... Easy way to stop smoking book....
6 weeks smoke free now. No patches/vapes etc.
Was a smoker for over 20 years (pack a day)
Honestly, I was sceptical myself, until now.
Best & easiest thing I've ever done.
I even left half a pack of fags on the side all week & forgot about them!!

Well done! 6 weeks is brilliant!

I’ve got Allen Care’s book in my audible, maybe I need to have another listen to it.

20 years non smoker here…
one thing that helped me was that when I thought about never smoking again it made me nervous, which made me want a cigarette, it was too big.

But if I got a craving I found telling myself ‘I’m not going to have one in the next 10 minutes’ was easy, I mean you can wait 10 minutes, right? Then once that 10 minutes is up, well you just did 10 so you can do another 10. Often I got distracted halfway through the 10 minutes and it was an hour before I thought about it again.
then as days went by the number of times I got a craving lessened, and the ‘10 minutes’ would be hours before I thought about it again.

now I can’t believe I used to smoke! It seems alien to me that I did.

you’ve got this!

Thank you 😊
Please do give it another go. Good luck!

I quit vaping finally successfully by NOT using nicotine replacement. I followed Allen Carr's advice. He maintained that nicotine isn't that powerful an addiction, certainly not like an opiate or anything it's often compared to. Yes, it's a nasty one, but three days will break it. And I can see why I failed on my first couple of attempts using gum and patches - if the nic is still in your system, it's much easier to relapse, you haven't rewired your brain or taken steps to break the dependency. Plus the nicotine replacement crap is expensive too.

You could pick three days when you're likely to be less stressed - if that works, a long weekend, without children if you have them, because your mood will be very volatile!

Much less tired now without nicotine, I don't know what the hell it does to the body, but it's not good.

Whatever works for you OP, good luck.

My dad technically never stopped smoking. He is just seeing how long he can go without a cigarette, he is currently on 40+ years.

It's quite a good way to do it as it doesn't matter if you last 10 mins to start, you know you can do 10 mins, so next time you can go 11.

Good luck.

I used to work in respiratory (then specialised in cardiology) and the first two weeks you will be fine, week 3 and 4 can be hell.

Their are tiny hair cells that line the 'tubes' in your lungs, their job is to waft out any bad stuff. Smoking paralyses them and at about the 2 week mark they wake up, and of course there is years of crud in your lings so they start to get rid of it.

And the way this comes out is through your nose and mouth. This is when most people give up because it is not pleasant.

Try to push through, because after week 4 you will start to smell and taste much better.

Don't use vapes. Chuck it away . They are super addictive and in some ways worse as people just constantly use them.
My dh quit smoking a few years ago and used a vape and just got addicted to them . They are awful for you aswell .
Good luck quiting smoking. My dh used patches and gum the second time around and changing his routine.
He used to go out and smoke after meals for instance. So it was those times he thought about it more.
Although he does say that now food tastes so much nicer since he quit

Good luck!
I quit cigarettes by stretching the time between each one until I was down to 5 a day then went on to nicotine spray
Unfortunately I then took up vaping and am struggling repeatedly to quit that!

Good luck, you can do it this time! ✊

You won't feel your most comfortable for a couple of weeks, but every day you go without them will be a win. Try to be kind to yourself, keep life as simple as possible, do something else to distract through the cravings, they do pass! I recommend Allen Carr too.

Change other habits - if you 'always' smoke after a meal, go for a walk or read a book instead. For me, smoking was a sign of taking a break, so let yourself have five minute 'health breaks' instead - get up, change your scene, take those deep breaths, but of nice, clean air instead!

Say to yourself on a regular basis: 'Yippee, I'm free!' 😄

Day 1 hasn’t been too bad. I’ve had a few times when I’ve fancied a cigarette but no really strong cravings yet.

I haven’t used the patches yet, just the inhalator because I think it’s the hand mouth action I enjoy.

What day did everyone find the cravings the worst? I want to try to plan my days to avoid smoking if I can.

Nicotine will clear your system in 48-72 hours. The next two weeks is about resisting smoking but I was able to say I wished I'd never started and kept telling myself I'm not going to start.

After a couple of weeks it's mostly habit linked to triggers. Just after dinner, first thing in the morning, with a cup of tea. If you try and stop those habits or remind yourself it's habit, it's easier.

At about three months you might feel you've cracked it and that one cigarette won't hurt. It will. You'll be right back at the beginning. But the cravings pass.

And at a year you might think one won't hurt, but it will.

The point is not to start. You've now stopped smoking. So don't start.

Good luck.

I think this is actually AA advice but it's true for any addiction. Don't get too hungry, too tired, too thirsty, too bored or too lonely. Those are all triggers for intense cravings.
I used to find the times when I was waiting for a meal to cook the worst!
I don't think there are 'days' when things are difficult but certain times of day or occasions when it's very hard. Like waiting an hour for a train etc...

Keep at it.
I quit in 2001. Cravings weren’t bad but I never knew what to do with my hands. That’s the part that takes a while to get used to. Stay busy decluttering or cleaning.

Carrots were useful to chomp on.

The weight gain is grim. Stay on top of that and nip it in the bud. I regret not doing so.

Enjoy the financial savings! Treat yourself.

Another Allen Carr advocate! Bought the book for my sister 20 yrs ago, flipped through it, liked what I read so settled down to it. Haven't smoked since but I did become a bit addicted to jelly babies, having something to do with my hands really. Oh, and don't replace cigarettes with vapes or patches! Good luck! (My sister never even read the book and died of a pulmonary embolism 8 years ago - unrelated? We'll never know 😒).

Agree, don’t use vapes, etc. You can do without. The nic cravings subside quickly.

It is the behavioural changes that are tough. Take advantage of spring & be outdoors a lot. Sleep more. Drink water often. Resist junk food. Popcorn will give you something to gnaw on with reasonably few calories. Take luxurious showers. Brush your teeth if you get the urge to smoke. Take the money you are saving and get a facial to nurture your skin.

You will do it this time. It’s so freeing not to have to skulk about, to not be at the mercy of cravings.

On 1 April I’ll be 3 years stopped. For me, the first week or two was always ok: of course I can stop, I feel good for stopping….but after that, staying stopped was usually more challenging. This last time I had an NHS Stop Smoking advisor who rang every week and it gave me someone to be accountable to. When I struggled she suggested a vape. I still use it, not often and not regularly but it’s what I have on hand in case…..and it works for me. Good luck. You can do this. I won’t say I feel better physically for stopping but I do feel mentally stronger, I think because I did this difficult thing…..

How are you doing @Lostand44 ?

if quitting feels impossible, try tracking. PuffStats made all the difference

if quitting feels impossible, try tracking. PuffStats made all the difference