[Archived] Quitting smoking

[patrickvalery]

I know this isn't Twitter and nobody is interested in the day to day details of my life. But i thought i'd share this with anyone who might be in a similar situation.

I've been a smoker for the last 15 years. Steadily increasing to around 20 a day. I have tried to kick the nasty habit on numerous occasions without success. I've tried the usual nicotene replacement methods and have just found they are, well....crap. But i recently found a new one, the electronic cigarette. There are various brands available which vary in price ranges. But they are fantastic. Honestly!

OK you look like a bit of a numpty with a cigarette with an LED tip which glows either red or blue (yes blue) when you take a drag. But its the closest substitue to the real thing. I don't know the science behind it, but you inhale a nicotene vapour which gives you the warm hit in the throat and allows you to exhale 'smoke'. The only things missing are the taste and the smell. Obviously, i like the fact its odourless, but i do miss the taste. Especially after a few jars. But that is really its only downfall. Its legal to smoke indoors too.

I hope that someone finds this of some use. It will never fully replace the habit and its obviously not as healthy as stopping all together, but every little helps. Its by far the best thing i have tried.

As i say, i don't know if anyone will be interested. Just passing on something i found helpful. I bought mine from Amazon.

[Sandiway Blue]

Good for you!

I will recommend it to my brother-in-law who keeps trying to kick the habit,but doesn`t have the willpower!

Just out of interest how long since you last had a ciggy?

[patrickvalery]

Good for you!

I will recommend it to my brother-in-law who keeps trying to kick the habit,but doesn`t have the willpower!

Just out of interest how long since you last had a ciggy?

Couple of weeks.

I've not had a really good drink yet though! Always the big stumbling block! But i've not used anything as good as these at taking away the day to day craving.

Good luck to your brother in law.

[DanLad]

Football Manager helped me quit. I couldn't smoke in the house, but couldn't drag myself away from the PC. Also, hours would disappear in what seemed like seconds.

Quitting smoking is really tough to do and it took me a few tries. Doesn't bother me in the slightest now and I was a heavy smoker.

Well done and good luck to anyone giving it a go.

[adopted scouser]

Colin ?

[Claytons Left Boot]

A mate of mine is a hypnotherapist who has an excellent success rate. Treating folk for quitting smoking is part of his programme. If anyone wants his contact details, just pm me.

[thenodrog]

I gave up 17 years ago and I've got to say for a real 'addict' there is no going back. Just like alcoholics can never have another drink so it is with smoking there can never be another fag nor even an after dinner cigar. I'd not missed a fag for years in fact I'd been given up for 4/5 years when a guest at a dinner party reached across the table and asked me to light a ciggy for her. I went off to find some matches, lit it and automatically inhaled. The ciggy in question was a menthol St Moritz which when I smoked was just about classed as a warm draft, yet it was bloody wonderful and a real hit. I was in should I / shouldn't I anguish for 2/3 days after that.

btw Now I just need to lose a stone or two. I put two stones on within a few months of quitting and I'm still carrying it around.

btw Patrick and anybody else..... I saw an anti smoking poster many years ago in the local health centre, the simplicity and logic of which is stark. "If you think giving up smoking is tough, then try giving up lung cancer." Good luck

[patrickvalery]

The ciggy in question was a menthol St Moritz which when I smoked was just about classed as a warm draft, yet it was bloody wonderful and a real hit.

Theno!! You're not helping.

[thenodrog]

Theno!! You're not helping.

Tell you what get someone to cut your hands off..... I guarantee that'll work.

[cletus]

Willpower & determination helped me quit.

Used to smoke up to 30 a day & felt it affecting my health.

Told a friend i was gonna 'try' & quit in the new year. He said "You`ll never quit, you don`t have the willpower to quit".

I thought "Is that what people think about me?" & secretly vowed to prove him wrong.

I stopped smoking. Didn`t broadcast the fact i had done. Delt with the craves & haven`t touched a cigarette for 18+ years now.

Good luck. It can be done

[gumboots]

Willpower & determination helped me quit.

Used to smoke up to 30 a day & felt it affecting my health.

Told a friend i was gonna 'try' & quit in the new year. He said "You`ll never quit, you don`t have the willpower to quit".

I thought "Is that what people think about me?" & secretly vowed to prove him wrong.

I stopped smoking. Didn`t broadcast the fact i had done. Delt with the craves & haven`t touched a cigarette for 18+ years now.

Good luck. It can be done

My dad still classes himself as a smoker 40 years since he gave up. fortunately, having parents who smoked, even though neither were heavy smokers, turned me off the whole idea and I've never tried it. It's not just lung cancer that's the danger - it's the fact it can take you longer to recover from surgery of any kind etc. Good luck with the giving up. It is tough but I don't know many who've given up and aren't glad they did.

[jodrell]

Willpower & determination helped me quit.

I think that is the name of the game for anyone who wants to give up somoking. I gave up 30 plus years ago as they went up to 50 pence for 20. But cost me a fortune in chewing gum for months( not the nicoteen ones ).Good luck.

[sparkspakespoke]

Tell you what get someone to cut your hands off..... I guarantee that'll work.

There's actually a short story by stephen king along those lines. Funny this thread appeared now as i'm also trying to quit. I did stop when I found out my partner was pregnant and lasted nearly a year, started having the odd one at work to help stay awake after the sleepless nights, its true though you cant just have one. I'm going for will power alone, I figure if your going to stop you may as well just do it and wait for the hell to pass.

[colin]

Colin ?

What? What do want scouser-boy? I'm off to have a big one out the back door. With a large glass of red. In 25 minutes I'll be waiting for my man

Twenty-six pounds in my hand, up to Longsight, M18. Feeling not very well actually, and dirty, more dead than alive. I'll be waiting for my man.

Thank you.

Happy giving up to one and all. I wish you all the best. Just pity us poor sods who are trapped in Ewood for one hour and 45 minutes without a pacifying jointcigarette.

[adopted scouser]

What? What do want scouser-boy? I'm off to have a big one out the back door. With a large glass of red. In 25 minutes I'll be waiting for my man

Twenty-six pounds in my hand, up to Longsight, M18. Feeling not very well actually, and dirty, more dead than alive. I'll be waiting for my man.

Thank you.

Happy giving up to one and all. I wish you all the best. Just pity us poor sods who are trapped in Ewood for one hour and 45 minutes without a pacifying jointcigarette.

touchy ! You still got a fall reference in though. well done

[tashor]

Tell you what get someone to cut your hands off..... I guarantee that'll work.

Wrong ...........

True story -

Early in his career a top vascular surgeon met a patient with a condition causing him to get blocked arteries earlier than most because of smoking.......

Over the years the surgeon tried desperately to get the bloke to stop the fags - and failed.

Many operations followed due to gangrene - first amputation of toes,then lower leg,then fingers etc.......

Eventually the bloke lost his hands - but continued to smoke using a Heath Robinson set up of wire coiled around his arm stump......

The operations continued and his arms and legs got shorter and shorter - and the distance of the ciggies hooked on the wire on his ever decreasing arms got closer and closer to his mouth......

And the punch line? Despite having looked after the idiot for many years over his career and trying to get him to stop smoking (fortunately for the surgeon fully documented) the limbless half-wit tried to sue him over his plight for not trying hard enough to stop him smoking .................

Ooh the buerger

Told to me by the surgeon concerned at the Reebok several years ago...........

[colin]

touchy ! You still got a fall reference in though. well done

Well spotted. No "touchy" though, it's all in fun. I'm dead relaxed.

[thenodrog]

Wrong ...........

True story -

Early in his career a top vascular surgeon met a patient with a condition causing him to get blocked arteries earlier than most because of smoking.......

Over the years the surgeon tried desperately to get the bloke to stop the fags - and failed.

Many operations followed due to gangrene - first amputation of toes,then lower leg,then fingers etc.......

Eventually the bloke lost his hands - but continued to smoke using a Heath Robinson set up of wire coiled around his arm stump......

The operations continued and his arms and legs got shorter and shorter - and the distance of the ciggies hooked on the wire on his ever decreasing arms got closer and closer to his mouth......

Don't believe ya Tash...... he might have smoked em with a wire loop or whatever but he surely couldn't have lit em.

[beerwins]

I gave up for about a month recently using Champix, these pills really do work but the side effects nearly drove me insane, after a month I found myself having rage issues, really bad dream's and bad stomach cramps, the missus however is still taking them and has had no problems at all.

I have since started smoking again and am going to have another crack at it using the patches, I think the old school way of willpower and determination is probably the best and surest way to stop, if something like the pills make it easy to stop it's usually very easy to start again, I think you have to go through a bit of pain to realise how hard it was to quit and this acts a as deterant when you think of lighting one up again.

Good luck on your quest, my main bit of advice would be to change something in your lifestyle and link it to giving up smoking, after a month a started to feel the benefits of not smoking and like an idiot I gave in and started again, I think once you have it in your mind to stop sooner or later you will suceed.

[Cocker]

I tried giving up time and time again and couldn't. This was in the days where I would be out nearly every night of the week. Lasted maybe a day then thought sod it lets go and get another pack - nothing would work - even while giving up the same time as my friends.

Then the Mrs got pregnant - I said I would give up - and didn't. On the day my lad was born I stopped and haven't had one since - this will be 4 years ago in June. It wasnt anything to do with my health or anything I just didnt want to be covered in smoke around him and a switch must have just clicked in my head and the cravings stopped (there are of course the odd times when I am out where I could just have one but still stay away).

Obviously I don't recommend every one goes out and starts getting preggers but it worked for me.

[thenodrog]

Obviously I don't recommend every one goes out and starts getting preggers but it worked for me.

Did you experience morning sickness and swollen ankles cocker?

[SouthAussieRover]

Will be 3 years for me come March 25th.

How are you getting on Flopsy?

[Cocker]

Did you experience morning sickness and swollen ankles cocker?

I still have the bloated ankles and seem to get morning sickness after a night and so there does appear to be some side affects.