Giving Up Smoking

[Jezston]

My uncle has been shall we say a little poorly for the last few months with untreatable cancer of the spine and lungs. I've never been a huge smoker - max about 5-6 a day, and in recent months I've reduced this to two or three a day, and have found the experience of smoking increasingly less pleasurable and plan to increasingly lower my daily intake until I just stop.

I have no idea if this is an effective long term plan. Casual consultation of assistance NHS gives tends to be aimed at heavier smokers, and I'm not sure swapping your intake of nicotine to another method and maintaining the addiction suits me. Besides, I think for me it's a more an addition to the process of having a fag rather than particularly a chemical addiction to nicotine.I did try just all out stopping late last year and lasted a few days but just found myself stressed and distracted and constantly thinking about having a cigarette too much of a burden when I was very busy with other things.

After being stable for almost a year despite being given until last May to live, my uncle's condition suddenly deteriorated in the last week, and he (perhaps fortunately) passed away peacefully in his sleep last night.

I really need to give up soon. Can anyone offer any advice that would suit someone more dependent on the process of going for a cigarette occasionally than a deeper chemical addiction?

 

[Wigsie]

Sorry to hear about your Uncle Jezston...

I gave up last year, tried nicotine patches and the lozenges but it never worked as when you stop them you still crave the nicotine.

Cutting down like you have is a great step... You could look at reducing the strength of the cigarettes as a first measure (I went from Marlboro Lights to Marlboro Silvers)... but my secret weapon was Extra Strong Mints... much nicer that the lozenges... I went through around 2 packs a day for 2 weeks, it worked and I stopped and never looked back.

Good Luck!

 

[TVC]

First of all sorry to hear of your uncle.


I stopped smoking (not gave up because there is nothing worthwhile to give up) by reading this book:

http://www.amazon.co...99434009&sr=1-1

It fully explains the truth about smoking, not the health effects etc but the confidence tricks, the marketing, and cynical approach of the patch manufacturers and how you are programmed into psychological addiction.

After reading the book I just stopped, no withdrawal symptoms, I just never wanted to have a fag again.

People (especially those who want you to fail at 'giving up') will tell you how difficult it is to stop. Once you know it isn't then really it isn't.


Don't take my word for it, listen to Tiny who just beat me to the punch.

 

[Jezston]

Cheers everyone. I just remembered I got that Allen Car book for christmas a few years back. I should get round to reading it!

 

[TheBoyBilly]

If you max at 5-6 smokes a day you are probably avereging about a pack and a quarter per week, which is around £7 or £8 - call it a tenner for luck. Every time you walk into a newsagents to buy fags turn round and slip a crisp £10 note back in your pocket and put it somewhere safe later. By Christmas you'll have a tidy sum to treat yourself to things cycling, like a really decent front light. Plus all the usual health benefits.

Best wishes to your uncle,

Bill

(Edit: just re-read your post, Jezton.......condolences on the loss of your uncle, I'm sorry.)

 

[TVC]

Cheers everyone. I just remembered I got that Allen Car book for christmas a few years back. I should get round to reading it!

You won't regret it, just put a few hours aside and sit down with a fag while you read.

 

[joolsybools]

Sorry about your relly

Yes deffo have a read of the Allen Carr book. It didn't work for me although his booze one did. There's another good book called Stop Smoking by Peter Cross and Clive Hopwood and there's some good material on the NHS stop smoking site.

I think it ultimately comes down to attitude, i.e. You have to 'wan't to stop rather than think you 'should' or 'must' stop. Good luck with it.

 

[gbb]

You have my sympathies Jezston.
I'm in a similar situation...i only smoke around 5 a day but am struggling to stop altogether, and like you find it difficult NOT to think about having one, it is all consuming.
Last time i stopped (many moons ago, after many many attempts) i just had 3 or 4 drags when the craving got too much. After a week, it faded to the degree where i just stopped. The trouble is, i'm doing that now, and its not getting any easier.
While i'm at work its easier, no cigs and keep busy..keeping busy helps a lot. Trouble is, the wife smokes, so while i'm at home its easy to just say..give us a couple puffs

Keep going...you're on the right track even thinking about it, thats what i keep telling myself.

 

[Halfmanhalfbike]

I smoked fairly heavily for 30 odd years. Three people at work were giving up so I decided to give up as well. It really helps to have some peer pressure. No-one wanted to be the 1st to crack. If you are giving up on your own I think it's so much harder.

Gum helped for me as well. The patches were useless

Good luck and let us know how you get on

 

[asterix]

A former colleague impressed me immensely. He announced one Friday afternoon that he had just given up and would not smoke again. The job was high-pressure and we were doing 7 day weeks and sometimes double shifts so I simply did not believe he could do it. I also anticipated a tough time as the withdrawal symptoms took hold! But no, he gave up completely and didn't change a bit. It was as if he had never smoked.

(Another, older colleague a former heavy smoker was constantly off sick with lung trouble so no doubt he took heed.)

 

[guitarpete247]

I and the GF gave up last Feb. We had been thinking about it for some time. She came home one night and was so shocked that they had cost her over £6.00 she said that this would be the last she ever bought. I took this as the chance I would have to give up. It's easier if there are 2 of you to give yourselves encouragement and don't want to be seen as the first to weaken. Being a Yorkshireman the money saved was something that gave me encouragement to continue. So far I think I've saved not spent £2600. I don't seem to have any extra money but now can't think how I'd find that oney if I was to start again.

Someone I know has two young children and is suffering from COPD. He smokes in the house and has even been known to smoke in his son's bedroom (not when his son is there but FFS). He can no longer work and his family had to give up their house and now has a council house. But he still smokes. He drives at the moment but that will have to stop soon as he is so out of breath doing anything. He even had a heart scare last year and spent a week in hospital but continues to smoke. I can see him leaving his children without a father in the next couple of years. He and his wife went for NHS stop smoking councilling but nothing came of it.

If we could do it I'm sure he should have more to inspire him.

 

[TVC]

Sorry about your relly

Yes deffo have a read of the Allen Carr book. It didn't work for me although his booze one did. There's another good book called Stop Smoking by Peter Cross and Clive Hopwood and there's some good material on the NHS stop smoking site.

I think it ultimately comes down to attitude, i.e. You have to 'wan't to stop rather than think you 'should' or 'must' stop. Good luck with it.

That's the key thing, as a smoker you can go for ages quite happy although knowing that it's wrong, you have to wait for the moment of self loathing to arise for stopping to stick, I've seen that so many times in myself and in others.

 

[Fab Foodie]

I was a heavy smoker.
It nearly killed me.
Even after a mild heart-attack I still couldn't quit.
I tried everything.
And then, I tried Zyban (prescription from the doc).... easy peasy lemon-squeezy, and I never smoked again.
The heaviest smokers I know have all quit using Zyban

 

[Stephenite]

Sorry to hear about your uncle. You can only take his untimely death as inspiration.

I reckon you are kidding yourself if you think you don't have a chemical addiction. As the process of rolling a fag and going out to smoke it (or whatever routine you have) is intrinsically linked to the relief you get from satisfying your nicotine addiction.

I wonder how much time you spend thinking about those 2 or 3 fags each day? Do you associate having a break at your job with having a fag? Or associate a fag with relaxing at home, taking a time-out, a me-moment? That's part of the conditioning. Your brain has learned to link the two.

I quit 6 months ago (posted a thread on here early august) and in the breaks at work i developed a different routine. I stopped going outside, and either got a coffee and surfed the net, or sat down to chat with folk. At home i'd do something like eat an orange, or have a cup of tea and choc-chip cookies. I think its about distracting the mind whilst you're unlearning the bad habit. 6 months later i dont think about it.

You've done well to get it down so far. Keep it up. If a weak-willed wuss like me can do it you can.

 

[Monsieur Remings]

Sorry to hear about your uncle.

I smoked for 20 years and it took the birth of my daughter to give up entirely. I know that I could not do what I do now in terms of distance on the bike if I was still smoking and when I rediscovered cycling after giving up the tobacco, I soon realised it was the best thing I'd done for my health ever. I agree with the others who have mentioned willpower; I tried giving up before and like a very close friend (who has tried and failed so many times) I realised that like him now, my heart wasn't in it.

I also went to see a hypnotist and the strange thing has been that the work he did has had more of an effect after the period considered to be the relapse period. In this I mean that the desire not to smoke has become stronger over time, since giving up, acting as a prevention for ever starting again! I know that most people who give up, don't start again but that might be worth looking into. There's an old expression with alcoholics about it not being how long since the last one but how long before the next.

The very, very best of luck to you. Think about the hills you'll be able to conquer, the fresh air in your lungs and the very real possibility that you won't be heading for an earlier death than you would wish for...

And to the posters who mentioned Zyban, I'll let my friend know.