Quitting smoking

[kevin07]

14 years ago i was taking my son to soccer training i told i have to stop at the shop to get some smokes and as usual he spat it he was 6 at the time and used to get up me hard about smokin. anyway as i got out of the car he yelled out to me really excited dad,dad,dad .i said what son equally excited, he told me dad i know how you can stop smoking. isaid back to him thinking this should be good, and he said dad just dont BUY any. i turned and walked away absolutely flabergasted,thats how simple it is and that statement ate at me until 5 years ago my wife and i stopped smoking.we stopped smoking the day we put a deposit on our house

[Cuppa]

I started smoking at the age of 12. Stopped for a couple of years in my early 20’s & then stupidly started again. For years I told myself that I'd given up once & could do so again ....... But didn't 'cos I enjoyed smoking.

Added complexity was that I also enjoyed smoking weed, rarely in large quantities, but 2 or 3 small joints in an evening. I always saw this as a reasonable alternative to having a few beers, not being much of a drinker.

Leading up to the age of 50 I thought a lot about giving up smoking, knowing I should for health reasons mostly, but my 50th rolled around & I didn't give up. For several months my failure gnawed away at me & then one day I just stopped, telling as many people as I could, in an attempt to make myself look foolish if I failed. Every day that I went ciggie free became an achievement I would lose if I started again. This kept me going & it is now a bit over 5 years since my last ciggie.

However I did continue to smoke the weed, still sticking to just 2 or 3 spliffs in an evening, although at times it was tempting to smoke more to compensate for lack of ciggies.
There is no doubt that doing this made my 'not smoking' more difficult, because although I wasn't touching tobacco I was still maintaining a smoking habit, albeit much reduced. I knew if I were true to myself I could not live up to the title of 'non smoker'.

Last January I stopped smoking weed too, following 35 years of use. There have been no slip ups, no smoke of any kind has passed my lips since. I don't crave tobacco nor weed, but do still 'fancy a smoke' from time to time. I believe this to be a more behavioral than physical thing..... these days easily ignored, but like Bob, reckon if I had a smoke, I could easily be back to a pack a day within a week. Sometimes I wish I could be an 'occasional weekend smoker', but it just ain't gonna happen.

My method for stopping was simply reaching a decision that I would do so. Many folk find the various aids (patches, gum, hypno etc ) very helpful, but I knew that for myself the overriding factor would be willpower. Every day of achievement reinforced my not smoking & the idea of 'wasting' that achievement kept me going.

A mate who gave up successfully, about 8 years ago, did so using patches, but he put himself on reducing dosages of the patches, cutting them up to give himself smaller & smaller doses of nicotine over quite a long period. Worked for him....... It's all about mindset I reckon, & what works for one is different to what works for another.

Think about it, let it gnaw at you & eventually you'll give up. Just don't leave it too late.

Set yourself a date.

Cuppa

Ps. I can even enjoy a coffee without missing a smoke these days, something I once thought impossible.

[krbrooking]

I am about to attempt to stop smoking once again the longest I stopped for was 8mnths I like cuppa started around 12/13. My wife quit nearly a year ago and has a dig at me every time she smells it. I said to myself after this weekend away I will be trying to stop again so will keep you all posted.

[Cuppa]

My wife quit nearly a year ago and has a dig at me every time she smells it. I said to myself after this weekend away I will be trying to stop again so will keep you all posted.

Best of luck mate. I don't know how my wife, a lifetime non smoker, put up with the smell of stale smoke for all those years.

Cuppa

[Lonicus]

Great work guys!

Wife and I are scheduled to chuck in the smokes after this weekend. For some reason she needs to start on a Monday?

Both been smoking for over 30 years and although we've had the odd period of success, longest was about 4 months, we always manage to slip back into the bloody things. As we will be retiring next year we figure the $200 per week can be much better spent on doing a ton of other more enjoyable things. Apart from the health issues this is one of the main motivating factors, that and the fact that you feel like a social pariah these days.

Stress is a real trigger for the boss, so I better get all my goodies for the Patrol ordered this week so she can be stress free next week

[jack]

Best of luck guys, it can be done.

I gave up years ago cold turkey and it was hard at first, especially when you had mates that smoked. Never had a puff after the I decided to stop as I knew that would be the end of it.
It's worth it money wise and health wise, never felt better than I do now.

Cheers
Apollofish

[threedogs]

Don't tell anyone but just decided its time I'm 58 smoked everyday as long as I can remember, got those tablets as I smoked 50 plus a day every day and we dont count when we go away.. Well been smoke free now for 5 months now, feel better, I think ,know I dont feel like a smoke not even a puff as then I'll have to start again. Not saving any money as I don't make much anyway, but my kids are happy and thats all that matters, oh and the doctor, My heart rate before and after hasn't changed it 45-47 bpm,

[growler2058]

Used to love smokin then I had enough so tried everything was a right $&@! To be around sooooooo paid a visit to the hypno been 6 or 7 years now without one. No withdrawals nuthin. Woke up a non smoker, had a sore arse but didn't smoke hahahahaha

[threedogs]

If you need to lose your watertight seal so be it. small price to pay I reckon. lol

[ozzyboy]

hey growler. can you expand a tad more on the hypno? some peeps say it works, some say a scam. I can't handle the tablets, they can't be good for you

ozz