I swear I will never smoke again

Ruthie-Roux

Hi there,

This will be something like my 12th time to give up smoking. I`ve been smoking for 5 years now and in that time my habit has varied from 10 a day and over 100 on the weekends to 20 a day, to one or two a day and 20 when Im drinking and everything in between. I was clever enough to get through my teens without smoking and stupid enough to start when I was 20 and going through a rough patch. Began as an "every so often" thing that built into the addiction that it always does. But it has to stop now. I have had asthma since childhood but it has been so mild over the past few years that it rarely bothered me at all. Then, this April, after having smoked about 15 cigs one day I had a massive athsma attack (well for want of a better word-I really cant define it but I couldnt breathe) and was told I had a chest infection and put on course of antibiotics. They have not cleared the problem and whatever it is , it has come and gone for months. Ive been back to the doctor a few times who admitted my left lung sounded wheezy and put me on more antibotics and a steroid inhalor but the probelm remains. Ive had a chest x-ray and a throat scope, both of which showed nothing, but I have dreadful pains in my left lung every day and have difficulty breathing, especially trying to clear one side of my throat/one lung. Im beginnning to worry if it may be something serious as the doctor says it doesnt seem to be asthma. Clearly something is very wrong, possibly brought about by my periods of excessive smoking( chain smoking while drinking).
Now at nearly 25, I have been smoking for nearly 5 years and it has to stop here. I manage well enough to get though the week without fags but anytime Im nervous I reach for them and then keep going and especially when I drink and then my respiratory problems really flare up and I hate myself because I feel Im killing myself.
I hate that Im not strong enough to call it quits for good.

But I`ve this is it now and I will never smoke another cigarette. Im also off the drink for the foreseeable future as I have an alcohol problem and also smoke like a trouper when I drink.

So have not had any today or yesterday and only two the day before (and that sent me running for a bowl of steam and struggling to breath again). It decided me that I have to give up smoking for good.

The following are the areas that I know Im going to have major issues with and I would appreciate advice in how to deal with them:

1-Having a few drinks and desperatly craving a smoke......how to resist and still enjoy the drink. Will I ever enjoy drinking without smoking again?

2-Times of stress and emotional upset have me gagging for a smoke and I tell myself I need it.

3-Being around smoking friends who offer me cigs and worse, when they all go outside for a smoke in the pub. I always give in and go out as well and this is my downfall.

4-Being in situations that make me nervous, like a date or an unfamilar social situation etc. I feel I can hardly manage these without smoking.


Any advice would be welcome as I really really need to stop smoking for the sake of my health, (here`s hoping its not already too late)

Thanks,

Ruth

Wreck

Hi Ruth,

good luck with givning up, and don't be too daunted. While it is difficult, it is very possible and very much worth it. I'll try and help you with some of your questions.

Ruthie-Roux wrote: »

1-Having a few drinks and desperatly craving a smoke......how to resist and still enjoy the drink. Will I ever enjoy drinking without smoking again?

In the past when I had tried to give up it was always when I was drinking that I caved and started smoking again, and I think this is true for a lot of people. In order to give myself the best chance possible I stayed off alcohol for a month. I was very worried the first night I went out drinking after this, but to be honest it was actually pretty easy not to smoke. Now I rarely ever think about smoking while drinking, even sitting out in beer gardens or whatever.

2-Times of stress and emotional upset have me gagging for a smoke and I tell myself I need it.

This was the same for me, especially at work. The thing to remember about this is that the chemicals etc. you get from smoking do nothing to calm you down and in fact have the opposite effect. It's a combination of comfort derived from habit and 'getting away' from the situation (i.e. if you have to outside) that can having a calming effect.

3-Being around smoking friends who offer me cigs and worse, when they all go outside for a smoke in the pub. I always give in and go out as well and this is my downfall.

After a while people will stop offering you smokes. I tend not to go outside when others are smoking, but that's more to do with the terrible weater than anything else.

4-Being in situations that make me nervous, like a date or an unfamilar social situation etc. I feel I can hardly manage these without smoking.

All I can say is that you just get used to not needing a smoke. And a big plus side is that you won't stink of cigarettes, which is far more off putting then being slightlys nervous

Two further suggestions are to excercise regularly and drink loads of water - I really believe that these two things helped me give up more than anything else.

I've been off the cigarettes since New Year's and I can honestly say I don't miss them at all. I still get the odd craving, like once a month, and at the wierdest times, but they pass within seconds.

Anyway, best of luck with it, if you do it you will feel better in no time.

the GALL

I BELIEVE YOU, you can do it.

Ruthie-Roux

Well I haven`t smoked at all since Tuesday, as in Wednesday was my first smoke free day so I`m on day 4 without smoking now. Im actually doing ok. Feeling pretty damn proud of myself because I polished off nearly a full bottle of red wine last night without a single cigarette. Normally I would go through 10-15 with a bottle of wine on a Friday night, more like 20 if Im out.
It was ok until glass 3/4 and then I rwally started to crave a smoke. Started obsessing about it and toying with the idea of dropping across the road to the bar to get a packet but a managed to resist and felt so happy the next day when I woke up. I had to take breaks from drinking to have snacks though, where normally I woke have a smoke. I can definatly see that Im going to put on a bit of weight but Im not too concerned for the moment. The main thing is just keeping my promise to myself to never smoke again.

I think I might need to carry a reminder with me though for the next few nights out , like a graphic picture of a smokers`lung in my purse or something to remind me why I quit because the temptation is harder than Hell to resist when Im drinking AND watching my friends all smoking. I`ll do it though.

Ruth

Terry

If you're going to snack, try carrot sticks or celery or something healthy.