Giving up smoking

cila1130

Hi Everyone,

Im am new to this threadboard.

I am a 32 year old female.

Basically im am giving up smoking tomorrow the 11th Aug i set that date for myself last thursday the 5th and decided. Myself and my sister are giving up together im am absolutely dreading it, as i really love my ciggie!

I really want to quit as i have started keep fit and the expense of the bloody things also. I could change my car every year or go on a lovely holiday with what id save.

I have actually never given up smoking before so i really dont no what to expect. I smoke between 10 to 15 a day so not overly heavy but still enough to effect my lifestyle and pocket.

I would welcome any advise and support please.

my job can somtimes be stressful as its accounts and end and start of month etc i certainly do not want to get tempted.

wish me luck from tonight

franklyon

good luck, read all the advice here and all the best. I am still a smoker and trying to work up the courage to give up,so keep us updated.

NavanEPS

Come on gu ys you CAN DO IT!
I am delighted you have made the right decision - it is never easy, but the support on here is great so pop in anytime you need to. Read through the threads of other people and find someone you can relate to who is giving up at the same time or who has given and resonates with your experience.
I am smober over 5 weeks and to be able to come on here and ask questions, vent my frustrations or shout for joy that I made another day is great.

Good Luck !

luggs

I gave up smoking 2 weeks ago after reading Allen Carrs "Easy Way to Give up Smoking"-I have smoked for over 25 years and tried to stop many times only to take it back up-but after reading this book i have absolutely no desire to smoke again-and There are no scare tactics in it-nor does it make u feel like ****e for being a smoker-its completely positive and points out to you the reality of Nicotine Addiction-I seriously recommend you read it-Do Not go Cold Turkey-It doesn't work- You need to change the way you perceive smoking and this book will do it for you:
On a personal level I can say that after only 2 weeks without a cigarette I have seen some amazing changes in me- My Skin quality and complexion has improved immensely, I am less stressed (as i now know that smoking caused the stress that i thought it relieved) --I am more positive and have a lot more energy . I have discovered that the hardest thing about giving up smoking is making the decision to Give Up-Once you do this-Its easy

dolliemix

Good luck Cila

I was in your shoes seven months ago and I'm still off them and I feel fantastic!

Its hard at the beginning though. Just take each moment at a time and the days will add up. Vent on this thread. It really helped me! Use the exercise as the void that will need to be filled. Giving up smoking will completely help you achieve your goals and aims in sport. Keep that in mind when you're craving. You will probably think about cigarettes a lot for the next two weeks or so, but then you will begin to forget about them more and more.

Let us know how Day 1 goes tomorrow!

dolliemix

...and well done luggs and Navan too!!

cila1130

Hi lads,

Thanks so much for the advise, i am determined to give the damm things up i no i will prob be like a weasel in work tomorrow but the bad has to come before the good.

I will keep ye posted.

Thanks again x

Mackman

Best of luck cila, just take it one step at a time. fight through the cravings, they dont last long. after a few weeks, you will go for hours, days, without even thinking about fags.

if you get a bad craving, of feel like you're gona snap, just come on here and vent. we've all been though it.

oh, and its not as bad as your brain is telling you it is. thats the nicotine talking.

cila1130

Hi Luggs,

I am going to read the Alan Carr book as i seriously think i am going to struggle alone, i am going to start it tonight did you really find it that helpful. My sister inlaw actually went to his clinic in Cork over 4 years ago now and she hasnt smoked since, she was quite a heavy smoker and she has absolutely no disire to smoke she found it very helpful. I am so determined to give up so i do need a bit of help

_feedback_

cila1130 wrote: »

Hi Luggs,

I am going to read the Alan Carr book as i seriously think i am going to struggle alone, i am going to start it tonight did you really find it that helpful. My sister inlaw actually went to his clinic in Cork over 4 years ago now and she hasnt smoked since, she was quite a heavy smoker and she has absolutely no disire to smoke she found it very helpful. I am so determined to give up so i do need a bit of help

Hi Cila,

Well done on deciding to give up! I would agree with luggs 100%. I was smoking a bit more than yourself (close to 20 per day) and have stopped with ease 2 weeks ago after reading Allen Carrs book. I found it was excellent. I have had very little problems in the two weeks. Before I started reading, I dreaded the thought of giving up. Now (after only 2 weeks) I dread the thought that I USED to smoke!

Sincere best wishes - be strong! It's worth it.

EDIT: in answer to your question. The book comes 100% recommended from me too.

cila1130

Hi Elviscostello,

Thanks for reassuring me im starting to feel so positive now. Im actually looking forward to reading the book and giving up completely. Did you smoke while reading the book as i think he recommends in the book that you do?

_feedback_

Yeah I did smoke while reading it. By the end I was reading it as quickly as possible so I'd be able to get that last cigarette over and done with !

Best of luck, whatever way you choose

NavanEPS

How is it going for you cila1130? good luck with it

cila1130

Hi Navan EPS,

Day one was a bit of a struggle, i got the Alan Carr book today so going to start reading it tonight. My sis is actually getting on better than me but she is also starting the Alan Carr book tonight so fingers crossed by this time next week i wil no longer think of the damm things so often. My biggest downfall today was my work fag breaks im trying to break that cycle until i feel like i can go outside without craving a fag

How long are you off the fags and how long does it take for the cravings to subside as i heard it takes about 3 days for the worst to pass?

sarahlulu

Cannot recommend Allen Carr's book highly enough. I smoked at least 30 a day, and loved every one of them. A friend bought me the book as he had used it and found it great. I didn't really want to stop smoking especially, but he was asking what I thought of the book, so I read it out of politeness.

That was seven years ago, and I have not smoked since I finished it. Last October I watched my Mum die from lung cancer, and my brother and sister swore they would stop smoking after that, but neither of them did. They tried going cold turkey and only lasted a day ot two and were miserable.

After reading the book, I stopped with ease. Only one or two cravings, which passed as quickly as they started, and I never think of ciggies any more, except how odd it looks to see someone smoking!!

Best of luck.

cila1130

Hi Sarahlulu,

Im very sorry to hear about your mother.

Thank you so much for your support and wisdom everybody here has been a great support.

Did the book really kick the habit for you that much? if so i feel so confident now

I have been telling myself for a few years that i love my fag i have no notion of giving up. I have 2 little girls and it would absolutely break my heart if in years to come they ended up as smokers (which is another reason why i want to quit). A big plus also is that i banned smoking from my house when i had my girls so at least thats something.

I am so glad that good feedback is coming from the Alan Carr book as i am still thinking that i will end up falling off the bandwagon and back on the fags which is certainly what i dont want so heres hoping that this time next week il be totally craving free!!!

NavanEPS

HI cila1130 - I smoked 20 a day for 25 years, so fairly heavy smoker.
I used hypnotism and it has worked for me. I have WANTED to give up for some time and have read Allen Carr's book a couple of years ago, but was unsuccessful at that time. I felt I suppose that I was giving something up still. So this time I said I would "try" hypnotism but with no great expectation to be honest. Someone I met had used the same guy a few years ago, so I got the number and went.
It is still will power and you have to WANT to give up, but it has helped enormously with the "habit" and "triggers" - basically I don't have any of that, which having tried a few times down the years, is the part that pre-occupies the mind most.
But I have still had a hell of a time with the withdrawal, so hypnotism is not always the "easy way out".
What has really helped me is reading the material that was recommended to me by the guys and gals on boards.ie - where I began to understand the physical withdrawal - all the bad stuff that is in a cigarette, how the chemicals worked within my body to conspire against me. The CONTROL!!

Allen Carr's book deals with this a bit aswell from what I remember and as one of the main reasons I stopped smoking was because of the control they had over my life, this was a great addition when I was going through the first few days. I am off them now over 5 weeks, and LOVE IT!

This is my experience, we are all different, we experience a million different emotions and physical feelings when we stop, but each of us share something that is the same and so this forum/thread is a great place to feel a part of something when times are tough. Also when you are feeling that you have achieved something, which you have every day, people on here understand how important it is and how difficult it was to make that small step of one day at a time. It might sound corny and a bit weird but although we are complete strangers there is an understanding. As you can see there are people who haven't smoked over a year that some on here celebrating with the newbies. This is how important stopping smoking is!
People who have never smoked don't understand as they can't, and the people who still smoke don't want to hear about it, 'cause most of them will feel guilt cause they "want" to stop, but aren't ready. So only people who have stopped understand.
Sorry for droning on...

I wish you all the best in your quit.

dolliemix

+1

Allen Carr's book is great. I used it the first time I gave up but three years later I' d forgotten all of Allens wonderful messages, succumbed to a drag one evening and ended up back on them again for over five years.

This time round I did it Cold Turkey and I realised its within the person themselves. You have to really want to do it.

I agree with Navan. Ultimately no matter what way we give up, we will all have moments where we crave again and moments where we wonder will we ever feel normal again and thats why this forum is so good.

Anything that helps is good but there is no miracle book or therapy. It comes down to how strong you are inside and how open you are to listening to other people's support when you need it most. You might not always get that in the real world because I found my non smoker friends didn't realise just how painful it can be and my ex smoking friends forgot how hard it is and my smoking friends ...well they still love their cigarettes!!

I loved this forum because I just got everything off my chest and someone would inevitably come back and say....I felt like that too and you're doing great!

Good luck today.

And well done on 5 weeks Navan!

gimli2112

Good luck OP

I was a heavy smoker for 25plus years. Never tried to quit / never intended to and then in January I did and haven't smoked since.

Used Champix which I found helpful but I think different things work for different people. Most important thing is you have to want to quit.

I also found telling everyone I know you quit helps cos you don't want to let them down by starting up again. I hate my job and thought that would be the hardest but found it relatively easy in work..... though I did take the head off a few people.

Daisy Steiner

luggs wrote: »

Do Not go Cold Turkey-It doesn't work-

Sorry luggs, I'm doing it cold turkey and I am playing a stormer it has to be said. Whatever the reason for giving up, you have to want to, otherwise in my opinion you will find any excuse to keep on puffing.

Best of luck OP

The positive aspects to no longer smoking will have you on top of the world once the first few days are over.

I found day two the hardest, I'm sure everyone is different.

Yay go you!

cila1130

God i litteraly could have ate at ciggerate about 7 oclock this evening, went to keep fit at 8 and worked my ass off so took my mind off it. Finding work quite hard also used to loooove my fag break but its all about breaking the habit also.

Started my Allen Carr book last night, only on first few pages so its a start:o...

Hope everybody else is doing good.

Im really hoping this time next week il start to find it easier.

cila1130

Hi NavanEPS,

Thanks for your post, makes so much sense.

Cigarettes have total control over your life when you smoke, even when you smoke one fact is after 5 minutes the craving for nicotine has kicked in again and you feel the need for another. I am finding it really tough i have been so tempted to buy them but i keep telling myself no and it will pass which i no it will but im sure everybody understands as we have and are all in the same boat!

At this particular moment i am craving i would absolutely love one:mad:

Daisy Steiner

Stay strong, the craving will pass, life won't end

The pride you feel in shaking off that nasty habit will help.

Sendin' good vibes your way.

cila1130

Hi Daisy Stiener,

I have just read your thread forum and you are an inspiration to just give up with absolutley no assistance i.e books, patches etc. I am so craving now i could bloody eat one. I can feel myself getting Irritable now (i just feel like screaming grrrr)

This forum is brillant for letting off steam.

The funny thing is if i was still smoking; and my Cigarettes were in my bag i probably wouldnt even think of having one while im preoccupied but of course the dreaded nicotine monster has other ideas:mad::mad::mad:

Think i will go to bed now and read my Allen Carr book otherwise il end up pulling my hair out!!

Daisy Steiner

cila1130 wrote: »

Hi Daisy Stiener,

I have just read your thread forum and you are an inspiration to just give up with absolutley no assistance i.e books, patches etc. I am so craving now i could bloody eat one. I can feel myself getting Irritable now (i just feel like screaming grrrr)

This forum is brillant for letting off steam.

The funny thing is if i was still smoking; and my Cigarettes were in my bag i probably wouldnt even think of having one while im preoccupied but of course the dreaded nicotine monster has other ideas:mad::mad::mad:

Think i will go to bed now and read my Allen Carr book otherwise il end up pulling my hair out!!

Deep breaths are key. When you smoke you automatically suck in a deep breath, concentrate on filling your lungs with sweet fresh air, hold for a few beats then release. It helps!

+1 this forum rocks

The irritability is totally normal, welcome it to a certain extent, it is the evil nicotine leaving your body

pambelina

first couple of weeks are a bit of a "mare" but it gets easier, until you find it easy and wondered why you had not given up years ago, then temptation will kick in, the "just one, sure i'll be grand" phase, beat the first couple of weeks and the latter, and any little stresses in between and you're laughing

NavanEPS

HI Cila - how is it going? good I hope

cila1130

Hi Navan,

Not going to bad, getting into the Allen Carr book now and its making so much sense, still having cravings but managing to let them subside and not take over! one day at a time though

Daisy Steiner

Well done!

Very glad to hear that you're still holding tough

jenggg

Hi Cila, how's it going for you? Did you finish the book? I did 2 weeks ago and haven't smoked since. I found it great-totally changed my mindset about smoking and I hope to God it lasts for life!