Day 2

[trout1105]

This weekend I have finally decided to give up smoking for various reasons.
I am a 50+ a day smoker and I ran out of cigarettes Sunday afternoon and I decided Not to go into Town and buy another carton and give the Ciggies away instead.
Day 1 on Monday was pretty "Crap" But I do have one of those false smokes that I can put a nicotine canister in to ease the cravings.

This is day 2 and I am up at the crack of dawn and the urge to drive into town and grab some smokes is incredibly strong, I will do my best to resist this urge.
I have tried to Quit a couple of times now the only success I had was the 18 days I didn't smoke whilst in hospital because I was too drugged up to be able to walk down to the smoking area for a lot of those 18 days.
Here is hoping I can give the filthy things up this time and stick to it.

[trog]

Good luck , but don't ever give up trying. Avoid habits and situations where you would light up for a while too .

[weeds]

Good luck and hope it goes well for you.....making the decision to try is the first step.

I’ve never smoked so don’t understand the difficulties in being successful.

[donh54]

I used be a 50 a day smoker, too.
Giving up wasn't easy, but boy oh boy, it was worth it!
The best thing is, it's your decision to give up. I know I would have struggled even more if it hadn't been my own decision.
For me, the hardest times came in threes. Three hours after I decided to give up, three days and three weeks. By then, I knew I had it beat.
Just keep an eye on your weight! After a couple of weeks, your taste buds start to work again, and everything tastes so good, it's hard not to go back for seconds!
Stick it out, Mate! It's for the best, in the long run.

[Fifth Columnist]

I had to go into hospital for a week and decided not to restart smoking when I came out.
That was eight years ago. So far so good.
Main thing is to have some ciggies available rather than get rid of them all; you're always most desperate when you've got none.
Good luck [bigsmile1]

[DiscoMick]

Well done. Good for you.
Remember, even if you never smoke again, you will still be a smoker. I have a mate who says he is still an alcoholic, although he stopped drinking over 30 years ago.
It takes a long time to overcome a lifelong habit. Your brain has been trained to crave nicotine.
One strategy is to retrain your brain to crave something else instead, such as fruit. Each time you crave a fag, eat an apple, banana or some other fruit. Eventually your brain will become trained to associate the craving with fruit instead of cigarettes.
Hope that helps.

[trout1105]

Thanks for the advice guys But I think the best way to give up is simply Not to light another cigarette up [thumbsupbig]

[gusthedog]

Cold turkey is bloody difficult. I gave up 8 years ago and found patches worked for me.

If you have family or a wife, they will thank you for using a reduction method rather than cold turkey. You'll be less of an Arsehole that way. [emoji6]

[trout1105]

Cold turkey is bloody difficult. I gave up 8 years ago and found patches worked for me.

If you have family or a wife, they will thank you for using a reduction method rather than cold turkey. You'll be less of an Arsehole that way. [emoji6]


I have tried patches, nicotine gum and those quit drugs that made me ill and they didn't work.
My Missus was a heavy smoker and she gave it up "Cold Turkey" So that is the method I am using this time.
I did read Allen Carr's "Easy way to Stop Smoking" and this helps somewhat But my sheer determination is my Best ally Because this is the First time that I Myself have made the decision to Quit.
On the other attempts to quit it involved doing it to please others, due to injury/illness or I wasn't fully committed, This time am doing it for myself and nobody has influenced me or has coerced me into this decision.
I know it is going to be "Tough" for the next few weeks to get the nicotine out of my system But after that it should become a lot easier to stay a NON Smoker.
Everyone that I know who has been able to quit has told me this, They also tell me that they still think of "Lighting Up" even after years of quitting the habit.
This is why I am making this a one day at a time project, Remember I smoked 50+ a day and the thought of not having a smoke EVER again is terrifying But if I look at this One Day at a time it is Far less Scary.

As for becoming an Arsehole due to NOT Smoking That won't happen, I was an Arsehole long before I gave up the fags [bigwhistle]

[incisor]

I was a 100+ a day man and gave up on jan 1 2000

I found the secret was when the urge is strong, tell yourself you will have one in 5 minutes.... by then the urge is gone, till the next time

I keep telling my wife, the day they tell me I am on the slippery slope out, I am off to buy a carton :p

[Tins]

I did it cold turkey 12 years ago. I smoked every cig in the house one night, got up feeling bloody horrible. After about a week I've never even thought about smoking again. Stick with it, it is definitely worth it.

[Chops]

Good luck dude,,,,
I wish I had your will power.

[trout1105]

Good luck dude,,,,
I wish I had your will power.

I have heaps of "Will Power" Mate it's just the "Don't Do It Power" I come up short on [bigwhistle]
I am also in the process of cutting back on my prescription pain killers that are opioid based So I have been able to partly blame that for my withdrawal problems [thumbsupbig]

[Tins]

Remember, even if you never smoke again, you will still be a smoker. I have a mate who says he is still an alcoholic, although he stopped drinking over 30 years ago.


Not quite the same thing, Mick. Tobacco dependance is an addiction. Alcoholism is a disease. However, both are deadly.

I think the main difference is, I used to be a smoker. Not quite in the same league as Trout or Incisor, but around 30 a day. I will NEVER smoke again. The very thought disgusts me. I do not face a constant battle with the durries. I had an alcoholic mate who managed to give up the grog for a bit, but every waking moment was a challenge for him. He used to stare at people with cans of beer with naked lust on his face. He stayed off for around 9 months, but took one drink at a party and was gone. He wound up in his car with a hose from the exhaust in through the window.

Your mate is right. For him, one drink is not enough, and two are too many. He's done well for 30 years, but keep an eye on him, Mick.

[ramblingboy42]

Mate , you've got a lot of support here.....if you start to feel weak about it just come back here and read the thread.

I support you, I think I can safely say everyone in the forum does too.

[Classic88]

I keep putting the attempt off. [bigsad]

If you're wavering it could be worth a visit to your GP. They can either help with meds, support services or a tailored quit plan.

[Ranga]

Importantly, you need to convince yourself that you are no longer a smoker. When you get the urge, ask yourself "why would I have a smoke... I'm not a smoker!".

BTW, well done on trying.

[DiscoMick]

Not quite the same thing, Mick. Tobacco dependance is an addiction. Alcoholism is a disease. However, both are deadly.

I think the main difference is, I used to be a smoker. Not quite in the same league as Trout or Incisor, but around 30 a day. I will NEVER smoke again. The very thought disgusts me. I do not face a constant battle with the durries. I had an alcoholic mate who managed to give up the grog for a bit, but every waking moment was a challenge for him. He used to stare at people with cans of beer with naked lust on his face. He stayed off for around 9 months, but took one drink at a party and was gone. He wound up in his car with a hose from the exhaust in through the window.

Your mate is right. For him, one drink is not enough, and two are too many. He's done well for 30 years, but keep an eye on him, Mick.
Yes, well said.
Incidentally, my mate later founded a drug and alcohol rehabilitation farm which has been successful, so he turned his experiences to helping others. About 700 people, mostly blokes, have passed through, some cured, some relapsed, but I really respect his commitment.

[Mal]

My missus quit her pack a day habit by wanting to buy a new necklace, so every day she didn't smoke the money went into a tin , if she smoked I got the money.
She got the necklace.

[V8Ian]

My missus quit her pack a day habit by wanting to buy a new necklace, so every day she didn't smoke the money went into a tin , if she smoked I got the money.
She got the necklace.
Thank goodness, it'd look silly on you. [wink11]

[jonesfam]

Thank goodness, it'd look silly on you. [wink11]

Not if he's wearing a nice pair of high heels.
[biggrin]