Given up the smokes?

G'day People,

I used to smoke, started when I was about 14, joined the Navy when I was 15 and smoked like a champion for about 18 years. Tried a couple of times to give up during the years, however, my heart was never in it and failed on those attempts.

Then one day i was sitting on the proch, playing guitar, smoking the last one of the packet and it hit me, some thing in my head just went click, I said to myself, that's it, no more,I'm ready to give the stinking things the flick.

That was about 5 years ago, went cold turkey and not a single smoke since then. I tell you, it was the best bloody thing I have ever done, I have never looked back.

It wasn't easy at first but I stuck it out. I actually had list that i wrote out about the pros and cons of smoking and when i felt like i wanted one I went through the list, it worked for me.

If you get through the first few months then you will find it gets easier .....

Do it, the family will love you for it, as long as SWMBO is not a smoker also .....

Hucksta

In researching how I was to give up, one comment was that if you smoke say 30 ciggarettes a day, then putting on a patch won't help too much as that is the equivalent of 6 ciggarettes. So if using patches it is more effective to compliment it with gum or lozenges if you are a heavy smoker.

Thanks everyone for your own stories and words of encouragement.

My wife spent her last month in the respiratory ward of the Alfred in Melbourne (no, nothing to do with smoking). As I was there for an average of about eighteen hours a day, I got to know the nurses quite well.

Since about 80% of the patients were there as a result of smoking, and most were terminally ill, I was astounded to find that 100% of the nurses in the ward were heavy smokers. (not on duty of course)

All the evidence seems to show that tobacco is the most strongly addictive drug there is. Certainly it is the one that has the largest health effects.

John

Quote:

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Originally Posted by stevo68

Then quit again and when I went on my first camping / 4WD trip with the club to Fraser, thought would let my hair down and take a pack of smokes....big mistake.....have pretty much smoked since and that was 2 1/2 yrs ago. Being asthmatic doesn't help either :eek:.

Stevo

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G'day Stevo,

I should have read your reply before I posted mine as i was going to include the following ........

I also do a bit of camping with my brothers and a few mates. A couple of them smoke and I found that sitting around playing cards and drinking beers was the hardest for me. So I came up with a little idea that worked a treat although it still requires a lot of will power, try it next time.

Whenever I got the craving for a smoke I grabbed on out of my mates pack, placed that filthy thing in my mouth and drew back as hard as i could to my hearts content. The trick is i didn't light it, it was never lit yet i pretended that it was. I even pretended to blow the smoke out, the boys laughed at me and thought I was an idiot, but it worked.

Whenever i go camping now I actually take 2 good quality cigars with me and smoke those over the weekend, i don't draw the stuff back as you are not supposed to anyway, but it takes away any craving i have for smoking.

Works for me, maybe not for everyone .... but anything that may work is worth trying ......

Good luck ...

I gave up on this forum over a year ago, smoked heavy for twenty years prior to that. My tip in giving up is to think how much money each ciggy costs you and then at the end of each day add up how far ahead you are financially.You'll be suprised how much it strenghtens your resolve, I didnt give up smoking, I just gave up buying them.I still get cravings at the weirdest times and sometimes have dreams where I take it up again, its mighty powerful stuff!!!:(

some may want to revisit this thread for motivation, its been over a year since then.;)
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/general-ch...up-smokes.html

Well done Gillie , That's very inspiring, I find if I get cravings for smoking , i walk outside and try and sidetrack myself by starting work on my landrovers ,get the tools out , spanners , screwdrivers .....:o:D soon I loose the cravings and actually do something positive , if there is nothing to be done on the L/R's , I grab both dogs and take em for a long walk , usually for a good hour.:)

This brings back memories of my own tussle with the dreaded weed. After about 15 years of sometimes very heavy chain smoking I decided to quit while working on Bougaiville Island 32 years ago.
That was it - cold turkey, no drugs to help in those days. The price for a packet of Benson and Hedges was about 55c a packet so no real financial incentive either. But I couldn't breath and just felt really bad.
I suffered horrible dreams and felt as if I was bouncing as I walked, eyes felt huge, weirdest feelings and I seemed to be able to feel every joint in my body.
But I stuck it even when I accepted cigs when down the pub at night.... chucked them away and never went back.
I did put on a bit of weight but my Doctor at the time (he's now a pollie!!!) said "It's better to be a bit of a fat bast**d than a smoker".
Happy and successful quitting to all who try..... if a weak pr*ck like me can do it anyone can!
Alan.

a few friends have quit, biggest thing is really wanting to do it, willpower is the biggest factor

the 2 guys who gave up cold turkey both had been 30 a day guys, one gave up when his first child was born, simply decided he didnt want to smoke anymore, and stopped....

the other decided that after losing a lung at 42, if he wanted to see his kids grow up, now was the time to stop

Well I read this thread many months ago and felt guilty.:(
Like those ads with blood clots and blocked arteries - I always find a reason to say "next week"
Well, felt like crud last week so thought - NOW!

Day 4.(Nearly 5) and struggling - but not giving in.:mad:
<<Hopefully I haven't flamed anyone here :angel:>>

Not expecting congrats - just publicly committing myself.

Hopefully in 12 months time I'll have about $4000 more to spend on Land Rovers :ohyes: