h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

On 1 Feb, I am doing the ultimate thing. Trying to give up smoking. (Should I really be doing this?)

If there is anyone out there who can give helpful tips, hints and general useful advice, it would be more than welcome.

It's going to be hard, I know that I've tried before, but this time I am determined to do it!!!!

Help!

I suport you!

I believe in your strength!

Tried and failed... several times

Having said that, I can and have quite easily quit for a fixed period of time... say a week or a fortnight when on holiday with non-smokers or just for a bet. I just tell myself I can have a cigarette in x days and the craving disappears. Stupid I know, but the craving is partially psychological. Fixing yourself objectives is maybe a way round it...

I won't smoke for a day

if you survive that you then have the choice

Smoke
or
I won't smoke for a week

then its

I won't smoke for another week

Then you've been off the fags for a couple of weeks and you might be able to talk yourself into believing that you don't need them after all.


Having said that, I've never succeeded, so who am I to offer advice.

Don't listen to never-smokers and their "I can't see what the problem is". It is a bloody hard thing to do. Make up your mind that you are going to be a non-smoker and focus on WHY. Then if you've got enough motivation you'll do it.

Good Luck.

Gave up at midnight New Year's Eve/New Year's Day.

So far so good, but it is very hard resisting the temptation to go and buy a pack, just to have one more.

However the thing that stops me was that I worked out roughly how much the habit had cost me over the last 15 years - enough to have bought a brand new car and to have had a really decent holiday every year for the last 15 years!

It is a way that I have never tried before. It might be worth a go trying it that way. Some ways work better than others for different people.

I do agree with you though that smoking is psychological. All in the mind.

Thanks for the advice we shall see how it goes.




pheloxi - I hope your shoulders are very broad cos you will have to carry me through this....

Good luck

Gave up successfully about 3 years ago. I still have the odd one in the pub when I am drunk with certain people but generally don't miss it, or even think about it at all any more - it can be done!

Advice, um, it is difficult at first but it does get easier. I used a similar approach to Whisky's short-term giving up but just kept it going. 'I won't smoke this morning' lead to I won't smoke this afternoon' lead to 'I won't smoke today/this week/this month/etc'

I fell off the wagon lots initially, but just started again - giving the rest of whatever pack I had bought to somebody else. Remember, just because you've had one doesn't mean you might as well start smoking again! It also helps to start thinking of yourself as a non-smoker. Make for the non-smoking areas in pubs/restaurants, and if anyone asks if you smoke just say 'No' rather than say you are giving up. I didn't try them so I don't know if the patches and gum helps, but they might be worth a try while you are getting over the initial withdrawl.

I also put the money I would have spent on fags into a jar and at the end of a month treated myself to something nice with the money I had saved - this is a good incentive scheme!

Good luck, and let us know how you are getting on

k

I stopped smoking for about 5 months..(was on 40 a day)..then very stupidly started again..near xmas..don't give in to the temptation of just one!..I'm gonna try to stop again soon..just can't get my mind focussed on stopping at the moment..
I used tic-tacs and those chocolate cigarrettes for when I wanted something in my mouth....plus the support of my son & a non-smoking friend..and other friends both smokers & non-smokers..i've not got that now..non-smokers don't realise how hard it is to stop..especially after re-starting....

Best of luck to you..believe in yourself....

Emmily

First of all Vicki - well done for making the decision. that sounded so American talkshow!

I was a 15-20 a day smoker for 12 years and stopped smoking 18 months ago...

I think you are making the right choice first off in setting yourself a date - you are not saying I'll do it tomorrow or the day after. This means that you are mentally preparing yourself and can enjoy your final days of smoking (cos let's face it you do sort of enjoy it or you wouldn't do it)

The only thing that concerns me in your post is that you say you are going to *try* to give up smoking. In the next few days you need to begin to tell yourself that you *will stop smoking* - forget the *try* bit and also the *give up* bit. They are very negative words. If you tell yourself you are going to stop it is a positive thing.

You will do it if the time is right for you to do it. If you have any doubts that you won't be able to stop then don't even bother. You have to be ready. Are you? Really?

Question - how many do you smoke and how long have you been smoking.

more later...

OK

I used to be on 20 a day about 3 years ago and was shocked to realise how many I smoked.

I have "slowly" cut down over the past 3 years to between 10 and 15 a day (usually 12 a day so I don't class myself as a heavy smoker).

I would like to point out though that when I go to restaurants, I ALWAYS go for a non-smoking section. I never smoke whilst other people are eating.

I DO want to give up and I have tried many times. At the moment I am spending the next two weeks cutting down, so hopefully come 1 Feb I will only be on about 5 (hopefully less) a day.

I'm crossing all fingers, toes, arms, (fallopian tubes) hoping to get through this. I have done a whole week before whilst on holiday, but once I got back to work it all fell apart. My crux is work. I smoke about 10 during the day at work, but only 1 or 2 at night at home. I don't smoke in my house (god, everywhere would really stink), so I go outside in all weathers.

BTW. I have been smoking since the age of 13 (I know, no comments on this please) and I am now 27, so that makes it about 14 years or so.

Change jobs?

I found that when I gave up at New Year, because I was stopping with friends and out of my usual routine that it made the first couple of days really easy.

It has been harder to keep it up now I'm back at work.

I love my job, even though it is stressfull. That is why I have chosen the date I have.

January is particularly stressful as I work in an accountants, so all you people out there who have not sent in the necessary information for your accountant to prepare the Tax Return. IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!!!!

February will be as calm as a sloth is slow motion.

Hey VV,

I gave up smoking two and a half years ago. I used to smoke between 30-40 and woke up one day and didn't recognise the pallid lump I saw before me.

I decided to give up there and then - I didn't do any patches, gum or substitutes and I admit it was tough, but after the first week I felt much better. Sure I was crabby, but what the hell, I'd given up the one thing I truly enjoyed. I over indulged for about a month, eating what the hell I liked and generally wallowing in my miserableness.

Then a month after quitting I took up the gym. I started very gently on the cardio-vascular machines and then worked up to weights. Two and a half years down the road, I am fitter, my skin is clearer, my wallet is bulkier, I have travelled to the States six times, I walk to and from work and I look back and think, sure it was tough to give up, but it would be tougher to give up what I have gained from quitting smoking.

Good luck and if you feel that you need a little online support, you know where I am

Ashley

I'll be knocking on your door come 1 Feb

Thanks you lot. It's good to know that people have done it and at least tried to do it.

to everyone.

VV

You are a habitual smoker. You are *not* dependent on nicotine and therefore your addiction is the act of smoking itself. You *will* find it easier than you think. The hardest part of all for me was the scary prospect of stopping and not knowing what to do with my hands and my time when I would normally be smoking. After a meal and waiting for a train were my "scary" times.

I actually took time off work so that I could concentrate on doing something else other than the norm. I found things to do that occupied my hands (now, now - no smut please!) - I did some craft type things, making cards and glasspainting etc.

It may help here to mention how I feel now and one word that I use alot is "liberated". Other ex-smokers will know what I mean. You no longer feel anxious about running out of ciggies. You no longer have to stand outside in the cold and rain. You can go on long haul flights and not feel like the whole world is against you when you get to the airport the other end and are told that you are not allowed to smoke anywhere in the terminal which means another half hour at least before you can light up!!

You didn't answer my other question though...are you really ready to do this? Do you really *want* to do this? And "I think so" isn't good enough. Sorry.

Liberated is the word

I WANT to and WILL do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am determined to make it work.

I want to be able to save money and do and buy things that I can't at the moment.

I want to be able to walk up a hill without running out of steam. I want to be able to walk my dog without getting out of breath.

I want to do it!

I'm going home now so don't think I am ignoring anyone.

Thanks for the support. I will give you an update on the cutting down bit on Monday!!

Also, you no longer scope out the local area whenever you go somewhere new for the nearest 24hr garage for those out-of-fags-at-2am emergencies

And even though I do occasionally have the odd one these days (last one was new year's eve, and the one before that was in august I think) I always wish I hadn't afterwards *cough*

As a non-smoker you no longer have to get defensive when somebody mentions smoking in restaurants