smoking

[Robinredbreast]

Good luck to all you would be non-smoking smokers I use this phrase because I believe you never truly become a non-smoker, merley a smoker that does not smoke.Like any addiction you should take one day at a time and avoid slipping back to the addiction

I am on day 3 of giving up and am using the mouth spray. I have tried everything going in the way of nicotine replacements including ecigs and champix. I have managed to give up several times (once for about 5 years) and have always ended up going back to them following some crisis or another.

Along with the mouth spray I am practicing deep breathing and sipping water. This seems to be working quite well most of the time but when I really feel thedesperate need for a cigarette I pull up an imaginary picture of myself blind with no legs and that puts me back on track. Hopefully this graphic vision will help me get through the rough times and stop me going back to the cigs in future. Rough times for me have historically been day 3, week 3 and month 3 so am suffering a bit today.

I am a non smoker, who used to be a smoker, that was over 4 years ago, so I class myself as a non smoker, NOT an Ex smoker and proud too that I actually did it, even through the rough, stressful and traumatic times Never give up, you CAN do it. you've just got to believe in your self and stay positive

 

[Helsin]

I've gone over 5 weeks tobacco free now by using e-cigs. It's a complete surprise to me as I bought them basically to accustomise myself to some periods without cigarettes and then found I hadn't smoked for a couple of days, so I decided to see how long I could continue. It's the weirdest thing. I have smoked for 40+ years and never before tried to give up. I feel a complete fraud that it was so easy.

 

[Rosemaryx]

That's how I want to feel Helsin,I Havnt needed the ecigs as yet because the little gadget I have has worked wonders,good luck,I am 10 days non smoker now,first time for me after smoking 40 years...xox

 

[Helsin]

Typical that I had to fool myself into it though. I'm so stubborn I can't even tell myself what to do.

 

[Rosemaryx]

Nice one Robinredbreast...xox

 

[HA3]

I gave up 6 yr after smoking for 28 years - I started at 12! Tried for 2 years on and off with patches, finally got prescribed champix by my dr. Amazing, had to go to a non smoking clinic weekly for 6 weeks as well which although I wasn't keen to start with was a great help (Dr would only prescribe the champix through the clinic , he wasnt daft! . The champix totally removes the nicotine craving so you just have to break the habit. Hard i know, but some good advice is to do things different. I drove to work by a different route for 3 weeks as I found I automatically lit up at the same point each day. By going a different way I didnt think about lighting up. That sort of thing, if you smoke with a coffee, have a tea etc. Keep going, you will get there.

 

[Rosemaryx]

Good tips there HA3...Thanks for that, I have removed everything from the home to do with smoking,my cravings are getting less and less as each day goes by,so you have gave up for 6 years,do you struggle every day,or has the cravings gone for good...xox

 

[Yorksman]

Champix worked for me and I found it quite easy. The dreams are brill ! Best part of it in my opinion. Where can I get some more?

You can't see how it is going to work with Champix because you carry on smoking to begin with but soon, you just start smoking half and quarter cigarettes and also less regularly. When it's time to stop smoking , but still take the Champix, your cravings are suppressed. It's that chemical which gives you the vivid dreams. It takes a course of 12 weeks in total for the cravings to totally disappear. Even if you think you are OK after 8 weeks, still carry on taking them for the full course.

After that there are no cravings. You do need a little bit of will power to overcome the associations which you have learned over many years, but it is easy to break the associations, one by one, and there are many of them, and once broken unlike a craving, the association doesn't return.

I had given up for two years but when I caught the ferry and was leaning over the rail to watch it cast off, I felt I ought to be having a cigarette, because I had done it so many times before. It is no hassle not to smoke one, but you do have to remind yourself. On the journey back, the association was gone.

 

[HA3]

Good tips there HA3...Thanks for that, I have removed everything from the home to do with smoking,my cravings are getting less and less as each day goes by,so you have gave up for 6 years,do you struggle every day,or has the cravings gone for good...xox

Generally the cravings are gone, I still have random moments when I would kill for a ciggie but they generally pass quite quickly. I told myself when I quit that I was not giving up forever and that I was going to start again when I was 70! Mad I know but my brain coped much better if it didnt think it was forever and unfortunately I was one of those who enjoyed smoking. You need to find what works for you. X

 

[HA3]

Champix worked for me and I found it quite easy. The dreams are brill ! Best part of it in my opinion. Where can I get some more?

You can't see how it is going to work with Champix because you carry on smoking to begin with but soon, you just start smoking half and quarter cigarettes and also less regularly. When it's time to stop smoking , but still take the Champix, your cravings are suppressed. It's that chemical which gives you the vivid dreams. It takes a course of 12 weeks in total for the cravings to totally disappear. Even if you think you are OK after 8 weeks, still carry on taking them for the full course.

After that there are no cravings. You do need a little bit of will power to overcome the associations which you have learned over many years, but it is easy to break the associations, one by one, and there are many of them, and once broken unlike a craving, the association doesn't return.

I had given up for two years but when I caught the ferry and was leaning over the rail to watch it cast off, I felt I ought to be having a cigarette, because I had done it so many times before. It is no hassle not to smoke one, but you do have to remind yourself. On the journey back, the association was gone.

Yes I used to dream I smoked! Found it quite fulfilling! Helped me with not smoking during the day weirdly.