Yes, it's a flippant title but a serious point.

After several attempts (some documented on this forum) I have finally managed to stop smoking. I did this by attending one of the Allen Carr "Easyway" sessions in Leeds last Saturday, as the book just didn't seem to work for me.

It's now been five days and I'm lethargic, irritable, nervous and constantly thinking about smoking. I was warned that I might feel some of these symptoms but that they would fade after 3-4 days.

Yet irrational as it sounds, I can't help feeling that all the things I used to enjoy are now (and will forever be) that little bit less enjoyable because I can't smoke. Work is dragging on and on because there are no fag breaks to break it up, there's no point going in the pub because as soon as I have a pint in one hand I'll want a fag in the other. I don't even feel like eating meals because as soon as I've finished I'll want to go outside for a smoke.

So - unless it gets better from hereon in - I have a stark choice;
An enjoyable, unhealthy and shortened life with cigarettes.
A miserable, healthy and long life without 'em.

Anyone else been in this position?

It will get better - I'm sure it will. Don't start again when you are doing so well.

You need to give it more time. You'll be able to go to the pub and drink and not smoke but not yet.

It’s a physical addition as well as a psychological one – you need to break both of these and this takes time. But in many ways you are over a massive hump already – so give yourself a pat on the back for that.

I am now! I gave up using patches. Managed two weeks. Then started having a sneaky one when I had a pint.

Then I went onto a few on an evening.

Today I have slapped a patch on again as I am not giving up. That's what the dirty f***ers (cigarettes) want you to do.

You can become a non-smoker but it might take you longer than you imagine.

Mood swings are the worst part. But give it a few days - you will feel better.

If you cave in now you will have to start all over again.

Who needs it?

I jacked it in a few months ago. After a while i felt great, better than ive felt in years!
Trouble is i gave in to temptation and started again, so everything i put myself through was a waste of time.
Its not worth it just for a horrible smoky tube of crappy weed in a tube.
Keep fighting.
Im going to jack it in again next week and this time im going to beat it.

just keep fighting it, dont let the tobacco companies win and turn you into their slave.

Yet irrational as it sounds, I can't help feeling that all the things I used to enjoy are now (and will forever be) that little bit less enjoyable because I can't smoke.

That is EXACTLY what I feel like when I try and stop. It's not the initial craving you have which to be honest is there all the time, it's the thought of not being able to have one in the pub, after a meal, at the football, with a cup of tea, when depressed, when stressed, sat in the sun, walking to work, the list goes on.

But no, don't start again if you've managed 5 days.

Right, I'm off for a fag.

just hang in there! It does get easier, It's just that nasty, the baddie, mr Nick O' Teen and his death-throes desperately trying to get you back hooked on the cigs.

give him a good old kick. remember, every cig not smoked, adds five minutes to your life (Or so I have been told!)

I gave up (the latest time) just over a year ago, and so far I'm not doing badly.

don't give in!

PT

Have you tried gum or a patch - Just to get you through the next few weeks?

Smoking takes charge of your lifestyle. From watching a film, after a meal, waiting for a bus, drinking a pint, a lull in conversation, everything you do seems to revolve around smoking. That's the hardest part to fight. It's all in your brain. Brains are stupid. Don't listen to them!

It's so easy to give in - but just don't do it.

I stopped smoking 3 years ago and I still can't have a drink without wanting to smoke. Occasionally after a meal, I think it would be rounded off nicely with a cigarette.
Apparently a craving only lasts 15 mins so if you can ride it out for that period of time do so. The only problem comes when the 15 mins of craving come one after the other in quick succession.
Overall though, the obvious health benefits outweigh the cravings. When I want a cigarette, I just go and play with my son.

Don't give up on giving up- there will never be a 'right time' to do it, or an 'easier time'. The best time is now, when you've already got through the first few days.

Use all of your mental crutches to get yourself to the stage where you suddenly realise that you can taste lots of things that you thought were bland- that's a true revelation.

Getting to the stage where you take a deep breath and becoming light headed because your chest has so much more capacity than you thought it did is amazing- finding out that you can exercise for twice as long is wonderful.

Getting yourself to the stage where that niggle of 'I know what I'm doing is going to kill me one day' goes away is great too.

Give it all you've got to get through this tough bit- it does get easier.

EDIT- every now and then I still fancy a cigarette (it's been 18 years since I gave up) but I know now that it's my romanticised fictional idea of a cigarette that I want, not the real, smelly, lung crushing reality- so I go and do something nice instead.

I know you shouldn't substitute smoking with anything else (foodwise) but a better substitute would be jogging. I always felt that I missed that "hit" feeling from a cigarette so took to olives for the nasty/nice thing. I think Alan Carr took up running didn't he?

Don't go back you will kick yourself if you do and make it harder to quit next time!!!

keep on keeping on.

:thumbsup:

and remember there is no nicotine in your body after just two days. You are a non smoker right now.

i packed up 25 years ago ,hang in you can do it ..if you want to

I have tried giving up several times and have now reached the conclusion that:-
1. I like smoking
2. It is altogether more pleasant for those close to me that I smoke, as without them I become unbearable.
3. I enjoy the taste of tobacco.
4. I enjoy the social aspect of the smoking areas at work, as it enables an easy and informal communication accross the business.
5. I contribute far more in tax than I will ever cost the NHS by smoking, and therefore do not feel guilty about it.
6. Smoking is one of the few hobbies I can still find time for.
7. I LIKE smoking.
8. I really hate self rightious ex smokers who complain about me smoking, I smoke outside or in my car, and would never light up in a restaurant, so after that it is my business whether I do or not. I don't force anyone else to inhale my smoke, so SHUT UP!!
9. I LIKE SMOKING!!!

So, my advice to you is; if you want to start, then start, and sod the folks on the moral high ground looking down their noses at you. It is your money and your body, the decision should be yours without any influence from social pressures.
:rant: :rant: :rant:

work is ***** without smoking....i havent smoked a fag in nearly two years and it does get a little easier...all my work mates go out for a social fag break every two hrs and i cant go be sociable with them....sometimes if the day is really bad, i crave a ciggy but ive not caved so far...

I read once that someone who quit smoking did it by promising to have one on their birthday every year. Each year they didn't have it but would make the same promise for the next year.

work is shi*t*e without smoking....i havent smoked a fag in nearly two years and it does get a little easier...all my work mates go out for a social fag break every two hrs and i cant go be sociable with them....sometimes if the day is really bad, i crave a ciggy but ive not caved so far...
you have done well i stopped for 3 years then started again im a bad person aint i:hihi: :hihi:

you have done well i stopped for 3 years then started again im a bad person aint i:hihi: :hihi:

OMG u cant say that........i miss that sweeeeeeeeeeet taste.....every time i pass some one in the street i passive smoke their fag......

OMG u cant say that........i miss that sweeeeeeeeeeet taste.....every time i pass some one in the street i passive smoke their fag......
awww you poor thing im just having one now hun:) :)

I stopped 5 weeks ago after smoking 30 a day for 14 years. Best decision I ever made. The 1st 4 days are the hardest, and by 3 weeks, you're home and dry. Keep it up !!!! DO NOT GIVE IN TO A 3 INCH STICK OF ****E

awww you poor thing im just having one now hun:) :)

puff some in my direction!!!!!!
Basil mate - do it only if u wanna do it...im doing it because my family all has high blood pressure and the male side all seem to die of heart attacks by the time they reach 65.....that is literally the ONLY reason why i stopped.

minnime i hope those:) :) arent windups??!!!;) :hihi:

puff some in my direction!!!!!!
Basil mate - do it only if u wanna do it...im doing it because my family all has high blood pressure and the male side all seem to die of heart attacks by the time they reach 65.....that is literally the ONLY reason why i stopped.

minnime i hope those:) :) arent windups??!!!;) :hihi:
should no im no wind up i should stop cuz my lungs are done in but they get me through each day ;)

Just been down to the smoking area at work for one. Five lights of stairs each way. So........... smoking get me fitter as well!!

I quit a 20 a day habbit about 15 months ago the hardest part was the first week it was horrid my partner quit at the same time and to be honest I was shocked we survived without killing each other :) My only advise is if you fall of the wagon makesure you get straight back up on. My partner went away with her mum for a few days and due to being a bit stressed and lonely I bought 10 of which I smoked 8 and gave 2 away that was about 2 months ago and I havent had one since. Very difficult thing to do but if you have a relapse it doesnt mean your a smoker again if you can get back on the wagon.

Dont give up giving up!

Please , Mr. Rathbone , do your duty and get back here in the ranks of us old puffers !
Giving up smoking will cause you untold stress , you'll probably put on weight and you may well be driven to taking crack cocaine or entering a monastary ; you could even end up eating regularly in MacDonalds .
Here in China , not only do people smoke in restaurants but even within meals . ' Course , they also drink a spirit called ' Chinese Wine ' and drink tea and beer throughout the meal so they do have some strange [ to western eyes ] habits .
The Japanese are pretty similar in their smoking habits but , oddly enough , their life-expectancy is one of the highest in the world ; maybe their lungs are stronger than ours ?
Anyway , enough musing and statistics----just sit back , light up a cigarette and think how lucky you are not to have fallen into the pit of deprivation !

Dont start again! Trust me, having the willpower to stop smoking is the best thing that culd have happened to you!

Keep it up!

If you start smoking again I'll lick you

Like this http://bigskyx.com/img/LIFESTYLE/LS039%20Wierd%20Flatlander%20stuff.jpg

And you wouldn't like that (or would you...?)

Good on you for trying.

I'm not a smoker, but I know what withdrawal is like. Mine is just pure bad junk food. Bleurgh. It was just a bad habit, and I suppose you also need to find ways to substitute those habitual association. Re-train your mind, routines, that kind of thing.

Break from work - go make tea/coffee. Go get a piece of stationary from the store or something. Go see a colleague in person and deliver the documents than send it via email. Anything... (it also stops u from sitting in front of a PC too). Go to the loo.

Pub - This is hard, but a lot of people starts eating as a substitute. i.e. crisps. If you do, have something with low salt to begin with. Use a fake cigarette just to hold if you need to.

Meals - If you don't eat, you'll starve. (Actually, it's no wonder that people loses weight when they stop smoking, cos they've lost the appetite.) Maybe you just need to figure out another routine. i.e. as soon as you finished. Go wash up. Or go make a cuppa tea, or go and pour a glass of water. Anything that will replace the smoking habit.

I reckon, the day that you hate the smoke on people or you can smell it, then you know you're beaten the habit. Just take it easy.

Be strong-willed. Fight it.

I have tried giving up several times and have now reached the conclusion that:-
1. I like smoking
2. It is altogether more pleasant for those close to me that I smoke, as without them I become unbearable.
3. I enjoy the taste of tobacco.
4. I enjoy the social aspect of the smoking areas at work, as it enables an easy and informal communication accross the business.
5. I contribute far more in tax than I will ever cost the NHS by smoking, and therefore do not feel guilty about it.
6. Smoking is one of the few hobbies I can still find time for.
7. I LIKE smoking.
8. I really hate self rightious ex smokers who complain about me smoking, I smoke outside or in my car, and would never light up in a restaurant, so after that it is my business whether I do or not. I don't force anyone else to inhale my smoke, so SHUT UP!!
9. I LIKE SMOKING!!!

So, my advice to you is; if you want to start, then start, and sod the folks on the moral high ground looking down their noses at you. It is your money and your body, the decision should be yours without any influence from social pressures.
:rant: :rant: :rant:
Social pariahs in the queue over there please, yes, under the extractor fan, a fresh delivery of coffins will be arriving soon!

Social pariahs in the queue over there please, yes, under the extractor fan, a fresh delivery of coffins will be arriving soon!

Pfft! I thought he had a good point, I also like smoking :rolleyes:

Medics say that it takes 10 years for the yearning for a cigarette to completely leave your system.

I gave up smoking (20-25 ciggies a day) about 15 or 16 years' ago (completely on my own, with no patches or anything), and tbh, after five days, you can't say that you have succeeded in giving up, especially if you're thinking about restarting again.

About six months after I gave up, I was absolutely gasping for a ciggie, and was visiting a friend at the time, who smokes the cheapest cigarettes imaginable. I asked her for one, and it was the most disgusting, horrible thing I've ever smoked, but I made myself smoke the whole thing, even though I wanted to vomit ~ I've never smoked since, and I don't think I had any cravings after that.

Another thing, when I first gave up, I put the money I was saving to good use and bought a mountain bike. The exercise helped me to keep the possible weight-gain at bay, and I felt so much better for it.

EDIT- every now and then I still fancy a cigarette (it's been 18 years since I gave up) but I know now that it's my romanticised fictional idea of a cigarette that I want, not the real, smelly, lung crushing reality- so I go and do something nice instead.

Its been 12 years for me, having smoked at least 20 a day for over 30 years and I so agree with this Medusa. Very occasionally I get a whiff of a fresh cig and it is so enticing, but the smell of stale smoker, or being in a smokey place reminds me of why I'm so glad I stopped.

OMG u cant say that........i miss that sweeeeeeeeeeet taste.....every time i pass some one in the street i passive smoke their fag......
hi just thinking of you while i have my fag my avatar wicked aint it;)

Yes, it's a flippant title but a serious point.

After several attempts (some documented on this forum) I have finally managed to stop smoking. I did this by attending one of the Allen Carr "Easyway" sessions in Leeds last Saturday, as the book just didn't seem to work for me.

It's now been five days and I'm lethargic, irritable, nervous and constantly thinking about smoking. I was warned that I might feel some of these symptoms but that they would fade after 3-4 days.

Yet irrational as it sounds, I can't help feeling that all the things I used to enjoy are now (and will forever be) that little bit less enjoyable because I can't smoke. Work is dragging on and on because there are no fag breaks to break it up, there's no point going in the pub because as soon as I have a pint in one hand I'll want a fag in the other. I don't even feel like eating meals because as soon as I've finished I'll want to go outside for a smoke.

So - unless it gets better from hereon in - I have a stark choice;
An enjoyable, unhealthy and shortened life with cigarettes.
A miserable, healthy and long life without 'em.

Anyone else been in this position?


You haven't absorbed his method enough. If you had then you wouldn't be feeling like that. The function of Allen's method is to make giving up smoking a positive experience, an escape, that's why it's easy - you want to be doing it. You obviously aren't feeling that so I would suggest reading one of the books before giving up and starting again.

And a further problem is that you were expecting the symptoms to fade in 3/4 days. It doesn't work like that. If you are sat there stressing about wanting a fag, waiting for those symptoms to fade they aren't going to. The actual physical withdrawal symptoms aren't the problem, it's in your mind.

I stopped smoking 4 years ago this month

The best thing I have done, I feel 100% better for it

Keep going, its so worth it

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Well last night I had a couple of puffs on a cigar and instead of finding it enjoyable I thought "Hang on a minute - what am I getting so worked up about?" It didn't satisfy a craving, neither did it taste repulsive, all of a sudden it just seemed bizarre that sticking this thing in my gob and setting fire to it was what I'd been craving this past week.

Still early days of course, but that's got to be an encouraging sign......

Well last night I had a couple of puffs on a cigar and instead of finding it enjoyable I thought "Hang on a minute - what am I getting so worked up about?" It didn't satisfy a craving, neither did it taste repulsive, all of a sudden it just seemed bizarre that sticking this thing in my gob and setting fire to it was what I'd been craving this past week.

Still early days of course, but that's got to be an encouraging sign......


Don't prove to yourself that you don't like it again next week though or you're already back in the trap.

That's wonderful- it shows that your brain is seeking a romanticised view of smoking, not the real thing. Now finding something that you can do to replace the timeouts that got from smoking should hit the spot, because you know what you're NOT looking for.

Still got my fingers crossed for you.

I gave up 17 months ago and it doesn't bother me a bit now! Everyone is different and the symptons last for longer in some people than they do in others! There is a site somewhere that shows and tells you week by week what the benefits are so after 1 week this has happened and so on, maybe it would be worth you setting yourself small goals using this rather than seeing it as a for life thing. Also I exchanged a cig for a glass of water that I drank through a straw! Not only did it relieve the feeling to have the cig in my mouth it got me drinking more water too which also has great health benefits!

You will get there, stick to it!! If you do slip up don't worry about it, pick yourself up and try again and you will be telling people next year how good you feel!

For that one that was on about us being on a moral high, it isn't that at all. This person obviously wants to give up otherwise they wouldn't have tried and we all know that smoking kills, nothing wrong with caring about a persons health!

No, don't start again, you are doing well. Its the first couple of weeks that are the hardest. When you get a craving try sucking on a mint or chew some gum,
it worked for me but I know everyone is different.
Good luck. :thumbsup:

hi just thinking of you while i have my fag my avatar wicked aint it;)

i was agonisingly close last nite....was in the pub thinking about this thread....but i was behaved...cant even remember the sweet taste, the slight head rush, the increased alertness......(sneaks off for a sly toke!!)

i was agonisingly close last nite....was in the pub thinking about this thread....but i was behaved...cant even remember the sweet taste, the slight head rush, the increased alertness......(sneaks off for a sly toke!!)
hi only had 2 fags today as my face swelled n goin mad with toothache hun:( ;)

Well last night I had a couple of puffs on a cigar and instead of finding it enjoyable I thought "Hang on a minute - what am I getting so worked up about?" It didn't satisfy a craving, neither did it taste repulsive, all of a sudden it just seemed bizarre that sticking this thing in my gob and setting fire to it was what I'd been craving this past week.

Still early days of course, but that's got to be an encouraging sign......
I'm inclined to agree with you as well. Something is certainly working... otherwise you wouldn't see it so differently.

I stopped 4 weeks ago and havent really missed it at all. That said, despite having visited the pub twice in that time (once to have a diet coke, and the other to have a pint) I havent yet had a proper drinking session to really tempt me.

So tonight will be the big test at a mates bar-b-q. Do I pass out with flying colours, or pass out smelling like an ash tray?

As a side note, I read the other day that Allen Carr has lung cancer! Read into that what you will.

I'm having a very moody week since i decided to finally quit last weekend. I can't sleep at night which is making me even more ratty and very grumpy.

I'm arguing with everyone i talk to which has resulted in me feeling very lonely and frustrated which is why i'm online searching for threads about quitting smoking!

I smoked my last ciggie on Sunday after a night at the pub. Since, i have gone through all the 'normal' symptoms of quitting. I've quit before but this time i want it to be THE last time.

My cravings are definately more habit based. While in the car, after a meal, having a coffee etc. So after mentally telling myself i'm not having one the craving seems to go away after a few minutes.

What is concerning me the most is this awful chest pain i am having. It's so uncomfortable! The breathlessness and disgusting phlegm i'm coughing up is extremely unpleasant. I just hope i start to feel the benefits of being a non-smoker soon!

SM

What is concerning me the most is this awful chest pain i am having. It's so uncomfortable! The breathlessness and disgusting phlegm i'm coughing up is extremely unpleasant. I just hope i start to feel the benefits of being a non-smoker soon!
I'd say the fact you were coughing that up is a benefit.

I've stopped smoking - should I start again?!

Yes.............

Don't give up, it does get easier. I stopped in April this year, by using patches, I smoked for 40 years. I won't say I still don't get cravings I do, but the think of all the money you will save and what you can buy extra with it. I got broadband and thats how I found the forum.

It's easy to say don't give up trying, but try not to

The thing I miss most about tobacco is the nicotine. It's an intensely satisfying and useful drug in many respects.

Now, nicorette inhalators have enabled me to develop a serious nicotine habit that would asphyxiate me if I had to get similar doses from burning tobacco.

Since quitting over a week ago I have trebled my nicotine intake. I can now kill insects with my breath.

All I need to do now is get a more stylish inhaler and find some kind of bulk supply at a reasonable price (or it's going to end up costing me £50 a week).

I said all this to the doctor and he immediately prescribed my Zyban and told me to use it to quit the inhaler....

I have just looked Zyban (Bupropion) up (before I actually stick the tablet in my mouth). It's predominantly a dopamine reuptake inhibitor & it's prescribed as an antidepressant. in the USA under the name Wellbutrin.

It's not unpleasant. I'm well aware of the negative reports on this drug, but at the moment it's pleasantly lifting. It certainly gives an 'alert' that you are no longer at baseline consciousness, and is moderately stimulating. I'll move to a double dose in 6 days. It appears to work by inhibiting both the reuptake and production of dopamine, regulating levels in the brain and preventing the troughs and peaks that characterise all kinds of chronic stimulant use (nicotine, caffeine, cocaine, amphetamine).

It was Draggletail who drew my attention to Allen Carr's Easy Way to Qit Smoking Book. I'd been a 5 (large) cigars a day man for nearly 40 years.
I bought the book whilst on holiday in Bangor, and before I'd finished reading it, I knew I'd quit smoking for ever.

That was back in March. Visiting pubs and clubs with smokey atmospheres doesn't bother me. I just look around at folk lighting up and sucking in cancerous smoke, and wonder why I ever did such a daft thing for so long? :huh:

Keep it up BasilRathbone. Everyone can quit smoking, and so can you. When I got the temptation in the first couple of weeks, re-reading certain chapters helped me enormously.

I enjoy my disgusting habit, i will die younger hence all that yummy pension money for the Exchequer, i only smoke in private..........so..........who cares ? What a total tramp I am ........:thumbsup:

It was Draggletail who drew my attention to Allen Carr's Easy Way to Qit Smoking Book. I'd been a 5 (large) cigars a day man for nearly 40 years.
I bought the book whilst on holiday in Bangor, and before I'd finished reading it, I knew I'd quit smoking for ever.

It was weird, that book. I read it, and knew I had to find a healthier alternative.

work is ***** without smoking....i havent smoked a fag in nearly two years and it does get a little easier...all my work mates go out for a social fag break every two hrs and i cant go be sociable with them....sometimes if the day is really bad, i crave a ciggy but ive not caved so far...

So while they are off having a fag you are still working and they are getting paid the same as you for it, even though you are more productive to the company you all work for. I think this is all wrong. If someone wants to smoke then they should do it in there own time. The easiest answer as an employer is to do what I did when I set up my own business, don't employ smokers and write it into the Contract of Employment. Problem solved, although I accept that it is probably a little more difficult to do in an existing business which already employs smokers.

I quit in November 1988 and I was fortunate in that I was able to walk away from a habit that was 480/500 a week, each death stick consisting of a tip + 4 inches of tobacco & every one smoked until the end dropped off.

On the day I quit I came out of a pub, lit a ciggy and immediately started to cough and choke, unable to stop. This culminated in me puking up (a rather nice pub lunch which I had just enjoyed) into the footings of the pub car park :gag:, which was still under construction. I screwed up an almost full packet and chucked them into the footing, vowing never to touch another one and I never did.

I was lucky, I suppose, to never have suffered any really unbearable cravings but I think what mostly prevented me from ever starting again was the fact that I had many years previously quit the habit for seven years, only to start again at a time of great personal stress. :loopy: I always knew that if I ever succumbed and had even just the one I would be at it again just like the previous time.

The rest, as they say, is history. I am now the most anti-smoking person you could ever wish to meet, so it's perhaps true what many people say about ex-smokers.

This is exactly the reason why i cant quit! Its that little 5 min break that you need from work that just cant be replaced by anything else.

My advice is to try your best to fill it with something else. Maybe go buy yourself a coffee every few hours and sit away from your desk with it. Sorry i cant be of more help, its just that, as till man says, i like smoking! I know its bad for me and hope to quit one day, i go through phases of trying to quit but at the moment im just happy being a smoker. Well done for getting so far with the quitting though and keep up the good work, im sure you wont regret it. You can never get your health back

It's more of a habit than an addiction IMO. I was seriously contemplating giving up a few weeks ago, and when you actually test yourself you find that it isn't actually that hard not to smoke, it's just telling yourself that you're never going to smoke again is almost too much to bare. If you keep some cigarettes on you and just test yourself now and again by not smoking in a situation that you normally would you'll find that it isn't difficult to do. I think the trick is going to be not setting out to give up, but challenging myself to build up a chain of these non-smokes for as long as possible. If I can do a day, then 2 days will be my next challenge. Then a week. If I do a week then I'm sure I can go 2 weeks. If I do 2 weeks, why not do a month? Then a year? Then the rest of my life....?

Yes, it's a flippant title but a serious point.

After several attempts (some documented on this forum) I have finally managed to stop smoking. I did this by attending one of the Allen Carr "Easyway" sessions in Leeds last Saturday, as the book just didn't seem to work for me.

It's now been five days and I'm lethargic, irritable, nervous and constantly thinking about smoking. I was warned that I might feel some of these symptoms but that they would fade after 3-4 days.

Yet irrational as it sounds, I can't help feeling that all the things I used to enjoy are now (and will forever be) that little bit less enjoyable because I can't smoke. Work is dragging on and on because there are no fag breaks to break it up, there's no point going in the pub because as soon as I have a pint in one hand I'll want a fag in the other. I don't even feel like eating meals because as soon as I've finished I'll want to go outside for a smoke.

So - unless it gets better from hereon in - I have a stark choice;
An enjoyable, unhealthy and shortened life with cigarettes.
A miserable, healthy and long life without 'em.

Anyone else been in this position?



STOP!! its an awful habit, and i know everyones guna say 'its easier said than done', but it int. i used to smoke and stopped about 18months ago.
i dont even dream about have a drag of a fag at all now. it was hard at first, but gets easier

Yes , Mr. BasilRathbon , you should start again as soon as possible . We all live artificial lives and have increasingly done so for hundreds , in fact , thousands of years now and that is why many of us use artificial means to combat the alienation from simplicity .
Some drinks lots of coffee , some smoke , some drink alcohol , some gamble , some eat lots of chocolate and cream cakes , some poor souls even go running round the streets in vests and shorts in all weathers -------anything in fact to combat the strains and stresses of our over-protected society .
Charles Moore , in this week's Spectator , suggests that the obesity problem in the U.K is probably down to a reduction in smoking . If we got rid of obesity , then we'd most likely be faced with another addiction ........ad infinitum.......
Some people do give up smoking because of a fear for their health but I suspect a lot have given up because of a] the expense b] the inconvenience or c] being nagged and hectored by their wives , children or friends .
If you are in groups a , b or c , fight back now ! Don't submit ! Have a good meal , sit back with a coffee , light up a cigar , a pipe or a cigarette -------and enjoy yourself !

Don't start again, it will get easier. You will have gone through all this suffering for nothing. Put the money you would have spent in a pot and treat yourself with the cash at the end of the month, you'll be loaded.

I am really struggling. I quit two weeks ago following yet another bout of flu and a chest infection. I lapsed in the pub last night, having three. Today is pure torture. I don't want to start again, but I am being such a pain in the butt. Any tips apart from start again/have one...

Yep, if the person who quits doesn't do excercise and it's just merely because of the fascist state forcing them to then weight does balloon and they become porkers.

Tobacco is the best dietry aid ever discovered.

As many of the unfortunate people who quit smoking without partaking in excercise will find in a couple of decades time... heart disease will be the biggest killer because of being overweight very soon. Not that they'll have paid a premium for such a situation and the NHS will be crippled.

Basil,
I gave up smoking my lovely Gauloise 38 years ago.I'd developed a terrible "first thing in the morning cough" just like my Dad who later died an horrible death from emphysema.
It was 6 years before I lost that "I need a smoke after a meal"feeling.
DO NOT HAVE ANOTHER SMOKE.
Just calculate how much money I have saved at 1 pack a day for 38 years (at today's prices).
Well not saved but spent on other more worthwhle things:D :D
If I could do it so can you.
It took me several aattempts.
I swore I would give up when the price hit 5 shillings (25p)for 20 but it took my Dad's cough to give me the big push.
Good luck
Dave

Yes , Mr. BasilRathbon , you should start again as soon as possible . We all live artificial lives and have increasingly done so for hundreds , in fact , thousands of years now and that is why many of us use artificial means to combat the alienation from simplicity .
Some drinks lots of coffee , some smoke , some drink alcohol , some gamble , some eat lots of chocolate and cream cakes , some poor souls even go running round the streets in vests and shorts in all weathers -------anything in fact to combat the strains and stresses of our over-protected society .
Charles Moore , in this week's Spectator , suggests that the obesity problem in the U.K is probably down to a reduction in smoking . If we got rid of obesity , then we'd most likely be faced with another addiction ........ad infinitum.......
Some people do give up smoking because of a fear for their health but I suspect a lot have given up because of a] the expense b] the inconvenience or c] being nagged and hectored by their wives , children or friends .
If you are in groups a , b or c , fight back now ! Don't submit ! Have a good meal , sit back with a coffee , light up a cigar , a pipe or a cigarette -------and enjoy yourself !

I actually agree with this point. If i quit smoking i know that id will that void with another bad habit that i need to relax.

When I stopped about 4 weeks ago, I was breathless, had palpitations and pains in my chest. Doc said it wasn't to do with stopping smoking. Had never had this before. Seems like two of us had the same.

My dad gave up smoking 2yrs ago and hes 51 now, and had been smoking ever since he was 15, so it was really tough for him.
Hes attempted a few times before and was unsuccessful, but the last time he was really serious about it and decided enough was enough. He saw his doctor, went on the patches and whatnot, and after about 3-4 months he was off them. Now, he gets disgusted by fags and is nearly sick at the smell of them.
But even after about 1yr after giving up, he was still coughing up phlem (sp?) having morning coughing fits, and occasionally craving cigs.
They've finally cleared after over 2yrs of non-smoking. So if you want a lengthened AND happy life, then you just have to try your hardest to make giving up worthwhile.

Dont give in, dont smoke, its really bad.
But you've got to have willpower

Well 4 months on, I can't remember what all the fuss was about - sticking a fag in my mouth now seems about as rational as sticking it in any other orifice!

And if I - a 20-30 a day smoker for 15 years - can do it, so can anyone else!

Well 4 months on, I can't remember what all the fuss was about - sticking a fag in my mouth now seems about as rational as sticking it in any other orifice!

And if I - a 20-30 a day smoker for 145 years - can do it, so can anyone else!
So,,,There are no cravings? At all? None?

So,,,There are no cravings? At all? None?

Yes, but only for food! I've put on a stone in weight since, but given a choice between a big belly or lung cancer, well......what do you think?

Yes, but only for food! I've put on a stone in weight since, but given a choice between a big belly or lung cancer, well......what do you think?
Go for the belly!
Youve done brilliantly! Excellent, Im jealous as hell because I keep failing but I WILL do it! This thread is the perfect inspiration.

Well 4 months on, I can't remember what all the fuss was about - sticking a fag in my mouth now seems about as rational as sticking it in any other orifice!

And if I - a 20-30 a day smoker for 145 years - can do it, so can anyone else!
:clap: Well done!

..especially after 145 years! :hihi: