Quitting smoking

[Transcend]

Seeing a lot of my friends taking up smoking since we've started university  :(

I have to admit I often pick up a cig if they're around and I've been drinking, but I'm trying to stop because it always seems to be the way full blown addiction starts; "Just a couple with friends" and before you know it...


Good luck to all trying to stop at present.

This is how i started the odd one here and there on a night out whilst drinking.

Stop whilst its still easy you will save yourself a lot of headaches & cash.

Im currently on day two of not smoking and i feel better today a bit edgy still but im not constantly thinking of going to the shop anymore

[Philly Q]

Seeing a lot of my friends taking up smoking since we've started university  :(

I have to admit I often pick up a cig if they're around and I've been drinking, but I'm trying to stop because it always seems to be the way full blown addiction starts; "Just a couple with friends" and before you know it...

As a non-smoker I've always found that very hard to understand!  For long-term, heavy smokers I can appreciate that it must be very difficult to give up because it's both a habit and a physical addiction.

But I can't imagine why anyone would take it up at an age when they already know how damaging it'll be to their health.

And I find the "I only smoke in outside the pub" syndrome completely incomprehensible!  If you're not addicted, why do it voluntarily?  I can't see anything attractive about the physical act of breathing smoke into your lungs.  :?

Sorry guys, I don't mean to sound sanctimonious.  :oops:   Just genuinely puzzled.

[JacksonRR]

Dunno. But it feels real really good to let a big, smooth drag just roll down your throat and into your lungs first thing in the morning.

I came across a few articles this morning about Vitamin C. The basics are that it acidifies the urine and nicotine leaves the system faster. I'm treating the chewable type like hard candy right now as I type. A bit of a "two birds with one stone" situation, since hard candy is often used during cravings. I've been having headaches today, but my cravings are miniscule compared to what I was expecting at this stage. I'm really happy at how this is going, but it is early. Picked up a minikeg of New Castle after work. I'm two pints in. Let the real test begin, haha.  :lol:

And Tony, don't you dare smoke during your birthday celebration.







 PDT_003

[shobet]

Have you tried copious amounts or alcohol or even some class a drugs as a surrogate. I only ever drink water or ingest chips so I'm off my face most of the time so it's probably best to ignore my witterings.

[JacksonRR]

Copious amounts of alcohol does not help. I repeat, does not help. Totally take back the tiny cravings statement I made earlier. I think I better stop after the next glass.

[_tom_]

Good luck guys, hope you all succeed! I'm only one of the social smoker types who will have a few on a night out and a few spliffs in the week if my mates are about, and I have really felt the cravings in the past few weeks thanks to being away from home and all of that stuff - didn't realise I had got slightly addicted. Moving out here to Canada has made it quite easy not to smoke much because it's too expensive, about $25 for a pack of Drum, and Drum tastes rank as well :lol:

[Transcend]

Drum does taste Rank!

See if you can find any "the turner" thats alright and is generally cheap everywhere so ive heard

[_tom_]

I'm just going without instead :P

[hunter]

I quit using Zyban pills. Worked for me. Unfortunately in 2 years after quitting I gained 25 kilos, which took me another 3 years to get rid of again doing hot yoga. Better do it now than tomorrow, smoking smells bad and it kills in a bad way.

[plastercaster]

As a non-smoker I've always found that very hard to understand!  For long-term, heavy smokers I can appreciate that it must be very difficult to give up because it's both a habit and a physical addiction.

But I can't imagine why anyone would take it up at an age when they already know how damaging it'll be to their health.

And I find the "I only smoke in outside the pub" syndrome completely incomprehensible!  If you're not addicted, why do it voluntarily?  I can't see anything attractive about the physical act of breathing smoke into your lungs.  :?

Sorry guys, I don't mean to sound sanctimonious.  :oops:   Just genuinely puzzled.

The trouble is, I'm not only at an age where I know the dangers, I'm at an age where mortality feels very distant indeed!
And I think the difference between knowing and feeling the dangers of smoking are huge. Fags kill half of all smokers, but if you were to ask the community I'd be surprised if more than 10% said they actually thought they would die from it- death by "won't happen to me" syndrome.

Add to that the effect of alcohol on decision making and the surprisingly powerful effect of being the only one in a group without a fag, and it's quite easy to wake up in the morning with a foul taste in the mouth, thinking "why did I do that?"

(Last paragraph for the benefit of afghan dave  :lol:)

[Philly Q]

The trouble is, I'm not only at an age where I know the dangers, I'm at an age where mortality feels very distant indeed!

Yeah, I know young people have that indestructible/immortal feeling.

Personally I never really went through that stage.  Natural pessimist.  :lol:

[Transcend]

My view was always i could trip up and break my neck or get hit by a car at any moment so why not do what i want?

[Johnny Mac]

I gave up 3.5 years ago. I love being a non smoker. I feel so much healthier. When you give up you realise how stupid it is to inhale smoke of burning leaves with thousands of harmful chemicals in them. Roll ups don't have the aprox 500 added chemicals in them that Taylor mades do. I hate the smell of smoke now. It makes me feel ill.
I used lozenges to help with the withdrawals for a few months.
When your a non smoker and your standing near someone who has just had a fag, you really notice just how much they stink!
Good luck

[Philly Q]

When your a non smoker and your standing near someone who has just had a fag, you really notice just how much they stink!

One of my colleagues in work is back on the fags again after a couple of years off.  She says she's going out "for a walk" then sprays herself with Febreze when she gets back. :lol:

She seems to think none of us realise she's smoking again, despite people commenting on the "fresh laundry" smell that suddenly appears! 

[fbloke]

I'm a hypnotherapist so may be able to help here.  If you're not going to go the hypnosis route make sure you write down every trigger for smoking and start to build belief that you can enjoy all of these things without dangerous, stinky fags. It'll still take willpower but it's important to change the associations that your mind has with smoking to avoid replacement behaviours that are almost always orally-based - eating and drinking tend to be favourite.

I offer you two thoughts:

1. Almost everyone had to teach themselves to enjoy smoking as at first try it's usually really unpleasant - tastes bad, makes you cough etc.  Therefore there's a part of you way back on your timeline that doesn't like smoking.

2. Most people who quit just go cold turkey and don't go back in the long term.  It's not as big a deal as your body is telling you.  If you truly want to do it, just do it and put up with the short-term discomfort.  Remember - very many GI's who came back from Vietnam came back addicted to heroin and morphine.  The US military monitored them and found to their surprise that 95% had quit within 10 months with no relapse.  How did they do it?  Big change of circumstances, renewed optimism about the future.  You can model this. Just stay focused on what you'd rather have.

If all else fails, wank compulsively.

Hope this helps.

Mike.