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12 years ago•19 Replies

hiya, its me again needing more advice, sadly i am still smoking a year after ive been told i ave c.o.p.d, i wish so much i didnt as this causes lots of problems, i have no will power at all, i have tried 24 hour patches,sprays tablets, & at a loss now what to try, can anyone please help with any advice, as desperate to stop, i have been coming on here for 3,days now & alot of advice on things are here which has helped me alot, at moment i am in bed with infection in my chest & on anti-biotics, my back problem is very bad & balance, i am safer in bed till my hubby is home from work, if anyopne has a wee bit advice on my smoking problem, id be grateful for advice. thankyou. b.

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betsyanne

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19 Replies

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elian12 years ago

Hello again betsyanne

I'm guilty of this 'crime' too, I'm afraid, although my consumption of cigarettes is now down to about 6/7 per day. I've found the e-cigarette to be a big help in cutting down from 40 a day! Have you tried them ? If not, then I can recommend them.

If you Goggle "e-cigarette", you will find that there are lots of sites where you can obtain them, but I also think they sell them @ Tesco and Morrisons. Tesco sell a single blister pack e-cig which costs around £6. The two most popular brands, I think, are Skycig (where I buy mine online) and E-Lites.

Hope this goes someway to helping you give up the habit.

12 years ago

Its not easy to give up - i smoked for 39 years, i was constantly trying to quit, i tried everything with the exception of hypnosis, worse thing was i did not want to smoke and was, plain and simply, addicted.

Had to go to the local no smoking cessation clinic to help me stop and did it - have had a few slip ups ( went to a wedding a few weeks ago and smoked a cigarette) but it worked.

you will give up and, believe me, you will feel better for it, but you wont stop until the time is right for you.

try and avoid those who put pressure on you or those who judge you, but get support and you will do it. ( you will get a lot of support on here)

valm12 years ago

Keep trying took me a good few tries to stop over several years! Did it in the end about 7/8 years ago now. I still put £30 away in a jar each week the money I have saved on cigs, then go out and spend it on treats - meal - clothes what ever Val

jayb12 years ago

Iwas diagnosed with Copd almost 2 years ago,and am sadly still smokin after a couple of non successful attempts...it isnt easy to give up the cigs,if youve been smoking along time. One of the answers on here is not helpful,the rest however are good. Im goin to try the ecig as patches etc didnt help me....good luck xx

• in reply tojayb12 years ago

Let us know how the ecig goes.

12 years ago

I also tried everything, including hypnosis, then tried it all again before I eventually made it (on patches). It will happen when your time is right. Keep trying, and ignore comments like those offered by some which only serve to dishearten someone trying to do something very difficult. Good luck. Auntymary

12 years ago

it really is a question of mind over matter, which means, a person has to get something happen in the mind,then it's possible to kick the habit, I never thought I could or would, I saw myself smoking until I died, until I Became ill, and afraid

I somehow finally grasped it, but I'm me, not someone else

So, imagine you are hanging over a high jagged cliff, on a rope that is severed for the half or more, but, instead of helping yourself, you panic and keep on knocking against the sharp rocks, and even though you know to do so will mean the rope will break, you keep on neurotically kicking with your legs so you hit back and forth.

Well, to me that's what it's like if you have lung disease and keep smoking, each cigarette is you kicking about, with the sharp rocks cutting into the the rope, or your lungs, until the rope breaks, your lungs, and you fall to your death.

If one is going to keep on smoking then it's just prolonging the agony, it will take time by smoking to do the same as an overdose of heroin will do to you;

kill you!

One way is drawn out the other is instant

but both are the effects of addiction

• in reply to12 years ago

Good analogy, John.

12 years ago

Morning, yes we're all different, and all had our own reasons for smoking. It's taken me a long time but that was my choice. I set myself realistic targets, not over weeks but months. I went from 40 + a day now nothing, in two years. Along the way I tried everything, patches : sprays : the local soothsayer etc. My will power was week so I took my time. Dont put pressure on yourself that could make it worst. Keep going and GOOD LUCK

Bright12 years ago

Betsyanne,

Think like a non-smoker, Act like a non-smoker. Love your life and the extra years you'll get from being a non-smoker. I am sending positive thoughts to you. Good Luck.

swallow12 years ago

I've recently been told I have COPD after a hospital admission for a severe chest infection, never happened to me before, it was so scary. I've smoked for 40yrs and now trying to give up with patches, I think I'm doing ok, after smoking 30 a day I'm now down to 5 a day, because I now want to give up I know I will, so don't beat yourself up just take it a day at a time and eventually you'll do it, good luck.

Eviex12 years ago

Have you tried Champix? Tablets prescribed to stop smoking.. ask the smoking nurse..

sassy5912 years ago

Not everyone is as strong as you, clearly! Some people need lots and lots of help and support to quit addictions but that does not make them weak. It is a habit and habits can be broken but people have to re-train their minds to do without the nicotine. If I may say so, very politely, you seem a little uptight yourself.

Covenham12 years ago

Hi betsyanne

I smoked 15-20 cigarettes a day for 30 years (off and on). Like most smokers, it's hard to quit. I tried everything: patches, gum, hypnotherapy, acunpuncture but it was The Allan Carr 'Quit Smoking' method that finally worked for me, and my husband. We went along together and haven't had another ciggie since - that was 6+ years ago. There are several options available: the book, the CD, the video or a full day at your nearest clinic. We all know smoking is an addiction and apparently, is more addictive than even heroin! The body's need for a nictotine-fix diminishes faster than the mind's need to keep us 'hooked'. We manage to convince ourselves that cigarettes will get us through the day and without them we won't be able to cope. I promise you this isn't true betsyanne- it's just a clever game that our minds play otherwise, how would anyone ever give up smoking once they've started? For me, the key is to truly want to quit smoking then you're halfway there already. Good Luck and keep positive betsyanne P.S: Not sure what 'bj69' is on today but his response was unworthy of this Forum and certainly of little encouragement to you or anyone else.

Covenham12 years ago

Of course one is a slave to nicotine if you smoke, I think that's the whole point here bj69 and why it's so hard for many people to quit. Actually, smokers generally have very strong minds. They know all about the downsides: the health warnings, the escalating costs, the anti socialness of it all and yet many of them carry on smoking againgst all the odds. You choose to call that a 'weak mind', Allan Carr calls it a very strong mind and that is what needs re-focusing. Oh, and I'm interested to know why you've hyphenated the word nicotine? Does nic-otine mean something different here?

betsyanne12 years ago

thankyou for all comments, i have tried so much i just see myself failing all the time, but i have came from 20/30 fags a day down to 10, i did stop 2yrs ago for 2mths it was amazing, but i have depression & when i have bad days i seem to smoke more, i do try so hard as i know i will get worse, i have recently moved to kent the medway area & nxt wk i see my resp nursefor the 1st time i will ask for the champax i think they may help? i need to stop knocking my self. i am so grateful for all your advice, i dnt know what i would do if i coudnt pop on here daily. all take care, chat soon. x

knitty12 years ago

I can totally agree with everything that "Covenham" has said!

I read one of Allen Carr’s books many years ago, I understood the theory in the book but at the time I wasn’t ready to give up.

Just over 3 years ago I decided I was ready, my lung function from being diagnosed had dropped in 2 years from nearly 50% down to 30%, I decided enough was enough.

Through the smoking cessation clinic I tried all the patches, gum, lozengers etc but nothing was working. I had even tried a “Hypnosis” video!

I decided to try Allen Carr again & spotted “Allen Carr's Easy Way for Women to Stop Smoking” on eBay & ordered it straightaway.

I can honestly say it was the best money I ever spent & I couldn’t wait to finish reading the book!

I thought I would never be able to drive anywhere, spent time “surfing the net”, watch TV, or have a quiet “Cuppa” without smoking!

I was so wrong!

I woke up the next day & was a Non-Smoker!

I honestly lost my smokers cough over night & didn’t even consider lighting up.

My husband still smokes, 3 years on & I still don’t get tempted!

My lung function in the last 3 years since stopping has only dropped by 3%, so I think that’s all the proof anyone needs to see how much damage does!

If you want any advice PM me!

Puffthemagicdragon12 years ago

I had pains in my chest which turned out to be angina, so they put a stent in. It was also found that I'd had a minor heart attack a few days before that which I didn't know about. As I'm not overweight and don't drink I put it down to smoking rollups. It put the fear of God up me so much I just quit smoking there and then !. No cutting down. No patches or anything. Three months down the line I was diagnosed with COPD so it seems I made a good choice.

So if you want to give up smoking think about your heart as well a your lungs as they are

both reliant on each other. Don't make excuses NOT to give up, make excuse to give it up. Each cigarette is shortening your life.

Jemma12 years ago

Hi Betsy

This month I celebrate 10 years of not smoking after getting through 40+ a day. After one year my breathing had improved hugely and my bank balance was good too. I used the gum and then the Nicorette Inhalators but it's a matter of personal preference.

Try the NHS Quit Smoking Clinics - my husband joined one a year ago and has now been quit for a year this month - he was given patches and an oral spray.

Do try and join a busy, helpful on line Quit Smoking Forum where you should get the support you need.... I found this to be the real key to helping me.

Did you know that the "craves" only last a short while so write a list of things to do to keep you occupied when the craves hit. Write a message on a quit smoking forum (you'llalso get to know new friends), take a shower, phone someone cheerful,sort out that drawer you've been meaning to for ages, go for a short walk if you can in fact just do anything that temporarily takes your mind away from smoking.

I found the first three weeks was the worst and three months was really bad but after that things DID get better. After that it's time to be vigilant as there is no such thing as JUST ONE CIGARETTE or PUFF they come in packs of 20!!! In my case I bought 200 at a time - what a HUGE waste of money not to mention the damage to your health.

Save the ciggy cash and treat yourself to something nice. I booked a great holiday and then there is the fact that your house won't smell of the dreaded cigs - you won't want to smoke after you curtains have been laundered and smell soooo nice.

Wishing you all the very best - YOU CAN DO THIS - honestly.

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