Not so much a tip as a deterent

[nsd_user663_3712]

I am from the school of the single quit (fingers crossed).

I am aware however that people on here have had multiple attempts to quit.

If you have maintained a smoke free life in the past, what exactly made you reach for that first, second third etc cigarette?

I would find it really interesting to be aware of what has tripped other people up in tha past so we can all learn & be aware of the dangers...

Thanks

[nsd_user663_3465]

Hey F2Q and BibleBlack,

I quit for just under 6 weeks in July of last year. It went really well, but I went to a friends 21st party. I was doing really well. I thought, very stupidly that I could have 'just one'. U kno what I did, I went to the shop and bought a pack of 10 and thought that I could resist them, little did I kno that there were a lot of other people smoking and since I had a pack in my pocket, I thought I'll have one - easy. Aye right!!! I stopped for 2 weeks again at the end of October and started again coz of a stressful shift - but that aint gonna happen this time!! I am well educated, and I now know that if I smoke a fag, I will prob be back to my old habit and I can't afford it now that baby Lincoln is here!!

So here it goes. Day 5 2moro

[nsd_user663_3827]

I gave up from february 2005 to october 2005 found it quite easy, but got an overactive thyroid but thought i was going either mad or was going through premature menopause, got nervous tremours , and stupidly thought that it was not smoking anymore that made me ill, as i had never been ill in my life.....the old stories you here that someone stops smoking then they have a heart attack or a stroke etc...because their body went into shock from not having nicotine and thats what i thought lol....and I am an ex medic so you would think i would have known better. so I started smoking again...maybe in protest I dont know

[nsd_user663_3738]

did not understand the ins and outs of smoking..i was never in control of my smoking...i think thats why lots of people cave in .this time i have all the info..read all i could..am just 55 days quit.fell ok.. keep the faith tony

[NicFirth 10 Years Smoke Free]

I am from the school of the single quit (fingers crossed).

I am aware however that people on here have had multiple attempts to quit.

If you have maintained a smoke free life in the past, what exactly made you reach for that first, second third etc cigarette?

- Complacency

- Thinking 1 won't hurt

- Feeling that by not smoking I am depriving myself from a great pleasure

- Thinking that by not smoking for a while you are no longer an addict!

That's 4 off the top of my head, may well be more to add as I think of them.

- oh, this one is stupid, feeling so proud of myself that I should reward myself with a smoke,

[nsd_user663_3633]

Basically the reason was "I thought I was over it".

I have had lots of failed attempts but only one worth speaking of - 9 months, just over.

By that time I honestly believed it was beaten, I was no longer addicted. So I had one, because I thought I would enjoy it and then not want another one.

Honestly, I really did enjoy it. But I didn't enjoy being a 20 a day smoker again 2 days later. Or smoking for the next 10 years or so until this quit.

BE WARNED: Once an addict, always an addict. The only way to stay off the smokes is never to feed your addiction. Never another puff.

I understand my addiction now, and as I keep saying.... understanding is the key to quitting. Understand it, and you have beaten it.

[nsd_user663_3728]

hi forced2quit

i think most of us have a different reason for failing, just as we have a different reason to quit in the first place place,or maybe just lack of willpower, i failed many times but this time with the help of champix and the people on this site for support it is working for me or maybe it was just the right time to quit.i really don,t know

love margaret

BUT REMEMBER THAT JUST LIKE A ALCOHOLIC A NICOTINE ADDICT CAN NEVER HAVE JUST THE ONE

[nsd_user663_3838]

I'm on day 3 of my 2nd quit. Last time I had quit for 4 months! Honestly, you can never ever let your guard down to nicotine! Stupidly I thought I was completely 'cured' of my addiction, I didn't think of smoking much at all, but I had put over 1 stone on in the time I had given up, which I didn't like but maybe I had more of an issue with this than I thought. I was in a bar with a glass of wine (ok prob my 3rd of the night!) A friend (who didn't know my situation) offered me a cigarette and I thought hey why not, I know I'll definitely not smoke tomorrow.....Well one led to another, and I ended up with a packet of cigarettes in my handbag, I had smoked a few that night and was disappointed and felt like a failure, but secretly I was pleased as I knew I could smoke again, I was going on holiday for 2 weeks the next day and took the cigarettes with me, convincing myself that I'll quit again when I get home, I thought it'd be easier to quit because I'd done it before......that was 2 years ago.

So this attempt, I'm armed with much more info than I was last time, and I have dreaded the thought of quitting this time even more because I know I can't replace cigarettes with junk food, I have to be careful with the wine and also take up more excercise, so to me it isn't just giving up the cigarettes it's a whole lifestyle change, which is why I think it's taken me 2 years to make the decision to quit again. But hopefully I'm ready...

Last time I mastered not smoking in the daytime quicker than I thought, night time was harder, mind you that was back in the day of smoking in public places! I was CT by the way, but I ate a hell of a lot, mostly rewarding myself for not smoking! My greatest milestone was 1 month as I could go long periods of time, like a whole day and not think about it, and I genuinely thought of myself as a non smoker, my best advice from my experience is never let your guard down to nicotine addiction, it will try to catch you out in a moment of weakness, bear in mind that at 4 months these are far and few between, but they're still there, understand your nicotine triggers and start to re-train your brain away from these triggers, i.e. tea instead of coffee, not forever but only to help you kickstart your quit, use this discussion board, as writing this post just now has helped me get through what would have been probably cigarettes number 2 and 3 of the day! This board is full of sound, helpful advice, if you get a crave just log on a read stuff, it helps me