Hello from a Lurker Turning Newbie!

[nsd_user663_5079]

Hi All - been reading this forum avidly for weeks now. Hope it's okay to post now - just wanted to introduce myself I guess - starting the Champix on Friday :eek:! So not really even getting to day one for a while but wasn't sure which other forum to use.

Briefly I joined a smoking cessation group at about 90% committed (to support daughter - long story!) - decided on inhalator as it had worked before (only for 4 months but still!). 13th July my official stop smoking date - 6 days went out and had 10, another 5 days using Paul McKenna/Allen Carr/all library complement of stop smoking stuff plus inhalator - still went and bought some - many of you will know the rest!! Funny thing is I so can't face 'normal' fags - just the menthol ones, and yes I do know they're just as bad at least - reckon my brain just found away around my decision to stop! I have now turned into a mainly SS operative due to kids - which makes me enjoy work more!!! Still - I am 100% certain now that I do NOT wish to keep smoking - my cessation worker had a chat and prescribed champix, my dr was slow so just got them - my group has finished and I've lost that excited feeling - I'm a lonely quitter now and nervous of doing it 'for good' and worried about the champix too.

Well that's enough of me - this forum looks a great place and I hope I can officially post in Day 1 and beyond very, very shortly.

Cheers - Freestyling it as always - Rach

[nsd_user663_3728]

Hi Rach

Well done on the decision to quit smoking

Doesn't matter that you haven't stopped yet I also used champix to help me and didn't have any problems at all just a little nausea with the morning one solved by taking it a bit later instead of first thing and some light headedness but this seems to be fairly common whatever we use

Read the leaflet with the champix for side effects but bear in mind that most of us users only get a couple of them just be aware OK

You don't need or have to be a lonely quitter Promise you'll have all of us to help and support you OK

Below is my standard welcome and advice post which I try and send all new members

Welcome to the forum and well done on the decision to quit possibly one of the most important you will ever make and you will be losing nothing but you will regain control of your life and that has to be good

You will find all the help and support you need on here as we all help each other just like a family we are here for you every step of the way cheering the good days and sympathiseing with the bad but the good far outweigh the bad

Read the posts on here you will find a lot of tips and advice and in the signatures of a lot you will find links to other sites just click on them Here are 2 I find very good to start you off whyquit.com and woofmang.com Read, read and then read some more as the more you read and learn about why you smoked and about your addiction the easier your quit will be

Post often to let us know how you're doing, to rant, rave have a moan whatever you like pretty much anything goes on here OK

Love

Marg xxxxxxx

[nsd_user663_4990]

Rach,

Yep you need to reach that absolute positive moment where you can say 'that is my last cig', even if its menthol (I was doing in 20 berkeley menth's a day prior to quitting 'for good').

If champix helps you to achieve the goal of reaching the point where you can truly say .. that is the last one and i will not be touching another again. Then good for you!!!

I can't stress enough the power of your mind with regards your quitting, i still think it is the most powerful tool you have available outside of going to the extreme of perhaps visiting a hospital and seeing what smoking can do to folk.

You hear the expression 'psyching yourself up', and some folk mistake that for ... finding a suitable stress free time to quit etc, but you must be absolutely positive that you want to quit smoking, and know that you are not making any sacrifices by stopping, only gains.

Even though you can't always see the longer term benefits of stopping in the early days, i can't recommend enough speaking to someone who's quit for a long period of time already and can describe how stopping has really helped them, especially if they had tried on previous occasions also and then everything just clicked.

I'm only on my 5th week in, and this .. is my 4th attempt at quitting this addiction we've found ourselves with, but i can definitely say that the way i see my quit this time differs vastly to every other attempt i've ever made. I've used the negative moments to strengthen my quit rather than let it weaken it, because i've chosen to visualise every one of those moments as my addiction trying its dirty tricks campaign to lure me into feeding it.. which i absolutely no matter what.. will not do. That would be too easy, and you don't come so far only to throw it away.

That said, i look at folk posting on the other forums further down the list, posting in the 3rd month, 4th month, or they say 500 days!! 600 days!! or.. the best one i like.. the 1 year+.. and i'm so proud of those people, they are where i want to be, and i'll do my very best to get there, it just takes time, and commitment to my quit.

Same for all of us.

Bottom line is.. you have to want to quit. Create a strong enough desire and the mind will surely follow. The rest is about training your mind so that you don't focus on cravings and it lessens the effect of them.. the mind is a powerful thing.. it is your closest ally and thats why your addiction targets your mind first.. if it takes away your ally it has you next.. so thats why we keep our focus on our goals strong and are stubborn with our quit to the very end.

'for good' can also mean 'for the greater good'. You just gotta see it more positively, and not in fear of it.

Sorry for the long post :), i'm a computer engineer as my day job, but i am a practicing quitter just like many here, and i wish you the best of luck as I do anyone taking this amazing step to reclaim what is rightfully theirs in the first place. Freedom.

Jase.

[nsd_user663_5079]

Hi - thank you for the replies - like long replies anyhow Jase - fraid I'm a touch typist whose brain engages during typing rather than before so often ends up gurgling up a stream of unconsciousness for the poor reader to wade through!!!

I totally agree about psyching up - this is why I succeeded for a short while on attempt 1 (totally 100% determined and sick of it) but then failed as I had failed to fully take on board a) addiction and b) how to work it. It did make me lethargic and 4 small kids and a holiday to get to got me back on 'just one' to get moving! That issue - 8 years ago - has been the one that put me off retrying and still concerns me - cos I can't live my life playing mindless pc games or eating ice cream with a mindless book - it happens that when I do either of these the fags don't worry me!!! In some ways at the moment I've lost that huge urge to quit I had both then and a few weeks ago - in other ways though I have an increased hatred of being tied to my 'habit'. I've read loads and worked through the parts that 'struck a chord', I also plan to prepare - re-reading, psyching up - I've been half avoiding re-quitting if I'm honest (eg not too worried about slowness of GP!) but I recognise my weakness here and plan to get on track this weekend.

You know what though half of me just doesn't know why I bother smoking - especially secret style and even more so menthol - though just couldn't face a 'real' fag - seeing them makes me feel yeuch - god knows what my brain will serve me up next!!! I'm hoping Champix will just take the edge off some of my thinking re having one - I have far too many positive associations with this dreaded weed - but also far too much I am currently wanting to do now and in the future that does not contain fags and fag breaks etc!!

I'm rambling now - but thank you again for the replies - I will be returning lots as smoking - as many of you know - is going to be a BIG obsession for a while!!

Cheers all - and absolutely great to read positive posts that inspire :))

Rach

[nsd_user663_4901]

Hi Rach!

Well done on your decision - you won't regret it! I was worried about Champix too but it is fine in the end. If that has taught me anything it is that we are all very different!

Don't think "for ever" - think "today" or even better "now" - now is all that matters. Just take it one step at a time, and feel free to share everything here!

Good luck!