I am 55 and have smoked since I was 16. (30-40 per day) My husband was also a smoker but has now gone 5 weeks without a ciggie and is on Champix with no really ill effects except disturbed sleep.
He did so well that I too am on Champix. I stopped smoking on day 8 of the tablets and I haven't had a ciggie since. That was 12 days ago. I have weird dreams, headaches and am generally irritable.
I am finding that it is getting harder, and my god I want a fag I don't want to give in as I will only be letting myself down, but I'm near snapping point, so I thought that I would join you folk for inspiration.
Any advice?
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I'm not on Champix but as I understand it the drug helps to break the addiction but not the habit and it's probably this that's driving you nuts. You smoked for a long time and it's going to take a little while to break the habit! (me too btw!)
I think the reasons it's suddenly got harder could be because the newness of your quit is over and now those times (the habit fags) when you had a cig are harder to handle. Try to think of them as just that... a habit. I know if I'm honest I didn't really enjoyed 99% of the cigs I smoked, nor did I 'need' them, I just smoked them because I always had a fag when driving, having a coffee, after a meal etc etc etc.
But stick with it, you come a long long way, you CAN do this!
Thanks guys. I could actually cry at the moment but I haven't given in!
I'm trying to keep busy, but the thought never leaves me. I might just have to go and buy a good book to get my nose into, and forget about the usual routine for a few days.
The main problem that I have is that I didn't want to give up in the first place. I HAD to give up because of pressure from my husband and medical reasons. I'm just having a wobble, I'm sure that it will be OK.
You're doing really well to get to twelve days, congratulations! But I have to say ... doing this for your OH and for health reasons is important, but ultimately you really have to WANT to do this, for YOU, or the fight will be much harder for.
I bet if you were to write a list, you'd find a lot of very personal reasons for doing this.
Like other people on here, I advocate the 'read, read, read' approach. It helps to get your head in the right place.
As for fighting cravings, I found playing silly online games at places like miniclip.com got me through some tough ones in the early days. Also find something to replace the hand-to-mouth compulsion. Sugar free lollipops? Or someone else on here swears by chewing straws...
Keep on trucking. You can do this. And it's really, really worth it.
Thanks for all your help, and it did help. I was ready to give in, but I'm so glad that I didn't. This evening has been easier??? Don't know why, but am glad. I'll keep you updated.
...The main problem that I have is that I didn't want to give up in the first place...
Then that's what you have to work on.
A conscious application of effort against a subconscious desire to smoke is unlikely to be successful.
If we imagine a burglar trying to crack a safe with a combination lock we can all appreciate the futility of grim determination and continual attempts. Sure, he might strike lucky and mathematically, given enough attempts, he'll crack it.
However, turn up with the combination in his pocket and he's out of there with the prize.
Unfortunately far too many of us seem to get bogged down with the make of the safe, the burglars choice of mask and stripy sweater, what time of day the burglary was, what car he drove, what picture the safe was hidden behind etc etc and we forget that all we need is the goal, the combination and the opportunity.
Our combination is within all of us.
Some of us find it one day. Others find a number here and there.
Every number we find makes the prize a little easier to reach.
Incredibly the NHS give us a couple of bogus numbers that we stick in the combination every time with predictable results.
Like Helen says, educate yourself about your habit and the numbers come.
The last fag we smoked was exactly the same as the first fag we smoked, the one that had us coughing, spluttering and turning green.
Wow MrLegro, you've done it again. Another great post which puts into better words this 'key' thing that we've all been discussing in the past weeks/months (it seems to always come up at some point).
Love the comparison of getting to the point of no return in your quit (knowing for a fact you'll never smoke again) with getting the numbers for the combination
It is suprising what the mantra read read read brings you. I recently tripped over a copy of Nicotine the drug that never was and my whole perception of smoking and my quit has changed by 180 degrees.
It certainly helped me understand NRT, champix and Cold turkey (willpower).
It would appear that none of these things are required to quit smoking, only a desire to quit and an understanding of why we smoke.
You will notice no mention of the words addicted, drugs or nicotine in this post, only the power of the subconscious mind.
So in conconclusion and in a roundabout way, I agree with Mr Legro!!
I've heard a lot about that book lately... I think I might go out and buy a copy. I'm feeling good with my quit now but you can never be too well armed for those waves of complacency.
I seem to recall it's one of those books that you can download cheaply or buy for loads of money if you want it on your shelf to read safely in the bath.
Just been reading bits out of that book John, my god that changes the nicotine addiction theory.
It was Lennox Johnson in 1953 in his pestering piece to the Lancet that changed the theory. “It (the addiction) varies in degree from slight to serious. The euphemism “habit” should be discarded completely. No smoker derives positive pleasure from tobacco. The bliss of headache relieved is αnαlogous to that of a craving for tobacco appeased.”
The "we're nicotine addicts" nonsense is a surprisingly recent thing and hopefully just a minor, but very distracting, blip in getting people to stop smoking!
Wow, it's like someone literally just turned the lights on. A lot of things make sense... it makes this whole NRT fad maddening to certain extent! Still - just wow.
Having looked at some of the extracts it looks excellent - says she whilst chewing on some NRT gum!
It doesn't matter whether a 'theory' is genuine or complete rubbish as long as people buy in to it. Just look at religion, they can't all be right but they'll fight to the death to say they are!
We know the pharmacology and molecular interaction of nicotine in the brain but that doesn't and hasn't actually proven any addiction over and above the same buzz we get from gambling. nail biting etc.
With Allen Carr for example he pushed the addiction theory and then slammed NRT for continuing the addiction. His was a stop smoking book.
Chris Holmes actually says, "this is why we smoke, pathetic isn't it?" However, it's not a stop smoking book.
If you're unlucky you can find yourself stood in your kitchen, suddenly not a nicotine addict, but smoking fags and not seeing an obvious solution. It's easy to blame an addiction for continued smoking but if you suddenly realise you have an expensive and pointless habit it doesn't necessarily follow that you'll quit!
I can relate to that Austin. I have a very expensive 2 seater sports car yet run a scuba diving business where old battered estate/4x4 vehicles are much much much more practical. Will I change my car, despite the logic and proof that I can't get what I need in my car? Nope!!
I can relate to that Austin. I have a very expensive 2 seater sports car yet run a scuba diving business where old battered estate/4x4 vehicles are much much much more practical. Will I change my car, despite the logic and proof that I can't get what I need in my car? Nope!!
Dale you sound more like my husband's ideal woman by the day !! He would love me to go diving and get the bug - I also sold my Audi TT when I had a crisis at 40 and bought a Punto - wtf xx
Dale you sound more like my husband's ideal woman by the day !! He would love me to go diving and get the bug - I also sold my Audi TT when I had a crisis at 40 and bought a Punto - wtf xx
I thought mid-life crises went the other way - you sell the Punto to buy a TT!!!
I had my ears pierced for the 3rd time when i turned 40! Don't actually wear the ear-rings in them anymore, but hey look at me I'm sooooo cool with all these holes in my lugs!
I may sound like your OH's ideal woman but bet I'm far older, fatter and generally more annoying and less lovely than you!! It's not a glamorous sport - bad hair permanently, make-up that runs (NO mascara is water-proof) and no fingernails cos they break in the water - *sigh*. A picture of loveliness!
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I don't want to give in as I will only be letting myself down, but I'm near snapping point, so I thought that I would join you folk for inspiration.
I could actually cry at the moment but I haven't given in!
and my whole perception of smoking and my quit has changed by 180 degrees.
Day 12 - feeling good!
Day 20 Really Struggling :-(
