How many excuses?! help me...

[nsd_user663_28505]

I cannot understand how to stop for good....I have tried to stop using every possible method over the last 10 years and stop a few times a year for between a few days and a month.

I am now looking to start a family so am pretty desperate to stop; this time around I am using patches and inhalator, which I generally find works the best for me however my husband is away during the week (he is also stopping and hasn't smoked for 4 days)...so there I am, home alone, with the inhalator upstairs in my bedroom and slowly but surely I am certain I will have a cigarette or two tonight and I am thinking "it's okay, tomorrow I will use more cartridges for my inhalator" and that I will start again tomorrow....

Now, my problem is that I am always making excuses and dont know how to stop justifying myself, even though I detest smoking. And I wonder if I should be using my inhalator more....I hear it is suggested that I use I minimum of 6....I find that the patches really help with keeping the stress levels down but I still struggle.

Sorry for the ramble, I have been trying for years and I am getting desperate. Does anyone have any advice for me please?

[nsd_user663_7469]

Hi, your name says it all I Want To Stop but your comments tell another story, it sounds like there is a massive conflict of interests going on in your head, what do you think you will be missing when you quit, it want be the Cancer or the heart attack or the emphysema or the COPD will it as you can still have them if you continue to smoke, let me think, is it the being able to run without gasping for breath or the not feeling so tired when you have the new baby in fact quitting smoking will help you to carry a nice healthy baby and will help you to live long enough to see your Grandchildren grow up.

I am not saying that giving up smoking will let you win the lottery or even that you want grow old but at least it will probably guarantee that you will grow old.

This forum and its members will be here for you so please don’t light up that other cig decide that today is going to be the first smokefree day of the rest of your life.

Get typing you will be amazed how fast you will become at typing after a year on this forum and while you are typing you won’t want a cig.

So no excuses will be excepted you are now an official none smoker, welcome.

[nsd_user663_4625]

Hi Iwanttostop,

I hear where you are coming from. So many times I have fought with the thought of I have stopped, on patches and lozenges but thinking I just need one or two before I stop completley. Knowing from experince that it is just stalling a quit. I know if I ride through that thought I will feel so pleased with myself and know I can do it. Stick your patch on, have your inhalator close by. When you think I will just have one or two fags then use it DON'T smoke. Use the inhalator to get you over that phase, it's what it is meant for. I promise you that you will feel so pleased with yourself. That alone will give you so much motivation. I find the lozenges work best for me in that situation, try them all and stick with what is best for you. You can do this, you can get over it.

Wishing you all the best,

Gaynor x

[nsd_user663_27261]

Hi

Have you been to any cessation clinics or found out what help groups exist in your local area ?

I have to say I haven't but my wife gave up on Champix and regular sessions organised by our doctors surgery - I'd love to say it worked (well I think it did) but she started again a few weeks ago having been over 2 years smoke free.

It sounds like you're on your own a fair bit and this may contribute to you caving in - if I had any length of time on my own I may feel bored or lonely (once over the initial ecstasy of peace and quiet !) and this may push me towards smoking. I've been OK this quit but the weak moments often come when I'm relaxing/on my own.

Maybe finding an activity will help ?

Good luck whatever you try

[nsd_user663_28505]

Today is Day 1, unfortunately last night I managed to make an excuse before I got a response on my post and had a cigarette...but then I came back to read these and I feel really inspired.

This is the first time I have joined a forum of any kind and because I spend most of the day on my own and I find it fairly easy to talk myself into smoking, but today I feel stronger and I feel that being here is going to be a real benefit for me.

Today I have:

Patches

Inhalator (next to me!)

Strong valid reasons

This forum

And I feel stronger then I have in a long time; if my cravings get too strong and I feel like smoking I am going to remind myself why I don't want to, have a "puff" on my inhalator, and come on the forum....which is my new support group.

Thanks for all you advice everyone, I appreciate it so much!

(I think it's time to change my username)

[nsd_user663_28505]

Rubbish! Didn't realize I couldn't change my username.....oh well

[nsd_user663_7469]

Why change your name its a good reminder as to what the forum stands for, well done on getting to day and being a none smoker, no one will tell you its easy but every one who has managed to finally quit and stay quit will tell you that its worth all the effort and the roller coaster you will find yourself on.

Take a deep breath and keep saying I CAN DO THIS and you will, a lot of us on here will say the same thing, if I can do it any one can and I think to an extent that might be true as there are a lot on here that have smoked for 30 + years so its more than possible.

Stick with it, it gets easier.