Halfway through day 4, climbing the walls

[nsd_user663_37707]

Hello everyone, been lurking for the last two days now here I am.

I've smoked for most of my life and never felt it was doing me much harm. I was one of the most hooked smokers I know...

Recently I got a spontaneous nosebleed, which I never had before and it lasted for two days. Went to the doc, guess what? High blood pressure. I get excercise and am not over weight, duh? What could be causing that...

So the upshot is here I am in 'kin anguish and despair, I feel like Renton in Trainspotting must have felt and I just want it all to go away.

I once quit for 8 months and never felt that the craving really stopped the whole time, I'm not sure if I can face up to that again. God knows how some of you guys can cold turkey, I'm on 21mg 16 hour patches and around 8 2mg gums a day and that's barely enough to stop me punching walls...

Help!!!

[nsd_user663_33545]

woodpile

good to see you on here. You will find a lot of support and lots of good threads to read.

I know the feeling your going through. I had it in the past, patches, chewing-gum and still feeling bad.

I think this forum helped me a lot. It made the journey to become a non-smoker easier.

You defenatly show willpower and I know you can do it .

Keep posting and I am sure you will get a lot of advice from all the others on here.

[nsd_user663_37707]

cheers

Thanks dorset.

Think I might've just had a pivotal moment. I've known since saturday night that around quarter ounce of drum, papers and lighter were in a rubbish bag in our wheelie bin. Been thinking about it since I woke up... Went out, located it, felt crap and went and washed my hands. Then I went and emptied the ashtray in my van (Which I've not used since sat) Washed again then found the six books I wanted but tried in vain to find in the loft, Yay, a small victory!

[nsd_user663_37707]

The bin men have been.

Yep, the bin men have been and taken away the rubbish, including the tobacco in exactly the same place it had been since saturday last. Intact and untouched, all I did was look at it and the guilt was huge. Really suffering but starting to believe I might actually get through this.

I feel like death and the morning and after dinner cravings hit me like a freight train but I've not given in so **** you Nick 'o teen!

[nsd_user663_18145]

welcome to the forum and well done on stopping :)the fact you was tempted and actually went through the bins to find your baccy but didnt go through with it shows you have determination

its going to be hard but remember your reasons and try and take each craving as it comes along and keep mind and hands busy when they do they will ease up and become less obsessive keeping positive and coming on here everytime you feel the urge will help big time there is always someone around to offer support

be strong you can do this

regards

Carol

[nsd_user663_20978]

well done woodpile

u have overcome loads already [wheelie bin etc]

in your first post you said you were one of the most hooked smoker u know i felt like that to i felt a very dependant smoker depended on it for everything

but here i am ten and half months later and i am a different more confident person even going back to college [mature student lol] and looking ten years younger so people tell me [ am 41 and apparently look 30 ish love it]

there is light at the end of the tunnel it can be tough but if i can do it u sure can

[nsd_user663_34721]

Woodpile

Well done on taking the first step.

Like you, I have smoked more than half my life when I quit, I was smoking 40 to 60 a day.

A nasty habit that I began at school and went on to perfect in the army, I had all the bases covered:

I am to stressed, I need my smokes

I have been through to much in southwest, I need my smokes etc etc etc

I always looked for excuses to smoke, TRY looking for excuses NOT to smoke.

It IS the best thing you will ever do!!!

[nsd_user663_37707]

Thanks

Thanks to you all for the encouragement. Starting to feel like I can really do this, apart from fairly brief dark moments. BTW my patches are 15mg not 21

[nsd_user663_37114]

The first week is the worst and it definitely gets easier as it goes on Buy Allen Cars book off ebay and read it, it might help, might not but i think it was worth a wee look!

Good luck xx

[nsd_user663_24115]

All i can say is there are lies ,damn lies and statistics. where do they get them from anyway... im using patches and wont be swayed into giving them up till im ready too.

mash.:cool:

[nsd_user663_20978]

The most important thing Allen Carr mentions is (paraphrasing) 'to give up nicotine you need to stop taking nicotine.' NRT works for some people but its drawing out the quit by maybe 6 months or so? Im wondering if anyone else agrees with this wisdom from AC? Is NRT just a moneyspinner, an illusion? Is it true that 80% of NRT users fail? 5th day for me and already questioning this forum, sorry.

Good luck all

i used NRT and read allen carr i know they go against each other but i used each for what i needed to in order to get through i personally dont believe NRT prolongs things for me it got my mind strong enough and in the right place so i no longer needed it and i believe allen carrs book contributed massively too, here i am 11 months smoke free so its down to each individual wat works there is no wrong or right way

[nsd_user663_20558]

Well to be frank with you I think a massive percentage of the people who sign up to this forum and fail just fade quietly away. That's bugger all to do with whether it's NRT or CT. It's just human nature.

But anyway. I'm all for doing whatever gets you to the place where you're a happy non smoker. Patches, inhalers, hypnotherapy, cold turkey, frozen turkey, oven basted turkey, inhaling turkeys, putting patches on turkeys, using a turkey to prop up your alan carr book while inhaling a hypnotherapist.... WHATEVER, dudes.

At the end of the day however you start your quit, maintaining it is down to you and your mindset: making that decision every day not to pick up a fag and start down that road to hell again.

And kudos to everyone doing it, say I.

On that note, night night campers xx

[nsd_user663_24115]

Alan Carr taught me that the only thing im sacrificing is pouring boiling oil into my lungs . very happy not to do that anymore iv given it up . and the bit about putting on tight shoes just so i can take them off again . brilliant hes a genius. if i had to inhale a hypnotherapist to quit i would anythings better than smoking. Hey there helen and Karri so glad your still on this forum your precious to me and my quit.

Mash xxx

[nsd_user663_37039]

My heart sank a little when I read that comment about 80% of people fail using nrt... Surely that can't be true... Even if it is, comments from mash & helsbelle made me feel better... Patches and inhalator are my route and I'm happy with this until I'm in a state of mind that I can cut down on both...

Hi Woods... You're really doing awesome... I was never a heavy smoker, but here we're all in the same boat, and the support from all has been amazing... The difference between my previous quit attempts and this time, is this forum. You'll get so much from posting here and get a truck load of motivation knowing yr not going through this alone, I know I am...

Very best of luck, you can do it