I'm 25 and I smoke at least 20 cigarettes a day, sometimes upto 30 (Which I and others think is ridiculous for my age)
I smoke for many reasons : habitual, addiction, boredom, stress, dependency but I absolutely loath it. I've become so dependent on it. I feel alienated because of the amount I smoke, and although I absolutely despise it I can't imagine my life without it.
it is costing me so much £££! it's ridiculous!! It's constantly draining me of whatever money I get. Can't imagine a more expensive "hobby"
Although the thought of being a non-smoker sounds thrilling. I would like nothing more. The thought of it also TERRIFIES ME.
Is it normal to be scared of quitting even before the actual date? I fear failure and know if I have a cig I will be so disappointed in myself. However the thought of the cravings scares me a lot.
I dread waking up tomorrow and not reaching for a cigarette
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Ahh I wish I had your bravery to just put my last cigarette out and not smoke again.
I know that if I have temptation, i.e carry smoking equipment around with me I will just smoke! Regardless of how guilty it will make me feel.
Also I've tried cutting down. I find it really hard and more torturous so my approach is just going to be tough love. If i remove temptation it will be easier for me. I know that if I say I'll have one every 3 hours it will kill me.
I've downloaded a hypnosis app for my phone which has positive affirmations and an app which tells you how much you're saving. Updates your health etc.
HOPEFULLY these will be enough. I know it'll be hard. REALLY hard. But I need to do this for myself and my family. My health and pocket. I understand the first 3 days are the hardest. I'm going to avoid coffee and tea and try to keep busy.
Just scared that my high dependency will let me down(I have a very addictive personality)
I've wrote down reasons for quitting and affirmations. Still scared though.
Sorry for the essay! haha..... How was champix for you?? Again I admire your bravery
Ahh I wish I had your bravery to just put my last cigarette out and not smoke again.
...
At the end of the day, that's exactly what 'giving up' is. It's that easy, and it's that hard.
BUT - before you give up, you need to think about how you're going to do it - Cold Turkey, NRT, Champix etc. You'll find plenty of conflicting views on these if you plough though the archives on this forum, but I would recommend that you do your research, understand how these methods work, and pick what's right for you.
Your apprehension is entirely natural and familiar to everyone on the forum - it is a fundamental part of what addiction is. But once you make that commitment to yourself, and put a few days and then weeks between yourself and your last shot of nicotine, you will come to realise that it is a complete illusion, there is nothing to fear, smoking does not define who you are (I'm sure you think it does just now:eek:), and after a few weeks you will once again feel like 'the same old you' , but a newer, improved, more energetic, more confident, cigarette free you. With so much to gain, you'd be mad not to take the plunge - PROMISE!!
There you go - two promises that it's worth it, so it must be true
I'd add one other thought though - I'm in my forties now and I'd been smoking for over thirty years. I'd been thinking I really ought to quit since - ooh, probably about your age - but it was never quite the right time, tomorrow would be better, yada yada yada... so DO IT NOW, DON'T KEEP PUTTING IT OFF!!, or the weeks will turn into months, years and decades.
I've got a very untidy flat at the moment Kat so I think I will take your advice and do a long well needed clean tomorrow! Should keep me occupied for a while, to say the least!! I'm looking forward to that feeling of accomplishment after 3 days!
And AnEggisanEgg, I think I am just going to go cold turkey as I will always find excuses the more i research. I know what I'm like! And yeah, really hits home when you say you've been meaning to quit since my age. My mam and dad are still smoking in their mid fifties. As much as I respect and look upto them I do not wish to be smoking past my mid thirties to be honest!! Best to quit now
...I do not wish to be smoking past my mid thirties to be honest!!...
Please don't have thoughts like that!!
That's exactly the thinking I had at your age - effectively giving yourself a licence to smoke for the next ten years. And when ten years have passed, you'll have no trouble at all convincing yourself you'll be OK for another five. At least. Hell, why not make it ten - you'll still only be in your mid forties, there'll still be plently of time.
Just going to quote some stuff back to you, with a few 'althoughs' removed...
I absolutely loath it. I've become so dependent on it. I feel alienated because of the amount I smoke, and... I absolutely despise it...it is costing me so much £££! it's ridiculous!! ...the thought of being a non-smoker sounds thrilling. I would like nothing more.
Read that back to yourself. What have you got to be scared of? Jump for joy that you're reclaiming your life!
OK, realistically, it's not a bunch of fun and daisies to begin with. And I'm not belittling your fear, it's quite a normal reaction. But it's not going to kill you, going through withdrawal for a little while. Look at all of us on here, we've all done it, we're all at various stages of quit (days, months, years) and there's one thing that unites us, which is that we all think that every moment of initial struggle was ABSOLUTELY WORTH IT, NO QUESTION.
Get your mind in gear. Ditch the fear, try to think positive. Arm yourself with strategies for getting through craves (distraction is the key). Make a list of all your reasons and stick it on the fridge. Keep posting here, it is a total godsend. Read about what your addiction means and understand it, the better to control it (I'd recommend this article as a starter talesfromthequit.com/choose.... Reward yourself for every milestone. Take it one day at a time.
I quit in my mid 20s and then got myself hooked again by thinking I could get away with the odd one (NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN!). Trust me when I say, as hard as you may think it is right now, you have NO idea just how much worse it is 15 years later!:eek::eek::eek:
If I could go back and tell my 24 year old self to get a grip and not be an idiot then believe me, I would! I'd give anything to have held on to that quit and not put myself through all those extra years of smoking and having to go through it all again, only worse, at 39!
And what she said.
I quit at 24 too and stupidly started again 18 months later - am only 29 now but this quit was way harder.
Nail it properly *now* and you won't regret it, that's a promise!!
It's perfectly normal to be scared before you make the leap - you think yourself into a panic because you convinced yourself that smoking helps you - cheers you up, calms you down blah blah - but guess what? It doesn't!!
There's nothing good about smoking, it isn't a treat, doesn't calm you down, doesn't make the good times better - everything you've been telling yourself about the "good points" of smoking is a lie.
So get your mind set that *today* you are choosing not to smoke, post on here when you have craves and we will get you through 'cos whatever you go through, we've either gone through or are going through
Allen Carr says in his book "The only thing that keeps us smoking is fear" and he's right.
I'm 25 and I smoke at least 20 cigarettes a day, sometimes upto 30 (Which I and others think is ridiculous for my age)
I smoke for many reasons : habitual, addiction, boredom, stress, dependency but I absolutely loath it. I've become so dependent on it. I feel alienated because of the amount I smoke, and although I absolutely despise it I can't imagine my life without it.
it is costing me so much £££! it's ridiculous!! It's constantly draining me of whatever money I get. Can't imagine a more expensive "hobby"
Although the thought of being a non-smoker sounds thrilling. I would like nothing more. The thought of it also TERRIFIES ME.
Is it normal to be scared of quitting even before the actual date? I fear failure and know if I have a cig I will be so disappointed in myself. However the thought of the cravings scares me a lot.
I dread waking up tomorrow and not reaching for a cigarette
So, please tell us you made it through day 1? :rolleyes:
Day 1? You can do this! As someone else said cravings and really scary but they won't kill you and after a little while i started to treat them like a game, almost enjoying the feeling cos i knew i could use my mind to overcome it. Go for it, doesn't matter how many attempts it takes as long as you get there! And don't forget we'll all be here with you.
Woke up really late in the morning due to the fact i physically couldn't get out of bed earlier knowing there wasn't a cigarette waiting.
had a shower walked about in the sunshine. did a bit of cleaning.
got to about 5pm and i caved in
Went to the shop thinking, i'll buy some and have only one. now, smoked almost a packet now. feeling really dirty and angry with myself.
Will start again tomorrow and hopefully have more willpower. Can't help but feel weak. Not going to lie dreading it !!
It happens, don't beat yourself up about it!!
The important thing is that you want to quit, there is absolutely nothing good about smoking - we were all smoking just to feel normal, not because it made us feel fab (it didn't) but because it allowed us to feel like we "should" - and I know you don't want to carry on being a slave to something nasty like that!!
You do have to realise though there's no such thing as "just one" as you found out they come in packs and as every one of us here is an addict, it's just not possible to have "just the one" - same way as an alcoholic can't have just one drink.
Good luck with your new Day 1, and next time post on here when you feel like caving in!!
I used to smoke at least 30 cigs a day and I was terrified at the thought of quitting, but I smoked my last cig and threw out all lighters, removed ashtrays out of sight, and just went for it cold turkey and it was the best thing I ever did. It was not as terrifying as I had imagined, and here I am 10 weeks later totally smoke free and happy. You can do this, just take one day at a time, remind yourself often why you want to quit, and watch the £££s grow and your health improve. It is well worth the battle.
Hello and welcome to this forum where everyone is really friendly and will give lots of support.
Just a thought, and it is only my personal opinion, why don't you visit the doctor or nonsmoking clinic to see what they can offer to help? It can't do any harm and it may just give you that extra bit of confidence to get you started.
I smoked for nearly 40 years and will have stopped for five weeks next Tuesday. I honestly couldn't have done it without Champix. I'm not saying that this would be best for you but there are alternatives.
As said previously this is only my opinion but I know that scary feeling just thinking about stopping (it used to make me smoke all the more!!!).
...why don't you visit the doctor or nonsmoking clinic to see what they can offer to help?...
Totally echo what Jess has said, there are aids which can really help you beat this into submission once and for all; so read up, understand how the various aids work, and tool yourself up with whatever's right for you to win this!
Oi fast lad, your young, giving up now will be easier than in later years, giving up now will have more benefit, you will regret years later if you dont do this now! think of the money you will save, your health ! Its not hard once you get into it, FEAR is a big factor for those who want to give up but to be honest there is nothing to be fearful about, its all a myth, yes it can be a wee bit hard but ffs it certianly wont kill you ! Keep on smoking and IT will ! One day at a time or if you like ......... one hour at a time.............. You will get there if YOU really want too ! Im 12 weeks without a smoke, im not going to say i'll never do it again, that would be tempting fate, but after 36 years of smoking 20-30 cigs a day i think im well on my way and i feel a hell of a lot better for it not to mention how much richer i am , go for it lad and anyone else that is thinking of giving up, if i can do it anyone can, again its a big myth that its hard to give up, you are better than IT !
I smoked about the same amount as you, loathed it. Hated myself every time i lit up, hated the fact that it cost me so much every day to basically inhale poison. Constantly skint, always ducking out of places for a quick smoke, panicky if i knew i was gonna run out shortly, and fearful that i was gonna be stuck doing it forever. It's no way to live.
The good news is, there's nothing to fear from quitting. The absolute worst that can happen is you'll be a grumpy dickhead for a couple of weeks. That's about it. Compared to the worst that can happen if you don't quit? There really is no comparison.
The way to do it is not to fear cravings. They're never as bad as you think they'll be, the disappear quickly & each one beaten is another middle finger to the addiction. Embrace the cravings, don't fear them.
We fear what we don't understand, so read up, know your withdrawal symptoms & remove that fear. Knowing exactly why everything's happening makes it much easier to deal with.
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Day 1 tomorrow ANXIOUS EXCITED SCARED..
Tomorrow is my day - Scared
