I'm a new person here and obviously was lucky in finding this forum. A lot of them seemed to be American?
Anyway, I haven't given up smoking yet. Not at all sure how to proceed but would be very grateful for everyone's advice : do you prepare or not, just pack in or cut down. I'm not sure re patches, vaping, etc but all advice is taken on board, look forward to hearing from you.
Hi Scamp. The best thing to do is read all the advice that is offered because everyone is different. What works for some may not work for others. Saying that you are on the right site for your journey. 
Welcome to the forum Scamp
The questions you have asked are very subjective and everybody will have their own personal opinion. I'm sure you'll get a variety of opinions here and then you'll have to decide what's best for you.
I never prepared for my quit, I decided to quit for 1 day out of respect for a friend who died and here I am, over 3 years later, still quit.
Some people say that preparing gives you a better chance of success, I don't think that's necessarily true, in fact all the build up may put too much pressure on you. Like I said, it's all opinion, you decide
Personally I could never have cut down and then eventually stopped. I smoked for 30 years and am an addict. One is one too many and one thousand are not enough. For me, only a clean break would work, otherwise I'd just go back to full blown smoking very quickly. How long have you smoked and how heavily?
Quitting smoking forms three parts, mentally quitting, quitting nicotine and quitting the physical hand to mouth act of smoking. Vaping doesn't get rid of the physical act of smoking, but does eliminate nicotine if you wish by using nicotine free juice. You could use juice with nicotine in it. Either way, it's better, they think, than smoking, but the physical act is still there. People on here have gone back to smoking after vaping for a long time, others haven't.
Any form of NRT is better than smoking, but again, do you want to quit smoking, nicotine or both? Many people use NRT to kick start a quit, or protect a quit when they are struggling, then eventually leave NRT behind. Some people struggle to get off NRT, effectively replacing one habit with another - but it's better than smoking. I went cold turkey from the beginning so I'll let others comment further on NRT.
As I say, lots of opinion, but only you can decide what's best for you. One thing I can guarantee is that you'll have lots of support, encouragement and advice on here.
Whatever you decide to do, don't be a stranger and post often, the most successful quitters on here were glued to the forum for the first 12 months of their quits.
Hi Scamp...great name...I am no expert only 4 days into my quit but for me it feels different this time as I am doing it for me, not pregnancy, money, health...all those matter of course but I had reached a point where I despised myself as a smoker, felt crap most of the time and needed to quit...I have gone Cold Turkey , lack of sleep has been my worst thing, the cravings NOPE is my mantra...good luck..
Thank you very much for those encouraging words.
It's very scary to be thinking of stopping smoking after so many years.I will read and absorb I think.I am very fond of reading,lucky for me haha!
How many years have you smoked and how heavily?
More than 20 years Captain. I am smoking a mix of small cigars and roll your owns at the moment. I tried to give up last Christmas and in no time I was on the small cigars,I really despair at times,how does anyone actually give up!!! Do people on here always succeed,does the forum have a magic wand? Sorry to sound so clueless.
I'm a massive believer in the cold turkey method ........ For me everything else seems like teasing yourself with the very thing you are trying to escape from.
The first week is a bit of a roller coaster ride........ I swooped between soaring highs of 'I'm doing it..I'm doing it' and crushing lows of 'I can't do this I can't do this'. I honestly, genuinely thought I couldn't do it. But...... I just kept eating the dolly mixtures..... Wine gums......crisps.......well basically anything within reach and edible.......and before I knew it I was into week two.......and the Pepsi max ride started to feel a bit more like the love boats
However you do this scamp.......it will be for you, as it was/is for me and the thousands of successful quitters here.......THE SINGLE BEST THING YOU WILL EVER DO FOR YOURSELF.
Get stuck in. Good luck.
Disclaimer ... I am totally aware other methods work...and whatever works is fab!
Hi, I gave up when I got flu. I tried to smoke but couldn't inhale without 5 minutes of coughing. I got a chest infection and was signed off work for14 days. I frightened myself into quitting. I knew if I kept smoking the next virus would put me on IV antibiotics. I smoked for 30 years, 20 Richmonds. I just stopped smoking, but was too ill to smoke and too ill to get to shops. I am 89 days smoke free and from about 16 days I found I could handle the craves much better and didn't feel like a mad women. From about 14 days I could breathe deeply without coughing. From about 20 days my complexion was all pink and glowy. I had a mini melt down at about 3 weeks where I thought everyone hated me, but it didn't last long.
I wouldn't choose to go with NRT as I have seen my fellow quitters go through effectively two quits, the quit from cigarettes and then the quit from nicotine. Only you know what makes you tick, and we will support you in which ever way you choose. What works for me may not work for anyone else. Just quit, it is hard, but not as hard as the consequences of smoking. Please, please, please stop and we will support you all the way
Loving the Pepsi max / love birds analogy, am totally with Dippy on that one!
Hits, i am also no expert as only on day 17, buy i have gone with champix, so if you want to know anything about that then just shout. Great you are going all out and getting as much advice as possible. Good luck, you can do this xx
Many thanks all. Avidly reading and will check in later.
That's so kind thank you Karrie. I am reading those on and off as I can. x
