Want to Quit Smoking ASAP

[SJA_1]

Hi all,

New here, and becoming increasing desperate to quit smoking.

I'm a 10-15 a day smoker who tends to use ciggies as a "break" (apart from that first one in the morning) but I'm also an anxiety sufferer and the stimulants/chemicals in the cigs can set me off.

So realistically, I have every incentive to quit - but I know I'm a nicotine addict on top of my other motivations for smoking, and it's almost as if I'm too scared of failure to give myself that chance. I really need to have a strong word with myself, but I've never joined a community before, and doing things differently and better in setting myself up this time would be a plus.

I'm not overweight, am fairly mobile (can run a kilometre in 4 minutes or so under good conditions) but my health anxiety plagues me and I know cigs are at the root of it. But we all know what anxiety does to a smoker!

Anyone else on here like me, or feeling/felt the same way as me, and been bold and courageous enough to kick these demonic little life-shorterners into touch without ill-effect mentally? Especially when surrounded by many others who smoke? What did you do and how did it feel?

[Jennywrg]

Hi . Am day 15 since last cigarette . In last three years I have stopped and started smoking so many times . Am so hoping this is going to be my last time of stopping. Finding it difficult and very anxious used smoking to get me threw so many times in my life . Wishing you a non smoking future

[SJA_1 in reply to Jennywrg]

Day 15! That's great! And very well done to you. I'm so looking forward to the day when I can say I'm on day 15... or even waking hour 15

Likewise, I have faith that you can do it this time. If you've come this far, you have no (or next to no) nicotine left in your body so now the chemical element is fixed, it's just the behavioural and replacement bits left to conquer for you. You have my backing.

[Fenrir5 6 Months Smoke Free]

Hi SJA_1. I also suffer from anxiety and was quite worried what might happen when I quit. I was a heavy smoker for about 4 decades. Long time. A year and a half ago I was so tired of how smoking was making me feel. I picked up a box of nicotine patches that matched my daily smoking and combined them with the nicotine lozenge. This combo made giving up smoking so much easier. As for the anxiety, it is still there but now I have one less thing to worry about - running out of cigarettes. I find that daily walks up to an hour or more help tremendously with the initial quit as well as calming the anxiety. I wish you all the best on your road to freedom from the nico demon

[Vaps]

It is sometimes unhelpful to describe smoking as an 'addiction' to nicotine. A dependency maybe but the word addiction has too many negative connotations. However any mental struggles you have when stopping smoking is because the brain wants the nicotine.

It is important to realise that nicotine in small doses is not a harmful substance. The problem with smoking to get nicotine is the delivery method. You may have heard to the paraphrased quote 'people smoke for the nicotine but die from the tar' . The trick therefore is finding a safer delivery method.

Some people find patches, sprays, gums and inhalers work to ward off their cravings but there are now advances in the delivery methods which will give a smoker the nicotine hit without the dangers of smoking. These include vaping (ecigs), heat not burn products and snus (although inexplicably banned in the UK).

Vaping is the number one method of people stopping smoking in the world. The products are getting much easier to use.

The introduction of Heat not burn products in Japan has seen smoking rates slashed in the past few years.

Snus is only available in a few countries but Sweden (where it is most popular) has the lowest rates of smoking in Europe.

So, if you are struggling with the affects of nicotine withdrawal, there are alternatives available and there is no real need to suffer.