I found this picture last night, apologies for the grainy quality, but it really struck a chord for all the things we talk about when trying to stop smoking. Yes there are things to help you along the way like NRT and Champix but even with those products we have to have the will , desire and motivation to make the behavioural changes that make all the difference to staying quit.
So put the remote away.....and really have a look at what cues make you want to smoke....it might be when you are with friends in the pub and the smokers pop outside for a ciggy and you want to go with them....it might be when the kids are being particularly noisy and pushing your last nerve and you feel like a smoke......or first thing in the morning when you make your cuppa and you want to reach for that little white stick. No remote is going to switch your wiring and change those cues you have to do it yourself and rewire your brain to a new way of thinking.
The great news is that lots of people on here have already done that so read their advice and see what you can take from it. There is a whole new way of life out there waiting to be grabbed. The feeling of fresh air pouring into healthier lungs....no more standing outside in the rain to smoke.....being able to walk and run without getting breathless. Go and get it......you know you can do it.
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Eye_
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Great opener this morning and sooo agree with what you say... We have to do it ourselves, nobody can do it for us. I also think if we can be open minded enough to see all the damage & destruction smoking does then the next obvious conclusion must be to STOP.
Only a few days away from 3 months now and I am just so glad to be free from this Smoking Addiction - it is without question the best thing to happen in my life for years because it has made everything "good" around me so much better.
The thing that makes me want to smoke (well metaphorically anyway) or the thing that makes my blood boil at the moment is the relentless bashing the e-cig industry is getting. I've read the article and anything is possible, doesn't mean it actually happens and doesn't mean it happens on a large scale.
I've been using an e-cig off and on for a while now. As you may know, in the main I find them frustrating and not that useful. My husband who is an ex smoker of 10 years who once never drove anywhere without first lighting up, who never made a phone call without first lighting up and who was as addicted as the rest of us is always saying its not working because I'm not inhaling the vapour properly. This really annoys me. He doesn't understand, he's never in his life tried an e-cig and ignores me when I keep telling him its just not the same as smoking and you can't inhale something that flies out of your mouth faster than you can inhale. Vapour just doesn't have the same clingy consistency that tar laden tobacco smoke has.
Anyways in my quest to try and make him understand I suggest that he tries it. Now quite sensibly he says eeewww no am not trying it, I'll take your word for it. My point being, here is an ex smoker who hasn't smoked for 10 years. He enjoyed smoking until he gave up but seeing me puffing on an e-cig doesn't in any way make him want to go back to smoking. I just don't believe that seeing e-cigs advertised in a printed article is going to make an ex smoker want to go out and take up smoking again.
I agree that they shouldn't be advertised on TV and I agree that its possible that as they become more socially acceptable that young people may be tempted to try e-cigs, especially as they are becoming something of a fashion accessory. So they should therefore carry the warning that nicotine is a highly addictive substance, and that taken regularly isn't in the best interests of your health. But then neither are legal highs or alcohol in large amounts drunk on a regular basis every single weekend.
Most of the people on here who have used an e-cig to stop smoking have had excellent success. They have cut down on their use of the e-cig a lot quicker than I have managed to stop using NRT. It's funny how eager the powers that be are to 'regulate' e-cigs while at the same time NRT is freely available (well you've gotta pay for it but you know what I mean) off the counter in any supermarket and is regularly advertised on TV and is just as addictive as an e-cig. The big difference is the powerful drug companies produce NRT, at the moment its any Tom, Dick or Harry that's selling e-cigs cheaply and it's being taken up in droves, effectively stealing the business away from the tobacco companies, drug companies and the good old Treasury. Personally I think the emergence of the e-cigs popularity has encouraged a lot more people to give up smoking than the NHS's "Give up for 4 weeks and consider yourself quit" idea.
Incidentally, I went out at lunch time yesterday and stood in smokers corner with a smoker who was smoking a roll up, I took my e-cig with me. It wasn't until the evening when I got home from work and was thinking about what we were talking about that I realised I'd stood with someone smoking a real cigarette and it never even registered, I didn't even notice at the time.
Totally with you on this one, I've never used one but the focus is all about profit and power and taking over any industry. Anything that makes money these days gets taken over by Corporations or is bashed by Corporations until it doesn't exist any more. They do not nor never will have any interest in us as individuals, communities or nations. If I were one of these users I would be stocking up. It is the reason I didn't go down that route because the buggers are 100% sure to take over control. Like the Tobacco Companies).
Hello Eye, and everyone, Probably wonder where I have been last night and today. Well got another problem with the flat. The electric lights went but all the bulbs were in tact. so been trying to trace the fault. Spent all morning and came to the conclusion it must be the flat roof leaking in the loft. As we moved to this flat not only for the superb views we thought we would have had peace of mind over the maintenance. The management company is the residents. Which ok not unusual,except for this lot. 3 over 80s and 1 rather feminine fella who are the so called committee. we tell them the roof leaks and they say oh dear do you know anyone who can do it. They have no one for maintenance..
So to add to my dilemma I got a call from a warden who runs some flats which I applied for last year. Well theres a flat going which I wanted in the first place. So off to look at that on Monday. So will let you know what my plans are next week.
haha (laughing at the electrician joke, not your predicament) Aww Jilly, after all your hard work over these last few weeks too, that's such a shame. Maybe worth cutting your losses though, flat roofs are rarely permanently repairable.
jillygirlAdministratorLONG TERM WINNER in reply to monky
All ok now thanks Pete. Found bare wire in loft. Fingers crossed its ok now. Still going to consider the other flat, unless you fancy loads of maintenance work Pete.
I'm OK thank you Pete. You OK? Glad its the weekend I bet I sent the bike with the dodgy chain/gears back, it just wasn't right. I got another bike off ebay, second hand but had only been ridden 5 miles from new. (what a waste). I haven't been on it since last weekend cos I don't do rain Anyway, the way the weather is a boat would be better. It was lovely yesterday but I was at work looking at the nice sunshine through the window
Soooo, you dont do rain then hmmmm, to be honest, I dont think I would either and yes I know what your feeling gal, Why couldnt that lovely sun come out when am off work !!
Ha ha thats like me with gardening, I get it all planed, then what does it do, flippin erm, rains eh
It's meant to be dry tomorrow, if a bit cloudy until about 4.00 then the rains are back so you best get out early tomorrow. Apparently it will be a little breezy on Monday
Its flippin breeeeeezy here now gal, even the cats come in tonight, looking like she's been pulled through a hedge backwards I told her to smarten herself up, hmmm dont think she heared me, cos she's noddin now
Nite nite Jillygirl, you enjoy playing with your rubber duck in the bath, now you can see him eh you get a good nights sleep eh, cos you dont know what you will find tomorrow Speak soon xxxx
Nite nite Sinfree, got ta go now gal, as my bed is calling me sweet dreams gal, and I hope you manage to get out on ya bike tomorrow before the heavens open up eh
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Like the Tobacco Companies).
Daily Chat - Tuesday 23rd October 2012
