I want to quit smoking but i fail everytime

[MrEL]

I tried the Champix and was off them for 3 months.
Then Christmas come around with drinking and all the fun and games.
Im going out for a smoke now.

[gossy]

Champix worked for me, over 2 years without a smoke. My fitness has gone up, as well as my bank balance. My house, car, clothes all smell so clean now instead of stale tobacco. It's a win win all round.

Do it for your kids mate.

At the end of the day, YOU have to want to give up.

[Dr Jekkyl]

I think it is also important to set yourself realistic goals.

Ultimately you want to stop completely but ANY REDUCTION in your tobacco use is a SUCCESS.

Give yourself time and establish a good support network around you including family, friends, your GP, etc.

Do some research around chronic obstructive pulmonary disease also. It might give you that extra push that you need.

Good luck!

[last fairlane]

Hi Evi
I smoked from 20 to 50 something
I went to the doctor and he prescribed ZYBAN for me
anyway I got it and read the instructions
they said
1 pick a date in ten days time
2 dont try to quit smoking
3 take one pill a day for the ten days
4 then one a day for the next fortnight 24 in total
anyway on day ten I lit up and thought to myself
I dont really want this so I stubbed an almost full smoke
then about 3 hours later I thought I will have a smoke
same thing happened I stubbed the same smoke out
that day I smoked in between stubbing them out
TWO Smokes the next day the same thing but only ONE smoke
and I havent had one since
that was in 2011
side efects were some weird dreams in technicolour
and started eating jelly beans
anyway try ZYBAN
it worked for me I can go to the pub and not want a smoke
thanks and good luck
John

[Evgeni]

I smoked since 13 for 11 years. Got up to a pack a day for about the last 6 of those years. Pretty easy to do. Havent had one now for over 14 years. I feel great.
What helped me was I made the decision to give up drinking at the same time. Haven't had a drink either in that time. Just one beer makes you hang like an addict.
Also I found something I enjoyed doing at the time and I scheduled it in around meal times. These were the toughest times at the very beginning. Each day gets easier. You can beat it!

[grandpa_spec_F6]

Fellows on the forum actually helped me get off them so you're in the right place mate!

I'd tried a handful or more times to quit, came on here and got offered heaps of advice. Jason even extended a hand from down south by letting me text him when I was craving a smoke and sent me back helpful advice.

Just stick at it, the first week it's like being in the twilight zone and sucks a fat one however it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be. Biggest problem I had was the niggling little thoughts of "ahhh it's been 3 days, you'll be right to just have one...." and 3 later I'd feel guilty about starting the count all over again!

You're your own worst enemy sometimes, just make sure you're smarter than yourself and outsmart the smarts of your nicotine self!

[XP6]

Every time you feel the need go for a short walk... make that your new habit(prob help managing your asthma too).

I smoked from about 12 to I was 29, the missus toured Europe for 2mths so that was an ideal time to give up... she barely recognised me when she got back!

[MWTB]

I'm a smoker. I did give up about a year ago when I was really smashing out gym hard and quit for 6 months. It was the mrs birthday and I was drunk and figured 'why not, its a special occasion' and then it just came back, so if you want to quit, you'll want to stay away from the booze for a while too.

I found quitting to be reasonably easy, but that said, I haven't been a smoker for half as long as you have.

When you feel like having a ciggie, have a piece of gum instead. Doesn't have to be nicorette or whatever that nicotine gum is, just wrigleys spearmint or whatever your flavour choice is.

I found 2 weeks was the hardest point, I was breezing through it until about 2 weeks. My boss noticed it first when I started getting angry at work which is very out of the ordinary for me, I'm very placid and calm all the time, so it must have been pretty bad if the boss picked it up.

I'm still a smoker, simply because I don't want to quit right now. I enjoy ciggies and I know they're bad for you, but I don't want to quit so I won't. When I do, I'll deal with it.

I know people often say count how many durries you have every day and then cut down but that seems like too much effort to me. I quit cold turkey the first time and it'll stay that way next time I decide to quit for good. I have the kind of 'all or nothing' personality.

For what its worth, my mum got the hypnosis and hasn't touched a cigarette in almost a decade, so it must be alright regardless of whether its the hypnosis that does it or the placebo effect from knowing that its supposed to work. I for one think hypnosis is a crock of **** but hey, it works for some people.

Good luck mate.

[LTDHO]

Having two kids is the best reason to quit, not smoke.

It's all in your mind, the addiction and cravings, etc. Need to keep your brain busy. Many people have successfully quit, even after smoking for 30 years. If you want to, then you will.

Best of luck.

[The Yeti]

Mate I really hope you beat this, my mum has smoked from the time she was 16 now 64, she gave up around 5 years ago for around 9 months but found she suffered extreme depression and other illnesses as a result, she used to joke that one day she had had enough of feeling like crap, lit up a cigarette and never felt better, that was until January last year when she had a seizure less than 2 minutes from parking her car which she had just driven with 3 of her 5 grandchildren in.

She hadn’t been herself for a little while but we all (herself included) put that down to the fact my dad, her husband had passed away suddenly 4 months earlier. The doctors investigated and found she had 11 brain mett’s ranging in size from 7mm - 24mm a further full scan found a massive legion on her left lung, lung capacity test found that she shouldn’t have been able to breath un assisted but claims she has never felt short of breath (Aside from smoking she has always been fit and active and an outdoors person) after many specialists, tests & biopsy’s, they decided that there really wasn’t much that could be done with the lung and the brain mett’s were the issue at the moment. The doctor basically said with treatment she had around a 20% chance of making 12 months with a reasonable quality of life, without it she would have around 8 – 12 weeks. so they attached it with a big hit of radiation. Closely followed by chemotherapy, (her first dose was my 39th birthday and I spent the night holding her while she threw up the dinner she had made for my family) her first scan showed a small reduction in the size of some of the mett’s so they continued with chemo and as the months rolled on her quality of life improved. In January this year they did another scan, they found all of the mett’s had reduced in size substantially (some weren’t able to be detected at all) BUT the mass in her lung had started to increase (again she hasn’t been short of breath she is back tending to her horses, gardening etc and is never short of breath) so there was a meeting of the minds with radiologists and oncologists and a few other people with ist at the end of their title. The end result was the oncologist wanted to try more radiation, the radiologist believed there was merit in the idea BUT the location of the mass was such that there was a risk of damage to the spine and / or oesophagus, a little sole searching amongst the family and she decided she was now on bonus time anyhow as she had passed the 12 month mark so shed give it ago, now were only in May but she did the radiation she’s had a scan and there has been a shrinking in the mass and at the moment she has no further treatment until July but things aren’t looking bad, she won’t beat it we are all at peace with this, our aim is not so much time as time but with quality of life and currently she has that (but she’s only as shadow of who she was) she still spends lots of time outside but she can’t do many of the things she once did, she has had her licence suspended as a result of the first (and only) seizure and I doubt she will ever have it again (though she refuses to sell her car and has kept the registration and insurance current).

I can’t help but think had she stayed strong when she gave up that she might not be in this position now

I haven’t typed this as a woe is me story I’ve typed is hoping to give you motivation to stay strong

I would go to the doctor and get that blood checked out and while you’re there see what they can do to assist you in giving up

[Professor Farnsworth]

i smoked from age 16 to age 22. I burnt a pack of 16Mg Winfield Red's a day. This is how i gave up:

i stopped.

For about a month you'll be angry, with everyone, you'll feel like arguing with a tree if it looks at you the wrong way. After about 4 weeks you'll start to feel better.

The biggest problem will be the 'boredom moments' where you get up from your desk/computer/couch or whatever and your mind will flick a switch and say 'smoke time!'. This is what you have to beat, by chewing gum, going and learning something new on wiki, read some jokes, comics, write a letter, hey even write a journal on the process? After a few mins the craving will go. The more you fight it, the smaller the craving gets.

The other biggest issue is alcohol. I rarely have that now too, but when i did it literally went hand in hand with a smoke. Hold a pen with the other hand, a stick, twig, toothpick. A lot of the addiction is holding it, and bringing it to your mouth.

Don't waste extra money on patches, smokers gum etc, stop the expense now and know that a few weeks of hard work will pay off, big time.

I didn't snoke for as long as you, but the ones i did smoke were not light cigarettes lol. I was hooked to the point of having three in a row.

I'd say good luck but you don't need it, just look at your kids faces, then stop.

[GULL]

If you wanna quit for good have a heart attack like i did 2 weeks ago!! I started smoking at the age of 13 im now 43 and 2 weeks ago it all caught up with me with a big bang,spent 2 weeks in hospital 2 operations and i will never ever touch a smoke again,i was told im a very very lucky boy im still here

[poppa smurf]

I smoked for better than 30 years, ........started off with cane from old chairs then up to rollies.......gave it up around 10 years ago

if you're hacking up blood then I reckon that may be a reasonable incentive, although may be a bit late........having the kids would be another....personally I wanted to see grandkids.....you may not have that option.......your choice

it's a mental game and when the brain turns against you it aint pretty.......mine turned on me around the same time I gave up smoking.....fell into a deep dark hole that no-one, not even heavy medication could pull me out of....a little stray mongrel, scruffy, ugly dog pulled me out of that one.......called her "fugly".....she wouldnt take no for an answer and just wouldnt let me be.......she's on my lap right now.....wont leave my side ever

giving up smokes is the same thing....a "mental" game........I beat it by always having a packet of smokes handy along with a lighter.....I would look at them every now and then and let it be known to my brain that it is my choice to not have them

you see when I smoked my last cigarette and i chucked the packet away I would be gripped with absolute "panic"........"oh **** I've got none left, where am I gonna get more from"

but having a packet there all the time then it was always going to be "my choice"

it's got to be "your" choice as well........you must beat your brain if you wish to succeed.......good luck!!........you wont ever regret it!

[GT0132]

I started when 18 , pack a day for the next 10 years until smoking was banned in the office in 1990 (aged 28) . Then smoked around 10 a day (20 on weekends). Quit a few times but only lasted 6 months tops. Gave up totally in 2008 aged 46 , used hypnotherapy.

Don't miss it at all.

What I notice most about being a non smoker now is how bad the smell of smoke is on people. I can now understand what my misses used to complain about. Especially hate it when someone who's just had a smoke gets on a train and sits next to me . It wreeks

While I've always been pretty fit and been a keen runner (despite being a smoker) I do notice that I suffer a lot more bronchitis as i've got older , which is no doubt attributed in most part to once being a smoker. Wish I'd stopped much earlier for that reason.

Mate, if you're 29 give it up NOW !

EDIT: I tried what Smurf said (ie having a packet and lighter on hand) . That was as much use as an ashtray on a motor bike. I just gave in and had one when the cravings got too much and before i knew it I was back on them.

FURTEHR EDIT: Just noticed you're coughing up blood...If that's not enough incentive to quit , not sure what is

[The Yeti]

Originally Posted by GT0132

FURTEHR EDIT: Just noticed you're coughing up blood...If that's not enough incentive to quit , not sure what is

you'd think that wouldnt you, but my mum still choofs away

[Spudz27]

I smoked for 12 years, my motivation was my fiance being pregnant with my 6yr old daughter. For some reason 1 month after she told me, I put the 20smokes I still had on the capping and never looked back. I smoked a pack maybe more each day. It was a hrad few days, but I got through it. Sounds like your health is being affected and you have kids, pretty good motivation there. I like many others know how hard it can be, I have a major heart condition but still continued smoking, but all it took was my daughter on the way to make me stop.

I reckon cold turkey is the fastest option. The nicotine is gone in 3 days. But I know what addiction is like, I gave up smoking but I am addicted to junk foods. I can not go a day without a chocolate, or biscuit or burger or something. Some days I have HJ's for breakky, macca's for lunch and pizza for dinner. I have tried so many times to stop, but I get angry, I jiggle my leg (do that most days anyway lol) and just get cravings and race to the shop, come home and down a whole pack of tim tams. I am at a loss as to what to try with that one. I am not like a gigantic fat guy who eats nothing but junk food, but I must have a daily fix of something and I am overweight.

[SpoolMan]

My wife smoked for 30 years once or twice gave up for a few weeks, last August she did hypnosis since walking out of the 1st of 2 sessions she hasnt had a smoke, $100 a week better off purchased herself a new car and the smoke savings pays for it.
Hypnosis isn't a miracle cure, the 1st thing they tell you is you have to want to give up, if you don't really want it don't waste your money, all hypnosis does it empowers you to make the better choice, eg: no to smoking.

[GT0132]

Originally Posted by SpoolMan

My wife smoked for 30 years once or twice gave up for a few weeks, last August she did hypnosis since walking out of the 1st of 2 sessions she hasnt had a smoke, $100 a week better off purchased herself a new car and the smoke savings pays for it.
Hypnosis isn't a miracle cure, the 1st thing they tell you is you have to want to give up, if you don't really want it don't waste your money, all hypnosis does it empowers you to make the better choice, eg: no to smoking.

Exactly what I did....I actually had my last smoke 2 days before the 1st session so its a real useful tool to reinforce the desire not to smoke.

A big incentive to quit nowadays though is that smokers are only a small percentage of the poplation now with the habit becoming increasingly anti-social, compared to the pre 1980's when there were m ofre smokers than non smokers.



Can't seem to rid myself of the 5-7kg weight gain since quitting though no matter how hard I try with diet and exercise....was not overweight at all before quitting.,..Oh well would rather be overweight than a smoker I guess

[MWTB]

Originally Posted by Professor Farnsworth

i smoked from age 16 to age 22. I burnt a pack of 16Mg Winfield Red's a day. This is how i gave up:

i stopped.

For about a month you'll be angry, with everyone, you'll feel like arguing with a tree if it looks at you the wrong way. After about 4 weeks you'll start to feel better.

The biggest problem will be the 'boredom moments' where you get up from your desk/computer/couch or whatever and your mind will flick a switch and say 'smoke time!'. This is what you have to beat, by chewing gum, going and learning something new on wiki, read some jokes, comics, write a letter, hey even write a journal on the process? After a few mins the craving will go. The more you fight it, the smaller the craving gets.

The other biggest issue is alcohol. I rarely have that now too, but when i did it literally went hand in hand with a smoke. Hold a pen with the other hand, a stick, twig, toothpick. A lot of the addiction is holding it, and bringing it to your mouth.

Don't waste extra money on patches, smokers gum etc, stop the expense now and know that a few weeks of hard work will pay off, big time.

I didn't snoke for as long as you, but the ones i did smoke were not light cigarettes lol. I was hooked to the point of having three in a row.

I'd say good luck but you don't need it, just look at your kids faces, then stop.

Pretty much exactly what I suggested too. Glad it worked for others too.

But **** man, 3 reds in a row? I love my Marlboro Reds, but jesus, there's no way I could do more than 2 in a row, and that's only if I'm at work just talking **** on smokeo or something!

Good to hear so many people have successfully quit. I'll bookmark this thread for when I decide to quit, it sounds very helpful.

[toothless]

Originally Posted by Spudz27

I smoked for 12 years, my motivation was my fiance being pregnant with my 6yr old daughter. For some reason 1 month after she told me, I put the 20smokes I still had on the capping and never looked back. I smoked a pack maybe more each day. It was a hrad few days, but I got through it. Sounds like your health is being affected and you have kids, pretty good motivation there. I like many others know how hard it can be, I have a major heart condition but still continued smoking, but all it took was my daughter on the way to make me stop.

I reckon cold turkey is the fastest option. The nicotine is gone in 3 days. But I know what addiction is like, I gave up smoking but I am addicted to junk foods. I can not go a day without a chocolate, or biscuit or burger or something. Some days I have HJ's for breakky, macca's for lunch and pizza for dinner. I have tried so many times to stop, but I get angry, I jiggle my leg (do that most days anyway lol) and just get cravings and race to the shop, come home and down a whole pack of tim tams. I am at a loss as to what to try with that one. I am not like a gigantic fat guy who eats nothing but junk food, but I must have a daily fix of something and I am overweight.

sounds like your a bottemless pitt like me i gain up to 142kg and loose it within a few months and its the same all over i but if i start to quit smoking and ride my bike to drop the kids of at school instead of driving which mind you its only a 1km drive to there school i shouldn't have the need for the first smoke of the day because when i exercise i dont want a smoke i dont feel like a smoke either

i also bought the inhaler today aswell and that seems to be working but ouch on the refills though

[toothless]

and allso thank you all for the great advice aswell so keep them coming the more i see and relise the better chance i should have this time

[EB#]

After being a pack-a-day smoker for years, I gave up by chewing the
nicco gum for 12 months.
6 months on the strong one, then 6 on the weak one.
Worked for me........ been off the smokes about 5 years now and don't miss em at all !

[bunter]

ok being an x smoker, and was smoking from the age of around 11 years old up untill 8 years ago when i gave up, i was a very very heavey smoker the last 3 years of smoking, i was smoking just over 150 smokes a day, that was 3 packets of arozen 50s and if i ran out i used to pinch smokes off of my wife.

giving up smoking was the hardest thing i have ever had to do and it came at a price, one i wish never happen.

how did i do it well 90% of it is in your head trsut me when i say this, if you dont win its because you didn't win the battle of mind over matter.

for the first 4 days i wore paches, then on the forth day i was amazed i lasted this long without a smoke, then i said ive gone this far i can do it without the patches.

i went cold turkey from then on, i used a large box of chuppa chups, every time i wanted a smoke i had a chuppa chup. but i still suffered from withdrawals and my anger was over the top i would snap and get upset easy.

But i hung in there as i was determend to give up, you really want to give up 200% or it will not work and you will go back to smoking, you need the will power, im better for it.

when i was giving up the smokes i would wake up with allot of blood and brown gunk in my mouth on the roof of my mouth and all in my beard for 3 months.

as i said it comes at a price and lucky for me it wasn't my life but it meant i could never chew foot with real teeth ever again.

people that smoke no matter how well they thing they brush there teeth it still dont help damage is already done.

[toothless]

I had friends over for dinner tonight and because her partner is a smoker it was so very tempting but i stuck to my guns and said no

[Russ]

Good for you mate, hang in there and don't give in to temptation, if you can hold out for around 2 - 3 weeks the worst will be over and before you know it you'll no longer crave it. Eventually you'll become one of us reformed smokers (12 + years now) who can't stand the stench of cigarette smoke anymore and you'll feel 100 % better as well, and according to my friends and family, smell a lot better too

[Pedro]

Originally Posted by evl_el

I had friends over for dinner tonight and because her partner is a smoker it was so very tempting but i stuck to my guns and said no

Good on you evl_el keep sticking to your guns. Look more closely at those pics on cigarette packs and believe what you see.

I gave it up cold turkey many years ago by keeping a pack with the lid stuck closed with sticky tape in my pocket all the time. When I went to the pub and had a few I'd reach for a dart and find the pack stuck shut. That was enough to jolt my brain into remembering I was giving the filthy health destroying things up.

[bunter]

i do have the once in a blue moon cigar, but you don't inhale them, and i will never go back to smokes ever, evl_el keep at it in the long run you will breath much better, you will taste food like you haven't in a long time and smell things you didn't notice b4. remember you can do it be leave in yourself set goals and have a plan if you have problems. cravings

[nuthin' fancy]

Congratulations on your decision. I never listened to much that my Dad told me, but one thing I did hear was that the easiest way to stop smoking is never to start. I grow up in a single bathroom house and my dad used to smoke rollies (White Ox) and would smoke in the toilet that I then had to use.

Now that made it easy to never start!

Just take it a day at a time, if you want to give up for the rest of your life, then you need to get to tomorrow night without a ciggy. Reset each day and repeat.

Good luck and good health to you.

[poppa smurf]

it doesn't matter what method you use.....what works for one may not work for another.

the main thing is to keep trying.....as the ad says "never give up trying to give up!!"

plenty of inspiration in here......when you feel like a smoke take a look back

[GT0132]

Originally Posted by bunter

i do have the once in a blue moon cigar, but you don't inhale them, and i will never go back to smokes ever, evl_el keep at it in the long run you will breath much better, you will taste food like you haven't in a long time and smell things you didn't notice b4. remember you can do it be leave in yourself set goals and have a plan if you have problems. cravings

so you'll get mouth cancer rather than lung cancer ?