Brain Chemisty

Those few short weeks will grow onto months in no time MM, and the craving does fade very quickly once you're into months territory.

The reason I packed in was when I asked my then 12 year daughter what she wanted for Xmas and she replied with, "I want you to give up smoking" I told her it was very difficult but I'd try, and did nothing about it for a few weeks. Then one morning I arrived at work, got into the office and reached into my pocket for my cigs - I'd left them at home on top of the TV. Only one other guy smoked and he'd just lit up his last one. Anyway, I had an emergency job to go out to so had to leave right away and thought I'd pick up a pack when I was done. It was lunchtime before I got back to my van and realised, I'd not had a smoke all morning.

Thinking back to what my daughter had said I thought, well I've started so may as well finish and decided to go all day without a cig. 1 day became 2, became 4 became 8 and so on. I hit a bit of a crisis at 3 weeks but got through it ok and from there on things got better. It still wasn't easy because a few of my mates still smoked so trips to the pub were hard and my Dad smoked as well, I spent a lot of time helping him out at his garage and he always had one on the go.

The day I knew I'd never start again was when I got the pack I'd left on top of the TV (My missus, Liz had never touched them for months) took them to the bin and threw them in with my lighter. That was the defining moment. I never consider myself a non-smoker, just someone who used to smoke but chooses not to anymore.

Keep it up, believe me it's worth it, your health and you family will thank you for it :)
 
It is weird the side effects tablets can have. I was taking something for a long term headache and realised I was suffering memory blanks. I was adamant I hadn't done some things at work and it was a bit scary to see them in my handwriting.

Hope the quitting goes well :thumbsup:
 
Thank Dewi its good to hear the success stories.

As a smoker talking to ex-smokers you always hear the not had one for 20 years! But still get the cravings!! And you just think well F that i dont want to give up and still want them 20 years latter!!!

But what people who have given up for 20 years forget to say (and this is just what i think?) Is that they may think they want a smoke.... But in fact they just remember a happy time when they where smoking!!
And that they dont actually have cravings like they just gave up! Witch to the person just giving up seems like a very big mountain.. 20 years feeling like this.... No thanks i will have a fag!! Happened to me loads of times.

I feel really positive this time. Now my head is in the correct place. And after going through the last few month i really dont want to do that again. Plus i am really feeling the benefits. Apples taste AMAZING!! And my seance of smell is getting better. Smokers really do stink dont they!!!

That must have been really scary jaRED!! And thanks :) :thumbsup:
 
I always thought 'once a smoker always a smoker' and the craving never goes just diminishes with time.
I asked one of the GP nurses who was treating me whether she had ever smoked, she said no, but her husband who gave up 20 years ago often says that if he was ever diagnosed with something serious, the first thing he would do go and have a cigarette!
 
Another ex-smoker here. Started at 12 (yeah, I know...), quit at 27 when in the military - thought if i didn't smoke during a really stressful time of my life, then I never would. It worked, and 35 years later I don't miss it at all. Agree you initially miss the fag-and-a-pint, but that goes.

Food cravings will stay MM - part of enjoying the taste of food again. Just be careful of replacing the smoking addiction with one for mints (my mate became addicted to polos when he quit - was a three-packs-a-day man :D )
 
I was an occasional smoker from my uni days and then about 5 years ago I had a relatively serious health problem (not directly smoking related, although some theories say there may be links). This put a lot of things into perspective and I realised how precious health is. Quit from that day on and never had another cigarette and never will. I don't need any more health problems.
 
I am hungry like a wolf all the time!! I haven't replaced it with anything. After seeing my dad chew airwaves like they where going out of fashion!!

Same Ruby i gave up 2 years ago for 3 months after my skin cancer thing. Hopefully wont be giving up again!!
 
:D :D Yeah, I put on a almost stone after stopping smoking - couldn't stop nibbling biscuits. Once you settle into being a non smoker though you can always lose it again, better to be a little overweight than to slowly kill youself by bunging up your insides with tar.

Do you know another advantage of not smoking, MM? Decorating the house! I used to have to paint the livng room every 12 months when I smoked. I've just finished it a few weeks ago, it's 5 years since it was last painted, doing the ceiling was a pain because I couldn't tell where I'd already done, it was stil that clean. Everything stays cleaner / fresher longer, even the headlining in the car. I have a mate who still smokes and I was at his place not long ago, the smell hit me when I went in the front door and all the walls and ceilings were horrible yellow - the overflowing ashtray wasn't very nice either. I hate going in his car, that stinks too. :D
 
Alan Carr's easyway to stop smoking was what did it for me, I had tried to give up many times and would for a few months, and then something would happen and I would light that first one of then the many that followed,

I found the book explained why you smoked in a logical and obvious way, that was 7 years ago, whilst I have been tempted many times and have had the odd drag, I now understand why I smoked and as they say understanding why is everything.

So now I know that the thought of smoking, or the happy memory of drinking coffee, outside a cafe in Paris smoking a cigarette with friends, and that the association of a cigarette to the memory and other happy memories, was not actually due to the cigarette, but me

Good luck MM
 
Dewi said:
Once you settle into being a non smoker though you can always lose it again, better to be a little overweight than to slowly kill youself by bunging up your insides with tar.

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+1 :thumbsup:
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I knew i would be putting a bit of weight on. So i started cycling to work once a week to start. I am ridding in again tomorrow fist time doing it twice that will 52 miles this week.
Keeps me fit so i notice the difference from smoking. And helps me keep the waistline under control...

We never smoked in the house or cars. Well i had a sneaky one or 2 in my car...... Its been 5 years since we decorated and the wife says we need to.. I have told her my car need painting first!!

Thanks Sars its really encouraging hearing all you who have managed it. I gave up for 6 months 10 years ago using the Allan Carr's book. It really dose make you realize how silly it all is!!
 
Can't really say what made me stop, no pressure from wife, family or friends, cost was never an issue as my son frequently travels through Dubai (around £10 for 200) and even the local GP's only advised me to quit in a fairly easy going way.

Never smoked indoors and very rarely in a car but last year we were joined by our son, partner and three grandchildren, eldest 6, youngest 6 months and if anything it is down to their presence in the house that got me thinking.

I doubt whether I would have stopped without a visit to the GP/nursing staff, starting a course of NRT and I don't think I could have faced the nurses to tell them I failed.

To be honest I haven't found it too difficult, don't think I've been more Victor Meldrew-like than usual, someone close by might disagree.

Found this post very enlightening, good to share and conveniently brings me to the magical 500!
 
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