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Struggling to Give Up Smoking??

I couldn't find a tsr thread for people trying to give up smoking, so I decided to make one!

Is anyone else struggling to give up smoking?

I've been a regular smoker for 2 years, and am now really trying to give up, but finding it virtually impossible. The withdrawal is killing me.
If anyone has any tips on how to give up or simply want to share their own addiction problems, please post here!

:s-smilie:

Reply 1

Globalise

I started smoking when I was about 15, and gradually increased my daily consumption of smokes to about 20 a day over a period of about 6 years. After a while, however, I realised that I no longer enjoyed it and wanted to quit. Over the course of about a year, I tried most methods of giving up, including cold turkey, but none worked. However, the only real way I found to quit was to buy a box of nicotine lozenges every day, and munch away as many as I wanted for a period of one year. As the lozenges contain 2mg nicotine each, and I was getting through up to 30 in a day, that's a significant amount more nicotine passing through the body than before... However, after a year, all of the behavioural habits relating to smoking, such as being in a shop and wanting to buy cigarettes, or in the pub and wanting to pick up a fag from a packet sitting on the table, or sneaking a puff on a mate's...they simply vanished, so the eventual cold turkey from the lozenges, whilst more painful physically, was less psychologically problematic. In addition, over the course of the year, the physical benefits of not smoking, such as clearer lungs and improved overall fitness, not to mention ability in bed, make the case for ceasing and desisting all the more compelling. I have now not gone anywhere near a cigarette or nicotine for over two years. I would heartily recommend this as the way to do it! Good luck - it's worth it!

Reply 2

galacticdctator

Globalise

Over the course of about a year, I tried most methods of giving up, including cold turkey, but none worked. However, the only real way I found to quit was to buy a box of nicotine lozenges every day, and munch away as many as I wanted for a period of one year.

I've never tried lozenges- I've tried gum but after about a minute they actually start to taste like ash.

Oh man, I can't wait to get over the hump

Reply 3

fblade

Have you tried Smoking Cessation (might be wrong spelling), its like a course where you meet a cessation advisor to help you give up smoking, try your local pharmacy.

What about patches? Have seen lots of people use them. lol the gum only seen 1-2 people buy them.

Reply 4

galacticdctator

fblade

What about patches? Have seen lots of people use them. lol the gum only seen 1-2 people buy them.

Am currently wearing two patches ( I know its not really allowed but 1 was just not working ). Never heard of this smoking cessation thingy though, sounds cool- I'll look into it.

Reply 5

dita_parlo

I've smoked 20 cigs a day for over 10 years now and I am struggling to give up. I am using the maximum strength patches which are working for the most part, but every now and then I replase and end up having a cig. Usually on a Sat night when me and my boyfriend have a drink, grrr. I have found though that upping my time at the gym, and generally being more active than I was as a smoker has helped me to keep off the cigs, but I feel your pain, it is SO difficult.

Reply 6

The Bishman

Nobody likes a quitter.

Reply 7

1sun

to stop smoking, 2 things are required. 1) you have to WANT to quit, i mean really want to and 2) will power. without those your ****ed.
i quit cold turkey for 9 months and it was relatively easy becuase i had the desire to quit. i started again, tried to stop but didnt really want to so lasted about a day.

Reply 8

galacticdctator

Do you guys think that it's best to quit cold turkey, or to wean yourself off slowly?

Reply 9

always + forever

I found the gum to be most helpful: you don't chew it like real chewing gum, you just chew it a lil' bit and then you kind of push it up between your cheek and your teeth. The patches are pretty good too, but if it's the actual action of smoking that you miss, you can get these "fake" cigs, which are plastic and you put this clear capsule in them. When you take a drag, it somehow (by magic?) releases nicotine. Ask at the pharmacy counter in Boots if you're interested.

Reply 10

dita_parlo

I think cold turkey is probably best; in the past every time I've tried to quit I've tried cutting down, but I always just end up eventually smoking more again.

Reply 11

sabby ohh

ugh i feel your pain haha. i've only smoked for about 11 months and i haven't a clue why i bloody started in the first place (well, who does?!). i've been trying to stop half-heartedly for a few weeks and have set a proper date (this monday!) to actually properly quit and stop messing about with it. gahh.

Reply 12

didi997

I'm a light-ish smoker, and whenever I go over a day without a cigarette my throat becomes far too sore to ever want to quit.

Reply 13

Rutter knows best!

why would you want to give up smoking? it looks soooo cool and if your lucky you can piss of the fascists who are responsible for imposing the ban with a bit of passive smoke.

Reply 14

tetrahydrocannabinol.

Smoking wha...?

;pd;

Reply 15

silverbolt

cold turkey, but as was said you need to really really want to quit, if your doing it becasue you think you should or beacuse someone else wants you to quit then you wont.

If you dont ant to quit for yourself then you wont, its why ive never bothered to quit

Reply 16

galacticdctator

Hmmm...
I guess theres some truth in what they say about nicotine being one of the most addictive drugs- I've been getting some strange withdrawal symptoms. I know that there are things that its much harder to give up, but this is killing me, I swear. I like the sound of those fake ciggarettes though.