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Author Topic: Calling former smokers  (Read 2852 times)
Hunk

« on: Friday, October 9, 2020, 05:56:28 »

Hi folks, its time for me to kick the habit. How did any former smokers manage? I've never vaped before but I'm thinking of having a crack at it. Did you find that the best way to go, or did something else work better for you? Thanks in advance
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Richie Wellen-Dowd

« Reply #1 on: Friday, October 9, 2020, 06:08:15 »

I tried many things and the only one that worked was willpower. I wouldn't let that discourage you from trying other things though, vaping wasn't around when I gave up for example. Not being around smokers so much helped me I'd say, a combination of not going out so much and other people I knew quitting.

I've heard other ex-smokers say that the addiction never completely leaves you. For me that wasn't the case at all. It does take months and months but it gets gradually easier all the time. Good luck.
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Shrivvy Road

« Reply #2 on: Friday, October 9, 2020, 06:09:36 »

The tablets worked for me. I had one in the morning instead of that morning fag. With Champix you slowly come off smoking as well so it's slightly easier, what working for me was putting that first cigarette of the morning back by half hour every day. 2 weeks after taking the first tablet i had given up completely
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The Artist Formerly Known as Audrey

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« Reply #3 on: Friday, October 9, 2020, 06:23:44 »

Gave up 40 years ago. Saving up for my first house - £17,000 in Freshbrook!

Just stopped and that was that.
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4D
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« Reply #4 on: Friday, October 9, 2020, 06:39:06 »

Willpower. If you just go to an alternative you are still doing the same thing. Just get some sugar free chewing gum and do that instead. 6 years for me now, don't even think about it. So glad I stopped.
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Barry Scott

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« Reply #5 on: Friday, October 9, 2020, 07:08:03 »

Tried vaping, tried patches, tried gum, in the end the only thing that worked was Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking (educated cold turkey).

You've got to want to quit though and I found that book gave me both strength and knowledge that enabled me to stop. Over 10 years for me now.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Allen-Carrs-Easy-Stop-Smoking/dp/1405923318
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jayohaitchenn
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« Reply #6 on: Friday, October 9, 2020, 07:32:40 »

I tried everything and in the process of doing so I cut down and down and down and eventually just stopped. After a few months I had one with the lads in the Sir Dans before a Swindon match and I felt sick. It was horrible. Not touched them since them.

The final straw for me was seeing a former colleague @ GWH. He wasn't a smoker but he had lung cancer. Must've been only about 40 - 45 years old and he had brought he son with him to go to the appointment. Seeing that little lad with his old man was truly sobering. He looked terrified. I'd like to say this story has a happy ending, but it doesn't. RIP Gavin.
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Flashheart

« Reply #7 on: Friday, October 9, 2020, 07:53:13 »

Champix.

I was on 40 cigs a day. More at weekends. Within a couple of days of using champix I was smoking zero and didn't even want one. I wasn't even advised to stop buying cigs. I had some with me but just did not want them.

The course lasts for 6-8 weeks (something like that), and when you stop taking them the cravings come back again. By that time, however, you have had a 6-8 week head start.

The stuff comes with some pretty hardcore side-effects for some people. Bad dreams, even suicidal thoughts, so it has to be used very carefully and is not for everybody. I was one of the lucky ones although I did have some very vivid dreams (which I actually quite enjoyed).

You might also have some other side-effects if you are a heavy smoker. My stomach was distended like you see on starving kids in Africa - something to do with chemical imbalances (which rectify themselves). I also started coughing up blood, which is to do with the lungs healing themselves.

Good luck - quitting was one of the best things I've ever done.


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Nomoreheroes
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« Reply #8 on: Friday, October 9, 2020, 07:57:45 »

The Easy Way to Stop Smoking - Allen Carr

I'd smoked 15-20 per day for more years that I'd like to admit. I'd tried to stop a number of times, but I was much better at starting again than stopping. I was skeptical about 'self help' books but had seen some of my friends (who had smoked as many for as long as me) become successful through using it.

I got myself ready to stop and read the book in preparation. I stopped for a short while, but started again! I was surprised and annoyed with myself. I read several chapters of the book again and gave it another go - Something was different that time as I have never, ever wanted a cigarette again. I don't know why, but, that was the biggest change for me over all of the other ways I'd tried (cold turkey, reduction, patches, stop buying them, competitions with others etc etc). I just chose not to smoke and 12-13 years later I'm still free of it - And hate the smell of it!

Details here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Easy_Way_to_Stop_Smoking#:~:text=The%20Easy%20Way%20to%20Stop%20Smoking%20is%20a%20self%2Dhelp,empirical%20study%20of%20Carr's%20method.

« Last Edit: Friday, October 9, 2020, 08:00:07 by Nomoreheroes » Logged

You're my incurable malady. I miss the pleasure of your company.
Flashheart

« Reply #9 on: Friday, October 9, 2020, 08:01:45 »

Oh, and the Allen Carr book.

It was recommended to me once by somebody I was working with. At the time he was recommending it to me, we were outside having a smoke. Needless to say it did not fill me with confidence.

I'm not saying the book doesn't work, mind.
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jevs

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« Reply #10 on: Friday, October 9, 2020, 08:06:34 »

Tried vaping, tried patches, tried gum, in the end the only thing that worked was Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking (educated cold turkey).

You've got to want to quit though and I found that book gave me both strength and knowledge that enabled me to stop. Over 10 years for me now.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Allen-Carrs-Easy-Stop-Smoking/dp/1405923318

That book massively helped me stop, and I'm a total cynic when it comes to self help books but someone gave me a copy and the author makes a lot of sense. I would not recommend any method that just replaces one form of nicotine addiction with another, which is all that vaping, gum, patches are actually doing. I got prescribed that champix but it wasn't for me - horrible side effects, but I know a couple of people it helped stop.
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Abrahammer

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« Reply #11 on: Friday, October 9, 2020, 08:12:52 »

A simple vape for me, ignore the bullshit about them being bad for you

Been on it for a couple of years and it’s great, still have odd smoke when pissed simply for pleasure but other than that I don’t even think about the real things anymore
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Nomoreheroes
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« Reply #12 on: Friday, October 9, 2020, 08:17:24 »

Oh, and the Allen Carr book.

It was recommended to me once by somebody I was working with. At the time he was recommending it to me, we were outside having a smoke. Needless to say it did not fill me with confidence.

I'm not saying the book doesn't work, mind.
The point of the book is you make the decision to stop, then read it while you are smoking. You only stop AFTER reading it.

I don't want to spoil it for Mr Hunk, although its not a thriller or a real page turner and there is no magical ending. I thought it was written in a really arrogant style, but it was effective.

Mr Hunk has nothing to lose. He might as well waste his time reading it - What's the worst that can happen? He's killing himself slowly and reducing the length of his life by ingesting poison every day anyway. So if he wastes a few days reading a book then what's the issue?  [Its that sort of style]

There is a section in the book on 'substitutes' and 'wonder drugs'. Glad they worked with you Flash, but no way was I going to risk the side effects of what was available at the time for me.
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You're my incurable malady. I miss the pleasure of your company.
Chubbs

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« Reply #13 on: Friday, October 9, 2020, 08:19:12 »

Champix.

I was on 40 cigs a day. More at weekends. Within a couple of days of using champix I was smoking zero and didn't even want one. I wasn't even advised to stop buying cigs. I had some with me but just did not want them.

The course lasts for 6-8 weeks (something like that), and when you stop taking them the cravings come back again. By that time, however, you have had a 6-8 week head start.

The stuff comes with some pretty hardcore side-effects for some people. Bad dreams, even suicidal thoughts, so it has to be used very carefully and is not for everybody. I was one of the lucky ones although I did have some very vivid dreams (which I actually quite enjoyed).

You might also have some other side-effects if you are a heavy smoker. My stomach was distended like you see on starving kids in Africa - something to do with chemical imbalances (which rectify themselves). I also started coughing up blood, which is to do with the lungs healing themselves.

Good luck - quitting was one of the best things I've ever done.



I used champix twice and whilst both times i did it was a success, i did eventually start smoking again, but I think that was more down to my social life at the time. The 3rd and final time was just straight up cold turkey, no medication and that was 10 years ago now.
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Panda Paws

« Reply #14 on: Friday, October 9, 2020, 08:48:44 »

A simple vape for me, ignore the bullshit about them being bad for you


Out of interest, why? We don't know anywhere near enough yet whether it's damaging or not.
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