Quitting smoking AGAIN...

[GD91]

I swear this is getting easier each time.

Started my "no ciggy" ban this morning. So far I'm getting cravings, but just ignoring them and letting them pass. The cravings can last a few minutes or so and feel like sudden anxiety or a "high" of some sort, but they pass.

I've previously quit:

2013 - Electric ciggies - quit for 4 months, but still had the nicotine addiction.
2012 - Nicoretted patch and inhalator - lasted all of 4 days
2011 - Nicorette patch - lasted a week (I think.)

Now it's 2014 and I'm just hitting it cold turkey. I'm fully expecting to feel awful. My plan is little more than to cling on and ignore each craving as it passes.
I've downloaded the Smoke free quitting app to mind, so I can keep track

My main reasons for quitting

* Improving my health.
* Sick of spending money on tobbaco and nicotine products (£4.80 a day!).
* Looking to try and have a baby (been trying for 3 years with no success, so hopefully quitting will help this.)

I've been smoking for 10 years since I was 13 years old, so as you can imagine, I don't really remember not smoking.
However, I started having real issues with shortness in breath and a few other smoking related issues (I.E developing the beginnings of wrinkles at the age of 23!)

I smoked about 25 - 30 rolled cigarrettes per day. I've not had any real issues today, but I'll bet it gets worse before it gets better.

I began this morning, have not had one ciggie. I have a partner who smokes, but he locks himself away in our home office with the window open. He's looking to quit to, but he struggles more than me and doesn't bother trying to cut down unless I quit completely. Or maybe that's just his excuse? Oh well, its his life.

Tell me your stories.

 

[goatgurl]

well GD91, long story short, I'm like you and started smoking at 13 and by the age of 22 was smoking over a pack a day. had my first child that year and continued to smoke. got pregnant again 2 years later had an ectopic pregnancy and lost that baby. two year later, pregnant again and was bound and determined to do everything i could to have a healthy baby so i quit cold turkey. ironically had a second tubal pregnancy and lost that baby too. i was grieving badly for not only the baby but the ability to ever have another child and wanted to smoke sooo badly but was bound and determined not to. every time i wanted a cigarette i said out loud "thank you God for not letting me smoke this one cigarette". as the weeks and months went on it got easier and easier. it has been 39 years and i am still a nonsmoker. it won't be easy but you can do this.
then there was my mom who smoked for over 70 years and at the age of 83 decided that she was tired of paying so much for cigarettes and decided to quit, also cold turkey. and never smoked again. she died last summer at the age of 92. still a non smoker.
good luck, you can do this. just set your mind to it

 

[Baymule]

I quit. I did it a bit differently. You never want something so badly as when you don't have it. So I put packs of cigs EVERYWHERE. They were in my purse, on the nightstand, on the chair side table, on the dash board of the car, EVERYWHERE. When I thought I just had to have one, I picked up a pack and told myself that I was bigger and stronger than any cigarette. It worked for me.

 

[GD91]

Great to hear.

I've still got the option there to smoke, I also think that if you don't have the option to have a ciggy then your more likely to go out of your mind wanting one I've read that I can be expected to gain upto 2 stone if I quit which is good (I'm a bit on the skinny side.)

I keep having cravings they'll go in the next week hopefully, although I don't know how long the mental effects will last.

Do You?

 

[Southern by choice]

I think it is wonderful that you are not giving up and are giving it another go!

A few people I know tried everything , so many times... then they did the Chantix. I think that is what it is called. Apparently the drug can have some real side affects but it did work for them without any issues.

@Baymule - I like your style!
And @goatgurl " i said out loud "thank you God for not letting me smoke this one cigarette"."
That gave me chills and even teared up .

 

[Baymule]

Great to hear.

I've still got the option there to smoke, I also think that if you don't have the option to have a ciggy then your more likely to go out of your mind wanting one I've read that I can be expected to gain upto 2 stone if I quit which is good (I'm a bit on the skinny side.)

I keep having cravings they'll go in the next week hopefully, although I don't know how long the mental effects will last.

Do You?

It took a full 3 years before I absolutely never wanted one again. Every great once in awhile I wanted one, but never smoked one. They are a strong drug and should be treated as such. I now cannot stand the smell of cigerettes

 

[BrownSheep]

Not a smoker but hugs from me!
Maybe a reward system would help. Go so long with out and use the money you would have spent on cigarettes on something you really want.

 

[GD91]

You must be joking I'm afraid The money I save on smoking is going on feeding my fur babies (rabbits, dogs, chickens, quail) I won't have a penny left for myself.

But... They are soooo worth it.

 

[Sumi]

Good luck! I'm postponing quitting, yet again. I did with Zyban, for two weeks, before I caved and had a ciggie and started smoking again. Still kicking myself over that one... I'm going to try the Chantix, if I can find a doctor that will prescribe it. Our local bunch says "it's dangerous" like smoking isn't? My reason for quitting, apart from the obvious health reasons and that I'm tired of the inconvenience of this addiction is my planned move to Ireland next year. Cigarettes are very expensive there and I realised I'm going to battle to afford it, and have a decent standard of living, fund planned projects, etc so I made myself a deal: If I want to move, I have to quit.

 

[greybeard]

I quit for 6 months a few years ago, when I had the flu. Was taking a lot of nyquill, realized I had no craving when asleep and so I just stayed zonked out for about a week and was easy after that but started back smoking one night on a long solo road trip. Keep saying I'm going to quit again, but my wife and kids know when I die, to put a pack in my shirt pocket with a lighter before they close the lid on my coffin in case I get where I'm going and wake up wanting one. (lighter may be unnecessary)
I didn't start till I was 42 but that's been 23 years ago.