It's All In Your Mind!

[oki]

...and I managed it to STOP smoking from one to the other day. How? I just believed in myself! It's that easy!

[kellbell]

Fully agree. Stopping smoking was easy for me once I had decided I actually wanted to stop. I used to smoke between 2-3 packs a day. Benson and Hedges only. At the time they were around 5 pounds a pack. I used to do a lot of driving in my job, around 1000-1100 miles a week. I was on my way home Friday afternoon and had pulled into the service station to fill up and get my 3rd pack of the day. As I was filling the car a guy rode in on a new Yamaha R1. It looked beautiful. It then hit me that if I didn't smoke I could have one.I was actually spending more on smokes than I was on my mortgage.

Tthat,s exactly what I did. I didn't get that 3rd pack and the next day went to the local Yamaha shop and got myself an R1. I never had another cigarette since and know that I never will. even in times of high stress and heartache I have never had the urge to have another cigarette. It was the best thing I ever did even though I used to enjoy smoking.

As said all it takes is for you to REALLY want to stop. Once you7 do it is the easiest thing in the world.

[hanuman2543]

It was the same for me. Stopped cold turkey after decicding no longer to smoke . I smoked for 33 year about 30 cigs a day. The first week I even had an open packet of LM Light in home. I am a happy non-smker for 2,5 years now and it was one of the best decisions I ever made.

[ravip]

Stopping cold turkey is the best method - I agree 100%.

If you need help, read the book "Allen Carr's Easyway To Stop Smoking".

I did it after many years of smoking.

VERY TRUE...

"As said all it takes is for you to REALLY want to stop. Once you do it is the easiest thing in the world".

[ThaiPauly]

Ihave read that book at least 3 times and tried to quit afterwards, but I have failed every time.

It's really depressing to keep on failing

[carmine]

Ihave read that book at least 3 times and tried to quit afterwards, but I have failed every time.

It's really depressing to keep on failing

Keep trying mate. Its worth it. The book works but only if you have made a commitment to yourself to stop. You have to really want to.

Its 90% in the mind. Physical withdrawel is negligable. Good luck

PS. Spurs really have to beat Reading on sunday!

[TommyTucker]

It is all about WILLPOWER. I used to smoke 40 a day, then after having a really bad cough I decided to give up. I had only just bougt two pack of Malboro Lights on the way home from work. I left one pack in the car and one pack on the kitchen table, both unopened. The willpower involved in not opening either pack was huge and I challenged myself not to open either pack. It worked and I soon felt better both healthwise and financially! That was about 10 years ago when 20 cigarettes cost £ 3.00. I am not sure exactly how much a pack of 20 costs now but if they are £ 5.00 or £ 6.00 in the UK you would save at least £ 3,650.00 a year if you were smoking 40 a day!!

[Sheryl]

Nocotine is physically addictive and people vary enormously in their susceptibility to its addictive prioperties.

The physical act of smoking can be pyschologically addictive, which is one reason why people whio quit often put on weight -- they substitute one tension relieving oral habit with another.

I think it is important to respect individual differences and not assume that what was true in your particular case is true in all. There are people who suffer agonizing physical withdrawal when trying to quit smoking. I did not, but that doesn't mean I had more will power than anyone else. I was just a whole lot luckier in my physiology. I certainly know people who have gone through sheer hell trying to stop, and it wasn't for lack of character of "will power".

[carmine]

Nocotine is physically addictive and people vary enormously in their susceptibility to its addictive prioperties.

The physical act of smoking can be pyschologically addictive, which is one reason why people whio quit often put on weight -- they substitute one tension relieving oral habit with another.

I think it is important to respect individual differences and not assume that what was true in your particular case is true in all. There are people who suffer agonizing physical withdrawal when trying to quit smoking. I did not, but that doesn't mean I had more will power than anyone else. I was just a whole lot luckier in my physiology. I certainly know people who have gone through sheer hell trying to stop, and it wasn't for lack of character of "will power".

Thats interesting, i didn't know that physical withdrawel differed from person to person.

I certainly don't doubt you Sheryl but were you aware that this is one of the most powerful bullet points that Allen Carr's method hammers into you, that the physical pain of withdrawel is almost negligable! His point is that the so called pain is cleverly drummed into you by forces happier to see you remain smoking

[mrbojangles]

Nocotine is physically addictive and people vary enormously in their susceptibility to its addictive prioperties.

The physical act of smoking can be pyschologically addictive, which is one reason why people whio quit often put on weight -- they substitute one tension relieving oral habit with another.

I think it is important to respect individual differences and not assume that what was true in your particular case is true in all. There are people who suffer agonizing physical withdrawal when trying to quit smoking. I did not, but that doesn't mean I had more will power than anyone else. I was just a whole lot luckier in my physiology. I certainly know people who have gone through sheer hell trying to stop, and it wasn't for lack of character of "will power".

Thats interesting, i didn't know that physical withdrawel differed from person to person.

I certainly don't doubt you Sheryl but were you aware that this is one of the most powerful bullet points that Allen Carr's method hammers into you, that the physical pain of withdrawel is almost negligable! His point is that the so called pain is cleverly drummed into you by forces happier to see you remain smoking

Must admit I haven't read the book. I just went cold turkey and have taken every minute and hour at a time. At first I didn't even tell myself I was quitting, that would have been too daunting. I just kept on telling myself I was seeing how long I could go in between my next one. Only now after more than 9 weeks am I daring to even think that I may have quit and will never have one again.

[grandslam]

Ihave read that book at least 3 times and tried to quit afterwards, but I have failed every time.

It's really depressing to keep on failing

ThaiPauly like you I read the book believed it and thought I was the failure but someone once

told me don't stop stopping and I kept thinking of that and also read a more up to date book

free on Kindle called The Book on Quitting Smoking by Diane Barnes, this hit home. I will be

able to do it this time as I want to stop because I've been told it's making me very ill. I had

hoped in the past I could stop before being told to but it would have been easier had I made

up my mind that I was stopping because I wanted to stop as some of the other posters have

said. Good Luck tell yourself you won't fail and I don't think you will. I know this time I'll win.

[transam]

I gave up 25 years ago and started up again. Me, happy with my choice, why, cos perhaps l don't care. Life is for doing what you want until you expire. Folk might say your not thinking about your loved ones if you croke. I say they do stuff that may shorten their life too, up to them, l/them/we don't want to be locked in a cupboard and live to be 100 unsatisfied, do your stuff, l am.

[carmine]

I gave up 25 years ago and started up again. Me, happy with my choice, why, cos perhaps l don't care. Life is for doing what you want until you expire. Folk might say your not thinking about your loved ones if you croke. I say they do stuff that may shorten their life too, up to them, l/them/we don't want to be locked in a cupboard and live to be 100 unsatisfied, do your stuff, l am.

Thats all very well and thats your choice but this forum is about those who WANT to stop smoking

[transam]

I gave up 25 years ago and started up again. Me, happy with my choice, why, cos perhaps l don't care. Life is for doing what you want until you expire. Folk might say your not thinking about your loved ones if you croke. I say they do stuff that may shorten their life too, up to them, l/them/we don't want to be locked in a cupboard and live to be 100 unsatisfied, do your stuff, l am.

Thats all very well and thats your choice but this forum is about those who WANT to stop smoking

Ooooooooooooop's, sorry.

[linuxuser010101]

Yep, quitting was easy I did it at least 30 times, this time it's kind of sticking but I did slip up a few times in the past 5 months. I know I am no longer physically addicted to nicotine but I get strong cravings to smoke, I do enjoy it and the only thing keeping me from going back to it is my skin feels better, my face isn't greasy, my teeth are white for the first time that I can remember and I don't wake up with that nasty taste in my mouth like someone took a dump. I also consider my children who are young because my wife and I got started late in life and we would like to be around for them. I do feel better when I don't smoke and I tend to eat more healthy and do not drink when I do not smoke so, it's one of those things you need to take moment by moment not day by day. I don't know how much of it is in your mind and how much of it actually becomes part of you, I smoked for 3/4 of my life so not smoking is just odd.

[Neeranam]

Nocotine is physically addictive and people vary enormously in their susceptibility to its addictive prioperties.

The physical act of smoking can be pyschologically addictive, which is one reason why people whio quit often put on weight -- they substitute one tension relieving oral habit with another.

I think it is important to respect individual differences and not assume that what was true in your particular case is true in all. There are people who suffer agonizing physical withdrawal when trying to quit smoking. I did not, but that doesn't mean I had more will power than anyone else. I was just a whole lot luckier in my physiology. I certainly know people who have gone through sheer hell trying to stop, and it wasn't for lack of character of "will power".

Many years ago(about 22) I quit a 40 day(B&H) habit very easily. I was practising meditation and the 'guru' told me it was all in the mind so I stopped very easily with no withdrawal symptoms.

Recently, I've been trying to quit again and it it MUCH harder. Is it 'willpower' ? Depends if you thing addiction is a disease. Willpower cannot cure a disease.

Anyways, it is much harder now but that could be because it's all in my mind.

I found it beneficial to be accountable to someone - I wrote to a friend saying the day I was quitting.

Today is my 3rd day smoke-free and as Johnny Cash says, "every day get better than the day before"

[mrbojangles]

Many years ago(about 22) I quit a 40 day(B&H) habit very easily. I was practising meditation and the 'guru' told me it was all in the mind so I stopped very easily with no withdrawal symptoms.

Recently, I've been trying to quit again and it it MUCH harder. Is it 'willpower' ? Depends if you thing addiction is a disease. Willpower cannot cure a disease.

Anyways, it is much harder now but that could be because it's all in my mind.

I found it beneficial to be accountable to someone - I wrote to a friend saying the day I was quitting.

Today is my 3rd day smoke-free and as Johnny Cash says, "every day get better than the day before"

Good on yer Neeranam. I did something similar WRT to committing myself to someone. As the weeks went by and I gained confidence that I could do it, I committed myself further by letting others know. Today is 12 smoke free weeks for me.

[Neeranam]

3 weeks and feeling good - I really felt like a cigar late last night but didn't have one.

Can anyone suggest ways not to have a 'slip'?

Any good threads on staying quit?

Thanks

NN

[mrbojangles]

3 weeks and feeling good - I really felt like a cigar late last night but didn't have one.

Can anyone suggest ways not to have a 'slip'?

Any good threads on staying quit?

I'm 15 weeks clean today and feeling good too Neeranam. I've also fancied the odd ciggie or cigar but resisted and after 5-10 minutes of resistence, totally forgot about wanting one. I think fighting off the urge is the only way.

[Scott]

I don't know that it's all in your mind, but if you have made over the worst part of the addictive process, when you get a rather sudden urge, it helps to take a very deep breath, then exhale completely, almost until your lungs hurt from all the air being out, then take a very deep breath and hold it. Repeat if necessary a few times. There's something that helps about that contraction and expansion of the lungs that simulates some of the physical side of smoking.

[NeverSure]

I don't know the mysteries (to me) of nicotine. Allen Carr's book convinced me that it was more mental than physical, but maybe the drug does the mental thing too. I just don't know. I agree every one is different, too.

A tiny thing mentioned by Carr convinced me that much was in my mind about a cigarette being my "friend," something I didn't want to lose. I saw that when I was smoking, I smoked about one per hour m/l, and if I went for about 4-5 hours I got real cravings and felt some kind of withdrawal.

But he made the point that when I'm sleeping that doesn't happen. I didn't wake up after 8 or 10 hours in withdrawal. I felt fine. The first thing I'd do is go P and then I'd make coffee. I'd make the coffee before having my first smoke so it could be brewing and my other "friend" would be ready. Only then would I go outside for my first smoke of the day but I was.not.sick. So Carr's point about this was that if I got sick from withdrawal only when I was awake, but never when asleep, then part of it had to be mental - conscious.

Chantix wasn't an option then so I had to just quit. I did it by believing Carr's statement that deep down I saw the cig as a friend, when in fact it was totally my enemy. I rejected that enemy, no longer saw a friend, and quit.

Another thing he reassured me with was the the carbon monoxide was gone in 8 hours, and the nicotine in 72 hours. After that there was still some withdrawal as the system sought a balance from the peaks and valleys of smoking each cig, but once I saw an enemy it was easier.

Today I'd want to try Chantix to assure that I didn't want to smoke at any time, but at the time I didn't need it because my mind was made up. In a weak moment I might well have fallen off the wagon, so again I think I'd also use Chantix. Hell, I'd let them lock me in a rubber room if I had to. Those cigs are nasty dirty unhealthful and expensive little items.

Congrats to all who quit and to those who will, congrats.

[MAJIC]

3 weeks and feeling good - I really felt like a cigar late last night but didn't have one.

Can anyone suggest ways not to have a 'slip'?

Any good threads on staying quit?

Thanks

NN

"There is no ways to have a slip" my past efforts of giving up smoking,have been broken because I thought I'm safe now so I will celebrate with a cigarette. Just like Alchoholics we can never have that one!

[CBR250]

3 weeks and feeling good - I really felt like a cigar late last night but didn't have one.

Can anyone suggest ways not to have a 'slip'?

Any good threads on staying quit?

Thanks

NN

Congratulations, you're doing great!!! I think the first 3 weeks is definitely the hardest time - staying quit gets easier as time goes by. At 3 weeks you are likely to get cravings fairly often. After 6 weeks I found cravings were much less, and after 3 months whole days went by when I didn't think about cigarettes.

But I'm still very wary of the power of nicotine, and have occasional desires to have just one cigarette. I probably will have these minor cravings for the rest of my life, although they are not nearly as uncomfortable as the cravings of early days. And as a few fellow ex-addicts have said, "you're a puff away from a pack a day". Just don't do it, no matter how tempting.

95% of what I do is 100% legal.