Anyone Giving Up This New Year?

[ThaiPauly]

After 40 years and a quarter of a million ciggies I have decided that I am gonna quit at midnight.

If any other TVF members are also intending to stop please post here. Moral support and all that.

It's not gonna be easy, but it's got to be done.

[irishsmile]

I'm joining you comrade! 35 years on the dreaded weed is starting to take its toll and I hope this is a new and successful beginning!

[notmyself]

After reading about all the dangers etc. I've made my choice. I'm giving up reading.

[Andrew65]

Yes I'll be trying again.

Managed to give up a few years ago for 5 months, used the chewing gum. Also reduced my booze intake quite a bit at that time, which I think helps, for me anyway.

I just heard that on old friend & smoker is dying of lung cancer, something that will spur me on a bit.

The e-cigs are good also I find.

[maswov]

I hope none of the girls will.

[BigBadGeordie]

Will be doing it (again, afraid to say).

But I WILL DO IT. Self positive re-enforcement.

Best of luck to everyone else.

[gkroo]

I will also be trying again to kick this filthy habit after 50 years with the habit !!!

Lets all try and hang in there guys and achieve this huge healthy goal for the start of 2015 !!!!!

[dotpoom]

I write to wish you every success and offer moral support. I myself gave up drinking and smoking almost 13 years ago. I smoked about 40 cigs. a day and couldn't stop drinking once I started. The first suggestion I might make is to stop telling yourself ...."it's not going to be easy"....If you keep focusing on that then it most certainly will be that way (your subconscious is taking in everything you are thinking and saying). Regarding the cigarettes, don't start off by deciding to give them up for the rest of your life...but just for today, or for a few hours or for 1 hour. No matter how addicted you are, you can put off a smoke for one hour. When the goo (urge) hits you, say to yourself "I'll wait for about 15 mins. before I light up". You may find that after 15 mins it has waned, Yes it will come back again and you do the same again but you will feel that you are beginning to gain control over the cigarette rather than it controlling you. It is good that you are seeking the support of others. I personally had to stop the drinking before I could stop the smoking. A drink and a smoke just went hand in hand...like pepper and salt. I couldn't have stopped the drinking on my own though...I sought help and got it and am a free man now...a slave to neither of them. Life is absolutely beautiful today as a result.

Again I wish you every success and try to remember if others can do it.....so can you....God Bless.

[marcho]

My first post, and i am going to try to, i liked the last comment. Cheers

[leeedwards]

Hope you give up guys. I've stopped since May and feel much better for it. My advice though would be to use champix and not the e-cigs. I tried the e-cigs and they only change your source of nicotine, which means you'll still crave it. Go with the champix. I was a 20 a day man and just stopped. No craving.

[GTI68]

Yes I agree. Champix and read "The Book".

Allen Carr Easy Way to Stop Smoking.

I stopped after 25 years without a hitch.

Good luck,.

[Rutabaga]

Chiang Mai has Nicotine anonymous meetings twice a week to help kick the habit

"Nicotine Anonymous: Wednesdays and Saturdays, 1 p.m., 086-194-6300 or 081-027-6836"

Place: 7 Fountains

Address: 97 Huay Kaew Road. Chiang Mai

Regularity: Twice a week

On Wednesday, at 1pm
On Saturday, at 1pm

I quit about 11 years ago now and if I can do it anyone can... Good luck!

[WitawatWatawit]

Fingers crossed for you guys because you'll love how you feel within a few short months. I'm 7 months out now and, other issues aside, am happy as hell. One piece of advice: practice meditation and mindfulness to control your urge to eat and keep a lot of low carb, low-cal foods handy. I let this side of things slip, and ended up piling on the pounds.

[Card]

I started at 13 years of age and gave up after 25 years of smoking. Not smoked one in 26 years. My mother always warned me against it but my tearaway childhood friend started me on it. I regretted it for 25 years but did not have the courage to stop. Since I stopped I not only felt so much more healthy, rich and relaxed, but had a lot more self respect. I had to wait until I was in a less stressful period of my life but it was much easier than I thought. When you are quitting just think of the health, wealth and, more importantly, the self respect you gain from quitting an addiction reputedly as strong as heroin addiction. Stay strong and within days you will feel the benefits.

Strangely, though, I took up drinking on a daily basis to make up and grew quite fat and with a fatty liver. I cut right down on that about 7 years ago and lost a lot of weight. I'm now healthier than I have ever been in my life since before I was 13 and I am now 65.

[Dannyboy666]

I'm going to Smoke More, Dammit, 55555555555

[marrmrrs]

I have just given up about 3mths ago and still get the craving from time to time especially if i have a beer but like many of the posts here i have been smoking since i was about 14 years old. Back in the day when it was cool to smoke..... I gave up after after being increasingly aware that all my friends had stopped and was beginning to feel like a bit of an outcast. I really began to feel guilty. When the ban came in the UK i found myself standing in some designated smoking area, freezing my <deleted> off in some Edinburgh bar... Got married and moved to Thailand and apart from my wife does not smoke NONE of her family smoke!!... So i found myself being a bit of a secret smoker.. So to cut a long story short i thought THAT'S IT i am going to try to give up... I genuinely thought i will never do this, it is going to be too difficult!!.. But i was amazed at how easy it was and should have done it years ago.... No E cigarettes,chewing gum or patches, just the desire to feel a little healthier and the early morning cough stopped almost immediately!!... I was told that food would taste better and your taste buds would return.. Sorry but did not happen!.. Thai food still to bloody spicey!?!?... So the desire to stop and hearing about friends are having problems in later life with smoking related stuff has made my give up... So i think you can use all these various aids to stopping but i did it with just a bit of will power (which i am NOT known for!) and feel much better and a great sense of achievement.... So if anyone is going to try to knock the smoking on the head, GOOD LUCK and i don't thing it is as difficult as you may think... So good luck!!

[marrmrrs]

I started at 13 years of age and gave up after 25 years of smoking. Not smoked one in 26 years. My mother always warned me against it but my tearaway childhood friend started me on it. I regretted it for 25 years but did not have the courage to stop. Since I stopped I not only felt so much more healthy, rich and relaxed, but had a lot more self respect. I had to wait until I was in a less stressful period of my life but it was much easier than I thought. When you are quitting just think of the health, wealth and, more importantly, the self respect you gain from quitting an addiction reputedly as strong as heroin addiction. Stay strong and within days you will feel the benefits.

Strangely, though, I took up drinking on a daily basis to make up and grew quite fat and with a fatty liver. I cut right down on that about 7 years ago and lost a lot of weight. I'm now healthier than I have ever been in my life since before I was 13 and I am now 65.

[alex8912]

Good luck. Just don't finish your last pack make sure you have some left and throw them down the toilet its symbolic and just think about how good you will start to feel. I don't believe in starting on an exact day especially New Years just flush them now and be done with them. But by all means have a drink or two tonight in celebration of a new life not a new year

[otocheater]

I will stay beauty. I cant give up. Even i tried hard to mess up but i still look gorgeous.

??

[Jessi]

I smoked for over 50 years, 40 a day. A few months ago I changed to E Cigs its the best I have felt for many years. I have lowered the amount of nicotine and after a few more months I will be off it completely.

I tried everything known to man to stop but nothing would work for me. Please be very careful of some medications as with me one I tried made me suicidal and please read the side effects of these drugs. They work for some people but not all.

I wish you the best of luck everyone that tries.

[KamalaRider]

I quit nicotine about 4 weeks ago so I didn't make it into a New Years promise.

I'm here to root and cheer for you guys who wants to get away from the nicotine slavery.

For me, I was going to quit sometime during 2015, was just waiting for a good opportunity.

The opportunity came with a serious flu, a bit earlier than I was aiming for.

Coughing and sneezing made it easier not to smoke, actually couldn't draw a full puff on my pipe, the cough became to serious.

I decided to quit right then.

It was a hard first week with a massive pressure in the back of my head, going forward to my lobes, not a headache though.

I had a difficult time to relieve the pressure as I couldn't drink too much coffee, I had half an aspirin in the morning, a cup of strong coffee around 10am.

Had to wait until around 3 pm for the second coffee, otherwise my heart rate would be too high.

I'm soon 54, overweight with high blood pressure and it skyrocketed during the first week, no diabetes though,

Tried to exercise more but with the extra exercise, I got extremely tired.

Drank a bit more alcohol than I usually do though, not good for my blood pressure either.

Second week, it started to get better and better but I gained some extra weight and it wasn't because I ate more, I just gained more weight.

It's all in the head when quitting, you have to seriously want to quit and have that extra little patience for the withdrawal symptoms to go away (about a week in my case).

I don't feel anything now, not even a little and I think it's because I decided to stop being a slave.

Had friends over for christmas and they smoked inside our house (yes, they had permission to do so) and on the patio in the back, but didn't feel any craving, again I think it's because I decided to quit.

People ask me how long time ago it is since I quit and I really don't know in exact days.

Ask a woman how long ago she wasn't pregnant.

As it's not the normal state not to be, we tend to not count time, why should we when it comes to an addiction we kicked?

Happy New Year to all of you and stay focused if you are going to quit your nicotine addiction.

[Suradit69]

I started at 13 years of age and gave up after 25 years of smoking. Not smoked one in 26 years. My mother always warned me against it but my tearaway childhood friend started me on it. I regretted it for 25 years but did not have the courage to stop. Since I stopped I not only felt so much more healthy, rich and relaxed, but had a lot more self respect. I had to wait until I was in a less stressful period of my life but it was much easier than I thought. When you are quitting just think of the health, wealth and, more importantly, the self respect you gain from quitting an addiction reputedly as strong as heroin addiction. Stay strong and within days you will feel the benefits.

Strangely, though, I took up drinking on a daily basis to make up and grew quite fat and with a fatty liver. I cut right down on that about 7 years ago and lost a lot of weight. I'm now healthier than I have ever been in my life since before I was 13 and I am now 65.

'I started at 13 years of age and gave up after 25 years of smoking. Not smoked one in 26 years."

My experience is similar to yours. Stopped, after many attempts, about 30 years ago.

Recently, in the company of friends who smoke, I've had a cigarette or two, which I know is incredibly stupid, but the "urge" for me is really more to do with environment or habit than addiction.

I did see some documentary about a university study of habits and addictions which claimed that the addiction to smoking is only a factor for the first 100 hours following cessation. After that it's nearly 100% a matter of habit, which suggests that the biggest aid to stopping is recognizing and controlling situations where the urge is the most compelling.

There is also an Israeli study (that I disagree with) that claims it's all a matter of habit rather than physical addition, but still might be worth reading for those facing the challenge.

SMOKING - A Habit Not an Addiction

Everyone has been assuming it’s an addiction for years, but now compelling new research from Israel suggests that smokers find it hard to give up cigarettes because they are a habit, not an addiction.

In a new study, Dr. Reuven Dar, of Tel Aviv University, found that the intensity of cravings for cigarettes had more to do with the psychosocial element of smoking than with the physiological effects of nicotine as an addictive chemical.

“These findings might not be popular with advocates of the nicotine addiction theory, because they undermine the physiological role of nicotine and emphasize mind over matter when it comes to smoking,” admits Dar, who published his findings in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology.

... and more at the link below

http://www.israel21c.org/health/smoking-a-habit-not-an-addiction/

[bobobo]

I stopped New Year 2012. So far so good...the first week was the worst for me. When I felt that I needed a smoke I exercised.

Went for a swim or a walk. Each smoke burn calories so try to think of what kind of food You eat.It's all about MOTIVATION

Good luck. You CAN do it !!

[MrTee]

I'd fully recommend reading Allan Carr's book "Easy way"

I quit a few year back overnight after smoking for > 35 years. Stopping smoking after all those years had many unexpected and profound changes.

Stupidly I started again after about 8 months after having the odd smoke while drinking

I tried Champix - It made me severely depressed and I've read a lot of horror stories about it. I know a lot of folk have success with it, but for me it didn't work and had the adverse effect of deep deep depression.

I switched to e-cigs a couple of years back. I don't need any moralistic advise on what I'm doing - thanks.

My nicotine intake is now a fraction of what it was and E-cigs do not contain the nasty 4000 chemical compounds found in cigarettes.

I wish the best of luck to anyone trying to quit.
You are not "giving up" you are quitting. The nicotine addiction is easy to beat, but the habit is perhaps harder.

Good luck.

[Smurkster]

I have also heard terrible things about Chantix

I quit smoking a few years ago, but this year I am going to cut down on my Wacky Tobaccky usage..

[csabo]

I stopped 2 weeks ago cold turkey. Dont even miss'em.

[rocoa01]

Yes I agree. Champix and read "The Book".

Allen Carr Easy Way to Stop Smoking.

I stopped after 25 years without a hitch.

Good luck,.

The book you mentioned is the best thing out there. Everything else is just a substitute for the smokes. The book helps you discover why you smoke, and what steps you need to take in order to quit. I quit smoking six years ago after reading it and keeping it on hand for a few months after. The book is gold, I highly suggest it. Best of luck to the OP and anyone else wishing to kick the habit.

[Carl64]

I will be stopping smoking for good. I won't be giving up anything I will be gaining health and vitality. Good luck to my fellow non smokers.

[MrTee]

Yes I agree. Champix and read "The Book".

Allen Carr Easy Way to Stop Smoking.

I stopped after 25 years without a hitch.

Good luck,.

The book you mentioned is the best thing out there. Everything else is just a substitute for the smokes. The book helps you discover why you smoke, and what steps you need to take in order to quit. I quit smoking six years ago after reading it and keeping it on hand for a few months after. The book is gold, I highly suggest it. Best of luck to the OP and anyone else wishing to kick the habit.

totally agree..

Ironically Allen Carr died of lung cancer 23 years after he stopped smoking -

"Mr Carr himself was convinced he would have died many years earlier if he had not kicked the smoking habit."

[georgemandm]

Give up it is the best thing you will do in your life just look at the money you will save in the next 10 years