I've been putting it off for about 18 months now as I seem to have lurched from one stressful situation to another, but I'm not enjoying it any more and can think of so many better things I could be spending the money on!!

Anyone else about ready to quit or am I the only smoker left in the country?

I am a smoker. Not ready to give up yet. My Dad gave up nearly two years ago. Had been a heavy smoker all his life but had enough of it and felt it was a waste of money. On sheer will power and determination alone he gave up and has not touched one since.

I believe if you are 100% committed to giving up you will  do it!!! So good luck and be ready to stock up on sweets and mints :-)

my friend is about to give up and is thinking of switching to electric cigarettes.apparently they smell,taste and give you the same feel of a normal cig without the health problems,anyone else tried them?

Never tried them but would love to hear peoples opinions. I've got gum (rank) and the plastic inhaler thing that just makes me think "tampon applicator" every time I look at it!

LOL, I can see it now... while I sit at pc having a fag :(

TBH i think if you are giving up you need to give it up rather than replacing it with ridiculous 'tampon applicator' lookalike's

Thats why i cant give up - because i know that there may be patches/gum/inhalers etc on the market but deep down its cold turkey willpower that makes smokers into non smokers - getting used to dealing with situations without having a fag :-)

the electric ones are brilliant. quite expensive tho... mine cost £80+.  had it bought for me when i had to have spinal surgery as im allergic to the patches... smoked it in hospital lol.... some of the filthy looks were a picture. was bought from the electric cigarette company. get a load of refills too. comes in menthol flavour and original tobacco flavour.... they even "smoke" like the real thing so you "drag and blow".
i got addicted to these as well tho lol.... just dont have will power

its cold turkey willpower that makes smokers into non smokers

i agree and thats how i do it but i dont know if you can ever become a 'non smoker' for good. i always go back to it, even after 4 years once so i call myself a smoker-- in remision

> Anyone else about ready to quit or am I the only smoker left in the country?

*Walks away whistling ..... with smoke drifting out of her coat pocket!*

LOL @ Huskygal :)

See, willpower is where I fall down! I manage to give up the second I find out I'm pregnant but any other time I've never quite done it :(

I think I enjoy maybe 2 or 3 a day but the other 17 are just habit.

I have tons of willpower - it's the won't power I am sadly lacking :-(

>but i dont know if you can ever become a 'non smoker' for good.

I gave up 7 years ago, started off with patches but still smoked whilst wearing them so ended up cold turkey .... I havent had a cigarette since and never will, I hate it now.  My dad gave up (after many attempts) about 20 years ago and has remained a non smoker.

I stopped for 11 years. Started 2 years ago after all that time. Going to try again though to stop. Big diffrence in the price now than 13 years ago. Apart from cost its doing my asthma no favour......hangs my head in shame . Maybe in the new year we should start a support thread for stopping smoking.
Jean

Anyone can do it!
I promised myself by the time I was 40 I would give up, 6 months before I did, a bag of sweets a tamagoutchi toy and the knowledge that I had 6 months to do it.....or lose face.
That was 12 years ago and now if I go out drinking (rarely happens) I will seek out a cigarette, I smoke it and thoroughly enjoy it too.
Mostly I love the feeling that I am actually free of the addiction and have complete control.
So the plan is to carry on smoking when I reach about 75.............

Karen :) :)

> I think I enjoy maybe 2 or 3 a day but the other 17 are just habit

lol. i only smake about 3/4 a day, sometimes less. Will have up to ten on a night out though. Most people think its ridiculous that i cant give up as i smoke so few but the trouble is i really enjoy the ones i do smoke. I know smoking is bad for me and im sure one day i will give up but for the time being i like it and quite frankly there is far worse vices i could have than smoking!!!

I have tried numerous times , took up rolling them as i thought it would stop me cos i couldnt roll them for toffee. now i am expert roller with no will power!!!

> now i am an expert roller with no will power!

hehehehehehehehehehhehe this made me laugh!!!!! :-D

Hi I've given up, 3 weeks ago!

I dreaded the thought of it as I'd been smoking 20 + a day since I was 15 years old :-( I wondered how I'd cope in certain situations as Ive always been very much a habitual smoker i.e when I'm on the phone, when I'm at the pc, when I'm driving etc etc I used the NHS stop smoking service (which I'd always been cynical about :-) ) but I tell you they're brilliant and have given me non-stop support and help. I'm on the high strength patches and the Inhalator (all supplied free) and will be moving down to the lower strength patches after Christmas. And I have to admit Zaska, its been a doddle! I never, ever, believed it would be like this!! I just don't want a fag! I never thought I'd hear myself say or think that, its weird!

The best bits so far for me are: having more money! 20 fags a day is easily £35 pounds a week (eek),  I can breathe! I hadn't even realised how bad my breathing had got, as I was so used to it! Food tastes so different I'd swear it was something different completely!!
Its so worth it Zaska.. go for it.

Its especially amusing to watch my OH in the garden in a gale, in the pouring rain, trying to light and then smoke his fag and not even slightly wanting to join him!

Uh-oh smug ex-smoker alert!!!! Lol

:-) :-) :-)

Hmmm. Maybe I'll give the NHS thing a go. Do I have to see my Dr or can I do it online/by phone?

Of course that means I'll be chain smoking superkings all week now:(

Give them a ring, you can find the number for your nearest branch online :-)

I went to my doctor for help, he was useless :-( offered me no help at all, he was so negative I've changed doctors. The NHS stop smoking lady was disgusted by his attitude.

What have you got to lose Zaska!! Go for it gal!

Getting pregnant gave me the urge to give up and have not touched one for over 7 years now and doubt I ever will vile horrible smelly things ! :-D

WELL Good for you!!

I to am a smoker and like you iv not been enjoying it over the last few months im hating the after taste i get in my mouth and with the weather changing and heating going on i feel chesty and not very nice at all,

i went to a smokers clinic and got the tablets to help my stop then before my quite date and before i had started taking the tablets i had another stressful situation in my life come up so didnt feel ready to really do it ,
but i have got the tablets ready and i am working myself up to stop,
i have a job interview tomorrow only for a part time job 16 hours week and if i get it i will start my tablets and give it a real go,

Best of luck to you Zaska i know how hard it is but i do think you have to be ready in mind before you can give up and it sounds like your maybe their i wish all the best with it xx

I always wonder whether smokers realise that (usually) they stink of stale smoke :( My best friend used to smoke. She was the best dressed person that I knew, but when I got close to her the smell was terrible :( :( I'm not sure whether she knew. Fortunately she too gave up when she was pregnant.

I find dieting really difficult, so I have tremendous sympathy with smokers who want to give up but can't :( :(

Daisy

Thanks you all! I'm going to ring NHS TODAY so I can work on a good time to give up. For reasons I'd rather not go into I think Christmas this year will be quite stressful but I've been seeing stress on the horizon all year and putting it off lol!

You raised another valid point Daisy - when I last gave up I was off them or about 5 years and put on 3 stone! Started smoking again and a year later the weight dropped off. I'm not a vain person but being overweight did effect my confidence, activity levels, etc. :(

> The best bits so far for me are: having more money! 20 fags a day is easily £35 pounds a week (eek),  I can breathe! I hadn't even realised how bad my breathing had got, as I was so used to it! Food tastes so different I'd swear it was something different completely!!

And yer wrinkles wont get any worse....result!

Keep it up Junior.

xxxx

new years eve is good to give up. that way you can say i havent had one this year