Smoking

Have you thought about vaping? Its the nearest substitute.

I think it will be very difficult to stop without help. Can your GP not refer you to a support group/ cessation group? I do think they are very supportive towards people wanting to give up smoking. You can get nicotine patches etc on prescription too.

I am the same, farview. Welcome to the club. I have smoked since my teenage years. I´d love to stop. Vaping is horrible. Nothing compares to a well-earned fag after a hard day´s work. That´s how most of us, I think, acquired the habit, get all the house chores done, put the children to bed and have a quiet little moment to ourselves. I´ve managed to cut down a lot since smoking has been banned in public places. The only advice I have is to avoid the situations where you would normally smoke. If, as in my case, you associate having an alcoholic beverage or a coffee with a cigarette, don´t have those. If you were used to smoking in between jobs, cut it out, go on to the next chore immediately. Smoking is a habit, cut out the habit bits, do something instead. Advice, well given. I am now at a stage where about once a month I buy a packet, smoke it all at once in my back garden, then feel totally disgusted with myself and don´t smoke till the next time. Really horrible habit, your clothes, hair, etc. all smell of it. I never smoke around my grandchildren. Did smoke when my children were young and they both picked up the habit. I blame myself.

Vaping is horrible at first, but its just a matter of persevering for a few days.

Victoria Coren-Mitchell says she stopped her heavy smoking habit with this: Allen Carr's book Easy Way to Stop Smoking.

I know nothing about it, and have never smoked, but she says she gave up very easily with this book.

Good luck! World of Books have it for £2.45; might be worth a punt.

www.worldofbooks.com/allen-carr-s-easy-way-to-stop-smoking-be-a-happy-non-smoker-for-the-rest-of-your-life-by-allen-carr-1-gor001545961.html?keyword=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI1snvl7Gh2QIVq7_tCh2fkgHoEAQYASABEgK_WvD_BwE

I read it, and didn't give up, although I know it works for a lot of people.

I read Allen Carr's book, and quit smoking. But it didn't last, sadly and I was back on the weed within a few weeks . I finally did it the good old fashioned way (well, it's old-fashioned now anyway) - I used nicotine patches, and never looked back. That was 11 years ago.
I've always felt that for me the hardest part of giving up smoking was making the commitment to myself to really do it. Once that resolve was firmly rooted, it seemed to be plain sailing. I have a suspicion that it failed with the Allen Carr book because I didn't fully take on board that it was still down to me to do it - I kind of subconsciously felt that reading the book would automatically segue into me stopping, with no effort on my part

I would add that a strong motivation was the fact that this was January 2007 and the smoking ban was due to kick in in July of that year. I was absolutely determined not to be the sad muppet standing outside the office/restaurant/pub/ theatre lighting up in all weathers!

I think that's the gist of the Carr book. The minute you decide you will not take a puff ever again, you're a non smoker. Its a terribly sneaky addiction though: you tend to kid yourself you can have one now and again.

Why trade one habit for another? They haven’t proven vaping is any better then smoking. Maybe it’s cheaper and if you get use to no nicotine you can quit vaping easier?

That's the plan.

My friend 's GP prescribed her something to help her stop smoking and she never smoked again! I'm sorry I don't know the name of it. She'd not even gone to the doctors about smoking! She said she also found it motivating to put the money she would have spent on cigs in a glass jar. She was amazed how it mounted up.
Good luck and stick with it!

There are tablets that GP's can prescribe to help with stopping, but some GP's (mine among them) are against it.

Someone I know did have them, bu felt the side effects were pretty bad.

I stopped in March 2016, so nearly 2 years. I do vape and could still kill on occasions for a B&H!

Have to been to your GP? I stopped smoking about 20 years ago on sheer will power, but I keep seeing adverts about help available on the NHS.

I think all addictions, smoking, drinking, drugs, etc should be treated equally and regarded as a health problem treatable on the NHS.

For friends who want to stop and need some motivation I tell them about how my mother suffered from COPD, of her last months dragging oxygen around, the awful death she had when she couldn't take in oxygen and how very much she is missed, and the beautiful great grandchildren she didn't live to see........what a waste!

Thank you ALL for comments & suggestions..have tried patches,vaping,but it's still the willpower...I want to stop,..I do, but something's just not connecting in my brain..trying again today,a 46yr habit is tough to break..that won't make sense to non I.e my H...tried Alan Carr also..?

...sense to non smokers!!! Stupid phone!!

How about hypnosis? It works for lots of people.

Perhaps try come Spring? this is such a gloomy time of year

Ithink hypnosis only works if you truly want to give up. Not if you are giving up because you feel you should. Does that make sense?

My sister and I smoked for over 40 years and we've been stopped for 5 years. In both cases we were 'scared' into stopping. Many chest infections being the catalyst. It was a great help having each other for support. I told my 12 year old grandson that the worst thing I ever did was to start smoking and the best thing was to give up'.

When I started work in 1962 everybody smoked. It was universal. Remember what cinemas were like? And the top deck on the bus? So I started, as it it was the norm. Both my parents smoked too. Cigarettes were 2/10 for 20. Then in 1977 they went up to 50p a pack and I couldn't afford it.
It was my New Years resolution and I knew it would be hard.
I did it one day at a time. Said to myself, Today I will not smoke. Just today. Then the next day. And so on.
It did get easier and I'm so glad I did it.
I put 50p in a jam jar each morning and watched the money mount up. That helped too.
You can do this. Best thing I ever did, when I see the price of a pack of 20 today. Just make up your mind and stick to it. Good luck, and keep us posted!

You could ask your GP for Champix. I tried it but it made me too nauseous but it helps some people.
I gave up 6 years ago after many years smoking. I used to enjoy it and never made previous attempts to give up. However, when I finally made the decision to quit, I just stopped. It was extremely difficult for quite a long time, some people find it easier but it is possible. Good luck.

My dad was in hospital and the bloke in the next bed had the most horrible hacking cough, it was continual and he kept reaching for his packet of fags and lighting up another.
Of course he had cancer. If I hadn't already given up, that would have convinced me. Don't end up like him.
Bloody fags, he kept saying.......
Too late for him. But not for you! Just do it!