Give up smoking WELL WORTH A LOOK

[I @ M]

Thing is when us old farts started smoking it was OK,

I still vividly remember going to the doctors with my mother, must have been in the very early sixties and the doctor was happily puffing away as he talked to us in his rooms.

What hope did we have.

[William]

Quote Andrew : What hope did we have.

Your right Andrew !! I remember as well , Our Family Doctor A close family friend in those days , Because thats the way it was , Bless his heart has now passed ( Due to Lung Cancer) Your right I vividly remember him puffing on a Ciggy in his rooms while visiting fo a consultation What hope ! The kids now should have a better view on what damage they can do you'd reckon

[deef]

Anyone thinking of using Champix please research it thoroughly before using it, and if using it I would recommend that you have a partner or friend close by to monitor your moods. I nearly lost my close friend because of that stuff. She degenerated from a life loving mother of a 6 year old girl to a person who felt that we would all be better off without her. She had it all planned but I wouldnt leave and I stopped her from taking the next tablet.

The change in her moods as time passed was quite amazing to witness. As each hour passed she became more aware of what had been happening to her and was mortified that she would even think like that as her life was good. That episode scared the sh1t out of me.

She did quit smoking through the Matrix Laser Clinic about 3 years ago and hasnt looked back.

My journey to quit was far less stressful. I just had a heart attack. The cardiologist said that if I didnt give them up there wasnt much he could do for me. I havent had a smoke since and I had been a 2+ packets a day for over 40 years, and strangely I haven't even wanted one.

[snappysi]

i too gave up, but i did it basically through will power. Cold turkey i guess... i was wanting too however and had not long met my now wife and it was a habit she hated so that was the little push i guess i needed to stick with it. I had like most given up a few times before hand for a few months here and there.
Wanting to be around and see my kids grow up and see there kids is quite a good motivational tool as well. Among other things i am a musician and gave up at a gig, threw them away and never looked back, wasn't necessarily easy but the best thing i have done for my own health, put your mind too it and i am sure most of us would be surprised at what we can accomplish...

Simon.

[Allie]

Has anybody tried Hypnosis to give up My partner has tried Patches, Champix all did'nt work , She had a stroke 2 weeks ago, So the family has her booked in for Hypno therapy as a last resort to quit ?

Sorry to hear of this happening to your partner, it must have been quite a shock for you all and I hope she is recovering. My partner's GP used hypnotherapy to help him give up both smoking and pain meds and it worked for him but, as Rick indicated, he did want it to work. This was well before I met him and we have been together over 13 years. I just asked him and he said it took more than one session to get off the pain meds (but it still worked quite quickly) and then only one additional session for the smoking. So let her know it may not be an instant fix in case she expects it to be and abandons the treatment too quickly. Best wishes on her recovery and optimism that she has success at quitting cigarettes.

[ricktas]

Another thing, tell everyone!

If you are giving up anything, smoking, alcohol, coffee, eating chocolate..Tell everyone, and tell them not to offer it to you, and tell them that if you ask, that they refuse.

Giving up and keeping it quiet is doomed, cause as soon as you catch up with someone, they are bound to say, want a ciggie, coffee, beer etc.

If you have a friend who even after telling them that you have given up, tries to offer the thing to you, start avoiding that friend for a while, and tell them why. Giving up anything is very hard, but having someone around you who refuses to support you makes it even harder. So tell everyone, and tell them everything.

[Speedway]

A few weeks after I gave up alcohol at an after match party (ice Hockey) one of my mates pulled me aside, he had been nominated by a number of friends to find out what serious medical problem I had as they couldn't believe I had just stopped drinking for no other reason than I just wanted to. It took a bit of talking to convince him there was no problem. We then went back to the party where to my embarrassment he announced to all that I was ok and there was no underling medical problem, this received applause and cheers and most of the 70 odd people there came and shook my hand. All my friends were very supportive.
Keith.

[falke]

I gave up smoking about 50 times. I am one of the people who can give up ok but starts again at the drop of a hat. Over the last 2 years since starting with photography again I smoked rarely due to a new incentive strategy I put in place for myself.
I usually give up with a self hypnosis tape...

Anyway, the main incentive for me to stay off the smokes relates to my photography hobby. I am allowed (I know how that sounds...) to put aside $50 a week for photo gear (or whatever I want) with every week I don't smoke. I don't allow myself any extra money. Seems to work for me.

good luck and will power to you

[Duane Pipe]

Good onya falke, and that dose not sound silly I think its a great way of saving money as you dont miss it But with the cost of ciggies you should be able to put more money aside

[Roo]

Will power of wanting to quit is what is required to stop smoking, excuses is what people put up to not give up, I gave up after 30 years.

[Dylan & Marianne]

Ironically, many cases of lung cancer, if incurable, they are the only patients I don't encourage to give up smoking (unless they're prescribed home oxygen)
As a non smoker, I find it very difficult to get in the mind set of those who have suffered a stroke or heart attack and still continue to smoke though (like my late grandfather for instance)

[Bennymiata]

I've been smoking for over 40 years, and I am quite healthy, and also a diabetic.
My blood sugar levels are in the "excellent control" range, but I would hate to think what they would be if I gave up smoking, although I will, someday.

Funny enough, a few years ago, I had 2 friends (not known to each other) that both died of lung cancer, yet neither of them ever smoked, they had non-smoking partners and worked in non-smoking environments, so it is not only smoking that can give you lung cancer.

My mother, rest her soul, smoked heavily from the age of 8, smoked mahorka ( a REALLY rough tobacco) rolled in old newspapers all through the war while she was in Siberia, yet she lived to 81 and died from something that was completely not smoking related.

When I was very young, smoking was almost de rigeur and many parents (not mine) actually encouraged their kids to smoke!

I think if they want to get rid of the smoking problem, all the government has to do is to ban it, but they want the taxes it generates more than the health of its citizens.

Live fast, die young, and leave a good looking corpse.

[pjs2]

Non smoker for the last 20 yrs
First of all it is worth it.
No one will ever force a smoker to give it away. Especially an ex smoker that is now on a crusade (not that anybody posting here has done that) just had a few of them in my time. You are the one that will kick the habit. I started at the ripe old age of 11 nicking ciggies out of my grannies packet when she wasn't looking. At my worst I was on two packets of winnie reds 25s a day. One of my reasons to quit was that I was going to give it all away when they went up to $1.00 a packet. I was a heavy drinking football playing truck driver and bullet proof. This is why I think it is a smoker's lifestyle that has to change first. I was real lucky and I thank whatever deity you choose that I did not (and according to the girlfriend none of this is true) have too many effects from withdrawal (bad moods, anger). I don't know how many packets of cigs I screwed up and threw out the car window on the way home after a big season (I know it was also the time when it was ok to drink and drive). I do remember after one of these nights and throwing packet 100 out the car window. When I got home I really needed a ciggy and back then nothing on the south side of Brisbane was open after 10 pm. So back in the car I got and went looking for that packet and found them, not a high point. The thing that really gave me a kick in the bum was I was watching a show on TV aboot the effects of smoking and there was a old bloke who lost a leg due to the butts and a couple of days later he was on the balcony rolling a smoke saying he didn't have the intestinal fortitude to give up. I think that for me and this may not work for everyone it was the fact that for one year I did not go out to discos footy nights pool comps (these are the worst) no temptation what so ever. I still went out with mates after work just curbed heavy everything. Also it wasn't cold Turkey dropped down to light cigs for aboot a year before hand. My version of patches. I do remember the first outing as a non smoker at a work golf weekend. It got pretty late in the night and I still hadn't had a lot to drink when the company yobbo found out that I had given up the ciggs waved a packet in my face and said go on have one you know you want to. I politely said ok took the packet screwed them up tossed them across the room a not so politely told him where to go. Now I cannot comment on how other addictions would affect your cause of bagging the fags but as I said first of all real real hard decisions about lifestyles have to be addressed. As some have said in these posts help is out there just ask. My company yobbo may be one of your mates egging you just to go one more drink or smoke or whatever it is you're trying to quit. I have a new quest in life. I went from a 77 kilo smoker to a 125 kilo non smoker. It's just lucky I'm cute.

Peter

[old dog]

a really interesting thread chaps. Being a non smoker all my life except for being young and silly.....ahem no comment......I just can`t understand why people do it, apart from the terrible addiction that is. I have my eldest son smoking and I have suggested several times that he give it up as he gets crook throats that have hospitalised him but still he lights up though I think he has cut back a bit (hope so anyway). Me being 61 and having gone through heart attack, bypass etc besides a few other things that I wish I didn`t have, I can`t imagine how I`d be if I smoked too.

Bill....hope your wife recovers quickly.

[Duane Pipe]

With the education that children and young adults get and the knowledge these days of knowing the dangers of smoking and yet they still do it. CRAZY

[Roo]

Non smoker for the last 20 yrs
First of all it is worth it.
No one will ever force a smoker to give it away. Especially an ex smoker that is now on a crusade (not that anybody posting here has done that) just had a few of them in my time. You are the one that will kick the habit. I started at the ripe old age of 11 nicking ciggies out of my grannies packet when she wasn't looking. At my worst I was on two packets of winnie reds 25s a day.

One of my reasons to quit was that I was going to give it all away when they went up to $1.00 a packet. I was a heavy drinking football playing truck driver and bullet proof. This is why I think it is a smoker's lifestyle that has to change first. I was real lucky and I thank whatever deity you choose that I did not (and according to the girlfriend none of this is true) have too many effects from withdrawal (bad moods, anger). I don't know how many packets of cigs I screwed up and threw out the car window on the way home after a big season (I know it was also the time when it was ok to drink and drive). I do remember after one of these nights and throwing packet 100 out the car window. When I got home I really needed a ciggy and back then nothing on the south side of Brisbane was open after 10 pm. So back in the car I got and went looking for that packet and found them, not a high point.

The thing that really gave me a kick in the bum was I was watching a show on TV aboot the effects of smoking and there was a old bloke who lost a leg due to the butts and a couple of days later he was on the balcony rolling a smoke saying he didn't have the intestinal fortitude to give up. I think that for me and this may not work for everyone it was the fact that for one year I did not go out to discos footy nights pool comps (these are the worst) no temptation what so ever. I still went out with mates after work just curbed heavy everything. Also it wasn't cold Turkey dropped down to light cigs for aboot a year before hand. My version of patches.

I do remember the first outing as a non smoker at a work golf weekend. It got pretty late in the night and I still hadn't had a lot to drink when the company yobbo found out that I had given up the ciggs waved a packet in my face and said go on have one you know you want to. I politely said ok took the packet screwed them up tossed them across the room a not so politely told him where to go. Now I cannot comment on how other addictions would affect your cause of bagging the fags but as I said first of all real real hard decisions about lifestyles have to be addressed. As some have said in these posts help is out there just ask. My company yobbo may be one of your mates egging you just to go one more drink or smoke or whatever it is you're trying to quit. I have a new quest in life. I went from a 77 kilo smoker to a 125 kilo non smoker. It's just lucky I'm cute.

Peter

holy paragraphs batman

[Duane Pipe]

There would be nothing worse Peter than some Ahole trying to force a habit on you when the know full well that you are on the wagon. And well done for you Pete With all the help that is out there why do we put up with our complaints, I know why because we are men unwilling to seek help! My Dr referred me to a psyche to try and control my anxiety I saw her for the first time on Thursday and she said that we will work on a lifestyle routine, Man am I going to be going through some changes

[pjs2]

Sounds like a plan to me Dave. I think I said once that a journey of a 1000 miles starts with 1 step. Congrats with yours.

holy paragraphs batman

Are you Miss White my grade 4 english teacher?

There is just np pleasing some folks. I got the spellin rite didn I.
Ok I used spell chech I haven't.

Found the paragraph maker button on my computer yet.

11 years of schoolin to get to grade 10

[William]

Hey Dave , My partner is seeing the Hypno guy, I just spent 3 hrs Waiting today , The big thing is Lifestyle change and support , Get rid of the area you smoke at , Get some healthy stuff to nibble on , Celery Carrot sticks etc , It's a big change , Get rid of the stress in your life , Complete change , Hope I dont get the boot !! In the process

[Duane Pipe]

Sounds like a plan to me Dave. I think I said once that a journey of a 1000 miles starts with 1 step. Congrats with yours.



Are you Miss White my grade 4 english teacher?

There is just np pleasing some folks. I got the spellin rite didn I.
Ok I used spell chech I haven't.

Found the paragraph maker button on my computer yet.

11 years of schoolin to get to grade 10

Off to a good start for a want to be a AP member Pete ... Just joking Roo