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Going cold turkey


nightrider

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Two weeks ago we spent a week at the CCC club site at Oswestry, had a week of glorious weather and really enjoyed the break.

On the wednesday of the week we came back I had to come home from work with the mother of all colds, wont go as far to say I had swine flu or even ordinary flu but it certainly laid me out.

I am also going cold turkey in an attempt to stop smoking, by 8pm tonight I will have gone 24 hours smoke free and by God do I need help and support, it is hard.

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Malcolm,

Stopping smoking is one of the hardest things you will probably do in your lifetime ,it is really really hard ,when I was stopping whenever I felt the urge coming on I used to get the dog lead and take the dog out for a walk ,it took me near three week to feel I didn't need a one , I sucked about three ton of mints as well, it got that way when I picked the dog lead up the dog would go and hide, but I stuck it out ,I stayed away from places that encouraged smoking like pubs etc ,on tea breaks at work I would go outside and do breathing exercises, I took up swimming again , anything that put me in a position where I couldn't smoke , as I say it took about three week for the urges to fade ,I,m now ten years on from there and really glad I stuck it out, just keep telling yourself your stronger than the Nicotine demon, and dont say I,ll just have one , you then have to start from scratch,, YOU can do it Malcolm, go for it :->

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Corky,

In actual fact by 8pm this evening I will have gone 48hrs without a smoke, I made a mistake.

I am trying to do it without the aid of any medication after the last experience when my practice nurse prescribed me some tablets which nearly killed me with depression, I used to alternate between smoking a pipe and smoking roll-ups, when I get the desire to smoke I use my empty pipe as a placebo.

It is hard getting off smoking ordinary tobacco so how much harder must it be for those poor devils trying to get off cocaine and heroin etc.

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About 4 years ago, my Father In Law went to his Doctors. He explained to the Doc how generally unwell he was feeling.

 

Doc asked, "still smoking"? Yes says FIL. Right says Doc, you're a smoker, you're overweight and you take no exercise. You're going to die a whole lot sooner than is necessary.

 

FIL, says OK, where do I start, stop smoking right away says the Doc.

 

John, my FIL, a 30 a day smoker, has one cigarette a week now when he goes for a couple of drinks. Sometimes he doesn't finish the one cigarette.

 

The Docs shock treatment worked a treat.

 

Good luck Malc.

 

Martyn

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A different angle for you to think about :

 

Just think of all that tax you are paying on cigarettes !

 

(Is it all being used wisely by the government ?)

 

Wouldn't you like to stop paying it ??

 

 

Good luck !

 

 

 

;-)

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Hi Malc, Can't know how difficult it is for you but hey posting on here could be your answer my friend.

 

I INSIST you post every evening to let us know how you have done that day and knowing that we are all behind you I am sure you won't want to let us down.... you can do it. If you can go through one moment of craving and beat it, you can do it over and over again.. Good luck. Looking forward to your HONEST reports. :-D Joy Bossy Boots

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We both gave up around 10 years ago, Andy still has his grieving moments but not to actually smoke but how he felt when he did.

 

2 things helped us,

 

one was telling someone you don't like but have to see on a regular basis, not that they know you don't like them, you will not want to loose face and admit you are weak.

 

Second was writing down on a daily calender how much you have saved each day, even with tobacco you would be surprised how it adds up if you are honest about it.

 

Good luck with it and just remember how much nicer you smell to others. :-D , because 3 days ago you ponged!!!

 

Mandy

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Myself and my stepson have both taken the decision to stop smoking when we both finish our last packet of cigarettes, sometime tomorrow !! Stepson is doing it for the financial side, I am doing it because I want to live a bit longer to enjoy life. I re-married 2 years ago and my OH is over 8 years younger than me so I could do with ensuring that I last as long as possible to keep on enjoying all the good times we have together.
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Malcolm ... well done - I'm really proud of you! I understand from others that it is hard enough giving up smoking but then telling us lot about it too can't be easy either.

 

When my FIL gave up, many years ago, he used the patches as that was the only way he could do it - with is working environment he was exposed to other people's smoking at rest breaks etc so unfortunately he couldn't escape it. He did say that the first few weeks are the worst and after that you have to be ready for the coughing that comes next, it is simply your lungs clearing out all the rubbish and the hassle etc of this in itself can make some people go back on the ciggies.

 

The thing he found difficult was when he wasn't busy ... the times when he would normally have had a ciggy ... so keep yourself busy and keep using the pipe - very good idea by the way (you can actually buy pseudo cigarettes for this very purpose). Also keep some healthy 'nibbles' around so that you can use them to replace the 'activity' that your mouth is used to, or use gum, or carrots etc - peppermints rot your teeth! :D Whilst I'm on about teeth, once you've managed to keep off the ciggies for a while, book yourself in for a nice clean and polish at the dentist ... once your teeth are sparkling again you won't want to muck them up with all of that staining (or admit that it was a waste of money! (lol) ).

 

Now that you've done it, don't be tempted to have ... just one ... it'll then be ... just two and before you know it you'll be back on them as bad as ever.

 

Stay strong chuck! You CAN do it I'm sure. :-D

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Joy,

Here is my HONEST smoking report....

I have passed the magical 48 hours with no smoking, I honestly feel that I can beat my tobacco addiction, never ever have I been able to do what I have done in the last couple of nights and that is to knowingly go to bed without going up to the top shop to buy my tobacco and ciggie papers before the shop closes at 9pm, unthinkable in days gone by.

This morning I went down to the pharmacy in Asda to check out the anti-smoking medication which was priced up at anything from £6 to £21 I therefore decided to carry on with the cold turkey treatment.

I also disposed of anything to do with smoking, ash trays, lighters, pipes and piperack, just keeping one small pipe to use as a placebo in times of stress, I am overjoyed at the progress made over the last week.

I was telling a friend of mine about my attempts to stop smoking and he told me that he paid a hypnotist £200 on a course of treatment, which for him worked, my idea of thinking is that the longer I go without a smoke the nicotine loses its grip on you, the thing that I need to control now is the certain times that I had a smoke such as after a meal, I need at least a complete month of being smoke free before I can say I have beaten the desire to smoke, lets see how I get on?

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Guest JudgeMental

Cold turkey is best I believe.......A chap at work (who gave up for 9 years once *-) ) is now trying again with these fake fags which give you a dose on nicotine and you blow out water vapour? I think this is putting of the inevitable and delusional IMO. Gave up 20 years ago and probably the hardest thing I have done, still felt tempted for YEARS! Not any more :-D

 

Gave up drinking for 7 years and that was a breeze in comparison

 

Yiou sound pretty low, so you may need some clinical assistance...........

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Hi,

 

6 weeks mark is apparently the hard one to get past, cannot remember why now, my sister a secondary school teacher was running a course for the students on the ups and downs of smoking and they went into all the nooks and cranny's of it and that's what one of the reports said, something to do with your metabolism settling down at this stage and the yearning suddenly has a surge for wanting more.

 

Get past that and your more or less home and dry apart from family emergencies, moving house or divorce, try and stay away from these as they can trigger the white stick back into your system.

 

Oh yes try not to talk about it too much, especially with someone who feels sorry for you, this also is not good for your determination, this also goes to people who give up food on a diet.

 

Mandy

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Forget about how many weeks you have gone and say that as long as I can get past tomorrow you will make it. Tomorrow being the every day after today, if you get my meaning.

 

Martin and myself gave up smoking in 1984 but there are certain times when for a split second you still think about smoking but after a few seconds it goes away.

 

Keep at it and you WILL succeed.

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Well done you. I am really pleased for you Malcolm. Every hour you manage it is another milestone and we are all behind you. You have recognised the 'danger' periods so make sure you have something to take the edge off .... even it is a bar of chocolate .... we'll worry about the weight gain later ;-)

 

Keep strong and we are all waiting for the next report. In the meantime a big hug from me and all the other ladies. Good on you. Joy

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malcom keep it up i stopped last monday after seeing the doctor and being told something nasty, i am seeing a consultant next monday, cold turkey is the way to go dont wait until you are told something that reallly focuses your mind
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Keep going Malcolm, we both gave up in February 1994, cold turkey just lie yourself. No it wasn't easy but it was well worth it. A word of warning if I may though, you might feel in a few months that you'r'e over it ( I did) but then something will trigger the desire for a smoke, might be having a pint with friends, might be taking a break after an endurance spell at work but it will come. WHATEVER you do RESIST that urge! I know too many people who have given up for 6 months, 12 months or more and then they fell for that stray trigger and are still puffing away today.

 

Stick to your plan mate, you will feel better for it in the long run and we're all proud of you for doing it.

 

 

D.

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Have now passed the 72 hour mark of not smoking, I feel just like Gene Hackman in the movie "The French Connection" where he has to go cold turkey.

Today I have been in various shops etc that sell cigarettes and tobacco etc the urge to buy a packet of baccy was there but I staved it off, its just as though you have the devil on your shoulder whispering in your ear "why suffer? just go and buy a packet of baccy and have a nice smoke"

But no, I fought off the temptation because I know what the feeling would be, I've been there before.

You fall to the temptation, buy a pack of tobacco, roll a ciggie, put it to your lips and light it, inhale deeply but where is the band, where is the drum roll? all I ever got was as if someone was going "ner ner, you failiure, I fooled you again"

I am struggling, but think I am on the winning side this time, I dont want to go to my doctors to be told something nasty, one day at a time sweet Jesus.

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Malcolm ... what are you going to spend your money on now that you're not 'burning' it? Setting yourself a goal such as a special treat with your new found wealth would give you a good incentive to keep up giving up. :-D
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Good on you Malcolm. Within the next couple of weeks you will find yourself standing in a queue and taken aback because you can smell that the person near you smokes. You wouldn't have noticed this once and it is another milestone to prove that you are NOW a non-smoker. Joy
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Mel B - 2009-05-05 9:18 PM

 

Malcolm ... what are you going to spend your money on now that you're not 'burning' it? Setting yourself a goal such as a special treat with your new found wealth would give you a good incentive to keep up giving up. :-D

 

Mel, I think this is a great piece of advice. When I recently lost 2.5 stones through more sensible eating and drinking habits, the money I saved was staggering.

 

In one month alone I bought this laptop without even breaking stride to the bank, my "back pocket money", oh OK, beer money, paid for it with ease.

 

Keep it up Malc

 

Martyn

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Hi Malc,

Just been reading about you giving up the smokes WELL DONE!!! I too have been there and pushed through the cold turkey, I opted for sheer will power not patches etc because I felt that all I would be doing was substituting one crutch for another and it was time I stood up on my own so to speak. It was hard and there were many temptations along the way - some I had a bit of a wobble at but did not succome to. I promised myself at the start a weekly treat and then went onto a monthly treat - all paid for by not buying the ciggies. The treats for example were a CD one week, a manicure one month, a big bunch of flowers another week, but something that I could look at or listen too and think I deserved that because I was strong! In the end the treats are less important as the feeling of succeeding increases.

 

Anyway keep up the good work, keep strong and you've got a load of us who have been down this path and know exactly what you are going through, just remember there is light at the end of the tunnel and not as far away as you'll be thinking at the moment.

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