The struggle of it
Hi there, reading stories is encouraging. I tried hypnotherapy, I had heard such good feedback about it, it worked great for the first 12 hours then not so much, it is expensive and it can quickly drain you of money because as you slip you are encouraged to return and return ....... so I am off to my GP to get Champix I still want to keep trying. I struggle with the routine of my smoking, coming to work, getting a coffee, having a cigarette before I go in. I felt like my smoking was my little bit of rebel, we all know smoking is bad and you shouldn't do it but it was my little bit of rebel to the world, I struggle with identity, I have smoked for 2/3rds of my life, so when I quit I am a......non smoker, it doesn't feel enough for all the anxiety and stress I am putting myself through.....I know it sounds lame but these are the crazy thoughts going around in my head......does that mean I am really committed to giving up?
Hi Wakeup17,
Welcome to this community of wonderful people who will help you as they helped me :o)
Firstly, I too struggled with identity. I smoked for 25 years and then I stopped - so identifying myself as a non-smoker was tough. Its also "loss". I felt like my best friend had died. I felt like I was giving away the one thing that was true for me. OMG what was I thinking???!!!! These are all lies and excuses we give ourselves to accept our status as a smoker and stay that way - I've been there and done that! In fact, I almost convinced myself to smoke again! If you look back over my earlier stories you will see one I labelled "Identity"
Secondly, please excuse me for being so direct - but it sounds like to me that you are looking for a "cure" to quit smoking. Something that will make you magically quit. They don't exist. Champix, hypnotherapy, patches, gum, etc, etc, are aids to quit smoking. They are there to help us quit but they are not a magical cure. I used patches. These assisted in taking the strength out of the cravings while I learnt to deal with not smoking (in the physical sense) but the actual quitting part had to come from me - and it was still enormously hard and I had to experience the craves, and the temptations, and the weight gain, etc, etc. I'm off the patches now but it was hard.
So I guess what I'm trying to say is: if Champix works for you as an aid to assist you to quit smoking then that's wonderful. and we'll all be here to help you along the way to deal with different things as they come up :o)
Good luck and keep posting
Hi Crasher, thanks so much for the advise, and you are right I do want some magic quick fix rather than all doing the tough stuff of giving up, the cravings the anxiety of them and then the psychological side of it as well, then I read that some still have these cravings (albeit not as strong) months later, I guess my mind is playing games with me looking for a reason to not try, I just need to toughen up and do it.... not look for reasons not too which is why I am going to my GP because I know I need aids to assist me....thanks
Hi Wake up...
Well, first of all, smoking is horrible.. so it is obvious that while you are doing it you do not like it, but as it rules your world (like the importance of the cigarette before going to work..) it has been your identity... Although you need to be clear and want to stop. All type of help do not work if you are not clear about that... What i mean is that you need to be clear that you do NOT want to smoke in the next week... (Don't look too far...) Me I tried it with chewing gums and failed, with patches and failed with E- cigarrettes and failed.. And now managed to stop on cold turkey.. So as you see, there is the determination of stopping and the acceptance of the cravings/help from this forum which helped me the most..
But to be honest, for me it was an amazing journey... (I would never have expected it.. though..) So I wish you good luck.