Champix

Hey ya Cranky, Thank you for what you wrote, it means a lot to me. I understand that having cancer would be so much worse but I'm really having a hard time fighting this one. What you have said has made me realise that I'm not a hopeless case and there is hope. It really is wanting to give up hey? I've been diagnosed with a lung infection(coughing up blood) and Emphysema and still my brain says no!! I'm proud to read stories such as yours and others on this site for inspiration. Thank you.

Hi Pauly. You are definately not a hopeless case. We all know how you feel, it really is such a challenge. One thing that kept coming up when I started on this site was simply that "you can do it if you really want to". It is very much a mind thing & your brain will tell you just about anything & we believe it, it's a terrible trick. So we have to learn through trial and error & become aware of all of the tricks our brain will play on us to get us to continue smoking. You will get there, just don't give up trying. I haven't & as long as I've got this site for support I think I'll be ok. Stick with it. Good luck.

You my friend are not powerless !! You have control don't be afraid it's great on the other side . Baby steps first , get through this morning , get through the afternoon all the while building your confidence .

When my brain told me I needed to smoke I kept telling myself ' I have nothing to lose in quitting'

We all know the challenges it presents but we also know the benefits so go forward and claim your life back :-)

I can remember reading a guys post on this site who has been smoke free for over twelve months, he attributed his success to not wanting to give up but he kept telling himself "I have to give up" . That really helped me. Another man had the courage to post that he had been diagnosed with Lung cancer and urged all of us to rid ourselves of this filthy habit. His post really struck a cord with me. I looked at my beautiful daughters after I read his post and I cried because I felt so selfish that I had smoked for soo long. Giving up smoking is a life changing experience you are free to take to the helm of your life and charter a new direction with meaningful NEW habits every day. It is a self confidence booster and tests your determination, but it is so worth it. Bank your dart money every day I will have 10150 by the 30th June next year and what a fantastic reward.Keep strong and keep posting, you can do this.x

Hi Pauly, First of all Congratulations on your quit. Well done. Now, you just have to conquer this nicotine addiction. It is a very difficult process so, you have to have your own tricks to used. Quitting smoking is life changing event. So switch yourself to a non-smoker, or smoke-free person. I totally agree with Bronte's post "you can quit if you really want to". As for myself I quit smoking through cold turkey in just lil over a year, 375 days to be exact. I smoked for 25 yrs, a pack a day used. I was more a closet smoker, and I started not liking smoking in myself, the smell, expenses, coughing, and all the bad stuff associated with smoking. The day before my quit, after my last cigarette " I told myself, that it is my last cigarette ever". Every time I get the craving I just say "no to myself, and used a lot of distractions. I also read Allen Carr it help me a great deal in my success, and quit. Well keep us posted. Good luck! You can do it.

Thank you to everyone who has commented, you have all helped me. It's the little things that I pick up in each post that help make sense of it all. I said to my Wife that I might buy a few packets of Almonds(my idea) to snack on as a replacement for smoking but I said said they are expensive. I think you can all guess my wife's response to that!!!! So Almonds it is for me. I may also go back to the patches as they do help me or have helped me in the past. Thanks again and I'll keep reading every ones story.

I strengthened my willpower with other things. It is now better than it was. I resisted potatoe

chips and icecreams and lollies. I was offered them for two years and I said "no thank you" for a year. I also tried to go for a walk. Practicing saying "no" was good for me.

Hi Pauly, seems you've got some ideas from the posts which is great. I like the 'Almonds' comment :)) If your patches are doing the trick that's great. I've used Champix once (I liked it, and quit...and started again) but I've also used Zyban. I was a bit nervous as it can pose problems for people with anxiety issues (me!) but I really liked Zyban, I felt quite elevated and I think it also helped me control mindless snacking. I know we're all different physiologically but I'm just putting it out there that if Champix is not your thing it might be worth exploring the alternative. Hope you're going well - and enjoying the almonds :)