Ankebuzz,

The best way is to completely stop. Most people I know who have stopped smoking have done it this way. The first couple of weeks are hard but it only gets easier. The big thing is the first step you sound like youre already there. Try and fill your time where you would smoke with something else.

Like I say after the first couple of weeks it gets easier. Good Luck.

What did the book do for you that you couldn't do youself? Darn spammers.

I just wanted to add....

I always hated it when people said "you have to really want to quit" because I always thought...why are they underestimating the level of how much I really want to quit. Not until after I was successful did I understand what exactly they were saying.

It's simply more about really being ready than the wanting I think.

And I agree...I say set a date and try to go cold turkey. Cutting back never worked for me because I'd just keep pushing back the date that I would give it up forever.

But to each their own and I hope that you find what will work for you!

Keep us updated!

I am increasing my lung capacity as of today.

Is it alright if I keep this thread going here? I would bump it every now and then for an update on how the quitting is going...

DAY ONE

So far so good

Day One! WHOOO HOOO! Congrats on the first step. This is the hardest part, it gets easier from here. Distraction is your best tool through these first couple of weeks. Have a distraction planned. (If I am tempted, that's when I will get up and do XXX instead.) Good Luck!!

Ok, so... DAY ONE... again...

Do you know what prompted the cigarette yesterday?

Or if you could have had an alternative?

Sometimes understanding why is a step in helping to quit...

Good luck on day one

ankebuzz
i have struggled with quitting myself. i smoked 6 years (started at 14) and then finally was able to quit for good last december. i had tried to quit millions of times prior to that but would always start smoking again. what was different this time: i knew deep inside that after i promised myself i'd quit, i'd immediatly regret having that one cigarette that broke the period of non-smoking - so since i knew i'd regret this, i just never was able to justify having another cigarette. (learned i'd regret it by trying previously to quit so many times) hope that makes sense? sort of hard to explain. and i was also finally READY to quit... that made a huge difference. i wont lie though, it never gets easy and its a daily struggle for a while - but if you want it enough you can do it. GOOD LUCK sweetie! and let us know how it goes

Thanks Mal! Basically what prompted it was impulse and rationalising... I went to my friend's place and he smokes... I mentioned I'm stopping... he said he would like to as well... he had half a box to finish so we did it and quit together.

Amagheti, I was also 14 and I am 20 now... I'm ready to kick this... I don't feel like I'm an athlete when I smoke, and I want to be one. I want to run races and things... and dance professionally maybe... I need all the lung capacity I can get!

Thanks guys, I really appreciate the support!

I am on Day 2 and all is going SWELL!!!

Day 3... put a 5mg patch on today, the lightest one. Yesterday I was having hot and cold sweats, churning stomach, fleeting headaches, dizziness, nausea, sore throat, coughing and post nasal drip. I also had a serious loss of appetite. Luckily I exercised in the early morning before feeling like this.

Sounds like a flu, huh? But when I went to sleep and woke up in the middle of the night I suddenly felt back to normal. When I woke up this morning I still felt fine, but within an hour of waking the dizziness has come back. Throat and cough seem to be slightly better, but I just couldn't handle another day of shakes and nausea, so I put on a patch.

For some reason I feel like I'm letting myself down, though that's not true at all. I'm using the resources available to me to quit, no matter what it takes!

But now I'm scared... will the patch not bring back the hooked-ness and when I stop wearing them (I only have 3 more) will I feel like crap all over again!? Can you really wean yourself off nicotine?

you can wean yourself off the nicotine.. it takes about a week or so... the biggest addiction to fight is the cigarette feel... that thing in your hand...

You'd doing fine...

just poppin in to see how you are doing.

yeah I remember when I quit I had dry/sore throat and any form of physical for the first year after my throat would get a slight burning feeling. It's better now though.

Don't feel bad for using the resources available to you....they are there for a reason...we are all different and have different needs.

with that said....good for you...day 3 for whatever reason was one of my roughest days!

Stay strong....you can do this!

You are doing great!!! This is the hardest time, these first few days. Once you get a week or so into it the motivation becomes, I don't want to have to do that first week all over again, so I can't go back now. Use your resources, getting rid of the nicotine is alot easier than getting rid of the habit. It is normal to think you are not doing as well as you should. It is that little cigarette devil sitting on your shoulder whispering in your ear. He is trying to convince you to just give up and go back to smoking. Brush him off and tell him where he can go!!

Way to go Anke! I was never a 'real' smoker - I used to smoke every once in awhile when I drank, maybe a grand total of 2 or 3 packs in my life. But my brother and his wife smoke. They have tried to quit many many times and it never sticks. They just got pregnant though and I think this time it will take hold!

Good luck on your journey. It's hard but SO worth it.

Thanks everyone... your support means so much to me!

Day 3 is basically over and I am through it okay, all be it with shakes and hot flushes! Was a little better than yesterday, so that's good!