stop smoking article

[Andy Hamilton]

I am an on off smoker and always trying to be a non-smoker. As such I have tried to stop on countless occasions. I was thinking of writing an article on how to stop as I can call myself an expert on qutting. (unfortuntely not staying quit).

Would this be useful, or is it a bit too hypercritical to write such an article when I still am finding it difficult not to have the odd one or 5 with a pint? I also thought is it self sufficientish, it could go towards the evironmental side of things that we cover.

[Millymollymandy]

Depends whether you grow your own baccy!!

[wulf]

You could think about what keeps pulling you back. That might even help you identify certain linked behaviours you could hold back on in order to help break the hold smoking has on you.

Wulf

[Andy Hamilton]

True MMM Need a licence in the UK to grow tobbaco, they lifted it during wartime though and some people did grow their own!

Good point wulf. Might give it a go then.

[ina]

I'm sure it would be interesting to hear (or rather read) your experience. Anyway, if you are an on/off smoker, that's better than a constant chain smoker...

I smoked from age 19 to 29, a maximum of 20 per day. Gave up from on day to the other, never looked back. Couldn't stand smoke at all for the first 6 months or so, but since then I've been ok with it.

My father smoked most of his life - but rarely more than 10 per week. He died last year age 94.

I think that smoking like everything else is a matter of how much, whether you bother others when you do it (not in my house, mate!
), and whether you consider it a problem for yourself. I still have that problem with alcohol - not that I drink a lot, but I drink when I'm upset. I can go without for weeks if necessary, but I still think it's not healthy if I use it for "problem solving". If you want to give up your restricted smoking, it must be a kind of problem for you, too... And it might help writing about it. I always find I can distance myself from writing better than from purely thinking or talking, and thus look at things more subjectively.

Oh, this is getting far too philosophical! And I've just had a bottle of wine...

Ina

[Andy Hamilton]

Have been a constant chain smoker, an on off smoker, anoccasional smoker and a non smoker since the age of 13. I know that it the fact that I have been a long time smoker that makes it more difficult to give it up. The best bit of advice that I ever heard was to get to grips with who I was when I first started. I feel that I can now feel sorry for that child and put behind most of the reasons.

Ok I have had a few (to drink) now, so it is my turn to be philosopical...

I smoked to be accepted now that I am it seems futile to carry on, yet when I give up I return to that 13 year old boy.

about 50/50 of my friends smoke and it is only when pregnant women or children are around do I feel that I am damaging anyone. I have a good genitic makeup that can still live with smoking, my 40-50 a day grandad is still alive and his parents lived to around 100 - thats who I take after. My lung capacity was 99% when last checked.


When I do go through the periods of not smoking at all I love the taste of food (my first love) and the smell of things. I also find that my energy levels are really high.

I sometimes drink when upset and also to celebrate, it is all about a personal attitude to our vices. If drinking when upset means that you exorsice any demons then I see no harm, if it means that you keep them then perhaps there is real harm. So if it is problem solving in this way then hay fair enough.

Ok late at night....



I think with ciggy in hand, I will write about not smoking.

[Muddypause]

[Wombat]

We all have the right to do what we want I suppose. What I hate is the evil people who make the cigarettes and therefore profit from the illness and death that we inflict on ourselves. Not to mention the marketing of the things.

I suppose that I am being an unmarried marriage counsellor here, never having been a smoker - although in my earlier days was a drinker. I used to drink with guys who would drink (lots - 20 schooners) and drive home. They scared the living daylights out of me so I have never drunk (drinked?) and drove (driven?).

I have seen the destructive effects of both vices when taken to extemes, including losing quite a number of uncles and aunts to lung or assocated cancer. I suppose what I am saying Andy is that the world needs you (and all self sufficientishers) - so look after yourself!

Nev

(Well it's been a while since I had a rant and it's my turn!)

[Millymollymandy]

Oh dear, I am reading this with fag in hand! The good thing about forums is that you can chat to people and they don't get upset about the smoke!!!

[ina]

Any of you smokers out there - if you had been here today, I would have bought the ciggies and encouraged you! Those blasted midges have been eating me! Slapped half a jar of wonderful natural anti-midge stuff on my face and anything else that was exposed - it smells nice, and the beasties seem to like it, too.

(Nev, midges are the Scottish equivalent of mozzies, only much smaller, but just as nasty.)

Won't get all that philosophical tonight, I promise - no wine in sight. But I won a bottle of Grolsch at the bottle stall at the games. The bottle stall is run by the local church, by the way, which I find a bit amusing. Shouldn't they rather try not to encourage folk to drink? But it's the Church of Scotland, maybe that's different...

Ina

[Guest]

Hi,

I was a smoker from 14 to 32. Most of that time, i was a "professional".
I could smoke when i was eating, I never went one single day without at least one cigarette (seriously, in 18 years, not one - even when ill).
I smoked, on average 20 a day for about 15 of those 18 years.

anyway.... The mental attitude thing is entirely correct. I'm afraid "scaring" smokers with tales of cancer and amputations doesnt work - all smokers already know all that.

I got told about a silly little book called " The Easiway to Give up Smoking" by a bloke called Allen Carr (himself originally a smoker on 100 a day).
Is a daft little , fairly poorly written book that is like some kind of weird voodoo. As you progress through the book, he tells you to light up and carry on smoking. By the End of the book, you cant wait to give up - not because of any health scares or warnings, you actually look forward to becoming a non-smoker. Its not really a big revelation, its weird, my attitude when I got to the end of the book was "Oh, well, I wont bother smoking any more then" . That was sept 7th 2002. Allways imagined that giving up would be hell, always the fear of not being "allowed" to smoke anymore - The truth is it really was easy.

He takes the mystery out of smoking and tells you why you actually smoke. Once you know the secret - they cycle is easy to break and giving up really is EASY ( i was amazed at how easy it was ).

I thoroughly recommend this book - it only cost about 7 quid on amazon (in 2002).
anyway, dont believe me... go read the reader reviews about this book on amazon, its incredible and makes me quite angry that this book isnt available on the NHS !


/rant over :)

[Guest]

oh, I should qualify, when I read the book, I didnt really *want* to give up smoking (well, only in so much as ALL smokers say they'd "like" to give up). Like all smokers , i knew it would eventually kill me. But I wasnt in bad health and could quite comfortably afford to smoke.

Thats how effective the book was on me.

[shiney]

I guess I am lucky, I have experimented with ciggies but found that they made me cough, feel dizzy and feel generally unwell. I reckon I have smoked about 2 in my life!

My partner smokes, but always outside in the back yard, never indoors or around the kids. Fair play. He knows it's bad for him, but is more a social smoker really. He doesn't smoke lots, so I can't complain.

I can't imagine what it would be like to have to give it up, but if you really want to pack it in, go for it!

[Guest]

I am SOOO anti smoking for all the obvious reasons.

Nagged my DH to give up for years (he smoked from the age of 13 too) to no avail. Then, about 5 years ago, aged 37, he just stopped. It was New years Eve. He had been working himself into it for a while, watching as his heavy smoking family succumbed to various cancers and heart problems, and he just did it.

I was so proud of him. He found it very, very hard, but took one day at a time. Every morning he said to himself, 'Today I will not smoke'. He said if he looked at the long term it seemed too difficult, but one day at a time was more manageable.

I think you should write your article, Andy - why not? Maybe it will inspire you to give up once and for all!!

[Chickenlady]

Not a guest, but a Chickenlady! I am sure I logged in...