Re: OT:Giving up smoking.

the patches cost more than I used to spend on ciggies, as it used to come from a friend of a friend of a truck driver, or whatever came back in hand luggage.

Oh I know. Most stupid thing I ever did. When I smoked about 3 cigars a week, because I enjoyed a nice cigar, it was fine. If I went a month without a cigar, didn't bother me.

Why the f*ck did I start on the ciggies though. Whole different ball game.

I actually decided to go for a walk. But it turned into a run/jog, in cheap tatty fashion slipon trainers and an old T shirt. Only did 2 or 3 miles, but did it in about 15 minutes. Not bad since it was the first time I've run anywhere for 16 years.

Felt absolutley mad afterwards. I was sure I was radiating a bright red glow arround me I was that hot. Didn't feel so agressive though, so the pain blocking endorfins must have kicked in.

->4 1/2 half weeks in.

->Finished with the max strength patches on Monday.

->Started the half strength. Have discovered I had mistaken Nicotine

->breaks for Job satisfaction and a will to live 15 years ago.

What you need to remember is nicotine remains in your system for upto 48hours (max) the only time you have a chemical addiction is during that time.

Once the nicotine has left your system then it's all down to habit and the defeatist attitude, you convince yourself that it's more difficult to give up then it really is.

All you are doing with patches is keeping the addictive drugs in your system and reminding yourself all the time that you are giving up.

Cold turkey and a will power are all that's required, if it gets too bad then chewing gum, not the nicotine crap but normal gum can help, well it worked for me, 40 a day to zero, grumpy for a few days but that was it not had a smoke now for over 10 years and have no desire to.

Best of luck.

No Desire at all? I have never known a smoker who gave up and not want a ciggie, they all say "oh I hate the smell" etc but deep down they all still have a craving every now and again.

I don't have the will power to not smoke. Even if kicked the nicotine I would still want the cigarette. It was the physical action that was strongest for me. Bored at work, go for a smoke. Getting hungry, can't eat yet, have a smoke. Finished a meal, have a smoke. Having a drink in the pub, have a smoke.

I'm getting rid of the physical habit first. And at the same time I'm scaling the addiction down gradually until it will be easier to get rid of. So far I haven't wanted a cigarette for a while, apart from the ocassional twinge. Last time it was worst was after washing and waxing the car. As I stood back to see how it looked, I instinctively reached for the tobacco tin that would have been in my pocket. Don't know if I actually wanted a smoke, but it is what I always did after spending a couple of hours washing and waxing. Stand back, light a smoke, inspect the finish.

I'm already going through 1 pack a day of Extra "ICE" sugar free.

->

->No Desire at all? I have never known a smoker who gave up and not want a

->ciggie, they all say "oh I hate the smell" etc but deep down they all still

->have a craving every now and again.

None, sure in the weekend I was going cold turkey bun not since, must be getting on for 10 years now.

I still have a nice Havana cigar ready for a special occasion, loads of excuses have come and gone bit it's still sealed in it's metal tube.

You wanna try those Extra ones that melt on your tongue. Thin strips - I imagine LSD to take a similar form. Quite expensive though, but it takes will power to see how long you can leave it stuck to your tongue before demolishing it.

Peter

No, the proper "ICE" gum, not the thin sticky breath freshener mints.

Hehehe! Funnily enough, I did that a few weekends ago. I couldn't really hold many on my tongue as they kept on sliding off, but I put a whole lot (the remainder of the pack - about 3/4 pack) in, all at once, and just waited until they'd all dissolved, one by one! Took a while!

Heh, I'm a sucker for punishment - I like the "aaargh" feeling of drinking a whole load of water after just having had lots of strong mints.....

Peter

Never had a problem with them. Biggest trick is to see how long you can hold a whole pack on your tongue.

BTW, I eat raw chillis because I like the taste.

Try your first decent cup of Cuban/Turkish/Espresso coffee after eating a very hot curry. It tastes absolutley orgasmic after your tastebuds have been overloaded.

->->> Heh, I'm a sucker for punishment - I like the "aaargh" feeling of drinking a

->> whole load of water after just having had lots of strong mints.....

->>

->Try your first decent cup of Cuban/Turkish/Espresso coffee after eating

->a very hot curry. It tastes absolutley orgasmic after your tastebuds

->have been overloaded.

The things smokers have to do to get any flavor from their food...........

Actually, my taste never actually lessoned much in the 15 years I smoked. Weird really, I was expecting to find everything I ate had wonderful new flavours, and I would find things I loved or hated more than ever. Hasn't happened.

Except, where as I thought Saurkraut was OK, now I think it is absolutley fantastic.

->->

->> ->Try your first decent cup of Cuban/Turkish/Espresso coffee after eating

->> ->a very hot curry. It tastes absolutley orgasmic after your tastebuds

->> ->have been overloaded.

->>

->> The things smokers have to do to get any flavor from their food...........

->>

->>

->Actually, my taste never actually lessoned much in the 15 years I

->smoked. Weird really, I was expecting to find everything I ate had

->wonderful new flavours, and I would find things I loved or hated more

->than ever. Hasn't happened.

->

->Except, where as I thought Saurkraut was OK, now I think it is

->absolutley fantastic.

And you think your taste buds never lessened ?

(I'm not sure my did, tho my sense of smell did)

Yes, that I agree with. the worst thing now, about being round other smokers, isn't the smell of the smoke, it is the smell of the smokers. Now I know how bad I must have smelt.

I'm feeling a hell of a lot better now.