Q: I am giving up on the 1st of October ( have had this date in mind for quitting for a few month snow, so not going to give up before). Just wondering how many people here have successfully given up, and how hard it really is? Any tips you can give me, either when i have stopped, or in the weeks running up to stopping?
A: Hi there I've given up a couple of times, and personally found it very hard indeed. Having said that, when I was preparing to give up, I canvassed a huge amount of 'giving up' stories from a lot of people and their responses varied from 'there was nothing to it' to 'it's the hardest thing I ever did in my life' So the truth is? Well only that everyone's experience is different and yours will be too. Advice? Well a lot of those people I talked to strongly recommended Allan Carr's book the EasyWay to Stop Smoking. I read it (several times), and it didn't do it for me, unfortunately, but some people are really evengelical about it so I would say it's definitely worth the price of the book to give it a go (it's recommended to read it a few weeks before you actually want to give up) What advice works for you will very much depend on what your smoking triggers are - the reasons why you smoke. One of the things that helped me was taking up knitting. Hadn't knitted since I was a child, but I found it was one of the few things I couldn't do and smoke at the same time! I also found it impossible to be around people who were smoking and not scrounge cigarettes, or at least a puff, from them. So I had to stay away from smoky situations until the worst cravings had gone. That's probably easier since the smoking ban in most places! Be aware that other people's advice may well not work for you. For eg the NHS leaflet always advise you to clean your teeth so you don't want a cigarette. Bah! I really really wanted a ciggie to get rid of a nasty toothpaste taste! that didn't work for me at all. Finally, be aware that cravings will catch you unawares. I was prepared for, for eg, the after dinner cigarette craving and was prepared to deal with it. I definitely was not prepared to really really miss the cigarette I always had while putting my make-up on! I didn't even realise I always smoked then. That kind of unexpected craving can really blindside you - so, well, just expect the unexpected Hope it goes well for you!