Stopping Smoking...

[Ryewolf]

Damn, this stopping smoking lark isn't as easy as I thought, almost made it through the day without one............ it's Day 5 - or almost the end of it, but just caved in after a few glasses of wine. Yes, I do smoke and no I didn't whilst on either of the 2 TIPF BDO...........

[Denis]

I can recommend a good heart attack to stiffen the resolve ....thats how I stopped. Failing that Geoff, consider vaping, its got to be better for you mate !

[Ryewolf]

Thanks Denis, yes I can see how that would stiffen the resolve. I didn't really want to go down the vaping route as you're still vaping nicotine - which is the addictive part - so you're just swapping one method of addiction to another - abliet without all the other assorted rubbish associated with smoking tobacco as well...

[Ryewolf]

Apparently, your brain has its own receptors for nicotine – so-called ‘nicotinic acetylcholine’ receptors, which cause Dopamine release. Dopamine release is usually concerned with naturally rewarding activities, such as eating, drinking, sexual activity, and so on. Nicotine and other addictive drugs hijack this system and they tap into the normal instrumental learning mechanism which has evolved to ensure that pleasurable or rewarding activities are repeated.

https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/volume-26/edition-5/why-it-so-hard-quit-smoking

 

[FUJI]

One look at my paralysed unable to speak brother in the nursing home might do the trick...........I can't imagine how difficult it is.....except for fighting to give up sugar.

FUJI

[JHFoto]

I stopped 20 years ago, the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. Good luck.............

[kev7d]

Keep at it Rye.  Discussions about smoking can  often be quite polarised. But without a doubt, health is improved by not smoking.  You can do it but it is no easy task.  

[Ryewolf]

Thanks everyone. I am determined to keep at it and give up. I was feeling quite pleased with myself yesterday, as I'd managed the whole day without one........

[Clicker]

Rye ... I gave up 25 years ago after a dear friend died of lung cancer attributed to passive smoking in the work environment . I just stopped and it ony took two weeks of complete abstinence  to feel I could say I had kicked the habit and had  lost the  craving .. By changing my routines to stop having tea and coffee breaks in the day and  avoiding the after dinner drink  for that time helped ... plus the guilt I felt that I may have  been  contributing to someone elses poor health .... I 'm sure you can do this Rye ...I wish you the very best in your goal ... probably the most important of all your challenges .Good Luck ... keeping the convesation going on this thread will maybe  help when you feel temptation ... and I'm usually about in the wee small hours  to stop you succombing ... I. I  don'think you should have any ciggies in the house... my argument to myself was that by having them there in case i was desperate, meant I didn't believe I could do it ... and self belief is more than half the battle ...  you really will not regret it .Go Rye   you can do this ..

[Ryewolf]

Thanks Clicker, I don't think I'll be succuming tonight, just arrived back home 15-25 mins ago from the Lake District and I have no more rolling tobbaco left in the house. I found there were two hard ones to resist, that first one with my morning cup of tea and when I have a glass of wine (or two, ok sometimes 3) in the evening. To be honest when I'm out and about with my camera it never really bothers me.

So feeling rather pleased that I've almost made 24 hours without one.... and today didn't seem as hard....

[Korky]

When I quit smoking some 35 years ago I'd grown to detest cigarettes. I can't give you any advice as far as giving up is concerned, but when you're free of the habit, you'll realise just how bloody evil those things are. Giving up smoking is the single most important thing you can do to improve your health and prolong your life.

We all have our little proclivities (as I type this, I have rather large drop of Scotch by my side) but tobacco is a vile drug and I wish you every success in breaking free!

You CAN do it.

Korky

[Ryewolf]

Thanks Korky, that's just about how I was feeling towards the middle of last week - and I certainly wasn't enjoying that horrid hacking cough in the mornings. I think everyone is different when it comes to giving it up, and I didn't want to go down the vaping route either. To be honest it was a 50/50 split between health and expense - as since mid May this year rolling tobacco can only be sold in 30 or 50gram packs........

[Clicker]

I truly hope you can say  you've had your last cigarette Rye ... You seem to be so focussed in other things that you set your mind to .... I  am sure this will be another of your successful challenges.  Using strategies to change the moments that you normally find yourself automatically reaching for one is a real help I found. Don't buy any  baccy tomorrow..... That will be a major  step . . 

[Phil]

My supervisor was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in May, he turned 60 in April and has smoked for over 45 years. No one knew more than him that he had to stop but no amount of threats of cancer, vile images (those on cig packets do no good at all) or tales of friends dying would prevent him from making those hourly trips to the works smoke shelter, now it is too late! 3 1/2 years ago I wouldn't listen either.

I smoked for 40 years and coughed constantly, I bought my first e-cig kit 6 years ago but struggled to get on with it (they simply aren't cigs), then I gave it a serious go and came through the other end. Within days my cough had gone, my energy levels jumped and my outgoings went from £250 and month to less than £20, I reckon it took me almost a year to stop reaching for the baccy tin that wasn't there. Yes, 3 1/2 years on I'm still on the e-cig, but rather that than tobacco.

Geoff, I really do feel for you because I know exactly how difficult it is, cold-turkey didn't work for me but the e-cig did, whichever road you decide to take I wish you the very best of luck!

[Ryewolf]

Thanks Phil, at the moment I keep reaching for the baccy tin at certain times, usually when I have a brew. I suppose it doesn't help that I work from home, so wasn't tied to any particular time when I could have one...

But so far, so good....

[Clicker]

That's great ... .. every hour is a victory ...keep it up Rye  ...  think of all the lenses you could get  with the cash you save too ...You should maybe start a Photography   ciggiepiggy  bank !

[Ryewolf]

Thanks Clicker, well only 2 more hours and it'll be 2 full days without, today wasn't as hard as yesterday, which wasn't as hard as the day before....

I did try and work out how much smoking, in terms of cash, it cost per year - probably in excess of £1600 a year...

There are a couple of lenses I'd like:

Sigma 30mm f1.4 DC HSM Art - £359 - relatively achievable in a few months....

However, the other is one of the BIG BIG BIG Canon/Sigma Prime lenses - the Canon EF 800mm f5.6 L IS USM Lens is about £12,000 - so that might have to wait a while.... a long while probably.....

 

[Clicker]

Now that does look like one big bad boy of a lens Rye !  I'd have to do some serious work in the Gym to be ale to carry that  around !

[Ryewolf]

Yes I know, same here - not to mention the cost...and definitely not a hand held lens that's for sure... on a crop sensor that's equivilant to 1280mm - and you can also stick a 1.4 or 2.0 converter on it... Canon also did a very, very, very limited edition 1200mm prime - the last that sold went £150,000+, Sigma do a 800mm lens, same f5.6 but no IS - it's still £5000

[Jon]

Keep trying. I stopped for 7 years, never lost the craving though, had the year from hell and started again, turned to vaping me I'm off the tobacco (hate the taste now). 

I'm making my own juice for it now, and I alternate between no nicotine and 1% (bought juices are 6, 12, 18 or 24%). Only really do it when im bored at work so im getting there. Good luck, it's not impossible

[Ryewolf]

Thanks Jon, always good to here how other people managed when they tried to stop. Today was 48 hours, I did gradually cut down in the 4 or 5 days before I decided to stop, which was Monday - though it took a few days longer to get it down to none. Not saying I'm out of the woods yet, but this morning I didn't automatically reach for the drawer in my office where I used to have the baccy tin and I've had 3 glasses of wine this evening - which is usually the point when it's hardest to resist...

I've mentiond before I didn't want to go down the vaping route, which is still inhaling nicotine - whatever strength - yes, it's probably no where near as bad as actual smoking tobacco - but you're still addicted to the nicotine. So for me I wanted out completely, no nicotine, no e-cigs, just out... forever. My Dad did it many years ago - he used to smoke 40 a day - in the early 70's, in those days there was no NRT (Nicotine Replacement Treatment), no ecigs, patches, or help from your GP or the internet to find out why it's so hard to give up.

[Ryewolf]

2 full days, no smoking, to be honest not missing it that much - apart from the odd time when I reach for the baccy tin - which isn't there and is empty and is an automatic response - but that's mostly habit

[Denis]

Good, each day at a time,and if you put aside the cash to buy baccy each week, look at it every now and again...another incentive !

[Korky]

How's it goin'?

Korky

[Ryewolf]

So far so good, after today It'll be one full week without. There were a couple of days early in the week when I really wanted a smoke. I thought I might be tempted on Wed, when I friend I do some web work for came over, he smokes, but to be honest the smell of smoke had the opposite effect.