Team-BHP - Help smoking Team-BHP members quit smoking

Non-Smokers are Less Shy

Well, honestly, I can't claim that giving up will make any shy person into a tower of confidence! But, meeting new people was always one of those situations that would get me smoking. Something for the hands to do, not to mention the effect of the smoke itself. When I no longer had this refuge I actually found myself less nervous!

I gave up one habit, and at least a percentage of another bad habit associated with it just slipped away.

Of course, the fact that I no longer stank also helped with some people :uncontrol

Quote:

Originally Posted by selfdrive (Post 2210650)

Having been a chain smoker, I can say that it takes a herculean effort to resist smoking. It is not a one off thing but an ongoing effort. the worst occasions that one is tempted are:
- at the katta/ tapri/ adda
- while at the pub
- immediately after a meal
- waiting somewhere for someone, you have a few minutes to kill
imho, if your resolve is weakening or challenged by temptation, you can equate it with something that you dont really like (your inlaws or relatives commenting on it?!). it could prevent you from picking up the bait!

well that is so true in my case!! i never had any plans of quitting for new years.. even the thought of it never occurred to me.. in fact i lit one up on the 1st of jan itself during the new year party.. but woke up the next morning, and somehow i thought ive had enough of sutta..
its been difficult, especially when you have a lot of smoking friends, but its going well so far..

next mission: get my buddies to quit!! :D
P.S: any idea where i can get those Nicorette chewing gums?? been searching for them for a while.. trying to get my friends hooked onto them..

Cheers and good luck!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by bivin (Post 2211119)

next mission: get my buddies to quit!! :D
P.S: any idea where i can get those Nicorette chewing gums?? been searching for them for a while.. trying to get my friends hooked onto them..
Cheers and good luck!!

Good idea! get them addicted to something else, hopefully healthier ;)
there are also some electronic cigarettes in the market that do not stink and provide nicotine at the same time. you may want to check these out for the hardcore guys.

Yep, the one that my friend uses also has a small red light at the end of it and some smoke that he exhales (he told me it is provided for real experience, nothing else). The nicotine that is used can also be chosen according to personal choice.
The up side is that one can take just a couple of puffs and stop (no need to finish an entire ciggy). One of the many downsides is that it will always be available and at hand. Disclaimer: I am in no way promoting the product or smoking. It is only a substitute for an unnecessary evil (kind of the lesser evil so to say).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom (Post 2210694)

Non-Smokers are Less Shy
Of course, the fact that I no longer stank also helped with some people :uncontrol

Oh yes the stink! But I used to go through quite a lot not to stink, which usually included Washing hands with soap, gargling, lots of water or cool drinks or tea, mints LOL!
Once you quit, after a few years alteast, the smell seems so strong/pungent and often makes me sneeze. There are friends, much older than I am who can't kick the habit. I still think I am the luckiest to have quit with no planing or fear of relapse!

No Smoking Day - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Quote:

No Smoking Day is an annual health awareness day in the United Kingdom that is intended to help smokers who want to quit smoking. The first No Smoking Day was on Ash Wednesday in 1984, and it now takes place on the second Wednesday in March.
Each year, the campaign is promoted with a theme in the form of a short phrase. In 2010, this theme was "Break free", encouraging smokers to break free from the chains of cigarettes and quit on No Smoking Day. The visual, a pair of hands breaking a chain of cigarettes empowers smokers to quit the addiction and make a positive change.
Research conducted by GfK NOP following the 2009 campaign found that 1 in 10 smokers quit on No Smoking Day.
The campaign is run by a charity of the same name, which is based in London and has four full-time staff. It is funded by a coalition of governmental and voluntary sector organisations with an interest in health.
No Smoking Day's President is entrepreneur, TV personality, and anti-tobacco campaigner Duncan Bannatyne OBE. Bannatyne, an ex smoker who famously took on British American Tobacco at its AGM in April 2008, supports the charity by being the celebrity spokesperson for the campaign as well as encouraging the public and other celebrities to participate. Bannatyne, who has vowed to suspend his children's trust funds if he finds them smoking commented: "My views on smoking are well known. I feel that No Smoking Day is the perfect vehicle to push the smokefree message in a non judgemental way - I'm proud to be a supporter."
No Smoking Day's new Ambassador is Lemar, he commented: "This year's campaign message is 'Break Free'. If, by supporting No Smoking Day, I can help one person to break free from the chains of their smoking addiction, then I believe that my role as an Ambassador will have been worthwhile. I think that No Smoking Day is the perfect opportunity to provide hope and help to smokers who want to quit."

I like the Break Free message. So true.

The other night I came home after a long day's work, reached pretty late. The family was all relaxing on the front lawns in wicker chairs, a barbecue grilling. We had a sumptuous dinner and then swapped sweet stories in the moonlight. I then pulled out a single cigarette from my pocket, lit it and smoked in absolute contentment. It was the first cigarette I had smoked in almost a year, and somehow I knew it would be my last.

I was about halfway through the smoke when suddenly a few things struck me as odd:

I have never smoked in front of my parents, and somehow they didn't seem to mind.
I wasn't getting the taste of the cigarette or the smell of the smoke, though by all accounts I seemed to be enjoying it
Holy cow- my house doesn't have a front lawn where WAS I?

And then I woke up :Shockked:

Most lucid post-smoker dream for me: I think some others reported this earlier in the thread. I have had dreams of me smoking but this was at a whoel different level. Makes me feel all the more happy to continue being a non-smoker.

Noops
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I can now confidently say that I smoked my last cigarette on the 18th of September 2010. I quit them "cancer sticks" after 12 years of regular (10-20 a day) smoking. I never used patches, gums or any other substitutes. Although, I am not in a position to say that I am completely off cigarettes, i am determined to maintain my non smoking status at any cost. here are a few things that have worked for me
1) Reduce exposure to smoking: initially, this was my most powerful tool. i simply refused to stand alongside anyone who was smoking. if that could not be achieved, i requested them to not smoke in front of me.
2) Stop purchasing: This was also one of the initial measures. when i did not have them near me, i found myself thinking of them a lot less then i use to.
3) Reassure myself: this is one of the most important factors of influence. I would look at people smoking and let temptation get the best of me. In my mind i would actually convince myself smoking aint all that bad! this is where a reassurance to yourself is vital. and this is where i would tell myself, "this is my decision, i decided to quit because I will not let cigarettes control me. this is for my own good. this is my own decision..(keep repeating)".
4) Reward myself: i often think about my success with this effort. i then congratulate myself and throw myself a little party (lol call me crazy!). i am going to have a little celebration on the 18th to mark the completion of 6 months!

After all this time, a lot has changed. In fact i hardly ever think about it now, as if i never smoked anyway! in my view, it is much more crucial to flush it out of your mind (which takes the most time), rather than your body. and this is not a short process. it takes time. but it gets a lot better with time.

All the best guys, hope this helps.

Quote:

Originally Posted by anilisanil (Post 2188998)

Mate this happened to me umpteen times and more often than not I give up for the temptation, that single one haunts me again for quite some months.

I smoke 1-2 per day and find the temptation hard to resist, bless the souls who smoke much more and want to quit.

By the way, I decided to quit from new year and stopped much before (3 weeks) and I really hope this goes on for ever!!

Hi brother try level best to get rid of that 1or 2 nos. also, try this out keep a peppermint in your pocket and when you feel like smoking put this peppermint in the mouth,and throw the fag which you removed to smoke at the same time .REGARDS ...TRY THIS OUT PLEASE and you will be free from this addictionclap:

With a bunch of smoker friends around me, it was tough to give up smoking. But October 29th 2010, I decided to call it a day and ever since its going on pretty well. I see people smoking everyday and I also used to get the urge, but chewing gums kept me busy for the initial weeks and now I have completely got rid of that urge too. I remember the last puff I took was at 2.30 am in the mists of Munnar in biting cold with my college buddies. Will remember it forever as my last sutta.:D