I've decided to stop smoking

[MickyMacgraw]

Enough is enough and I'm sick of being controlled and a slave to nicotine and purposefully administering this slow acting carcinogenic poison to myself. Originally I thought I'd start in the new year but why wait until then and further harm myself? Anyway I've bought some niquitin-minis lozenges 1.5mg and will be starting tomorrow morning after having my last smoke tonight. I will be logging cravings on a 1-10 scale, stress of the day on a 1-10 scale, depression and other things such as whether my appetite goes up etc..
I think the most dangerous times will be in the mornings, after meals and before bed.
I've stopped drinking for the moment so the after drink cigarette will not be a problem for now.
Hopefully I will be able to stick this out and maybe even be an inspiration for others to quit.

[anneasquith]

well. your nearly another day down !

[MickyMacgraw]

Thanks annesquith I think that the nicotine withdrawal became stronger as I haven't drank in a while, no doubt these will subside the more I drink and I abstain from ciggies.

[MickyMacgraw]

I can honestly say that last night I didn't enjoy drinking without having a smoke as they have gone hand in hand together, bus as I've already said I think this will become less and less of a problem as my brain learns to associate alcohol without the nicotine to join it.

[madmaggot]

Well Micky, at least you'll be able to taste your beer now.

[MickyMacgraw]

I suppose you're right madmaggot, I'll actually be able to stay seated savour the drink and carry on my conversations at the pub or bar instead of apologizing and making my excuses to leave and downing my drink as I rush outside into the freezing cold to light up!

[JMR27]

You're doing good Micky...I thought you might have cracked last night.....but you didn't - well done! :o)

[anneasquith]

any update Micky ?

[canasta]

well done, you. Good luck and good health.

[MickyMacgraw]

Thanks very much jmr27,Annesquith and canasta, it's been two weeks today and I'm still going strong. Don't get me wrong I still have that void at certain times especially after having food and after drinking tea or coffee as I've spent many years having a ciggie straight afterwards, my ciggies was my "pudding" in a way so it's going to take a while for me to break that mental chain of thought. Something funny happened last week when I was bought nicotinel 2mg chewing gum as the shops had ran out of my niquitin minis 1.5mg, so I had to use the gum which had a higher dose knowing that this could reset my tolerance level but had no choice, the gum's are not too bad and are the better choice especially after a few drinks, let me explain. The original mints i used (niquitin minis) releases the nicotine rapidly into your system to which is good normally but when you're drinking having all the nicotine injected into your system does not help you 10 mins later,, with the gum it's more sustained over a longer period which is perfect for alcohol. The more you chew the more nicotine is released and the less you chew the less nicotine is released so you can have a drink and have a few chews and then push the gum at the side of your mouth and carry on the conversation/drinking and have a couple of chews every now and again. I have found this to work. For those that maybe put of by the idea of a minty beer or other alcoholic beverage, Initially the gum is minty and then this disperses and you are left with the slightly bitter taste of the gum which is more agreeable with your drink then mint, unless you're drinking a minty based drink obviously. So my advice to everyone is number one, maybe give up drinking for a while before you give up smoking as when you're drinking you will have very heavy hard to control urges to smoke when drinking so make sure if you're using another method other than gum, make sure you buy the gum for this very purpose which should help you a

[MickyMacgraw]

That was "As it has me" Why was the end of the paragraph cut off? Too long?

[anneasquith]

14 days well done, micky.

[MickyMacgraw]

Thanks anneasquith, I have relatively stress free recently so maybe that helped I have also been taking a a whole lot of vitamins as well, I think that the Korean Ginseng and Rhodiola Rosea which are known for helping your body deal with stress have helped as well. I hope that this thread may have helped anyone intending to give up. also it goes to show that that some of us are mentally stronger then we give ourselves credit for.

[MickyMacgraw]

Thanks tragedy22, so you still get the urges 44 years later? Are they constant like or every once in a while?