I need HELP soo bad I am a smoker of 10 yrs and tried soo hard to quit I am under sooo much stress ( I know sounds typical ) but its true my life is in shambles between work , the distant husband, my children I have NOONE TO TURN TOOOO but this website I am due to get banded on 01/07/2010 and have not yet quit smoking I have tried the gum , the patches , cold turkey and I wont smoke for a few days and something sets me off them I am in my garage sneekin a drag or two or better yet a pack.... has anyone struggled with this or didnt quit, or maybe quit and went back all input would be appriciated...........thank you for reading.............

I know what you're saying ...I smoked for 30 years and finally quit after 7 years of trying. I used to get through those first few days and then something would make me flip and I'd be back on it.

The last time was pretty much the same but then I'd head for the shop and on the way there start thinking that I had done 3/5/7 or however many days and they were 3/5/7 bad days and I never wanted to have to do those same 3/5/7 days again.

Finally worked out that going forward, as hard as it was at that particular moment, was still going to be a whole lot easier than going backwards and starting all over again. I ranted, raved, cried, cursed and went to bed as early as I could. Not fit company for man or beast!!

I must have done that twice a day for three weeks before I finally left it behind. I've been a non smoker for 3 years now and I can't believe I ever was one.

Good luck. It isn't easy but it's worth it in the end.

My real kick in the ass motivation: After 3 days of not smoking, my young son kissed me at bed time and said "mummy, you don't smell bad anymore" Ouch, that hurt.

How many kids you got?

Edited December 24, 200916 yr by jalomum
spelling!!

Get rid of them, don't have them accessible for you to be able to sneak out to the garage for a drag or two.. Find better ways to channel your feelings/energy. Try a substitute like a sugar free lollipop or that Water vapor smoker, that lets you blow "smoke" and everything even though it's just water.

Commit to yourself, better yourself, encourage yourself and you'll be better equiped to handle the stresses that are causing you to smoke.

Meditation, prayer, etc... are all other way to overcome it as well.

Good luck!

ymjackson1's right about not keeping them around. If you have to travel to get a smoke then you can think on the way.

and the lolli-pop thing just reminded me of something I'd almost forgotten...

...Chupa Chup sticks.... plastic and hollow so you can suck through them, those first deep fag drags of an irate smoker, the ones that calm you down and steady your nerves....deep breaths of oxygen through the pop stick will calm you too.

sugar free ain't all it's cracked up to be though, depends what they use instead of sugar...951?

I just used the normal ones but If you're on a pre-op diet now or once you're banded you'd better get the kids to eat the lolly for you and just save you the stick!! Shouldn't think you will be short of volunteers, or you could be super angelic and dentally aware and stick it in a glass of Water to let it dissolve. No sugar, no additives, no cavities, no dramas!!

I am sure folks used to think I used them for sniffing coke or something!! I never left home without one, held them like smokes for ages and always had a spare one in my purse just in case I dropped it and it landed somewhere disgusting or it rolled down a crack in a pavement!!

Now if only I could give up those pop sticks.....

I have never smoked so I can't commiserate BUT I have plenty of friends who have quit. Several of them were like you...the over the counter aids weren't helping. Please consider talking to your primary care physician because there are some prescriptions out that that do help.