Who wants to be a nonsmoker?

**zooter** · 10th June 2005, 23:05

Originally Posted by jazbug5

Everyone seems to work in different ways with this one; I never started as my folks both smoked a lot and I didn't really see the point of lumbering yourself with it. (Lucky me...)
My first job was working in a hospice. That's how I got my mum to finally stop after 20 years of trying: I described what some of our patients had gone through and what I'd seen.
She hasn't smoked now for 14 years. Neither has Dad; not easy, and I'm very proud of them both; in their day you started when you were 10 or so so it was a hard one for them to break...

If anyone wants me to gross them out, PM me.

Everyone knows it's gross. Everone knows there is no logical reason to carry on smoking. Logic doesn't come into it. Its a drug addiction.

**WINJA** · 10th June 2005, 23:09

Originally Posted by zooter

My point is that the reward doesn't help in getting the brain around the addiction. You would have got over the nicotine just as easily without the new bike.
"smoking is not that exciting" - I couldn't have put it better myself!
"a little help" is what I'm offering anyone who wants it.

YOU UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF YOUR BRAIN, YOU STILL DONT GET IT

**zooter** · 10th June 2005, 23:24

Originally Posted by WINJA

YOU UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF YOUR BRAIN, YOU STILL DONT GET IT

What don't I get? The power of the brain is what gets you addicted in the first place. Its the subconsious mind that holds the key. All the logic sceams quit smoking now but what your subconcious has learned is that smoking is good.

**jazbug5** · 10th June 2005, 23:43

Originally Posted by zooter

Everyone knows it's gross. Everone knows there is no logical reason to carry on smoking. Logic doesn't come into it. Its a drug addiction.

I get what you're saying, mate- I was being a little flippant, I suppose. Point being, that's what worked for my mum after forty odd years of smoking. She got the logic part, but it was hearing about what I had seen that freaked her out and that helped her to stop; it was a mixture of vanity and emotion in her case.

Another friend of mine did a 'Weight Watchers' style programme, and that seems to have really worked for her...

**zooter** · 11th June 2005, 00:33

Originally Posted by jazbug5

I get what you're saying, mate- I was being a little flippant, I suppose. Point being, that's what worked for my mum after forty odd years of smoking. She got the logic part, but it was hearing about what I had seen that freaked her out and that helped her to stop; it was a mixture of vanity and emotion in her case.

Another friend of mine did a 'Weight Watchers' style programme, and that seems to have really worked for her...

Weight watchers?? You mean she weaned herself off nicotine? Nobody can wean themselves off, anyone who says they succeeded by weaning themselves off has gone cold turkey at an early stage.

**Skyryder** · 11th June 2005, 03:26

Originally Posted by WINJA

YOU UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF YOUR BRAIN, YOU STILL DONT GET IT

You got this one right Winj. Without the willpower the body will succumbe to it's addiction. It's a mindset thing.

For me the key was controlling the stress levels that addiction causes.

Skyryder

**jazbug5** · 11th June 2005, 03:35

Originally Posted by zooter

Weight watchers?? You mean she weaned herself off nicotine? Nobody can wean themselves off, anyone who says they succeeded by weaning themselves off has gone cold turkey at an early stage.

No. What I mean is, she joined a group that all pledged to give up at the same time. They met weekly to discuss how it was going for them, and they did breath tests- a little like the whole ritual 'stepping on the scales' thing.
I agree about weaning, if what you mean is when people say 'Oh, I'll just go from 40 a day to 20, then cut down from there'. I've heard of very few cases of this working; as with most addictions, it usually seeks a way of surviving by getting you to lie to yourself. Anyway, good luck with whatever method you have chosen...

**Skyryder** · 11th June 2005, 03:45

Originally Posted by zooter

What don't I get? The power of the brain is what gets you addicted in the first place. Its the subconsious mind that holds the key. All the logic sceams quit smoking now but what your subconcious has learned is that smoking is good.

Not so Zoot. Addiction has nothing to do with brain power. Addiction is caused by the body sending signals to the brain that the drug is needed. In this case nicotine. When a smoker decides to quit this is a concious decision based on the varying needs of the indavidual, eg money, health, family pressure etc.

No learning process is involved in addiction of any kind. It's all chemical.

I can only comment on my own experiance in quiting but the key to success is controling the stress that withdrawal creates. That and a good dollip of willpower.

For those that are thinking of giving up I can give no better reason other than sex. Can't speak for the women but the guys you'll be running around like a teenager so get ya self a good understanding woman (if not already) or a jar of brylcreem. You'll need both.

Skyryder

**jazbug5** · 11th June 2005, 03:49

Brylcreem...?

I'll give you bloody characters, ya hoor...

**Skyryder** · 11th June 2005, 03:57

Originally Posted by jazbug5

Brylcreem...?

I'll give you bloody characters, ya hoor...

It's a guy thing.

Skyryder

**Gremlin** · 11th June 2005, 04:14

woman or brylcreem??

Is it just me and my bad bad mind, or do I know what the alternative to a lovely woman is??

**Odin** · 11th June 2005, 06:36

The nicotine adiction is not the real problem. I mean say you smoke 20 cigies a day, thats at least one every hour. So when you have gone 2-3-4 hours without you start getting itchy and can't wait to get to a place where you can smoke 5-6 hours and its hard and you think dam I'm addicted. ...... But, is the first thing you do in the morning to smoke a cigi ? do you wake in the night to have a smoke ? do you get dressed and the like, maybe have breaky or coffee before the first cigi ? and thats 7-8-9 hours...... So the body is not that adicted. The brain thinks it is.

My key to quiting, i think, was every time i think i need a smoke I'd think someting like "Great I'm a none smoker.... feels bloody good" and then get on with what I was doing and being happy with it.
I think If one thinks oh god i need a smoke.... but it will pass if i can just hang on, just for the first 3 days .... 3 weeks .... or what ever. Wount work....

....Nothing will happen after 3 days, or 3 weeks or 3 months. No reward. So why keep fighting.
Thats why being happy about it from the start is important.

I'd surgest reading a book by Allen Carr called "the easyway to give up smoking". But read it all in 2-4 weeks, and read it a bit as you would watch an arnold movie. Don't try to take it apart and think things like "he couldent possibly shoot 26 guys in 2 seconds with a machinegun from the hip while hanging upside down from a burning hellicopter ....blindfolded". Just think " wow he's good" That kind of attitude will help reading this book.

It helped me. 4 weeks now and dam happy with it. More energy and feeling better.

Oh, and to all the non smokers that thinks it will help to hazzel the crap out of the smokers ....nope, dosen't help at all. Not on me anyway. Someone started hazzeling me I'd light up emidiatly.

And smokers.....what do you have to loose.... give it a go.

On the point of cutting down. If one cuts down and tries to hold out longer for the next smoke then the cigi's becomes more preciues and therefore harder to give up.

dont think of it as giving up more as stopping. Like bitting your nails... its not good for anything anyway.

oh, and forgive my spelling...