Being REALLY brave smoking thread

I know this thread will cause absolute uproar but I've decided to put my head above the parapet and admit that I have not yet kicked the disgusting habit fully.

I have cut down to 2 per day, from 30/day for 20 years.

I am not looking for anyone to justify what I'm doing but just feel I should own up. I was always one of those people who insisted they would quit as soon as they got pregnant and thought horrid things about heavily pregnant women I saw smoking in public. What a hypocrite.

I will not justify it either as there is no justification.

I know I am selfish and disgusting and am determined to quit for good in the next day or so. I could tear my face off every time I do it.

I would really just like to know if I am alone here or if anyone else wants to start a pact on here with me to quit the dreaded weed. (one other person has 'admitted' privately)

All non-smokers and those that have successfully managed to quit that really feel the need to call me names, please feel free to tear me to shreds. I've heard it all before. I am aware of my failings. It may not make a difference but maybe it will.

Tips would also be more productive though.

I have tried patches, inhalators, read Allen Carr's book etc to no avail and am considering hypnotherapy/other alternative therapy if anyone can convince me that it works. It's obviously my weak will that I need to address.

However, please do not ask me if I would give my baby a cigarette to smoke because I will react to that.

There. I've done it.

Gulp.

*the sound of creaking gates being opened*

It's not easy to give up and I applaud you for being able to cut down so much I first started smoking at around 10 years old on and off, mostly for acceptance... by 14 I gave up overnight (probably because I was younger and didn't really want to do it). I started again at 18, more frequently this time and managed to give up a few months ago.

I don't have any tips sorry, again I went cold turkey (much harder this time) and just toughed it out.

Good luck, you can do it!!!

Minky, I went from 20 a day to 2/3 a day now. I have given up in the past but for some reason I don't know why I just cannot stop completely. I get super stressed if I don't have one and although this is no excuse the mw did not seem concerned and said it is preferable to the stress giving up will cause. I will stop completely very soon.

And yes I feel terrible about it the same as you xx

Oh honey, I feel for ya. I quit the day I found out I was pregnant, and I found it strangely simple to do because I just made the decision. However, a couple weeks ago when I was SEVERELY stressed, I wound up smoking one in the back garden with my neighbour in the hopes that it would help relieve some of my upset. It did. Which made it even harder to stay strong.

But I did, and I'm happy that I have managed to give it up so easily. However, I TOTALLY understand how hard it is, and there is no judgement here. You've done VERY well to get down to 2 a day from 30. Concentrate on that and just keep trying to do better. You may or may not cut it out totally, but at least you're doing your best at the moment.

I hope you get it sorted soon. Big

Aw bless you...good for you for being so determined, I think you've managed half of the battle just having that thought process about it to be honest. I stopped about 4 years ago, having smoked for about 16 years up to about 25 a day (much much more on a night out). It's not easy, and I tried the patches etc and hated them, I think the easiest is kicking the nicotine addiction, the hardest is to kick the mental addiction. So I think nicotine replacement therapy is not always the best as you still have to fight the mental side of things. I took it literally one day at a time, I just said to myself I wasn't going to have a cigarette for one day, and then once I'd done that (possibly the hardest so be prepared) I had the willpower of saying to myself "well I've come this far..." every day and every time I felt like a cigarette, I'd just think, oh come on you've managed up to now, why break everything you've done for that one puff....

The cravings do ease off, and that's all they are cravings...it's literally nothing more than that. If you can break them then you've won!

Good Luck and Good for you Oh and also remember if you do have one puff then just get back on that wagon and keep going, don't have the oh well I've done it now mentality I may as well give up giving up! This is where so many of my friends have failed.

Oh and you'll feel SO good about yourself too once you've done it xx

oh great.......*gulp* i am the awful one. i could punch myself in the face. I quit cold turkey with my son, and started back after a yr & a half. This time around ive had so much stress (not trying to excuse my smoking though) our house burnt to the ground, we lost everything.. had to live in a hotel.. blah blah blah, my husband has been out of town and ive been feeling like i'm going crazy. I did quit in july for 3 weeks and i started back. I dont smoke as much as i use to at all, which i'm glad of. My doctor said that as long as i have cut down and continue to cut down then he is proud.

I wish you ladies all the best of luck and wish i could just quit right now. it really is hard though. And i'm disgusted with myself.

Minky - I gave up around 13weeks with patches and gum. Could still murder one now. Think it takes a braver person to admit it xx Hope you find something that works for you xx

Well done for cutting down!! Thats an excellent start. A girl I work with has started smoking even more since she found out she was pregnant.

I don't think you should be called names at all as you are making an effort. I myself know how hard it is to quit and how easily tempting it can be to think "ah just one more won't hurt"

Calling you names and having a go at you really isn't going to solve anything or do anything So there's really no need for people to get uppaty with you.

Good luck with trying to quit fully!

Well you know what you're doing is terrible and disgusting, that's covered

My constructive advice is to get back on the patch. It's proven to help not only with the nicotine addiction but the psychological addiction as well. I personally don't believe the "tried it all, nothing works" line of excuses, not with smoking not with weight. Been there, said that on both topics and then owned up to the fact that it's bull and sorted both topics.

The human body is more a simple math equation than not. If you do the right adding and division you will get the same results as everyone else. No such thing as "no diet works", cut the calories or cut the carbs. It will. No such thing as "none of the anti-smoking methods works". They do. Get that nicotine quantity smaller and smaller -in your case if it's just a few cigarettes a day even more so, you only need a replacing patch for a couple of weeks and then you ought to be fine.

I'm a non smoker and have never smoked, yet I have to say well done and best of luck to you you are so brave posting and I wish you all the best in giving up

I was shocked to read today that one cigarette reduces oxygen to the baby for 15 minutes. eek my reaction was my god I'm glad I don't smoke and don't have to worry about giving up as I do understand how hard it is!
I watched my DH give up years ago and my sister recently gave up she found the first few weeks hard but is great now.

I don't have any tips only you will feel so proud and feel so much better when you finally do.

so the very best of luck to any one trying!