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3 weeks ago I decided to give up smoking after 30 + years of being a nicotine addict.

I decided to go cold turkey and just stop, and so far I have managed OK, except I feel like shit.

So it turns out, all the withdrawl symptoms you can get, I have got .

Seems like it is anything from 4 - 8 weeks and possibly longer before I start feeling something like near normal again.

Any advice or tips from anyone who has gone through it? I know in the long term I will feel the full benefit, but at the moment I feel like cr@p, and strangely enough I have not really missed the actual smoking which has surprised me.

I feel your pain TC. I normally give up cold turkey too and it always surprises me how strong the addiction is, given it's a legal drug.

I can't really help other than say stick at it and work through all the temptations, but don't be a twat and start again after 6 months like I did.

I couldn't do cold turkey as saying you'll never do it again brought too much attention and focus on the issue. I finally kicked it by saying i can have one if I want one and occasionally I did, but actually do I really want one? After a while the odd occasion where I had one, it tasted disgusting and I could feel it my blood stream for days after.

Perhaps read some reviews of vape pipes.
A guy at work made his own vape mixes, starting off with a heavy proper lungful, working his way toward no vape pipe at all.
giving yourself that mental safety net may be a great help, 30 years cant be forgotten overnight.
Everytime I've given up its taken me days to get over the nicotene but found it difficult to forget the whole rolling fags ritual.
Good luck and stay strong !

It's a bit late for my comments, as I did it over a long time and it was relatively easy.
I mainly used to smoke at work, probably due to stress. I had been cutting down gradually over many years from a max of about 20 a day and was down to about 10 a day max.
I then started smoking gradually milder cigarettes and had cut down even further.
By the time the smoking at work ban came in, I was smoking ultra mild, and the smoking ban brought me down eventually to less then 20 a week. I had pretty much killed it by then, but still had a habit of lighting up when I left the office, even though I didn't always enjoy it.
If I got a bad cough I would often stop for a few weeks.
Nine years ago, after more than 40 years, I was on holiday in Nerja and got a really bad chesty cough, so didn't smoke for the two weeks. Didn't smoke when I got home, and just kept it up, but always carried a packet of fags with me for the next year or so.
I hadn't packed it in, I could have a fag if I wanted one, I just didn't need one.
I still have the packet but there is not much baccy in there now.
Every smoker I know gets desperate for a fag if they don't have any on them, and I always suffered when I ran out or left them at home.
Sorry about the long story, but it worked for me and I reckon I could have done it this way much quicker.
Good luck whichever way you go!

Have a heart attack - it's a fantastic motivator!

HisNibbs wrote:I couldn't do cold turkey as saying you'll never do it again brought too much attention and focus on the issue. I finally kicked it by saying i can have one if I want one and occasionally I did, but actually do I really want one? After a while the odd occasion where I had one, it tasted disgusting and I could feel it my blood stream for days after.

I found this a good way to go about it (a bit late for you TC, sounds like you've done well). My biggest problem is that I'm a twat like Falcopops and slipped back into it.

I'm a bit behind in this process - I've not even started smoking yet.

I do remember my Grandad stopped smoking just like that in one go - saw a programme on TV about the effects and just quit. As far as I know he never touched another.

My middle son has been a smoker and a multiple giver-upper. He uses one of these vapourisers at the moment but has even gone back from that on occasions - particularly when he has lost the vapouriser or run out of fluid,

I think a lot is down to the determination and willpower of the person quitting .... but that's just an observer's view.

I used to smoke after sex?

I was a 20 a day man

blinkey501 wrote:I used to smoke after sex?

I was a 20 a day man

So the smoking helped you find something to do with your other hand ......

D-Rider wrote:I'm a bit behind in this process - I've not even started smoking yet.

I do remember my Grandad stopped smoking just like that in one go - saw a programme on TV about the effects and just quit. As far as I know he never touched another.

My middle son has been a smoker and a multiple giver-upper. He uses one of these vapourisers at the moment but has even gone back from that on occasions - particularly when he has lost the vapouriser or run out of fluid,

I think a lot is down to the determination and willpower of the person quitting .... but that's just an observer's view.

Even if he occasionally slips from using the vape thing, he will be a lot healthier than he would be if he hadn't used it at all (not condoning falling back into bad habits, but I figure 2 a day and a load of vape has got to be better than 20 a day)

wayno wrote:

D-Rider wrote:I'm a bit behind in this process - I've not even started smoking yet.

I do remember my Grandad stopped smoking just like that in one go - saw a programme on TV about the effects and just quit. As far as I know he never touched another.

My middle son has been a smoker and a multiple giver-upper. He uses one of these vapourisers at the moment but has even gone back from that on occasions - particularly when he has lost the vapouriser or run out of fluid,

I think a lot is down to the determination and willpower of the person quitting .... but that's just an observer's view.

Even if he occasionally slips from using the vape thing, he will be a lot healthier than he would be if he hadn't used it at all (not condoning falling back into bad habits, but I figure 2 a day and a load of vape has got to be better than 20 a day)

Yep I completely agree with that

blinkey501 wrote:I used to smoke after sex?

I was a 20 a day man

Did you not think to use lube?

blinkey501 wrote:I used to smoke after sex?

I was a 20 a day man

Did you not think to use lube?

D-Rider wrote:

blinkey501 wrote:I used to smoke after sex?

I was a 20 a day man

So the smoking helped you find something to do with your other hand ......

I said after sex as I need both hands