Quitting smoking unaided.

Stopped – no books, no patches, no touchyfeelyness, just cold turkey. You’re hitting the 6 week barrier, get through it and you’re pretty much there. I did avoid places I associated with smoking so didn’t go to the pub for a month or so. When I did, I found I had to do something with my hands. Fortunately, the pub had started selling pistachios which worked a treat.

I tried the Allan Carr book on Del’s recommendation and thought that it was quite funny but it didn’t help me to stop smoking.

Keep it up bravohotel8er sounds like you are doing really well at the moment.

I stopped cold turkey about 13 months ago now. Mind you, I was psyched up for it mentally though.

I hardly ever get cravings now, but when I did I just kept telling myself they would pass and they did and things went back to normal.

If you have an addictive personality, you’ll need another addiction..

+1. I have to replace cigarette addiction with exercise addition

you do look really buff in that swimsuit and glasses though.
oooello!

Yeah, I did it. Eventually you will get it into your head that you don’t smoke anymore. Do whatever it takes to get you through the early stages and it gets easier later. Four years on for me and the idea of fancying a cigarette occurs once every few months [although I don’t drink]. The whim has a gone a few seconds later. Whatever you do, don’t fall into the fallacy of just having one. Why bother?

There’s no such thing as an addictive personality, at least not in the sense that it’s predetermined that an individual requires addictive states. A person may develop a personality whereby they repeatedly become addicted/obsessed/dependent on experiences, chemicals or behaviour, but that’s all it is: a development.

Addictions come in two parts: chemical and behavioural/emotional/psychological (I know, that’s kind of three parts in itself). They need to be eliminated separately, but with an understanding of how they are related. It’s as simple as saying no to one’s self, no to the thing that the habit if focussed on and being able to unravel the excuses one comes up with to carry on with a habit or behaviour. It can be an extremely complicated process, so it’s no surprise that many people jump from addiction to addiction.

Here’s a one from left-field: refined carbohydrates are the gateway drug. Especially refined (white) sugar, refined carbs are enormously addictive and create, from a very early age, an emotional acceptance of the high/crash cycle that we need to be able to be aware of and restrain ourselves from perpetuating if we are to remain free from chemical addictions, and the behavioural/emotional/psychological habits we tend to build on top of them.

I like that idea 3F.

Refined carb highs and crashes I’m addicted to when I go to london once a week for work. All that prets, bento, noodly bready smacktastic skankiness!

Away from home I’m a whore to it.

Three Fish – surely you must accept certain individuals have a tendency to be come ‘addicted’ to things…?

Three Fish… so being addicted to exercise?

damo2576 – you’re also Awesome!!! I see.

Good post three fish: concise, coherent and informative.

How would that model deal with something like internet MTB forum addiction? Would there be a “chemical” component or would it be dealt with purely in behavioural terms?

I swapped fags for salty food myself. Just read a study the other day saying salty snacks produce the hormone oxytocin – giving a similar satisifed feeling to breastfeeding or shooting heroin.

Giving up bad food (to lower my cholesterol) has been harder than fags.

Three Fish – surely you must accept certain individuals have a tendency to be come ‘addicted’ to things…?

Yes; but that’s not the same thing as saying that an individual is predisposed (and thus unable to be otherwise). The tendency comes from something else, which could be any one (or more) of a number of things from a life experience (or lack of) to a chemical addiction.

Three Fish… so being addicted to exercise?

Absolutely. The first thing that comes into my mind when I see a runner, or when I set off for a run myself, is “what are you running from?”. That’s not to say that everyone who takes exercise is running from something – other than poor health/fitness, of course – is running from their demons, but it’s not uncommon for people to become obsessive about training. Of course, it’s not something that can be explained in the same way for everyone; but from just doing a task that means they’re not left alone with themselves to having a full-blown craving for endorphins, there are people who exercise as means of escape from something. Please don’t think that I’m asserting this to be right or wrong – I just value the importance of understanding just why it is we do something.

How would that model deal with something like internet MTB forum addiction?

Depends what they’re using the experience/scenario for, and, of course, what they believe they’re using the experience/scenario for.

Not all habits are harmful, and I suppose that it could be argued that not all addictions are harmful. Structure, repetition, consistency and security are important to everyone, just to different degrees. The world is a pretty overwhelming place, whether we like to admit it or not, and it’s in human nature to want to simplify the experience of existence. Addictions can be a successful way of creating a reassuring illusion of simplicity. The problem is that the emotional self continues to experience the overwhelming stuff regardless.

Yes; but that’s not the same thing as saying that an individual is predisposed

I said predisposed, not predestined. Predisposition is simply having a tendency, surely?

what are you running from?

You were doing so well until this point 🙂 Silly idea… very few runners are in that category imo.

Depends what they’re using the experience/scenario for, and, of course, what they believe they’re using the experience/scenario for

I’m addicted here. It’s because work is so god damn boring!

I said predisposed.

You didn’t. You also missed my point.

You were doing so well until this point.

The point where you missed the point. Again. There’s another habit we could discuss if I didn’t find your tendency for nonsense to be so extraordinarily tedious.

Ok, so confused. But anyway, fact is that predisposed = having a tendency.

You were doing so well until this point.

This was supposed to be light hearted banter, sorry if I sounded arsey. Your posts have been well written, thoughtful and interesting.

However with respect for you position personally I do think that genetically we can have a predisposition for psychological addition (not a predestination) and that most runners are not running to escape something 🙂

and that >>>>most<<<< runners are not running to escape something.

If most do not, it means that >>>>some<<<< do. Now do you get it? I was giving an example of a possibility, not describing a universal example. The confusion is most certainly not mine.

Hmm, if I listen to parents, my own and others, it sounds as if some children are predisposed to routine and some are not.

Same parents… same intended routine for all children. Some children act like clockwork others don’t.

This predisposition for routine would seem inherent in some people, part of their nature before external factors have had a chance to influence their behaviour.

Although experiences within the womb could be have an effect of course.

yes.i stopped both smoking and drinking back in 2004,without any help/aids e.t.c.i found it pretty easy after a few weeks (sorry to sound smug,i know that i am lucky)haven’t touched either since.good luck to you and everyone trying to quit.

Allen Carr helped when I packed in 3 years ago. I do feel guilty though, I torrented a PDF of it 😳

Stopped because Deadly and Yeti told me to.

Haven’t smoked in months now, don’t get cravings, but do have weired dreams where I’m convinced I’m smoking again. Do still have funny ciggies though. 😳 cut down loads in my defence.

If you have an addictive personality, you’ll need another addiction..

Running. 8)

I cold turkeyed it quite a few years ago after smoking for about ten years, had a Yorkie bar habit for a while but stopped them too, luckily I was young and doing a physical job so just burnt all the calories off.

No craving for years but still have some of the physical tics like putting a pencil in my mouth like a ciggy when I want both hands free.

Very interesting post from Three Fish, I never had a very sweet tooth, now I really can’t take anything with a lot of sugar, including most cakes and high class stuff like Lindt Chocolate. Maybe there’s a connection.

Went cold turkey about 10 years ago, difficult at first to go to the pub as most of my mates still smoked, now I’d say a minority of them smoke.

It just got to the point where I didn’t want another cigarette, didn’t want them controlling me and stopped. I would puke if I had one now.

emsz I did tell you about the early twenties life crisis too didn’t I?

Now do you get it? I was giving an example of a possibility, not describing a universal example.

Well yes I understand that.

If we agree why the aggro? Can we keep it nice? It’s all I was ever intending to do – sorry.

Yeti, yeah you did…

*checks passport*

Cool, just checking. I’m stopping in Ross-on-Wye on Easter Monday… any good for you? 😀

Hey I’m from near there.

😯

The Mid life crisis won’t be happening until the end of May!

Spoke to Sara about…y’know, with boys… 😳

ARRRRGGHHHHHHH

Molgrips – you’re not due any sort of life crisis for a few years, but I’m more than happy to be part of your sordid break down.

S’ok emsz, I’ll be back from Scotland by then.

The Southern Yeti – Member
Molgrips – you’re not due any sort of life crisis for a few years, but I’m more than happy to be part of your sordid break down.

S’ok emsz, I’ll be back from Scotland by then.

Where are you going in Scotland and when?

Just being nosey.

….and when Ho hum found out when TSY was away in Scotland, he donned his best house-breaking gear and headed around to pay his house a little visit

TSY is coming to scotland?

*gets suede jacket out*

Has anyone here achieved lasting success through the ‘just stopping’ method or am I destined to end up back on the fags AND fat too?!

yep. 1997 was when I quit, cold turkey, going from about 15 a day to zero “just because I wanted to”

I’m fatter now than I was then, but that’s probably more to do with the beer, the desk job & not enough exercise, than the not smoking. there’s a lesson here somewhere…

I’ll be up there a couple of times in the coming months…

First off I’ll be travelling the length of it passing through Edinburgh, Pitlochry, Invergarry, Invergorden, Wick, JOG, Thurso.

If anyone fancies some roadmiles let me know, could help ease the invetible infighting 🙂
If anyone lives in Thurso and can give me a bike sized box that’d be absolutely fantastic 🙂

Molgrips – you’re not due any sort of life crisis for a few years

I’ve been having one since July 1998. That replaced the previous one.

*wonders what emsz and Yeti are getting up to…*

Gave up the ciggies 31st Jan this year after smoking all my adult life, 46 now ( 20+ a day ). Got in very muddy after a ride home from work and only a couple of fags in the house.

Really couldn’t be bothered to get showered then drive to cashpoint then shops for some more so decided to see if I could pack them in. I had never even tried to pack it in before that, suppose I just liked smoking. I pretty much saw it as a dare to myself to see if I could do it. Tempted many times since and could quite easily have got away with a few crafty ones but then I would have failed my dare. Just use one of those inhalator thingies now and again.

Definitely been eating more but then again been out on the bike more too. Saved quite a bit of cash too so far so paying for the biking holiday up the west coast of Scotland for the mrs and I will be easier.

I should have done it years ago 🙁

Good luck to anyone else trying to pack them in.

I think running may now be my new addiction…

I’m doing 5K every other day and my ‘relaxation’ days start with that 3 minute brisk walk/2 minute walk/1 minute sprint thing (repeat x5 = 30 mins).

JD Sports are doing a half price deal on snazzy New Balance running gear at the moment so I’ve managed to get all colour coordinated too.

*wonders what emsz and Yeti are getting up to…*

Long story. Moral: never post drunk 😳

yeah, yeah, say you were drunk, upset a Yeti. I’m doing you a favour remember!

Jeez, some people.

I’ll be in Scotland in May too 😀