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Quit smokes and regular drinking
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| posted by xpatED 1200 days ago |
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Hi there, g'd morning all......seriously thinking of knocking it on the head now......wanna quit smoking alltogether, and want to drink only when have a special meal, or going out!
any tips to keep a 20 year addict from becoming like this [:u] or jumping of the MO rooftop?
any health concerns for stopping suddenly cold turkey after 20 years?
my current consumption is 1 pack cigarettes a day, and 1/2 bottle of whiskey a day......[:(]
would appreciate your help/suggestions! or your own experiences
Molson, wheres my Molson!
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| posted by Gum Tree 1200 days ago |
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Bvn - shouldn't you change your nick back?
"Marooned on a rock with 80,000 and now 90,000 alcoholics and counting"
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| posted by God de Vader 1200 days ago |
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sorry didnt realise it signed in automatically again.......solly.....its me.......im here again
I'm not under the alkafluence of inkahol that some thinkle peep I am. It's just the drunker I sit here the longer I get."
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| The Designer |
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| posted by HKBloke 1200 days ago |
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Bvn - agree with GT re nick.
I gave up smoking around 10 years ago with absolutely no problems whatsover after the reading the Allan carr book. Just stopped. No withdrawl symptoms, no pangs just stopped. never looked back, until my old man died a few years later and i started again.
Stopped again a year back basically because I thought I was too old to smoke and I knew if i didn't stop then i would most probable die from it....that and a bit of the 40 year old mid-life crisis stuff.
BTW - I found the book doesn't work a second time around but if you haven't read it then definately try it. I have a copy at home if you can't find it.
Re drinking - i drink a bottle of red wine every night and have no intention of stopping so I'm the wrong guy to give you advice on that side.
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| Regular Member |
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| posted by Gum Tree 1200 days ago |
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I confess to the evil weed. Gave up just under 6 months ago. One thing is that it can be hard - not to give up but to stay off - but if you put a lot of effort into understanding why you smoke (and drink, but not too sure about drink), then you can retrain the habits of 20 years. Doesn't happen over night and it does take work. Dunno if it is your thing, but it worked for me with the help of this site. Not a commercial venture.
http://www.cognitivequitting.com/
I quit cold turkey first for about 2 weeks, before finding that site. Then collapsed, then used patches for about a month until I could "retrain the brain".
Yep there are health effects - your body and brain has to adjust to not being stuffed with drugs and gunk and a lot of people suffer depression. So you need to be in touch with a doc too. But none of these are as bad as the health effects of continuing to smoke - and they go away. The good health effects are breathing, being able to think clearly, having more energy, better sex life, not getting every damned virus that comes around and having for twice as long as a non-smoker and being able to taste food again.
Um - it is really difficult to drink and stay off the smokes in the first week or so - just that you can forget that you want to be a non-smoker. But some people do. Some people also find Alan Carr's books to be useful too.
"Marooned on a rock with 80,000 and now 90,000 alcoholics and counting"
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| posted by God de Vader 1200 days ago |
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right, anyone used Zyban to assist with stopping?
I'm not under the alkafluence of inkahol that some thinkle peep I am. It's just the drunker I sit here the longer I get."
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| Regular Member |
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| posted by Gum Tree 1200 days ago |
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Lots of success stories with it, because it does help with the possibility of depression caused by the loss of nicotine. I did give it a go when it first came out but I wasn't really committed to quitting. I sort of believed the publicity that somehow, miraculously, I would no longer want to smoke. No effort. But it doesn't work that way - at least, not with me.
"Marooned on a rock with 80,000 and now 90,000 alcoholics and counting"
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| Senior Member |
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| posted by God de Vader 1200 days ago |
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when i tried to quit 3+ years ago, it did help me, i didnt have a craving at all, until i separated from my ex.....
once i was finished with the process, and had to stop zyban i became totally depressed....dont know it was from the separation at that time, or due to stopping zyban.....but since then got scared to use it again
I'm not under the alkafluence of inkahol that some thinkle peep I am. It's just the drunker I sit here the longer I get."
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| Regular Member |
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| posted by Gum Tree 1200 days ago |
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It is an anti-depressant - you have to treat it like that - heaps of people don't stay on anti-depressants long enough or they come off too quickly and so go back to the problem. You need to see a doc who knows his/her stuff and talk it through.
Hubby could ONLY quit after starting anti-depressants - long family history of nicotine + depression syndrome. Stayed on for 18 months, hasn't smoked for 6+ years and doesn't look like ever doing it again. Substituted antidepressants with exercise/meditation etc. And yeah, he likes a beer.
"Marooned on a rock with 80,000 and now 90,000 alcoholics and counting"
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| Senior Member |
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| posted by God de Vader 1200 days ago |
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cool i may just talk with my doc then.....
I'm not under the alkafluence of inkahol that some thinkle peep I am. It's just the drunker I sit here the longer I get."
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| Junior Member |
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| posted by rachel_z 1200 days ago |
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There is this product in Shanghai that works pretty well but I don't know if its available in HK. Its called Yixing No Smoking Cigarettes. Looks like a cigarette but its actually TCM herb. Tastes like menthol and you do not need to light up. Just 'puff' away for 30 minutes, thats how long this thing lasts. Clears the lungs too... well and if you are not able to give up after smoking a pack, the company will send you a free pack. Its non addictive, no nasty withdrawals etc.
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| Senior Member |
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| posted by God de Vader 1200 days ago |
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hmmm, anyone knows this in HK?
I'm not under the alkafluence of inkahol that some thinkle peep I am. It's just the drunker I sit here the longer I get."
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| Regular Member |
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| posted by Waterslang 1200 days ago |
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Not sure it's a good idea to trade in your cigs for other herbs.
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| Junior Member |
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| posted by npg 1200 days ago |
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this could also go into the "secret to long life thread" but when i was a kid...the old man used to take us around to "old man mr hooper's" house...he was f*cking old....him and his missus, he used to sit in his chair and fall asleep with a ciggie between his fingers...used to amaze me....3>4cm of ash still connected to the butt! anyway he lived way into his eighties. the story goes he used to own 4 pubs at one stage and drank the profits to all of them....smoked like a chimney....swore with the best of them....gambled on horses etc. lived life hard by the sounds and had fun...even died in his sleep in his bed peacefully....and here we have elite sportsmen/women dying in their 50's etc. bvn, if you don't enjoy smoking any more then stop it...if you don't enjoy drinking booze any more, then stop that as well...if you still like/love doing both but feel a little guilty...then cut back a bit. goodluck.
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| Junior Member |
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| posted by Justin Credible 1200 days ago |
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I quit smoking, read the Alan Carr book...smoked all through the book, as per his insistance, and then quit...havent smoked since and havent looked back. I also bought a book called Fit from Within...which was basically to assist me on making the right choices for my mind and body. I promised myself I would quit drinking and quit (first and foremost, as its been an addiction of mine for nearly 13 years) dieting!
So here I am, I have had a drink about once a month, and had fun, I quit smoking, I quit dieting and threw out my weighing scale...and now I fit into clothes I wore 3 years ago with ease...I weighed myself the other day and i have lost 7 lbs since I quit it all...
i think its worked...the alcohol being cut out has made me more relaxed and happy, and really, I am a lousy drinker...really abuse alcohol more than enjoy it. i managed to use the Alan Carr easy way to cut out a lot of bad things...he's simple...but good.
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| Newbie |
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| 30 Posts |
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| posted by Beuze 1200 days ago |
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Alan Carr books are great i quit smoking 2 years ago with this book.
It's very easy to do it. You should try that first i think before taking meds.
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| Junior Member |
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| Singapore |
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| posted by rachel_z 1200 days ago (edited 1200 days ago) |
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Well waterslang, I don't know... apparently it has been said to help clear the lungs. A friend of mine stopped smoking when he finished the first pack. I am going to attempt it and I will tell you if its nasty or not.
Mac, it was developed and manufactured by Henan Tiansheng Technology Development Co., Ltd.
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| Senior Member |
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| posted by God de Vader 1200 days ago |
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ok a bit mor info then....im quitting cause i realize i smell like a pig when i work out/i.e. heavy sweat, i blame this primarily on smoking (i think) and i wish to cut way back on alcohol as i can see thats the only reason for my huge potbelly. really im not fat at all, but just have this huge......well....looks like im 9 months preggie!
so that are my reasosn.
however i do have to say i love to smoke and love to drink, all for the taste of it!
I'm not under the alkafluence of inkahol that some thinkle peep I am. It's just the drunker I sit here the longer I get."
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| Regular Member |
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| 6594 Posts |
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| United Kingdom |
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| posted by Gum Tree 1200 days ago |
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bvn - just some insights I had. First - most of the smokes you have in a day have nothing to do with the addiction. The half-life of nicotine is about 2 hours. So assuming you are awake for 16 hours, then to supply the habit you should only smoke 8 cigs. Why smoke the others? Do they actually taste so good? As a chef, I reckon you will definitely answer no - they taste like crap. So why smoke? The tricky thing is that the nicotine has "hijacked" some other natural functions in the body and it "offers" a smoke as a response to a whole lot of situations, that have virtually nothing to do with need. Feeling some body tension? - have a fag, that'll make you better. Feeling hungry? - must need a smoke. Feeling hungover? - a cig will help. Feeling bored/restless? - need to reach for the pack.
Seriously - you don't love to smoke, you just can't imagine life without smoking at the moment. But look around at all the non-smokers - are they all cutting their wrists coz life is so miserable for them without smoking? That thought is what kept me going. Not smoking doesn't mean deprivation - billions of non-smokers will let you know that. Hope this helps.
"Marooned on a rock with 80,000 and now 90,000 alcoholics and counting"
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| Junior Member |
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| 999 Posts |
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| posted by Justin Credible 1200 days ago |
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beter - get the book by Alan Carr, trust me...quit coz you want to...and the drinking...if you quit that, even if for 1 month, you will see the weight melt off...you have to do the two together because for most smokers they will gain weight when they quit, but if you cut out alcohol, and just eat 3 smaller meals a day (dont eat till you are stuffed, or at least make sure to leave some on the plate) you WILL lose weight. I did! And I havent gained it back...
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| Junior Member |
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| posted by Justin Credible 1200 days ago |
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all the gym in the world will not help if you eat like like a horse and drink shedloads of alcohol a day
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