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[Eddie]

Work will be better too, in my last work you had to walk outside and the full length of the building to a corner full of smokers in the rain. I worked for the biggest branch of a certain supermarket, so a good walk to do in 15mins, when they (i don't smoke) also wanted a cuppa, you had to go to locker upstairs, then out. I thought 15 mins flew in without doing all that.
Eddie. x

[CLKD]

The reason I asked whether you wake for a smoke in the night is because those who are truely addicted to nicotine will crave through-out 24 hours so will have to wake to satisfy that craving.  Those who miss the social side or miss holding a ciggie at certain times of the day are not addicted to the nicotine.  So it's finding something pleasurable that replaces the social side which is difficult because we are engriained in our daily routines so much.

The habit of getting out of bed, putting on the kettle and lighting a ciggie is common. But true addicts rarely sleep 'properly' as they wake for their next fix of whatever drug it happens to be, nicotine included.

[Cazikins]

The reason I asked whether you wake for a smoke in the night is because those who are truely addicted to nicotine will crave through-out 24 hours so will have to wake to satisfy that craving.  Those who miss the social side or miss holding a ciggie at certain times of the day are not addicted to the nicotine.  So it's finding something pleasurable that replaces the social side which is difficult because we are engriained in our daily routines so much.

The habit of getting out of bed, putting on the kettle and lighting a ciggie is common. But true addicts rarely sleep 'properly' as they wake for their next fix of whatever drug it happens to be, nicotine included.

Thanks CLKD for clarifying that - & there was me thinking I was a true addict...

Funny thing happened on Monday. Normally as soon as I'm ready to get up I slap a patch on straight away, wait 5 mins then get up, get dressed & make a cuppa, however on Monday morning I was wakened by my dog scratching at the door to be let out, so I jumped up  & let her out etc. About 3 hours later I kept thinking of ciggies & the thought wouldn't go away. Normally when this happens I dismiss it from my thoughts as easy as anything, but on Monday it kept returning. Then I realised that I hadn't put a patch on that morning because of the dog.
I never thought that the patch was really doing that much good - just goes to show how much I'm still addicted dependant on it.

Thanks Rosebush, Bixby & Eddie for your support & yes it is nice not to be smelling all smokey. I'm getting there slowly.

I go for my follow up next week at the hospital. I bet the specialist is going to be well chuffed I've given up the weed. She told me back in July to give up but I ignored her. Just hope the polyp doesn't grow back too soon & the op was 100% sucesful.

Love Cazi xx
 

[CLKD]

A true addict doesn't think of anything else : your dog would have had to wait until you had had your 'fix'  .  We can be drawn into habits which we may then keep to as a means of security.  They don't have to be bad for us and essentially, smoking isn't - it's what is in that ciggie which is the 'bad' part, not necessarily the habit.  In the same way as I chew my nails, even after I was shown all the 'bugs' etc. in the muck from under the nails I still continued chewing   and now it's the skin around my nails  

Many drugs take time to withdraw from the body.  I had an AD which I was told I wouldn't need to wean off, but felt really ill once I tried to stop taking it.  Eventually it took 9 weeks of gentle reduction before the effect wore off  

How are you today?  What have you choosen to do instead of light up?  By the way, a Consultant who deals with addiction gave me the 'hint' about waking in the night   I didn't pluck the idea out of thin air .....

[Eddie]

CLKD. That's such a good point, i could picture my brother in the same position, lighting up before seeing to the dog. It would be the instinct and desire that acts first. Eddie. x

[Cazikins]

I'm sorry CLKD but I do feel you are judging my situation too deeply. 
You say I am not addicted to ciggies because I do not wake up in the night to satisfy my craving, well I don't understand that at all. 
As soon as I got up in the morning I was smoking, & as soon as I put it out I was thinking about the next one, & timing myself to when would be an acceptable time. If that's not an addiction then I don't know what is.
Does an alcoholic drink through the night to stop the craving?. I once read that you should consider yourself an alcoholic if you can't go 24 hours without a drink.
Maybe I was dependent & yes it was a habit, & not addiction after all, but how about just a bit of support & encouragement instead of trying to determine if I am a proper addict or not, all I know is that it had a tremendous hold over my life.

How are you today?  What have you choosen to do instead of light up? 

Walk my dog...

[CLKD]

I'm not judging you at all.  That is the trouble with the printed word!    I am merely pointing out that by realising you did not wake in the night desperate for a ciggie that your body is capable of going without even if you need to wean off the nicotine which you say has had a tremendous hold on your life.  Also once a person decides to give up whether it be on a diet, nicotine, alcohol, the substance is there, a constant, in their life.  The more people they tell the more they feel they will be judged if they 'give in' .......

I sat with the Consultant many times when he explained to people who told him they were 'addicted to ..... ' that they didn't wake in the night therefore  ....... most of them lit up the moment they got out of bed.  Most of them got to the point when they didn't need to do so.  Little steps!

Maybe it's more of an obsession than addiction?  How was your body feeling when you were "soon as I put it out I was thinking about the next one, & timing myself to when would be an acceptable time"  ?  how much physicality was there? I remember when I was weaned off ADs I felt queasy, frightened, tired, unable to function 'in case I felt worse than better' once I stopped the meds..  This was on medication which was supposedly 'non' addictive 

[Cazikins]

Sorry CLKD, you are too deep for me...

If I wanted that much info about giving up smoking then I would have gone to a professional Consultant, & not come on here to post my feelings & experineces that I hoped others might find helpful... maybe I was wrong.  

I hear what you are saying, but do you understand what I am trying to share with fellow smokers?...

[Taz2]

I think you are doing brilliantly Cazi 

CLKD - are you saying that smokers are not addicted to  nicotine? I have not met any who actually wake up in the night because they are craving a fix. I wonder where you got your information from?

Taz x

[sarah lev]

Well done Cazi. You're doing great 

I stopped smoking some years ago, having smoked for several years. I never crave ciggies now and rarely think about the fact that I was a smoker. But when I do, it still feels good to have given up. Something else to look forward to......

[Rosebush]

Cazi you are now entering your 6TH WEEK..

I used to smoke many years ago, but did not inhale, so when i stopped it was not so difficult, although i did have to have a second go   had a good reason, so that helped..

BTW are you saving the money you would have spent on ciggies, my friend did this for nearly 7mths, then spent the lot, knowing she had quit for good.

[CLKD]

From a Consultant who deals with addicts on a daily basis 

[Taz2]

Smoking addicts?

Taz x

[catweazle]

Well done Cazi it sounds like you're winning the battle 

Over-analysing is a bit pointless and a waste of mental energy if you ask me.
I'll just give you that well deserved pat on the back 

Catweazle 

[Eddie]

Yep. You've been really strong and brave, i've had to give up the occasional beer, because of my op, and although i'm not addicted, i did enjoy it and miss it. It takes a lot of courage to give up anything.
Eddie. x