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DawnUK
09-01-04, 00:35
I'm very tempted to try to give up smoking. Although i've cut down alot these past couple of panicky weeks, i'm thinking maybe i should kick the habit altogether. Not only does smoking seem to make me feel worse, but i'm thinking of the money i'd save, not to mention the benefits to my health!

I've just bought Allen Carr's 'Easy Way to Stop Smoking' book which i've heard good things about.

Has anyone else managed to give up smoking successfully? If so, how? Has anyone tried Allen Carr's book? Do you find smoking helps or hinders your panics?

Dawn [8D]

sarah
09-01-04, 14:16
Hiya Dawn

I smoke too and am trying to cut down at the moment. I smoke about 10 - 15 a day so i guess its not as bad as 60 a day but still....

I gave up for 6 weeks in the summer just by not fancying smoking but stupidly picked up a ciggie one day and started again.

Smoking makes me feel both better and worse with regards panic. The first one of the day makes me panic but the more i smoke the more relaxed i feel (i know its the breathing you do when you smoke as opposed to the ciggie itself).

Let us know how the book goes with you!!!

love Sarah
xx

stimpy
10-01-04, 00:41
I found the panic attacks themselves were enough to stop me smoking, and when I was at the peak of my Panic Monster phase, I stopped all together.

I must be feeling better, as I have started smoking again. [:I]

The government are doing their best to get us all to quit, by showing us lots of hard hitting scary adverts. I have to admit, all they do is scare me into thinking horrible scary thoughts, and so I have a ciggie to calm me down. Defeats the point really.

Good luck with giving up !

Love and Light
Liz xxx

benoo5
10-01-04, 02:03
hi liz,

allen carrs book,is a best seller...but it will only work,if you want it to...whether you suffer from anxiety,alcohol,drug addiction...nothing will work for you,unless you want it to.

research,has shown,that patches work best,followed by nicotine chewing gum...they even have decent flavours out now,apparantly, the fruit flavour is outselling the rest...but its down to you!..if you want to quit,you can...i hope you choose to quit,but its your decision...please try..best wishes..bryan.

nomorepanic
10-01-04, 15:50
That latest anti-smoking ad is really gross isn't it?

Nicola

sarah
10-01-04, 16:10
Yeah Nic

Thats the main thing putting me off at the moment....yuk..lol

Sarah
xx

Laurie28
11-01-04, 14:19
Hiya Guys,

I am also a smoker and thinking about quitting (AGAIN!!)

the last time i stopped was when my 'bad' anxiety symptoms started. i stopped for 10 weeks using the patrches and have stopped for 6 months before with them. Last time however was not the right time for me to stop, I have heard Allan Carr's book is really good

Love
lucky

Izabelle666
05-02-04, 21:21
Has anyone ever heard anything on the relationship between smoking and panic attacks?Because I'm torn, I also do that nasty thing, but wonder if cigarettes soothe panic attacks or just trick you into believing that.
Please comment.

Izzy

mico
06-02-04, 12:27
I think they just trick you into believing that Izzy. Smoking does have a soothing effect on part of your brain which tricks you into believing that it is relaxing, the reality is that it is a strong stimulant. If you don't have a ciggarette for a while and you spend some time relaxing and getting into a deeply relaxed state you can have a ciggarette afterwards and as soon as you do you can feel the adrenalin pumping around your body.

I'm sure I've said this before, but Alan Carrs book IS good for anybody who wants to give up, highly recommended.

Good luck everybody.

mico

Lottie32
06-02-04, 12:43
I've just bought Alan Carrs book - £6 something on Amazon.

It arrived Wednesday.

Unfortunately, I'm having a bit of a bad time of it at the minute, and can't be bothered to sit down and read it. Not really feeling very receptive.

I'm planning on taking it to the gym with me on Sunday, which should while away the 3/4 hr I do on the cross trainer/bike/tread mill quite nicely.

I have read the introduction, and although the bloke is American (sorry Diane!!) he doesn't seem to come over too full on if you know what I mean. Also, I'm not really into self help books, but this is written quite well - I just feel really stupid if the book gets you to stand on your head in the corner of your kitchen for five minutes every morning repeating, "I can do it, I can do it".

I think that me and the book may get on ..... watch this space.

p.s. I can quite happily not smoke when I have got some fags, but does anybody get panicky about running out. Even if you know that you are not going to be able to smoke for the next couple of hours?

Also Alan Carr claims that his book can help you give up EVEN IF YOU DON'T WANT TO! (Thats me sorted then) And you don't need Nicotine patches, or plastic biro tubes to suck in the car)

Maybe we should challenge each other, and see if we can give up together?

Charlie

DawnUK
06-02-04, 13:11
Like Stimpy said earlier, I know I must be feeling quite alot better coz I've started smoking again! Like you Lottie, I've had the book lying around for a month but still haven't been in the right frame of mind for it - I'm just enjoying not feeling quite so panicky and anxious as I was this time last month!

I don't think he makes you do anything too weird in the book. I have heard that he tells you to 'smoke your last fag' somewhere in the book, and after that, you never want to smoke again!

mico
06-02-04, 18:18
Hi Guys,

Don't worry if you don't feel like going through the book yet, for things like that I believe it is sometimes good to wait until you feel ready.

He doesn't make you do anything stupid Charlie, but he does point out some very logical facts about your addiction and helps you understand why smoking is not enjoyable, even if you think it is.

mico

Lottie32
09-02-04, 12:20
Mico

Sometimes I light up out of habit, and I don't even enjoy the smoke!

How stupid is that????

Was going to take book to read at gym on Sunday, but friend phoned, and I worked his bar for him instead.

AM going to read it this weekend coming though. For definite.



Charlie

red
27-02-04, 12:53
Hiya Everyone!

Maybe a bit late replying o this topic but here goes!

I gave up smoking after more than 20 years at it and have not smoked now for almost 16 years (July 16th 1987 - 3p.m. in my back garden with a beer, in the sunshine was my last time!).

Alan Carr did it for me! I had tried hypnosis, acupuncture, patches, gum etc etc - nothing worked until this guy's book. Funny, it 'flew' off the shelf in the bookshop at me! I put it back and it fell off the shelf again - and being a bit - oh, this is trying to tell me something kind of person, I bought it! I was thinking at the time, how could a poxy £6 book possibly help me when I had spent pounds to no avail? All I can say is that it did and I think it is totally the way he puts his subject over to the reader.

When I considered giving up smoking the many times that I did, I thought of horror - what would I do? I will climb the walls etc - all the negative stuff. In this book, Alan Carr puts across the positive, he doesn't frighten you at all, just makes logical, positive sense - to me anyway. All you can do its try it, I have never looked back. - Good luck to all that try!
- Actually TRY is not a word to use, is it? You either do it or you don't! Oh yes, - the other point - it does increase feelings anxiety - BP goes up and heart rate increases as your blood vessels constrict - not good at all for sufferers. And that advert Nic, is totally gross!!!! YUK!

Red
x

rossk
27-02-04, 13:38
hello,
Here's my success story.
I read this thread about 2 weeks ago and had never heard of Allen Carr. I looked up his book on amazon and noticed that he also wrote "the little book of quitting" and the reviews were all so positive. Have a look yourselves, the reviews start halfway down http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0140289003/qid%3D1077884484/202-2336309-3719009
I then went to the bookshop and saw the big version which I thought I wouldn't be able to get through due to it's size and tiny writing, so I bought the little one for £2.99. It's the size of a beer mat and I read it in the time it took to drink a coffee. I wasn't sure about some of it but the next day I read it again and stopped smoking. In fact I didn't know it but I'd actually given up the night before. It's now been eleven days and I'm not craving nicotine at all. I'm not using gum or patches either.
There you go - give it a try and see how nice it is not having to worry about lung cancer etc etc - It really makes you feel good.

jfdi

ross

Lottie32
27-02-04, 16:03
Well done Ross

I've had the book a few weeks now, but what with one thing and another, still not got round to reading it. I must do though. I even put it in my gym bag to read on the exercise bike (boring), but I've been poorly and not made it to the gym.

During this next week, I'm definitely going to make the effort. I've paid off loads of my bills this month, and i'm going to be a bit brasic during March, and I've got birthday presents to buy. I've worked out not smoking will save me between £70 and £100 a month!

Charlie

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

Laurie28
02-03-04, 15:22
Well done Ross - You are doing great!!

seh1980
02-07-04, 17:56
Hi Dawn,
I quit smoking the day of my first panic attack last summer. I didn't smoke at all for 10 months and then started again randomly again one day. I'm not sure why. I do notice that fags help me calm down and control my panic. I think maybe it's because they give me something to do and help me keep my mind off panicking, rather than it being the nicoteine that helps. I'm planning on quitting soon though!!
Sarah (seh1980)

jackaleeena
21-11-04, 17:11
My latest wave of panic attacks started after I gave up smoking. I started to feel like I couldn't breath properly and began to worry that I had left it too late. I managed 4 and a half months before I ironically started again thinkg it would make me feel better. I was so wrong and now feel even more anxious plus I feel like a total idiot, have let myself down etc not to mention health worries.

Anyone that has quit or in the process of quitting KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!

I am in the final year of my degree now and so have decided to try to not worry about it (good luck eh??) as my stress levels are really high plus the panic attacks and then give up again once my exams are over.

I realise that even with the extra nervousness and panic, stopping smoking is the best thing to do and hope to be more successful next time.

The alan carr book is great. It can be slightly annoying being analysed like that (same as any self help really) but if you accept what he is saying and keep in the right frame of mind it really is easy.

GOOD LUCK TO ALL QUITTERS!!!

jackaleeena