Trying to give up smoking - acupuncture and other treatments in Brixton?

[editor]

A friend is trying to give up smoking with little success. Patches failed to work and vaping proved unpopular.

I remember that a heavy smoking friend of mine used to go to acupuncture and that treatment would stop his urges for 4-5 months or so before he went back for more. Has anyone has any success with this and is there any decent (and affordavble) practitioners around Brixton?

And does anyone have any ideas for weaning a heavy puffer away from the perils of Nick O'Teen?

 

[souljacker]

Alan Carr's book is supposed to work well. I've got a copy somewhere if you want it. Didn't work for me but then I got bored reading it but my wife gave up using it as did a load of other people I know.

 

[8ball]

Alan Carr's book is supposed to work well. I've got a copy somewhere if you want it. Didn't work for me but then I got bored reading it but my wife gave up using it as did a load of other people I know.

I've heard that it has worked for some people. Didn't work for me either, though.
I know some people who had some success with hypnosis.

With me it was the gum.

 

[DietCokeGirl]

I've found the Smokefree app useful for keeping motivated. First 7 days are free and it's 99p after that and tracks how much money you've saved, improvements on your health, etc as time goes by. Seeing the big money savings really helps.

 

[DietCokeGirl]

I should add that was after being bedbound with flu for a week put me through an unintentional enforced nicotine detox. I think you do need to basically hide away for a week from work/life stress and the temptation of social smoking to get past the worst of the withdrawal headaches, nusea, etc.

 

[Plumdaff]

The only thing that stopped me was drugs. Champix - messed with my sleep something rotten, but stopped a 20+ a day habit when I'd tried pretty much everything else.

 

[editor]

Alan Carr's book is supposed to work well. I've got a copy somewhere if you want it. Didn't work for me but then I got bored reading it but my wife gave up using it as did a load of other people I know.

I thought you meant this bloke at first!

 

[sleaterkinney]

The book is useful for setting in motion some trains of thought, but it comes down to willpower in the end.

 

[CH1]

I found that cigarettes were becoming very anaemic back in the 1990s and took to a pipe - Condor ready rubbed, Clan, that sort of thing.

Rather like I imagine vaping to be (and | have never tried it) when you smoke a pipe you have complete control of how much nicotine you want to knock yourself out with.

Unlike vaping, pipes are ritualistic and part of the ritual is cleaning out the gunge - which is a real pain, and rather alerts you to what you are doing to your lungs.

I used to give up, then relapse and find 2 or 3 weeks of pipe cleaning, tapping out ash and in extremis having to de-fur the pipe bowl enough of a turn-off to cause a further period of giving up.

To be honest I have smoked very little over the last 20 years - but if I do I always get 50g of tobacco and wait for the mechanics to put me off again.

If your friend was so inclined s/he might find pipe tobacco rather cheaper than cigarette for the same amount of smoking, but of course pipes can be expensive - especially if the idea is to end up not using them!

 

[girasol]

Alan Carr's book helped on my first attempt, when I was younger (I tried to stop smoking many times) then it didn't work when I tried again some years later, as I didn't like his tone. Nicotine chewing gum helped too. And vaping. It's an addiction so giving up doesn't always work first time, got to keep trying until you find something that works!

I still smoke the odd cigarette but going from 20 a day for 15 years to the odd one when I'm out is a victory as far as I, my lungs and stomach (both were suffering) are concerned!

 

[Lizzy Mac]

After years of smoking and trying to give up I finally managed by having regular Reflexology and Massage. I was lucky, a friend was studying and my treatments were free. I also did not go out for a year. Ha. Being out and tiddly was my trigger and I was determined.

 

[weltweit]

I read Alan Carr's book twice - it did nothing for me

 

[Gramsci]

GPs can help. NHS also. I would recommend asking GP for advice. Especially as its free.

I gave up partly due to non smoking partner.

My alcohol intake has increased when I stopped smoking. Not that much. But now I think my weekly unit intake is a bit high.

Smoke free now for last six months. Still get cravings sometimes.

 

[Angellic]

Alan Carr worked for me 1st time but not 2nd time around. Still. worth a try. There is a free NHS? app that gives various info and encouragement but for me it was switching to vaping. If that didn't exist then the cost would have been enough, I think. The gum always gave me hiccups. Not great for work away days!

 

[sealion]

And does anyone have any ideas for weaning a heavy puffer away from the perils of Nick O'Teen?

I use a nicotine spray and now only use fags to skin up with .I have cut down big time since i got the spray. You can get them for free, along with gum/patches if you see your local chemist.

 

[8ball]

I read Alan Carr's book twice - it did nothing for me

It seems to mostly rely on salesmanship - repeatedly telling you he knows the answer to getting you to stop smoking.
If it doesn't 'take' the first time it's a bit like you've then been inoculated

 

[Lizzy Mac]

I use a nicotine spray and now only use fags to skin up with .I have cut down big time since i got the spray. You can get them for free, along with gum/patches if you see your local chemist.

You can get nicotine free tobacco for this. It’s pretty horrible the first couple of times that you use it, but you soon get over that.

 

[Lizzy Mac]

GPs can help. NHS also. I would recommend asking GP for advice. Especially as its free.

I gave up partly due to non smoking partner.

My alcohol intake has increased when I stopped smoking. Not that much. But now I think my weekly unit intake is a bit high.

Smoke free now for last six months. Still get cravings sometimes.

The overeating and drinking, well you have your taste buds back, does settle down eventually. Whatever you think at the time, it’s worth carrying a few extra pounds in order to give up. You do need to keep an eye on it like. Maybe increase exercise. Cravings eventually disappear. I stopped counting the period I had given up by during my first year. If I could give up then anyone can. I was a demeon.

 

[Angellic]

You can get nicotine free tobacco for this. It’s pretty horrible the first couple of times that you use it, but you soon get over that.

Not heard of that before but the smoke, as opposed to vapour, must still be an issue.

 

[girasol]

Delving a bit more into this...

Two things that help a lot: willpower + lifestyle change. Starting exercise and healthier lifestyle in general. Thinking back I'd say that was the main incentive for me to finally get it out of my routine. I wanted to be fit and healthy. Smoking interfered with my running (and other activities) and I stopped going out so much. I hated always feeling anxious about where my lighter was, were my tobacco was, where the rizzlas were, the wasted money. In the end the cons outweighed the 'pros' (there was only one pro when it came down to it: feeding my addiction, and I started getting my endorphin hit from exercise).

Also the more I learned about what addiction is and how it works, the easier it became for me to get a hold on it.

 

[Pickman's model]

maybe a smoking cessation clinic might help

 

[not-bono-ever]

Not sure about acupuncture but I suppose it depends on the person - and Ac does seem to have a decent success rate amongst its fans

Tabex/ cytosine has been used in Russia/ Bulgaria / UKR / Balkans for like 50 years now, not sure of its status here in the UK but is easily ordered from ebay etc and is super cheap/ not faked pharma.

made me feel sick as a dog when I had them years ago though, but this isn't uncommon

 

[8ball]

Not sure about acupuncture but I suppose it depends on the person - and Ac does seem to have a decent success rate amongst its fans.

Then again, it would be pretty funny if acupuncture fans were all: "Well, I believe firmly in it - it's great. Though it's never done anything for me or anyone I know".

 

[ElizabethofYork]

I quit smoking by using Allen Carr's book.

My friend has recently been to a smoking cessation clinic, and has been successful so far. They prescribed her Champix.

 

[8ball]

I'm not convinced by acupuncture or Allen Carr's book, but seeing how quitting smoking is such a big impact in terms of improving your health, it's surely worth giving lots of things a go.

 

[ruffneck23]

i did the actual go to 'Raynes park Alan Carr seminar' , it did work, except, i didn't stop smoking weed with tobacco so eventually went back , im sure if i didnt continue with spliff, i would still not be smoking

im considering doing the drinking one

 

[xenon]

First time, gum and taking deep breaths worked for me. As in ground yourself, take a deep breath, away from your desk / outside. Second time, those (pre ecigarette) nicateen enhailor things. Never smoked full time since but have gone through periods of "committed social smoking." Though replaced that with vaping again.

 

[Lizzy Mac]

Not heard of that before but the smoke, as opposed to vapour, must still be an issue.

Absolutely an issue. However if you put nicotine in your body you have to wait for it to leave again. A slow and torturous withdrawal. Skinning up and using nicotine is often a path back to 20 a day. The actual impulse of hand to mouth, which made me drink way too much in my first week off the fags, goes after 7 days I think. So, although inhaling smoke, nicotine free consumption should not lead to smoking again. They used to sell it in Holland & Barrett but no more. Honeydew Menthal was the best I found.

 

[Lizzy Mac]

Delving a bit more into this...

Two things that help a lot: willpower + lifestyle change. Starting exercise and healthier lifestyle in general. Thinking back I'd say that was the main incentive for me to finally get it out of my routine. I wanted to be fit and healthy. Smoking interfered with my running (and other activities) and I stopped going out so much. I hated always feeling anxious about where my lighter was, were my tobacco was, where the rizzlas were, the wasted money. In the end the cons outweighed the 'pros' (there was only one pro when it came down to it: feeding my addiction, and I started getting my endorphin hit from exercise).

Also the more I learned about what addiction is and how it works, the easier it became for me to get a hold on it.

Vanity helped me a lot. Seeing my lips getting fuller, my skin changing and my teeth whitening up. I looked 6 years younger pretty quickly. And how far I could run without a coughing fit. All helped.

 

[Lizzy Mac]

i did the actual go to 'Raynes park Alan Carr seminar' , it did work, except, i didn't stop smoking weed with tobacco so eventually went back , im sure if i didnt continue with spliff, i would still not be smoking

im considering doing the drinking one

Try the nicotine free tobacco. Terrible at first and then just fine.