Is any of you taking part in these Stoptober shannigans? I delayed starting because of a wedding. I am on day 5 and trying to work but like buggery can I focus. I've given myself aims, 1 save enough money from not smoking to get another tattoo and 2, spending money for a Muse concert.

It is really hard battling not to go to the local shop.

--
Steph

Well many people seem to reckon that they need some crutch like patches or
sweetie things to tail off. There are two problems, one is the hand habit
and the other the addiction, trying to tackle both at once is too much for
some people. My mother was one. Luckily I never started. I believe I've
probably taken in so much second hand smoke I could be in danger.
Brian

--
From the Sofa of Brian Gaff Reply address is active
Remember, if you don't like where I post
or what I say, you don't have to
read my posts! :-)
"Steph" wrote in message
...
Is any of you taking part in these Stoptober shannigans? I delayed starting
because of a wedding. I am on day 5 and trying to work but like buggery can
I focus. I've given myself aims, 1 save enough money from not smoking to get
another tattoo and 2, spending money for a Muse concert.

It is really hard battling not to go to the local shop.

--
Steph

On Thu, 8 Oct 2015 15:06:34 +0100, "Brian-Gaff"
wrote:

Well many people seem to reckon that they need some crutch like patches or
sweetie things to tail off. There are two problems, one is the hand habit
and the other the addiction, trying to tackle both at once is too much for
some people.

It's funny, both my wives (one at a time) smoked when I met them (even
though I was a non-smoker) and both gave up just_like_that when we
knew we were becoming an item.

My mother was one.

My Dad smoked the odd cigar (that made me feel sick, especially in the
car) but most of my family and friends are non-smokers so that helped.

Luckily I never started.

And I think it is 'lucky' ('A Good Thing') especially these days with
as many pressures being put on smokers both where they can smoke and
the cost (they know the health risks). It was a cool thing to do when
I was a lad (some of my mates did) but luckily being 'in' or 'cool'
have never been priorities to me.

I believe I've
probably taken in so much second hand smoke I could be in danger.

Same here. ;-(

I have always tried to be very supportive of anyone trying to give up
.... supplying them with mints or whatever they found suitable as a
distraction. Sometimes it worked but I think it's one of those things
where you really have to *want* to stop yourself.

Cheers, T i m

On Thu, 08 Oct 2015 16:20:05 +0100, T i m wrote:

On Thu, 8 Oct 2015 15:06:34 +0100, "Brian-Gaff"
wrote:

Well many people seem to reckon that they need some crutch like patches
or sweetie things to tail off. There are two problems, one is the hand
habit and the other the addiction, trying to tackle both at once is too
much for some people.

It's funny, both my wives (one at a time) smoked when I met them (even
though I was a non-smoker) and both gave up just_like_that when we knew
we were becoming an item.

SWMBO changed to a pipe (thus smoking less because it was such a faff). I
was hosting a lot of posh dinners in those days, and people were told
they could smoke towards the end of the dinner. It was fun watching
people's faces when she extracted the pipe etc. from her bag.

She gave up when we were trying to start a family. Went on a Continental
coach trip with friends and just took nothing to smoke with her.

On 08/10/2015 11:55, Steph wrote:
Is any of you taking part in these Stoptober shannigans? I delayed starting because of a wedding. I am on day 5 and trying to work but like buggery can I focus. I've given myself aims, 1 save enough money from not smoking to get another tattoo and 2, spending money for a Muse concert.

It is really hard battling not to go to the local shop.

--
Steph

I've pledged not to eat Quorn for the entire month. It's going OK.

"David Lang" wrote in message
...
On 08/10/2015 11:55, Steph wrote:
Is any of you taking part in these Stoptober shannigans? I delayed
starting because of a wedding. I am on day 5 and trying to work but like
buggery can I focus. I've given myself aims, 1 save enough money from not
smoking to get another tattoo and 2, spending money for a Muse concert.

It is really hard battling not to go to the local shop.

--
Steph

I've pledged not to eat Quorn for the entire month. It's going OK.

Only for a month!

I'm two-thirds of the way towards a lifetime

tim

On 08/10/2015 16:20, T i m wrote:
On Thu, 8 Oct 2015 15:06:34 +0100, "Brian-Gaff"
wrote:

Well many people seem to reckon that they need some crutch like patches or
sweetie things to tail off. There are two problems, one is the hand habit
and the other the addiction, trying to tackle both at once is too much for
some people.

It's funny, both my wives (one at a time) smoked when I met them (even
though I was a non-smoker) and both gave up just_like_that when we
knew we were becoming an item.

My mother was one.

My Dad smoked the odd cigar (that made me feel sick, especially in the
car) but most of my family and friends are non-smokers so that helped.

Luckily I never started.

And I think it is 'lucky' ('A Good Thing') especially these days with
as many pressures being put on smokers both where they can smoke and
the cost (they know the health risks). It was a cool thing to do when
I was a lad (some of my mates did) but luckily being 'in' or 'cool'
have never been priorities to me.

I believe I've
probably taken in so much second hand smoke I could be in danger.

Same here. ;-(

I have always tried to be very supportive of anyone trying to give up
... supplying them with mints or whatever they found suitable as a
distraction. Sometimes it worked but I think it's one of those things
where you really have to *want* to stop yourself.

Cheers, T i m


I've known enough people that smoked all their lives and died from
something else to conclude that some people are more susceptible than
others.
I love tobacco but have been without for 4 years now. I never "gave up",
and I may start again....just not today

---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus

"Steph" wrote in message
...
Is any of you taking part in these Stoptober shannigans? I delayed starting
because of a wedding. I am on day 5 and trying to work but like buggery can
I focus. I've given myself aims, 1 save enough money from not smoking to get
another tattoo and 2, spending money for a Muse concert.

It is really hard battling not to go to the local shop.

Everyone is either a smoker or a non smoker, decide which you want to be and
make it so.
You don't need a gimmick like 'stoptober' to give you the kick up the arse.

Get an inhaler / ecig / puffer thing and have a drag on that if it gets too
much.

I packed in smoking for 2 years once, they were the most miserable 24 months
of my life, everyone said to me, 'can't believe you started smoking again,
you'd have had another 10 years of life if you'd stayed packed in', and I
invariably replied, 'yeah, that's why I started again'

On 08/10/2015 17:24, Phil L wrote:
"Steph" wrote in message
...
Is any of you taking part in these Stoptober shannigans? I delayed starting
because of a wedding. I am on day 5 and trying to work but like buggery can
I focus. I've given myself aims, 1 save enough money from not smoking to get
another tattoo and 2, spending money for a Muse concert.

It is really hard battling not to go to the local shop.

Everyone is either a smoker or a non smoker, decide which you want to be and
make it so.
You don't need a gimmick like 'stoptober' to give you the kick up the arse.

Get an inhaler / ecig / puffer thing and have a drag on that if it gets too
much.

I packed in smoking for 2 years once, they were the most miserable 24 months
of my life, everyone said to me, 'can't believe you started smoking again,
you'd have had another 10 years of life if you'd stayed packed in', and I
invariably replied, 'yeah, that's why I started again'


Ha, I know that feeling well. I only stopped for 3 weeks many moons ago.
I have never climbed so many walls in such a short space of time :-)

"Bod" wrote in message
...
On 08/10/2015 17:24, Phil L wrote:
"Steph" wrote in message
...
Is any of you taking part in these Stoptober shannigans? I delayed
starting
because of a wedding. I am on day 5 and trying to work but like buggery
can
I focus. I've given myself aims, 1 save enough money from not smoking to
get
another tattoo and 2, spending money for a Muse concert.

It is really hard battling not to go to the local shop.

Everyone is either a smoker or a non smoker, decide which you want to be
and
make it so.
You don't need a gimmick like 'stoptober' to give you the kick up the
arse.

Get an inhaler / ecig / puffer thing and have a drag on that if it gets
too
much.

I packed in smoking for 2 years once, they were the most miserable 24
months
of my life, everyone said to me, 'can't believe you started smoking
again,
you'd have had another 10 years of life if you'd stayed packed in', and I
invariably replied, 'yeah, that's why I started again'


Ha, I know that feeling well. I only stopped for 3 weeks many moons ago. I
have never climbed so many walls in such a short space of time :-)


I trust that you know who the OP is?
Best not to feed ......

On 8 Oct 2015 15:44:31 GMT, Bob Eager wrote:

On Thu, 08 Oct 2015 16:20:05 +0100, T i m wrote:

On Thu, 8 Oct 2015 15:06:34 +0100, "Brian-Gaff"
wrote:

Well many people seem to reckon that they need some crutch like patches
or sweetie things to tail off. There are two problems, one is the hand
habit and the other the addiction, trying to tackle both at once is too
much for some people.

It's funny, both my wives (one at a time) smoked when I met them (even
though I was a non-smoker) and both gave up just_like_that when we knew
we were becoming an item.

SWMBO changed to a pipe (thus smoking less because it was such a faff).

That's an interesting technique. ;-)

was hosting a lot of posh dinners in those days, and people were told
they could smoke towards the end of the dinner. It was fun watching
people's faces when she extracted the pipe etc. from her bag.

And why not (apart from it being 'those days' etc).

She gave up when we were trying to start a family. Went on a Continental
coach trip with friends and just took nothing to smoke with her.

Sounds more expensive than patches but if it worked. ;-)

I suppose the nearest I could get to understanding what it must be
like to give up smoking would be if I needed to give up beer. That
said, I don't think it would be an issue because although I might have
a (single) can most nights, I sometimes go for weeks without and it
would only be from boredom of just drinking tea, coffee and cordials.

I did try smoking ... as a fairly young lad ... by getting all the dog
ends from one of the parents canasta nights and rolling them up in
some Izal toilet paper (like some slippery roach). I didn't 'get it'
so never bothered again. ;-)

The Mrs had smoked 20 a day from age 15 to when I met her aged 37.
Like I said, we had the 'you know none of my family smoke ...' (and no
one has ever smoked in my house the 40 odd years I've been here) chat
and she took the packet out of her bag and ripped them in half. I
think it was the excuse she was waiting for.

Shame her Mum didn't follow suit ... watching her slowly dying on
breathing apparatus was enough of a reminder to me why smoking wasn't
a 'good idea'.

And that raises a question ... Imagine the idea of someone trying to
sell the idea of smoking to say the Dragons Den today:

'So do I understand you correctly ... you take some dried leaves, roll
them up into a tube and then set fire to the end and suck the smoke
into your lungs ... ?'

I'm out. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

On Thu, 8 Oct 2015 17:08:35 +0100, stuart noble
wrote:

snip

I've known enough people that smoked all their lives and died from
something else to conclude that some people are more susceptible than
others.

Agreed.

I love tobacco but have been without for 4 years now.

I'll say 'well done' because to me the whole concept is bizarre and I
know you *will be* better off without (even though the cost, the
reduced fire risk and other 'risks' as judged by insurance companies
etc).

Previously I would also have said 'good' because there would be less
chance of having to tolerate (or not) the side smoke or just smell of
smoke, but not it's pretty well banned everywhere I'm likely to be, I
don't have to worry (*my* social life was very much restricted because
of the habit of a minority).

I never "gave up",
and I may start again....just not today

And may it stay that way. ;-)

But like I have said, I do have *some* sympathy with those who for
whatever reason got caught up in the whole smoking thing at an early
age (and in the days when it wasn't a well advertised as to what the
risks were [1]). *Personally*, I had the same opportunity and
pressures as most, just that I really CGAF enough about what anyone
else thought by me not smoking for it to have any impact.

Cheers, T i m

[1] I guessed that it wasn't going to be *good* for me and that was
enough. We as humans all *need* to drink fluids, all be it not
necessarily containing alcohol g, no one *needs* to smoke.

In article ,
Bod wrote:
I packed in smoking for 2 years once, they were the most miserable 24
months of my life, everyone said to me, 'can't believe you started
smoking again, you'd have had another 10 years of life if you'd stayed
packed in', and I invariably replied, 'yeah, that's why I started
again'


Ha, I know that feeling well. I only stopped for 3 weeks many moons ago.
I have never climbed so many walls in such a short space of time :-)

I've been 'vaping' for about 3 years now. Seems very much less bad for you
in terms of coughing etc.

You also save a fortune. Including all costs - new batteries etc and
fluids - it works out here at something like 1/25th of what I was spending
on fags.

And I've never had a craving for a 'real' fag either.

--
*If at first you do succeed, try not to look too astonished.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article ,
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Bod wrote:
I packed in smoking for 2 years once, they were the most miserable 24
months of my life, everyone said to me, 'can't believe you started
smoking again, you'd have had another 10 years of life if you'd stayed
packed in', and I invariably replied, 'yeah, that's why I started
again'


Ha, I know that feeling well. I only stopped for 3 weeks many moons
ago. I have never climbed so many walls in such a short space of time
:-)

I've been 'vaping' for about 3 years now. Seems very much less bad for you
in terms of coughing etc.

You also save a fortune. Including all costs - new batteries etc and
fluids - it works out here at something like 1/25th of what I was spending
on fags.

And I've never had a craving for a 'real' fag either.

is it an appetite suppressant?

I started to put on weight once I stopped smoking.

--
Please note new email address:

In article ,
charles wrote:
And I've never had a craving for a 'real' fag either.

is it an appetite suppressant?

I started to put on weight once I stopped smoking.

I dunno. Age has made me put on weight anyway. ;-)

--
*A picture may be worth a thousand words, but it uses up a thousand times more memory.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On 08/10/2015 18:04, T i m wrote:
On 8 Oct 2015 15:44:31 GMT, Bob Eager wrote:

On Thu, 08 Oct 2015 16:20:05 +0100, T i m wrote:

On Thu, 8 Oct 2015 15:06:34 +0100, "Brian-Gaff"
wrote:

Well many people seem to reckon that they need some crutch like patches
or sweetie things to tail off. There are two problems, one is the hand
habit and the other the addiction, trying to tackle both at once is too
much for some people.

It's funny, both my wives (one at a time) smoked when I met them (even
though I was a non-smoker) and both gave up just_like_that when we knew
we were becoming an item.

SWMBO changed to a pipe (thus smoking less because it was such a faff).

That's an interesting technique. ;-)

was hosting a lot of posh dinners in those days, and people were told
they could smoke towards the end of the dinner. It was fun watching
people's faces when she extracted the pipe etc. from her bag.

And why not (apart from it being 'those days' etc).

She gave up when we were trying to start a family. Went on a Continental
coach trip with friends and just took nothing to smoke with her.

Sounds more expensive than patches but if it worked. ;-)

I suppose the nearest I could get to understanding what it must be
like to give up smoking would be if I needed to give up beer. That
said, I don't think it would be an issue because although I might have
a (single) can most nights, I sometimes go for weeks without and it
would only be from boredom of just drinking tea, coffee and cordials.

I did try smoking ... as a fairly young lad ... by getting all the dog
ends from one of the parents canasta nights and rolling them up in
some Izal toilet paper (like some slippery roach). I didn't 'get it'
so never bothered again. ;-)

The Mrs had smoked 20 a day from age 15 to when I met her aged 37.
Like I said, we had the 'you know none of my family smoke ...' (and no
one has ever smoked in my house the 40 odd years I've been here) chat
and she took the packet out of her bag and ripped them in half. I
think it was the excuse she was waiting for.

Shame her Mum didn't follow suit ... watching her slowly dying on
breathing apparatus was enough of a reminder to me why smoking wasn't
a 'good idea'.

And that raises a question ... Imagine the idea of someone trying to
sell the idea of smoking to say the Dragons Den today:

'So do I understand you correctly ... you take some dried leaves, roll
them up into a tube and then set fire to the end and suck the smoke
into your lungs ... ?'

I'm out. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kO1nCuVQIeg

In article , David Lang
wrote:
On 08/10/2015 18:04, T i m wrote:
On 8 Oct 2015 15:44:31 GMT, Bob Eager wrote:

On Thu, 08 Oct 2015 16:20:05 +0100, T i m wrote:

On Thu, 8 Oct 2015 15:06:34 +0100, "Brian-Gaff"
wrote:

Well many people seem to reckon that they need some crutch like
patches or sweetie things to tail off. There are two problems, one
is the hand habit and the other the addiction, trying to tackle both
at once is too much for some people.

It's funny, both my wives (one at a time) smoked when I met them
(even though I was a non-smoker) and both gave up just_like_that when
we knew we were becoming an item.

SWMBO changed to a pipe (thus smoking less because it was such a faff).

That's an interesting technique. ;-)

was hosting a lot of posh dinners in those days, and people were told
they could smoke towards the end of the dinner. It was fun watching
people's faces when she extracted the pipe etc. from her bag.

And why not (apart from it being 'those days' etc).

She gave up when we were trying to start a family. Went on a
Continental coach trip with friends and just took nothing to smoke
with her.

Sounds more expensive than patches but if it worked. ;-)

I suppose the nearest I could get to understanding what it must be like
to give up smoking would be if I needed to give up beer. That said, I
don't think it would be an issue because although I might have a
(single) can most nights, I sometimes go for weeks without and it would
only be from boredom of just drinking tea, coffee and cordials.

I did try smoking ... as a fairly young lad ... by getting all the dog
ends from one of the parents canasta nights and rolling them up in some
Izal toilet paper (like some slippery roach). I didn't 'get it' so
never bothered again. ;-)

The Mrs had smoked 20 a day from age 15 to when I met her aged 37. Like
I said, we had the 'you know none of my family smoke ...' (and no one
has ever smoked in my house the 40 odd years I've been here) chat and
she took the packet out of her bag and ripped them in half. I think it
was the excuse she was waiting for.

Shame her Mum didn't follow suit ... watching her slowly dying on
breathing apparatus was enough of a reminder to me why smoking wasn't a
'good idea'.

And that raises a question ... Imagine the idea of someone trying to
sell the idea of smoking to say the Dragons Den today:

'So do I understand you correctly ... you take some dried leaves, roll
them up into a tube and then set fire to the end and suck the smoke
into your lungs ... ?'


already done by Bob Newhart

--
Please note new email address:

On 08/10/2015 18:20, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Bod wrote:
I packed in smoking for 2 years once, they were the most miserable 24
months of my life, everyone said to me, 'can't believe you started
smoking again, you'd have had another 10 years of life if you'd stayed
packed in', and I invariably replied, 'yeah, that's why I started
again'


Ha, I know that feeling well. I only stopped for 3 weeks many moons ago.
I have never climbed so many walls in such a short space of time :-)

I've been 'vaping' for about 3 years now. Seems very much less bad for you
in terms of coughing etc.

You also save a fortune. Including all costs - new batteries etc and
fluids - it works out here at something like 1/25th of what I was spending
on fags.

And I've never had a craving for a 'real' fag either.

I've been vaping for about 2 months and reduced my real ciggies (roll
ups) down to 4 a day, BUT, I'm slowing creeping up to about 10 a day,
but I put 2 filters in a roll up, so I'm only smoking about half a fag
in reality.
The vape helps cut down though.
*Must try harder* :-)

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Bod wrote:
I packed in smoking for 2 years once, they were the most miserable 24
months of my life, everyone said to me, 'can't believe you started
smoking again, you'd have had another 10 years of life if you'd stayed
packed in', and I invariably replied, 'yeah, that's why I started
again'


Ha, I know that feeling well. I only stopped for 3 weeks many moons ago.
I have never climbed so many walls in such a short space of time :-)

I've been 'vaping' for about 3 years now. Seems very much less bad for you
in terms of coughing etc.

You also save a fortune. Including all costs - new batteries etc and
fluids - it works out here at something like 1/25th of what I was spending
on fags.

And I've never had a craving for a 'real' fag either.

Indeed.
I've been vaping for several months now and not want a snout. Not bad after
46 years of giving the snouts a lot of hammer.
I can smell the flowers in my garden, people who do smoke fags and the
****** addict next door skinning up.

On Thu, 8 Oct 2015 18:35:19 +0100, David Lang
wrote:

snip

'So do I understand you correctly ... you take some dried leaves, roll
them up into a tube and then set fire to the end and suck the smoke
into your lungs ... ?'


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kO1nCuVQIeg

Nice one and exactly how it all seems to me. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

"Mr Pounder Esquire" wrote in message
...
Indeed.
I've been vaping for several months now and not want a snout. Not bad
after 46 years of giving the snouts a lot of hammer.

I can smell the flowers in my garden, people who do smoke fags and the
****** addict next door skinning up.

Nice neighbours then on this posh estate that you live one?

Posh people snort coke, they do not skin up.


--
Adam

"ARW" wrote in message
...
"Mr Pounder Esquire" wrote in message
...
Indeed.
I've been vaping for several months now and not want a snout. Not bad
after 46 years of giving the snouts a lot of hammer.

I can smell the flowers in my garden, people who do smoke fags and the
****** addict next door skinning up.

Nice neighbours then on this posh estate that you live one?

Posh people snort coke, they do not skin up.

I never said that it was posh. Every street has a pikey. Council estates are
100% pikey - as you know.

On 08/10/2015 19:01, ARW wrote:
"Mr Pounder Esquire" wrote in message
...
Indeed.
I've been vaping for several months now and not want a snout. Not bad
after 46 years of giving the snouts a lot of hammer.

I can smell the flowers in my garden, people who do smoke fags and the
****** addict next door skinning up.

Nice neighbours then on this posh estate that you live one?

Posh people snort coke, they do not skin up.


Lol, very true.

"Bod" wrote in message
...
On 08/10/2015 19:01, ARW wrote:
"Mr Pounder Esquire" wrote in message
...
Indeed.
I've been vaping for several months now and not want a snout. Not bad
after 46 years of giving the snouts a lot of hammer.

I can smell the flowers in my garden, people who do smoke fags and the
****** addict next door skinning up.

Nice neighbours then on this posh estate that you live one?

Posh people snort coke, they do not skin up.


Lol, very true.

Does your lad, the one with the criminal record still bring some round to
you at Christmas?

On Thursday, 8 October 2015 18:03:42 UTC+1, Mr Pounder Esquire wrote:
"Bod" wrote in message
...
On 08/10/2015 17:24, Phil L wrote:
"Steph" wrote in message
...
Is any of you taking part in these Stoptober shannigans? I delayed
starting
because of a wedding. I am on day 5 and trying to work but like buggery
can
I focus. I've given myself aims, 1 save enough money from not smoking to
get
another tattoo and 2, spending money for a Muse concert.

It is really hard battling not to go to the local shop.

Everyone is either a smoker or a non smoker, decide which you want to be
and
make it so.
You don't need a gimmick like 'stoptober' to give you the kick up the
arse.

Get an inhaler / ecig / puffer thing and have a drag on that if it gets
too
much.

I packed in smoking for 2 years once, they were the most miserable 24
months
of my life, everyone said to me, 'can't believe you started smoking
again,
you'd have had another 10 years of life if you'd stayed packed in', and I
invariably replied, 'yeah, that's why I started again'


Ha, I know that feeling well. I only stopped for 3 weeks many moons ago. I
have never climbed so many walls in such a short space of time :-)


I trust that you know who the OP is?
Best not to feed .....

Mr. Pounder, Mr Hucker will confirm what I am saying is true. He has been forced to read my constant nicotine withdrawl moaning on my facebook. You know the thing real people go on and don't use stupid names like Richard Cranium.

--
Steph

On Thursday, 8 October 2015 17:32:29 UTC+1, Bod wrote:
On 08/10/2015 17:24, Phil L wrote:
"Steph" wrote in message
...
Is any of you taking part in these Stoptober shannigans? I delayed starting
because of a wedding. I am on day 5 and trying to work but like buggery can
I focus. I've given myself aims, 1 save enough money from not smoking to get
another tattoo and 2, spending money for a Muse concert.

It is really hard battling not to go to the local shop.

Everyone is either a smoker or a non smoker, decide which you want to be and
make it so.
You don't need a gimmick like 'stoptober' to give you the kick up the arse.

Get an inhaler / ecig / puffer thing and have a drag on that if it gets too
much.

I packed in smoking for 2 years once, they were the most miserable 24 months
of my life, everyone said to me, 'can't believe you started smoking again,
you'd have had another 10 years of life if you'd stayed packed in', and I
invariably replied, 'yeah, that's why I started again'


Ha, I know that feeling well. I only stopped for 3 weeks many moons ago.
I have never climbed so many walls in such a short space of time :-)

That's the problem I am having usually when working, I will resolve my work issues whilst having a fag break, standing looking at it. Now I have to find something else to resolve my work issues that doesn't involve lighting up. It makes you wonder if anyone has murdered anyone while going through withdrawl and pleaded insanity.

--
Steph

On Thursday, 8 October 2015 16:20:09 UTC+1, T i m wrote:
On Thu, 8 Oct 2015 15:06:34 +0100, "Brian-Gaff"
wrote:

Well many people seem to reckon that they need some crutch like patches or
sweetie things to tail off. There are two problems, one is the hand habit
and the other the addiction, trying to tackle both at once is too much for
some people.

It's funny, both my wives (one at a time) smoked when I met them (even
though I was a non-smoker) and both gave up just_like_that when we
knew we were becoming an item.

My mother was one.

My Dad smoked the odd cigar (that made me feel sick, especially in the
car) but most of my family and friends are non-smokers so that helped.

Luckily I never started.

And I think it is 'lucky' ('A Good Thing') especially these days with
as many pressures being put on smokers both where they can smoke and
the cost (they know the health risks). It was a cool thing to do when
I was a lad (some of my mates did) but luckily being 'in' or 'cool'
have never been priorities to me.

I believe I've
probably taken in so much second hand smoke I could be in danger.

Same here. ;-(

I have always tried to be very supportive of anyone trying to give up
... supplying them with mints or whatever they found suitable as a
distraction. Sometimes it worked but I think it's one of those things
where you really have to *want* to stop yourself.

Cheers, T i m

They stopped smoking for you?? Are you fit?

--
Steph

Brian, I am chewing gum at the minute. It helps a bit but I keep getting lock jaw :/

--
Steph


n Thursday, 8 October 2015 15:06:35 UTC+1, Brian-Gaff wrote:
Well many people seem to reckon that they need some crutch like patches or
sweetie things to tail off. There are two problems, one is the hand habit
and the other the addiction, trying to tackle both at once is too much for
some people. My mother was one. Luckily I never started. I believe I've
probably taken in so much second hand smoke I could be in danger.
Brian

--
From the Sofa of Brian Gaff Reply address is active
Remember, if you don't like where I post
or what I say, you don't have to
read my posts! :-)
"Steph" wrote in message
...
Is any of you taking part in these Stoptober shannigans? I delayed starting
because of a wedding. I am on day 5 and trying to work but like buggery can
I focus. I've given myself aims, 1 save enough money from not smoking to get
another tattoo and 2, spending money for a Muse concert.

It is really hard battling not to go to the local shop.

--
Steph

On Thursday, 8 October 2015 17:23:47 UTC+1, Phil L wrote:
"Steph" wrote in message
...
Is any of you taking part in these Stoptober shannigans? I delayed starting
because of a wedding. I am on day 5 and trying to work but like buggery can
I focus. I've given myself aims, 1 save enough money from not smoking to get
another tattoo and 2, spending money for a Muse concert.

It is really hard battling not to go to the local shop.

Everyone is either a smoker or a non smoker, decide which you want to be and
make it so.
You don't need a gimmick like 'stoptober' to give you the kick up the arse.

Get an inhaler / ecig / puffer thing and have a drag on that if it gets too
much.

I packed in smoking for 2 years once, they were the most miserable 24 months
of my life, everyone said to me, 'can't believe you started smoking again,
you'd have had another 10 years of life if you'd stayed packed in', and I
invariably replied, 'yeah, that's why I started again'

Aww Phil, that's really sad. Are you going to try again? I suppose if you are already stressed it makes your stress a whole lot worse giving up. Generally I am a happy person so it's hard for the kids seeing me miserable as sin. But my mum died of lung cancer a 51 and I know I'm h3ading the same way and want to stick around a little longer than that.

--
Steph

On Thursday, 8 October 2015 18:39:15 UTC+1, Bod wrote:
On 08/10/2015 18:20, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Bod wrote:
I packed in smoking for 2 years once, they were the most miserable 24
months of my life, everyone said to me, 'can't believe you started
smoking again, you'd have had another 10 years of life if you'd stayed
packed in', and I invariably replied, 'yeah, that's why I started
again'


Ha, I know that feeling well. I only stopped for 3 weeks many moons ago.
I have never climbed so many walls in such a short space of time :-)

I've been 'vaping' for about 3 years now. Seems very much less bad for you
in terms of coughing etc.

You also save a fortune. Including all costs - new batteries etc and
fluids - it works out here at something like 1/25th of what I was spending
on fags.

And I've never had a craving for a 'real' fag either.

I've been vaping for about 2 months and reduced my real ciggies (roll
ups) down to 4 a day, BUT, I'm slowing creeping up to about 10 a day,
but I put 2 filters in a roll up, so I'm only smoking about half a fag
in reality.
The vape helps cut down though.
*Must try harder* :-)

Well done Bod. Xx

--
Steph

On 08/10/2015 11:55, Steph wrote:
Is any of you taking part in these Stoptober shannigans? I delayed starting because of a wedding. I am on day 5 and trying to work but like buggery can I focus. I've given myself aims, 1 save enough money from not smoking to get another tattoo and 2, spending money for a Muse concert.

It is really hard battling not to go to the local shop.


There is a relationship between nicotine and thyroid hormone that has
been very largely ignored. Some recent abstracts suggest that it should
not be ignored - even to the point of considering thyroid hormone
supplementation for those giving up smoking:

Nicotine Tob Res. 2015 Jun;17(6):690-6. doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntu229. Epub
2014 Oct 30.

Withdrawal From Chronic Nicotine Reduces Thyroid Hormone Levels and
Levothyroxine Treatment Ameliorates Nicotine Withdrawal-Induced Deficits
in Hippocampus-Dependent Learning in C57BL/6J Mice.

Leach PT1, Holliday E1, Kutlu MG1, Gould TJ2.
Author information

1Temple University Department of Psychology, Neuroscience Program,
Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.
2Temple University Department of Psychology, Neuroscience Program,
Temple University, Philadelphia, PA .
Abstract

INTRODUCTION:

Cigarette smoking alters a variety of endocrine systems including
thyroid hormones. Altered thyroid hormone signaling may lead to a
subclinical or overt hypothyroid condition that could contribute to
nicotine withdrawal-related symptoms, such as cognitive deficits. Thus,
normalizing thyroid hormone levels may represent a novel therapeutic
target for ameliorating nicotine withdrawal-associated cognitive deficits.

METHODS:

The current studies conducted an analysis of serum thyroid hormone
levels after chronic and withdrawal from chronic nicotine treatment in
C57BL/6J mice using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The present
studies also evaluated the effect of synthetic thyroid hormone
(levothyroxine) on contextual and cued memory.

RESULTS:

The current studies found that nicotine withdrawal reduces secreted
thyroid hormone levels by 9% in C57BL/6J mice. Further, supplemental
thyroid hormone not only enhanced memory in naïve animals, but also
ameliorated deficits in hippocampus-dependent learning associated with
nicotine withdrawal.

CONCLUSIONS:

These results suggest that smokers attempting to quit should be
monitored closely for changes in thyroid function. If successfully
treated, normalization of thyroid hormone levels may ameliorate some
deficits associated with nicotine withdrawal and this may lead to higher
rates of successful abstinence.

© The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the
Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. All rights reserved. For
permissions, please e-mail: .

PMID:
25358661
[PubMed - in process]
PMCID:
PMC4481724
[Available on 2016-06-01]


And...


Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2015 Sep 4. pii: S0149-7634(15)00236-5. doi:
10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.09.001. [Epub ahead of print]

Thyroid Hormone Signaling: Contribution to Neural Function, Cognition,
and Relationship to Nicotine.

Leach PT1, Gould TJ2.

Author information

1Temple University Department of Psychology, Neuroscience Program,
Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122.
2Temple University Department of Psychology, Neuroscience Program,
Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122. Electronic address:
.

Abstract

Cigarette smoking is common despite its adverse effects on health, such
as cardiovascular disease and stroke. Understanding the mechanisms that
contribute to the addictive properties of nicotine makes it possible to
target them to prevent the initiation of smoking behavior and/or
increase the chance of successful quit attempts. While highly addictive,
nicotine is not generally considered to be as reinforcing as other drugs
of abuse. There are likely other mechanisms at work that contribute to
the addictive liability of nicotine. Nicotine modulates aspects of the
endocrine system, including the thyroid, which is critical for normal
cognitive functioning. It is possible that nicotine's effects on thyroid
function may alter learning and memory, and this may underlie some of
its addictive potential. Here, we review the literature on thyroid
function and cognition, with a focus on how nicotine alters thyroid
hormone signaling and the potential impact on cognition. Changes in
cognition are a major symptom of nicotine addiction. Current
anti-smoking therapies have modest success at best. If some of the
cognitive effects of nicotine are mediated through the thyroid hormone
system, then thyroid hormone agonists may be novel treatments for
smoking cessation therapies. The content of this review is important
because it clarifies the relationship between smoking and thyroid
function, which has been ill-defined in the past. This review is timely
because the reduction in smoking rates we have seen in recent decades,
due to public awareness campaigns and public smoking bans, has leveled
off in recent years. Therefore, novel treatment approaches are needed to
help reduce smoking rates further.

Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

PMID:
26344666
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]


And...


Neuropharmacology. 2015 Jun;93:155-63. doi:
10.1016/j.neuropharm.2015.01.026. Epub 2015 Feb 7.

Thyroid receptor β involvement in the effects of acute nicotine on
hippocampus-dependent memory.

Leach PT1, Kenney JW1, Connor DA1, Gould TJ2.

Author information

1Department of Psychology, Neuroscience Program, Temple University,
Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA.
2Department of Psychology, Neuroscience Program, Temple University,
Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA. Electronic address: .

Abstract

Cigarette smoking is common despite adverse health effects. Nicotine's
effects on learning may contribute to addiction by enhancing
drug-context associations. Effects of nicotine on learning could be
direct or could occur by altering systems that modulate cognition.
Because thyroid signaling can alter cognition and nicotine/smoking may
change thyroid function, nicotine could affect learning through changes
in thyroid signaling. These studies investigate the functional
contributions of thyroid receptor (TR) subtypes β and α1 to
nicotine-enhanced learning and characterize the effects of acute
nicotine and learning on thyroid hormone levels. We conducted a high
throughput screen of transcription factor activity to identify novel
targets that may contribute to the effects of nicotine on learning.
Based on these results, which showed that combined nicotine and learning
uniquely acted to increase TR activation, we identified TRs as potential
targets of nicotine. Further analyses were conducted to determine the
individual and combined effects of nicotine and learning on thyroid
hormone levels, but no changes were seen. Next, to determine the role of
TRβ and TRα1 in the effects of nicotine on learning, mice lacking the
TRβ or TRα1 gene and wildtype littermates were administered acute
nicotine prior to fear conditioning. Nicotine enhanced contextual fear
conditioning in TRα1 knockout mice and wildtypes from both lines but TRβ
knockout mice did not show nicotine-enhanced learning. This finding
supports involvement of TRβ signaling in the effect of acute nicotine on
hippocampus-dependent memory. Acute nicotine enhances learning and these
effects may involve processes regulated by the transcription factor TRβ.

Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
KEYWORDS:

Acetylcholine; Fear conditioning; Gene; Learning and memory; Nicotine;
Thyroid; Thyroid receptor

PMID:
25666034
[PubMed - in process]
PMCID:
PMC4387063
[Available on 2016-06-01]

And you signature separator is broken - needs to be dash dash space.
Yours has no space!

--
Rod

On Thu, 8 Oct 2015 14:21:12 -0700 (PDT), Steph
wrote:

On Thursday, 8 October 2015 16:20:09 UTC+1, T i m wrote:
On Thu, 8 Oct 2015 15:06:34 +0100, "Brian-Gaff"
wrote:


It's funny, both my wives (one at a time) smoked when I met them (even
though I was a non-smoker) and both gave up just_like_that when we
knew we were becoming an item.

snip

They stopped smoking for you??

Well, partly, and partly because they were probably looking for an
excuse and it made good sense, all things considered.

Are you fit?

I must have had something going for me. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

On Thursday, 8 October 2015 22:54:50 UTC+1, polygonum wrote:
On 08/10/2015 11:55, Steph wrote:
Is any of you taking part in these Stoptober shannigans? I delayed starting because of a wedding. I am on day 5 and trying to work but like buggery can I focus. I've given myself aims, 1 save enough money from not smoking to get another tattoo and 2, spending money for a Muse concert.

It is really hard battling not to go to the local shop.


There is a relationship between nicotine and thyroid hormone that has
been very largely ignored. Some recent abstracts suggest that it should
not be ignored - even to the point of considering thyroid hormone
supplementation for those giving up smoking:

Nicotine Tob Res. 2015 Jun;17(6):690-6. doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntu229. Epub
2014 Oct 30.

Withdrawal From Chronic Nicotine Reduces Thyroid Hormone Levels and
Levothyroxine Treatment Ameliorates Nicotine Withdrawal-Induced Deficits
in Hippocampus-Dependent Learning in C57BL/6J Mice.

Leach PT1, Holliday E1, Kutlu MG1, Gould TJ2.
Author information

1Temple University Department of Psychology, Neuroscience Program,
Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.
2Temple University Department of Psychology, Neuroscience Program,
Temple University, Philadelphia, PA .
Abstract

INTRODUCTION:

Cigarette smoking alters a variety of endocrine systems including
thyroid hormones. Altered thyroid hormone signaling may lead to a
subclinical or overt hypothyroid condition that could contribute to
nicotine withdrawal-related symptoms, such as cognitive deficits. Thus,
normalizing thyroid hormone levels may represent a novel therapeutic
target for ameliorating nicotine withdrawal-associated cognitive deficits..

METHODS:

The current studies conducted an analysis of serum thyroid hormone
levels after chronic and withdrawal from chronic nicotine treatment in
C57BL/6J mice using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The present
studies also evaluated the effect of synthetic thyroid hormone
(levothyroxine) on contextual and cued memory.

RESULTS:

The current studies found that nicotine withdrawal reduces secreted
thyroid hormone levels by 9% in C57BL/6J mice. Further, supplemental
thyroid hormone not only enhanced memory in naïve animals, but also
ameliorated deficits in hippocampus-dependent learning associated with
nicotine withdrawal.

CONCLUSIONS:

These results suggest that smokers attempting to quit should be
monitored closely for changes in thyroid function. If successfully
treated, normalization of thyroid hormone levels may ameliorate some
deficits associated with nicotine withdrawal and this may lead to higher
rates of successful abstinence.

© The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the
Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. All rights reserved. For
permissions, please e-mail: .

PMID:
25358661
[PubMed - in process]
PMCID:
PMC4481724
[Available on 2016-06-01]


And...


Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2015 Sep 4. pii: S0149-7634(15)00236-5. doi:
10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.09.001. [Epub ahead of print]

Thyroid Hormone Signaling: Contribution to Neural Function, Cognition,
and Relationship to Nicotine.

Leach PT1, Gould TJ2.

Author information

1Temple University Department of Psychology, Neuroscience Program,
Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122.
2Temple University Department of Psychology, Neuroscience Program,
Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122. Electronic address:
.

Abstract

Cigarette smoking is common despite its adverse effects on health, such
as cardiovascular disease and stroke. Understanding the mechanisms that
contribute to the addictive properties of nicotine makes it possible to
target them to prevent the initiation of smoking behavior and/or
increase the chance of successful quit attempts. While highly addictive,
nicotine is not generally considered to be as reinforcing as other drugs
of abuse. There are likely other mechanisms at work that contribute to
the addictive liability of nicotine. Nicotine modulates aspects of the
endocrine system, including the thyroid, which is critical for normal
cognitive functioning. It is possible that nicotine's effects on thyroid
function may alter learning and memory, and this may underlie some of
its addictive potential. Here, we review the literature on thyroid
function and cognition, with a focus on how nicotine alters thyroid
hormone signaling and the potential impact on cognition. Changes in
cognition are a major symptom of nicotine addiction. Current
anti-smoking therapies have modest success at best. If some of the
cognitive effects of nicotine are mediated through the thyroid hormone
system, then thyroid hormone agonists may be novel treatments for
smoking cessation therapies. The content of this review is important
because it clarifies the relationship between smoking and thyroid
function, which has been ill-defined in the past. This review is timely
because the reduction in smoking rates we have seen in recent decades,
due to public awareness campaigns and public smoking bans, has leveled
off in recent years. Therefore, novel treatment approaches are needed to
help reduce smoking rates further.

Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

PMID:
26344666
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]


And...


Neuropharmacology. 2015 Jun;93:155-63. doi:
10.1016/j.neuropharm.2015.01.026. Epub 2015 Feb 7.

Thyroid receptor β involvement in the effects of acute nicotine on
hippocampus-dependent memory.

Leach PT1, Kenney JW1, Connor DA1, Gould TJ2.

Author information

1Department of Psychology, Neuroscience Program, Temple University,
Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA.
2Department of Psychology, Neuroscience Program, Temple University,
Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA. Electronic address: .

Abstract

Cigarette smoking is common despite adverse health effects. Nicotine's
effects on learning may contribute to addiction by enhancing
drug-context associations. Effects of nicotine on learning could be
direct or could occur by altering systems that modulate cognition.
Because thyroid signaling can alter cognition and nicotine/smoking may
change thyroid function, nicotine could affect learning through changes
in thyroid signaling. These studies investigate the functional
contributions of thyroid receptor (TR) subtypes β and α1 to
nicotine-enhanced learning and characterize the effects of acute
nicotine and learning on thyroid hormone levels. We conducted a high
throughput screen of transcription factor activity to identify novel
targets that may contribute to the effects of nicotine on learning.
Based on these results, which showed that combined nicotine and learning
uniquely acted to increase TR activation, we identified TRs as potential
targets of nicotine. Further analyses were conducted to determine the
individual and combined effects of nicotine and learning on thyroid
hormone levels, but no changes were seen. Next, to determine the role of
TRβ and TRα1 in the effects of nicotine on learning, mice lacking the
TRβ or TRα1 gene and wildtype littermates were administered acute
nicotine prior to fear conditioning. Nicotine enhanced contextual fear
conditioning in TRα1 knockout mice and wildtypes from both lines but TRβ
knockout mice did not show nicotine-enhanced learning. This finding
supports involvement of TRβ signaling in the effect of acute nicotine on
hippocampus-dependent memory. Acute nicotine enhances learning and these
effects may involve processes regulated by the transcription factor TRβ.

Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
KEYWORDS:

Acetylcholine; Fear conditioning; Gene; Learning and memory; Nicotine;
Thyroid; Thyroid receptor

PMID:
25666034
[PubMed - in process]
PMCID:
PMC4387063
[Available on 2016-06-01]

And you signature separator is broken - needs to be dash dash space.
Yours has no space!

--
Rod

Ah, that is interesting. Women's hormones are bad anyway without adding withdrawl.

--
Steph
Typing on my phone dash dash dot dot

On Thursday, 8 October 2015 22:58:30 UTC+1, T i m wrote:
On Thu, 8 Oct 2015 14:21:12 -0700 (PDT), Steph
wrote:

On Thursday, 8 October 2015 16:20:09 UTC+1, T i m wrote:
On Thu, 8 Oct 2015 15:06:34 +0100, "Brian-Gaff"
wrote:


It's funny, both my wives (one at a time) smoked when I met them (even
though I was a non-smoker) and both gave up just_like_that when we
knew we were becoming an item.

snip

They stopped smoking for you??

Well, partly, and partly because they were probably looking for an
excuse and it made good sense, all things considered.

Are you fit?

I must have had something going for me. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

It must be it Tim, us women never give anything up without getting something better.

--
Steph

In article ,
Bod wrote:
I've been vaping for about 2 months and reduced my real ciggies (roll
ups) down to 4 a day, BUT, I'm slowing creeping up to about 10 a day,
but I put 2 filters in a roll up, so I'm only smoking about half a fag
in reality.
The vape helps cut down though.
*Must try harder* :-)

What strength liquid are you using?

--
*Ever stop to think and forget to start again?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On 08/10/2015 22:48, Steph wrote:
On Thursday, 8 October 2015 18:39:15 UTC+1, Bod wrote:
On 08/10/2015 18:20, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Bod wrote:
I packed in smoking for 2 years once, they were the most miserable 24
months of my life, everyone said to me, 'can't believe you started
smoking again, you'd have had another 10 years of life if you'd stayed
packed in', and I invariably replied, 'yeah, that's why I started
again'


Ha, I know that feeling well. I only stopped for 3 weeks many moons ago.
I have never climbed so many walls in such a short space of time :-)

I've been 'vaping' for about 3 years now. Seems very much less bad for you
in terms of coughing etc.

You also save a fortune. Including all costs - new batteries etc and
fluids - it works out here at something like 1/25th of what I was spending
on fags.

And I've never had a craving for a 'real' fag either.

I've been vaping for about 2 months and reduced my real ciggies (roll
ups) down to 4 a day, BUT, I'm slowing creeping up to about 10 a day,
but I put 2 filters in a roll up, so I'm only smoking about half a fag
in reality.
The vape helps cut down though.
*Must try harder* :-)

Well done Bod. Xx

--
Steph

Thanks, Steph and good luck to you with your attempt at giving up.

On 09/10/2015 00:15, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Bod wrote:
I've been vaping for about 2 months and reduced my real ciggies (roll
ups) down to 4 a day, BUT, I'm slowing creeping up to about 10 a day,
but I put 2 filters in a roll up, so I'm only smoking about half a fag
in reality.
The vape helps cut down though.
*Must try harder* :-)

What strength liquid are you using?

12.

On Thu, 8 Oct 2015 15:11:50 -0700 (PDT), Steph
wrote:

snip

I must have had something going for me. ;-)



It must be it Tim, us women never give anything up without getting something better.


Or us men. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

On Thursday, 8 October 2015 23:09:29 UTC+1, Steph wrote:


Ah, that is interesting. Women's hormones are bad anyway without adding withdrawl.

Last night on Star Trek TOS "The Changling".

Capt. Kirk: [referring to Uhura] What d'you do to her?

Nomad: That unit is defective. Its thinking is chaotic. Absorbing it unsettled me.

Spock: That "unit" is a woman.

Nomad: A mass of conflicting impulses.

In article ,
Bod wrote:
On 09/10/2015 00:15, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Bod wrote:
I've been vaping for about 2 months and reduced my real ciggies (roll
ups) down to 4 a day, BUT, I'm slowing creeping up to about 10 a day,
but I put 2 filters in a roll up, so I'm only smoking about half a fag
in reality.
The vape helps cut down though.
*Must try harder* :-)

What strength liquid are you using?

12.

Right. I'd recommend 18 when first changing from fags to venting. Once
you're well off the fags, you can try a weaker one.

--
*England has no kidney bank, but it does have a Liverpool.*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.