AFNF at the same time??

[lilmea]

I have read post where people here have stopped smoking and drinking at the same time. How did you do this? I'm AF for 6 days now but my smoking has more than doubled. I'm so tired of my addictions ruling my life. But not smoking scares me almost as much as not drinking did. So any advice from those who did both together or any other thoughts would be much appreciated.
Thanks

[Monica]

AFNF at the same time??

Hey, no offence, One2Many, but my advice is the opposite of yours!

I quit smoking 15 yrs ago, after attempts to quit, by eliminating my main smoking triggers (coffee and alcohol) for 6 mths. I can honestly say that I have never, ever had an urge to smoke, ever again, even when completely sodden drunk.

The memory of how easily I quit smoking, when the time was right, is what makes me try, try again when I fall off the wagon, giving up drink.

In the past, I've let myself eat a load of crap food, when I quit drinking. I think it's similar to what quitting smokers do - you end up piling on weight and that's your acceptable excuse to start smoking/drinking again.

This time, I'm only eating healthy food, plus I'm exercising heaps, so I'm losing weight, getting fitter and sleeping well. So far so good!

Best of luck to you, anyway - it will feel so wonderful when you give up the smokes.

[Starlight Impress Forever]

AFNF at the same time??

Hi lilmea,
In hindsight, my opinion is that for me personally, it most likely would have been easier to quit drinking and smoking at the same time.

I quit drinking in August 2007 and it took me until Dec 1st 2008 to quit smoking. This is my 56th day as a non smoker, although I am still using the nicotine replacement lozenge. Despite having successfully quit drinking, I couldn`t seem to find the strength to quit smoking, but I held on to hope and finally, I am the non smoker I so longed to be.

We can achieve anything, just as long as we keep our eye on the ball.

My best to you,

Star x

[boozehag]

AFNF at the same time??

I did both at the same time - I absolutely had to as smoking was my major trigger for drinking and drinking was my major trigger for smoking. I used chantix for first 30 days with great success. Maybe it was a bit harder to start off with but now it seems that not smoking helps me not drink and not drinking helps me not smoke so its a win win situation. I am so glad I did both at the same time now.
BH

[summer_holiday]

AFNF at the same time??

hi, when i went to the doctor about my drinking, she said that i shouldn't give up smoking at the moment, but to try and beat one addiction at a time. She said that i would most probably feel that i had nothing left, and that i would start to feel envious and see everyone else around me doing the very things that i want to and can't. I have to say it was very good advice. I felt exactly that way!! Instead of feeling 'holier than thou' which i thought i would, i felt lke crap! bored, moody and miserable. Everyone else was having fun, smoking and drinking and there was little old me Mrs Straight Down the Line!! What i realise now is that i wasn't ready, and I hadn't equipped myself with the tools that help in these situations. Counselling helped enormously, as did looking closely at the (albeit few) friends and family who have NEVER drank and NEVER smoked. Now at last i'm ready to give up the fags. It's the last step....at least when i'm out with people i can nip out for a fag while letting all the drunkards get on with it, so i don't feel like a total geek lol!!! I shouldn't feel that way i know but hey. No drink for 4 months so i have to attempt this too. No way though would i have attempted the two together. I needed to do something, i mean, in my life i'd always drank and smoked, how on earth would i ever be able to just stand around with a sparkling water and no fags = saddo!!! still, life moves on and it gets easier. people just assume i've vodka in my water, and an hour or so later, no one cares anyway lol!!!! so, i've beaten the drinking thing (although it still haunts me occasionally) and now i feel strong enough to tackle the fags too. It's a mindset, i think. A crutch maybe? All i know is that when i stopped drinking i still recognised that i had to do something else, that was still a part of me. Believe me, smoking was (is) perhaps more a part of me than drinking! tea in the morning? not before a fag! phone call? with a fag? jesus, i even sat on the loo with a fag lol!!!! Whatever you do to give up will be the right way for you, but for me, one addiction at a time ha ha!!! good luck! summer xxx