by Wendy Bull

Created on: January 13, 2007   Last Updated: April 14, 2011

Hello, my name is Wendy and I am a cigarette smoker. I have been clean now for 103 days.

In my honest opinion once you have become addicted to the dreaded weed you will always be addicted in some form to it. The trick is to learn to live without it and break the habits that form associated with smoking.

Tips for successful giving up

1. Set a date to give up and smoke normally until that date arrives. Don't try and cut down or smoke more as you know you are giving up. Stay with your normal amount.

2. If you smoke in the house, use those days before giving up to start smoking outside. Change the habits you have if possible, like always having a cigarette when you wake up, or after a specific job. Try and make smoking not as easy to do. For example if it's raining still go outside for your fag but get wet. This might sound mad but it kind of works as associated therapy. In other words your brain will link having a ciggie with getting wet in the rain, that kind of thing.

3. If there are no other smokers in your house, get a black bag and first thing in the morning of the giving up day, throw away all the ashtrays, lighters, matches and ciggies and get rid of them completely. Pity I couldn't do this but I think it would have helped me a lot to make it easier.

4. Go and see the doctor or nurse and get support. They are there to help you get fit and make the most of your health so ask! There are many nicotine replacement therapies on the market that you can try on prescription so it won't cost the earth and they will be willing to help you with everything they can. I chose patches as my favoured replacement therapy but I have also tried inhalators and gum and found them not to be so effective for me. I can recommend the patches but everyone is different and you may react differently to me.

5. I found that telling everyone helped me. When I told them I was giving up I asked them not to keep asking me "how I was doing?" This was so if I was having a bad day I wouldn't be reminded of what I was trying to do all the time, but if I needed some support or encouragement or just a cup of tea in a house with no ashtrays I could get it!

6. Try your best and use as much willpower as possible. Don't be afraid to make emergency appointments with the smoking clinic, or even just phone to talk to the nurse. Nicotine is just as hard to ditch as alcohol and alcoholics have groups and support and sponsors, so it's no surprise the NHS are starting to take this on board. Many NHS doctors

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