What's your addiction or to smoke or not to smoke

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

It has been three days (11:20pm, Sunday night, to be exact - not that I’m keeping track or anything) since I’ve smoked. I tried to quit about a year ago, and didn’t make it at all.

So here I am, again. jeyen’s post in this thread stayed with me for days. It drives me crazy that this is hard to do. I used to do coke on a regular basis a few years back, and that was much easier to give up than this.

Any of you just beginning the stop smoking thing?

What addiction do you have that you think should be easy to give up, but isn’t?

2

I feel your pain. I, too, am trying to shake this nicotine jones. I only started yesterday though.

Other addictions…hmm I used to chew off my fingernails, but that wasn’t too hard to break. I gave up caffiene when I was preggers with my kids, that one sucked, because of the headaches.

But jazz, let’s shake this monkey together. Still my favorite smoking substitute is brushing my teeth. It’s oddly comforting. (No toothpaste, just wet the brush a bit and go).

3

Well, I DO need to find something to do with my mouth and hands. :wink:

4

Hang in there. I quit twice. The first time for a year, the second for 5 and counting.

The only thing I’m not positive of is coffee. I went decaf once for a few months, then decided there was nothing wrong with coffee.

5

I quit smoking for two years. Basically, I got sick of having to get dressed to go out to smoke in sub-zero weather.

I recently started again. This coincides with a move to warmer weather. This is a Bad Thing ™.

Robin

6

I’m am on my 12th smokefree day and I’m hating life at the moment. The second week has been so much harder than the first. I guess the first week I had all this resolve - the second week - nada, zip, zero, nothing, no resolve what so ever. Why the hell is that? Will I always want a cigarette like I do right now - for the rest of my life? It scares me to hear that people start back after a year or two. Why? I can’t imagine having to go through this twice.

Now I’m debating if it is really worth it.

Help, I need help. Lots of help.

Good luck - Jazzmine - I feel your pain. :frowning:

7

Well if it would help, I could find pictures of cancerous lungs to show you every so often. Its one of the perks of beign a cancer scientist; you know where to find all the good lung pictures. :slight_smile:

Good luck to you all. I’ll stick to breaking my caffiene and calorie addictions.

8

3rd pot free day.

God.

Making KD in a frying pan sucks.
Just kidding. I am talking green. It’s been a 15yr lifestyle, but I got sick of it owning me. Or rather, my life was becoming unravelled and I finally realized it was time to do something about it.

Cigs go next.

Good luck all.

9

Yes I am quite curious too. Do you still want cigarettes after a year of not smoking?

10

It’s been over 6 years for me – I smoked 1 ppd for 17 years. I still get the urge. It’s not a constant battle, but the desire is there.

I’m not sure it’ll ever go away.

I work several days a week at a major outpatient cancer facility. I have little difficulty reminding myself why I quit.

My father-in-law died a horrible, painful, wasting death from pancreatic cancer. He was in his 50’s. 5 years later, they positively linked pancreatic cancer to smoking (80% correlation, or so). I quit the day they announced that.

Stay the course. It’s worth it. Food tastes better, I don’t smell (of smoke), and I don’t have to feel stupid – and get wet – standing outside to smoke.

11

I quit about two years ago, and after the first couple of months the cravings stopped for the most part. If I was people standing around smoking, I’d be tempted to go mooch, until I got close enough to smell it. YUCK! I was lucky, though, that I had recently moved, didn’t have any smoking friends and was away from the places and situations where I used to smoke.

Association is a big trigger. Just this past New Year’s I was back home visiting friends, and I almost picked up a pack laying on a table and took one–it simply felt so familiar.

Hang in there, it definitely gets better. When you can smell, taste, breathe deeply without hacking, hike up a hill without getting winded–you’ve got a lot to look forward to!

12

I’ve been smoke free for five years. I had to keep myself busy. I started working out more and started lifting weights. Now it’s become a part of my everyday life. I am in a LOT better health now. I’ve been alcohal free for three years. And drug free for seven years.

GOOD LUCK!

If you ever need a pal or anything, not like you don’t have enough, please mail me.

13

Been smoking for 40 years now. Up to just under 2 wonderful packs a day. (think I’ll go light one up now. Thanks for reminding me.)

Probably won’t quit till I cough up a lung. Which, bye the way, are in fine shape.

I had a friend who didn’t smoke, drink, no milk, ice cream, eggs, sodas or junk food. If it didn’t come from a health food store she didn’t eat it. She died several years ago at the age of 50 with cancer of the brain, back and lungs.

TTTTHAT’S ALL FOLKS!

14

Nicotine was the hardest drug to kick, and I’ve had to kick a bunch of 'em('course I always had cigarettes to help take my mind off the pain).

I smoked 3 packs a day for many years. I quit Jan 1,1990. For several months, I felt exactly like you do now. Believe me, it passes. I don’t miss smoking at all anymore. I never want one. And it’s good to be able to breathe.

15

Day four. Yesterday was much harder than the first two days. I really don’t understand that. Seems like it should get easier as you go.

It is very nice to hear from you all who’ve managed to not smoke for years. Gives me hope.

This is SO true!

Good luck everyone.

16

Hang in there, folks.

17

So I’ve come to Day Six. I think my brain is addled from the nicotine depravation.

18

And then I start to feel guilty because I wasn’t even craving after four days.

I quit 2 1/2 weeks ago. Started with the patch, used it for four days and decided to go a day without to see if I could handle it ($30 a week being a bit steep for me (even though I’d spend almost that much on cigs when I smoked)). Haven’t worn the patch since, haven’t smoked since, got rid of all my paraphernalia (ashtrays, lighters). My biggest problem has been boredom.

I was smoking ultralights for 10 years, so that may have something to do with it. But I’d feel really stupid if I’d been feeding a dangerous non-addiction for 10 years just because I was too bored to stop…

jayjay

19

Lesson One: When they say to “vary your routine to cut down on cravings”, they mean be smart about it.

I eat like most single city-dwellers, picking up whatever Chinese/pizza/burger/salad happens to appeal to me at the time. But because I’m now a big-shot ex-smoker, I decided that for taking the big step I had earned a reward. A nice, big, expensive steak dinner. Escargot, filet mignon, carmelized onions, a nice cabernet, the works.

But of course, when do you want a cigarette most? I got a craving so strong that I almost cried.

Lesson Two: When you are on edge and angry from nicotine withdrawel, a) alcohol is bad, and b) a biker bar is a very bad place to be.

So after recovering from my little crisis, I went to go meet some friends. First off, without cigarettes disguising your tastebuds, Budweiser is nasty! How the hell did I ever drink that stuff? Second, Edgy and with alcohol-induced lowered inhibitions is no way to be in a biker bar. Somehow, I managed not to throw the punch which would have made me a permanent ex-smoker. But man, did I ever want to. When I got back home, I did. I can pretty much kiss my security deposit goodbye. The sheetrock guys will be by on Monday.

But you know what? I did it. I did it yesterday, and I’m gonna do it today. And tomorrow. I’ll deal with Monday when it comes.

Let’s go, all! We’re kicking this thing. And when we’ve made it one year, we’ll use some of the saved money to throw the biggest doperfest in the history of the internet. Sturgis will envy the numbers of dopers we will fly in. Police departments will have to over-staff to handle us all. World GDP will go down and ignornance up while we’re removed from it.

All because we’re gonna kick this awful habit.

20

Manhattan, you’ve showed unbelievable control. This sucks big time. However, when I list the reasons for not smoking next to the reasons to smoke, I keep going.

As for Sturgis, I’m so there.