Im sure there is a hundred of threads regarding this matter but I fail to see how they would be useful to me/us right now.
Anyway, I've decided to quit smoking again. I had a break where I didn’t smoke for 3 weeks or so during Christmas when I stayed at my parents’ house so I know I can do it. But for some reason when I got back to my old environment I picked up the habit the first thing I did. Because of this I’m fairly confident I can quit since I know a lot of it is just a habit bound to certain routines. Despite of being aware of this I’ve, unsuccessfully, tried to stop smoking several time and I just can't seem to find the willpower to do it again.
Therefore I came up with the idea that I would quit smoking with someone or some people from TL so that we can motivate and give support to each other! I was thinking of maybe sharing messenger addresses and have a talk everyday for like a few mins about what was hard during the day, why you had that cigarette (if you did) etc. I really feel I need someone to fight alongside with and compete with this time to be able to stop this bad habit. If you’re interested PM me or just post in the thread. Also, I really want you to be determined to stop since I know that if you utterly fail; I most likely will as well! =)
On February 28 2010 16:47 lokiM wrote: good luck bro! thankfully im not addicted, i only smoke when im schwasted which is right now
That's one of the worst parts with giving up smoking. When you're out drinking everyone has a lit cigarette which makes it almost impossible to resist having just "one" cigarette "only" that night.. =)
I intend to give up drinking for a month or so while quittin since I know it's going to be impossible otherwise!
On February 28 2010 16:55 MrHoon wrote: oh god not this thread
Why this reaction? I havnt seen a thread like this for the past two months. I remember there was one in january that was related to new year convictions. And really, if youre not interested you dont need to read the thread. I think the topic is clear enough for you to understand what the thread is about without you having to read it.
On February 28 2010 17:05 Carnac wrote: I'm so happy I never picked up smoking
Me too. I was subjected to way too much second hand smoke as a kid, and in this day and age, I don't understand how possibly could even start smoking. I realize it was different back when not a lot was known about the health risks, but to pick it up now is just... :S
Good luck to those who are trying to quit; it's not easy, and you all have my moral support.
On February 28 2010 16:55 MrHoon wrote: oh god not this thread
Why this reaction? I havnt seen a thread like this for the past two months. I remember there was one in january that was related to new year convictions. And really, if youre not interested you dont need to read the thread. I think the topic is clear enough for you to understand what the thread is about without you having to read it.
smoking doesnt just shorten your life, it makes your remaining years shitty too. if you like breathing in poison thats fine with me, just dont breathe it back out and fuck with everyone else's health too
On February 28 2010 17:13 s_side wrote: Not trying to be the angel of death, but we all have to go sometime.
I'd rather go out doing what I like than shitting in a bag.
I actually feel like it hinders me more than it helps me. I hate going around stinking of cigarettes, be winded after I have a cigarette etc. Potentially cigarettes will only make you shit in the bag sooner than you would have otherwise so I'm not sure what you’re trying to say.
On February 28 2010 16:55 MrHoon wrote: oh god not this thread
Why this reaction? I havnt seen a thread like this for the past two months. I remember there was one in january that was related to new year convictions. And really, if youre not interested you dont need to read the thread. I think the topic is clear enough for you to understand what the thread is about without you having to read it.
On February 28 2010 16:55 MrHoon wrote: oh god not this thread
Why this reaction? I havnt seen a thread like this for the past two months. I remember there was one in january that was related to new year convictions. And really, if youre not interested you dont need to read the thread. I think the topic is clear enough for you to understand what the thread is about without you having to read it.
i will never understand why anyone smokes. the financial investment alone is mindblowingly dumb. aside from all the even more massive health issues. ridiculous =/ then again, i dont really understand the attraction to if even if they were free and healthy. dangit.
I'm not gonna lie, I've been tempted many times to try smoking. I see smokers everyday since at school there is a smoking area where A LOT of students would go after class to have a quick smoke for 10 minutes before the next class. The bad part is that it's a huge cloud of smoke (exaggeration) since when you walk down the path, you smell nothing but smoke. I dunno whose idea was to make the smokers section between the campus and parking lots...
On February 28 2010 18:36 SUSUGAM wrote: i will never understand why anyone smokes. the financial investment alone is mindblowingly dumb. aside from all the even more massive health issues. ridiculous =/ then again, i dont really understand the attraction to if even if they were free and healthy. dangit.
ppl dont' understand why they do certain things, that is life
On February 28 2010 18:36 SUSUGAM wrote: i will never understand why anyone smokes. the financial investment alone is mindblowingly dumb. aside from all the even more massive health issues. ridiculous =/ then again, i dont really understand the attraction to if even if they were free and healthy. dangit.
Have you ever been a smoker?
Well then you probably wouldn't understand why people who are smokers stay smokers. Don't be so judgmental when you don't have reasonable grounds to judge. It's particularly funny that you pose your argument as the product of rationality when your experience regarding the subject is so limited in the most instrumental of regards.
EDIT: @ OP: Good luck. I would suggest you try not to drink if smoking while drinking is a problem, at least for a little while. You should also certainly tell your friends not to give you smokes. If you have to buy them and can't get them during the social encounters where smoking is rampant you will find yourself much more accountable for your actions.
Even if one attempt is a failure, that doesn't automatically mean you're stuck. I need to do some searching but I recall a study finding that among ex-smokers, the average number of times they tried to quit before they finally kicked the habit for good was between 3 or 4.
I smoked for 5 years a pack and a half a day, and quit about a year ago with no artificial help(nicotine patches etc..). In my experience the only way to do it is to prepare yourself mentally for the worst case scenario -> that you're going to suffer and be uncomfortable for an indefinite amount of time, and embrace it. I didn't change any of my habits( drinking, going out, coffee) and was miserable for about a month and then it got easier. I imagined it like some guy torturing me everyday nonstop and me telling him over and over:"Well if thats the best you can do, you can go fuck yourself lol". Anyway just to be clear, the desire never really goes away, you can be fine for 2 months and then you're out having fun and you get the urge again, I personally deal with it with cigarillos(you dont inhale and it's 100% tobacco) which I find is a good method because they're prety much disgusting, you smoke one and you don't think about smoking for awhile lol.
I wouldn't mind quitting, but... Honestly, cancer feels so farfetched that it doesn't scare me enough to make me quit. The cost doesn't hurt me, and it tastes AWESOME. The only time I managed to get the strength to quit was when my GF asked me to. Picked it up again when we broke up.
Good luck to you who are fighting it though. I know the pain.
I will join you, but i'm not on messanger a lot. In fact, when im on my computer i'm either on TL or youtube. (I am in university and only have a shitty mac so no SC). I will post my status here everyday though. I'll let you know how i'm doing and maybe we can make progress =)
My problem is that i'm addicted and i'm trying to fulfill my major requirements in my last few years here so i gotta push 5+ classes per quarter. I also have a GF. Most the time i smoke is in between study breaks, after sex and while drinking. Other than i probably smoke 1-2 times a day just randomly, sometimes our of boredom between classes or waiting for the bus.
Any tips on how to quit in those high desire moments?
i was a smoker for 6 years and have been nicotine free for almost 2 years (1yr 11 months to be exact). it started out as curiosity where i would have a few cigs here and there from time to time. before i knew it i went from a few cigs a day to almost 2 packs.
back then i used to think gradually reducing the number of cigs would eventually help me quit but it never worked for me. i would have less than a pack one day and then over 2 packs the next day. cold turkey is the way to go if you're really serious about quitting.
all you really need is will power. putting something in your mouth may help (i used to chew a ton of gum when i first went cold turkey). from my experience the cravings only lasted about 3 weeks. after that it's plain sailing.
On February 28 2010 19:52 Myrkul wrote: I smoked for 5 years a pack and a half a day, and quit about a year ago with no artificial help(nicotine patches etc..). In my experience the only way to do it is to prepare yourself mentally for the worst case scenario -> that you're going to suffer and be uncomfortable for an indefinite amount of time, and embrace it. I didn't change any of my habits( drinking, going out, coffee) and was miserable for about a month and then it got easier. I imagined it like some guy torturing me everyday nonstop and me telling him over and over:"Well if thats the best you can do, you can go fuck yourself lol". Anyway just to be clear, the desire never really goes away, you can be fine for 2 months and then you're out having fun and you get the urge again, I personally deal with it with cigarillos(you dont inhale and it's 100% tobacco) which I find is a good method because they're prety much disgusting, you smoke one and you don't think about smoking for awhile lol.
A friend of mine recently quit by reading Allen Carr's book. Curiosity lead me to read some pages from it and I though it won't help anybody as it doesn't seems special (for someone that never smoked). But my friend told me that after him several (>5) of his friends and relatives quit upon reading it. Also I saw some celebs said they quit using this book so you might give it a try.
Good luck.
ps. If you visit the website check Aston Kutcher testimonial as it's really funny.
On February 28 2010 20:33 unknown.sam wrote: i was a smoker for 6 years and have been nicotine free for almost 2 years (1yr 11 months to be exact). it started out as curiosity where i would have a few cigs here and there from time to time. before i knew it i went from a few cigs a day to almost 2 packs.
back then i used to think gradually reducing the number of cigs would eventually help me quit but it never worked for me. i would have less than a pack one day and then over 2 packs the next day. cold turkey is the way to go if you're really serious about quitting.
all you really need is will power. putting something in your mouth may help (i used to chew a ton of gum when i first went cold turkey). from my experience the cravings only lasted about 3 weeks. after that it's plain sailing.
Actually i've heard plenty of success stories from the gradual reduction way. But its all relative. Also, only 3% of smokes who try to quit from free will actually make it per year.
I hope that doesn't discourage anyone. Just see it as a kind of motivation to BE that 3%.
"Addicted to inhaling large amounts of smoke by putting a paper stick on fire" ... weak. Good luck to you smokers though! I hope you quit soon, because smoking is just stupid.
On February 28 2010 20:32 dangots0ul wrote: Hello Robinsa,
I will join you, but i'm not on messanger a lot. In fact, when im on my computer i'm either on TL or youtube. (I am in university and only have a shitty mac so no SC). I will post my status here everyday though. I'll let you know how i'm doing and maybe we can make progress =)
My problem is that i'm addicted and i'm trying to fulfill my major requirements in my last few years here so i gotta push 5+ classes per quarter. I also have a GF. Most the time i smoke is in between study breaks, after sex and while drinking. Other than i probably smoke 1-2 times a day just randomly, sometimes our of boredom between classes or waiting for the bus.
Any tips on how to quit in those high desire moments?
BTW, i've smoked 6 cigarrettes today.
Sounds great!!
I had 14 cigarettes today. Tomorrow is the day Im gonna make it happen. I'm gonna rise up 6:40 and run for 30 mins. Been doing that every other day since I tried to quit smoking 2 weeks ago or so. It usually helps to encourage me from not smoking that day or atleast not until late afternoon. Unfortunately Im gonna help a friend with schoolwork tomrrow and I seriously wonder how that will work out considering that I always smoke when I'm at a cafe and I always have the worst abstinence during the evening. This "lesson" is, of course, going to take place at a cafe in the evening.. good thing she doesn't smoke though! I've decided not to go to certain places that are likely to make me smoke. That include going ouside during the break, going to the regular cafe where I smoke a few cigarettes every day or having a drink/beer. No one else up for the challange!?
I'll report in tomorrow with a good result anyway I hope. We proboably should find someother place to report on in order not to spam the forum all to much.
....oh yeah, I also threw my last half empty pack of cigarettes on my way home today.
On February 28 2010 20:32 dangots0ul wrote: Hello Robinsa,
I will join you, but i'm not on messanger a lot. In fact, when im on my computer i'm either on TL or youtube. (I am in university and only have a shitty mac so no SC). I will post my status here everyday though. I'll let you know how i'm doing and maybe we can make progress =)
My problem is that i'm addicted and i'm trying to fulfill my major requirements in my last few years here so i gotta push 5+ classes per quarter. I also have a GF. Most the time i smoke is in between study breaks, after sex and while drinking. Other than i probably smoke 1-2 times a day just randomly, sometimes our of boredom between classes or waiting for the bus.
Any tips on how to quit in those high desire moments?
BTW, i've smoked 6 cigarrettes today.
Sounds great!!
I had 14 cigarettes today. Tomorrow is the day Im gonna make it happen. I'm gonna rise up 6:40 and run for 30 mins. Been doing that every other day since I tried to quit smoking 2 weeks ago or so. It usually helps to encourage me from not smoking that day or atleast not until late afternoon. Unfortunately Im gonna help a friend with schoolwork tomrrow and I seriously wonder how that will work out considering that I always smoke when I'm at a cafe and I always have the worst abstinence during the evening. This "lesson" is, of course, going to take place at a cafe in the evening.. good thing she doesn't smoke though! I've decided not to go to certain places that are likely to make me smoke. That include going ouside during the break, going to the regular cafe where I smoke a few cigarettes every day or having a drink/beer. No one else up for the challange!?
I'll report in tomorrow with a good result anyway I hope. We proboably should find someother place to report on in order not to spam the forum all to much.
....oh yeah, I also threw my last half empty pack of cigarettes on my way home today.
The electronic cigs worked for me after trying to quit so many times and finding it impossible.
Plenty of nicotine and no known cancer causing substances are in the juice I use. I 90% of the time I use a plug in model that plugs into the wall or computer but also have rechargeable travel ones for going out.
Yep, still addicted to nicotine but its better for my health.
I don't smoke but this anti smoking religion around nowdays gets on my nerves. If the smokers all stopped smoking taxes would have to go up to pay for the shortfall. Don;t give me that crap that smokers cost the system more than is gained from taxes , they die earlier so they claim less social security.
smokers rights are being restricted year by year. its all bullshit and propaganda. i had a lady with a child i was standing 20 feet from ask me to smoke somewhere else. when my friend was in the hospital, i was standing outside and some guy told me to move because his pregnant wife was walking through. its like because i have a cig in my hand im less of a human being. recently my college has banned smoking. i cant smoke in parks or beaches.
what the fuck?
the 'rational' reason behind smoking is that it feels good and is social. it allows you to take a break from what you are doing and relax for a bit. especially when you are drinking or doing whatever, cigs are good.
another note: i buy my cigs from costco. their alcohol section is just any perfectly normal aisle in the store. to buy cigs, I HAVE TO GO BEHIND A CAGE WITH A LATCH. shit is so backwards.
Im in to join you guys, as of late ive cut back alot down to 2-3 a normal day, when i drink its around 5-6. The first time i tried to quit i was at a pack a day, so ive made progress and im sure i can finish the job. the encouragement always helps
so far ive had zero today, but i just woke up so that hasn't been terribly hard
On March 01 2010 00:33 esla_sol wrote: smokers rights are being restricted year by year. its all bullshit and propaganda. i had a lady with a child i was standing 20 feet from ask me to smoke somewhere else. when my friend was in the hospital, i was standing outside and some guy told me to move because his pregnant wife was walking through. its like because i have a cig in my hand im less of a human being. recently my college has banned smoking. i cant smoke in parks or beaches.
what the fuck?
the 'rational' reason behind smoking is that it feels good and is social. it allows you to take a break from what you are doing and relax for a bit. especially when you are drinking or doing whatever, cigs are good.
another note: i buy my cigs from costco. their alcohol section is just any perfectly normal aisle in the store. to buy cigs, I HAVE TO GO BEHIND A CAGE WITH A LATCH. shit is so backwards.
The reason they're being restricted is the proven health side effects. Smoking used to be a major part of socializing before everyone found out about all the problems it causes people. Yes, people who smoke are discriminated against by a lot of people. To me, that just adds yet ANOTHER negative side-effect. In my opinion, there is no good reason to pick it up in the first place except to "try it".
It has a HUGE list of negatives for ONE "positive" (is addiction ever really a positive?) People think you smell, tons of people discriminate against you, no one is going to DISLIKE you for not smoking (even people you smoke with most likely won't care if you stop as long as you stay social) you get an addiction and therefore a crutch--something holding you back from your full potential, people will harass you to quit, you decrease your lung capacity (potentially), cause yourself heart problems and probably more. All for a "feel-good" effect that's triggered by an addiction to an unhealthy substance.
Now, to help people who want to quit, since it IS really habit-forming. Just tell all your friends you're seriously trying to quit, and spend your normal cig money on something else so you can't buy them if you want to. Also, a friend of mine I helped quit gave me permission to slap the cig out of his hand if he was smoking. I smacked down 4-5 cigs and bam he quit. (might have taken it back up later though, stopped talking to him awhile a go) So if you like that idea that's one way to go about it. The majority of the addiction is just habit and like anything else habits can be broken. This is just a hard one to break.
any long term smokers here that kicked the habit once and for all? i've received a lot of advice but they always revolve around things that seem strange and hard to integrate into everyday life (write a list of goals, quit dates, chanting mantras etc).
a pack costs around $10USD here. it's depressing to be fully aware of all the risks, live with the stigma, watch the account balance ebb away, and then loath yourself for having zero self-discipline.
Have you tried a nicotine patch, gum, or Chantix? All are great quit smoking aids. In my job I see patients every day who are living miserable lives because of smoking. Living with COPD, Emphysema, chronic bronchitis, cancer and many other smoking related diseases is torture. Having to consciously think and struggle to take every breath in and out.
On February 28 2010 17:16 JohnColtrane wrote: smoking doesnt just shorten your life, it makes your remaining years shitty too. if you like breathing in poison thats fine with me, just dont breathe it back out and fuck with everyone else's health too
I just can't understand how people smoke a pack or + in a day....I mean hey, I've been smoking for about 3 years now, but i've never had a pack last less than 4 days...O.o
Also am I the only person in the smoker world that simply CAN'T finish a cig in one sitting? One ciggy normally lasts about 3 or so smokes over the span of 2 hours or so....maybe I'm just weird.
But honestly, I'm only smoking cigs right now to cover for my green smokage xD
Ive quite smoking many times in the past 14 years for longer periods but also started many times. Most attempts were cold turkey and once or twice with gum. Then after a couple months i started again with the excuse i wasn´t addicted anymore so i could smoke a couple in the club or whatever lame excuse i came up with.
My most recent attempt has been with the Alan Carr mini book (i believe its this one http://www.amazon.com/Little-Book-Quitting-Allen-Carr/dp/1402731329/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_c i picked it up somewhere for $1,- ) , 200 pages of one liners that I read in a couple hours. The transistion in my mind was unbelievable, when I started the book my mindset was more or less like: " i should quit smoking cause they say smoking is bad and stuff, but i love it". After i read that little book there was no doubt in my mind that i would never smoke again. It doesn't contain any new facts or surprising data, but for me it was an eye-opener of wtf i was doing and how i was lieing to myself to smoke.
This was 6 months ago and has been the easiest quiting attempt by far, I had very little mind-fights with myself and when i had them i was able to stop it quickly.
I never smoked, but i think smokers must be thanked since without them the social structure would go to hell since they pay a lot of taxes and they do not use their rent ( since they die earlier ) .
I feel with you man. I quit smoking ~ 5years ago and it was pretty hard. I quit from one day to the next after being adicted for ~7 years... But hey, it is possible and you can make it!
I need to join this, except for me it's weed. Been coughing and having a cold for way too long, need to give it up or wait til weekends to smoke and only weekends.
On March 01 2010 05:38 LingKing wrote: I need to join this, except for me it's weed. Been coughing and having a cold for way too long, need to give it up or wait til weekends to smoke and only weekends.
Just means you need to start smoking good weed. Less quantity -> better lungs.
Anyway, I've decided to quit smoking again. I had a break where I didn’t smoke for 3 weeks or so during Christmas when I stayed at my parents’ house so I know I can do it. But for some reason when I got back to my old environment I picked up the habit the first thing I did. Because of this I’m fairly confident I can quit since I know a lot of it is just a habit bound to certain routines. Despite of being aware of this I’ve, unsuccessfully, tried to stop smoking several time and I just can't seem to find the willpower to do it again.
*snip*
This is a common psychological response. After some period of smoke-free existence at a novel environment you no longer experience withdrawal symptoms or feel a craving to smoke. However, when you return to your own home, you are once again surrounded by many cues that are associated with smoking. These cues elicit compensatory drug reactions which feel like withdrawal symptoms and elicit a strongly felt need for nicotine.
To combat this urge to return, many drug treatment programs attempt to extinguish the effects of conditioning by repeatedly presenting addicts with stimuli associated with drug intake without the drug itself.
Your best hope to eliminate smoking all together(while unrealistic) would be to move out of your current environment. Examples of this lie in some Vietnam War veterans getting addicted to heroin in Vietnam, and upon returning home the majority overcame their addicting and stopped all together.
Good luck with quitting guys I don't smoke because my father did since he was 13. Not only did he stink of smoke, but after he'd gone to the bathroom it smelled so bad in there (of smoke once more.) that we couldn't go inside ourselves for at least half an hour afterwards.
Protip: Most non-smoking girls don't like guys whose poop smells of smoke
I hate hypocrites who try to stop smoking with the help of others. If you really want to do it don't be so half-assed with your attitude because you'll start again.
If you are a smoker, stand up for yourself instead of being all like... 'oh maybe I should quit... I don't want cancer uuuuu~' whenever someone confronts you with your habits.
weed smokers get out...you are hurting these people trying to stop. fuck off. ======================================================== combusting anything and inhaling it is obviously bad for you. and yes weed does cause memory loss, lowers libido, and fucks with your psychological state. i consider myself a strong-minded individual and it didn't show on the outside but you definitely feel it. it definitely causes a shift in hormones. you can smoke just don't take away from these individuals attempting to quit CIGARETTES by suggesting weed or saying how amazing it is. you all are indirectly or directly assholes.
nicotine isn't fair in so many ways. it's physically addictive so quickly on and usually when people start they aren't fully matured mentally to know why it is bad. yeah most get lucky and don't start but most are never truly explained the bad effects at that age. "IT'S BAD FOR YOUUUU" but intelligent young people ask why and dumbass cops or teachers really dont know why and just say "IT HAZ BAD STUFFZ IN IT" and "IT'S ADDICTIVE" but again curious young individuals know that a lot of things are addictive and they dont know how powerfully addictive it is. i wish all adults would just explain and talk and say "it contains a molecules that create a heavyyyy physical addiction just after a few times... you'll waste a ton of money, develop an unattractive & harsh voice, significantly increase your risk of cancer, probably not live as long and all these things will lead to a worse life. you will get high for a short period of time in the beginning, but after the first few times you will not get a (significant-but it would not be wise to say this word just saying it so you idiots dont call me out on it) buzz so even for the pleasure it's pointless.
i hope you guys can quit it. i know it must be hard. there are many ways about doing it but the easiest way is with others. change your lifestyle drastically and DO NOT party or go into situations where others smoke regularly. you may need to change your routes to class or work. you may need to tell your friends to go outside (in the cold) to smoke. just dont give up.
you may not be able to go cold turkey. you may have to ween yourself off but keep a strict log or something tangible. write something down. but do it every single time you smoke. no tallys. 1 2 3 4 5 6. take a cigarette off a day. or one off every other day. whatever you need to do. nicorette wont help. it is nicotine without the combustion. the weening and routine associated with it is what does it.
On March 01 2010 10:28 Shauni wrote: I hate hypocrites who try to stop smoking with the help of others. If you really want to do it don't be so half-assed with your attitude because you'll start again.
If you are a smoker, stand up for yourself instead of being all like... 'oh maybe I should quit... I don't want cancer uuuuu~' whenever someone confronts you with your habits.
Guess you have yet to experience the fact that people ARE different. Not all of us are egomaniacs that think we know everything by ourselves so we rely on eachother for support. I suggest you stop telling people how they function because surely they know that better themselves. Hypocrite.
If youre convinced that you dont wanna stop smoking (I take it you do) I fully repect that but at least respect my/our decision to stop smoking. Of course, I dont want cancer but its only a part of the reason why I want to stop. I would say that I simply do this because it does me way more bad than good. I'd love to be able to run further, study without having a cigg and lose motviation, not having to worry about the disgusting smell everytime I meet people etc. These are things I trade away to soothe a need I shouldn't even have in the first place. I've come to the conclusion that it's a pretty bad deal.
Edit: I havn't had a cigarette since yesterday around 18.00 and counting!
On March 01 2010 11:42 Spo0ky wrote: weed smokers get out...you are hurting these people trying to stop. fuck off. ======================================================== and yes weed does cause memory loss, lowers libido, and fucks with your psychological state.
No it doesn't. I don't appreciate lying.
Short term memory loss when being high, yes. But there is no evidence it permanently destroys your ability to retain information.
About libido, nope. I get hornier than hell when high, so do multiple friends of mine.
Yeah, sure fucks up your psychological state alright, I went from suicidal depression to having a great life. God, marijuana is so terrible I wish I was poor, unhappy, and friendless again.
"weed smokers get out...you are hurting these people trying to stop. fuck off."
I disagree, smoking marijuana is far healthier, and makes sense (it actually does something.) Plus, you can vaporize marijuana reducing the combustion by 98 - 99%.
I wish all these people can quit, my father person is currently trying to quit, and my mother quit by smoking pot. So, um... yeah.
On March 01 2010 09:28 EsX_Raptor wrote: Kinda off topic but I'm always told that weed is somewhat more safer/healthier than regular cigarettes??
The smoke is a lot healthier. No nicotine, no radiation, no random poison additives, etc. No cancer either, that's an important one.
wrong, the cancer is still there. jsut the act of putting smoke in your lungs increase chances dramatically. although its less the cigs, weed is still a carcinogenic.
On March 01 2010 11:42 Spo0ky wrote: weed smokers get out...you are hurting these people trying to stop. fuck off. ======================================================== and yes weed does cause memory loss, lowers libido, and fucks with your psychological state.
No it doesn't. I don't appreciate lying.
Short term memory loss when being high, yes. But there is no evidence it permanently destroys your ability to retain information.
About libido, nope. I get hornier than hell when high, so do multiple friends of mine.
Yeah, sure fucks up your psychological state alright, I went from suicidal depression to having a great life. God, marijuana is so terrible I wish I was poor, unhappy, and friendless again.
"weed smokers get out...you are hurting these people trying to stop. fuck off."
I disagree, smoking marijuana is far healthier, and makes sense (it actually does something.) Plus, you can vaporize marijuana reducing the combustion by 98 - 99%.
I wish all these people can quit, my father person is currently trying to quit, and my mother quit by smoking pot. So, um... yeah.
I can only speak for myself but I wanna QUIT smoking, not replace it with something else. I don't see how I would be able to continue my life smoking pot 14 times a day for that matter either if I were to replace it.. ^^
On February 28 2010 18:36 SUSUGAM wrote: i will never understand why anyone smokes. the financial investment alone is mindblowingly dumb. aside from all the even more massive health issues. ridiculous =/ then again, i dont really understand the attraction to if even if they were free and healthy. dangit.
Have you ever been a smoker?
Well then you probably wouldn't understand why people who are smokers stay smokers. Don't be so judgmental when you don't have reasonable grounds to judge. It's particularly funny that you pose your argument as the product of rationality when your experience regarding the subject is so limited in the most instrumental of regards.
EDIT: @ OP: Good luck. I would suggest you try not to drink if smoking while drinking is a problem, at least for a little while. You should also certainly tell your friends not to give you smokes. If you have to buy them and can't get them during the social encounters where smoking is rampant you will find yourself much more accountable for your actions.
lol. i definitely have reasonable grounds to judge. common sense is common sense. QQ pal. it doesn't justify your retarded addiction. if you were dumb enough to 'try it,' that's more than enough to judge your fortitude/intelligence. my first two points in my original post are just as valid, having never smoked. the third was merely personal commentary, and wasn't some concrete claim or judgement.
On March 01 2010 11:42 Spo0ky wrote: weed smokers get out...you are hurting these people trying to stop. fuck off. ======================================================== and yes weed does cause memory loss, lowers libido, and fucks with your psychological state.
No it doesn't. I don't appreciate lying.
Short term memory loss when being high, yes. But there is no evidence it permanently destroys your ability to retain information.
About libido, nope. I get hornier than hell when high, so do multiple friends of mine.
Yeah, sure fucks up your psychological state alright, I went from suicidal depression to having a great life. God, marijuana is so terrible I wish I was poor, unhappy, and friendless again.
"weed smokers get out...you are hurting these people trying to stop. fuck off."
I disagree, smoking marijuana is far healthier, and makes sense (it actually does something.) Plus, you can vaporize marijuana reducing the combustion by 98 - 99%.
I wish all these people can quit, my father person is currently trying to quit, and my mother quit by smoking pot. So, um... yeah.
I can only speak for myself but I wanna QUIT smoking, not replace it with something else. I don't see how I would be able to continue my life smoking pot 14 times a day for that matter either if I were to replace it.. ^^
I don't suggest it as an alternative or an idea, I simply know it worked for my mother. I suggest trying your best, thats all I can really say.
you know they give pot to cancer patients. and its proven that weed has things that help prevent cancer? am i right? and you wont beable to smoke pot 14 times a day.. 2-3 depends on person i maybe do 1 bowl every two days.
On March 01 2010 14:30 CaucasianAsian wrote: fuck i want to quit, but i just bought a carton.
Why dont you just throw it then? I can personally only avoid to smoke during the day if I don't have ANY cigarette in the morning. If you don't think you can stop tonight take like 1 or2 cigarettes out of the box and throw the rest and then start with us tomorrow!?
i successfully quit shortly after i learned that smoking decreases your overall mental speed, aside from the small boost you get shortly after smoking. lasts that way 1-2 months after quitting. so if you feel you have some excess brain power and want to bring it down to a more humble level then smoking is the answer for you.
smoked 1 today, about to smoke the other one before bed. I smoke on average, 10 a day. But have been looking to quit these last few weeks after I got a bad cold and just couldnt smoke for a few days. Had 2 days without smoking this weekend.. pretty sure I can quit if I can do this sporadically~~ gogo me! Gonna try these next 3-4 days no smoke see how it goes.s..
Only smoked 3 today. I can't say this is a great accomplishment. I resisted a few times, but my GF was over this weekend and i didn't want to be all moody and shit. Tomorrow or today, since its 1208 PST i'm going hardcore
I've quit after 2 years of smoking and I haven't touched a cigarette nor had any temptation to do so for over a year.
Although I'm constantly around ppl that smoke. And I didn't even quit because of my health or anything, 'cause I couldn't care less about that, but I just felt stupid that there was sth else controlling me other than myself. I've also quit drinking and smoking weed because of that.
It's really just about the mindset and determination. If you want to stop, you can, you just have to remind you that you want to stop and that you're the one that's controlling what you do/think/feel etc.
What your "opponent" is, are thoughts that make you change your opinion about the Goal to quit smoking, like: - "Well, It's not THAT important to quit smoking" OR - "I never really wanted to quit anyways"
Also, you could maybe convince yourself, that not smoking interferes with another Goal: - "I need to smoke because otherwise I can't concentrate and fail at my job" OR - "If I don't smoke, I can't go out with my friends anymore because they all smoke and I can't quit when everybody else smokes.... ikki ikki wääh wääh."
Sometimes you think you just HAVE TO SMOKE, but that's not the case - just do sth else and you'll notice that after a while, you're not thinking those things that much anymore, until you don't think about it at all.
Another important thing is, that you set specific goals, that you make plans for different scenarios that could be a problem etc. For example: - You know that your friends will be smoking and that this will tempt you to smoke as well. So, what are you gonna do in those Situations? Will you avoid them (not a good thing IMO, because sooner or later, you'll be confronted with sm1 that smokes near you) or will you distract yourself from the need to smoke with engaging in a interesting conversation or chewing a gum or sth like that.
It's mostly about breaking the habit and learning that in Situations you used to smoke, you don't have to smoke anymore. This is maybe the hardest part but just a matter of time and determination.
But I think, if sm1 wants to stop, he can, without nikotin-gum, some sort of bogus-hypnotherapy or avoiding any sort of temptation.
For me as a Psychology-Student, it mostly was about the experience. I didn't succomb the the feelings and thoughts of having to smoke a cigarette, because I knew that this stuff would happen and that there are strategies to deal with that, so I kinda looked at it from a distance, like an explorer that watches a devious wizard trying to make sm1 else do sth with cheap tricks. It really sometimes was amusing to see what "addiction" had in store for me next, to keep me smoking. ^^'
Oh and another thing: Forget about 12-stepping or anything. Every motivation-group that pretty much starts with saying: "admit that you don't have control over yourself" is extremely dangerous. Thats sth that is called "learned self-helplessness" in psychology and it leads to a very low success-rate in getting rid of the addiction and also it just replaces one addiction (drinking) with another addiction (going to these meetings for help, because you've learned in those meeting, that you're helpless if you try it alone).
So to conclude: Quitting smoking is all about YOU and YOU ALONE! I don't say you can't get advice from someone else or sth, but:
YOU ARE NOT DEPENDING ON OTHER PEOPLE OR OTHER DRUGS TO QUIT SMOKING!
On March 01 2010 17:55 kickinhead wrote: I've quit after 2 years of smoking and I haven't touched a cigarette nor had any temptation to do so for over a year.
Although I'm constantly around ppl that smoke. And I didn't even quit because of my health or anything, 'cause I couldn't care less about that, but I just felt stupid that there was sth else controlling me other than myself. I've also quit drinking and smoking weed because of that.
It's really just about the mindset and determination. If you want to stop, you can, you just have to remind you that you want to stop and that you're the one that's controlling what you do/think/feel etc.
What your "opponent" is, are thoughts that make you change your opinion about the Goal to quit smoking, like: - "Well, It's not THAT important to quit smoking" OR - "I never really wanted to quit anyways"
Also, you could maybe convince yourself, that not smoking interferes with another Goal: - "I need to smoke because otherwise I can't concentrate and fail at my job" OR - "If I don't smoke, I can't go out with my friends anymore because they all smoke and I can't quit when everybody else smokes.... ikki ikki wääh wääh."
Sometimes you think you just HAVE TO SMOKE, but that's not the case - just do sth else and you'll notice that after a while, you're not thinking those things that much anymore, until you don't think about it at all.
Another important thing is, that you set specific goals, that you make plans for different scenarios that could be a problem etc. For example: - You know that your friends will be smoking and that this will tempt you to smoke as well. So, what are you gonna do in those Situations? Will you avoid them (not a good thing IMO, because sooner or later, you'll be confronted with sm1 that smokes near you) or will you distract yourself from the need to smoke with engaging in a interesting conversation or chewing a gum or sth like that.
It's mostly about breaking the habit and learning that in Situations you used to smoke, you don't have to smoke anymore. This is maybe the hardest part but just a matter of time and determination.
But I think, if sm1 wants to stop, he can, without nikotin-gum, some sort of bogus-hypnotherapy or avoiding any sort of temptation.
For me as a Psychology-Student, it mostly was about the experience. I didn't succomb the the feelings and thoughts of having to smoke a cigarette, because I knew that this stuff would happen and that there are strategies to deal with that, so I kinda looked at it from a distance, like an explorer that watches a devious wizard trying to make sm1 else do sth with cheap tricks. It really sometimes was amusing to see what "addiction" had in store for me next, to keep me smoking. ^^'
Oh and another thing: Forget about 12-stepping or anything. Every motivation-group that pretty much starts with saying: "admit that you don't have control over yourself" is extremely dangerous. Thats sth that is called "learned self-helplessness" in psychology and it leads to a very low success-rate in getting rid of the addiction and also it just replaces one addiction (drinking) with another addiction (going to these meetings for help, because you've learned in those meeting, that you're helpless if you try it alone).
So to conclude: Quitting smoking is all about YOU and YOU ALONE! I don't say you can't get advice from someone else or sth, but:
YOU ARE NOT DEPENDING ON OTHER PEOPLE OR OTHER DRUGS TO QUIT SMOKING!
I tried snus once when I was drunk. It tasted pretty good and I felt "cool". However the day after I wanted more and the inside of my lip was burning (where you put the snus).
I wouldn't say I got addicted, but I liked it and wanted more and that's bad enough.
I was able to stop smoking when I lived in Japan by putting a pack on a small table in the corner where I set up my futon every night. I had smoked (chain-smoking at times) for about 8 years. By putting it so close to me, I made it an issue of willpower. It was always there and I had to see it and remind myself that I wasn't doing this anymore. I did this when I was with company, when my wife was nearby, and when I was alone. Those were the hardest times to resist. In the end, by being able to resist and not smoke, when it would be so easy... when it was subtly in my face all the time, I became able to resist anytime anywhere.
I'm writing all this here because I'm hoping to inspire by example, and suggest a successful strategy.
in a fraternity at UMASS with a lot of smokers.. so you can imagine how hard it is for me.. question before i start quitting.. is it ok to smoke pot? x_X
if not imma break the rules RIGHT NOW. wake and bake is my fav.
Ever once in a while I have this crazy dream that I'm chain smoking and the rush of hot air is warming my chest comfortably. Which is weird 'cause I've never smoked a cigarette in my life.
It's okay, smokers can die from cancer, but I'll die six years before any of them because I'm certain my arteries are clogged anyway.
Ok, I failed and had 2 cigarettes today. I had them in right after eachother so it was in one sitting so to speak. I've conciously avoided every trap possible today not to smoke and it worked until around 17.00 when I accidentally ran into a friend standing in a smoking area. I don't think theres much more to add than that I'll have to do better tomorrow! ^^
Anyone thought of a good way to communicate yet? Maybe someone of us could create a blog so we that we don't bump this thread every day. I don't know how to make blogs so I have to entrust it to someone else! ^^
On March 01 2010 21:55 Truenappa wrote: I was able to stop smoking when I lived in Japan by putting a pack on a small table in the corner where I set up my futon every night. I had smoked (chain-smoking at times) for about 8 years. By putting it so close to me, I made it an issue of willpower. It was always there and I had to see it and remind myself that I wasn't doing this anymore. I did this when I was with company, when my wife was nearby, and when I was alone. Those were the hardest times to resist. In the end, by being able to resist and not smoke, when it would be so easy... when it was subtly in my face all the time, I became able to resist anytime anywhere.
I'm writing all this here because I'm hoping to inspire by example, and suggest a successful strategy.
I read this and the first thing that came to mind was: "OH, sounds great! Maybe I should go and buy a pack.. I guess it doesn't matter if I smoke one before I put it in the corner".... guess I'm not ready for that stuff yet !
On March 01 2010 22:24 Robinsa wrote: Ok, I failed and had 2 cigarettes today. I had them in right after eachother so it was in one sitting so to speak. I've conciously avoided every trap possible today not to smoke and it worked until around 17.00 when I accidentally ran into a friend standing in a smoking area. I don't think theres much more to add than that I'll have to do better tomorrow! ^^
Anyone thought of a good way to communicate yet? Maybe someone of us could create a blog so we that we don't bump this thread every day. I don't know how to make blogs so I have to entrust it to someone else! ^^
On March 01 2010 21:55 Truenappa wrote: I was able to stop smoking when I lived in Japan by putting a pack on a small table in the corner where I set up my futon every night. I had smoked (chain-smoking at times) for about 8 years. By putting it so close to me, I made it an issue of willpower. It was always there and I had to see it and remind myself that I wasn't doing this anymore. I did this when I was with company, when my wife was nearby, and when I was alone. Those were the hardest times to resist. In the end, by being able to resist and not smoke, when it would be so easy... when it was subtly in my face all the time, I became able to resist anytime anywhere.
I'm writing all this here because I'm hoping to inspire by example, and suggest a successful strategy.
I read this and the first thing that came to mind was: "OH, sounds great! Maybe I should go and buy a pack.. I guess it doesn't matter if I smoke one before I put it in the corner".... guess I'm not ready for that stuff yet !
If you're really serious about quitting you should instantly start using nicotine gums instead. They won't help you get rid of the nicotine addiction but they will stop the nasty biproducts that cigarettes contain from poisoning your body.
On February 28 2010 17:13 s_side wrote: Not trying to be the angel of death, but we all have to go sometime.
I'd rather go out doing what I like than shitting in a bag.
- agree
id rather die in the age of 50 by smoking than living a whole life of being fat.. Tobacco in general have given me allot more than what it have taken, the anti smoking have become senseless..
First post, sorry if the english was to bad
EDIT: Abuot being fat part, its more accepted then it should be, my face just twist if i see someone fat.. Dieting is not hard but still its so accepted and smoking is not z.z
On March 02 2010 00:49 StarBrift wrote: If you're really serious about quitting you should instantly start using nicotine gums instead. They won't help you get rid of the nicotine addiction but they will stop the nasty biproducts that cigarettes contain from poisoning your body.
tried that. i just got addicted to nicoderm AND cigarettes. epic fail.
On February 28 2010 17:13 s_side wrote: Not trying to be the angel of death, but we all have to go sometime.
I'd rather go out doing what I like than shitting in a bag.
- agree
id rather die in the age of 50 by smoking than living a whole life of being fat.. Tobacco in general have given me allot more than what it have taken, the anti smoking have become senseless..
First post, sorry if the english was to bad
EDIT: Abuot being fat part, its more accepted then it should be, my face just twist if i see someone fat.. Dieting is not hard but still its so accepted and smoking is not z.z
You'd have to be extremely fat for it to be as harmful as smoking cigarettes. Sure severly obese people have bodies that are severely damaged. One of my teachers who has been practising medicine for 20+ years told me that she once examined a 26 year old female who was both obese and a smoker and her liver was about as healthy as an 80 year olds.
The thing is that while obesity is harmful it doesn't affect others at all. Second hand smoking is a huge health risk and no smoker can deny that. If someone feels it's ok to poison their children or other people simply because they are uneducated or just don't care about it then that makes them a huge douchebag.
Smokers are not victims. You put yourself in this addiction and if you don't stop acting like a victim of something you can't control then you will never stop smoking.
Will someone please write a little summation of Alan Carr's stop smoking books. Like his general method or something about why his are better... different outlook to most? set plan? what?
Also that book of one liners you read liquid drone can you give some examples instead of just saying I read a bunch of stuff that completely changed my life but I absolutely refuse to repeat any of it here because that would just be too sensible.
Day 2 (today): It is 2:17pm, and I have not smoked yet. I have tried doing this before many times and the hardest day for me is day 3 and day 4. I hope I can just ultimately quit this time.
If you guys have msn and are doing this, PM me so we can be buddies and support each other through this. It may help to have a support team so we can encourage each other on our progress and how we are faring.
On March 01 2010 04:36 StarsPride wrote: smoke weed when u want to smoke a cig
ha my buddy and I did this and it worked at least for a couple weeks or so (at the time we smoked about a pack a day). It was hard to make it longer because of all the parties at the time >.<
right now, I know I could just quit right here and now for a long time, it's just the damn DRINKING.
On March 01 2010 05:38 LingKing wrote: I need to join this, except for me it's weed. Been coughing and having a cold for way too long, need to give it up or wait til weekends to smoke and only weekends.
Just means you need to start smoking good weed. Less quantity -> better lungs.
Haha well that's no problem; Purple, AK-47, Train Wreck, ... my friend picks up a pound directly so I always have good stuff available. I just can't keep up with him lol.
On March 01 2010 04:36 StarsPride wrote: smoke weed when u want to smoke a cig
ha my buddy and I did this and it worked at least for a couple weeks or so (at the time we smoked about a pack a day). It was hard to make it longer because of all the parties at the time >.<
right now, I know I could just quit right here and now for a long time, it's just the damn DRINKING.
I quit drinking 100%, I quit smoking EASY.
I quit drinking lots of times. Now a days I usually only go out to have a drink like once a month, but I've had periods when I drank several days a week for months. I've never considerd myself addicted to drinking and I've never had a problem to give it up. When it comes to cigarettes I get stressed out if I think about giving it up while I have one lit. Guess it just shows how different people are and what we're affected by.
On March 02 2010 07:13 Reason wrote: Will someone please write a little summation of Alan Carr's stop smoking books. Like his general method or something about why his are better... different outlook to most? set plan? what?
Also that book of one liners you read liquid drone can you give some examples instead of just saying I read a bunch of stuff that completely changed my life but I absolutely refuse to repeat any of it here because that would just be too sensible.
Thanks!
Review:
The revolutionary international bestseller that will stop you smoking – for good. ‘If you follow my instructions you will be a happy non-smoker for the rest of your life.’ That's a strong claim from Allen Carr, but as the world's leading and most successful quit smoking expert, Allen was right to boast! Reading this book is all you need to give up smoking. You can even smoke while you read. There are no scare tactics, you will not gain weight and stopping will not feel like deprivation. If you want to kick the habit then go for it. Allen Carr helped millions of people become happy non-smokers. His unique method removes your psychological dependence on cigarettes and literally sets you free. Accept no substitute. Nine million people can't be wrong.
I can't really say a whole lot about his method because you have to understand why he says what he does and the reasoning for his methods. All you need to know is it works, I read this book, and when I was done I lit up a cigarette, smoked half of it then put it out because I DIDN'T want it. This book has worked wonders for me, he also tells you how to avoid weight gain and other bad things that we subconsciously replace smoking with. He is a god send for people trying to quit.
The book only costs $20. The average smoker pays $250,000 for a lifetime of smoking. What is the better investment?
how does average smoker pay 250k in lifetime? if you smoke 2 pack a week..it would be$40 a month...about $480 a year...if you smoke for 100 years..you'd be spending only 48k...don't be ridiculous...
Why is there so much misinformation about the wonderful Green Tree I have come to love so much over the years? Memory loss....huh? I have one of the sharpest minds and most accurate photographic memory of anyone I know. I have the ability to read through 5 or so chapters in a text book (Bio for this example) in less than an hour, and take a test on the material a week later and every page is still in my brain. If anything the Tree has allowed me a greater ability to use more of my mind than I was able to previously.
PLEASE understand internet, Green Tree is a gift, not a poison.
Ciggys....are...poison though...so that's bad. But specifically there is a compound (BPDE) in tobacco smoke that screws up a regulatory cell splitting division protein by binding to the p53 gene and thereby deactivating or causing a malformed protein, which creates an out of control cell division timing.
But ya know what? We have not found anything in Green smoke that does such a dramatic thing as this. And also as a side fact for all those saying "smoke is badzzzzzz cause of cancer in it!"....ya know that oxygen stuff? The stuff you need to live....it's technically a carcinogen. Have fun with that!
Moral of the story, smoke more Green Tree, smoke less ciggys, but honestly guys just being alive will give you cancer xD.
I actually enjoy the occasional cigarette. Since the first time I smoked, i've never been addicted, but i'll smoke maybe 3-4 cigarettes a week when someone offers me one. It feels great when you go days/weeks without a cigarette without fiending and coming back to a really nice buzz. I think if you enjoy smoking and can control your situation, have an occasional smoke. It might add more to your life than it takes away.
On March 03 2010 04:15 The6357 wrote: how does average smoker pay 250k in lifetime? if you smoke 2 pack a week..it would be$40 a month...about $480 a year...if you smoke for 100 years..you'd be spending only 48k...don't be ridiculous...
Except the average smoker smokes a pack a day. Most people start when they're 18. Smoke until you're 80 and you're averaging about 120k. Educate yourself.
On March 03 2010 04:15 The6357 wrote: how does average smoker pay 250k in lifetime? if you smoke 2 pack a week..it would be$40 a month...about $480 a year...if you smoke for 100 years..you'd be spending only 48k...don't be ridiculous...
Except the average smoker smokes a pack a day. Most people start when they're 18. Smoke until you're 18 and you're averaging about 120k. Educate yourself.
lol average smoker smoke 1 pack aday? bs..that's what i call heavy smoker educate urself as well
On March 03 2010 08:25 Beachac wrote: Thirty-one percent of smokers smoke 1/2 pack per day, 36 percent smoke 1 pack per day, and 17 percent smoke more than 1 pack.
NOT EVEN CLOSE to what you said. Shut the fuck up and stop spewing trash.
lol who pissed on ur vagina this morning? why get so angry? missed ur nicotine fix today? i guess I was wrong on the average...I guess I'm a real light smoker..since i smoke 2 pack a week..
I used to smoke something like a pack, up to 2 per day for around 5 years, I couldn't go an hour without a smoke but I quit semi cold turkey( one small relapse on the 2nd week ;> ). Haven't had a single hit in 2 years and a few months now. I can give you guys some advice from personal experience I guess
If you really want to quit my suggestion would be to just do it, no patches, no pills, no lowering, no substatutes and no excuses. It helps quitting things that go along with smoking for a little while at the start at least, I stopped drinking coffee, coke, alcohol and such - things I'd normally didn't have without a smoke. It sounds absurd I know but I really think not drinking coffee made it all possible for me personally, the downside tho is quitting coffee - thats a whole other story. basically, combined with the nicotine abstinence, I went through very unpleasant withdrawal phase for the first week - headaches, moodswings, loss of touch with reality and generally feeling like shit all the time, but it gets better after a short while. I guess its just a matter of how addicted you are to it. Now smoking -
The first month as you might expect will be the most horrible time of your life, I wont even try to emphasize on this as it is impossible to describe it accurately with mere words. ;p This all may sounds a bit harsh, it was for me at least but it got very bearable over time.They key I thought was to have a solid motive, a purpose, a goal if you will. Simply quitting for nothing just wont do if you're a heavy smoker, you must challenge yourself in order to succeed in your mission.
Eating things - I gained, and I'm not even joking, 20 kilograms for the first half of year 1. Its like I discovered food for the first time. I was literally getting hungry while I was still eating. Avoid stuffing yourself or at least make sure you exercise if you do, stick to chewing gum and similar junk if you feel hungry all the time.
After you pass 2-3 months it gets very easy. for the first year tho, I was having quite the few very odd little moments. in example the thought of tobacco wouldn't even cross my mind for months, and all of a sudden my insides would start to burn, BURN - similar to the way they did at the very beginning. these little fits would last maybe 5 minutes or 5 hours, it helps to think what you went through initially when you first started quitting to get passed them, you wouldn't want to go through that again right. That might have been just me though, ha.
Once you get passed the first year, everythings peachy afterwerds. You might get the initial urge to have just-one-smoke-again but thats just the stupid in you talking. I guess its all about mental discipline/fortitude once you're at this stage. Personally I now feel that if I have one smoke I'll no doubt start again, and I've no idea how easy it is to quit for the 2nd time but I really rllllyy don't want to find out
I was planning to throw in a starcraft micro/macro reference somewhere in there but I just hit preview and this has become a bit long so I guess I'll leave that to your imagination.
On February 28 2010 17:13 s_side wrote: Not trying to be the angel of death, but we all have to go sometime.
I'd rather go out doing what I like than shitting in a bag.
- agree
id rather die in the age of 50 by smoking than living a whole life of being fat.. Tobacco in general have given me allot more than what it have taken, the anti smoking have become senseless..
First post, sorry if the english was to bad
EDIT: Abuot being fat part, its more accepted then it should be, my face just twist if i see someone fat.. Dieting is not hard but still its so accepted and smoking is not z.z
You'd have to be extremely fat for it to be as harmful as smoking cigarettes. Sure severly obese people have bodies that are severely damaged. One of my teachers who has been practising medicine for 20+ years told me that she once examined a 26 year old female who was both obese and a smoker and her liver was about as healthy as an 80 year olds.
The thing is that while obesity is harmful it doesn't affect others at all. Second hand smoking is a huge health risk and no smoker can deny that. If someone feels it's ok to poison their children or other people simply because they are uneducated or just don't care about it then that makes them a huge douchebag.
Smokers are not victims. You put yourself in this addiction and if you don't stop acting like a victim of something you can't control then you will never stop smoking.
A huge healthrisk?
Sure banning smoking in restaurants has some merit I guess (even though you yourself aren't forced to go into the same restaurant as a smoker... it is your choice after all) if you feel the same way about people who smoke in open air...well then I would be forced to laugh at you. The amount of carcinogens you get from person that smokes right NEXT to you out in the open is so minuscule it shouldn't even be mentioned. If they are on the other side of the street...yea nothing.
Obesity affects others a whole hell of a lot. It gives government the ability to try to regulate what I eat because some other people decided hey couldn't contain themselves, obesity puts a big drain on health care because fat people are more prone to diabetes and a whole host of other things.
I quit smoking 2 years ago because I simply wanted to. I was chill with it, I always smoked away from people that didn't like it and never in a closed space but I shit you not I still routinely had people come up to ME into MY space that I CREATED to get away from "innocents" and judge me. Do you realize how aggravating that is? People like that tempt me to blow smoke right into their face.
In the end if I had to choose between sitting next to a stuck up asshole, a smoker, or a crying baby on a plane I'd pick the smoker every time.
Also if you want to quite... go cold turkey. It really is the best way.
On March 03 2010 04:15 The6357 wrote: how does average smoker pay 250k in lifetime? if you smoke 2 pack a week..it would be$40 a month...about $480 a year...if you smoke for 100 years..you'd be spending only 48k...don't be ridiculous...
The average smoker does not smoke 2 packs a week. They smoke a pack a day to 2 packs a day, we're talking people who have been smoking for a while, not someone who just started a year ago.
A pack a day ($8) times 7 days in a week ($56) times 52 weeks a year ($2912) times 50 years ($145,600).
2 packs a day for 50 years = ($291,200)
I'm not exaggerating.
On March 03 2010 07:52 Beachac wrote: I actually enjoy the occasional cigarette. Since the first time I smoked, i've never been addicted, but i'll smoke maybe 3-4 cigarettes a week when someone offers me one. It feels great when you go days/weeks without a cigarette without fiending and coming back to a really nice buzz. I think if you enjoy smoking and can control your situation, have an occasional smoke. It might add more to your life than it takes away.
If you smoke, you are addicted. You are either a smoker or a non-smoker. There is NO MEDIUM! People do not understand this.
You are not a casual smoker, you aren't an occasional smoker, you are a smoker if you smoke.
And if what you said was true, everyone in the world would smoke and it would be encouraged. It's a poison, not a life enhancer.
On March 03 2010 04:15 The6357 wrote: how does average smoker pay 250k in lifetime? if you smoke 2 pack a week..it would be$40 a month...about $480 a year...if you smoke for 100 years..you'd be spending only 48k...don't be ridiculous...
The average smoker does not smoke 2 packs a week. They smoke a pack a day to 2 packs a day, we're talking people who have been smoking for a while, not someone who just started a year ago.
A pack a day ($8) times 7 days in a week ($56) times 52 weeks a year ($2912) times 50 years ($145,600).
On March 03 2010 07:52 Beachac wrote: I actually enjoy the occasional cigarette. Since the first time I smoked, i've never been addicted, but i'll smoke maybe 3-4 cigarettes a week when someone offers me one. It feels great when you go days/weeks without a cigarette without fiending and coming back to a really nice buzz. I think if you enjoy smoking and can control your situation, have an occasional smoke. It might add more to your life than it takes away.
If you smoke, you are addicted. You are either a smoker or a non-smoker. There is NO MEDIUM! People do not understand this.
You are not a casual smoker, you aren't an occasional smoker, you are a smoker if you smoke.
And if what you said was true, everyone in the world would smoke and it would be encouraged. It's a poison, not a life enhancer.
All you said its absolute bullshit, the average smoker does NOT smoke 2 packs a day that is ridiculous and a lie, next time at least have the decency to read the same page you are posting on where the % of how much smokers smoke have already been posted -_-
If you smoke you are not addicted, that is like saying that if you drink you are addicted see how retarded it is?
Also its not a poison, it can be poisonous as pretty much everything in this life when its done in excess.
I smoke when i go out with my friends (drink, party etc) and absolutely love it, a "life enhacer" as u called it, while im at home i never smoke because i am aware that its an extremely addictive substance that must be kept under control and not allow yourself to smoke more than you should.
About quitting simply stopping is logically not the best way, it obviously works for some people just like a diet but it doesnt mean that is the optimal way.
The best way to change ANY behavior is to gradually do it, that will the anxiety, the cravings and the body need for nicottine will be way lower.
Simply put yourself unbreakable rules, like if you smoke a pack, smoke 15 cigarretes a day for 1 month and never break the rule, (except maybe in especial occasions like parties etc).
Then you lower the dose the next month to 10 the next month and so on until you totally quit or reach a point where you are satisfied with your smoking volume, just make sure you never under any circumstance brake the max # of cigarettes a day because if u break it once, u will break it again and again.
On March 03 2010 04:15 The6357 wrote: how does average smoker pay 250k in lifetime? if you smoke 2 pack a week..it would be$40 a month...about $480 a year...if you smoke for 100 years..you'd be spending only 48k...don't be ridiculous...
The average smoker does not smoke 2 packs a week. They smoke a pack a day to 2 packs a day, we're talking people who have been smoking for a while, not someone who just started a year ago.
A pack a day ($8) times 7 days in a week ($56) times 52 weeks a year ($2912) times 50 years ($145,600).
2 packs a day for 50 years = ($291,200)
I'm not exaggerating.
On March 03 2010 07:52 Beachac wrote: I actually enjoy the occasional cigarette. Since the first time I smoked, i've never been addicted, but i'll smoke maybe 3-4 cigarettes a week when someone offers me one. It feels great when you go days/weeks without a cigarette without fiending and coming back to a really nice buzz. I think if you enjoy smoking and can control your situation, have an occasional smoke. It might add more to your life than it takes away.
If you smoke, you are addicted. You are either a smoker or a non-smoker. There is NO MEDIUM! People do not understand this.
You are not a casual smoker, you aren't an occasional smoker, you are a smoker if you smoke.
And if what you said was true, everyone in the world would smoke and it would be encouraged. It's a poison, not a life enhancer.
All you said its absolute bullshit, the average smoker does NOT smoke 2 packs a day that is ridiculous and a lie, next time at least have the decency to read the same page you are posting on where the % of how much smokers smoke have already been posted -_-
If you smoke you are not addicted, that is like saying that if you drink you are addicted see how retarded it is?
Also its not a poison, it can be poisonous as pretty much everything in this life when its done in excess.
I smoke when i go out with my friends (drink, party etc) and absolutely love it, a "life enhacer" as u called it, while im at home i never smoke because i am aware that its an extremely addictive substance that must be kept under control and not allow yourself to smoke more than you should.
I said the average smoker smokes 1 PACK TO 2 PACKS A DAY.
Thirty-one percent of smokers smoke 1/2 pack per day, 36 percent smoke 1 pack per day, and 17 percent smoke more than 1 pack.
(31 + 36 + 17 = 84) Who ever got these stats please check your sources and math.
With that problem aside, would you not say that over 50% (36% + 17% = 53%) would account for the average?
There's no nicotine in alcohol is there? There's nicotine in cigarettes right? Its not like cigarettes are not addicting THEY ARE! There is no physical addiction to alcohol, its all in your head if you are an alcoholic. There IS a physical addiction to cigarettes.
A friend of mine only smoked on weekends for a couple years. She died of lung cancer. So are you telling me 2 years is EXCESSIVE SMOKING? It is the BIGGEST cause of preventable death IN THE WORLD! Nothing kills more people than smoking.
Everything you say is false positives and lies you have been spoon fed since you were a child.
This is a quit smoking thread, not a "smoking is the best thing in life EVER" thread because smoking is definitely NOT good in ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM!
On March 03 2010 19:28 baal wrote: About quitting simply stopping is logically not the best way, it obviously works for some people just like a diet but it doesnt mean that is the optimal way.
The best way to change ANY behavior is to gradually do it, that will the anxiety, the cravings and the body need for nicottine will be way lower.
Simply put yourself unbreakable rules, like if you smoke a pack, smoke 15 cigarretes a day for 1 month and never break the rule, (except maybe in especial occasions like parties etc).
Then you lower the dose the next month to 10 the next month and so on until you totally quit or reach a point where you are satisfied with your smoking volume, just make sure you never under any circumstance brake the max # of cigarettes a day because if u break it once, u will break it again and again.
Cutting down is THE WORST way to quit. This is because you are using will power to hold off from smoking until you reach that point where you are allowing you to light up. So you are miserable and agitated while you "cannot smoke". Cold turkey is the only way to go if you are serious about quitting.
Nicotine has a 20 minute half life, which means 20 minutes after you light up your cigarette you have half as much nicotine in your system. After 3 days nicotine is completely out of your system.
After you sleep a good 8 hours there is hardly any nicotine in your system, once you light up its back to the full amount.
baal, if you don't want to quit smoking that is your business, if you enjoy poisoning yourself at parties that's your business, if you think that you can never get cancer because you only smoke at parties you are wrong, but don't post in this thread as it is for people who want to quit smoking, not for people like you.
On March 03 2010 04:15 The6357 wrote: how does average smoker pay 250k in lifetime? if you smoke 2 pack a week..it would be$40 a month...about $480 a year...if you smoke for 100 years..you'd be spending only 48k...don't be ridiculous...
The average smoker does not smoke 2 packs a week. They smoke a pack a day to 2 packs a day, we're talking people who have been smoking for a while, not someone who just started a year ago.
A pack a day ($8) times 7 days in a week ($56) times 52 weeks a year ($2912) times 50 years ($145,600).
On March 03 2010 07:52 Beachac wrote: I actually enjoy the occasional cigarette. Since the first time I smoked, i've never been addicted, but i'll smoke maybe 3-4 cigarettes a week when someone offers me one. It feels great when you go days/weeks without a cigarette without fiending and coming back to a really nice buzz. I think if you enjoy smoking and can control your situation, have an occasional smoke. It might add more to your life than it takes away.
If you smoke, you are addicted. You are either a smoker or a non-smoker. There is NO MEDIUM! People do not understand this.
You are not a casual smoker, you aren't an occasional smoker, you are a smoker if you smoke.
And if what you said was true, everyone in the world would smoke and it would be encouraged. It's a poison, not a life enhancer.
you have to understand in most cases cigs do not cost $8...in parts of the world where the most heavy smokers reside, the cigs cost less than $2...in korea it only cost 2500 won which is about $2 and in china i heard cigs are alot cheaper...so it does not cost over 100k a life time
Day 1: Success Day 2: Success Day 3: Success Day 4: It is now 12:34pm in the afternoon on day 4. I am having cravings right now. I must hold out for today. Just one day longer. And then hold out for just tomorrow. And then the day after. If I can't quit, then I am a hypocrite. I must succeed. As Gandhi said, "You must be the change you wish to see in the world."
On March 04 2010 05:36 GrayArea wrote: Day 1: Success Day 2: Success Day 3: Success Day 4: It is now 12:34pm in the afternoon on day 4. I am having cravings right now. I must hold out for today. Just one day longer. And then hold out for just tomorrow. And then the day after. If I can't quit, then I am a hypocrite. I must succeed. As Gandhi said, "You must be the change you wish to see in the world."
You can do it! Just keep telling yourself that you are a non-smoker now. Every time you think "I want a cigarette" tell yourself "I don't need to smoke because I'm a non-smoker now!"
On March 03 2010 04:15 The6357 wrote: how does average smoker pay 250k in lifetime? if you smoke 2 pack a week..it would be$40 a month...about $480 a year...if you smoke for 100 years..you'd be spending only 48k...don't be ridiculous...
The average smoker does not smoke 2 packs a week. They smoke a pack a day to 2 packs a day, we're talking people who have been smoking for a while, not someone who just started a year ago.
A pack a day ($8) times 7 days in a week ($56) times 52 weeks a year ($2912) times 50 years ($145,600).
2 packs a day for 50 years = ($291,200)
I'm not exaggerating.
On March 03 2010 07:52 Beachac wrote: I actually enjoy the occasional cigarette. Since the first time I smoked, i've never been addicted, but i'll smoke maybe 3-4 cigarettes a week when someone offers me one. It feels great when you go days/weeks without a cigarette without fiending and coming back to a really nice buzz. I think if you enjoy smoking and can control your situation, have an occasional smoke. It might add more to your life than it takes away.
If you smoke, you are addicted. You are either a smoker or a non-smoker. There is NO MEDIUM! People do not understand this.
You are not a casual smoker, you aren't an occasional smoker, you are a smoker if you smoke.
And if what you said was true, everyone in the world would smoke and it would be encouraged. It's a poison, not a life enhancer.
you have to understand in most cases cigs do not cost $8...in parts of the world where the most heavy smokers reside, the cigs cost less than $2...in korea it only cost 2500 won which is about $2 and in china i heard cigs are alot cheaper...so it does not cost over 100k a life time
Fair enough, I'm just going on the prices where I live and what I've read.
Still, smoking costs a fortune, no one can deny that.
On March 03 2010 04:15 The6357 wrote: how does average smoker pay 250k in lifetime? if you smoke 2 pack a week..it would be$40 a month...about $480 a year...if you smoke for 100 years..you'd be spending only 48k...don't be ridiculous...
The average smoker does not smoke 2 packs a week. They smoke a pack a day to 2 packs a day, we're talking people who have been smoking for a while, not someone who just started a year ago.
A pack a day ($8) times 7 days in a week ($56) times 52 weeks a year ($2912) times 50 years ($145,600).
2 packs a day for 50 years = ($291,200)
I'm not exaggerating.
On March 03 2010 07:52 Beachac wrote: I actually enjoy the occasional cigarette. Since the first time I smoked, i've never been addicted, but i'll smoke maybe 3-4 cigarettes a week when someone offers me one. It feels great when you go days/weeks without a cigarette without fiending and coming back to a really nice buzz. I think if you enjoy smoking and can control your situation, have an occasional smoke. It might add more to your life than it takes away.
If you smoke, you are addicted. You are either a smoker or a non-smoker. There is NO MEDIUM! People do not understand this.
You are not a casual smoker, you aren't an occasional smoker, you are a smoker if you smoke.
And if what you said was true, everyone in the world would smoke and it would be encouraged. It's a poison, not a life enhancer.
All you said its absolute bullshit, the average smoker does NOT smoke 2 packs a day that is ridiculous and a lie, next time at least have the decency to read the same page you are posting on where the % of how much smokers smoke have already been posted -_-
If you smoke you are not addicted, that is like saying that if you drink you are addicted see how retarded it is?
Also its not a poison, it can be poisonous as pretty much everything in this life when its done in excess.
I smoke when i go out with my friends (drink, party etc) and absolutely love it, a "life enhacer" as u called it, while im at home i never smoke because i am aware that its an extremely addictive substance that must be kept under control and not allow yourself to smoke more than you should.
I said the average smoker smokes 1 PACK TO 2 PACKS A DAY.
Thirty-one percent of smokers smoke 1/2 pack per day, 36 percent smoke 1 pack per day, and 17 percent smoke more than 1 pack.
(31 + 36 + 17 = 84) Who ever got these stats please check your sources and math.
With that problem aside, would you not say that over 50% (36% + 17% = 53%) would account for the average?
There's no nicotine in alcohol is there? There's nicotine in cigarettes right? Its not like cigarettes are not addicting THEY ARE! There is no physical addiction to alcohol, its all in your head if you are an alcoholic. There IS a physical addiction to cigarettes.
A friend of mine only smoked on weekends for a couple years. She died of lung cancer. So are you telling me 2 years is EXCESSIVE SMOKING? It is the BIGGEST cause of preventable death IN THE WORLD! Nothing kills more people than smoking.
Everything you say is false positives and lies you have been spoon fed since you were a child.
This is a quit smoking thread, not a "smoking is the best thing in life EVER" thread because smoking is definitely NOT good in ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM!
Let's start at the beginning with your comment about how this is no happy medium.
I smoked 2-3 cigarettes a week for 4 years. There were plenty of times where I had a craving for an additional one but I told myself CONSISTENTLY that I would never ever become someone who smoked 5 packs a day. I never wanted to be controlled by a cigarette. When I quit... I had absolutely no issue doing so. So yes, there is damn well a medium there.
Now to your math. 53% of a group is not a proper average. The more correct statement is that the average smoker smokes less than 1 pack a day. Why is this? Very very very very few smokers smoke more than 2 packs a day. I'd say that percentage is probably in the sub 5% range as there just aren't enough hours in the day. Note that your statistics leave in there 16% (which nearly equals the 1+ pack% on it's own....) that don't even smoke 1/2 a pack a day. Someone who smokes a 1/4th of a pack a day brings down someone who smokes FOUR packs a day down to an average of 1. Understand how averages work before you make outrageous claims. That's how statistics are going to work in a medium such as this.
As to not being physically addicted to alcohol.... you are one clueless mother fucker. Yes you can be physically ADDICTED to alcohol. Alcohol stimulates a very certain receptor and whenever ANY substance stimulates a receptor of any kind your body will grow accustomed to having that extra stimulation. That brings forth physical addiction. I have no freaking idea where you learned that alcohol wasn't physically addicting but you learned wrong...hell alcohol withdrawal is one of the most dangerous withdrawals you can have as it is one of the very few that is directly fatal in a decent amount of cases.
I'm not saying nicotine isn't addicting...because it is. However, people really underestimate just how bad alcohol can be.
As for your friend who sadly died of lung cancer..... my Grandmother died of lung cancer and she hadn't smoked a day in her life. My dad averages one beer a year and has never smoked EVER and he now has kidney and liver problems. Nothing in this world says that your friend wouldn't have gotten lung cancer whether or not she smoked. It increases the chances sure (and in her case not that much because she barely freaking smoked) but it is not a sure thing.
Also...Heart Disease would like a word with you about your claim that nothing kills more than smoking.
Seems you've been fear mongered from my end. Cigarettes are not healthy and I will never claim that they are....but they sure as hell aren't the demon seed people like you claim it is.
one point of quitting is recongnizing what made you start in the 1st place...
in my case it was because of WoW...I mean sitting in front of the comp on vent waiting for 25-40 ppl to sign on and start progressive raiding is well...extremely boring...eventually I started to smoke to pass time...and I even started to time my ciggies like...this boss'll take me 2 ciggs to do it etc...
On March 03 2010 04:15 The6357 wrote: how does average smoker pay 250k in lifetime? if you smoke 2 pack a week..it would be$40 a month...about $480 a year...if you smoke for 100 years..you'd be spending only 48k...don't be ridiculous...
The average smoker does not smoke 2 packs a week. They smoke a pack a day to 2 packs a day, we're talking people who have been smoking for a while, not someone who just started a year ago.
A pack a day ($8) times 7 days in a week ($56) times 52 weeks a year ($2912) times 50 years ($145,600).
2 packs a day for 50 years = ($291,200)
I'm not exaggerating.
On March 03 2010 07:52 Beachac wrote: I actually enjoy the occasional cigarette. Since the first time I smoked, i've never been addicted, but i'll smoke maybe 3-4 cigarettes a week when someone offers me one. It feels great when you go days/weeks without a cigarette without fiending and coming back to a really nice buzz. I think if you enjoy smoking and can control your situation, have an occasional smoke. It might add more to your life than it takes away.
If you smoke, you are addicted. You are either a smoker or a non-smoker. There is NO MEDIUM! People do not understand this.
You are not a casual smoker, you aren't an occasional smoker, you are a smoker if you smoke.
And if what you said was true, everyone in the world would smoke and it would be encouraged. It's a poison, not a life enhancer.
All you said its absolute bullshit, the average smoker does NOT smoke 2 packs a day that is ridiculous and a lie, next time at least have the decency to read the same page you are posting on where the % of how much smokers smoke have already been posted -_-
If you smoke you are not addicted, that is like saying that if you drink you are addicted see how retarded it is?
Also its not a poison, it can be poisonous as pretty much everything in this life when its done in excess.
I smoke when i go out with my friends (drink, party etc) and absolutely love it, a "life enhacer" as u called it, while im at home i never smoke because i am aware that its an extremely addictive substance that must be kept under control and not allow yourself to smoke more than you should.
I said the average smoker smokes 1 PACK TO 2 PACKS A DAY.
Thirty-one percent of smokers smoke 1/2 pack per day, 36 percent smoke 1 pack per day, and 17 percent smoke more than 1 pack.
(31 + 36 + 17 = 84) Who ever got these stats please check your sources and math.
With that problem aside, would you not say that over 50% (36% + 17% = 53%) would account for the average?
There's no nicotine in alcohol is there? There's nicotine in cigarettes right? Its not like cigarettes are not addicting THEY ARE! There is no physical addiction to alcohol, its all in your head if you are an alcoholic. There IS a physical addiction to cigarettes.
A friend of mine only smoked on weekends for a couple years. She died of lung cancer. So are you telling me 2 years is EXCESSIVE SMOKING? It is the BIGGEST cause of preventable death IN THE WORLD! Nothing kills more people than smoking.
Everything you say is false positives and lies you have been spoon fed since you were a child.
This is a quit smoking thread, not a "smoking is the best thing in life EVER" thread because smoking is definitely NOT good in ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM!
Let's start at the beginning with your comment about how this is no happy medium.
I smoked 2-3 cigarettes a week for 4 years. There were plenty of times where I had a craving for an additional one but I told myself CONSISTENTLY that I would never ever become someone who smoked 5 packs a day. I never wanted to be controlled by a cigarette. When I quit... I had absolutely no issue doing so. So yes, there is damn well a medium there.
Now to your math. 53% of a group is not a proper average. The more correct statement is that the average smoker smokes less than 1 pack a day. Why is this? Very very very very few smokers smoke more than 2 packs a day. I'd say that percentage is probably in the sub 5% range as there just aren't enough hours in the day. Note that your statistics leave in there 16% (which nearly equals the 1+ pack% on it's own....) that don't even smoke 1/2 a pack a day. Someone who smokes a 1/4th of a pack a day brings down someone who smokes FOUR packs a day down to an average of 1. Understand how averages work before you make outrageous claims. That's how statistics are going to work in a medium such as this.
As to not being physically addicted to alcohol.... you are one clueless mother fucker. Yes you can be physically ADDICTED to alcohol. Alcohol stimulates a very certain receptor and whenever ANY substance stimulates a receptor of any kind your body will grow accustomed to having that extra stimulation. That brings forth physical addiction. I have no freaking idea where you learned that alcohol wasn't physically addicting but you learned wrong...hell alcohol withdrawal is one of the most dangerous withdrawals you can have as it is one of the very few that is directly fatal in a decent amount of cases.
I'm not saying nicotine isn't addicting...because it is. However, people really underestimate just how bad alcohol can be.
As for your friend who sadly died of lung cancer..... my Grandmother died of lung cancer and she hadn't smoked a day in her life. My dad averages one beer a year and has never smoked EVER and he now has kidney and liver problems. Nothing in this world says that your friend wouldn't have gotten lung cancer whether or not she smoked. It increases the chances sure (and in her case not that much because she barely freaking smoked) but it is not a sure thing.
Also...Heart Disease would like a word with you about your claim that nothing kills more than smoking.
Seems you've been fear mongered from my end. Cigarettes are not healthy and I will never claim that they are....but they sure as hell aren't the demon seed people like you claim it is.
I do not understand what your problem is, are you hell bent on proving me wrong? What is your problem with me? I didn't do anything, and you just FUCKING HATE ME for some fucking reason. It's like you want people to smoke, why the fuck do you want that?
All I want people to do IF THE FUCKING WANT TO, is to quit. And you want to give them reasons to keep smoking. Why the fuck are you doing that?
I only go by what I read in Allen Carr's book. I honestly believe that most of what he said was true. And even if he lied to me about everything, at least he got me off nicotine and kept me off. Although I do not believe he lied to me about everything to get me to quit, otherwise someone would have proven him wrong already.
I am 100% sure, that even you, can agree on 3 things:
1. Cigarette smoking is the most important preventable cause of premature death in the world.
2. Smoking costs a lot of money, all for nothing. You don't get anything out of the thousands of dollars you waste. (I redid the calculations for the cost of smoking (for a 1/2 a pack a day person). $6 a pack (of 20 cigarettes), 10 cigarettes a day, 1 year, equals $1100 a year. That's still $1100 you could have spend on something else.)
All three of those facts he stated at the end of his post seem 100% logical even to me. I don't smoke, never have, and never will, but this is just the outsider looking in opinion.
Sure, certain individuals like Jayme can have strong wills and mental awareness of decisions they are making but not everyone can be in the same boat unfortunately. From what I've read in this thread, Sagittarius makes a lot of good points that will overall blanket a majority of smokers, and once they can realize what he has realized to quit smoking; they may follow suit.
There shouldn't be any argument (especially) in a thread like this where it's supposed to be people helping people.
I smoke like half a pack/week lol. I only break out a cig when I smoke weed, just for the complimentary buzz, and usually only 1/2 or 1/3 each time. I don't really see that as much of a problem for me o___o;;
On March 05 2010 04:36 Valentine wrote: I smoke like half a pack/week lol. I only break out a cig when I smoke weed, just for the complimentary buzz, and usually only 1/2 or 1/3 each time. I don't really see that as much of a problem for me o___o;;
Well it's not a problem for you now, but down the line, later on in life, when you start having trouble breathing or develop respiratory diseases, you will regret it. That's why people make the effort to quit ASAP, because they don't want to suffer from the negative effects (which are extremely severe if you don't know that already).
btw, my update: Day 1, 2, 3 were success. Day 4 I had an extremely, extremely hard time resisting. I was bored and didn't keep myself preoccupied and nearly succumbed but I distracted myself by going to play starcraft. So I held off day 4, but today is Day 5 and I don't want to fail. If I can just hold out for today, maybe I can hold out for tomorrow and the day after and then for the rest of my life. Fighting.
On March 05 2010 04:36 Valentine wrote: I smoke like half a pack/week lol. I only break out a cig when I smoke weed, just for the complimentary buzz, and usually only 1/2 or 1/3 each time. I don't really see that as much of a problem for me o___o;;
nvm its so stupid of me som,etimes i just attack ppls post, so rude,
Those 250.000$ originated from the comparison of the cost of the book (20 bucks) with the costs of lifelong smoking. Are you sure it's worth arguing about wether it's actually 250k or more like 120k? Arguing for the sake of arguing- a useful skill toi have.
Damn, I need to stop smoking. Recently my need for smoking has increased day by day. Now I smoke up to one pack per day. Before I dont feel that I breath bad, but I feel something wrong with my breath now and It is very embarassing. Need
Update: It's 5:37pm on Day 5 and I failed. I smoked. I'm not going to give up though. I'm going to give myself 3 strikes before I give up on giving up this time. So this was strike one. I still have two more chances, and I can't succumb again. So here goes to staying strong....I can do it.
On March 05 2010 10:39 GrayArea wrote: Update: It's 5:37pm on Day 5 and I failed. I smoked. I'm not going to give up though. I'm going to give myself 3 strikes before I give up on giving up this time. So this was strike one. I still have two more chances, and I can't succumb again. So here goes to staying strong....I can do it.
Good for you man, you had a slip but its not over. You will quit smoking and you will be successful. If you haven't already got the book I recommended I would suggest you get it.
Just keep telling yourself "I'm a non-smoker now" and "I don't need this cigarette". It will get easier over time, and you will be successful!
Best of luck to you on your way to becoming a non-smoker
I smoked for over 10 years, tried to quit many times, flushed more packs of smokes down the toilet than I can count, only to fail and fail again.
Bought an e-cig and everything changed. There is nicotine. There is smoke (it is actually water vapor but looks exactly like smoke, it just dissipates faster). There is something to do with my hands and mouth. It mimics a real cig in every way other than it has no known cancer causing substances. Even the vapor is hot like with a real cigs smoke.
Best 100 bucks I EVER spent. Paid for itself in a couple of weeks. And ya you can smoke em in bars or what not, a prime time for people trying to quit to have a failure.
If your trying to quit, have failed over and over, and dont try this product your doing yourself a disfavor.
On March 06 2010 02:03 scrapperdog wrote: Surprised about the lack of e-cig response.
I smoked for over 10 years, tried to quit many times, flushed more packs of smokes down the toilet than I can count, only to fail and fail again.
Bought an e-cig and everything changed. There is nicotine. There is smoke (it is actually water vapor but looks exactly like smoke, it just dissipates faster). There is something to do with my hands and mouth. It mimics a real cig in every way other than it has no known cancer causing substances. Even the vapor is hot like with a real cigs smoke.
Best 100 bucks I EVER spent. Paid for itself in a couple of weeks. And ya you can smoke em in bars or what not, a prime time for people trying to quit to have a failure.
If your trying to quit, have failed over and over, and dont try this product your doing yourself a disfavor.
Any questions on this feel free to ask.
I have one of these too, I got my M203 a few months ago, except I'm getting rid of nicotine all together, but it is good if you want to do it in steps or whatever.
NRT is not the best way to quit because you are still taking the drug you are trying to get rid of, which makes no sense, but if it works for you then it works.
One thing that I always though would be interesting, is to have a rehab camp for smokers, similar to hard drug addicts. The addictive qualities of nicotine are similar, so why not? Go live in a house with a bunch of smokers for a month or something where everyone is trying to quit. It works for harder drugs and alcohol, so why not smoking? You would get alot of group encouragement, and alot of times the fear of letting down others is greater than letting down yourself.
NRT is not the best way to quit because you are still taking the drug you are trying to get rid of, which makes no sense, but if it works for you then it works.
I am fine with being a nic addict, just did not want to get the cancer or heart attack or constantly feel out of breath. It is not really the drug I have a problem with, it is the side effects and cost of smoking.
I agree it is much easier to cut down on nicotine with e-cigs because you just buy less and less strong juice, but you can smoke it the same amount as ever. A smoker trying to cut down to the point of quitting is just torturing themselves waiting for the next smoke. Id rather go cold turkey.
Smoking for me is part of social interaction, showing up with an e-cig at a party would probably be cool but still, carrying that thing all along would suck. But I guess I just enjoy smoking too much, I'm not a heavy smoker but plan to quit eventually. I'll go for the book first though, I have lots of friends who quit after reading that book.
Fuk.... my smoking habit just getting worse and worse. Now I smoke 1 pack a day and countinue to grow... I want to quit so bad but I just cant.. fuk fuk fuk. Sorry I just want to let the frustration out of me a bit...
The trick is to stop smoking, not to quit smoking. If you quit you feel like you can never smoke again. If you stop you're just on a break and you can stay on that break for as long as you feel like it. You'll still get cravings and stuff but it's so much easier to deal with them when you don't keep thinking to yourself "I QUIT smoking, I can NEVER smoke again..."
I just buy Bali Shag and roll my own cigarettes when I feel like it. I go through a pouch in about 3 weeks, and that's about 50-70 cigarettes. Comparatively, most pack smokers go through a pack in 2-3 days. That's 60 cigarettes a week.
Start rolling your own cigarettes and I swear you'll never go back. It's cheaper, better quality tobacco and you can choose when you want to smoke. The time it takes me think "do I really want to smoke right now?" is the amount of time it takes me to have a tailor cigarette lit in my mouth. I actually think about it when I roll.
On March 06 2010 04:41 Wr3k wrote: One thing that I always though would be interesting, is to have a rehab camp for smokers, similar to hard drug addicts. The addictive qualities of nicotine are similar, so why not? Go live in a house with a bunch of smokers for a month or something where everyone is trying to quit. It works for harder drugs and alcohol, so why not smoking? You would get alot of group encouragement, and alot of times the fear of letting down others is greater than letting down yourself.
The problem with this is that your individual commitment is only as strong as the group commitment--if the group suspects that someone is smoking in secret, pretty much everyone is going to take a drag or two. The someone is like "guys I slipped up" and everyone is like "yeah me too" and boom, you guys are out on the porch smoking again.
If you're going to quit you need to man up and do it yourself, otherwise it doesn't mean anything.
On March 06 2010 04:41 Wr3k wrote: One thing that I always though would be interesting, is to have a rehab camp for smokers, similar to hard drug addicts. The addictive qualities of nicotine are similar, so why not? Go live in a house with a bunch of smokers for a month or something where everyone is trying to quit. It works for harder drugs and alcohol, so why not smoking? You would get alot of group encouragement, and alot of times the fear of letting down others is greater than letting down yourself.
That's a great idea, except people already have that. If you have a room in your house that can be locked from the outside and/or a very supportive friend, you can do this. Here's what you do: Lock yourself in the room with no cigarettes. What works for heroin works for tobacco. You could also try having your friend punch you every time you try to smoke. Other options include either editing TL instead every time you want a cigarette and/or drinking vodka.
On March 05 2010 10:39 GrayArea wrote: Update: It's 5:37pm on Day 5 and I failed. I smoked. I'm not going to give up though. I'm going to give myself 3 strikes before I give up on giving up this time. So this was strike one. I still have two more chances, and I can't succumb again. So here goes to staying strong....I can do it.
Fuck the 3 strikes and I give up shit. You fucking dumbass, I don't even understand why you put this "3 strike" crap in the first place. You should never give up smoking. You got to day 5, YAY!!! Now lets go twice that, go without smoking for 10 days.
On March 05 2010 10:39 GrayArea wrote: Update: It's 5:37pm on Day 5 and I failed. I smoked. I'm not going to give up though. I'm going to give myself 3 strikes before I give up on giving up this time. So this was strike one. I still have two more chances, and I can't succumb again. So here goes to staying strong....I can do it.
Fuck the 3 strikes and I give up shit. You fucking dumbass, I don't even understand why you put this "3 strike" crap in the first place. You should never give up smoking. You got to day 5, YAY!!! Now lets go twice that, go without smoking for 10 days.
temp ? its true if you get to day 5, you forget about how you're not just trying to make it to that day BUT to quit forever.. but why so hostile? don't wanna call the amber lamps lol
On March 05 2010 10:39 GrayArea wrote: Update: It's 5:37pm on Day 5 and I failed. I smoked. I'm not going to give up though. I'm going to give myself 3 strikes before I give up on giving up this time. So this was strike one. I still have two more chances, and I can't succumb again. So here goes to staying strong....I can do it.
Fuck the 3 strikes and I give up shit. You fucking dumbass, I don't even understand why you put this "3 strike" crap in the first place. You should never give up smoking. You got to day 5, YAY!!! Now lets go twice that, go without smoking for 10 days.
temp ? its true if you get to day 5, you forget about how you're not just trying to make it to that day BUT to quit forever.. but why so hostile? don't wanna call the amber lamps lol
I was only hostile to the idiotic idea of putting three strikes and you're out crap. Why would you think about stopping trying to quit smoking. I know its tough, but seriously, cut with this "I quit quitting smoking" crap. If you're going to set a goal for yourself, set it in a way that won't result in you quitting after a few failures. Did Thomas Edison quit after failing 3 times in making the first practical light bulb? NO! He tried thousands of times before he finally got it. I'm really glad that he managed to do it for 5 days, but hearing this 3 strikes and I'm out crap just pisses me off.
It should be more like 3 strikes and I go a day without food is much better.
Dude I highly doubt there were addictive fumes emitting from his light bulb experiments...it's not like he was making a light bulb out of crack...and don't say I'm being dramatic, the stuff in ciggies are not just addictive, it's pretty much top ranked in terms of addictive substances...
I agree with your idea on seeing it through and not giving up and compromising with yourself, just not that example.
Oh, shut up. If you think cigarettes are addictive you've never done real addictive drugs. Cigarettes are hard to quit because they're so easy to use and legal. If you think they're hard to quit you should definitely never do real drugs.
If you can't quit smoking cigarettes it's just a willpower thing. Anyone here should be able to go at least 3 weeks on straight willpower. If you think otherwise you're just giving yourself an excuse.
Dude I highly doubt there were addictive fumes emitting from his light bulb experiments...it's not like he was making a light bulb out of crack...and don't say I'm being dramatic, the stuff in ciggies are not just addictive, it's pretty much top ranked in terms of addictive substances...
I agree with your idea on seeing it through and not giving up and compromising with yourself, just not that example.
Its more like an even if you fail, don't give up sort of example. -_- I'm just saying how someone failed thousands of times yet he still manages to accomplish his goal, all smokers who are quitting should have that attitude. Don't be afraid of the failures, just keep working to success.
Like I was saying, the consequences for continuing smoking are so low in comparison to real drugs, and the withdrawal so minor in comparison to real drugs, that most people continue smoking not because they "can't" quit but because they "can't find the willpower" to quit.
It's not hard to quit smoking, it's hard to not make excuses to keep smoking.
Also do you just trust every chart that someone puts up on the web? Jesus Christ talk with some people who have used drugs, for crying out loud. Seriously, go ask a heroin addict how hard it is to quit smoking cigarettes.
... Did that really say that alcolhal has worse withdrawls than heroin or am i misreading it? And if it did Heroin withdrawls are so deadly you can die, alcohal is not. So unless im misreading it those polls are full of shit
I doubt the guy got his PhD on researching full of shit...
Source: Jack E. Henningfield, PhD for NIDA, Reported by Philip J. Hilts, New York Times, Aug. 2, 1994 "Is Nicotine Addictive? It Depends on Whose Criteria You Use."
1) A Ph.D. for NIDA isn't exactly the most reliable source in the world on drugs 2) It was a New York Times article, not a medical journal 3) If you honestly believe cigarettes are more addictive than heroin you have no idea what you're talking about
The title of the article says "It depends on whose criteria you use." And seriously, what does "6" mean? How did he quantify that? Was it empirically or was it subject-reported? Either way there's no way that he's being objective here if he's listing nicotine as more addictive than heroin.
Back on topic: Don't use bullshit excuses to keep smoking. Smoke if you're going to smoke. Don't smoke if you're not going to smoke. Man up and make a decision.
... Did that really say that alcolhal has worse withdrawls than heroin or am i misreading it? And if it did Heroin withdrawls are so deadly you can die, alcohal is not. So unless im misreading it those polls are full of shit
You can certainly die from alcohol withdrawal, provided you were actually dependent. And yes, it is more severe than heroin withdrawal (which is actually generally considered to be non-lethal).
Although heroin withdrawal is considered less dangerous than alcohol or barbiturate withdrawal, sudden withdrawal by heavily dependent users who are in poor health is occasionally fatal.
Warning: The last post in this thread is over two months old. If you bump this, you better have a good reason.
The reason im bumping this is because i am fucking struggling at quitting. I've been smoking for 3,5 years, one pack per 3 days on average. There has been times where i went without smokes for 1 or 2 days and i didn't really felt the addiction.
But 5 days ago i decided to quit, and fuck am i suffering from withdrawal. Urges for nicotine aren't constand but they are there, tension in my arms, the need to fiddle around with something to keep my hands busy, i've been moderately pissed this whole time and yesterday right before i went to bed my gums started to hurt badly, so badly i couldn't get any sleep until i drank some ibuprofen... This whole ordeal made me realize how miserable this addiction is when you cut he supply of nicotine, which even further motivated me to fully quit.
So yea... i better start looking for other ways to relax myself... and i really hope i wont run into any stressful situations in near future >_>
Hi I quit smoking and my advice to you is the same as for people who are sea sick. You can't fight it you must accept it as not a big deal. When a wave/urge comes let it have it's business and think to yourself that it's really no big deal and just let it flow through you.
The urge to smoke passes soon enough. When you think about smoking try to think cancer and how it would be like to have cancer.
I quit but I let myself indulge once in awhile. (by that I mean MAYBE once a year). i figure if I cant have it forever I'll just want it more.
For some people I wouldn't recommend this for obvious reasons. i thought it wouldn't work for me too, but as long as I throw away the entire pack after I smoked one, i'm fine.
I just started smoking and it actually has a lot of pros. Since I can't smoke at my house (parents) I tend to go to out a lot more often. I have noticed that I work out a lot more, hang out with friends a lot more. Although I understand that once I go to university the restriction on my smoking (parents) will go away and I will loose all of these pros. My question is, is it worth risking getting addicted just to gain these pros?
On June 13 2010 10:10 nAi.PrOtOsS wrote: I just started smoking and it actually has a lot of pros. Since I can't smoke at my house (parents) I tend to go to out a lot more often. I have noticed that I work out a lot more, hang out with friends a lot more. Although I understand that once I go to university the restriction on my smoking (parents) will go away and I will loose all of these pros. My question is, is it worth risking getting addicted just to gain these pros?
I don't know whether to ridicule you, pity you or request for a ban.
That's because I don't know if you are fucking retarded, not retarded but still serious or whether you are the most obvious troll in the world.
I hope this answers your question.
GrayArea how is your quitting smoking ?
Reading some of these posts... seriously don't even consider quitting quitting....
Smoking is cumulative.. if you struggle with quitting smoking for 5 years and smoke 1/2 the amount you would if you just said "fuck it, I quit quitting" then that's a huge fucking success.
I've gone from ten+ a day from 14-18, 5+ a day from 18-21 to like on average maybe 10 a week? Sure, I haven't quit smoking... but it's no longer a habit.
I don't wake up coughing, I don't cough up phlegm every morning, I don't feel like commiting suicide if I can't get a cigarette, in fact I can go days without it being too much of a concern as long as I'm busy, I don't spend all my spare money on cigarettes, my lungs feel healthier and cleaner when I breathe, I lose my breath slower and catch it quicker, I now eat instead of facing that common "eat or smoke" dilemma where smoking usually wins (I need to gain weight so eating = good)
Don't give up on quitting smoking just because you can't stick to it. Constantly trying and giving in and smoking an entire pack every friday night when you get drunk is worlds better than just smoking 24/7...
On June 13 2010 10:15 davis.of.km wrote: There are no "pros" to being addicted to cigarettes.
Nah there are, i don't think i would have been able to finish college if not for the smokes, they are awesome when you are dealing with a lot of stress.
Anyways, thanks for all the support. And i would like to add one more thing thats been bugging me quite a bit now: Why the hell are they placed above cash registers, in the perfect spot to see when you are standing in line, its such a fucking tease >_> The only reason i can come up with is that this way they are almost impossible to shoplift.
I don't know if down in the US they are placed like that as well, but that's how it is here in Lithuania... yet another reason why i hate my country :/
Warning: The last post in this thread is over two months old. If you bump this, you better have a good reason.
The reason im bumping this is because i am fucking struggling at quitting. I've been smoking for 3,5 years, one pack per 3 days on average. There has been times where i went without smokes for 1 or 2 days and i didn't really felt the addiction.
But 5 days ago i decided to quit, and fuck am i suffering from withdrawal. Urges for nicotine aren't constand but they are there, tension in my arms, the need to fiddle around with something to keep my hands busy, i've been moderately pissed this whole time and yesterday right before i went to bed my gums started to hurt badly, so badly i couldn't get any sleep until i drank some ibuprofen... This whole ordeal made me realize how miserable this addiction is when you cut he supply of nicotine, which even further motivated me to fully quit.
So yea... i better start looking for other ways to relax myself... and i really hope i wont run into any stressful situations in near future >_>
That is all.
When you want a cigarette, really badly, do a set of pushups or situps until you're grunting
Warning: The last post in this thread is over two months old. If you bump this, you better have a good reason.
The reason im bumping this is because i am fucking struggling at quitting. I've been smoking for 3,5 years, one pack per 3 days on average. There has been times where i went without smokes for 1 or 2 days and i didn't really felt the addiction.
But 5 days ago i decided to quit, and fuck am i suffering from withdrawal. Urges for nicotine aren't constand but they are there, tension in my arms, the need to fiddle around with something to keep my hands busy, i've been moderately pissed this whole time and yesterday right before i went to bed my gums started to hurt badly, so badly i couldn't get any sleep until i drank some ibuprofen... This whole ordeal made me realize how miserable this addiction is when you cut he supply of nicotine, which even further motivated me to fully quit.
So yea... i better start looking for other ways to relax myself... and i really hope i wont run into any stressful situations in near future >_>
That is all.
When you want a cigarette, really badly, do a set of pushups or situps until you're grunting
My brobro had to quit recently too, shit sucks.
He didn't really come up with a "trick" to it or anything, he just kinda let it happen. Not as happy of a guy now lol. But he still drinks a lot (not more than before, no biggie). You can do it Travis :D
On June 13 2010 10:15 davis.of.km wrote: There are no "pros" to being addicted to cigarettes.
Nah there are, i don't think i would have been able to finish college if not for the smokes, they are awesome when you are dealing with a lot of stress.
Anyways, thanks for all the support. And i would like to add one more thing thats been bugging me quite a bit now: Why the hell are they placed above cash registers, in the perfect spot to see when you are standing in line, its such a fucking tease >_> The only reason i can come up with is that this way they are almost impossible to shoplift.
I don't know if down in the US they are placed like that as well, but that's how it is here in Lithuania... yet another reason why i hate my country :/
first of all i have nothing wrong with smokers at all
they are behind the counter at the convenience store in Canada. its not just your country
but if your smoking because of stress from college you probably shouldn't be there in the first place. Your learning not to be super stressed, also learn to handle stress without damaging your health, you can always exercise or something.
Just smoke in moderation like 3 ciggies a day, I tried to quit at the start of the year after 2 years of half a pack a day. I did not smoke for 5 days and I think I got over the physical addiction but not the psychological one. I lighted one up on a weekend drink with friends and have been smoking 3 sticks a day, maybe 1 or 2 on weekends if I am going on social gatherings with smokers.
If youve made it to day 5 its all about hanging in there from now on!
I quit smoking when I created this thread and was sucessful for like 2-3 weeks or so. By that time I didnt have any sudden urges nor did I have any major withdrawal symptomps left. Except for tons of energy! This is going to sound so f*n retarded but its how nictoine works so listen carefully!
Anyway, I had´1 cigarette for some reason I dont even remember. "Ok, everyone can make a slip" was how I dealt with it. What I didnt realise was that the next time I came in contact with cigarettes I would go in with the mindset that "I can handle a cigarette.. maybe even two". Well, I suppose it takes to genius to understand that I started again. There are many loop holes along the way and the Nictine will make you think that you can handle "a single one" even thou you know you cant in your heart.
I quit like two, two and and a half month back again and I wont waste my effort by having another cigarette - ever. Hang in there!! DONT give up and waste all you efforts!! I wont!!
I was an average smoker (half a pack/day) for 5 years and then stopped for 2 months. I started back but I now smoke 5 max/day and I think it aint that harmful in the long term. I will be stopping soon but I have other addictions to deal with first :\ daily pot smoker for like 6+ years so that is an issue although I smoke less than .5g/day but its consistent.
On June 13 2010 11:36 oddo123 wrote: Just smoke in moderation like 3 ciggies a day, I tried to quit at the start of the year after 2 years of half a pack a day. I did not smoke for 5 days and I think I got over the physical addiction but not the psychological one. I lighted one up on a weekend drink with friends and have been smoking 3 sticks a day, maybe 1 or 2 on weekends if I am going on social gatherings with smokers.
Just because you werent able to quit doesnt mean he wont be able to. Giving him the advice saying that he can handle it is pretty much the worst thing you can do. Isnt the fact that hes trying - struggling - to quit evidence enough that he cant handle cigarettes? I cant speak for him but I can only say that I know I would never be able to handle smoking "a few a day" as I´said in previous post. Either I smoke or I dont and I feel great not doing it.
I think his head is full enough of urges to smoke without you pulling him over the edge saying "why dont you hav one a day?". Hang in there man. Dont listen to this kind of people if you want to quit.
On June 13 2010 10:15 davis.of.km wrote: There are no "pros" to being addicted to cigarettes.
Nah there are, i don't think i would have been able to finish college if not for the smokes, they are awesome when you are dealing with a lot of stress.
No. Cigarettes are simply a placebo, you've convinced yourself that by smoking cigarettes you're alleviating any anxieties you might have. Do a quick google search regarding cigarettes and anxiety and you'll come across studies that have shown that they are not an effective form of stress relief.
I had quit smoking when I was in High school cuz I was broke. I was smoking half a pack a day back then. Then I moved to China and started smoking again cuz the cigarettes are so fucking cheap here (40 cents a pack lol). But I rarely smoke more than 4/5 cigs a day, eventhough my colleagues at office smoke a lot.
If you are looking for motivations, I know in some countries it's over $8 a pack, so calculating how much you save in a year without smoking may help you ! GL ALL !
i have only had one cigarette in my life and that was when i was five years old.after that experience, i now stay as far away as i can from smoking and other smokers as possible.
On June 13 2010 17:13 BloodDrunK wrote: i have only had one cigarette in my life and that was when i was five years old.after that experience, i now stay as far away as i can from smoking and other smokers as possible.
Yes that's why every parent should go like this :
Wait... Wasn't there a thread about a 2yrs old toddler who was smoking 2 packs a day in SE Asia ?! Nvm.
I smoked for 10 years, been off for 7. (ya, I'm 31)
Also, try to be off work or school. No stress. I took 2 weeks off, and just told myself "I was sick" for 2 weeks. That's why I felt like shit. Lots of water, and drank soda after meals, extra can, because that was the hardest time.
Then later I quit the soda. The important think is you quit now.
On June 13 2010 16:48 Heen wrote: Smoking a pack a day these days, sometimes 1.5
I don't know where to start. I have piss poor self-discipline.
Do you have any friends/family that can support you? I believe that really helps. An obvious starting point would be to get rid of all your cigaretts then tell lots of people that you plan to quit. That way someone is probably always gonna remind you about not smoking.
On June 13 2010 22:02 snowbird wrote: I smoked for about 10 years. For the last few years about a pack a day.
I quit 6 months ago, just went cold turkey, worked well for me. Recently I started to smoke again, but only when drinking.
I think I'll continue being a "party smoker", because smoking is just too good to completely give up.
Just be careful. Thats what pretty much happend to me except I woke up the next day with a pack of ciggs next to me and figured that it would be a waste to throw them away. If you can handle it its all good, just sayin I know I cant.
On June 13 2010 22:02 snowbird wrote: I smoked for about 10 years. For the last few years about a pack a day.
I quit 6 months ago, just went cold turkey, worked well for me. Recently I started to smoke again, but only when drinking.
I think I'll continue being a "party smoker", because smoking is just too good to completely give up.
Just be careful. Thats what pretty much happend to me except I woke up the next day with a pack of ciggs next to me and figured that it would be a waste to throw them away. If you can handle it its all good, just sayin I know I cant.
It actually works pretty well. For some reason I have zero urge to smoke when I'm not drinking (and I'm happy about that), but as soon as I have a beer the urge gets really strong and it's a pleasure to satisfy it.
But yeah, I agree that it could be dangerous. I'll be careful. :D
Ive been smoking for about 10 years, but now recently i gave it up on a regular basis.
Drinking represents another obstacle tho, and i knew i could not overcome this one. So i made a basic rule, 1 cigg pr. 3 units of alcohol. Keep it that simple and you quickly smoke a lot less.
On another note, there is a chance you might drink a lot faster/more with this technique.
On June 13 2010 10:15 davis.of.km wrote: There are no "pros" to being addicted to cigarettes.
Nah there are, i don't think i would have been able to finish college if not for the smokes, they are awesome when you are dealing with a lot of stress.
Seriously, this thread is ridicoulous. It's been a long time since I laughed this much. Cigarettes doesn't do anything good unless you're addicted.
yeah i smoked cigarettes for 10+ years, but when i quit, i quit cold turkey, already knowing that i had my last cigarette also you should watch a movie called "The Union - The Business Behind Getting High" there's a scene in the movie of an air plane dropping radioactive wastes on a tobacco crop!
happy smoking!
edit: imHo quitting cold turkey wins more than cutting back - cuz you directly stop feeding the nicotine receptors in your brain. :D
On June 13 2010 23:34 keNNabis wrote: edit: imHo quitting cold turkey wins more than cutting back - cuz you directly stop feeding the nicotine receptors in your brain. :D
It's not a matter of opinion, quitting cold turkey is much better than cutting back because you no longer smoke cigarettes at all, which is a huge plus to the health meter and the bank balance. Cutting back is however better than giving up trying to quit smoking altogether.
Just over 4 weeks now for me since I quit. I have to say it is much easier this time around than any other, and I've been smoking for about 10 years. I guess my extra motivation this time around is a 100 dollar bet with a friend.
I think the hardest part up 'til now is I randomly have a dream where in it, I'll 'sneak' a puff or 3 of a cigarette. Then when I wake up I'm all upset and wanting to smoke really bad.
On June 13 2010 10:15 davis.of.km wrote: There are no "pros" to being addicted to cigarettes.
Nah there are, i don't think i would have been able to finish college if not for the smokes, they are awesome when you are dealing with a lot of stress.
Seriously, this thread is ridicoulous. It's been a long time since I laughed this much. Cigarettes doesn't do anything good unless you're addicted.
?? Cigarettes release dopamine in your brain, so you relieve stress. Whether this is "good" or not is a stupid discussion. So the pro's is that you get more dopamine, the con is that you're gonna die and you smell like ass.
Good luck to all the people who try to stop smoking! It can be done! Smoked myself for three years, but stoped when i went to university. After the first month it is not much of a problem, but the first one or two weeks can be annyoing. I quit drinking coffee for 6 month, because i just couldn't drink a cup without the wish to light myself a cigarette XD
On June 13 2010 10:30 Skvid wrote: And i would like to add one more thing thats been bugging me quite a bit now: Why the hell are they placed above cash registers, in the perfect spot to see when you are standing in line, its such a fucking tease >_> The only reason i can come up with is that this way they are almost impossible to shoplift.
There's another, and probably more important, reason as well: They're placed above the cash register so they'll be in the perfect spot to see when you are standing in line and be such a fucking tease that you'll spend more money in their shop...
Good luck to all you quitters! Luckily, I have never smoked, so I won't have to go through it, but I support you!
On June 13 2010 10:30 Skvid wrote: And i would like to add one more thing thats been bugging me quite a bit now: Why the hell are they placed above cash registers, in the perfect spot to see when you are standing in line, its such a fucking tease >_> The only reason i can come up with is that this way they are almost impossible to shoplift.
There's another, and probably more important, reason as well: They're placed above the cash register so they'll be in the perfect spot to see when you are standing in line and be such a fucking tease that you'll spend more money in their shop...
Good luck to all you quitters! Luckily, I have never smoked, so I won't have to go through it, but I support you!
i've been smoking for 8 years... It's a horrible feeling.. I've tried to quit many times, longest I went was 3 weeks, and during those 3 weeks, i was coughing up blood/black substances, and a whole manner of other things, when I'd have showers I could taste ash in my mouth as if it was coming out of lungs, worst experience for me wasn't the cold sweats or the shakes, it was the before mentioned events that really makes it hard to quit, atleast for me... Help and new TL user
On June 14 2010 18:41 Baxter wrote: i've been smoking for 8 years... It's a horrible feeling.. I've tried to quit many times, longest I went was 3 weeks, and during those 3 weeks, i was coughing up blood/black substances, and a whole manner of other things, when I'd have showers I could taste ash in my mouth as if it was coming out of lungs, worst experience for me wasn't the cold sweats or the shakes, it was the before mentioned events that really makes it hard to quit, atleast for me... Help and new TL user
Dude that is seriously fucked up. First thing I would advise is change to roll up cigarettes, if you are not on them already. They take time to make (papers, tobacco, filter, assemble) they don't taste as good and they are better for you. Even if you end up smoking the exact same amount, which I doubt you will, you are better off. What I find is when you are a cigarette smoker, a roll up cigarette just will not hit the spot. Guess what after a few days only a roll up cigarette will do it for you and if you try an original cigarette it might taste nice as a treat but it will not satisfy your craving. Another plus is that this will save you money. I did this for a year or two before I quit smoking and the entire time I was gradually cutting back and cutting back until I was smoking like 3-5 roll up cigarettes a day max for 6 months - a year. When you have smoked a lot more than this you will know this is almost nothing over the course of a day. Hope this helps.
I guess the key things for me is changing to roll ups and also cutting back, my logic being "kicking the habit" is the problem and the less you smoke the less severe your habit is, and thus is easier to kick. When I used to smoke 10+ a day going all day without a cigarette was inconceivable... but once I was down to like 3-5 roll ups a day I managed to stop smoking every day without much hassle. Personally for me it was the habit of smoking, not smoking itself I wanted to stop. It cost me a lot of money and I was coughing a lot of stuff up from my lungs. Now I honestly still smoke every 2nd or 3rd day but I feel so much better it's unreal.
On June 14 2010 19:34 SmoKim wrote: but but, if i quit smoking i have to find a new nickname been using it for 10 years now </3
Think about it this way: If you dont stop maybe you wont be even need you nickname? Also, if you really like the nick maybe you could have it chagned t smokimjacket or similar? ^_^
On June 14 2010 18:41 Baxter wrote: i've been smoking for 8 years... It's a horrible feeling.. I've tried to quit many times, longest I went was 3 weeks, and during those 3 weeks, i was coughing up blood/black substances, and a whole manner of other things, when I'd have showers I could taste ash in my mouth as if it was coming out of lungs, worst experience for me wasn't the cold sweats or the shakes, it was the before mentioned events that really makes it hard to quit, atleast for me... Help and new TL user
Dude that is seriously fucked up. First thing I would advise is change to roll up cigarettes, if you are not on them already. They take time to make (papers, tobacco, filter, assemble) they don't taste as good and they are better for you. Even if you end up smoking the exact same amount, which I doubt you will, you are better off. What I find is when you are a cigarette smoker, a roll up cigarette just will not hit the spot. Guess what after a few days only a roll up cigarette will do it for you and if you try an original cigarette it might taste nice as a treat but it will not satisfy your craving. Another plus is that this will save you money. I did this for a year or two before I quit smoking and the entire time I was gradually cutting back and cutting back until I was smoking like 3-5 roll up cigarettes a day max for 6 months - a year. When you have smoked a lot more than this you will know this is almost nothing over the course of a day. Hope this helps.
I guess the key things for me is changing to roll ups and also cutting back, my logic being "kicking the habit" is the problem and the less you smoke the less severe your habit is, and thus is easier to kick. When I used to smoke 10+ a day going all day without a cigarette was inconceivable... but once I was down to like 3-5 roll ups a day I managed to stop smoking every day without much hassle. Personally for me it was the habit of smoking, not smoking itself I wanted to stop. It cost me a lot of money and I was coughing a lot of stuff up from my lungs. Now I honestly still smoke every 2nd or 3rd day but I feel so much better it's unreal.
I've been smoking rollies for 3 years, and they have a much fresher taste and I feel like ever since I got on them i've been smoking much more. I buy a 50 gram every 4 days, I go through that very quickly, as for the rolling the cigarette up doesnt take me long at all, people have always said to me I roll very quickly. All my mates smoke also, which makes it increasingly harder to quit. I've tried nicotine gum /patches, but i've never really used them to quit.. if anything I use em when I know im not gonna be able to smoke for a few hours, like when going to class/work, and when I run out of smokes just before I get paid they just help me get through the few hours i need to wait to buy another pack... It's a vicious cycle..
On June 14 2010 10:29 FortuneSyn wrote: ?? Cigarettes release dopamine in your brain, so you relieve stress. Whether this is "good" or not is a stupid discussion. So the pro's is that you get more dopamine, the con is that you're gonna die and you smell like badass.
Fixed.
A little update (im the one who bumped this thread remember?): i'm on my 7th day now, and i think that physical addiction has subsided. So hooray to me. This is hopefully the first and last time i quit smoking, the way i did it was quite random. I didn't smoked the "last cig" (which is known to be better than sex). That cig was just another last cig in the pack, i wasn't planning on quitting when i smoked it. Same evening i felt really pissed because the shop got closed before i readied myself up to go and buy a new pack. And i guess when it started. What i did was i put myself in the mindset of quitting, and i told everyone i knew that i was going to do it, i haven't spammed everyone i knew immediately though. I told one person per time, and that time was at the peaks of nicotine urges. Oh and i mentioned it in a few forums as well First 3 days i avoided the shops because i knew that i was going to buy a pack if i went in. And i wasn't busy so i had the luxury to stay at home most of the time.
Note that u only smoked a pack per 2-3 days. I can imagine that quitting for a more frequent smokers is going to be much, much harder, i just hope you find some good tips. I think that by far the most effective way to start off the "quitting phase" is isolating yourself at home for a first few days.
And Baxter, if you cough blood and feel ashes in your throat that should be enough to motivate you to cut back on smokes.
On June 14 2010 19:34 SmoKim wrote: but but, if i quit smoking i have to find a new nickname been using it for 10 years now </3
Think about it this way: If you dont stop maybe you wont be even need you nickname? Also, if you really like the nick maybe you could have it chagned t smokimjacket or similar? ^_^
LMAO xD
On June 13 2010 18:35 ret wrote: 2 months strong now, no real problems after the first week
I've been smoking a few joints with tobacco recently though.....not sure if that's something I want to keep doing....
tbh even if i did quit cigarets i would still prefer some tobacco in my joints, else i would end up using way to much to quick and there is a 9 days Rock Festival inc <3
On June 14 2010 18:41 Baxter wrote: i've been smoking for 8 years... It's a horrible feeling.. I've tried to quit many times, longest I went was 3 weeks, and during those 3 weeks, i was coughing up blood/black substances, and a whole manner of other things, when I'd have showers I could taste ash in my mouth as if it was coming out of lungs, worst experience for me wasn't the cold sweats or the shakes, it was the before mentioned events that really makes it hard to quit, atleast for me... Help and new TL user
The following is worth reading if you are finding giving up smoking difficult
I guess I could do an interesting article for the General section. But I may as well start here, seeing this is a thread for smokers trying to give up.
The smokeless cigarette that has been developed in China and is now available to buy over the internet from countries such as England is a marvelous invention. Giving up smoking is tough. We all know it. Sure, some lucky folks can give up and only have mild trouble doing so. Others are fortunate enough never to take up the habit. But for the great majority of people, giving up smoking is one of the hardest things they will do in their lives. The beauty of the smokeless cigarette is you don't have to give up. Sure, give up if you can, it's certainly the best option for your wallet and definitely good for your health. But if you find yourself continually falling back into the habit, if you find the cravings too strong or (heaven forbid) if you actually just enjoy the feeling that smoking gives you then this option should be considered.
Smokeless cigarettes are different to patches, gum, lozengers and inhalers. Why? Because all of these other aids to giving up smoking distribute nicotine to the body roughly equally. Ever tried to chain-smoke an entire packet of cigarettes? Researchers found that test subjects who did just this often had a point at which they got nauseous and wanted to stop smoking. The same thing happens if you put on multiple patches at one time. At some point you will feel nauseous, probably before you get the enjoyable high that smoking gives you.
So why does this happen and how is the smokeless cigarette different? How indeed is inhaling on the SC (smokeless cig) different to say, an inhaler? When you use a nicotine inhaler the nicotine never makes it far past the tongue. It is ingested through the mucus glands in the mouth/throat. The SC is a battery shaped like the white piece of a cigarette, the yellow-brown filter is the nicotine canister. The battery heats the nicotine and keeps it in a vapour state. This means that when you inhale it, it gets all the way down to the lungs. So? Well being ingested in the lungs means it travels to the brain a lot faster (this has to do with blood being oxygenated at/near the lungs). This is the same as when you smoke a normal cigarette. What this means is you get a lot more nicotine directly in the brain compared to the rest of the body. Hence, you get the hit from the nicotine without the feeling of nausea you'd have if the nicotine was spread equally throughout your body (as it is with patches and gum).
Now, the draw-backs? Is it safe? One drawback is the taste. I think that the technology, which is in its infancy could be improved by having a nicer after-taste. I personally didn't enjoy the taste that the SC left in my mouth. Of course, the after-taste of cigarettes isn't exactly delicious either and it's entirely possible that one would get used to the taste in the future (or not find it slightly unpleasant like I did). As regards safety, I was somewhat dubious because the product originated in China. I felt that perhaps there wouldn't be the same rigorous standards Western countries might enforce. However, with a company (perhaps more than one) now operating in England this has assayed my fears. Additionally a biologist I've spoken to seemed rather unconcerned and has made multiple purchases of the product himself.
Anyway hope this brief description of this new product piqued some people's interests. I hope no one thinks I own shares in one of these companies, I just find this new technology really exciting. Feel free to do your own research or if you want anything I said clarified or some more info shoot me a PM.
Edit:
I should also briefly mention the cost. The average filter packet costs approximately 20% what cigarettes cost here in Australia. In fact it might be less again as we recently had a $2 blanket tax placed on all tobacco/cigarette products.
Quitting smoking is "easy". I'm 17 months free after smoking for 19 years.
The secret?
Not one puff ever.
I know it soulds stupid, I know it sounds retarded, but thats the bottom line secret of all.
Nicotine is a scary fucker in terms of its addictiveness...lets face it, all of us that have tried to quit have inevitably had one cigarette once, either as a reward for something or because we "just needed one" due to some stress in our lives, and the next thing we knew we were pack a day smokers again.
You will go through your own bit of hell...nicotine will flush from your system within about 3 days. Physical withdrawl is a horrible bitch, and will take you 3 weeks or so to go through. You'll go through the grief cycle, you'll throw tantrums, you won't be fun to be around. Drinking around smokers, forget about it for the first month, or you're just asking for relapse.
There were times I wished I was almost dead. I felt alone. Nobody understood. I went through phases where I was so angry/miserable/depressed that I thought if this is who I am as a non-smoker, fuck that shit, I'd rather smoke myself to the grave. I withdrew from my wife, my family, my co-workers.
But I kept on...and today I don't even really think about it anymore. Sure, every now and then the inner addict starts whispering, but its a pretty feeble whisper, easily ignored. I have a shitpile more money, and I don't smell like I just came out of the ass of a dead rhino.
In contrast to the start of this post...quitting smoking was pretty much the hardest thing I've done in my life. But it really is as easy as "just don't smoke". A cigarette isn't magical...it isn't a reward. It wont make your happy times happier. It won't eliminate stress. It won't make the trials and tragedies in our lives any better, or any easier to manage. Its just a pile of dried dead plants wrapped in paper that are burned. Thats it.
Step one of it all...and I know this will sound cliche...but you have to accept tobacco/nicotine as an addiction. You are an addict, and really, you will forever and always be an addict to this substance. The only way to beat an addiction is complete abstinence of the substance.
If I may recommend a website, check out http://www.whyquit.com as the site has a plethora of information about this particular addiction. I would also strongly recommend some form of support group, either in the real world, or find an online support group. It helps a ton
On June 15 2010 00:12 samalie wrote: Quitting smoking is "easy". I'm 17 months free after smoking for 19 years.
The secret?
Not one puff ever.
I know it soulds stupid, I know it sounds retarded, but thats the bottom line secret of all.
Nicotine is a scary fucker in terms of its addictiveness...lets face it, all of us that have tried to quit have inevitably had one cigarette once, either as a reward for something or because we "just needed one" due to some stress in our lives, and the next thing we knew we were pack a day smokers again.
You will go through your own bit of hell...nicotine will flush from your system within about 3 days. Physical withdrawl is a horrible bitch, and will take you 3 weeks or so to go through. You'll go through the grief cycle, you'll throw tantrums, you won't be fun to be around. Drinking around smokers, forget about it for the first month, or you're just asking for relapse.
There were times I wished I was almost dead. I felt alone. Nobody understood. I went through phases where I was so angry/miserable/depressed that I thought if this is who I am as a non-smoker, fuck that shit, I'd rather smoke myself to the grave. I withdrew from my wife, my family, my co-workers.
But I kept on...and today I don't even really think about it anymore. Sure, every now and then the inner addict starts whispering, but its a pretty feeble whisper, easily ignored. I have a shitpile more money, and I don't smell like I just came out of the ass of a dead rhino.
In contrast to the start of this post...quitting smoking was pretty much the hardest thing I've done in my life. But it really is as easy as "just don't smoke". A cigarette isn't magical...it isn't a reward. It wont make your happy times happier. It won't eliminate stress. It won't make the trials and tragedies in our lives any better, or any easier to manage. Its just a pile of dried dead plants wrapped in paper that are burned. Thats it.
Step one of it all...and I know this will sound cliche...but you have to accept tobacco/nicotine as an addiction. You are an addict, and really, you will forever and always be an addict to this substance. The only way to beat an addiction is complete abstinence of the substance.
If I may recommend a website, check out http://www.whyquit.com as the site has a plethora of information about this particular addiction. I would also strongly recommend some form of support group, either in the real world, or find an online support group. It helps a ton
Ok, nice post and I agree with a lot of it. But I have major issues with the bolded parts. Because they read like something from an anti-smoking campaign leaflet. Smoking is a substance wrapped in paper that we burn. Other than that, you're way off. It does help reduce stress for a lot of people and not just because it is satisfying a craving. It does make some people's lives easier to manage - I've heard stories of people at the tops of their professions who recognise their addiction as a problem but are also acutely aware of the benefits they derive from nicotine. "It won't make your happy times happier". Hm... That's like saying alcohol has absolutely no effect on the brain or those areas that give us pleasure. If you're being philosophical, I can agree. Smoking will not make you happy. But no one has ever said it would (except perhaps for some terrible claims made by the pro-tobacco lobby or through advertising). However, smoking does give people pleasure. And it does help with concentration and focus. No one tries to make absurd claims that caffeine has no affect on the body and we shouldn't make the debate about smoking a moral debate when it clearly isn't. It's not "wrong" to smoke, any more than it's wrong to have a large coffee every morning.
Anyway as I said, I liked your post and it's sentiments and I can agree with a lot of it. Cold turkey isn't a bad option. But it's not really easy either and many people find it impossible. Your success is fantastic but won't be applicable for everyone. Sadly we're all different. Sometimes it's not just a question of willpower.
i quit rather sucessfully and with relative ease, but I'm not sure there's really a trick. I lived with a few smokers who tried to make it hard but they sort of helped. It only takes enough willpower to "just say no". When someone asks you if you want a cigarette its empowering to be able to say no.
Another thing, you don't need to resolve quitting "forever." Itll only take two or three weeks until you hardly ever think about it again. Plus, I think it's a little delusional to think you'll quit forever, I think the occasional cigarette a few times a year is inevitable, and the reward for having stopped doing it so regularly.
-phew i did not smoke for 19 years. I would take his advice instead.
On June 15 2010 00:12 samalie wrote: Quitting smoking is "easy". I'm 17 months free after smoking for 19 years.
The secret?
Not one puff ever.
I know it soulds stupid, I know it sounds retarded, but thats the bottom line secret of all.
Nicotine is a scary fucker in terms of its addictiveness...lets face it, all of us that have tried to quit have inevitably had one cigarette once, either as a reward for something or because we "just needed one" due to some stress in our lives, and the next thing we knew we were pack a day smokers again.
You will go through your own bit of hell...nicotine will flush from your system within about 3 days. Physical withdrawl is a horrible bitch, and will take you 3 weeks or so to go through. You'll go through the grief cycle, you'll throw tantrums, you won't be fun to be around. Drinking around smokers, forget about it for the first month, or you're just asking for relapse.
There were times I wished I was almost dead. I felt alone. Nobody understood. I went through phases where I was so angry/miserable/depressed that I thought if this is who I am as a non-smoker, fuck that shit, I'd rather smoke myself to the grave. I withdrew from my wife, my family, my co-workers.
But I kept on...and today I don't even really think about it anymore. Sure, every now and then the inner addict starts whispering, but its a pretty feeble whisper, easily ignored. I have a shitpile more money, and I don't smell like I just came out of the ass of a dead rhino.
In contrast to the start of this post...quitting smoking was pretty much the hardest thing I've done in my life. But it really is as easy as "just don't smoke". A cigarette isn't magical...it isn't a reward. It wont make your happy times happier. It won't eliminate stress. It won't make the trials and tragedies in our lives any better, or any easier to manage. Its just a pile of dried dead plants wrapped in paper that are burned. Thats it.
Step one of it all...and I know this will sound cliche...but you have to accept tobacco/nicotine as an addiction. You are an addict, and really, you will forever and always be an addict to this substance. The only way to beat an addiction is complete abstinence of the substance.
If I may recommend a website, check out http://www.whyquit.com as the site has a plethora of information about this particular addiction. I would also strongly recommend some form of support group, either in the real world, or find an online support group. It helps a ton
Ok, nice post and I agree with a lot of it. But I have major issues with the bolded parts. Because they read like something from an anti-smoking campaign leaflet. Smoking is a substance wrapped in paper that we burn. Other than that, you're way off. It does help reduce stress for a lot of people and not just because it is satisfying a craving. It does make some people's lives easier to manage - I've heard stories of people at the tops of their professions who recognise their addiction as a problem but are also acutely aware of the benefits they derive from nicotine. "It won't make your happy times happier". Hm... That's like saying alcohol has absolutely no effect on the brain or those areas that give us pleasure. If you're being philosophical, I can agree. Smoking will not make you happy. But no one has ever said it would (except perhaps for some terrible claims made by the pro-tobacco lobby or through advertising). However, smoking does give people pleasure. And it does help with concentration and focus. No one tries to make absurd claims that caffeine has no affect on the body and we shouldn't make the debate about smoking a moral debate when it clearly isn't. It's not "wrong" to smoke, any more than it's wrong to have a large coffee every morning.
Anyway as I said, I liked your post and it's sentiments and I can agree with a lot of it. Cold turkey isn't a bad option. But it's not really easy either and many people find it impossible. Your success is fantastic but won't be applicable for everyone. Sadly we're all different. Sometimes it's not just a question of willpower.
And, with all respect, anyone that is smoking telling you that smoking relives stress/etc are caught up in the addiction.
Smoking has the illusion of stress relief, but the illusion is part of the addiction itself.
Yes, smoking will make you believe you are less stressed, just like alcohol/weed/whatever drugs can make you feel happy...but the point of my post was this is a chemical illusion, not actuall happiness, or stress relief. If you want to discuss the stress relief aspect, there are a ton of factors involved in "smoking" that are just as stress relieving as the chemical itself. You're removing yourself from the situation (can't smoke inside @ work). You're taking deep breaths. And, psycologically, you are convincing yourself that this substance is making the stress go away.
And, for the record, although I am a cold turkey quitter, I don't advocate against nicotine replacement therapy...but in the LONG term, if you want to be free from nicotine, you have to reach a point where you are fully abstaining from nicotine/tobacco. We are drug addicts, plain and simple, and ingesting our drug of choice will lead to relapse in most cases.
In practice, there are some benefits to nicotine...its known to affect thought and memory, and may prove to be a treatment for Alzerhimer's (sp?) as probably the greatest potentials. But its also an extremely powerful neurotoxin that is shown to destroy cells in the standard grey-matter of brain tissue.
I'm sorry if I sounded like a stupid government anti-tobacco message, but honestly, the greatest mental hurdle that I overcame to become smoke-free and nicotine-free was realizing that its just a stupid plant that I was burning for the illusion of feeling better...because even though it did make me feel better that instant, its a dopamine high and nothing more. If I wanted to be happy, to solve my stress, whatever...I had to find those answers in my life, not in some dead plant matter.
Take, for example, the most stressful/tragic thing we can face...the death of a loved one. We might find a little bit of temporary releif at the bottom of a bottle, or in a bong, or in a pack of smokes. But at the end of it all, the loved one is still gone, and we're here left behind...and in the case of a really harsh addiction that tobacco is, now you're left behind with a monkey on your back that is probably the third hardest substance to break addiction to (#1 Heroin, #2 Meth) for most people. Shit, I backed into a portable sign 3 days into my quit...took a chunk out of my back bumper. I thought about smoking...I really did. Sure, it would have made the immediate stress go away for a bit, but in the end it wouldn't have made me not back into the sign, and it wouldn't have fixed my bumper.
I'm not even saying smoking is wrong...if you want to smoke, fuck it, smoke. I'm not some holier than thou preaching asshole who thinks that I'm a minor god for throwing away my smokes...it took me 19 years of smoking to realize that I wanted to be free. I just wanted to give my own personal opinions on a quit smoking thread, advice that was key to my own success.
If it helps you, great. If it doesn't...if you want to get off tobacco, I hope you find the path that works for you
On February 28 2010 17:25 spetial wrote: smoke weed everyday..................... ps. cigs are bad yo
Weed isn't any better, only thing bad about the cigarettes are
1) addiction 2) cost 3) smell 4) SMELL of your FUCKING MOUTH.
You forgot to include the daunting health risks.
and the fact that weed gets you high and is way awesomer than cigs
With all due respect, it is not. It is illegal, expensive and cause psychical problems for the rest of your life...not awesome whatsoever.
Well I have been smoking weed multiple times daily for about 5 years and I would say I am mentally sharper and vastly superior physically to my peers.
Not that I am claiming that it is in any way good for your health. Clearly inhaling hot smoke into your lungs is not good for you. But it doesn't have the chemicals of cigarettes, and you don't have to smoke nearly as much to maintain a high.
Some of the top athletes in the world smoke weed recreationally. Some of them even do it regularly. No top athletes smoke cigs, like ever.
Also, I really don't think weed is that expensive. But I guess that's just an opinion. It certainly isn't expensive compared to most(or all?) other drugs.
And weed doesn't seem to cause mental problems, at least not for anyone I know. And I have known lots of people who smoke weed. I wouldn't discount the possibility, however.
On February 28 2010 17:25 spetial wrote: smoke weed everyday..................... ps. cigs are bad yo
Weed isn't any better, only thing bad about the cigarettes are
1) addiction 2) cost 3) smell 4) SMELL of your FUCKING MOUTH.
You forgot to include the daunting health risks.
and the fact that weed gets you high and is way awesomer than cigs
With all due respect, it is not. It is illegal, expensive and cause psychical problems for the rest of your life...not awesome whatsoever.
Well I have been smoking weed multiple times daily for about 5 years and I would say I am mentally sharper and vastly superior physically to my peers.
Not that I am claiming that it is in any way good for your health. Clearly inhaling hot smoke into your lungs is not good for you. But it doesn't have the chemicals of cigarettes, and you don't have to smoke nearly as much to maintain a high.
Some of the top athletes in the world smoke weed recreationally. Some of them even do it regularly. No top athletes smoke cigs, like ever.
Also, I really don't think weed is that expensive. But I guess that's just an opinion. It certainly isn't expensive compared to most(or all?) other drugs.
And weed doesn't seem to cause mental problems, at least not for anyone I know. And I have known lots of people who smoke weed. I wouldn't discount the possibility, however.
I used smoking weed as a device to help me quit cigarettes. I was a smoker for 7 years and the majority of those years, I was on around 30 cigarettes a day. I always had 2 packs on me depending on what I wanted at that point. I had Newport 100s and Marlboro 27s or Reds 100. I decided to quit almost cold-turkey which made it difficult, but weed really helped me pull through. Also I have lower back issues so it wasn't like I was obtaining it illegally or anything. To date, I haven't smoked a cigarette in about 17 months now so I'm pretty happy with that, but I'll keep extending that streak until the end of my life preferably.
On February 28 2010 17:25 spetial wrote: smoke weed everyday..................... ps. cigs are bad yo
Weed isn't any better, only thing bad about the cigarettes are
1) addiction 2) cost 3) smell 4) SMELL of your FUCKING MOUTH.
You forgot to include the daunting health risks.
and the fact that weed gets you high and is way awesomer than cigs
With all due respect, it is not. It is illegal, expensive and cause psychical problems for the rest of your life...not awesome whatsoever.
Aint gonna go fully in on the details here, but I have, I do know someone who was gotten problems with it. Well I have been smoking weed multiple times daily for about 5 years and I would say I am mentally sharper and vastly superior physically to my peers.
Not that I am claiming that it is in any way good for your health. Clearly inhaling hot smoke into your lungs is not good for you. But it doesn't have the chemicals of cigarettes, and you don't have to smoke nearly as much to maintain a high.
Some of the top athletes in the world smoke weed recreationally. Some of them even do it regularly. No top athletes smoke cigs, like ever.
Also, I really don't think weed is that expensive. But I guess that's just an opinion. It certainly isn't expensive compared to most(or all?) other drugs.
And weed doesn't seem to cause mental problems, at least not for anyone I know. And I have known lots of people who smoke weed. I wouldn't discount the possibility, however.
On February 28 2010 17:25 spetial wrote: smoke weed everyday..................... ps. cigs are bad yo
Weed isn't any better, only thing bad about the cigarettes are
1) addiction 2) cost 3) smell 4) SMELL of your FUCKING MOUTH.
You forgot to include the daunting health risks.
and the fact that weed gets you high and is way awesomer than cigs
With all due respect, it is not. It is illegal, expensive and cause psychical problems for the rest of your life...not awesome whatsoever.
Well I have been smoking weed multiple times daily for about 5 years and I would say I am mentally sharper and vastly superior physically to my peers.
Not that I am claiming that it is in any way good for your health. Clearly inhaling hot smoke into your lungs is not good for you. But it doesn't have the chemicals of cigarettes, and you don't have to smoke nearly as much to maintain a high.
Some of the top athletes in the world smoke weed recreationally. Some of them even do it regularly. No top athletes smoke cigs, like ever.
Also, I really don't think weed is that expensive. But I guess that's just an opinion. It certainly isn't expensive compared to most(or all?) other drugs.
And weed doesn't seem to cause mental problems, at least not for anyone I know. And I have known lots of people who smoke weed. I wouldn't discount the possibility, however.
Pot is the least dangerous mind altering substance there is. It's not synthesized and is all natural and as he said a lot of prominent figures in sports and science smoke pot, or have tried it. I disagree with pot not being expensive, it goes for around $50-$70 per 3.5 grams (1/8 of an ounce) for the good stuff in pot dispensaries. If you smoke regularly like I do, I buy an eighth every week. So that's around $3000 per year on pot. Pot has side effects like everything, it isn't a magical herb that gives you everything and takes away nothing. Only thing I've noticed with pot is that it kills motivation, so I have to use pot as a "reward." Usually I'll smoke after going to the gym, or studying ect.
Pot is the least dangerous mind altering substance there is. It's not synthesized and is all natural and as he said a lot of prominent figures in sports and science smoke pot, or have tried it. I disagree with pot not being expensive, it goes for around $50-$70 per 3.5 grams (1/8 of an ounce) for the good stuff in pot dispensaries. If you smoke regularly like I do, I buy an eighth every week. So that's around $3000 per year on pot. Pot has side effects like everything, it isn't a magical herb that gives you everything and takes away nothing. Only thing I've noticed with pot is that it kills motivation, so I have to use pot as a "reward." Usually I'll smoke after going to the gym, or studying ect.
Please don't make an argument appealing to nature. Cyanide is as natural as things get, no one tells you to eat cyanide because it's natural. Also, source on not dangerous? There was a very interesting study held here in the UK recently including LSD, cocaine, alcohol, tobacco and cannabis. That spliff isn't as harmless as you might think.
On Topic, High five to all you guys who are staying off the cigarettes, it's harder than anyone who hasn't smoked gives credit for!
Pot is the least dangerous mind altering substance there is. It's not synthesized and is all natural and as he said a lot of prominent figures in sports and science smoke pot, or have tried it. I disagree with pot not being expensive, it goes for around $50-$70 per 3.5 grams (1/8 of an ounce) for the good stuff in pot dispensaries. If you smoke regularly like I do, I buy an eighth every week. So that's around $3000 per year on pot. Pot has side effects like everything, it isn't a magical herb that gives you everything and takes away nothing. Only thing I've noticed with pot is that it kills motivation, so I have to use pot as a "reward." Usually I'll smoke after going to the gym, or studying ect.
Please don't make an argument appealing to nature. Cyanide is as natural as things get, no one tells you to eat cyanide because it's natural. Also, source on not dangerous? There was a very interesting study held here in the UK recently including LSD, cocaine, alcohol, tobacco and cannabis. That spliff isn't as harmless as you might think.
On Topic, High five to all you guys who are staying off the cigarettes, it's harder than anyone who hasn't smoked gives credit for!
I was on the subject of mind altering substances, not poison. And it is a valid argument - I'd rather ingest things that are naturally occurring than things that are made in labs and factories. And I didn't say pot wasn't dangerous, I said it was the least dangerous out of the mainstream drugs. Jesus you sound like an angry 17 year old who wasn't offered a joint in high school because nobody wanted to chill with you. And yeah, that spliff isn't harmless because it contains tobacco and joint paper, both of which can be avoided if you smoke it pure out of a clean piece.
I tell you what, do 20 push-ups every time you even think about smoking, anywhere you may be, bus, work, home, shower ... just drop and do 20 push-ups :D
if you are a geek like me, then in few days of ... "not-smoking" your shoulders and chest will be on fire and ladies gonna love it ... haha.
PS, still a smoker, lighting one up rite now. I started because of a GF, i'll wait till the next one that's worth the trouble to make me quit.
Smoking is more of a habit than an addiction. I only felt the physical withdrawal symptoms for 2 weeks after quitting. You really need to convince yourself that you do not need to smoke just to kill time or smoke after eating to complete a meal etc etc. It is as hard as telling yourself not to brush your teeth ever again but it is still possible.
On June 16 2010 06:59 DJhozy wrote: Smoking is more of a habit than an addiction. I only felt the physical withdrawal symptoms for 2 weeks after quitting. You really need to convince yourself that you do not need to smoke just to kill time or smoke after eating to complete a meal etc etc. It is as hard as telling yourself not to brush your teeth ever again but it is still possible.
For serious. At some point smoking just wrapped itself into most parts of my life without me noticing and it just feels wrong to not smoke when I'm waiting for a bus or chilling in the middle of a class break or whatever.
e-cigs for life i insta perma quit regular cigs right after got my first e-cig device. 27.11.2009, probably best day in my whole life. finally free after 11 years of heavy addiction.
On June 23 2010 14:39 youngminii wrote: The hardest part of quitting is when you hang around friends that smoke. It's so hard not to smoke when they do
Yea agreed. Its so annoying. Few days ago 3 of us outside and talked, 1 of my friends lit up a cig. I was a bit drunk which amplified the craving for a smoke and alcohol made it morally easier to ask for a smoke . Thankfully he knew i was quitting, so he said that this was his last cigarette, i knew he was lieing but that was just enough for me to come to my senses and avoid the "slip". I'll thank him for doing what he did next the time i see him.
On June 15 2010 10:19 souldout wrote: I tell you what, do 20 push-ups every time you even think about smoking, anywhere you may be, bus, work, home, shower ... just drop and do 20 push-ups :D
This tip was surprisingly helpful as well. It helped to deal with the craving, plus i know that quitters gain weight so i've been further motivated to exercise.
So yea now i'm on my 16th day w/o smokes an\d i've been exercising for a week now, i wonder how long i can keep this up :S
Results? I sleep better, wake up easier and my legs don't fall asleep when i put them on the table and lean back in my chair (i.e watching a movie on PC)
Think about it unless you work the night shift any action taken during the early morning which requires you to spend money probably isn't coming from when you're thinking your best.
You guys can do it! Luckily i never got into using these "death sticks". Usually people who smoke cigarettes have a tendency to abuse substances more ive noticed. Think about it by quitting you're helping yourself out and the people who are around you be healthier!
Its been only 7 hours for me (rofl) but I'm already thinking about maybe just "reducing it" instead of quitting completely. I guess I'm caught in my delusions again...
i know it is not that hard if you are really convinced you will do it , but i am not even gonna try now, beacuse i need it during these shitty times full of stress..would last me probably 2-3 weeks and i would start again and what's the point of that - except little little bit of health improvement. I told to myself that only girlfriend who hates it would make me quit right now - searching one.
Addiction is addiction no matter what the addiction is to. I was addicted (literally would skip meals and cancel plans with friends at the last minute) to playing World of WarCraft, and I can safely say that when I actually did quit, it was 'cold turkey' so to speak. One day I woke up, I was in raid with the guild I played with, and I had an epiphany - this is mind numbingly boring, we sit here wiping all night because of six to eight people who don't get the fight and even if we had a flawless group who cares that we killed the boss? I stayed to the end of that raid, and then didn't log in again for 6 months. I play again now but I can play the game like a game - occasionally, I'm no longer addicted in any way. When I quit smoking it will have to be the same way. I will need to make up my mind about it and do it. I've tried the gum, the patch, the inhaler, and so on, and none of them worked. Because in my mind I still don't want to fully quit, even if I consider it.
TL-DR - Rely on your willpower and nothing else, the aids are just that 'aids' to make it easier with the withdrawal. If you go into it thinking 'this can replace my cigarettes' then you probably are not really ready to quit.
So many success stories. . . my dad quit after 30+ years in just 1 week, me after 7+ years and 2 weeks, my boss after god knows how long, and more.
I quit taking it after 2 weeks since it made me feel bloated as hell, but it does work. You can sit there, think about chain smoking, and not get a craving - it's crazy.
The main reason for me stopping was a pneumothroax, though. For those that don't know, it's a collapsed lung basically. I said fuck it after that.
On July 20 2010 05:20 Rev0lution wrote: Not to be a party pooper here, but what's wrong with smoking two a week or 1 every day.
It's a good way to relax and enjoy life.
I mean it's not like one cigarette is gonna kill you. People just don't know what moderation is.
Sure, smoking two packs a day is fucked up. Doesn't mean you need to quite forever.
Each individual cigarette may not kill you, but the compounded effect of all of them through your lifetime will significantly increase risk of illnesses and death. It's also a money drain.
On July 20 2010 05:20 Rev0lution wrote: Not to be a party pooper here, but what's wrong with smoking two a week or 1 every day.
It's a good way to relax and enjoy life.
I mean it's not like one cigarette is gonna kill you. People just don't know what moderation is.
Sure, smoking two packs a day is fucked up. Doesn't mean you need to quite forever.
Each individual cigarette may not kill you, but the compounded effect of all of them through your lifetime will significantly increase risk of illnesses and death. It's also a money drain.
I wouldn't say significantly. Obesity, lack of exercise and genetic predisposition play a much greater role in cardiovascular disease.
Cancer is meh, if the chances of a person getting cancer are 0.1% then a smoker would be 0.2% which is not that big of a deal.
On July 20 2010 02:22 SichuanPanda wrote: Addiction is addiction no matter what the addiction is to. I was addicted (literally would skip meals and cancel plans with friends at the last minute) to playing World of WarCraft, and I can safely say that when I actually did quit, it was 'cold turkey' so to speak. One day I woke up, I was in raid with the guild I played with, and I had an epiphany - this is mind numbingly boring, we sit here wiping all night because of six to eight people who don't get the fight and even if we had a flawless group who cares that we killed the boss? I stayed to the end of that raid, and then didn't log in again for 6 months. I play again now but I can play the game like a game - occasionally, I'm no longer addicted in any way. When I quit smoking it will have to be the same way. I will need to make up my mind about it and do it. I've tried the gum, the patch, the inhaler, and so on, and none of them worked. Because in my mind I still don't want to fully quit, even if I consider it.
TL-DR - Rely on your willpower and nothing else, the aids are just that 'aids' to make it easier with the withdrawal. If you go into it thinking 'this can replace my cigarettes' then you probably are not really ready to quit.
LOL WoW is not addicting, you ever suck dick to play WoW?
I suggest trying Snus for anyone who is looking to quit smoking, it helped me quit the cigs cold turkey. It's a Swedish tobacco product that you stick under your lip. It's not as harmful as cigarettes even if it's still tobacco. It's available in two forms, packaged in pouches or in loose form. In America there are some kind of snus available, but I can't vouch for the quality, if you really want to give it a shot I'd suggest trying to get a hold of some Swedish snus. This stuff is just great!
Also Cigars is an option, since they don't harm the lungs, but it's a expensive habit an not really a suitable replacement for an addiction. Perhaps cutting down on the cigs to half or less and smoking a cigar or two each week instead, that would be a real treat to look forward to!
Good luck to everyone trying to quit the cancer sticks!
On July 20 2010 02:22 SichuanPanda wrote: Addiction is addiction no matter what the addiction is to. I was addicted (literally would skip meals and cancel plans with friends at the last minute) to playing World of WarCraft, and I can safely say that when I actually did quit, it was 'cold turkey' so to speak. One day I woke up, I was in raid with the guild I played with, and I had an epiphany - this is mind numbingly boring, we sit here wiping all night because of six to eight people who don't get the fight and even if we had a flawless group who cares that we killed the boss? I stayed to the end of that raid, and then didn't log in again for 6 months. I play again now but I can play the game like a game - occasionally, I'm no longer addicted in any way. When I quit smoking it will have to be the same way. I will need to make up my mind about it and do it. I've tried the gum, the patch, the inhaler, and so on, and none of them worked. Because in my mind I still don't want to fully quit, even if I consider it.
TL-DR - Rely on your willpower and nothing else, the aids are just that 'aids' to make it easier with the withdrawal. If you go into it thinking 'this can replace my cigarettes' then you probably are not really ready to quit.
LOL WoW is not addicting, you ever suck dick to play WoW?
who sucked dick to get a cigarette? I doubt wow is addictive like heroine, but mostly any habit you like doing can become an addiction.
On July 20 2010 05:20 Rev0lution wrote: Not to be a party pooper here, but what's wrong with smoking two a week or 1 every day.
It's a good way to relax and enjoy life.
I mean it's not like one cigarette is gonna kill you. People just don't know what moderation is.
Sure, smoking two packs a day is fucked up. Doesn't mean you need to quite forever.
Each individual cigarette may not kill you, but the compounded effect of all of them through your lifetime will significantly increase risk of illnesses and death. It's also a money drain.
aswell as giving you a horrible stamina, hurting your gums and make you stink.
I have to say that I work in a Hospital Emergency room and I know what kills people. (and how horrific each death is)
Smoking will most likley kill you from heart disease (possibly COPD but thats rarer) and all in all.. heart disease isnt really all that bad a way to go out.
I can tell you that the 2 most horrific ways to snark it are Dementia and Obesety.. (sure there are some pretty bad tropical diseases out there but Im sticking to whats probably going to kill you)
After that herpes is pretty damn grim.. and there are some pretty horrible things that happen to alcoholics.
If quitting smoking was a guarantee of immortality.. Id quit tomorrow.. But it isnt and no matter how many healthy options you take you are in the end.. a dead dude...
The best reason I can think of to give up is if giving up will help yo score with a hot chick.. other than that.. dont bother.
So are you trying to go into this thread where people have a goal and objective to quit, and telling them NAH FUCK THAT GO QUIT YOUR FRENCH FRIES CHEESEBURGERS AND ALCOHOL FIRST.
Just let people do what they want, this thread isn't supposed to be a debate back n forth its a thread for people with like minds that want to quit, to quit. Read taht carefully they WANT to quit, so just let them do it, even if theres other things that they should worry about, right now they're taking things one at a time
Im not stopping anyone quitting.. its a good idea.. just dont get delusions of immortality. (and booze is only a problem if you overdo it) Im just adding facts to the case.. (smokes are also expensive.. thats a pretty good reason to quit)
I really dont think that lying to people is a good way to get them to quit.
On July 20 2010 08:41 Captain Calamity wrote: Dude...
If you want to quit smoking.. great...
I have to say that I work in a Hospital Emergency room and I know what kills people. (and how horrific each death is)
Smoking will most likley kill you from heart disease (possibly COPD but thats rarer) and all in all.. heart disease isnt really all that bad a way to go out.
I can tell you that the 2 most horrific ways to snark it are Dementia and Obesety.. (sure there are some pretty bad tropical diseases out there but Im sticking to whats probably going to kill you)
After that herpes is pretty damn grim.. and there are some pretty horrible things that happen to alcoholics.
If quitting smoking was a guarantee of immortality.. Id quit tomorrow.. But it isnt and no matter how many healthy options you take you are in the end.. a dead dude...
The best reason I can think of to give up is if giving up will help yo score with a hot chick.. other than that.. dont bother.
that's a freaking ridiculous argument. I love how you say that COPD is rare but don't even mention lungcancer. While you can argue that dementia is a horrible way to go, You're not really aware of what is happening aswell as unless it's tied in to another disease it strikes you at an old age were you allready lived a full life. And obesity? When you die from it the most common forms is a "pow" heart attack or Cerebral hemorrhage. It's over in a few seconds after that you're unconcious untill the end. How is that horrible?
And herpes? First of all, finding someone that dies of herpes as in HSV-2 ever killing someone is almost impossible, at least over here please provide a source of it ever happening because in my country it never has. Even if you find cases of it, the fact that nobody óver here has died from it kind of proves how rare it is. Or do you mean herpes as in the flu? if so then say the flu, don't say herpes.
You may rationalise why you keep smoking as much as you want but don't spread shit like this around.
I want to quit but I can't afford a few days of fatigue, headaches and irritability. I spent a ton of money on nicotine patches when I quit the first time (yeah I fucked up by starting again). Is there anything else people have done to avoid that after quitting?
I quit 2 and a half months back, and its been great The first 3 weeks were so hard TT_TT I was angry all day long, and needed something to calm my anxiety. Started to drink incredible amounts of water just to overcome that
This is my chance, and I will never again touch a cigarette.
On May 31 2011 02:51 Rainmaker5 wrote: Nope, you just sacrifice a couple days for living longer from what I understand.
I'm not 100% sure it's worth it though, because at this rate I'll be in jail for murder by the time I no longer wanna smoke.
that's why I plan to quit after my exams in july. can't afford that right now.
what I'm planning is kinda stolen from crackheads (read it in a book). I will lock my self in.... get food and everything for 4-5 days (+ a shitload of gum). I will watch a couple of series and movies, play a lot of sc2 and hopefully won't get tempted. I was told it would get a lot easier to stay disciplined after a week or so.
I woke up one day and decided I'd try to quit. All was going good, I made it to 9pm till I played someone who went 2 port cloak banshee close air on metalopolis. I stole 3 of my flatmates ciggies.
On May 31 2011 02:51 Rainmaker5 wrote: Nope, you just sacrifice a couple days for living longer from what I understand.
I'm not 100% sure it's worth it though, because at this rate I'll be in jail for murder by the time I no longer wanna smoke.
that's why I plan to quit after my exams in july. can't afford that right now.
what I'm planning is kinda stolen from crackheads (read it in a book). I will lock my self in.... get food and everything for 4-5 days (+ a shitload of gum). I will watch a couple of series and movies, play a lot of sc2 and hopefully won't get tempted. I was told it would get a lot easier to stay disciplined after a week or so.
Ahh, nice I got work right after school so this is out for me. GL!
On May 31 2011 02:55 ZeroCartin wrote: I quit 2 and a half months back, and its been great The first 3 weeks were so hard TT_TT I was angry all day long, and needed something to calm my anxiety. Started to drink incredible amounts of water just to overcome that
This is my chance, and I will never again touch a cigarette.
Nice, I'll keep in mind the water trick.
On May 31 2011 02:54 dreamsmasher wrote: am i the only person who only smokes hookah from time to time, rarely drinks, gets high a lot (bong/vape only), and works out 4 times week.
^ ideal way to do it imo.
Write a fucking blog about it. This is a quit smoking thread, don't come around looking for ego handjobs.
Cut down to 1/3th pack a day a couple months ago, managed to stabalize it. Then I realized I would never be able to to cut it down further. Stopped buying a new pack and just let myself run out. Next two days, shaky, sweating. Smoke dreams.. Started to settle in. Now it's the 4th week. I feel incredibly comfortable. I've quit a couple addictions before so I know the feeling of empowerment, that you are incontrol again. Feels really good. Will probably never smoke again. Stopped smoking pot 3.5 years ago, stopped wow 2+ years ago. Did both in a similar fashion. My protips: - Make yourself feel bad, mentally, stack all those bad feelings. - Cut down as much as you can. Really keep it up and use the bad feelings to give you more will power to do so. You want to constantly cold turkey it. - Eventually you will actually do it. Just embrace how terrible it feels. Just accept that you are sick and just let the day go over while you do something to focus your mind, like playing sc2, marathon movie session, idk. - The first next day you will feel different but it's still really hard, just continue the above until you start to feel a bit of grip or it weakens. And imagine yourself doing this new as your lifestyle.
For example, after dinner I would smoke. The first days after I finished, I stood up and started walking around my room looking for cigs. Then I realized I don't have any and I don't smoke anymore. So I imagined myself as someone who doesn't smoke after dinner, who doesn't have a smoke on other "trigger" moments. Make yourself want to become that person and pretend you already are.
Best of luck to anyone. You are in control of your own life. You can be what you wanna be. Once you change you don't miss out on anything. You are just a different person that doesn't do those things and thus won't miss out. Stay strong fighting!
On May 31 2011 03:10 BeefEU wrote: So basically I havn't touched a cigarette in 3 weeks now, altho I have been smoking J's..
Is this cheating? can I say I quit? Since I don't smoke tabacco anymore just J in the evening :D
Anyway this is way better than doing both ^^
i would just vape, or if you enjoy the sensation of smoke i would use a bong. very rarely do i smoke a j, mainly cuz i feel its wasteful of weed (college student here), and i don't want all my shit smelling like weed (even though i like the smell, i know others might not).
they also reduce your body's exposure to elevated temperatures (hot air kills your body's cilia, etc.. all that type of shit), although vaping is probably the only way to go if you're looking to do it really safe.
I don't really understand how you can become hooked in the first place. I've smoked 3+ cigs in one night while completely smashed because someone convinced me I would get nicotine high. I just felt terribad. Headache and insta-run to the toilet after the third one.
Alcohol for me kthx.
Anyway, had a friend who'd been a smoker for 3 years quit pretty much overnight after reading Carrs book.
On May 31 2011 03:10 BeefEU wrote: So basically I havn't touched a cigarette in 3 weeks now, altho I have been smoking J's..
Is this cheating? can I say I quit? Since I don't smoke tabacco anymore just J in the evening :D
Anyway this is way better than doing both ^^
i would just vape, or if you enjoy the sensation of smoke i would use a bong. very rarely do i smoke a j, mainly cuz i feel its wasteful of weed (college student here), and i don't want all my shit smelling like weed (even though i like the smell, i know others might not).
they also reduce your body's exposure to elevated temperatures (hot air kills your body's cilia, etc.. all that type of shit), although vaping is probably the only way to go if you're looking to do it really safe.
Get out of this thread, kid. You're posting useless garbage. Leave.
On May 31 2011 03:10 BeefEU wrote: So basically I havn't touched a cigarette in 3 weeks now, altho I have been smoking J's..
Is this cheating? can I say I quit? Since I don't smoke tabacco anymore just J in the evening :D
Anyway this is way better than doing both ^^
i would just vape, or if you enjoy the sensation of smoke i would use a bong. very rarely do i smoke a j, mainly cuz i feel its wasteful of weed (college student here), and i don't want all my shit smelling like weed (even though i like the smell, i know others might not).
they also reduce your body's exposure to elevated temperatures (hot air kills your body's cilia, etc.. all that type of shit), although vaping is probably the only way to go if you're looking to do it really safe.
There is a high thread. You go there to talk about getting high. Also you are a douche.
On May 31 2011 03:46 dreamsmasher wrote: except he asked about smoking a j.
On May 31 2011 02:54 dreamsmasher wrote: am i the only person who only smokes hookah from time to time, rarely drinks, gets high a lot (bong/vape only), and works out 4 times week.
^ ideal way to do it imo.
And who asked you to be a douche?
On May 31 2011 03:33 Nizaris wrote: Try vapor cigs if u want to stop. Honestly i'm thinking about it, know some1 at work who stopped with them.
u'll have everything you did when you smoked, without all the nasty chemicals. And i hear after 3-4 days its all psychological anyways.
I have a couple of friends who used these with great results but they were more social smokers, I have been smoking since 16 (I'm now 22) about half a pack a day. I'm not sure my body will be so easily fooled but I might as well give it a shot since the Australian government is now subsidising quit smoking aids and the patches made me feel sick
On May 31 2011 04:43 Odien wrote: My 2011 New Years Resolution was to quit smoking, been 5 months now and haven't touched one since.
Holy shit, it was New Year's just five months ago? Where did the time go? Commendable though, I'd like to get some stats on just how many follow a "No more tobacco" New Year's resolution.
Quit about 1-2 months ago with snus, used to smoke before I switched to that so this is the first time in about four years I spend my days without any nicotine. If anything my wallet has gained a pound or two.
I've been smoking for 5 years before i dropped it cold turkey style 2 years ago... And it's amazing! So if any1 wants to quit smoking i suggest going cold turkey and with enough determination, you will be able to breathe once again! Never quit quitting smoking ^.^
Edit: Even after 2 years I get occasional yearning for a cigg but it goes away in less than a min.
On May 31 2011 04:47 Hedgehog wrote: I've been smoking for 5 years before i dropped it cold turkey style 2 years ago... And it's amazing! So if any1 wants to quit smoking i suggest going cold turkey and with enough determination, you will be able to breathe once again! Never quit quitting smoking ^.^
Edit: Even after 2 years I get occasional yearning for a cigg but it goes away in less than a min.
I've heard the best thing you can do is not finish "that last pack" or "that last cigarette" since that makes it harder.
i quit 2 years ago after 14 years of smoking, i used the patch for the first 3 weeks, and after that was the hard part. so these are a few things that helped me get past the next year or so.
1. remember the day you quit, and remember it every day of not smoking. even if your in the first few weeks, be proud and excited for everyday your smokefree. MOTIVATION HELPS ALOT!!! 2. make a mental list of all the pros of quitting, and remember them everytime you feel tempted. (better health, get my sense of taste back, and i wont end up on oxygen for the latter part of my life.) 3. substitute it with something else. and use it everytime you feel 'the urge' (candy, gum, etc..) 4. dont think too big (looking toward 1 year smokefree, after a week), acknowledge the small steps that get you there. 5. and finally if u slip up, dont beat yourself up over it. just prepare for the next time you try to quit. (i quit for 2 weeks and started smoking the first time i tried to quit. few months later i tried again and made it)
Ah well , 2008 - 1st Pneumothorax Left side , under medical advice I quit smoking, failed after 8months 2009 - 2nd Pneumothorax , this time on the right side...quit smoking for 9months and restarted for 3months and then quit on my own, been now 11and half months -D
I have a really nice e-ciggarette coming in the mail tommorow. Ive been using my friends and honestly i have no desire to smoke when i use it, and it tastes so much better than cigarettes too!
I would suggest anyone who is having trouble smoking to try e-cigarettes. The good ones though there are some cheap like 30-50 dollar ones out there that are crap, go for like a 100-150 dollar one ^^
On May 31 2011 06:15 FFGenerations wrote: how different do you feel after quitting for a while? what difference does it make? people say they can smell better, taste better. what else?
one of the things that inspired me the most to quit was the long term effects. both my grandparents smoked for many years, and their last years sucked for them, 95% of the problems was from smoking, then i'd run into people older than them, who hadn't smoked and seen how healthy they were. so the deciding factor for me was....spend my elder years on oxygen, getting short of breath just walking.....or live normal til i die.
as far as what ive noticed after 2 years....the taste is probably the most noticable for me. i love food more than ever now :D as far as the smell, my smell is now almost allergic to cigarette smoke...i dont allow smoking in my house, so i can smell it if my wife has been around people that smoke, then comes home...i smell it on her. the smell is absolutely disgusting for me now. ive added about 20 lbs, but not many people would consider that good lol. but i got alot more energy now.....i remember when iused to wake up and smoke that first cigarette of the day, i'd get almost a draining feeling from that first puff. as if its sucking the energy out of me, and id feel like that all day. and after some years i never even got out of bed without having that morning cig. so yea alot more energy.
Anyone know if I'm immune to nicotine/whatever other chemicals are found in ciggs?
I can't seem to get addicted no matter what, I smoked 2 packs a day last two weeks (cigars and menthol dipped B&Hs) due to a breakup, before that I smoke on and off usually when I'm intoxicated with other things, but I can always go without a cigg for months at a time with no cravings whatsoever.
I'm confused when people say this stuff is addictive.
On May 31 2011 06:15 FFGenerations wrote: how different do you feel after quitting for a while? what difference does it make? people say they can smell better, taste better. what else?
one of the things that inspired me the most to quit was the long term effects. both my grandparents smoked for many years, and their last years sucked for them, 95% of the problems was from smoking, then i'd run into people older than them, who hadn't smoked and seen how healthy they were. so the deciding factor for me was....spend my elder years on oxygen, getting short of breath just walking.....or live normal til i die.
as far as what ive noticed after 2 years....the taste is probably the most noticable for me. i love food more than ever now :D as far as the smell, my smell is now almost allergic to cigarette smoke...i dont allow smoking in my house, so i can smell it if my wife has been around people that smoke, then comes home...i smell it on her. the smell is absolutely disgusting for me now. ive added about 20 lbs, but not many people would consider that good lol. but i got alot more energy now.....i remember when iused to wake up and smoke that first cigarette of the day, i'd get almost a draining feeling from that first puff. as if its sucking the energy out of me, and id feel like that all day. and after some years i never even got out of bed without having that morning cig. so yea alot more energy.
rly? it took me like 2 weeks of 2nd hand smoke and i became addicted to the smell. im surprised you are so disgusted by it
On May 31 2011 07:00 Ravencruiser wrote: Anyone know if I'm immune to nicotine/whatever other chemicals are found in ciggs?
I can't seem to get addicted no matter what, I smoked 2 packs a day last two weeks (cigars and menthol dipped B&Hs) due to a breakup, before that I smoke on and off usually when I'm intoxicated with other things, but I can always go without a cigg for months at a time with no cravings whatsoever.
I'm confused when people say this stuff is addictive.
Trying doing it for a year, everyday, then trying to quit. It takes longer than 2 weeks to get addicted to something.
I found out that my mother has Lung Cancer on Friday and is currently going through Chemo. I have decided to quit smoking cigs along with my 2 brothers and my girlfriend. It's been a rough week. =/
On May 31 2011 07:21 dbosworld wrote: I found out that my mother has Lung Cancer on Friday and is currently going through Chemo. I have decided to quit smoking cigs along with my 2 brothers and my girlfriend. It's been a rough week. =/
Keep it up, quitting smoking isn't easily, especially when its become a part of your life. When smoking becomes such a routine that you easily smoke roughly a pack a day its no longer quitting smoking but rather a lifestyle change.
On May 31 2011 07:00 Ravencruiser wrote: Anyone know if I'm immune to nicotine/whatever other chemicals are found in ciggs?
I can't seem to get addicted no matter what, I smoked 2 packs a day last two weeks (cigars and menthol dipped B&Hs) due to a breakup, before that I smoke on and off usually when I'm intoxicated with other things, but I can always go without a cigg for months at a time with no cravings whatsoever.
I'm confused when people say this stuff is addictive.
It took me a long time and a massive increase in dose to get me addicted. Been smoking sometimes with friends, like 2 or 3 times a week, evenings mostly. But it never did anything, if anything I was disgusted by it the next day. If you wanna get addicted, keep going for some time. And do it regularly, like after each meal. Or when stressed. Or after shopping. Have one with your coffee.
It works differently on people. It's about constitution, mental stability, everything. You should stop though before it stops being (the occasional) fun and starts being something that feels missing if you don't have it.
Ugh, come on guys, why does is have to be hard. Buy some zyban and problem's over. It's currently prescribed in Korea for starcraft addictions though, I'm not sure if you wanna get rid of that :D
On May 31 2011 07:00 Ravencruiser wrote: Anyone know if I'm immune to nicotine/whatever other chemicals are found in ciggs?
I can't seem to get addicted no matter what, I smoked 2 packs a day last two weeks (cigars and menthol dipped B&Hs) due to a breakup, before that I smoke on and off usually when I'm intoxicated with other things, but I can always go without a cigg for months at a time with no cravings whatsoever.
I'm confused when people say this stuff is addictive.
Trying doing it for a year, everyday, then trying to quit. It takes longer than 2 weeks to get addicted to something.
On May 31 2011 07:00 Ravencruiser wrote: Anyone know if I'm immune to nicotine/whatever other chemicals are found in ciggs?
I can't seem to get addicted no matter what, I smoked 2 packs a day last two weeks (cigars and menthol dipped B&Hs) due to a breakup, before that I smoke on and off usually when I'm intoxicated with other things, but I can always go without a cigg for months at a time with no cravings whatsoever.
I'm confused when people say this stuff is addictive.
It took me a long time and a massive increase in dose to get me addicted. Been smoking sometimes with friends, like 2 or 3 times a week, evenings mostly. But it never did anything, if anything I was disgusted by it the next day. If you wanna get addicted, keep going for some time. It works differently on people. It's about constitution, mental stability, everything. You should stop before it stops being fun and starts being something you feel lacking.
Thanks. About 8 months ago I smoked 5-10 ciggs everyday for about 3 months. It wasn't something I enjoyed doing particularly (the nicotine rush was long gone by the 3rd week in), but I was socially around a TON of smokers at work and during breaks we would light up; it was something I did to fit in and occupy my time with. Then 5 months ago, I had taken up swimming and found a new GF with a resolute anti-smoking attitude, so I quit. No cravings, no withdraws, nothing. Since I do dabble in various other intoxicants, I truly believe in this conclusion that I have come to:
People smoke because they have no access to other "better" intoxicants. By better, I mean less harmful, more enjoyable, longer in duration, and less expensive. This is true until a certain threshold; once one surpasses that threshold, one becomes chemically and psychologically addicted to smoking cigarettes even in the abundance of better intoxicants. However, to get to that point one has to smoke A FUCKTON; nicotine/other chemicals in cigarettes are no where NEAR addictive as people perceive them to be; it is the psychological dependence that one forms with smoking that causes most people to continue the habit.
E-cig nuff said. heres a link to some forums with a ton of info about it: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com . I've been using them for 2 years and have recommended them to many co workers and friends. I work in a casino which makes it even harder for many people to stop smoking and these have helped many people I know totally switch to the ecig or stop all together using this method. Anyway if you want to know more r need some suggestions PM me. FYI :: I smoked for about 10yrs starting off lightly of course but I was up to 1-2 packs a day for many years. I never wanted to stop smoking and was more interested in what the e-cig was than anything. Within the first week I had totally stopped smoking and switched over to the ecig.
On May 31 2011 07:00 Ravencruiser wrote: Anyone know if I'm immune to nicotine/whatever other chemicals are found in ciggs?
I can't seem to get addicted no matter what, I smoked 2 packs a day last two weeks (cigars and menthol dipped B&Hs) due to a breakup, before that I smoke on and off usually when I'm intoxicated with other things, but I can always go without a cigg for months at a time with no cravings whatsoever.
I'm confused when people say this stuff is addictive.
I used nicotine for four years and I only get mild cravings. I have a harder time resisting the urge to get a glass of Coke instead of water than I do resisting nicotine, to give some perspective. It feels more like "Some chocolate would be nice right now" every now and then (replace choc with cig/snus). That's after four years of using it a fucking lot.
A week is probably not going to do anything at all addiction wise.
I quit smoking 2 weeks ago. Without any plans to ease my quitting with nicotine gum/patches etc. Curiously I have smoked alot more weed during this time...
I was able to quit about 7 years ago and had smoked for 10 years.
My advice to anyone quitting is a few things, try to quit a few times first. Allow yourself to fail. You have to know what its going to feel like and prepare yourself.
Once you are actually making a very serious attempt, try to get some time off work, and pretend like you are going to be sick. Tell yourself "I'm going to feel like shit for about a week"... and try to pamper yourself. The cravings don't get really really better for about 2 months- so be prepared for that. 3 days to ONE MONTH is the worst. Be prepared for the long haul. And it was easily 6 months before I probably went a full day without thinking about a Cigarette.
Lastly, I recommend indulging in something else to replace the habit. I drank SO much soda. I eventually quit that too, but it was great to have a second one after lunch or dinner to replace that cigarette. Just sipping it slowly where in-stead I would have previously smoked. I'm sure lots of things would work for this. Allow yourself a little slack there- because in the long run it's worth it. (edit: Post above me is actually a great example too.)
My wind must have increased 3fold in the first month. I smelled things and tasted things many many times better after about a month. These were added incentives to stay off the buggers. Not to mention things like sexual performance and sleeping better- to be quite frank for anyone who is really interested.
On May 31 2011 09:36 Hacksu wrote: I quit smoking 2 weeks ago. Without any plans to ease my quitting with nicotine gum/patches etc. Curiously I have smoked alot more weed during this time...
lol be careful dude if you're going to start craving for a joint after each lunch you have you are not really quitting =P such a standard trap to fall into =[
i smoked for 8 years, had a friend refer this to me and switched over instantly. i was one of the skeptics who didn't think i was going to be able to quit. i didn't even realize that the last cig i smoked would be my last. i had half a pack still and just threw it out because the transition was so easy. They come in different doses of nicotine . I'm about to start lowering the dosage so i can one day be nicotine free.
I have never met someone who has successfully quit smoking after being a smoker for over a year. I have like 20 friends (yeah, im so cool) that consistently try to quit smoking and none of them have been successful. Good luck. If you succeed then you have surely done what many can't.
On May 31 2011 07:00 Ravencruiser wrote: Anyone know if I'm immune to nicotine/whatever other chemicals are found in ciggs?
I can't seem to get addicted no matter what, I smoked 2 packs a day last two weeks (cigars and menthol dipped B&Hs) due to a breakup, before that I smoke on and off usually when I'm intoxicated with other things, but I can always go without a cigg for months at a time with no cravings whatsoever.
I'm confused when people say this stuff is addictive.
You can't be "immune" to it since when metabolized the chemicals in cigarettes are similar to various brain chemicals. From the sounds of it you smoke irregularly. Regular consumption of nicotine will tell your brain that, since you are getting these chemicals from an outside source, it does not need to manufacture the chemical anymore.
When the outside supply is stopped, the brain is left without the chemical and goes through withdrawl. If you continue to stop, the brain will eventually redevelop the chemical on its own.
Since, from the sounds of it, you never abused the drug in such a way that your body felt it had a reliable outside supply of it, your body just rolled with the punch so to speak.
On May 31 2011 07:32 Spekulatius wrote: If you wanna get addicted, keep going for some time. And do it regularly, like after each meal. Or when stressed. Or after shopping. Have one with your coffee.
I like how you're giving him pointers on how to pick up a nicotine addiction.
I don't smoke. Never have, never will. Completely personal decision.
However, my best mate has been a longtime smoker, and goes through about a pack a day. He insists that he does it because he wants to. He admits he is addicted and has resigned himself to having a shorter life span, with a lower quality of life. In short he has no incentive to stop.
This leaves me in the following position. I am acutely aware of the damage smoking is doing to him. I am also aware that he would feel better without cigarettes. I really want him to stop, he is an amazing person and I believe his addiction is hurting him. If I had to guess, his belief that he cannot quit is affecting his self-belief with other aspects of his life. Or to put it differently, he would have more confidence if he quit. I am not going to write an essay as to why I think that is the case, suffice it to say that this is what I believe to be true.
So what do I do?
My original response when he started smoking was to get up in face about it. That was 9 years ago. It clearly didn't work. So I gave up trying to make him stop, it was a choice between the friendship and accepting he wanted to smoke. No choice there.
I want him to quit for his own sake but I everytime I raise the issue he gets shitty. He obviously wants to keep smoking and I know telling him to stop is counter-productive. He is also fully aware of the consequences of smoking.
It is frustrating and seriously disappointing to see him throw away his health. There just doesn't seem to be anything I can do.
Sorry for the wall of text, but this is a complicated situation. The information about Carr's book looks good, maybe I'll drop him a copy.
On May 31 2011 10:50 Probulous wrote: Alright, this may be a little
I don't smoke. Never have, never will. Completely personal decision.
However, my best mate has been a longtime smoker, and goes through about a pack a day. He insists that he does it because he wants to. He admits he is addicted and has resigned himself to having a shorter life span, with a lower quality of life. In short he has no incentive to stop.
This leaves me in the following position. I am acutely aware of the damage smoking is doing to him. I am also aware that he would feel better without cigarettes. I really want him to stop, he is an amazing person and I believe his addiction is hurting him. If I had to guess, his belief that he cannot quit is affecting his self-belief with other aspects of his life. Or to put it differently, he would have more confidence if he quit. I am not going to write an essay as to why I think that is the case, suffice it to say that this is what I believe to be true.
So what do I do?
My original response when he started smoking was to get up in face about it. That was 9 years ago. It clearly didn't work. So I gave up trying to make him stop, it was a choice between the friendship and accepting he wanted to smoke. No choice there.
I want him to quit for his own sake but I everytime I raise the issue he gets shitty. He obviously wants to keep smoking and I know telling him to stop is counter-productive. He is also fully aware of the consequences of smoking.
It is frustrating and seriously disappointing to see him throw away his health. There just doesn't seem to be anything I can do.
Sorry for the wall of text, but this is a complicated situation. The information about Carr's book looks good, maybe I'll drop him a copy.
Thanks TL
Edit: Maybe PM if this is too off topic.
You just can't do anything about it. It's sad I know but honestly if you bother him about it it will just piss him off. Just let him do what he wants.
@Probulous you could turn him into a fitness fanatic (start going to gym with him 3 times a week) and that might spark some motivation/realisation in him. its still a long shot
and i agree that he'll probably have to "try quitting" many times before hes really able to. theres no rush to do it, so long as in the back of your mind you know that eventually you're gonna.
there was a drama film i watched that was about a newspaper journalist (or scientist) in the 50s? who had information that the cigarette company's where lying about (the harmfulness of tobacco). he was bound by a court order saying he couldnt disclose the information, and as he tried to go public he received death threats etc etc.
maybe if he watches stuff like that itll fire up some anger in him
I stopped smoking for the most part after Christmas last year. I'll still have one drunk every now and then if someone offers, but I've completely stopped buying them and smoking sober. We'll see how long I can keep it up. It's a real pain in the ass with three smoking roommates though.
On May 31 2011 10:50 Probulous wrote: Alright, this may be a little
I don't smoke. Never have, never will. Completely personal decision.
However, my best mate has been a longtime smoker, and goes through about a pack a day. He insists that he does it because he wants to. He admits he is addicted and has resigned himself to having a shorter life span, with a lower quality of life. In short he has no incentive to stop.
This leaves me in the following position. I am acutely aware of the damage smoking is doing to him. I am also aware that he would feel better without cigarettes. I really want him to stop, he is an amazing person and I believe his addiction is hurting him. If I had to guess, his belief that he cannot quit is affecting his self-belief with other aspects of his life. Or to put it differently, he would have more confidence if he quit. I am not going to write an essay as to why I think that is the case, suffice it to say that this is what I believe to be true.
So what do I do?
My original response when he started smoking was to get up in face about it. That was 9 years ago. It clearly didn't work. So I gave up trying to make him stop, it was a choice between the friendship and accepting he wanted to smoke. No choice there.
I want him to quit for his own sake but I everytime I raise the issue he gets shitty. He obviously wants to keep smoking and I know telling him to stop is counter-productive. He is also fully aware of the consequences of smoking.
It is frustrating and seriously disappointing to see him throw away his health. There just doesn't seem to be anything I can do.
Sorry for the wall of text, but this is a complicated situation. The information about Carr's book looks good, maybe I'll drop him a copy.
Thanks TL
Edit: Maybe PM if this is too off topic.
Probulous, I'm like your mate (though i only smoke between 3 and 6 cigs a day), but as a guy who knows he is addicted and just enjoy smoking his 5 cigs a day, I tell you there is absolutely nothing you can do to make him stop.
You can try to motivate him to stop, which is a bit different I guess, or motivate him to slow down his consumption to more reasonable amount (a pack a day is pretty big for me).
Don't face a smoker with the only argument of "smoking is bad". We know it is, but stopping to smoke is a huge ordeal for a smoker, it's really tough on you mentally and physically. Furthermore smoking isn't the only thing you do that kills you slowly everyday, I know it's kind of a shitty excuse but everything you eat, drink nowadays is full of cancerigenous shit. You don't tell a red meat enthusiast to stop to eat meat.
Anyway I know how you feel, because i was in your position before. I started smoking kinda late, i was 21. My brother and sister where smoking before i started, and i felt it was really dumb and swore to never touch a cigarette (I was a bit naive you could say ). But there is not a lot you can do without him letting you do it.
Every smoker as sometime the wish to stop smoking, ask your mate if he ever wanted to stop (I'm pretty sure he'll say yes). You can tell him to come look for you when one of this phase comes and help him nurture his motivation to stop smoking.
I stopped smoking in the beginning of March. Before that, was like 7 years of on and off smoking. Really bad stuff. When I run or exercise my lungs still punish me, so I have a long way to go but I'm good knowing that it's only getting better now
I will probably try stop smoking this week. i was over 2 years without single ciggy but i started smoking again... Hopefully it will be easy to quit as before,just bought 2 packs on gum and that's it
On May 31 2011 10:50 Probulous wrote: Alright, this may be a little
I don't smoke. Never have, never will. Completely personal decision.
However, my best mate has been a longtime smoker, and goes through about a pack a day. He insists that he does it because he wants to. He admits he is addicted and has resigned himself to having a shorter life span, with a lower quality of life. In short he has no incentive to stop.
This leaves me in the following position. I am acutely aware of the damage smoking is doing to him. I am also aware that he would feel better without cigarettes. I really want him to stop, he is an amazing person and I believe his addiction is hurting him. If I had to guess, his belief that he cannot quit is affecting his self-belief with other aspects of his life. Or to put it differently, he would have more confidence if he quit. I am not going to write an essay as to why I think that is the case, suffice it to say that this is what I believe to be true.
So what do I do?
My original response when he started smoking was to get up in face about it. That was 9 years ago. It clearly didn't work. So I gave up trying to make him stop, it was a choice between the friendship and accepting he wanted to smoke. No choice there.
I want him to quit for his own sake but I everytime I raise the issue he gets shitty. He obviously wants to keep smoking and I know telling him to stop is counter-productive. He is also fully aware of the consequences of smoking.
It is frustrating and seriously disappointing to see him throw away his health. There just doesn't seem to be anything I can do.
Sorry for the wall of text, but this is a complicated situation. The information about Carr's book looks good, maybe I'll drop him a copy.
Thanks TL
Edit: Maybe PM if this is too off topic.
Im a smoker and i perfectly understand your friends POV, there nothing more annoying than some one nagging over and over again about stop smoking, and smoking is bad, and it reduces life time and quality of life.
Im aware of the risks and consequences of smoking, im also aware of the enjoyment it gives me, yes im an addict and yes even tho im addicted to it i enjoy smoking.
Life is full of calculated risks, i can say based on statistics that a good part of the people posting here about smoking being bad are over weight, im not talking about obesity, just simple overweight, you may enjoy an icecream or chocolate or some cakes, i do too, so you take a calculated risk ingesting them, even tho you know that on the long run it might take you a few days of life and a few months of life quality.
Most of us all drink regulary, another calculated risk, it brings enjoyment at the cost of "life time", most of us look at the hot chick waiting for the bus while we're driving, even tho we might crash and die.
Life is filled with choices that shorten it but make it more enjoyable, and for me it makes sense to run those risks so i have a better life instead of a longer one.
This post is not for encouraging people to smoke, or to keep their addiction, its a just a different perspective that some of you didnt think about.
2 years and 20 days without a cigarette after 13years of heavy smoking. My evil-self-pitying self can suck my cock now; and I also did a marathon (5h28m) to make him shut up forever.
Good luck to everyone trying to quit and respect to the peeps who managed to cut this shitty self destructing habit.
Smoked ~3-4 packs a week for ~5-6 years. Haven't had one since the middle of March. I didn't read all 18 pages of this thread (sorry!) but I have to say, it's true that you can't quit smoking unless you WANT to quit smoking. The book 'The Easy Way to Stop Smoking' did help out a little, but in my case, quitting smoking was part of a 'quarter life crisis' where I changed half a dozen things about my life. Quit smoking, started a diet, started to excercise, decided to go back to school, quit WoW, and play more then 5 games of SC2 a week :-)..... Now two months later I don't even think about smoking, I've lost 30 pounds, I've been accepted at the college I dropped out of 6 years ago, and I've made a ton of new friends.
I tried to quit a couple times over the last 5 years, but it was always miserable. I WANTED a smoke very often, and I told myself I needed it. The book helped reverse some of my thinking, and the rest of my life changes finished it off. The thought of smoking a cigarette has absolutely no appeal to me anymore.
I have been using e-ciggies for a week now and using it as a substitute.. Pretty good. Your getting fed the nicotine which your body craves and it simulates the throat hit like you are smoking a real ciggie and it excludes all the toxic chemicals that comes with a normal ciggie so theory ITS HEALTHY!!!... ALL GO GET ONE NOW MFERS!!!
Inspired by this thread, I've taken this weekend off with my fiance so I can stop smoking (she's there so I don't have to solo-watch our 2 year old while going through nicotine withdrawls.)
I've been smoking for ~4 years at almost a pack a day. Gradually cutting back, only smoked 6 yesterday (was rough) but I kept my self occupied. Today, I cleaned everything I could possibly clean in the house and powerwashed our siding and porch. Only smoked 4 so far. Headaches are rough, and my lungs feel...weird (can't think of a better way to explain it).
The hardest part is breaking the habits that I smoke in. I always love smoking right as I start driving, or right after intense SC2 games, during breaks at work, after eating out at restaurants...etcetc. This post is making me crave
A very well kept secret, Niacin or Vitamin B-3 is the same molecule as Nicotine, or Nicotinic Acid. Since Nicotine is the addictive substance in cigarettes, maybe popping some Niacin pills daily can reduce your appetite for cigarettes. It actually worked for my father, who was a 3 pack a day smoker.
Can't thank the internet enough for providing that information to me.
Have u suceeded forming the "quit smoking group" yet cuz i might be interested. Iam rly trying to quit smoking, was clean for 9 days but then i couldnt hold it back, so now ive realized i might need to talk with someone with the same problem to make it.
BTW is it ok if i ask everyone who is trying to quit smoking what there reasons are?
I myself was in a "near death" experience where i realized that i need to do the best out of life and wanna live as long as possible, smoking does obviously not fit in there.
i quit smoking 4 months ago... had been smoking for more than 10 years.. and the last year i was at a point of a pack a day...
All of a sudden the day after the super ball i woke up and decided to quit it. (the reasons were the cough was getting worse every morning... i started hating the smell on the clothes and my room, the spending was getting higher and higher... among other reasons)
The first 2 weeks were kinda tough but after that when i started feeling the benefits of quitting it was really easy...
I gained some weight during the first month but its going back down as we speak (no need to be eating all the time instead of smoking)
The advice i can give you is "one decision at a time"... If you decide to quit, don't fall for the "It's just one more" state of mind, because it will only hurt you and make things tougher.
After all its only 2-3 weeks of pain and decision making.
On June 01 2011 06:57 Morteth wrote: If you want to quit smoking, try using Niacin.
A very well kept secret, Niacin or Vitamin B-3 is the same molecule as Nicotine, or Nicotinic Acid. Since Nicotine is the addictive substance in cigarettes, maybe popping some Niacin pills daily can reduce your appetite for cigarettes. It actually worked for my father, who was a 3 pack a day smoker.
Can't thank the internet enough for providing that information to me.
That's actually not true. :/ Nicotine and nicotinic acid are not the same thing. Nicotinic acid was named niacin because people would make the mistake you did and think they were similar.
From the Niacin wikipedia page:
"When the biological significance of nicotinic acid was realized, it was thought appropriate to choose a name to dissociate it from nicotine, to avoid the perception that vitamins or niacin-rich food contains nicotine, or that cigarettes contain vitamins. The resulting name 'niacin' was derived from nicotinic acid + vitamin."
EDIT: I'm not saying it couldn't possibly help stop smoking, just that part of your post isn't correct.
On June 01 2011 08:11 FFGenerations wrote: good luck clicker, get ready to call in sick on monday though since in my experience the first 2 days are nothing compared to the 3rd
stock up on some painkillers too!
;/
My brand was on sale for some 2 for 7 dollars deal and she brought me two packs home.. I hadn't smoked that day and fucking broke immediately when she brought them in ;/
Read right through this thread. Just quitting as of today, had a smoking related death in the family last month and then I knew it's time.
I've done it a few times before, longest streak so far 11 months. From my experience avoiding social situations where you might smoke is more important down the line, so months into the whole thing, that's where I always failed. First few weeks don't worry about it. If you end up smoking during your first week because you met a friend and had one too many really don't worry about it, just laugh about it, there's always next week. Just go at it stronger the next time. And they say it gets easier with each attempt.
At the start, for me I found it's a good idea to have something to do instead of smoking to fill up the routine, so I usually chew gum. Sure it's not the same, most importantly it's not the same time out as a cigarette, but just chewing it with the mouth while doing other things must be good enough somehow because I've had good results with it before. And I don't mean nicotine gum or whatever, it's the same thing as killing your hangover with another drink, only thing that leads to is it will build up over time and you end up with an even stronger addiction. So just normal bubblegum for me, I probably look like a retard chewing it all the time but whatever (and also if I go outdoor to... chew bubblegum, I get big wtfs but whatever.) And it doesn't always work, you can't chew bubblegum while drinking coffee so I usually get some candies or that French sweet bread etc, just make sure you don't overdo it.
Ideally there would be that e-cigarette, but with zero nicotine or any other crap, that you could smoke with a nice taste and smell, kinda like flavor cigs except with real taste of vanilla or fruit etc and not half vanilla half ashtray. And none of all that toxic shit so you're not getting cancer because of it. Just something to enjoy while having that time out. Coz I know that's what I'm really addicted to, I don't really need any chemicals, I just need that few minutes off and do something relaxing like inhale stuff. So I might look into e-cigs but I doubt there's much of a market for zero nicotine e-cigs is there? And anyway I wouldn't trust the people behind this business anymore than the cig business, which sounds really dumb since I've been smoking for years, but remember I'm quitting now right
and GL to everybody in Teamliquid who decides to quit. I'm reporting back here soon.
On May 31 2011 07:21 dbosworld wrote: I found out that my mother has Lung Cancer on Friday and is currently going through Chemo. I have decided to quit smoking cigs along with my 2 brothers and my girlfriend. It's been a rough week. =/
Keep it up, quitting smoking isn't easily, especially when its become a part of your life. When smoking becomes such a routine that you easily smoke roughly a pack a day its no longer quitting smoking but rather a lifestyle change.
It definitely has been a huge lifestyle change. I used to smoke indoors, I had to switch up my style of my room because it was so habitual that the placement of my room made me want to smoke more.
I'm not smoking right now because I have double pneumonia. Probably got it from smoking too much.
TBH, I don't find it that hard to quit for a few months at a time. Every now and then I'll do a test to see if I can still quit. Then I'll have some big event where I want to smoke (like I went to mexico so I bought a ton of cheap smokes) and I'll start again.
I don't think it helps that people always think about making big lifechanging shit like "THIS IS THE LAST SMOKE I WILL EVER HAVE". Give yourself a break. Don't make decisions for yourself in the future like that and you'll have a lot easier time. Say "I'm not smoking for now. If later I change my mind, I'll smoke then.", and the whole process suddenly becomes a lot less scary and you feel much more in control.
It's a week or so now, no problems so far. I get impatient and frustrated pretty easily but I know it will pass. And eating more than usual of course, can't help that. I had a dream on the second or third night that I was smoking and then I thought hey wasn't I supposed to quit... oh shit! And I woke up terrified that I forgot I didn't smoke anymore. But I just laughed at that when I woke up and went back to sleep.
Good KroplaBeskidu. Just keep it up, every day is a little easier. The first month is the worst and the first week is the hardest but if you keep it up it will pass!
I'm still smoking a pack a day but I came here to flirt with the idea of quitting.
i've been smoking for 6-7 years and had a plan of quitting before my 25th birth day (8th of august). maybe i should start quitting it at the start of july lol.
How you doing TL. Reporting in at around month and a half smoke free now, no problems. No problems as in not even close to smoking again, however I'm still a bit down, there's still that feeling something's missing. Not all the time fortunately, most times I don't even think about it at all, like I never smoked. But there's that moment during the day when you take a break right :/ It's taking a lot longer than I thought but guess it should go away soon.
This "two/three weeks" business is a load of crap.
I went camping for 3 days with family and had no smokes with me.
It was hell! I could feel my head pulsing in sync with my brain.
On the 4th day and I had no desire to smoke. I went out and bought a pack and immediately smoked 3 in a row and felt nothing.
That was the last day I smoked :D
In my case, it was the physical with-drawl that hit me the hardest.
- Ecigs are simply a filler and will not help you quit smoking.... Period. The only difference is it's not as harmful as smoking tobacco, but your still getting your nicotine (unless your juice contains none).
I am on day 11 of quitting. I still get the urge to smoke. I am trying real hard not to buy a pack but it is getting extremely difficult. Whenever I get the urge I think of the "challenge accepted" comic and refuse to budge. I sometimes get the thought of "what the hell I'm still young" "I can smoke and do exercise " "by the time I'm 50 they will have a cure for cancer" ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ etc.. I think this is the most dangerous thing.
im on day 3!!! but ive been smoking 2 grams of pot per day, for 8 years now, and im stopping cold turkey, because im feeling chest pains and such. So it was really a no brainer, i just physically cannot smoke anymore, so im sober, playing games. Its hard for me lol but i imagine it will get easier as time rolls on, i will start drinking liquor tho, haha gotta do something between sc2 matches.
On July 23 2011 11:03 KroplaBeskidu wrote: How you doing TL. Reporting in at around month and a half smoke free now, no problems. No problems as in not even close to smoking again, however I'm still a bit down, there's still that feeling something's missing. Not all the time fortunately, most times I don't even think about it at all, like I never smoked. But there's that moment during the day when you take a break right :/ It's taking a lot longer than I thought but guess it should go away soon.
Awesome that you actually reported back that you had quit, congrats!
Saw this thread pop up again and just wanted to pop in and say that TL helped me quit! I had only smoked about two years, but smoked and chewed, a lot. I had tried quitting probably five times unsuccessfully. In early March, I finally found what worked for me.
After doing a bit of reading on here I realized cold turkey was the way to go, the problem was all my friends at the time still smoked. So what I decided to do was face it head on really. I told my friends I quit, but I still let myself think about smoking, have cravings etc. I let these thoughts enter and leave while consciously focusing on my goal. After a few weeks, not only had I quit but the cravings were gone. I have somehow never craved nicotine since, and I think that may be from having "closure" or something related to allowing myself to crave nicotine during my quit. Hope this helps someone!
Half to full pack a day smoker for 7 years, Me and a few mates decided to quit on New Years Threw away my last pack (I still remember it,practically full pack of Peter Stuyvesant Blues) on Jan 3rd, after our 4 day bender in Melbourne for NYE.
Haven't looked back since, feel so much better, sense of smell is back, saved a load of money already.
I'm not gonna pretend it isn't hard, and still get occasional cravings, but whenever I feel like I could cave in, I think of the money I saved already this year, that I've used on a new 3d LCD tv as a present for myself. =)
I quit about a month ago or maybe a bit more after about 10 years of smoking a 20-pack per day on average. I know it is really hard for a lot of people, but I found it easy, I basically decided that it was not worth it anymore and that was it. The first couple of days I had occasional cravings but nothing too hard to resist. Guess I am lucky.
On August 11 2011 09:14 rebuffering wrote: im on day 3!!! but ive been smoking 2 grams of pot per day, for 8 years now, and im stopping cold turkey, because im feeling chest pains and such. So it was really a no brainer, i just physically cannot smoke anymore, so im sober, playing games. Its hard for me lol but i imagine it will get easier as time rolls on, i will start drinking liquor tho, haha gotta do something between sc2 matches.
ya that makes sense...have to do some sort of drug right? cant just be sober and think for yourself..
Bought a vaporizer for my marijuana habit, haven't had any tabacco since then (2 days now ._.)
Used to smoke couple cigarettes in the morning, and ofcourse mix my weed with tabacco.
I've quit tabacco for my health, hmmm *ping* I was planning to work in some working out every once in awhile, that would actually be a great distraction for when I feel like smoking.
I also quit caffeine like 1,5 week ago (Used to drink loooaads of cola) so a lot of changes going on!
So anyways, 11 AM and really craving a cigarette, guess I should give that excercise thing a try then... :D
Why do people start smoking in the first place? Do they not realize that it actually is as bad as people say until it's almost (sometimes already) too late?
Good luck to those who wish to quit as it's an addicting bitch. I for one am never trying it as I see no gain within.
On August 11 2011 09:14 rebuffering wrote: im on day 3!!! but ive been smoking 2 grams of pot per day, for 8 years now, and im stopping cold turkey, because im feeling chest pains and such. So it was really a no brainer, i just physically cannot smoke anymore, so im sober, playing games. Its hard for me lol but i imagine it will get easier as time rolls on, i will start drinking liquor tho, haha gotta do something between sc2 matches.
ya that makes sense...have to do some sort of drug right? cant just be sober and think for yourself..
Hey, he's quitting after 8 years and he's on day 3! Give him a break.
I never understood how some ppl get addicted to it, i can smoke 2/3 packs in 1 day and then just not smoke for unlimited amount of time w.o felling "bad" ( i only smoke when im out with friends at a coffee/beer but i smoke a lot when i do )... meh
On August 11 2011 09:14 rebuffering wrote: im on day 3!!! but ive been smoking 2 grams of pot per day, for 8 years now, and im stopping cold turkey, because im feeling chest pains and such. So it was really a no brainer, i just physically cannot smoke anymore, so im sober, playing games. Its hard for me lol but i imagine it will get easier as time rolls on, i will start drinking liquor tho, haha gotta do something between sc2 matches.
ya that makes sense...have to do some sort of drug right? cant just be sober and think for yourself..
Hey, he's quitting after 8 years and he's on day 3! Give him a break.
You do realize that one is a lot worse than the other right? Lungs repair the Liver rarely does, though quitting both is ideal, but everyone here should also learn most things in moderation are fine.
On August 11 2011 09:14 rebuffering wrote: im on day 3!!! but ive been smoking 2 grams of pot per day, for 8 years now, and im stopping cold turkey, because im feeling chest pains and such. So it was really a no brainer, i just physically cannot smoke anymore, so im sober, playing games. Its hard for me lol but i imagine it will get easier as time rolls on, i will start drinking liquor tho, haha gotta do something between sc2 matches.
ya that makes sense...have to do some sort of drug right? cant just be sober and think for yourself..
Hey, he's quitting after 8 years and he's on day 3! Give him a break.
You do realize that one is a lot worse than the other right? Lungs repair the Liver rarely does, though quitting both is ideal, but everyone here should also learn most things in moderation are fine.
...That guy wasn't an alcoholic or anything. He was just drinking to help deal with the withdrawal on the third day of quitting cold turkey. As long as it's just for a day or three it'll be okay. We're not talking long term abuse here.
On August 11 2011 09:14 rebuffering wrote: im on day 3!!! but ive been smoking 2 grams of pot per day, for 8 years now, and im stopping cold turkey, because im feeling chest pains and such. So it was really a no brainer, i just physically cannot smoke anymore, so im sober, playing games. Its hard for me lol but i imagine it will get easier as time rolls on, i will start drinking liquor tho, haha gotta do something between sc2 matches.
ya that makes sense...have to do some sort of drug right? cant just be sober and think for yourself..
Hey, he's quitting after 8 years and he's on day 3! Give him a break.
You do realize that one is a lot worse than the other right? Lungs repair the Liver rarely does, though quitting both is ideal, but everyone here should also learn most things in moderation are fine.
Liver not repairing? o.O You can loose 50% of you liver and it can completely regenerate. Damage to the lungs is harder to get rid of.
Hi there TL-Smoking Team, i want to join you. Currently i am still a active smoker but i definitly want to quit, since i can't afford smoking anymoer and i don't want to. However it has alsways ben my concern, that i might gain weight, eventhough i am going to the gym. Do you guys have any experience with that?
On August 15 2011 18:08 Aterons_toss wrote: I never understood how some ppl get addicted to it, i can smoke 2/3 packs in 1 day and then just not smoke for unlimited amount of time w.o felling "bad" ( i only smoke when im out with friends at a coffee/beer but i smoke a lot when i do )... meh
It's because of the way you're smoking. You would have a much higher chance of getting addicted if you smoked the same number of cigarettes over days or weeks.
That said, some people just don't get addicted. I'm one of them. I can stop for weeks or months without noticing a difference at all.
Been cigarette free for 2 1/2 years or so, stopped counting. I smoked for about 8-10 yrs pretty heavily, its definitely hard to stop but you have to want to quit. Otherwise it is almost impossible, you have to really hate it, get to the point where you hate the taste and everything.
You can do it. It takes a lot of willpower to quit smoking, but you will feel SO much better for doing it. Stick it out for a month or so and you'll notice a big change, best of luck! :D
On August 15 2011 21:39 dukem wrote: Today it's two weeks since I quit. I tried to quit twice before and failed badly after 24 hours. This time however, I'm not even tempted to go back.
2 Days in today. and i manage to slip up by saying to myself all last night, 1 smoke, only 1. its the Last one, i took one. was not worth it, Threw the pack away. 2nd try incoming. 2days 1 smoke isnt bad. ill keep you updated
tip: Do not play sc2 while trying to quit. ul get frustrated as hell, and start yelling at shit for no reason.
On August 16 2011 03:39 riddi wrote: ive quit for approximately 20~ hours so far. its killing me, ive managed 3 months in the past and i swear it wasnt this bad!
this time i have my GF stopping alongside me which provides some extra motivation, which is great. wish me luck!
Good luck man and don't replace that addiction with another addiction.
Man, this is rough. I smoke a pack a day. I started when I was 18 and I'm currently 22. My father has smoked since he was 13 (he's 50) and he smokes 1-2 packs a day. I want to quit, but I don't "want" to quit. I understand the need to quit, but the feeling I get from the cigarette is great.
Does anyone have any advice? The money isn't really an issue because I get the packs for 4$ :/
I quit smoking pot after 15 years of constant usage, but since then I'm smoking like a factory. I hope I can quit smoking soon, too. Without any turkeys ( I didn't have any when I quit pot).
On August 16 2011 03:39 riddi wrote: ive quit for approximately 20~ hours so far. its killing me, ive managed 3 months in the past and i swear it wasnt this bad!
this time i have my GF stopping alongside me which provides some extra motivation, which is great. wish me luck!
Yo - first day is the worst, first week is REALLY hard....than its getting REALLY good. Smoked ten years, quit once for a week and started again, but NOW im free since 2 month and i will never touch that crap again!!
Now i eat twice as much...but i can do thrice as much sport!!
Keep it up, you feel better really soon. If you want to quit, you can.
As an ex-smoker & someone trained in medicine, here are some helpful information regarding smoking and 2 reasons to quit smoking as well.
Smoking causes 3 major physiological damage:
1. Vascular damage & increased risk for vascular disease (such as coronary heart disease, blood vessel occlusion in general) 2. Increased risk of cancer (massive amounts of carcinogen in cigarette smoke) 3. Lung tissue damage (emphysema) & tracheal tissue damage (air tube)
Now here's ur 2 reasons to quit smoking:
Physiological damage #1, 2 can be reversed within 6 - 12 month after quitting smoke, with moderate exercise. For #3, tracheal tissue damage can be reversed, while lung damage is often permanent.
I quit smoking like 3 months ago, i quit for about 3 weeks and went and bought a pack and tried to inhale and couldn't stand the irritation it caused my throat. So i sat around and puffed like 15 cigarettes over 2 days. That's when it hit me, this is a freaking stupid act and addiction. Since then i'll have one cigarette in 3 months. I will occasionally smoke a cigar, smoking is quite relaxing and smoking in it self isn't that bad, it's the pack a day habit it can form that's horrible. Good luck to everyone trying to kick that habit. Just tough it out for a few weeks then when you see the improvement in your health the benefits of quitting will carry u the rest of the way!!!
I'm quitting tomorrow, hoping that a complete change of scenery (moving from denver to LA) will help with some of the habitual aspects of smoking. I've been a smoker for 3-4 years, and it's definitely time to stop.
the best thing for quitting, in my opinion, is to not have it around you or discussed around you. when you're the only person talking about panging for a cigarette, you feel a little more inclined to quit.
I've smoked on and off for 6 years, it's been 6 months since I've quit (and for good). Now I've been jogging almost every other day. My lungs are still in rehab, and I consider myself in rehab for quite some time but at the very least I've improved 10 fold if not more since I quit, I've saved tons of cash, and I don't feel gross anymore when I'm smoking at a party or when I wake up after a night of heavy smoking. Not only that but I'm going to live longer. So, don't be Marlboro's bitch and fuck smoking.
well its day #10, and all is well. EXCEPT! i get nightmares everytime i go to sleep, and haven't had a decent sleep in over a week, apparently it will go away, but man, waking up sweating like crazy, having the most insane dreams iver ever had. Guess its time to start drinking before bed, hoping i can get some sleep.
On August 16 2011 10:25 rebuffering wrote: well its day #10, and all is well. EXCEPT! i get nightmares everytime i go to sleep, and haven't had a decent sleep in over a week, apparently it will go away, but man, waking up sweating like crazy, having the most insane dreams iver ever had. Guess its time to start drinking before bed, hoping i can get some sleep.
I quit smoking 4 months ago. I was a smoker for 11 years, smoking at least 1 pack a day. I quit because I was having immense breathing difficulties, I was panting for breathes, with no ability to breathe through my nose, or in more detail; my body began causing me to have panic attacks I would pant to acquire oxygen. There is lots of humidity in this region of the world where I live, as well I am asthmatic. Two great reasons to quit, 1) cannot breathe, 2) simultaneous heart attack.
Thought I would try to encourage anyone here with similar biological & heriditary dispositions, to do themselves a favor ahead of time, and to start jogging.
I picked up frequent smoking in Iraq, and since I've been back I haven't had a smoke in a few months. I never really felt addicted, and quitting wasn't hard at all despite smoking for a few years. Still, every once in a while in a stressful situation, I really want a cigarette.
I don't really care about my health, I care more about my wallet. Cigarettes are expensive these days. Now I just have to make sure I don't replace cigarettes with alcohol.
On August 16 2011 10:25 rebuffering wrote: well its day #10, and all is well. EXCEPT! i get nightmares everytime i go to sleep, and haven't had a decent sleep in over a week, apparently it will go away, but man, waking up sweating like crazy, having the most insane dreams iver ever had. Guess its time to start drinking before bed, hoping i can get some sleep.
One word: pot.
Well thats just it, smoking pot for 7+ years, everyday since i was 14, now ive stopped cold turkey because of chest pains, so i had no choice really. So no, i can't smoke pot to get to bed, assuming thats what you were inferring. If not, then yes, it was because of pot, smoking bongs before bed everynight for years and years, and now, just trying to sleep sober, is hard as fuck. I think my solution will be to have a shot or two of Whiskey before bed, see how it works out.
On August 16 2011 10:25 rebuffering wrote: well its day #10, and all is well. EXCEPT! i get nightmares everytime i go to sleep, and haven't had a decent sleep in over a week, apparently it will go away, but man, waking up sweating like crazy, having the most insane dreams iver ever had. Guess its time to start drinking before bed, hoping i can get some sleep.
One word: pot.
Well thats just it, smoking pot for 7+ years, everyday since i was 14, now ive stopped cold turkey because of chest pains, so i had no choice really. So no, i can't smoke pot to get to bed, assuming thats what you were inferring. If not, then yes, it was because of pot, smoking bongs before bed everynight for years and years, and now, just trying to sleep sober, is hard as fuck. I think my solution will be to have a shot or two of Whiskey before bed, see how it works out.
That will help with the dreams but you're gonna wake up with cottonmouth and that gets old fast.
On August 16 2011 10:25 rebuffering wrote: well its day #10, and all is well. EXCEPT! i get nightmares everytime i go to sleep, and haven't had a decent sleep in over a week, apparently it will go away, but man, waking up sweating like crazy, having the most insane dreams iver ever had. Guess its time to start drinking before bed, hoping i can get some sleep.
One word: pot.
Well thats just it, smoking pot for 7+ years, everyday since i was 14, now ive stopped cold turkey because of chest pains, so i had no choice really. So no, i can't smoke pot to get to bed, assuming thats what you were inferring. If not, then yes, it was because of pot, smoking bongs before bed everynight for years and years, and now, just trying to sleep sober, is hard as fuck. I think my solution will be to have a shot or two of Whiskey before bed, see how it works out.
That will help with the dreams but you're gonna wake up with cottonmouth and that gets old fast.
Forgive me, as i dont undestand what you mean. So if i drink a shot or 2 before bed, i will wake up with cotten mouth?? and what the hell is cotton mouth. and there has to be a way to get to bed without drugs or alcohol right?? i mean ive always had sleeping issues since i was a child, and pot finally solved that, too bad i over did it, and must resort to special tactics to get to sleep like a normal human.
On August 16 2011 10:25 rebuffering wrote: well its day #10, and all is well. EXCEPT! i get nightmares everytime i go to sleep, and haven't had a decent sleep in over a week, apparently it will go away, but man, waking up sweating like crazy, having the most insane dreams iver ever had. Guess its time to start drinking before bed, hoping i can get some sleep.
One word: pot.
Well thats just it, smoking pot for 7+ years, everyday since i was 14, now ive stopped cold turkey because of chest pains, so i had no choice really. So no, i can't smoke pot to get to bed, assuming thats what you were inferring. If not, then yes, it was because of pot, smoking bongs before bed everynight for years and years, and now, just trying to sleep sober, is hard as fuck. I think my solution will be to have a shot or two of Whiskey before bed, see how it works out.
That will help with the dreams but you're gonna wake up with cottonmouth and that gets old fast.
Forgive me, as i dont undestand what you mean. So if i drink a shot or 2 before bed, i will wake up with cotten mouth?? and what the hell is cotton mouth. and there has to be a way to get to bed without drugs or alcohol right?? i mean ive always had sleeping issues since i was a child, and pot finally solved that, too bad i over did it, and must resort to special tactics to get to sleep like a normal human.
Oh lol, I'm sorry for not explaining. Its when your mouth is really dry to the point of it being painful to swallow and stuff, like if you put cotton balls in your mouth and they soaked up all the moisture. Cause alcohol dehydrates you, if you do a shot or two before bed (especially if its every night) you'll regularly wake up with your mouth hurting cause its really dehydrated. I guess you can prevent it getting too bad if you drink water with/after your whiskey, but its not something I like dealing with (as someone who's tried it in the past to be able to get to sleep earlier.)
On August 11 2011 10:07 tripledoubles wrote: Half to full pack a day smoker for 7 years, Me and a few mates decided to quit on New Years Threw away my last pack (I still remember it,practically full pack of Peter Stuyvesant Blues) on Jan 3rd, after our 4 day bender in Melbourne for NYE.
Haven't looked back since, feel so much better, sense of smell is back, saved a load of money already.
I'm not gonna pretend it isn't hard, and still get occasional cravings, but whenever I feel like I could cave in, I think of the money I saved already this year, that I've used on a new 3d LCD tv as a present for myself. =)
Fuk, I wish I could just be like you. Been smoking for 5 five years now, I want to quit but I don't think I can . A full pack a day for me, and unlike 2-3 years ago, I am actually worry about my heath now.
On August 16 2011 10:25 rebuffering wrote: well its day #10, and all is well. EXCEPT! i get nightmares everytime i go to sleep, and haven't had a decent sleep in over a week, apparently it will go away, but man, waking up sweating like crazy, having the most insane dreams iver ever had. Guess its time to start drinking before bed, hoping i can get some sleep.
One word: pot.
Well thats just it, smoking pot for 7+ years, everyday since i was 14, now ive stopped cold turkey because of chest pains, so i had no choice really. So no, i can't smoke pot to get to bed, assuming thats what you were inferring. If not, then yes, it was because of pot, smoking bongs before bed everynight for years and years, and now, just trying to sleep sober, is hard as fuck. I think my solution will be to have a shot or two of Whiskey before bed, see how it works out.
That will help with the dreams but you're gonna wake up with cottonmouth and that gets old fast.
Forgive me, as i dont undestand what you mean. So if i drink a shot or 2 before bed, i will wake up with cotten mouth?? and what the hell is cotton mouth. and there has to be a way to get to bed without drugs or alcohol right?? i mean ive always had sleeping issues since i was a child, and pot finally solved that, too bad i over did it, and must resort to special tactics to get to sleep like a normal human.
What do you do with your days? Do you do any exercise at all? Or 'brain' activities like reading or crosswords for example? Those are things that help with sleep if done at all throughout the day (avoid exercise 2 - 3 hours before bed though) since they tire out your body and mind. I used to have a lot of trouble sleeping and it's getting a lot easier for me now that I'm making a concerted effort to tire myself out with these activities.
It also helps with dreams too, for me anyway. I find I dream less when I'm super tired since it's easier to reach the 'deep sleep' part of the REM cycle without interruption.
The other thing is that those activities - exercise in particular - help to take your mind off the desire to smoke. Exercise can be tough if you've smoked for a long time, but it makes you feel freakin' amazing if you just push yourself to keep going. Especially anything cardiovascular, ie running or biking as opposed to lifting weights or w/e.
Oh, and with the cottonmouth thing that another poster mentioned (if you do decide to employ the help of alcohol at first) just drink a shit load of water immediately after the alcohol, and keep a bottle next to your bed. Just don't drink too much or you'll wake up needing to piss since alcohol is a diuretic.
Fuk, I wish I could just be like you. Been smoking for 5 five years now, I want to quit but I don't think I can . A full pack a day for me, and unlike 2-3 years ago, I am actually worry about my heath now.
How old are you ? I've been smoking for about the same time. I actually peaked this year in how frequently I would smoke (about 2-3 packs a sweet if not alot more). I remember going to a big tradeshow in vegas this year where I had to smoke atleast 1-2 cartons in about 4days. Worst feeling I've ever had coming back from Vegas. Today (Sept 20) I am about 3 weeks in of quitting full turkey. My inspiration has been my girlfriend who really begged me and also my parents. I think by having a very open desire to quit you can. I think I will never lite a cig again.
I love smoking and am glad I picked it up. Having a bowlful of tobacco at the end of a stressful day really puts a cap on things and lets me unwind. Nothing better than chocolate/creamy/nuttiness that you get from a good pipe of tobacco... and the nicotine helps a lot!
If I want convince my brother to stop smoking whats the best things I should bring up? Like everyone knows that it can kill you, but what really hits you and your like "man, i should really quit."
On September 21 2011 09:01 Pandain wrote: If I want convince my brother to stop smoking whats the best things I should bring up? Like everyone knows that it can kill you, but what really hits you and your like "man, i should really quit."
Price.
Talk about how much he spends on average each week/month/year that could be put towards other things
Might as well let you guys know how I've come about my quitting, it may even help a few people.
As far as history with it goes, been smoking for 3-4 years, the first year I only bummed smokes off of friends and never bought my own packs, but after that long I just didn't want to keep bumming off my friends cause they didn't seem to like it and started buying my own. Thankfully I managed to somehow keep my consumption down to making a pack last anywhere from 3 to 6 days depending how shitty the days.
The main reason for the slower rate of smoking I believe is due to me smoking parts of cigarettes rather than going out to smoke a whole one all at once.
I had what I referred to as "the voice" in my head that was pretty much the manifestation of my addiction. It would convince me why smoking wasnt anything to worry about, why I even SHOULD be smoking, and how much I liked it. And god damn can I be convincing when I want something....
The first time I tried to quit I maybe lasted that day, or a few days tops, and did that "ya I'm totally quitting" thing stupid 18 year olds do. I had decided around when I was 19 that I was going to quit when I was 20, and just not worry about it till then. And then my 20th birthday came and I smoked my "last" cigarette at midnight. I really just ended up smoking WAY to much weed over the next 2 weeks, and decided that school of mines + quitting smokes = too much stress for body to physically handle (school of mines is a very VERY depressing place T.T)
So I broke down, using the excuse of "well I'll just spend even more money on weed if I'm not smoking cigarettes". and continued my smoking spree.
Then my mom had her hip replaced and I needed to take a semester off school to take care of her and keep my self sane by making sure she's ok, since the past 2 years I've gone off to college, the summer I come home is to my mom getting surgery on something. So ya, I had a semester to cool off and take care of the ma. She asked me to quit smoking, and I went 2 weeks cold turkey, and then I took a few drags off a friends smoke in the car, and then I bummed a smoke from my buddy, and then I bought a pack T.T.
I managed to convince myself that I would just quit after I got my wisdom teeth out at the end of august since I wouldn't even be ABLE to smoke, and just keep on smoking. That voice just wouldn't give up. It always had something to say, always some counter argument, or something.
My wisdom teeth came out, and I (like a totally retard >.<) smoked a cigarette that night by just kinda breathing in with the cig kinda in my lips but no sucking or sealing. That lasted 4 days, and on the 4th night something strange happened. The voice died.
I killed it, somehow. I was in bed, and my mouth fucking HURT like no other cause I was determined to not take a pain pill that night, and from some corner in my head something said something along the lines of "you think this is pain? this is a tickle compared to ANY of the shit that smoking does to you, and you think this is pain?" and kept beating my brain with that notion.
The next day I did not hear the voice, I did not want a cigarette, and that was 3 weeks ago.
So far the only time I broke was at a party this weekend, and for my credit I didn't do too bad. I also have a terrible history with alcohol and generally really really hate the shit with a passion, as well as a passionate hate for really stupid drugs that give no enlightenment or anything useful or benificial....things like fucking horse tranqs. I got to this party to find all my friends had done lines of ketamine and planned on drinking heavily. I only smoked 1 to my self and a few drags off a friends. And the next day I didn't even think about cigarettes.
SO as long as I stay away from my friends when they do really stupid shit with drugs or get really drunk I'm golden. And to all you who want to quit, pain may very well be an eye opener to just what you may be getting yourself into.
I am on day 58 of quitting. 1450 cigarettes non-smoked.
What I keep telling myself is either way, smoking or not smoking, I am going to feel like shit. You will feel the urge to smoke if you quit, and you are gonna feel tiered and have your throat burning all day. So just think about it like that, maybe it will help you.
When is the cut-off where I can say : "yea I used to smoke but now I don't" ? 6 months?
On September 28 2011 04:06 Fattah wrote: I am on day 58 of quitting. 1450 cigarettes non-smoked.
What I keep telling myself is either way, smoking or not smoking, I am going to feel like shit. You will feel the urge to smoke if you quit, and you are gonna feel tiered and have your throat burning all day. So just think about it like that, maybe it will help you.
When is the cut-off where I can say : "yea I used to smoke but now I don't" ? 6 months?
Depends on how long you have been smoking I would say. But its really subjective. Do you still have daily crawings, then you are still in the act of quitting. Good job though.
Im about 70hours in, and crawings are pretty bad. I drink tea to substitute the action of putting the shit in my mouth, with somthing less shit in my mouth. I piss every 30min now... It hasnt been as bad as this, other times (tried to quit many times).
This time I feel very motivated though. Im trying to turn my life around. Quit smoking, healthy food, daily cardio and other work outs.
The cardio and healthy food might be why I dont feel the crawings so bad this time around.
Don't have time at work to read through the entire thread, but from what I gather, there is much progress up in this b&%$#. Im 3 months in without a cig. Just moved in with a bartender though, so it has been very tough. The whole smoking while drinking is really tough to overcome.
How I managed to stop was by determining to stop right before I went on a grand adventure. I figure that if I am busy doing awesome things, I wouldnt need to take a break from my droll life to suck ash.
NEJM just pblished a good article on how to treat smokers. http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMcp1101512?query=TOC in brief, set a quit date, review lessons from past quitting experiences, anticipate challenges to the upcoming attempt to quit, reduce or eliminate alcohol use, address other smokers in household
Also effectiveness of chantix vs multitherapy nicatine replacement was looked at. Success rate of chantix was 33% and nicotine replacement was 37%. take tha however u like.
Been smoking for more than 10 years now. I quit them for few months using Tabex ( a bulgarian drug based on some plant, that has the similar structure and effects as nicotine, but its no addictive - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cytisine ).I had no real withdraw effects thanks to this drug, but few months later I started again. Havent been smoking for 2 days and its real nightmare, I hope I`ll be able to get through.
I too want to smoke badly every day. Just think of the money you save, how great its for your health and, (to me) most importantly, the mental strength you prove to yourself by just kicking your addiction's ass!
On October 13 2011 19:02 rEalGuapo wrote: Come on guys, hang in there.
I too want to smoke badly every day. Just think of the money you save, how great its for your health and, (to me) most importantly, the mental strength you prove to yourself by just kicking your addiction's ass!
This is probably the biggest factor for me, too. I have chronic bronchitis and I've been smoking for about 5 years, but that isn't what is really driving me to quit. I'm currently only on day 3 of this quitting attempt, but every day in just feels so satisfying. Sure, I get all sweaty and irritable, or I get wicked headaches, but knowing that I'm beating an incredibly powerful but useless addiction just makes me feel so damn fulfilled. I just need to stick with it for once. I've "quit" twice before, but both times I let myself have a cig or two, and BAM, hooked again. The reasons for allowing myself to try it out again vary, but I'm fairly confident that I'm wise enough not to let that happen this time. After seeing myself fall back into the trap very quickly, that I worked so hard to get out of... I don't think I'll ever smoke a cigarette again. There's just no point. It'd be letting myself down.
Sorry for being a naive little kid, but why do people smoke constantly and why do they start? Dont think ill ever smoke thou. I met a guy who didnt smoke for like 2 hours, and he went into withdrawl. It was fucking scary.
On October 14 2011 19:21 Bswhunter wrote: Sorry for being a naive little kid, but why do people smoke constantly and why do they start? Dont think ill ever smoke thou. I met a guy who didnt smoke for like 2 hours, and he went into withdrawl. It was fucking scary.
It usually takes me 6-8h before I become an insufferable asshole. Consider that I've only been smoking for about 5 years, ranging from 10-20 cigarettes per day, with a couple "breaks" lasting 2-4 months at a time (seeing as lighting up one more time means I never quit). It's a definite behavioral addiction, with an equally potent neurochemical factor. At this point, chronic sinus congestion is a colossal pain in my ass, and is at least partially due to my smoking. I'd love to go without smokes, but whenever that magic number has elapsed, I can't get it out of my head. The last thing I want to do is resort to some kind of chemical crutch like a nicotine patch or inhaler. Any suggestions TL?
As a general question from someone who's planning on quitting smoking, how long did it take you guys to start feeling the 'positive' effect from quitting?
Starting the coming friday once all my exams are done.
i just quitted smoking 2 months ago...it wasnt easy i quitted a week then started again...i guess the 1st week is the hardest...but honestly when i smoked that cig... it didnt felt good as it used too... i kinda felt like shit when i did it...so i quit again.... its gonna be harder if u have friends who smoke arround you...which i do have.... but other than that... im doing good... feels good...all good =)
I now quit moking some years ago. It was at university and there was a long weekend due to some holiday that I forgot and stores were closed and no cigarette was anywhere near and I was to lazy to get out and drive for miles to get a cigarette. So after the few days without smoke, I thought to myself, if I can survive these days I can survive the next day and then the next and so on. Havent smoked ever since. The first few days (the weeken end) was the hardest.
Finished my last pack of cigarettes today, started smoking about a year and a half ago, but family becoming ill from it and generally feeling like shit has me ready to quit. I'm gonna make Wrigley gum rich as shit in the next week lol.
have you guys heard of E-cigerette. water vapor + nicotine (or without). in my experience its about the same as quitting smokeing, without the shittyness. its just like smoking a cig but without the 2000+ chemicals. also taste so good. right now , the 3 flavors i have are french vanilla ice cream , tobacco and caramel, and pancake. i got 18 mg nicotine which is pretty high. i never feel like smoking a cig with this and feel like im in much better shape (with exercise) also u save alot of money too. for 80 dollars i got everything i needed to start and enough of the E-juice to last me for 5 months. check out this website vapor4life.com . to start out u need a battery(the actualy cigerette looking thing) cartomizers ( looks like a cig butt and screws on the end of the battery) and E-juice of ur fav flavors. buying the juices and refilling your carts is how u save alot of money. u get 30 ml bottle of juice for 12 dollar and it lasts me about as long as a carton of cigs. pm me if u have questions i might know answers.
On March 02 2010 07:13 Reason wrote: Will someone please write a little summation of Alan Carr's stop smoking books. Like his general method or something about why his are better... different outlook to most? set plan? what?
Also that book of one liners you read liquid drone can you give some examples instead of just saying I read a bunch of stuff that completely changed my life but I absolutely refuse to repeat any of it here because that would just be too sensible.
Thanks!
Been a while and I assume this was directed at me.. Well his book basically goes through your mind process on why you smoke and which excuses you have for it and why you would continue doing so. Quoting some pieces doesn't really work, cause the quotes by themselves are not very special, it's the whole package. In the Netherlands you can also quit by attending a seminar from his company, if you fail to quit you get your money back.
Reason I visited this thread again is that I started again 4 months ago and quit again last week. Book helped me again
I smoked since 16 (or a little earlyer).. After 20 like 2 packs a day... That makes 12 years of smoking with ~10 years of "heavy" smoking. A little less than 2 months ago I stopped spontaneously on a Sunday morning (woke up and did not feel like going out to buy cigs... That was like the whole reason).
I don't get people that have these "huge" problems. All you need to do is not smoke. THAT’S ALL, just don't smoke. Yes, you feel terrible for the first few days/week... But soon after the worst cravings are gone. Just don't smoke.
It's easier than doing your daily workouts or something like that because... There you actually have to do something, to stop smoking you just have to not do anything... It's easy.
And pls forget that E-Cig bullshit... If you use any form of replacement drug you haven't stopped at all.
On November 22 2011 09:20 sickoota wrote: Ugh I have to quit for a surgery,I have no idea how im gonna do it. Anyone had any experience with quitting by use of an e-cig?
E-cig is terrible. It makes you want real cig even more i think. However i have quit like 3 times. The longest was for about 5 months. I know that i can quit and it is not even that hard, but i found out that i really like the feeling to be able to light up a cigarette when i am feeling shitty or just smoking when drinking with friends in a bar. So now i am trying to approach it from different angle and i smoke about 5 a day with exceptions when i go to bar or a party.
CONGRATS to those who have successfully quit ^^ My father used to be a smoker and he stopped because of my brother and I. You guys should realize that you are not only doing good to yourself, but to those around you too! Keep up the good work guys
I have a history of smoking during periods of my life. I have been able to quit for long periods (6 mos to a year) cold turkey or using patches, but I eventually pick it back up again. I'm not the type of person who can just have one cigarette every so often out with friends. If I smoke one, you can bet that I will be back to buying a pack within a month (first just a bum every few days, then one a day, then multiple a day, then guilt for bumming so much outweighs guilt of smoking, then pack).
This is probably not the best way to quit for long term, but whenever I start to feel shitty about smoking (coughing, lungs burning when running) I just decide to "take a break." If I know I'm just taking a break, it makes the hardcore withdrawal period pass easier. Then, after a while, when I'm getting the psychological cravings, I can say, "I'm not going to smoke, I don't want to break my streak of X days/weeks/months."
I have not had a cig for a month and a half. I was challenged for the first time when I was trying to talk to a girl at a bar who was smoking. It was hard not to ask her for a cig, as that is often a good conversation starter (even though, in reality, do you really want your first interaction with a lady to be asking her for something?). I passed the test, and am feeling good.
This time I want to go beyond taking a break to fully quit.
I had sore throat/throat aches and smoking only made it worse. Close to 4 weeks without smoking but i've run into a problem. Im eating a lot of snacks and shit... apparently it's quite common but i really don't want to gain a lot of weight while trying to quit, you guys got any tips? Well any other tips than 'dont eat snacks all the time'
If you really wanna quit, what actually works better than eating snacks is to eat healthy food (lol sounds so obvious when I say that). Eat lots of green veggies, eat lots of fruits that have a high level of Vitamin C, and drink a glass of milk whenever you have a strong urge to smoke. The greens and the vitamin C will help get rid of the nicotine addiction - the milk will make a smoke taste terrible.
Just FYI I know this stuff more from personal experience - I've never smoked but I was a missionary for my church in Chile for 2 years, and I worked a lot with people trying to stop smoking. These ideas helped a lot - especially the vitamin C and the milk :D
If anyone who tries to stop smoking right now actually is in this thread: I cheer on you! My parents smoke and they say they can't stop, my grandpa though, has quit it since 2 years after smoking for 40 years. You can also do it!
Hi, my name is Hack Benjamin and I'm addicted to ciggarettes
I recently purchased an electronic ciggarette which comes interchangeable filters. It has 3 different strength filters, Hi, Medium and Low. Each filter lasts about a pack and a half worth of ciggarettes.
I just went through the two high-strength filters that came with it, and purchased a 5 pack of medium filters for $10. I definitely noticed a difference, but it still helps to take the edge off.
My problem is that I've bought ciggarettes and haven't been good with defaulting to the e-smoke. I need more self-discipline for sure, but I am working on that.
I didn't smoke for 3.5 years, started again about 6 months ago. Need to really stop again, ciggarettes are so fucking godawful, and so insanely addicting.
Update: I'm still not smoking, but my whole mouth is super raw and painful from constantly eating salted sunflower seeds. I'm sure a dentist would flip out if he heard me recommend this, but my somewhat complicated process of eating seeds (put a ton in left cheek, crack one, eat seed, transfer shell to right cheek, repeat until left cheek empty) is engrossing enough to take the place of the oral fixation.
Cursed cigarettes! A pack of DuMoes is so expensive these days. I find myself rooting for not having to utilize all these tax dollars I've contributed thus far. I'm going to read through this thread and see what has helped some of you guys quit.
Just checking in here, it's been half a year now since my last cigarette and one of my goals for next year is to make sure that one really was the last.
It's a bit funny what I just wrote because there's this one bit I guess I could share having been a smoker for years, and that is I can't even remember smoking my last cigarette. I mean I had no clue at that time it was going to be my last. It runs contrary to what people have discussed before in this thread about some book or something which tells you: "okay that's your last cigarette, smoke it now" and stuff. But as I read about it I kinda laughed because it seemed so naive, I know it would never ever work for me. Like I said I don't remember my last cigarette, and why is that, well maybe because I've had far too many last cigarettes to remember them all. Half an hour later I just smoke the next one, it just doesn't work like that for me. And it's all a bit more complex than that in reality, but if you think about it you're trying to quit smoking right, so stop doing that. Instead of smoking the last one just don't smoke the next one, it might be a good idea to focus on that. I know different things work for different people but maybe that could help somebody. Anyway good luck everyone.
And well since I'm already here guess might as well report how's the crave or whatever, well no problems when meeting smokers, the smoke annoys me and I don't get the urge to try at all. Lucky me right. And I think I posted here before that I have dreams where I smoke, well at first that used to happen quite often, now once in a blue moon, but the common theme is I'm not a happy smoker in those dreams, in fact I'm really really pissed off at myself for smoking every time, like "how can I be smoking again wtf, how did that happen." Lucky me again right.
Still not smoking (~3 Months now? I don't count). Still no replacement "drug" like gum. But well, I gained 2-3 Kg's of weight... But that could also come from the tons of Christmas Dinners and other meetings .
Occasionally i wan't to smoke but even when i'm totally drunk while having the "need" I actually can play with a cigarette and a lighter whiteout falling for it... It's like a game for me ^^. But when i dream that i am smoking, i'm a happy smoker.. Because well, i never had an issue with smoking...
The poster right before me is right as far as i am concerned. I have a few friends that stopped with the book, they all started again after 3-5 months.
I'm at about a month and a week of smoke freeenesss whhaaat. I smoked about 2 or 3 packs a week for about 5 years and happened to come across this thread [ http://www.teamliquid.net/blogs/viewblog.php?id=284563 ] after the first 48 hours of my current quitting attempt. Guess what? I still haven't had one, still haven't bought a pack. I think I woulda made it this far with or without his OP but there's no way to know for sure.
Anyways, I really like what this guy is saying and I think a lot of TLers will relate. His strategy/approach might not work for everyone but if y'all are anything like me then it might help you kick the bucket. I mean kick the habit.
I smoked about 2 or 3 packs a week for about 5 years
That does not even sound like "addicted" smoking to me... 2-3 Packs a Week? So 5-8 cigs a day? Thats like nothing... Sometimes i smoked that much on my way to work (traffic jams ) ^^.
I think your problem is that these few cigs are just habitual, you are probably not even truely addicted, else you would smoke way more... Or you were fighting with your self to keep your consumption low over all these years which would mean that you basically tried to stop for years and years whiteout ever actually calling it that.
I knew someone out there wouldn't be able to stop themselves from turning this into a pissing contest after I wrote down my average consumption. Maybe next time just say "congrats!" or nothing rather than assuming I'm a dumb **** and trying to call me out on it.. (in response to Velr)
Perhaps my lower average consumption made it easier for me. Maybe that is why I never had to admit I was powerless over my addiction in order to be successful.
Going cold turkey is bad. It always seems easy before stopping but when the cravings start...it really comes down on how bad you want it.
I've thought about trying hypnosis. I'm hearing a lot of good stories about it. Winxtp.com has a review about a self hypnosis program. I like it because it has a 60 day money back guarantee and the creator actually seems to be credible for a change. Does anyone have experience with stuff like this?
I'v quit smoking solely because of starcraft. i can quit smoking when im at my parents but when im back at my place i always smoke packs a day. all my friends smoke and the way iv stopped was by playing starcraft. i did it cold turkey from 2 packs a day to absolutely nothing. iv traded smoking for starcraft addiction wise. first 3 weeks are the hardest so i stayed home and played sc2 almost all day. sc2 was very helpful to keep my thoughts from smoking and sigs. after 3 weeks its less hard to stop the craving. what rly helps is working out to keep from thinking about sigs. anyway thats how i stopped smoking its been 4 months now and i still think about smoking and buying a pack but when i do i focus more on starcraft top stop the craving. and because i channeled the frustration on to starcraft i made it to dia league.
Including today it has been exactly six months since I've stopped smoking.
I had tried in the past with the "less cigarettes a day" trick, but in my personal experience it's bullshit. One day at work I was talking with a colleague of mine about my desire to quit smoking... while having a cg in hand. He is a heavy smoker who had failed to stop in the past, so he looked in my eyes and told me: "You know that if you smoke that one you will never stop?" Don't know why, but it worked. I trashed that cig and the packet right after, and since then I never touched anything.
The first two weeks had been hell, but I kept remembering myself that if I ever surrendered for a little I would have never quit. I guess the real difficulty comes not only because of the habit, but because of some "habit locations", like the spot when you smoke right after having the car parked and so on. The trick is to recognise these places so that you can avoid them/strenghten your resolve before going there.
At the current moment I don't feel the need anymore, so I think it worked. My previous tentatives did last only for about a week and at the current moment I don't feel the need anymore despite living in the same environment, so I think it worked. Good luck to everyone, guys!
I'm trying to quit really hard. But if I decide one day that I'm going to try and not smoke that day, I end up wanting one more. It's really killing me
I've smoked a pack a day since I was 17. That's 8 years now. I want to quit and I don't want to quit and it's a constant cycle of smoking a few less then slipping back and smoking a pack again.
Quit cold turkey half way through new years day. Wasn't planned or anything, I finished the 3 cigarettes I had left from going out the night before, and decided it was time to change. Day 1 and 2 were hell. Day 3 and today not so much. I chew loads of gum, have a slightly harder time focussing (feels like I'm a little high, especially in the evenings) and I'm coughing my lungs out but I find it rather enjoyable and see it as part of 'healing'.
I'm also running like a madman, I think to compensate for the nicotine by releasing happy exercise hormones, but I'm no doctor.
Smoked pack a day for 5-6 years before this. I am a little afraid of 'losing' cigarettes as a social tool. It had become kind of my go-to move to chat people up while going out, any tips on that? And how long does the coughing from quitting continue for?
Today I finally decided to do this. I've smoked 5 years now and lately it's been a pack a day and it's too fucking much. And it costs way too much.
Going to be tough as motherfucking nails seeing as I've got an extremely stressful job. Nevertheless I shall emerge victorious and as a better man (I hope).
Been smoking too much lately and it's a pretty expensive habbit. Put it down after the new years party and have been holding on without too much problems since then. The problems will start when I get back to university. Hopefully I can be strong though. Its such a good feeling when someone asks for a lighter and you can tell them you don't smoke.
Haven't smoked for a week now. Gets easier every day, it's quite cool to have your taste/smell returning and it feels good to be able to inhale deeply without coughing.
That said I've been itching to get high, but I don't want to smoke. Anyone with a solution that isn't 200 euros? (as in a vaporizer)
Gone from 20 a day for 10 years (with a missing month here an there on my countless attempts to stop) to 0 cold turkey.
What finally did it for me: Going full retard health obsessive mode! -First made a pact with a friend to have a sixpack ready by next summer (9 months to work with) -Cardio 30min a day (no excuse, ever) -Hit the gym every other day (no excuse, ever) -Eat right - 6 times a day minimum, double body weight in protein, mass fibre/vitamins/etc.
From being almost underweight (185cm, 64,5kg, 17%bf) I've gained 5kg's in weight and lowered my bf by 4-5%.
Most important of all though, I have still not smoked. Last was the 27 september, so I have passed my 3 month mark and hardly ever think about it anymore.
Being complete health nazi was the motivation i needed. Just one cigaret, and all the fucking jogging and eating nothing but boring shit would be wasted.
On January 09 2012 01:20 Derez wrote: Haven't smoked for a week now. Gets easier every day, it's quite cool to have your taste/smell returning and it feels good to be able to inhale deeply without coughing.
That said I've been itching to get high, but I don't want to smoke. Anyone with a solution that isn't 200 euros? (as in a vaporizer)
Now, I don't think smoking bud is nearly as bad as cigarettes, but if you don't want the cough, a vaporizer is a great investment. I got a V-Tower extreme which has the bag like a volcano and a hose and it was 180 american ~ 140 eur. It might be a big initial investment but if you want to get high with no cough it's the way to go.
On January 09 2012 01:20 Derez wrote: Haven't smoked for a week now. Gets easier every day, it's quite cool to have your taste/smell returning and it feels good to be able to inhale deeply without coughing.
That said I've been itching to get high, but I don't want to smoke. Anyone with a solution that isn't 200 euros? (as in a vaporizer)
Now, I don't think smoking bud is nearly as bad as cigarettes, but if you don't want the cough, a vaporizer is a great investment. I got a V-Tower extreme which has the bag like a volcano and a hose and it was 180 american ~ 140 eur. It might be a big initial investment but if you want to get high with no cough it's the way to go.
The problem isn't so much the cough as it is the nicotine. I don't want to let myself smoke even that single joint with tobacco mixed in, at least not for the next couple of weeks. Any other solutions that won't cost me that kind of money or is it vaporizer only?
(Today was hell for me. I woke up after the most extreme smoking dream, which felt real to a point where I could swear I smoked. Shitty mood for the rest of the day. Also the first day back in my normal routine after the holidays which hurt even more.)
On January 09 2012 01:20 Derez wrote: Haven't smoked for a week now. Gets easier every day, it's quite cool to have your taste/smell returning and it feels good to be able to inhale deeply without coughing.
That said I've been itching to get high, but I don't want to smoke. Anyone with a solution that isn't 200 euros? (as in a vaporizer)
2 weeks for me as of today, and its still getting easier by the day. The only days I have real issues is where I have to get up early (6ish) and by lunch I'm willing to do pretty much anything for a fag.
Haven't caved so far, but have given up 'counting' the amount of time I haven't smoked/am not going to smoke for. If you just do it on a day-to-day basis (I will not smoke today/right now instead of I will not smoke ever again), I've found it to be much easier to do.
If it keeps going as fast as its been going, I think in another couple of weeks it won't even be on my mind anymore.
4 days down so far after quitting cold turkey from about a pack and a half a day. Surprisingly the urge to smoke hasn't been all that bad. Only time I get a twinge of a craving is on my drives to and from work. I would've quit a long time ago if I had known it was going to be this easy. No crazy withdrawl symptoms either, just a slight headache.
I've been on a fitness craze since December, and I think that has helped a ton. Hit the gym 5 nights a week, do active fun activities the other two to stay busy.
What I'm really scared of is the detox mode if it hits me hard... sitting around coughing up phlegm for a month or two does not sound like fun D:
ok im trying again. had my last cig yesterday evening sometime. using forceful distraction this time, ie as soon as i start thinking about the subject i fire it right back out of my mind before it can take any hold
I had my last cig 2 weeks ago. I'm having the most shitty time of my life, being in my ER shifts is a living torture, since there's pretty much no way to calm myself (I seemed to have a pretty strong association between chillaxing and having a cigarrette, LOL).
Should I go for the e-cig? If you've used it, would you recommend it and why?
On January 24 2012 21:05 FFGenerations wrote: ok im trying again. had my last cig yesterday evening sometime. using forceful distraction this time, ie as soon as i start thinking about the subject i fire it right back out of my mind before it can take any hold
still clean... instead of clenching my mouth and shaking like a madman, im way more relaxed this time. only day 2 tho but i am peaceful about it. *downs more antidepressants*
On January 15 2012 17:50 FFGenerations wrote: OKAY I QUIT SMOKING TODAY OKAY LAST CIGARETTE WALKING TO WORK gonna be tough as shit 3-4 days be with me TLnet <3
On January 25 2012 06:00 FFGenerations wrote: ah man if youre off nicotine altogether (for 2 weeks?!) then forget about going back to it!!! (ecigs are nicotine)
I'm still coping with the massive amounts of anxiety involving nicotine abstinence. Asked a colleague who is an internal medicine specialist in bronchopulmonary medicine if he recommended something for cases like mine. He prescribed me Chantix. Still can't feel the anxiety leaving me; on the contrary, I feel kind of a build-up and I've only been on it for a day. ... But what I've noted is that I just can't fucking stand to smell a cigarrette now. I feel nauseated almost instantly upon smelling cigarrette smoke. Noticed this morning when a colleague greeted me at the hospital and she reeked of cigs. I nearly threw up, LOL.
I don't smoke and I never did, but for the people trying to quit who have seemed to try anything I know a few people personally who have got hypnotized to quit and haven't touched a cigarette for over 5 years. Just letting you know its a legitimate resource for anyone running out of ideas.
On January 25 2012 06:00 FFGenerations wrote: ah man if youre off nicotine altogether (for 2 weeks?!) then forget about going back to it!!! (ecigs are nicotine)
I'm still coping with the massive amounts of anxiety involving nicotine abstinence. Asked a colleague who is an internal medicine specialist in bronchopulmonary medicine if he recommended something for cases like mine. He prescribed me Chantix. Still can't feel the anxiety leaving me; on the contrary, I feel kind of a build-up and I've only been on it for a day. ... But what I've noted is that I just can't fucking stand to smell a cigarrette now. I feel nauseated almost instantly upon smelling cigarrette smoke. Noticed this morning when a colleague greeted me at the hospital and she reeked of cigs. I nearly threw up, LOL.
lame man, anxiety shit is a bitch, especially at a job like yours
im on antidepressants and gonna up the dose . you might wanna ask about antidepressants if you think they might help. the biggest risk for me is getting depressed and stop caring so i start smoking again.
my face is being pulled down to the ground recently (look like im gonna cry all the time), im pretty sure its antidepressants that i need to help with that
if you are clenching your mouth/teeth a lot then try to relax your face completely, it seems to be helping me a lot to be relaxed. i have today and tomorrow off work and just 4 hour shift on friday so i should be clear. the insane withdrawal should be hitting me very soon , which is weird coz i cant feel it getting any worse now
On January 25 2012 01:54 UmbraaeternuS wrote: I had my last cig 2 weeks ago. I'm having the most shitty time of my life, being in my ER shifts is a living torture, since there's pretty much no way to calm myself (I seemed to have a pretty strong association between chillaxing and having a cigarrette, LOL).
Should I go for the e-cig? If you've used it, would you recommend it and why?
I stopped cigs one month ago, and I am with an ecig now. First I used the most famous one, the Ego Tank model. Then I switched toward a more confortable and efficient model, the Provari.
Using an ecig made it impressively easy, once I switched to ecig with a good eliquid, it wasn't possible for me anymore to smoke a regular cig, it tastes like crap. I am now reducing gradually the nicotine value of the eliquid I vape, and everything is very smooth. I basically enjoy the vape and the taste, without the cancerigen thingy. Since I switched for a very good ecig, I basically have more "hit" and more taste with lighter and lighter eliquid.
On January 25 2012 22:27 Velr wrote: I seriously hope your not suggesting taking antidepressiva soley to stop smoking...
Wanna stop Weed? Here take this other "soft" drug to get over it.
Or what kinda logic do you apply here?
No dude, he's right Antidepressants ARE used to stop smoking. Wellbutrin and Champix ARE antidepressants used solely FOR that, but patients taking them NEED TO BE SUPERVISED by a physician.
On January 27 2012 17:34 FFGenerations wrote: day 4/4.5 emotionally drained (not unusual anyway lol)
I feel you, dude Anxiety is through the roof in my case, and I'm having occasional abdominal pain, dizziness, profuse sweating and nausea. Nicotine withdrawal is a bitch
I would seriously advice buying e-cigarettes to quit smoking. I actually didnt quit yet, but I'm smoking 2 packs a day since I'm 16 (or the equivalent in "rolled" cigarettes, dunno how to say it in english but the ones you roll yourself cost a lot less, I couldnt smoke), I'm 22 now and I really feel like I'm fucked. But a friend of mine made me try e cigs, and I didnt smoke a cigarette in 4 days without ANY WITHDRAWL, so of course you still get nicotine with e-cigs (depends on what you use, you can have from nicotine free, to high nicotine dosage depending on your consomation, but I actually was fine with the lowest nicotine dose (6mg) and I really didnt feel the need to smoke a cigarette). This surprised me sooo much, when my friend told me to try I laughed at him, "like it could seriously work, you dont have the feel of the cigarette, the smell etc etc" well, I was wrong, but then, the e-cig which was poor quality kinda broke, so I have to get new ones, but as a start to quit smoking I feel like this is the best option, plus you got no smell, you can smoke that all day in your house with people around wont bother anyone, and it costs nothing once you bought the e-cig because the liquid you use to recharge the thing is really cheap. I'm so glad I found this, I was actually thinking that I would smoke until I die but this seems to be an easy way to quit, of course you'll need motivation eventually when you want to quit ecigs too but man, good stuff
On January 28 2012 01:48 mahO wrote: I would seriously advice buying e-cigarettes to quit smoking. I actually didnt quit yet, but I'm smoking 2 packs a day since I'm 16 (or the equivalent in "rolled" cigarettes, dunno how to say it in english but the ones you roll yourself cost a lot less, I couldnt smoke), I'm 22 now and I really feel like I'm fucked. But a friend of mine made me try e cigs, and I didnt smoke a cigarette in 4 days without ANY WITHDRAWL, so of course you still get nicotine with e-cigs (depends on what you use, you can have from nicotine free, to high nicotine dosage depending on your consomation, but I actually was fine with the lowest nicotine dose (6mg) and I really didnt feel the need to smoke a cigarette). This surprised me sooo much, when my friend told me to try I laughed at him, "like it could seriously work, you dont have the feel of the cigarette, the smell etc etc" well, I was wrong, but then, the e-cig which was poor quality kinda broke, so I have to get new ones, but as a start to quit smoking I feel like this is the best option, plus you got no smell, you can smoke that all day in your house with people around wont bother anyone, and it costs nothing once you bought the e-cig because the liquid you use to recharge the thing is really cheap. I'm so glad I found this, I was actually thinking that I would smoke until I die but this seems to be an easy way to quit, of course you'll need motivation eventually when you want to quit ecigs too but man, good stuff
The thing is, with ecig it is pretty easy to gradually reduce your nicotine addiction by progressively reducing the value in your eliquid.
I totally agree with you, using ecig makes it incredibly easy.
how you guys doing? shit is harrrrrd. i have these cravings where i am like spending up to 5 minutes thinking about having a cig, but i have numbed my emotions so i feel like utter shit constantly and just ride it out. its a bit scarey coz i try to justify shit and dont know how long i can keep it up coz its exhausting. the only thing keeping me going i think is that i quit alcohol in the past, and went from being super addicted to that to not ever wanting it at all, so i know it can be done, just takes a long time and i feel burnt out already. its just exhausting bleh. i need to stay up another hour (so i can eat again -_- ) otherwise i would go to bed and probably wake up feeling a bit better. so glad i dont have an early morning tomorrow!!!
honestly i think my whole philosophy is "i know i can do it therefore its just a matter of trust (in myself/in reality) and time" . i dont have any other motivation or reasoning than that :p i think thats how i quit alcohol too. you kinda determine a Fact of Reality , Trust that it is always true nomatter what, and then can just follow that fact like a religion
So I've finally decided to kick the habit. I cut down to 4-5 a day last summer and have kept to that reasonably well (drinking doesn't help). I'm now 5 days in using nicotine lozenges. They're okay, giving something of the rush you get from a smoke. I'm going to be hanging out with some friends today and I know they'll be smoking. My first true test, I hope it goes well.
Hey FF, keep it up man. Remember why you wanted to quit in the first place. Also one trick I find works for cravings is to just do some push-ups. Keeps me from getting sluggish and depressed.
3 weeks. I feel like a new man. Anxiety is gone, and I'm so glad because last week was utter shit. I'm clean and i hope to stay that way for the rest of my life.
I quit cigs, re-started this summer, then re-quit in september and haven't smoked since ...
One thing that was hilarious in how it helped, was some trick I read in a "gimmick" book at Barnes & Noble.. (skimmed through it to find the "gimmick"). It ended up being like, just tell yourself "boy it's nice that i don't crave cigs any more/it's so easy to not crave cigs/etc.," and the idea is that if you are always thinking quitting cigs is super hard, then it can be hard. If every time you crave you're just like meh this is easy, it (according to him) gets easier.
it worked for me. cigarettes are so, so, so awful for your health. on top of all the physical effects, it also clouds your perception -- your routine, your thoughts, your behavior, your personality, is all through the lens of addiction. you formulate plans to allow for cig breaks, shit like that. bleh. i now know for a fact that i have, and MUST/want to have, amazingly strong will-power. that's the second half of any "quitting trick:" you have to want to prove it for the sake of your WILLPOWER, if not for your health. can you live knowing your will is too weak to do something that your mind wants to? i couldn't, i will never be able to. that's the strongest motivation of all in the end.
not feeling massively depressed anymore, yay. feeling much better. need to re-learn how to smile again tho , sigh -_-
however, last few days have been getting strong cravings when sitting at computer like watching something/BW. almost caved in a few times, mindset is far weaker now and im trying to rationalise it by saying its a one-off reward. i dont drink or have any weed so im starting to feel like im not able to relax without....that extra something.....
anyway think im alright for tonight now. its gets real close sometimes last few days . ugh real close
Just an update -- It's been four months since my last cigarette. I'm way past the phase where I get regular cravings. I've been this far before and started again, but this time I know what to watch out for -- that period when you get cocky because you think you've broken the addiction, so you can have just one....
My method was cold turkey -- just gum and sunflower seeds. I realized its been at least a month since I even bought seeds, and I don't chew the gum successfully.
At least one of my New Year's Resolutions still survives.
6 Weeks and still I hate having quit at various occasions..
I quit once before for almost 2 years and I don't remember having to work for it.. Now I work hard for it
Edit: Both times cold turkey, simply quit and that is it.
I guess it is harder this time because I was up to at least one package per day for a pretty long time and back in the old days one pack would last 2 sometimes 3 days.
On February 07 2012 13:06 Mr. Black wrote: Just an update -- It's been four months since my last cigarette. I'm way past the phase where I get regular cravings. I've been this far before and started again, but this time I know what to watch out for -- that period when you get cocky because you think you've broken the addiction, so you can have just one....
My method was cold turkey -- just gum and sunflower seeds. I realized its been at least a month since I even bought seeds, and I don't chew the gum successfully.
At least one of my New Year's Resolutions still survives.
This is my fucking issue man, I just want to have one damn cigarette why I have my beer. Fuck everything.
EDIT: Still not smoking though, although that's out of pure contrariness
Intensely thinking about quitting lately, but every time I actually try to, I relapse after like a day or two. Is it physically/mentally harder to quit altogether or reduce the habit to like 1-2 cigs a day? 'Cause I'm fine with the latter (I actually prefer it), but not if it means I'll just go back to smoking a pack a day in a month or two.
Day 43 for me. Feels great to not be a slave to nicotine anymore! Runs are easier, I don't get tired during the day as easily, and overall just feel more alert. Quit now, not a single reason in the world not to!
Sup guys, quit cold turkey like 2 weeks before christmas. First coupla weeks sucked (and I smoked a cigar on new years but..). But yeah, I rarely get cravings anymore, and when I do they're pretty easy to ignore. Honestly, I think it was just because it was my time to quit. I was disgusted with myself every time I smoked a cigarette, so I said fuck it and quit one day after work. Been like almost 3 months and going strong.
On February 07 2012 13:06 Mr. Black wrote: Just an update -- It's been four months since my last cigarette. I'm way past the phase where I get regular cravings. I've been this far before and started again, but this time I know what to watch out for -- that period when you get cocky because you think you've broken the addiction, so you can have just one....
My method was cold turkey -- just gum and sunflower seeds. I realized its been at least a month since I even bought seeds, and I don't chew the gum successfully.
At least one of my New Year's Resolutions still survives.
This is my fucking issue man, I just want to have one damn cigarette why I have my beer. Fuck everything.
EDIT: Still not smoking though, although that's out of pure contrariness
In my experience you can smoke.. Just not cigarettes. So if you really just want to smoke once in a while, get a pipe/cigar/joint whatever.
I know this isn't exactly what this thread is for, but what kind of cigarettes would you recommend for someone who wants to start smoking? Like which ones will feel the least terribly harsh on your throat?
On February 14 2012 01:21 zatic wrote: I know this isn't exactly what this thread is for, but what kind of cigarettes would you recommend for someone who wants to start smoking? Like which ones will feel the least terribly harsh on your throat?
lol
for some content: i'd say cigars, but i haven't tried regulars.
On February 14 2012 01:21 zatic wrote: I know this isn't exactly what this thread is for, but what kind of cigarettes would you recommend for someone who wants to start smoking? Like which ones will feel the least terribly harsh on your throat?
I imagine the 'click' cigarettes have reached germany by now, they're pretty easy to smoke. Menthol is be far the easiest, but its for 55 year old women. As for brands (highly personal) marlboro and camel are rough, lucky strike and kent are relatively easy. Kent click or Lucky click are probably the easiest without looking like you're in menopause.
(As someone that used to smoke luckies, so I'm quite biased)
On February 14 2012 01:21 zatic wrote: I know this isn't exactly what this thread is for, but what kind of cigarettes would you recommend for someone who wants to start smoking? Like which ones will feel the least terribly harsh on your throat?
pretty trolly inappropriate comments up there, quitting smoking is really emotionally fux0ring and shouldnt be scoffed at imo
im still "clean" in the sense that im not physically addicted, but the last 5 days or so ive been having 1 (or nearer half of 1) per day as a destress moment. its worrying, i need to revamp the resolve`
Heres one the philosophy I used to approach my own smoking problem and how I got rid of it: After several failed attemps or quite long breaks I thought "Well what the hell, It doesnt hurt to smoke one cig once now and then".
I stopped carrying cigcase with me and smoked only in few social circumstances. If I bought a case for pubtour or something, I threw it away or gave it to somebody by the end of the night. So far over an year with only few occasional smokes here and there, aint that bad huh? We all die eventually and FEW cigs here and there dont do that much, but gives in trade pleasure moments.
The reason behind quitting is that my grandfather just had a very big stroke and smoking was a contributing factor, just sad that something like that have to happen to get a wake up call.
smoking isn't all that bad and the fact that you quit for the sake of your parents shows that you can quit for loved ones. I wouldn't smoke heavily but if you have a wife and kids that's when to cut it and start thinkin bout the future
i was back up to 1 a day with 5+ on a couple of "destress days" my throat was hurting a lot and my oxygen capacity at the gym was SHIT (couldnt get enough air by the last reps - hopefully it WAS the smoking that was fucking that up and not something else)
saturday i tossed my baccy in a garbage and basically havent thought about smoking since, no cravings, nothing. weird. that was like 4 days ago. i feel miserable as hell and depressed, constantly frowning and borderline psychotic, constantly tired and waking up after 3 hours sleep so i have to sleep 3-5 times a day, but thats normal for me anyway (ie probably not smoking-related), i wonder if it will clear up by itself
Question: How much smoking can the average set of lungs tolerate In terms of keeping abnormal basal cell growth in control, keeping your cilia cells relatively intact so they can remove carbon deposits and toxins from your lungs, etc.? Put another way:
How often can one smoke for 20+ years while not destined of having a set of smoker's lungs filled with black carbon deposits?
I did acupuncture once while in the middle of not even trying to quit smoking. It destroyed my cravings twice. It was like voodoo witch craft so I just quit anyways while it was convenient
Day 11: I don't find myself craving cigarettes anymore. I've basically stopped coughing, but when I do cough I will cough up a lot of nasty stuff. I look at the stuff and say, "Man this stuff was inside me, I'm glad it's coming out." I've noticed that my blood pressure has dropped a lot, which is making me tired. I'm feeling "normal", which is strange to me. It's making me bug out a little. For the first time in years I feel normal, which isn't normal to me, which causes weird moments of anxiety. I'm going to start exercising again soon. The only time I even have the slightest desire to smoke is when I get super stressed out, but I think this time I will stay quit.
I smoked a almost 2 packs a day for 5 years. I'm 22. This is amazing.
I don't smoke so forgive my ignorance but to the people who workout consistently and follow a strict diet, isn't the mental discipline required to do that 10 folds more difficult then to stop smoking? If not then that's unfortunate and all my respect to you guys!
This is my first post on TL and this thread caught my eye, mostly to be a smug asshole, but also to share my experiences!
I quit smoking nearly 6 months. I'm 24 years old, and I started at the age of 13 - not the smartest decision I ever made for a multitude of reasons!
I went cold turkey. I disposed of all lighters, ashtrays, etcetera and decided to just deal with it.
I had a great deal of difficulty sleeping for the first two weeks - I would wake up every hour or so. But after that first couple of weeks, I started to settle back into a normal routine as the cravings started to ease off. I still get cravings now and then, but it's much easier to remind myself that for years, I smoked purely out of habit and the addiction; I can't remember the last time I actually enjoyed smoking a cigarette.
I should note that I also didn't consume any alcohol during this period, and I don't use any drugs.
Now, if only I could quit diet coke.
Anyway, to those trying to kick this horrible habit - good luck, find your way of coping with the initial hump and be proud of yourself for making the effort! :D
On March 07 2012 07:43 Kamais Ookin wrote: I don't smoke so forgive my ignorance but to the people who workout consistently and follow a strict diet, isn't the mental discipline required to do that 10 folds more difficult then to stop smoking? If not then that's unfortunate and all my respect to you guys!
It is. Just not doing something is easyer than doing something.
On March 07 2012 07:43 Kamais Ookin wrote: I don't smoke so forgive my ignorance but to the people who workout consistently and follow a strict diet, isn't the mental discipline required to do that 10 folds more difficult then to stop smoking? If not then that's unfortunate and all my respect to you guys!
It is. Just not doing something is easyer than doing something.
At least for me.
Exactly, I know people who can't quit for their life, yet they run 5km and workout for 1+ hr everyday -_-
Ahhhhh, haven't smoked in almost a week, but I think I'm about to give in.
Cigarette in hand, really really REALLY want to light up, trying so hard to fight it.
Sorry for necro'ing the thread, but GAHHHHH@#%^&#@#$%^&
HaLP??
edit: Drank like 3L of coffee today and just played a few base trade SC2 matches, so all jittery as fuck ahhhh REALLY want the calming effects of a cig X_X
edit #2: Fuck, caved in. Lit up, and feels good. Ahhhh...... about 30 mins of pure delight until THAT cycle of regret, self-loathing, and etc. etc.
On May 23 2012 19:12 EngrishTeacher wrote: Ahhhhh, haven't smoked in almost a week, but I think I'm about to give in.
Cigarette in hand, really really REALLY want to light up, trying so hard to fight it.
Sorry for necro'ing the thread, but GAHHHHH@#%^&#@#$%^&
HaLP??
edit: Drank like 3L of coffee today and just played a few base trade SC2 matches, so all jittery as fuck ahhhh REALLY want the calming effects of a cig X_X
edit #2: Fuck, caved in. Lit up, and feels good. Ahhhh...... about 30 mins of pure delight until THAT cycle of regret, self-loathing, and etc. etc.
God fucking dammit.
Hahahaha...i know how that feels.. you should try those nicorette chewing gums.. it helped me when i would get those moments. And of all the stop-smoking products, it is actually pretty cheap.
I hate smokers, they stink like shit. Whenever I walk past a smoker with my friends we will all mock cough and gag at him/her to make them feel uncomfortable.
Btw, Its not that hard to quit if you are determined. Just have someone lock you in a room with some food and water for ~3-4 weeks.
On May 24 2012 06:57 superbarnie wrote: I hate smokers, they stink like shit. Whenever I walk past a smoker with my friends we will all mock cough and gag at him/her to make them feel uncomfortable.
Btw, Its not that hard to quit if you are determined. Just have someone lock you in a room with some food and water for ~3-4 weeks.
Going out of your way to make people feel uncomfortable regardless of what there doing is just pathetic and childish.
On May 24 2012 06:57 superbarnie wrote: I hate smokers, they stink like shit. Whenever I walk past a smoker with my friends we will all mock cough and gag at him/her to make them feel uncomfortable.
Btw, Its not that hard to quit if you are determined. Just have someone lock you in a room with some food and water for ~3-4 weeks.
Going out of your way to make people feel uncomfortable regardless of what there doing is just pathetic and childish.
I usually tell people like that to go breath somewhere else. I figure if they want to be an asshole, they can't complain much about the response.
I really should quit, but I started getting shitty headaches.
Hey guys, I've never smoked before but I was just wondering, have any of you guys ever found Quitlines (telephone information and counselling services) of benefit to your quitting? And if so in what way?
Don't mean to bump an old thread.. but feeling pretty good.. on day five of quitting cigs and weed cold turkey (almost 28 now and smoked for about seven or eight years [maybe with a few minor breaks]).
I wanted to own this addiction cold turkey.. quit smoking aids might help some, but I'd feel pathetic not being able to do it on my own.. so I waited until my work contract was finished.. lots of time to exercise lightly and fight. Rereading Men's Health Power Training by Coach Dos, excited about starting the workouts.. feel so weak though.
Certainly miss smoking up.. cigs, not so much.. having some cravings of course. Another thing is that I know I'm saving a bunch of cash too.. so that's pretty awesome. I think the most annoying symptom so far is the insomnia/restlessness. Been staying up until 3am, since I'm not working.. but I'll lay there until 8 or 9am trying to fall asleep.. so damn frustrating.. in fact, haven't slept yet today, going to stay up and go to bed early.. try to work on a better schedule. This sleep problem is actually encouraging me a bit more.. do I want to feel better, look better and be able to bust out mad pullups and overhead squats? or continue to kneel to the addiction and cower in my bedroom puffing on cancer?
Anyway.. wish all the best to anyone quitting.. you can do it.. I'm still fighting through the worst of it I think.. should be alright..
If you're trying to quit out of necessity (i.e., inconvenient living environment, spousal opposition, etc.) then chances are that you will cave into the cravings sooner or later.
Unfortunately for me, I am not part of the latter group. Sometimes when I cough up a big chunk of phlegm with sprinkles of black and dark yellow mixed in, I think about cancer and my decreased athletics performance the next time I light up then consider quitting. However, once that phase is past, I realize that the pleasure smoking gives me simply outweighs its negative effects and I will eventually need a tipping point in order to really quit.
I'm not even addicted I would say; I can go 2 weeks without smoking if I'm going on a camping trip and lots of physical stamina is required, and even now I smoke 5-7 cigarettes per day. But when I'm in a social environment with a group of smokers (and believe me, I have a LOT of smoking social circles because it's China), it's so hard to refuse that cigarette and not light up.
Can anyone convince me to quit smoking? Deep down, I know that being a non-smoker is better for me but when I trying to rationalize quitting smoking I can't really find a good enough reason. The pleasure from the dopamine release, the smoke inhalation and the taste simply seem worth it to me for all its associated health risks and financial impact.
On October 27 2012 23:38 EngrishTeacher wrote: You really have to WANT to quit in order to quit.
If you're trying to quit out of necessity (i.e., inconvenient living environment, spousal opposition, etc.) then chances are that you will cave into the cravings sooner or later.
Unfortunately for me, I am not part of the latter group. Sometimes when I cough up a big chunk of phlegm with sprinkles of black and dark yellow mixed in, I think about cancer and my decreased athletics performance the next time I light up then consider quitting. However, once that phase is past, I realize that the pleasure smoking gives me simply outweighs its negative effects and I will eventually need a tipping point in order to really quit.
I'm not even addicted I would say; I can go 2 weeks without smoking if I'm going on a camping trip and lots of physical stamina is required, and even now I smoke 5-7 cigarettes per day. But when I'm in a social environment with a group of smokers (and believe me, I have a LOT of smoking social circles because it's China), it's so hard to refuse that cigarette and not light up.
Can anyone convince me to quit smoking? Deep down, I know that being a non-smoker is better for me but when I trying to rationalize quitting smoking I can't really find a good enough reason. The pleasure from the dopamine release, the smoke inhalation and the taste simply seem worth it to me for all its associated health risks and financial impact.
if the pleasure outweighs the negative effects, then you should keep smoking. it seems like the only way for you to stop is for the previous statement to become false. until the day you believe that the negatives outweigh the positives, you will continue to smoke.
On February 28 2010 16:47 lokiM wrote: good luck bro! thankfully im not addicted, i only smoke when im schwasted which is right now
That's one of the worst parts with giving up smoking. When you're out drinking everyone has a lit cigarette which makes it almost impossible to resist having just "one" cigarette "only" that night.. =)
I intend to give up drinking for a month or so while quittin since I know it's going to be impossible otherwise!
just stop drinking too, its even worse (depends on drink)
On October 27 2012 23:38 EngrishTeacher wrote: You really have to WANT to quit in order to quit.
If you're trying to quit out of necessity (i.e., inconvenient living environment, spousal opposition, etc.) then chances are that you will cave into the cravings sooner or later.
Unfortunately for me, I am not part of the latter group. Sometimes when I cough up a big chunk of phlegm with sprinkles of black and dark yellow mixed in, I think about cancer and my decreased athletics performance the next time I light up then consider quitting. However, once that phase is past, I realize that the pleasure smoking gives me simply outweighs its negative effects and I will eventually need a tipping point in order to really quit.
I'm not even addicted I would say; I can go 2 weeks without smoking if I'm going on a camping trip and lots of physical stamina is required, and even now I smoke 5-7 cigarettes per day. But when I'm in a social environment with a group of smokers (and believe me, I have a LOT of smoking social circles because it's China), it's so hard to refuse that cigarette and not light up.
Can anyone convince me to quit smoking? Deep down, I know that being a non-smoker is better for me but when I trying to rationalize quitting smoking I can't really find a good enough reason. The pleasure from the dopamine release, the smoke inhalation and the taste simply seem worth it to me for all its associated health risks and financial impact.
The pleasure smoking gives you is an illusion. All it is is you relieving the withdrawl. Did you enjoy smoking before you were addicted? Remember your very first cigarette... I'm willing to bet it wasn't the most pleasant experience. Why did you continue? There are lots of reasons people might do this. For me, it was almost a sort of feeling left out, which is hard to admit through my pride. It makes me sound really weak. Some people continue because they think they are missing out on something - the smoker seems to take so much pleasure in a cigarette. The truth is, the cigarette doesn't give them anything good. All it does is bring them closer to the base-line where they existed as a non smoker - but only temporarily until the nicotine starts to leave the bloodstream. There's also the association of cigarettes with pretty much everything: boredom/concentration, stress/relaxation. You probably have smoked during all of these feelings, and the scary part is that those feelings are opposites. It doesn't matter if you are stressed or relaxed, you'll want a cigarette. Like if you finished an exam or something, and are relieved that it's over, you'll want a cigarette. If you're going into an exam and you are stressed about that, you'll want a cigarette. It's everywhere, and it does nothing for you. If you take out all the inbetween, all cigarettes do is make you want to have another cigarette. That's literally all they do, along with killing you. If you smoke long enough, you can have a cigarette and realize that before you're even finished the cigarette, you want another cigarette. It doesn't make sense to you, because the cigarette was supposed to relax you, and remove the craving, but your body builds a tolerance, and it gets harder and harder to get to base-line. You have to just stop the cycle and return to being a non-smoker, where you aren't enslaved by your desire to smoke. Smoking doesn't make you feel good. It makes you feel like you did before you had an addiction. Free yourself of the addiction. It only takes about 3 weeks for the addiction to go away, and you'll feel amazing, wondering why you ever wanted to smoke at all. Remember, smoking the cigarette just perpetuates the cycle of the shitty feeling when you want your cigarette, whereas NOT smoking the cigarette will free you of that feeling forever.
On October 27 2012 23:38 EngrishTeacher wrote: You really have to WANT to quit in order to quit.
If you're trying to quit out of necessity (i.e., inconvenient living environment, spousal opposition, etc.) then chances are that you will cave into the cravings sooner or later.
Unfortunately for me, I am not part of the latter group. Sometimes when I cough up a big chunk of phlegm with sprinkles of black and dark yellow mixed in, I think about cancer and my decreased athletics performance the next time I light up then consider quitting. However, once that phase is past, I realize that the pleasure smoking gives me simply outweighs its negative effects and I will eventually need a tipping point in order to really quit.
I'm not even addicted I would say; I can go 2 weeks without smoking if I'm going on a camping trip and lots of physical stamina is required, and even now I smoke 5-7 cigarettes per day. But when I'm in a social environment with a group of smokers (and believe me, I have a LOT of smoking social circles because it's China), it's so hard to refuse that cigarette and not light up.
Can anyone convince me to quit smoking? Deep down, I know that being a non-smoker is better for me but when I trying to rationalize quitting smoking I can't really find a good enough reason. The pleasure from the dopamine release, the smoke inhalation and the taste simply seem worth it to me for all its associated health risks and financial impact.
The pleasure smoking gives you is an illusion. All it is is you relieving the withdrawl. Did you enjoy smoking before you were addicted? Remember your very first cigarette... I'm willing to bet it wasn't the most pleasant experience. Why did you continue? There are lots of reasons people might do this. For me, it was almost a sort of feeling left out, which is hard to admit through my pride. It makes me sound really weak. Some people continue because they think they are missing out on something - the smoker seems to take so much pleasure in a cigarette. The truth is, the cigarette doesn't give them anything good. All it does is bring them closer to the base-line where they existed as a non smoker - but only temporarily until the nicotine starts to leave the bloodstream. There's also the association of cigarettes with pretty much everything: boredom/concentration, stress/relaxation. You probably have smoked during all of these feelings, and the scary part is that those feelings are opposites. It doesn't matter if you are stressed or relaxed, you'll want a cigarette. Like if you finished an exam or something, and are relieved that it's over, you'll want a cigarette. If you're going into an exam and you are stressed about that, you'll want a cigarette. It's everywhere, and it does nothing for you. If you take out all the inbetween, all cigarettes do is make you want to have another cigarette. That's literally all they do, along with killing you. If you smoke long enough, you can have a cigarette and realize that before you're even finished the cigarette, you want another cigarette. It doesn't make sense to you, because the cigarette was supposed to relax you, and remove the craving, but your body builds a tolerance, and it gets harder and harder to get to base-line. You have to just stop the cycle and return to being a non-smoker, where you aren't enslaved by your desire to smoke. Smoking doesn't make you feel good. It makes you feel like you did before you had an addiction. Free yourself of the addiction. It only takes about 3 weeks for the addiction to go away, and you'll feel amazing, wondering why you ever wanted to smoke at all. Remember, smoking the cigarette just perpetuates the cycle of the shitty feeling when you want your cigarette, whereas NOT smoking the cigarette will free you of that feeling forever.
Well fucking said. Nicely articulated and I hope more people read your post.
Still, I don't think I'm physically addicted yet, only psychologically dependent which is quite different. I still get the nicotine rush and often get a mild dopamine/beta-endorphin euphoria from deep drags if the last cigarette was far apart enough (about 12 hours).
I think I'm going to train myself to smoke more infrequently, because if spaced far enough, smoking is really pleasurable to me whereas during my one pack a day phase each additional cig did almost nothing.
That's a very slippery slope. I understand the train of thought that you're going through right now, but the physical addiction isn't the hard part. Nicotine withdrawl is actually very easy to deal with. It's the brainwashing associated with it that is so powerful and scary. If you're really interested in the highs, you can get the same (or better) feeling from excercise or accomplishment. Believe me, you don't want to be associating cigarettes with good feelings, because they really don't amount to anything worthwhile. The problem with infrequent smoking is that the more time there is between cigarettes, the more enjoyable they seem. Nicotine leaves the bloodstream in about an hour, so the less you smoke, the more time you spend in nicotine withdrawl. It will be impossible to convince you not to smoke if you aren't ready to shake the phychological addiction, because smokers will rationalize through any amount of logic in order to get their next cigarette. You don't need the next cigarette, and you never have, so just stop while you're ahead.
edit: The analogy that I like for smoking is: Banging your head against a wall for the relief of when you stop. There's nothing pleasurable about a cigarette, it's only the feeling of the withdrawl ending. If you don't bang your head against the wall in the first place, you don't need to worry about stopping to feel good about it.
On October 27 2012 23:38 EngrishTeacher wrote: You really have to WANT to quit in order to quit.
If you're trying to quit out of necessity (i.e., inconvenient living environment, spousal opposition, etc.) then chances are that you will cave into the cravings sooner or later.
Unfortunately for me, I am not part of the latter group. Sometimes when I cough up a big chunk of phlegm with sprinkles of black and dark yellow mixed in, I think about cancer and my decreased athletics performance the next time I light up then consider quitting. However, once that phase is past, I realize that the pleasure smoking gives me simply outweighs its negative effects and I will eventually need a tipping point in order to really quit.
I'm not even addicted I would say; I can go 2 weeks without smoking if I'm going on a camping trip and lots of physical stamina is required, and even now I smoke 5-7 cigarettes per day. But when I'm in a social environment with a group of smokers (and believe me, I have a LOT of smoking social circles because it's China), it's so hard to refuse that cigarette and not light up.
Can anyone convince me to quit smoking? Deep down, I know that being a non-smoker is better for me but when I trying to rationalize quitting smoking I can't really find a good enough reason. The pleasure from the dopamine release, the smoke inhalation and the taste simply seem worth it to me for all its associated health risks and financial impact.
The pleasure smoking gives you is an illusion. All it is is you relieving the withdrawl. Did you enjoy smoking before you were addicted? Remember your very first cigarette... I'm willing to bet it wasn't the most pleasant experience. Why did you continue? There are lots of reasons people might do this. For me, it was almost a sort of feeling left out, which is hard to admit through my pride. It makes me sound really weak. Some people continue because they think they are missing out on something - the smoker seems to take so much pleasure in a cigarette. The truth is, the cigarette doesn't give them anything good. All it does is bring them closer to the base-line where they existed as a non smoker - but only temporarily until the nicotine starts to leave the bloodstream. There's also the association of cigarettes with pretty much everything: boredom/concentration, stress/relaxation. You probably have smoked during all of these feelings, and the scary part is that those feelings are opposites. It doesn't matter if you are stressed or relaxed, you'll want a cigarette. Like if you finished an exam or something, and are relieved that it's over, you'll want a cigarette. If you're going into an exam and you are stressed about that, you'll want a cigarette. It's everywhere, and it does nothing for you. If you take out all the inbetween, all cigarettes do is make you want to have another cigarette. That's literally all they do, along with killing you. If you smoke long enough, you can have a cigarette and realize that before you're even finished the cigarette, you want another cigarette. It doesn't make sense to you, because the cigarette was supposed to relax you, and remove the craving, but your body builds a tolerance, and it gets harder and harder to get to base-line. You have to just stop the cycle and return to being a non-smoker, where you aren't enslaved by your desire to smoke. Smoking doesn't make you feel good. It makes you feel like you did before you had an addiction. Free yourself of the addiction. It only takes about 3 weeks for the addiction to go away, and you'll feel amazing, wondering why you ever wanted to smoke at all. Remember, smoking the cigarette just perpetuates the cycle of the shitty feeling when you want your cigarette, whereas NOT smoking the cigarette will free you of that feeling forever.
While that's a great way of thinking about it if you want to quit, it's not true. You get high off of a cigarette. Period. Otherwise, nobody would smoke them. You answered the question yourself--why do people smoke after their first one if it tastes terrible? Because it got them high and activated all the dopamine receptors in their brain.
It is a great way to delude yourself into quitting if the withdrawals were the hard part for you. Cigarette withdrawals are mild as fuck, though. It's like feeling hungry or a little irritated all day. You're not going to be throwing up in a bathroom or lying in bed with your head spinning, cursing the world for nicotine. Man the fuck up. Smoke if you're going to smoke; quit if you're going to quit. None of this pussy-ass "I'm having a hard time quitting" bullshit. If that's really the case, thank whatever higher power you believe in that you don't have an addiction with strong withdrawals.
On November 02 2012 04:14 KaoReal wrote: edit: The analogy that I like for smoking is: Banging your head against a wall for the relief of when you stop. There's nothing pleasurable about a cigarette, it's only the feeling of the withdrawl ending. If you don't bang your head against the wall in the first place, you don't need to worry about stopping to feel good about it.
That book is a great way to brainwash yourself into quitting, but it's not true in a scientific sense. It is effective at helping people to quit, though. Bull fucking shit there's nothing pleasurable about a cigarette. Have you ever smoked one?
On October 27 2012 23:38 EngrishTeacher wrote: You really have to WANT to quit in order to quit.
If you're trying to quit out of necessity (i.e., inconvenient living environment, spousal opposition, etc.) then chances are that you will cave into the cravings sooner or later.
Unfortunately for me, I am not part of the latter group. Sometimes when I cough up a big chunk of phlegm with sprinkles of black and dark yellow mixed in, I think about cancer and my decreased athletics performance the next time I light up then consider quitting. However, once that phase is past, I realize that the pleasure smoking gives me simply outweighs its negative effects and I will eventually need a tipping point in order to really quit.
I'm not even addicted I would say; I can go 2 weeks without smoking if I'm going on a camping trip and lots of physical stamina is required, and even now I smoke 5-7 cigarettes per day. But when I'm in a social environment with a group of smokers (and believe me, I have a LOT of smoking social circles because it's China), it's so hard to refuse that cigarette and not light up.
Can anyone convince me to quit smoking? Deep down, I know that being a non-smoker is better for me but when I trying to rationalize quitting smoking I can't really find a good enough reason. The pleasure from the dopamine release, the smoke inhalation and the taste simply seem worth it to me for all its associated health risks and financial impact.
The pleasure smoking gives you is an illusion. All it is is you relieving the withdrawl. Did you enjoy smoking before you were addicted? Remember your very first cigarette... I'm willing to bet it wasn't the most pleasant experience. Why did you continue? There are lots of reasons people might do this. For me, it was almost a sort of feeling left out, which is hard to admit through my pride. It makes me sound really weak. Some people continue because they think they are missing out on something - the smoker seems to take so much pleasure in a cigarette. The truth is, the cigarette doesn't give them anything good. All it does is bring them closer to the base-line where they existed as a non smoker - but only temporarily until the nicotine starts to leave the bloodstream. There's also the association of cigarettes with pretty much everything: boredom/concentration, stress/relaxation. You probably have smoked during all of these feelings, and the scary part is that those feelings are opposites. It doesn't matter if you are stressed or relaxed, you'll want a cigarette. Like if you finished an exam or something, and are relieved that it's over, you'll want a cigarette. If you're going into an exam and you are stressed about that, you'll want a cigarette. It's everywhere, and it does nothing for you. If you take out all the inbetween, all cigarettes do is make you want to have another cigarette. That's literally all they do, along with killing you. If you smoke long enough, you can have a cigarette and realize that before you're even finished the cigarette, you want another cigarette. It doesn't make sense to you, because the cigarette was supposed to relax you, and remove the craving, but your body builds a tolerance, and it gets harder and harder to get to base-line. You have to just stop the cycle and return to being a non-smoker, where you aren't enslaved by your desire to smoke. Smoking doesn't make you feel good. It makes you feel like you did before you had an addiction. Free yourself of the addiction. It only takes about 3 weeks for the addiction to go away, and you'll feel amazing, wondering why you ever wanted to smoke at all. Remember, smoking the cigarette just perpetuates the cycle of the shitty feeling when you want your cigarette, whereas NOT smoking the cigarette will free you of that feeling forever.
While that's a great way of thinking about it if you want to quit, it's not true. You get high off of a cigarette. Period. Otherwise, nobody would smoke them. You answered the question yourself--why do people smoke after their first one if it tastes terrible? Because it got them high and activated all the dopamine receptors in their brain.
It is a great way to delude yourself into quitting if the withdrawals were the hard part for you. Cigarette withdrawals are mild as fuck, though. It's like feeling hungry or a little irritated all day. You're not going to be throwing up in a bathroom or lying in bed with your head spinning, cursing the world for nicotine. Man the fuck up. Smoke if you're going to smoke; quit if you're going to quit. None of this pussy-ass "I'm having a hard time quitting" bullshit. If that's really the case, thank whatever higher power you believe in that you don't have an addiction with strong withdrawals.
Sure, chemical releases happen in your brain when you smoke. But did you really feel "high" when you smoked your first cigarette? I'm willing to bet you felt pretty sick, maybe dizzy and nauseous. It wasn't a good feeling, but you were convinced that there must be something good about it, because other people are doing it all the time, and seem rewarded by it. The fact is, there isn't anything enjoyable about a cigarette, except the perception of pleasure caused by withdrawl relief. It doesn't taste good, it deprives you of oxygen, and it's flat out poisonous. Saying that cigarettes get you high is a really weak excuse. If you think cigarettes are actually getting you high in a significant way, I'd hate to see your reaction to drugs that get you high in a perceptible way.
That book is a great way to brainwash yourself into quitting, but it's not true in a scientific sense. It is effective at helping people to quit, though. Bull fucking shit there's nothing pleasurable about a cigarette. Have you ever smoked one?
I've smoked for eleven years, and I think the book is spot-on about the pleasure we get from smoking - it's an illusion created by withdrawl. I didn't enjoy my first cigarette, and I don't think ANYONE did, in a genuine sense. Some people might have enjoyed the giddy excitement shared with friends, and all that sort of stuff, but the OBJECTIVE experience of smoking a cigarette is just plain awful.
I can't convince anyone of anything if they aren't willing to believe it, but the logic in this book is just so resoundingly true that I couldn't just ignore it. Why smoke? There's no reason.
On October 27 2012 23:38 EngrishTeacher wrote: You really have to WANT to quit in order to quit.
If you're trying to quit out of necessity (i.e., inconvenient living environment, spousal opposition, etc.) then chances are that you will cave into the cravings sooner or later.
Unfortunately for me, I am not part of the latter group. Sometimes when I cough up a big chunk of phlegm with sprinkles of black and dark yellow mixed in, I think about cancer and my decreased athletics performance the next time I light up then consider quitting. However, once that phase is past, I realize that the pleasure smoking gives me simply outweighs its negative effects and I will eventually need a tipping point in order to really quit.
I'm not even addicted I would say; I can go 2 weeks without smoking if I'm going on a camping trip and lots of physical stamina is required, and even now I smoke 5-7 cigarettes per day. But when I'm in a social environment with a group of smokers (and believe me, I have a LOT of smoking social circles because it's China), it's so hard to refuse that cigarette and not light up.
Can anyone convince me to quit smoking? Deep down, I know that being a non-smoker is better for me but when I trying to rationalize quitting smoking I can't really find a good enough reason. The pleasure from the dopamine release, the smoke inhalation and the taste simply seem worth it to me for all its associated health risks and financial impact.
The pleasure smoking gives you is an illusion. All it is is you relieving the withdrawl. Did you enjoy smoking before you were addicted? Remember your very first cigarette... I'm willing to bet it wasn't the most pleasant experience. Why did you continue? There are lots of reasons people might do this. For me, it was almost a sort of feeling left out, which is hard to admit through my pride. It makes me sound really weak. Some people continue because they think they are missing out on something - the smoker seems to take so much pleasure in a cigarette. The truth is, the cigarette doesn't give them anything good. All it does is bring them closer to the base-line where they existed as a non smoker - but only temporarily until the nicotine starts to leave the bloodstream. There's also the association of cigarettes with pretty much everything: boredom/concentration, stress/relaxation. You probably have smoked during all of these feelings, and the scary part is that those feelings are opposites. It doesn't matter if you are stressed or relaxed, you'll want a cigarette. Like if you finished an exam or something, and are relieved that it's over, you'll want a cigarette. If you're going into an exam and you are stressed about that, you'll want a cigarette. It's everywhere, and it does nothing for you. If you take out all the inbetween, all cigarettes do is make you want to have another cigarette. That's literally all they do, along with killing you. If you smoke long enough, you can have a cigarette and realize that before you're even finished the cigarette, you want another cigarette. It doesn't make sense to you, because the cigarette was supposed to relax you, and remove the craving, but your body builds a tolerance, and it gets harder and harder to get to base-line. You have to just stop the cycle and return to being a non-smoker, where you aren't enslaved by your desire to smoke. Smoking doesn't make you feel good. It makes you feel like you did before you had an addiction. Free yourself of the addiction. It only takes about 3 weeks for the addiction to go away, and you'll feel amazing, wondering why you ever wanted to smoke at all. Remember, smoking the cigarette just perpetuates the cycle of the shitty feeling when you want your cigarette, whereas NOT smoking the cigarette will free you of that feeling forever.
Well fucking said. Nicely articulated and I hope more people read your post.
Still, I don't think I'm physically addicted yet, only psychologically dependent which is quite different. I still get the nicotine rush and often get a mild dopamine/beta-endorphin euphoria from deep drags if the last cigarette was far apart enough (about 12 hours).
I think I'm going to train myself to smoke more infrequently, because if spaced far enough, smoking is really pleasurable to me whereas during my one pack a day phase each additional cig did almost nothing.
Soooo true, the only Cig i feel is the first one of the day...
On October 27 2012 23:38 EngrishTeacher wrote: You really have to WANT to quit in order to quit.
If you're trying to quit out of necessity (i.e., inconvenient living environment, spousal opposition, etc.) then chances are that you will cave into the cravings sooner or later.
Unfortunately for me, I am not part of the latter group. Sometimes when I cough up a big chunk of phlegm with sprinkles of black and dark yellow mixed in, I think about cancer and my decreased athletics performance the next time I light up then consider quitting. However, once that phase is past, I realize that the pleasure smoking gives me simply outweighs its negative effects and I will eventually need a tipping point in order to really quit.
I'm not even addicted I would say; I can go 2 weeks without smoking if I'm going on a camping trip and lots of physical stamina is required, and even now I smoke 5-7 cigarettes per day. But when I'm in a social environment with a group of smokers (and believe me, I have a LOT of smoking social circles because it's China), it's so hard to refuse that cigarette and not light up.
Can anyone convince me to quit smoking? Deep down, I know that being a non-smoker is better for me but when I trying to rationalize quitting smoking I can't really find a good enough reason. The pleasure from the dopamine release, the smoke inhalation and the taste simply seem worth it to me for all its associated health risks and financial impact.
The pleasure smoking gives you is an illusion. All it is is you relieving the withdrawl. Did you enjoy smoking before you were addicted? Remember your very first cigarette... I'm willing to bet it wasn't the most pleasant experience. Why did you continue? There are lots of reasons people might do this. For me, it was almost a sort of feeling left out, which is hard to admit through my pride. It makes me sound really weak. Some people continue because they think they are missing out on something - the smoker seems to take so much pleasure in a cigarette. The truth is, the cigarette doesn't give them anything good. All it does is bring them closer to the base-line where they existed as a non smoker - but only temporarily until the nicotine starts to leave the bloodstream. There's also the association of cigarettes with pretty much everything: boredom/concentration, stress/relaxation. You probably have smoked during all of these feelings, and the scary part is that those feelings are opposites. It doesn't matter if you are stressed or relaxed, you'll want a cigarette. Like if you finished an exam or something, and are relieved that it's over, you'll want a cigarette. If you're going into an exam and you are stressed about that, you'll want a cigarette. It's everywhere, and it does nothing for you. If you take out all the inbetween, all cigarettes do is make you want to have another cigarette. That's literally all they do, along with killing you. If you smoke long enough, you can have a cigarette and realize that before you're even finished the cigarette, you want another cigarette. It doesn't make sense to you, because the cigarette was supposed to relax you, and remove the craving, but your body builds a tolerance, and it gets harder and harder to get to base-line. You have to just stop the cycle and return to being a non-smoker, where you aren't enslaved by your desire to smoke. Smoking doesn't make you feel good. It makes you feel like you did before you had an addiction. Free yourself of the addiction. It only takes about 3 weeks for the addiction to go away, and you'll feel amazing, wondering why you ever wanted to smoke at all. Remember, smoking the cigarette just perpetuates the cycle of the shitty feeling when you want your cigarette, whereas NOT smoking the cigarette will free you of that feeling forever.
While that's a great way of thinking about it if you want to quit, it's not true. You get high off of a cigarette. Period. Otherwise, nobody would smoke them. You answered the question yourself--why do people smoke after their first one if it tastes terrible? Because it got them high and activated all the dopamine receptors in their brain.
It is a great way to delude yourself into quitting if the withdrawals were the hard part for you. Cigarette withdrawals are mild as fuck, though. It's like feeling hungry or a little irritated all day. You're not going to be throwing up in a bathroom or lying in bed with your head spinning, cursing the world for nicotine. Man the fuck up. Smoke if you're going to smoke; quit if you're going to quit. None of this pussy-ass "I'm having a hard time quitting" bullshit. If that's really the case, thank whatever higher power you believe in that you don't have an addiction with strong withdrawals.
Sure, chemical releases happen in your brain when you smoke. But did you really feel "high" when you smoked your first cigarette? I'm willing to bet you felt pretty sick, maybe dizzy and nauseous. It wasn't a good feeling, but you were convinced that there must be something good about it, because other people are doing it all the time, and seem rewarded by it. The fact is, there isn't anything enjoyable about a cigarette, except the perception of pleasure caused by withdrawl relief. It doesn't taste good, it deprives you of oxygen, and it's flat out poisonous. Saying that cigarettes get you high is a really weak excuse. If you think cigarettes are actually getting you high in a significant way, I'd hate to see your reaction to drugs that get you high in a perceptible way.
That book is a great way to brainwash yourself into quitting, but it's not true in a scientific sense. It is effective at helping people to quit, though. Bull fucking shit there's nothing pleasurable about a cigarette. Have you ever smoked one?
I've smoked for eleven years, and I think the book is spot-on about the pleasure we get from smoking - it's an illusion created by withdrawl. I didn't enjoy my first cigarette, and I don't think ANYONE did, in a genuine sense. Some people might have enjoyed the giddy excitement shared with friends, and all that sort of stuff, but the OBJECTIVE experience of smoking a cigarette is just plain awful.
I can't convince anyone of anything if they aren't willing to believe it, but the logic in this book is just so resoundingly true that I couldn't just ignore it. Why smoke? There's no reason.
Sorry - I'm all for people quitting smoking but this is a terrible line of argument.
Did you like your first beer, your first scotch?
The first time you went for a run, or lifted weights - was that the best feeling in the world? You can even use your own descriptions of nausea and dizziness to explain what first time for many things feel like. How does that give value to the activity in itself?
First time you asked a girl out on a date? By your logic I should never do it again as I felt so nervous the first time I almost threw up.
Smoking is bad. It will shorten your life. It will lower the quality of your life if you become addicted. That doesn't mean you have to sell your intelligence short in order to avoid the habit. Scare tactics and extremes may work for dissuading children from taking up bad habits but please give adults some respect in their ability to form intelligible conclusions.
Why smoke? If you can't understand why people seek pleasure then my question to you is why live?
you can quit smoking if you read and understand the following:
you KNOW that ultimately you will have quit smoking. it is just, plainly, something you HAVE to do. something that WILL happen. it simply is a certainty. sometime in future years you WILL have quit smoking and be looking back at this moment. because it is a FACT that you will quit at some point in your life. in the meantime, you are just waiting for that moment to occur.
if you know "deep down" that you need/want to quit smoking, then you also realise that "deep down" you are just afraid to confront this. you dont quite have the mental strength to do it yet. you are okay just keeping smoking for now, with that nagging worry that you know you should be quitting, but you cant quite do anything about it yet.
after reading those paragraphs you should understand two things:
from paragraph 1: you will definitely quit at some point, its a simple fact; you're basically just waiting for it to happen
from paragraph 2: you are not strong enough to quit yet, so you're actually waiting until you are mentally strong enough to quit
what does this mean!? it means a few things.
first, you dont need to keep beating yourself up about the fact that you're smoking. you know that you will quit when you are strong enough to do so. you aren't quite strong enough right now, so there's no reason to feel bad that you're smoking!
second, most importantly, it means: Get ready. Be aware. one day in the future, maybe even just weeks away from now, you will suddenly realise that you have the mental strength to quit smoking. it could be that your emotions are suddenly balanced in a particular way, that a rare combination of events occurs to put you in that frame of mind, or even that you wake up one day and just randomly feel that today wouldn't be such a bad day to quit smoking.
Get ready, because this day will come, and you will feel it coming, and when it does you will need to remember what you know as a fact: you WILL quit smoking in your life. you are just waiting for the strength, on one fine day, to do so.
I've read a lot of the comments and advice in the thread and I'm glad I did. I quit smoking for four years, then foolishly took it back up again about two years ago. I really want to quit for good this time and I'm hopeful I can achieve it. Good luck to everyone else trying to do the same.
That book is a great way to brainwash yourself into quitting, but it's not true in a scientific sense. It is effective at helping people to quit, though. Bull fucking shit there's nothing pleasurable about a cigarette. Have you ever smoked one?
I've smoked for eleven years, and I think the book is spot-on about the pleasure we get from smoking - it's an illusion created by withdrawl. I didn't enjoy my first cigarette, and I don't think ANYONE did, in a genuine sense. Some people might have enjoyed the giddy excitement shared with friends, and all that sort of stuff, but the OBJECTIVE experience of smoking a cigarette is just plain awful.
I can't convince anyone of anything if they aren't willing to believe it, but the logic in this book is just so resoundingly true that I couldn't just ignore it. Why smoke? There's no reason.
That's not what the word objective means. Whether or not I enjoy something, and my reasons for doing so, are inherently subjective - because it's ME that's enjoying it, not you.
As someone who smoked weed for quite a while before ever trying a cigarette, I was already pretty used to the sensation of smoking when I tried my first cigarette and I totally enjoyed it. It was just smoking something I wasn't used to rather than smoking for my first time so it wasn't awful at all. I still enjoy the experience of smoking (both weed and cigarettes) - saying that's objectively not true is just not understanding what subjectivity means.
EDIT: That being said, best of luck to you in your efforts to quit guys! It's not a good habit, and while I'm not actively trying to quit I know I probably should (and will when I stop working in a restaurant lol). Hope this works out for you!
Is it really a year since the last post here? Bumping because it's too good initiative to forget and anyway almost 2.5 years now cigarette free here as always good luck everybody you can do it too.
Bumping because I'm trying to quit smoking and I don't know how you stop smoking and not gain a fuckton of weight. Not even 4 hours since the last meal and I'm so fucking hungry.
Yeah, It's definitely true that you can't force someone to quit. I tried for a long time with my girlfriend. She recently decided to try this laser acupuncture thing that worked for my aunt; lo and behold, she is now more than three weeks without. I'm not sure how much of the procedure was actually smoking related, or how much of it was placebo, but they explain that the acupuncture itself comes with fairly long lasting relaxation and mood elation, which I can definitely see as something that would help with quitting, given that the person has the mental resolve and determination to remember that this is permanent, a new way of life. One slip can mean relapse, but luckily, there is no reason for that slip. There is no reason to prefer smoking.
I'm about 18 months quit now, cooking in restaurants the whole time (my first day quit was on a busy Friday with new staff; don't wait for the "right time", make it the right time), and I have to say, it's done wonders for my appreciation for food. I took up a culinary apprenticeship, which I don't think I would have done without this newly found deeper appreciation for food. I've also been working out the whole time, which was something I did very inconsistently at best when I was still a smoker.
I feel compelled to address my previous arguments, even though it's been over a year...
Did you like your first beer, your first scotch?
Well, no, but I feel like alcohol is in the same boat as cigarettes: a substance, that if consumed, causes a short-lasting chemical effect on your brain that is addicting, but holds many detrimental long-term effects. Working out and asking a girl out are different examples; neither of them are a substance to be consumed, and, in my experience, offer very different good and bad feelings. The exhaustion and soreness from working out and the nervousness before asking a girl out aren't comparable to the nauseous sickly feeling that cigarettes give. These are both feelings that, when conquered, offer feelings of accomplishment (success or fail, you tried) and long lasting benefits to your mental and/or physical well-being. Cigarettes on the other hand, feel bad and then make you feel worse. Your first cigarette will feel bad and kills you, your first workout/date might feel bad, but will make you stronger. I guess I should have said that if it feels bad and kills you, don't do it. The "and kills you", I left out from my previous argument, so I understand why it might have seemed like I was selling short. Kind of seems like a no-brainer, but that is the adult-friendly "intelligible conclusion" that I get from my own analysis of the situation.
Familiarity can definitely be seductive. I, too, found it much easier to take up smoking after being a weed-smoker for a while. Before that, I couldn't bring myself to smoke a second cigarette. Weed, on the other hand, took me a few times to get high, but I knew there was something that I was aiming for. There was a goal in mind (get high). With cigarettes, there was no light at the end of the tunnel, seducing me to continue. It was the familiarity that got me. Familiarity with the act of smoking, as well as with seeing familiar faces of fellow smokers/tokers. It came with a comradery that was alluring to me, being somewhat of a loner. I felt for a long time a feeling of being on the outside looking in when viewing smokers, but now I realize that there is no benefit to being "in there"; it's more like a prison than anything.
By the way, working in restaurants is all the more reason to quit. You can really taste food that being served, and the extra time you get by not needing smoke breaks helps. The stress reduction from not having the craving nagging at you is also really beneficial. I find myself much calmer in the shit-storm that is service time. I love being an ex-smoker in a restaurant!
P.S. I definitely misused subjective/objective there. I think a more accurate way to phrase my argument would be to replace "OBJECTIVE" with "actual". The actual experience of smoking a cigarette is just plain awful, addiction considerations withheld.
I tried twice before, I managed to not smoke for a month or so. This time, I promised my girlfriend, I swore our relationship on it, and man, I feel so good! No craving whatsoever, or anything, and now I've been a month clean. It feels really good, I really think I've gotten it through my head that smoking will yield no benefits, and I think it's really getting me to stop. Quite sad it took this much... I wish I never started, and I've only been smoking for 3 years, so I know it's not all that much, but it's nice to be done with it once and for all.
On April 21 2014 22:59 Djagulingu wrote: Bumping because I'm trying to quit smoking and I don't know how you stop smoking and not gain a fuckton of weight. Not even 4 hours since the last meal and I'm so fucking hungry.
People usually put on weight after they stop
It goes away after a week or two from my personal experience though.
On April 21 2014 22:59 Djagulingu wrote: Bumping because I'm trying to quit smoking and I don't know how you stop smoking and not gain a fuckton of weight. Not even 4 hours since the last meal and I'm so fucking hungry.
I was there for a while. I quit smoking and lessen alcohol significantly by focusing my attention to something(workout & gaming) and replace the substitute(mineral water instead of beer etc..)
I advise you to pick up a routine in a gym and improve your health even better. It'll also help you to keep your shape. Replace your needs with extra healthy things(if you have to eat, eat healthy without excessive carbs etc..)
Ok for the first time in my life I have an intrinsic motivation to stop smoking so I probably will. On day 4 without a cigarette now, and I have to say nicotine withdrawal is a fucking joke.
Other than a mild headache on day 1 and 2 and some cloudiness during number crunching at work, the strongest "withdrawal symptom" for me has been... "yah I want a cigarette now". I feel ridiculous now, having cancelled all plans for the weekend and am taking a few days off work next week.
I apologize for being a bit condescending if anyone is genuinely hit hard by physical withdrawal symptoms (which I sincerely doubt), but I just can't get over how fucking mild quitting smoking has been.
Nicotine withdrawal is like a going on a fucking vacation to Guam compared to the gut-pitting withdrawal from heroin, where one's entire body is in constant serious pain from super-sensitive micro-tears in the muscles, to mention just one of the many hellish physical withdrawal symptoms that PEAKS for about a week and only then start to gradually subside. It's comparing a mildly annoying nuisance to a week of absolutely soul-obliterating bedside torture.
TL;DR: Don't be a pussy, quitting smoking is a total fucking joke. If you can't do it then it simply means the enjoyment you get from smoking outweighs all the concomitant negatives, or that you are part of the ~15% of the population that has an addictive personality and overindulges in other things like sex, chocolate, gaming, etc. anyway, in which case there isn't much hope for you and you're just inherently weak.
On April 21 2014 22:59 Djagulingu wrote: Bumping because I'm trying to quit smoking and I don't know how you stop smoking and not gain a fuckton of weight. Not even 4 hours since the last meal and I'm so fucking hungry.
...if your last meal is 4 hours ago, it's time to eat again, isn't it? Rather look at what you're eating.