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Smoking

Timely question.

I've smoked on and off since the Sixties. When I "needed" it, I smoked a pack a day, filtered, unfiltered, even menthol. So stinky! I don't know how anyone could stand to be around me.

I also dragged at least a dozen partners or friends into the habit. Even if someone told me my cigarette made them want to smoke so bad, I lit up. No mercy.

I could write a book about smoking. I've quit many times, once for five years, once for 10 years.

Most recently, I started up a few months ago, never allowing more than 5 a day, usually sticking to 2 or 3, smoking outside, relighting the same cig a few times as if it were a cigar.

Ugh. Stinky. Wheezy. Achy. Certain I was getting lung cancer. Ashamed. Embarrassed when I had to excuse myself to go outside and came back in with cigarette breath.

And I was religiously attached to brass ashtrays, fancy lighters, unique matches, 2 for 1 coupons, etc.

All the while, I hated the mental addiction. I'm mentally addicted right now. I'm in hell, wanting to smoke right now.

In the late 70s, I lived with my folks, and my dad had quit for 25 years. In the morning, he'd be making lunch in the kitchen and I'd be smoking in the living room, getting ready to leave. He said, "Man, every time I smell a cigarette, I still want one." Horror! To be so addicted you never stopped wanting one...

You know what? It's no harder to give up smokes than overeating. If you can make a commitment to health, you'll suffer through the process of withdrawal from the habit. And you'll succeed, but it will be hard. Try quitting on a weekend, where you can sleep through the heaviest withdrawal. Then hang out with nonsmokers during the week, be active, visit the gym or the farm or the woods, exert yourself so you're out of breath.

Quitting only takes a few days, but it is painful and you want to give up every five seconds. But you'd think that struggle would make you never want to be addicted again. Not so. You have a defect in your physiology that wants cigarettes to fill it. If you succeed in quitting, never pick up tobacco again. After a while, the pain will fade, and you will feel normal, average, not addicted.

I have no tips. I'm chewing nic gum, but it contains more nicotine than I usually consume in a day. And it doesn't satisfy my need for slow, deep breathing.

To me, that's the key. I am a shallow breather who is always a little on edge, panting or breathing quickly, or holding my breath. I advocate deep breathing for a lot of reasons. Surely it wouldhelp if you're trying to give up cigs.
 
I quit cold turkey years ago. I'll be honest the only things that got me through was thinking of it as not smoking for one day only. (maybe those AA groups have something with the "one day at a time" thing). If I thought about never smoking again, I would freak out. I LOVED to smoke so the idea of never having a cigarette again? I felt that was impossible. I would tell myself "It's just one day." when I got a really bad craving. Just promise yourself TODAY.
Also, I cut a straw into the same size as my cigarettes. Sounds weird but I highly recommend it. Carry it, chew it, breathe thru it. It's the same thickness, unless you smoke slims. You might look strange but I found keeping the physical actions of the habit going helped me hold on through the process. Those actions were ingrained in my day to day life. So I had to deal with nicotine loss but not what to do with my hands. Most people eat. This is a healthier alternative. Good luck. You CAN do this!!
 
dianeseattle said:
Timely question.

I've smoked on and off since the Sixties. When I "needed" it, I smoked a pack a day, filtered, unfiltered, even menthol. So stinky! I don't know how anyone could stand to be around me.

I also dragged at least a dozen partners or friends into the habit. Even if someone told me my cigarette made them want to smoke so bad, I lit up. No mercy.

I could write a book about smoking. I've quit many times, once for five years, once for 10 years.

Most recently, I started up a few months ago, never allowing more than 5 a day, usually sticking to 2 or 3, smoking outside, relighting the same cig a few times as if it were a cigar.

Ugh. Stinky. Wheezy. Achy. Certain I was getting lung cancer. Ashamed. Embarrassed when I had to excuse myself to go outside and came back in with cigarette breath.

And I was religiously attached to brass ashtrays, fancy lighters, unique matches, 2 for 1 coupons, etc.

All the while, I hated the mental addiction. I'm mentally addicted right now. I'm in hell, wanting to smoke right now.

In the late 70s, I lived with my folks, and my dad had quit for 25 years. In the morning, he'd be making lunch in the kitchen and I'd be smoking in the living room, getting ready to leave. He said, "Man, every time I smell a cigarette, I still want one." Horror! To be so addicted you never stopped wanting one...

You know what? It's no harder to give up smokes than overeating. If you can make a commitment to health, you'll suffer through the process of withdrawal from the habit. And you'll succeed, but it will be hard. Try quitting on a weekend, where you can sleep through the heaviest withdrawal. Then hang out with nonsmokers during the week, be active, visit the gym or the farm or the woods, exert yourself so you're out of breath.

Quitting only takes a few days, but it is painful and you want to give up every five seconds. But you'd think that struggle would make you never want to be addicted again. Not so. You have a defect in your physiology that wants cigarettes to fill it. If you succeed in quitting, never pick up tobacco again. After a while, the pain will fade, and you will feel normal, average, not addicted.

I have no tips. I'm chewing nic gum, but it contains more nicotine than I usually consume in a day. And it doesn't satisfy my need for slow, deep breathing.

To me, that's the key. I am a shallow breather who is always a little on edge, panting or breathing quickly, or holding my breath. I advocate deep breathing for a lot of reasons. Surely it wouldhelp if you're trying to give up cigs.
Click to expand...

Thank you for your openness.
 
missyinacage said:
I quit cold turkey years ago. I'll be honest the only things that got me through was thinking of it as not smoking for one day only. (maybe those AA groups have something with the "one day at a time" thing). If I thought about never smoking again, I would freak out. I LOVED to smoke so the idea of never having a cigarette again? I felt that was impossible. I would tell myself "It's just one day." when I got a really bad craving. Just promise yourself TODAY.
Also, I cut a straw into the same size as my cigarettes. Sounds weird but I highly recommend it. Carry it, chew it, breathe thru it. It's the same thickness, unless you smoke slims. You might look strange but I found keeping the physical actions of the habit going helped me hold on through the process. Those actions were ingrained in my day to day life. So I had to deal with nicotine loss but not what to do with my hands. Most people eat. This is a healthier alternative. Good luck. You CAN do this!!
Click to expand...

thank you!!!
 
missyinacage said:
I quit cold turkey years ago. I'll be honest the only things that got me through was thinking of it as not smoking for one day only. (maybe those AA groups have something with the "one day at a time" thing). If I thought about never smoking again, I would freak out. I LOVED to smoke so the idea of never having a cigarette again? I felt that was impossible. I would tell myself "It's just one day." when I got a really bad craving. Just promise yourself TODAY.
Also, I cut a straw into the same size as my cigarettes. Sounds weird but I highly recommend it. Carry it, chew it, breathe thru it. It's the same thickness, unless you smoke slims. You might look strange but I found keeping the physical actions of the habit going helped me hold on through the process. Those actions were ingrained in my day to day life. So I had to deal with nicotine loss but not what to do with my hands. Most people eat. This is a healthier alternative. Good luck. You CAN do this!!
Click to expand...
 
MsShayMoore said:
I talk to myself because I still have the cravings to smoke. I tell myself you don't need that, think about your surgery, which one is more important
Click to expand...

I can buy a pack and it will last two weeks. But I still want to smoke everyday. Last time I quit was Election Day 2021. Then in December I bought a pack and smoked the last one a day or two ago.

I wish I could smoke. I'm one of those people who if offered a pile of jewels next to a pack of cigs, it wouldn't be jewels I'd be sticking in my mouth.

The calming, deep breathing benefit of smoking is why the pilgrims took tobacco and corn from native Americans in exchange for figgy pudding.

But it's truly a filthy habit that spreads poison and toxins through your blood and oxygen. Strange that cigarettes are in the bullseye, considering the dozen other habits that should have more profile. A cig would calm me more deeply than one of my Rx 2mg Klonopin.

Smokers have my most sincere sympathy, and quitters have all my support.
 
I quit smoking in 93. I weaned myself with a book from American cancer society. There were a lot of steps. Writing a pro con list choosing the best pro best con. Making a mantra. My primary reason to quit is my kids were starting to pick up the habit. I got down to one or two cigarettes per day when I realized I could quit. I dreamed for a long time that I was still smoking. It was weird. My cousin used the patch. May your journey be successful.
 
I've quit multiple times during this 6 month pre-op process. I'm a "smoke when I drink" kind of person. I'm still enjoying wine in the evenings, which makes me want a cigarette. The only thing keeping me going RIGHT NOW is knowing I can't have the surgery if I smoke. They said they'll test to see if I'm lying. I've Googled how to beat the test (not trying to give ideas, lol). That's too much hassle and it might not even work. For me the surgery has to be more important. I like what missyinacage said about telling yourself it's just one day every day. I know that's not much from someone who never smoked more than 10 a day, but addiction is real, no matter the scope of it. Best of luck quitting. You can do it, however painful it might be.
 
I don't know what kind of activity you were hoping for, but your question was addressed by a dozen people. Obviously, the rest of the group couldn't offer you any information.

I don't think it's accurate to say we're not active. I've been here for six or seven years and made more than 2500 posts, and read thousands of others. The people here are helpful and kind and knowledgeable. Apparently only a few people could relate to your question.

Why not join a Facebook group? Lots of our members are enrolled in multiple support groups. I was a member of a quit-smoking group for a long time.
 
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