My dirty little secret!!

[bantymum]

I smoke, I also started at 13. Why do they taste so good but smell so bad. They should be banned!!I cannot for the life of me understand why these things are still available for sale when they are so bad for us.

They are more of a drug than dope. At least dope is a natural plant whereas tobacco in a cigarette has nasty chemicals in it.
No i dont indulge in grass anymore, did it when I was a young party girl dancing all night and boy did it bring out the beat in the disco music, yipee!!!It was fun in those old days!!
Im glad i dont have to contend with the drugs of today.
They are really bad!

 

[rooster-red]

They're not banned because big business can sell you the disease, then sell you the cure.

 

[McGoo]

I too started to smoke as a young teen, but quit 2 times (20's and 30's) ...the second time for good.

I applaud you for quitting and wish you all the best.

And just imagine how much better you will feel when you've conquered those $%#& little white cancer sticks!!!!!

I hope that our encouragement gives you the strength you need to keep up the good work.

Colleen

 

[Freebie]

Another ex-smoker here. I too started in my young teens.
Quit when I was 28, and started smoking again when I was 32. Then quit again when I was 42. I am now 44 and have some lung problems. I now have to use an inhaler daily. I told my doctor, I never felt so bad till I quit smoking. She actually said she another former smoker who felt the same way. And I swear, sometimes, to this day, I still have the urge to smoke. But I seriously doubt I will ever smoke again. It was harder to quit the second time than the first.

I, too, used the patch for a short time. It gave me terrible dreams. But, it got me past the first few days, which has always been the hardest for me.

Good luck, and remember, If you relapse, just start quitting again as soon as you can.

 

[Chellester]

I smoked for 10+ years before I quit at 25. I don't remember how old I was when I had my first cigarette, but it was around 13-14, and I was definitely smoking regularly at 15.

I tried numerous times to quit before I was finally sucessful. I tried the patch, gum, every trick in the book. Nothing worked. The only was I was able to do it was to just quit cold turkey for a while and suffer until I was over it.

I always wondered why the only way that worked for me was the hardest way to do it: cold turkey. Then one day it came to me: the reason that it worked is because it WAS the hardest way to do it.

Our society's norm is to take the way that is the quickest, easiest, and the most painless. We are all about the result: not to smoke any more, to get to a goal weight, or whatever. We think that making it easier by using the patch, gum, etc. to take the edge off will make it more probable that we will reach our ultimate goal (quitting smoking). And, a lot of times, it does work, we quit smoking for a while. Then, life does what life does best: through us a pile of you-know-what out of nowhere, knocking us for a loop, and the next thing we know, we're smoking again. Why does this happen?

I am sure you've heard the saying: life is about the journey, not the destination. Everyone understands that on some level, but have you ever wondered what it really means? I mean, sure, it's a journey, but the journey's got to lead somewhere; you have to have goals and strive to achieve them if you're ever going to get anywhere or have anything, right?

What I think it means is this: if we are on the journey of quitting smoking, and we take shortcuts (the patch, gum, etc.) we will be able to reach the destination (quitting smoking) much faster and easier than if we didn't take any shortcuts. But, by taking shortcuts, we skipped over some of the necessary components (such as learning how to deal with stress and withdral symptoms w/o cigarettes) in order to STAY not smoking, which we would have learned if we did not take any shortcuts (quitting cold turkey).

Please remember, this is JMO. If you quit using the patch, gum, pills, etc. I'm not trying to say you are doomed to start smoking again. I'm just offering how I was able to finally quit myself after many tries and stay quit for going on 14 years now. And that's another thing: if you don't suceed in quitting the first time, just keep trying. It usually takes smokers a few times before they are able to quit for good (maybe that's part of the journey too?). If you quit, and in a couple of weeks or months the you-know-what hits the fan and you start again, just chalk it up to that's the way life is sometimes and plan to quit again once everything blows over.

Sorry this got so long and wordy.

I hope this offers some hope to those who are trying to quit.

 

[Southern28Chick]

Quote:
My grandad died of emphysema and I never saw him smoke. He quit LONG before I was born and it still got him. Very said!!!

 

[Itsme]

Roooster-Red,

You're ready........ I can tell,

Let the chantix help you get over the hump.

You can do it man....Just Do It!!!!!

 

[Reinbeau]

Chellester, I agree with you on so many levels. I quit smoking when I was 24, after starting when I was 12. Quit cold turkey, my own willpower, and it may sound stupid, but it's one of my proudest accomplishments. I never thought for a moment about going back to it. At the time I quit I had little money, even though they were (get ready for this) 75 cents a pack! I was scrounging around the house trying to find change in the couches and thought to myself this is so stupid, I'm searching for change to go buy something that'll kill me someday.

The whole story is I was about to have a baby - and before any of you young ones start, back when they weren't after us about smoking during pregnancy, they were just beginning to realize how bad it was. I had quit work six weeks earlier, but they screwed up my due date, thus no paychecks, and no money. Imagine being hugely pregnant,searching through the house for change - it's embarassing to think about it now. I ended up having a c-section, the baby was my firstborn son, 7 lbs, 14 oz. and healthy despite my smoking. They had just started to not let you smoke in your room at the hospital, and I was in there a week. Hubby at the time asked me if I wanted help going to the smoking room and I said no, I'm done. And I was. Never picked up another one.

Getting back to what Chellester said:

I always wondered why the only way that worked for me was the hardest way to do it: cold turkey. Then one day it came to me: the reason that it worked is because it WAS the hardest way to do it.

This is so true. It is hard. But it's a mindset that you've got to have before you'll be successful.

Our society's norm is to take the way that is the quickest, easiest, and the most painless. We are all about the result: not to smoke any more, to get to a goal weight, or whatever. We think that making it easier by using the patch, gum, etc. to take the edge off will make it more probable that we will reach our ultimate goal (quitting smoking). And, a lot of times, it does work, we quit smoking for a while. Then, life does what life does best: through us a pile of you-know-what out of nowhere, knocking us for a loop, and the next thing we know, we're smoking again. Why does this happen?

Same is true about our eating and exercise habits. Everyone wants a pill to be thin. It'll work for awhile, but unless you change your relationship with food and movement, in the end, the 'diet' will stop and the weight will creep back on.

What I think it means is this: if we are on the journey of quitting smoking, and we take shortcuts (the patch, gum, etc.) we will be able to reach the destination (quitting smoking) much faster and easier than if we didn't take any shortcuts. But, by taking shortcuts, we skipped over some of the necessary components (such as learning how to deal with stress and withdral symptoms w/o cigarettes) in order to STAY not smoking, which we would have learned if we did not take any shortcuts (quitting cold turkey).

The physical addiction is over in two to three weeks - the social addiction lasts far longer. I had dreams up until a few years ago that I had smoked - I'd wake up in a panic until I realized it was just a bad dream. The urge to smoke was strong sitting in a restaurant, after dinner. I don't drink anymore, but the urge would come after opening up a beer, too. But it wasn't anything I couldn't overcome, it was just a whisper in the back of my mind. I knew in the front of my mind there was no way I'd go back to smoking, and I listened to that whisper every single time.

Please remember, this is JMO. If you quit using the patch, gum, pills, etc. I'm not trying to say you are doomed to start smoking again. I'm just offering how I was able to finally quit myself after many tries and stay quit for going on 14 years now. And that's another thing: if you don't suceed in quitting the first time, just keep trying. It usually takes smokers a few times before they are able to quit for good (maybe that's part of the journey too?). If you quit, and in a couple of weeks or months the you-know-what hits the fan and you start again, just chalk it up to that's the way life is sometimes and plan to quit again once everything blows over.

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again - but I also believe that people can and do quit cold turkey and stay off cigarettes. I did it, and you can to. It's been 27 years now and there's no looking back!

 

[birdnutz]

My insurance wouldn't pay for the Chantix. But most states have set up money to help people afford it(the extra tax you pay on your cigs).Depends on your income. Plus they have a support line. It made me really sick to my stomach and gave me the woozies.It does help with the cravings though.
Of course being a 2-3 pack a day person,that was enough of an excuse to quit trying.The house fire has kept me so stressed that it isn't even a reality to try yet. But when it gets done We're not smoking in the new one. So my aim is for cold turkey at the new year. I tried all the tricks of pills,patches and gum. It has to be the cold turkey.
Good luck on your cessation program. It sounds like you have lots of support!

 

[hsm5grls]

DAY #2
Surprisingly I am doing well. I had a few moments yesterday when I thought I was going to kill someone. Remember yesterday I did smoke but only 3 cigs. total and only a couple of puffs to cut the edge. So now day 2 no cigs. Just deal with the stress. I realized dh stresses me out way more than the kids do.LOL It's just another step closer. I started calling myself a non smoker today. My FIL came over this morning and asked if I wanted a cig. I said no I am a nonsmoker.

. I was very proud of that.

Thank you all reading your posts helps me so much. It really dose.