Never, never, never, never, never, never start using tobacco

[Droopy]

I started smoking regularly when I was 16, but I had my first cigarette when I was 11 and I would steal them every chance I got until they started selling them to me. My step-father smoked and for some reason I thought it would be a good idea for me to do the same. But before I was even old enough to legally buy cigarettes I was trying to quit smoking. I'm 35 now and I'm trying to quit for probably the hundredth time. I've made it 7 days and they say if I make it 7 more I'll have the physical addiction to nicotine kicked and the rest will just be in my mind. I'm going to make it this time. The longest I've quit for is 7 months. I became a smoker again because I was having a hard time controlling my weight. That was dumb, but it will be a valuable learning experience. Once you've been addicted to nicotine you can never take another puff, not even the littlest drag, for the rest of your life because in a matter of a week you'll be smoking at the same rate and probably more than you were before.

A personal hero of mine died of emphysema a few years back. For some reason I kept right on smoking after hearing the news. One of my grandfathers used tobacco for most of his life and he died of cancer. But I kept right on smoking. Tobacco is far worse than a bad habit. It's an addiction and it will cloud your judgment just like any other addictive drug will.

I'm probably preaching to the choir here for the most part, but I'm betting that there are a few people here who could benefit from this public service announcement.

[RebelOne]

1. I'm a smoker and you would think I would know better because

my father died of emphysema and my mother died of lung cancer. They were both smokers. My mother was 78 when she died, so if I live that long, I will be fortunate. The addiction is so bad that it is hard to quit.

[Droopy]

3. I hear you

I've heard many people say that quitting tobacco is the hardest thing they've ever done and I believe them because it ranks pretty high up there for me, too. It seems that people don't think of nicotine as a drug, but it is and it's a powerfully addictive one. You'd think for that level of addiction that us smokers would be getting something pretty good out of smoking- like a really good high. But that is not the case. All we know is when we don't get it we start getting antsy.

[siligut]

8. That is what addiction is.

Even when you start to lose your health, you don’t quit. The substance is more important, and of course there is the always-handy rationalization and denial.

If you haven’t tried Chantix, you can get it from your MD. Also Wellbutrin. If you don’t have a doc, use the patches or buy some lobelia tea. There is also a stop smoking tea put out by a Chinese company. It comes in a green and white box, you could find it at an acupuncture clinic or Chinese medicine practitioner.

[RebelOne]

15. I tried Wellbutrin. That didn't work.

I am thinking about getting the Commit lozenge. I priced it and it is $30 and I just didn't have the extra money at the time. I'll check out where to get the lobelia tea.

[Bake]

16. Ciggs are at least $3 a pack and you're worried abaout $30?

That's one carton. Probably what you smoke in a week.

(I know, it sucks. I'm a pack-and-a-half a day smoker myself.)

Bake

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. My dear Droopy!

Oh, I hear you!

I am so proud of you, doing this very difficult thing...

I know you will succeed...

When I was in college, and living in the dorm, ALL my friends smoked. I wanted to be like them...

I tried and tried to smoke, but it made me literally sick: nauseated, dizzy, cold...

I finally decided that I didn't need to feel lousy in order to be cool!

So I gave it up...

For which I am forever grateful!

:yourock:

[Droopy]

6. You made a wise decision

And thanks for your support. I need all I can get. The state of Ohio has something called a quit line. It's a service to those who want to quit using tobacco and it was set up with some of the money that our state got from the big tobacco lawsuit. They offered me free nicotine patches, but I heard that can only prolong the addiction to nicotine so I turned them down. But I am taking advantage of the free counseling that they have. They are going to call me once a week for the next five weeks to see how I'm doing and to offer coaching and support. I'll take all the help I can get.

[limit18]

9. You can do it!

:thumbsup:

[skygazer]

4. Nicotine is a horrible addiction

I smoked for about 12 years, quit then started up again and smoked for about 3 or 4 more years. I've been without cigarettes for about 7 years now and I hope I never touch another one. I no longer have any desire to so that's good.

I lost a sister 2 years ago to lung and liver cancer. She was diagnosed in April and died a month later. :( Another of my sisters who had smoked for probably 30 years quit the day she was diagnosed and hasn't had one since. My other sister continues to smoke - I don't know how she can after seeing our sister die like that.

Good for you for quitting, Droopy and hang in there.

[Droopy]

10. Thanks, skygazer

I'm sorry to hear about your sister. Maybe some kid will wonder into this thread and read about us and it will make a difference. :hug:

[SouthoftheBorderPaul]

5. Good luck to you, man.

I hope you're able to slay the beast!

[Droopy]

12. Thanks, Paul

The beast doesn't stand a chance this time. I've made up my mind :)

[pengillian101]

55. That attitude will do it!

"The beast doesn't stand a chance this time. I've made up my mind."

Once you have your MIND made up to quit, that is the key. I was hooked on cigs for 40 years. I've been smoke-free since last March. Maybe I have a 3-second craving once in awhile, but that's all. I occasionally dream that I still smoke. Today I sat near an ashtray that truly repulsed me.

Good luck to you, I know you can do it, Keep up with your quitplan telephone support and use their website too. Lots of support in forums and email.

Deep breaths through a cigarette-length straw is a good trick, as it feeds the oral urge, the breathing deep part of smoking, and also the physical part of holding a cigarette(-like straw).

I tried every kind of quitting during those 40 years. What made up MY mind was ending up in the hospital. That did it for me. So glad you quit before you ended up there.

Good for you! :applause:

[malta blue]

7. Good luck Droopy.

I quit after 25 years of smoking. I have been smoke free for just over a year now.


It is possible.

:hug:

[Droopy]

13. Thanks and good for you!

I look forward to being able to say the same thing next year.

[siligut]

11. Hang in there.

Repeat after me: I am a non-smoker. I am getting healthier everyday. Tobacco companies manipulated nicotine levels to get my money at the expense of my health, they will not win. I smell better too. And food tastes better.

[Droopy]

14. Hahahaha

I do feel a lot better already. And I never really noticed how bad smoking smelled until the day after I quit and I walked into my condo. It smelled horrendous!

[DFW]

17. If you can stand a phrase attributed to a Republican, read on.......

Abe Lincoln is supposed to have said, "What is a cigarette? A stinking weed
with fire on one end and a fool on the other."

Just remember that should you ever get the urge again.

[blueknight]

18. i just walked in the door....

from attending the lay out of a girl i grew up with. she died sunday, from lung cancer at age 52. she was a beautiful,smart,classy girl. she just could not quit. im so glad i never started. RIP dianna, you will be missed...

[DFW]

28. My wife lost one of her best friends that way at 36

She was diagnosed at 34, always figured she was too young to have to worry about
something like that. She was smart and beautiful, and everybody loved her. She quit
and fought it as best she could, but at age 34, cancer cells spread quickly and
aggressively. She dies 2 days after her 36th birthday. It made us want to go blow
up every tobacco shop we saw, and rip up every ad poster showing glamorous people
smoking as if it contributed to their good times. It certainly didn't give our friend
a lot of good times.

[lukasahero]

19. You go, Droopy!

Clean just since 1/5 myself. And I'm with you - not. one. more. puff. eva. I know I can't ever do it again because it would make the second one that much easier and the third easier still and so on and so on.... you know the drill.

But remember - cravings come one at a time and that's all you need to fight: just one craving for just one minute. And each time the fight gets easier.

Hang in there - the first week is the worst. You can do this.

Congratulations on saving your life. :hug:

[Droopy]

29. Thank you

It's day 8 now and I'm feeling a lot better. The cravings aren't as intense and they are growing fewer and further between. The idea that I am now a non-smoker just sank in as I was sitting here a little while ago. It's a very happy feeling.

[BreweryYardRat]

20. What about those of us who don't do it on anything like a regular basis?

I smoke a few cigarillos or a cigar once every few weeks, usually over the course of two days. That's it. I don't even like regular cigarettes.

[Droopy]

30. You puff at your own peril

Why run the risk that you will get addicted at all?

[WritingIsMyReligion]

21. So glad that's not something I want to do.

Too many horror stories, and honestly, it just seems like a fucking dumb thing to start doing. So many other vices that are less deadly. :evilgrin:

Congratulations so far--I'm sure you can kick it this time. :thumbsup:

[Droopy]

32. Yeah it is dumb

I consider myself a pretty smart fella, too, but I guess we can all suffer from poor judgment at times. The tobacco companies try to get you when you are young and don't really know any better and it still works for them. I was reading about how tobacco use is growing among teenagers.

Thanks for the encouragement. It sounds like you've got it together on this issue.

[bamademo]

22. You can do it. I smoked from age 17 to 51.

My blood pressure started getting dangerously high. I used Wellbutrin, then Commit and on the 4th of July long weekend, I took Valium and slept all weekend to get over the Commits. I've been nicotine free for 3 years. I've gained some weight but it's because I quit working out due to an injury to my ankle. I'm now able to work out again, the weight is coming off and I actually have the energy and stamina to hike and run.

You can do it! :applause: :bounce: :applause: :bounce:

[Droopy]

33. Congratulations!

I hope to be able to jog again some day.

[cordelia]

23. Full support

For what it's worth, coming from an anonymous internet poster.

I quit March 26, 2001. If you can make it through the 2nd week, you'll be in good shape. When I got cravings, a couple of deep breaths, and I was fine.

You will be fine, too. Just bear in mind, as several other posters have pointed out - you are DONE with the cigarettes. Never again a single puff. Ever.

You may experience dreams where you'll find yourself smoking. I still have those dreams once in a while, but they're becoming rare. Funny thing - I always make myself feel guilty in the dream.

If you need support - holler.

Best.

[Droopy]

34. Yeah I've had those dreams before and they are like nightmares

And there has been many an occasion when the nightmare came true. Not this time! Thanks for the encouragement.

[MnFats]

24. the addiction is strong. DO NOT, EVER, begin smoking

i hate the idea that i am paying a huge multinational corporation to kill me.
tobacco should be outlawed, period.



Kurt Vonnegut Jr. once said that anyone still smoking should be considered to be committing suicide...

[Droopy]

35. You got it

The fact that the evidence is conclusive (yes, tobacco does bad shit to your body) and so many people continue to use tobacco is a testament to how strong nicotine addiction really is. What person in their right mind would voluntarily do something that will shorten their lives and kill them in a very painful way?

[hellbound-liberal]

25. Looks like you have a lot of support around here Droopy, allow me to add mine.

I smoked from the age of 16 to the age of 38, I became a non-smoker 12 years ago. I think stating it in positive terms may have helped. I never looked at it like I was giving something up but that I was gaining something,i.e. my health, money, being a nonsmoker, etc. You truly have been through the worst part, hope you are determined never to go through that again. My first days were the worst and it has gotten much easier over the years. I rarely think about cigarettes, except when someone I know dies from smoking. My wife lost two aunts within two weeks of each other in 2002 from smoking and she lost her Uncle last year. He was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer (it had metastisized to other organs) and he was dead in less than three weeks. Prior to that, he didn't have a clue. I can't imagine what it is like to be told something like that and, knowing that you only have weeks to live, to have t spend your last remaining time on this planet, regretting what you have done to yourself. Stay strong and hller if you need support. We are all here for you!

[Droopy]

36. Thanks

You know what initially got me to quit? It was the money. I was spending $200 a month on cigarettes. I thought of all the cool things I could do with an extra $200 a month instead of slowly killing myself. A few days after I quit I got on the internet and started reading anti-tobacco web sites. I've seen pictures of healthy lungs compared to those of a life long smoker. Sure, the extra $200 is nice, but now every time I take a deep breath and my lungs don't tickle is more of a pay off than the money.

[lost-in-nj]

26. I quit

I will help if you want


oh Droopy


I FEEL SO
much better

WELBUTRIN and your Dr.




:hug:

lost

[Droopy]

37. I can use all of the help I can get, lost

It turns out that I am taking Wellbutrin, too. It's actually the generic equivilant called bupropion. I was prescribed it 5 years ago as a part of a psychiatric cocktail regimine that I take. It seems to me that this time has been easier than when I used to try to quit.

[suninvited]

27. NOW you tell me !

where were you back in 1974?

[Droopy]

38. Heh heh

Those tobacco barons get their claws in you early don't they? Things haven't really changed all that much I guess. The tobacco companies just find new ways to get the kids hooked seeing as how they can't advertise on TV or radio anymore. Tobacco company executive is probably the most soul-less job on the planet.

[Dora]

31. "You can never take another puff."

I applaud your quitting - and I know you can go the next seven days.

I disagree with you about "never take another puff." I quit in 2004, and since then I confess to sneaking a few drags, but I've never been tempted to pick up the habit again.

Different strokes, different folks.

[Droopy]

39. You are the exception and not the rule

Most people pick it right back up after trying it again and the habit usually grows bigger than it was before.

[Dora]

48. Someone gave me some good advice when I was quitting.

He told me to forgive myself if I had a puff, or a few drags, or even an entire cigarette.

That made all the difference. If I slipped and had a drag off a friend's smoke, I knew it didn't mean anything in the bigger picture - because the bigger picture said that I was no longer smoking a pack a day, I was saving money, and my health had improved.

I think we're acculturated to self-punishment, and I think the thinking goes something like this - "I quit smoking, but I fucked up and had a couple of cigarettes when I was hanging out with my smoking friends last night. Those two cigarettes mean that I am a total failure so I think I'll reinforce that by buying my own pack so that I can keep on feeling bad about myself. Because I am so ashamed, I will hide these cigarettes and smoke them in secret shame, and then I will feel even worse because now I am a sneaking, smoking, liar."

When I got over my smoking guilt, I changed my thinking. When my thinking changed, the habit died.

[Droopy]

49. Nicotine = Deadly addictive drug

Would you give the same advice to someone trying to kick heroin or cocaine or alcohol?

[Dora]

50. Take it or leave it, Droopy.

I smoked cigarettes from the ages of 16 to 33.

I quit once, I think in 1996, but I started again less than a year later because in a stressful moment, I bought a pack of cigarettes. If I had the capacity to forgive myself for that one pack of cigarettes, I might have been able to put the habit down then. But I hadn't changed my thinking, I thought I was a failure, and I thought I needed the comfort of those cigarettes. During my last year of grad school, I was smoking a carton a week.

I finally quit because I wanted to get on with some babymaking. I slipped a few times, bummed a smoke from friends, but they'd lost their taste to me. I also had changed my thinking, and I knew that even if I smoked a cigarette, I wasn't a failure, and I knew that I was in control - not the cigarettes.

Indeed yes, I would tell anyone who "slipped" from sobriety to forgive themselves for it. It makes life MUCH easier when we stop labeling ourselves as failures.

[Droopy]

51. You're condoning using again

I've watched a lot of people who thought that they could just have one take it back up again in short order including myself. I didn't smoke because I thought of myself as a failure, I smoked because I was hooked on a drug.

[Dora]

52. No, I am not "condoning"using.

I am not interested in approving or disapproving of anyone's private use, consumption, or habits of alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, sugar, diet sodas, Krispy Kremes, salt, marijuana, heroin, cocaine, Sharpies, road rage, etc.

I believe that people are capable of overcoming physical and behavioral addictions, and I believe that self-forgiveness is a key to truly breaking self-destructive behavior patterns. I've come to this belief by understanding both my own experience, and also the experience of those I love who have successfully broken their own addictions (whether it was alcohol or a drug). It's my opinion that those people who stop using without changing their thinking will find themslves tied to their identity as user or non-user. Life is more generous and flexible than that. I think we should be just as accomodating with ourselves.

I'm glad for you that you quit smoking. It's a wonderful world.

[Taverner]

40. I'm an ex smoker here too

Yeah - quitting is tough. Keep reminding yourself you have true will, and that nicotine, as an inanimate object, does not. So you will win.

[Droopy]

42. Thanks

I'm still struggling with the psychological aspects of quitting, but I don't have any of the withdrawl symptoms that I felt for the first four days or so. Now it's just a mind game.

[Taverner]

44. Right on - this part can be the easy part

Note I said "can be"

Find a new oral fixation. Chewing gum, sucking on lollipops, oral sex...whatever. Just get something to replace that urge.

Also, go outside every so often and get fresh air. Helps you replicate the experience of lighting up outside.

[Bonobo]

41. I fucking smoked for 20 years!

What an idiot I was!

I have not smoked a cigarette in almost 2 years.

[Droopy]

43. Congrats!

Keep up the good work. I don't know about you, but I think I am single-handedly keeping Wrigley's chewing gum in business.

[Bonobo]

45. He he he. Yeah, I know what you mean.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

46. The struggle may be forever

I quit a dozen years ago after a few decades of smoking. I still want one occasionally, but those occasions are getting rare (but unpredictable). I used to smoke once in a while in my dreams, and I'd wake up feeling like I failed, even after I realized it was only a dream.

best of luck

:thumbsup:

[Droopy]

47. Thanks

Yeah, I quit for 7 months one time and I'd still want one occasionally and one of those times caught me when I was bored and weak and the next thing I know I'm at a convenience store counter buying three packs of cigarettes and a lighter. I think that experience is going to help me quit permanently, though, even though it cost me a few more years of smoking in the short term.

[applegrove]

53. Thank you for that kick in the pants. Yes I HAVE to quit too.

[bigwillq]

54. I agree.

Starting smoking when I was 18..smoked for a year..then quit for a year and a half and then started up when I turned 21. Been smoking ever since. I am so addicted. :(

[BlueIris]

56. Nicotine is the most addictive drug.

Just an FYI there for people who are confused about that.

[leftyclimber]

57. I agree.

Because quitting is awful beyond comprehension.

My next quit date is sometime after my "big" conference in June. :shrug: