Quitting Smoking

[Chris_P_Critter]

I've been smoking full flavored menthol cigarettes for over 20 years. Everyone is different, so saying that a cigarette craving is little more than the equivalent to wanting a twinkie is dead wrong.... at least in my case. Addiction is different for everyone by virtue of their personality - some people are more prone to addiction than others, so making that general statement seems a bit innaccurate.

Bottom line: Nothing will make you quit except your own willingness to quit. No medication, patches, gum, books, etc. will take the will to smoke away from you - you have to be ready, have the willpower to stop, and you need to do it for yourself and no one else.

As far as I go - I am a weakling and don't have the will power. I justify smoking in my own head and therefore I will not quit until I can learn to not do that.

 

[James Murphy]

after only 2 years it's seriously this hard for you???

i smoked for 5 years and on the very day i decided to quit i threw an entire pack i had just opened into a public trash bin, along with my lighter, and never touched another one.

sure i had some cravings, but it was not a big deal to ignore them.... within a month it was as though i had never smoked.

 

[guitarguru777]

I quit for 2 years after smoking for nearly 15. Well 2 years ago I started again, now quitting the 2nd time is even harder. I have failed quitting multiple times since re-starting. It totally sucks

 

[Josh Burgess]

smoke weed instead

 

[guitarguru777]

I cant stand the taste or smell of weed

 

[J.DavisNJ]

It's tough dude. I've tried a few times and have realized you REALLY have to want to quit. I haven't been to that point yet unfortunately.

May I suggest an E-Cig? I thought they were a retarded looking gimmick for a while, but some buddies have turned me onto them and they work well. Tastes like a cig, smokes like one, and far less harmful chemicals.

www.vaporkings.com

Joe

 

[TheWinterSnow]

Bullshit.

Nicotine withdrawal is equal to a little craving for some snack, nothing more. Everything else is demons that youself have created in your head.

I have to highly agree. Every person has there comfort vice, their go to thing to make them feel good, something that will reward them mentally. The people that get addicted to the point of they are in horrible physical pain from "withdrawals" are having more of a separation anxiety of that vice, mostly because those people naturally have anxiety and the effects of smoking will release most of that anxiety, when you take that away with someone who has an addictive personality, they become become hypochondriac to the small amount of anxiety they do have and as a result, amplify the effects so large they are in total physical agony.

Take for example that most quit smoking prescriptions from doctors are sugar pills slapped with some bogus label. Now virtually all of the time every person taking the placebos have no sort of withdrawal and only mild cravings when in reality, sugar and caffeine, should make the anxiety of quitting even worse. And that really does prove that smoking withdrawals are minor, and that anything else is mostly the mental effects of someone tricking themselves out to thinking it is more worse than it is. Its all mind over matter.

 

[setyouranchor]

I cant stand the taste or smell of weed

+1111111! Its weird, sends a funny shiver down the back of my neck and my throat

Thanks for the advice guys. I know 2 years doesnt seem like much but I've never not been able to smoke when and where I want. I can smoke at home, in my room, in the car, at college etc and all my friends smoke, and my girlfriend.

I think its just getting my head round it now, i need to man the fuck up and jsut do it. I still enjoy the occasional one or two a day but the rest are all itchings and I roll up without even thinking.

I read a little bit of Allen Carrs book but then forgot about it, I wasnt 110% ready, and right now I'm only 99.9% ready.

I'm gonna take the "fuck it" approach and just stop all together.

 

[timislegend]

smoking is bad for your health.

not like how people say... "eggs can be bad for you!" or "milk can be bad for you!"


anecdotal:

i smoked cigarettes for about 10 years... day-in, day-out. about two packs/day.

smoking is just a "thing" ...just like flipping a coin for 7 minutes.

it pampers a fixation and lends to a myriad of iniquities. this can become psychologically restricting.


smoking is for the weak and feeble... the majority of people that smoke cigarettes will defend their adopted habit as an escape when in fact the reason they smoke is because of other emotional insecurities.



one of the reasons i quit smoking cigarettes; i didn't want anything to control me... which left me with a conundrum: "if i quit smoking cigarettes, this same control will now affect my life."

solution: cigarettes are a chemical... this means there is a chemical dependency as well as a social, emotional, oral and behavioral.

each one of these artifacts must be resolved individually.

chemical: fact, traces of nicotine can stay in your system for up to 20 days however your body absorbs the majority in a matter of 3 days.

so... after a week, the reason you will be fighting off the urge to smoke is primarily psychological. (this seems obvious).

many have acquainted the sensation of nicotine craving as to "losing a family member" ...or feeling "cheated on by a lover."

these emotions are base on dependencies and insecurities.






my point: you will survive all of these things... losing a family member, being cheated on and even quitting a habit. the best way to quit anything habitual is to dig deep into your emotions and become more self aware.

 

[JBroll]

smoking is for the weak and feeble... the majority of people that smoke cigarettes will defend their adopted habit as an escape when in fact the reason they smoke is because of other emotional insecurities.

Bullshit like this is actually why I didn't want to become a nonsmoker.

This may come as a shock, but... sometimes people do things because they enjoy them. Not all smokers are helpless, dependent, spineless weaklings.

Jeff

 

[Chryst Krispies]

I happen to like the taste of a good cigar now and then....

 

[updog]

yeah, I like the taste and the rush. Not all smokers think cigarettes taste good or notice much difference between brands, but I do.

I admit that a part of my smoking is social, but that doesn't mean I need smoking to socialize.

 

[setyouranchor]

I enjoy the taste and rush of my own brand. But only really enjoy 2 throughout the day which is in the morning and after an evening meal. But yeah, I dont think I'm spineless haha

 

[Mago]

To be honest, one day out of the blue I just said to myself "Fuck it, not buying them anymore". No bullshit with the patches, or hypnosis or anything. Just went straight cold turkey, nothing more, nothing less.
Fact is, if you want to quit, you will quit. Most people say they want to quit, but the truth is, unless they truly quit, they never actually really had it in their heart to properly quit.
It's just like anything, if you want it, you can probably get it if you bust your ass and want it with a burning passion. I wanted to quit smoking so fucking badly, so I just said fuck it and said to myself I'll live through the withdrawal symptoms, because it's for the better.
Seriously, the amount of CDs you can buy if you don't smoke is phenomenal. CDs will last ages, whereas baccy just goes down the drain fast.
On top of that, having more money for gear and bills and stuff is always good.

This.
As long as you don't WANT it you won't make it.
I smoked for about 2 years, quit for some months this year, smoked again for some weeks casually and quit again...
For me the thoughest parts so far were the first 3 days without nikotine...then it was quite easy, but I tried to avoid going out with smokers too much. But it didnt take long until it wasnt a problem anymore (maybe 3 weeks or so).
My GF also quit at the same time, but started again (thats when I started it again too) but now its even more clear for me that I don't like smoking that much at all...not only for costs, I also don't like the smell that much, the feeling in the throat ect...
It's just quite though to keep away from smoking when my GF does (I dont care about anyone else) so that's really the only (social) factor I have to be aware of. I haven't bought cigarettes because I wanted it since ages...

What I think isn't a good idea is to replace the smoking with something else...you should just get rid of it, not switch to something else. although doing sports is a good idea, regardless of which reason^^

Good luck mate...If you really want to quit you will make it!

 

[timislegend]

Bullshit like this is actually why I didn't want to become a nonsmoker.

This may come as a shock, but... sometimes people do things because they enjoy them. Not all smokers are helpless, dependent, spineless weaklings.

Jeff

as much as i would like to believe this... it is far from the truth.


this isn't a public service announcement... however smoking causes a high level of asthmatic symptoms. this literally makes you weaker.

i was also implying the "mind" of an individual i never said "helpless" or "spineless."

the fact that you "chose" to become a smoker doesn't adhere to enjoyable inevitabilities.

you are only using the word "enjoy" to inflate your egoic reasoning.

i'm sure certain people enjoy huffing paint thinner... (it has no addictive properties) yet, i am sure we have all seen the huffed out street junkie.

huffing is bad too! (obviously)


i believe our OP was discussing the fact that...

I've been smoking for 2 years now and I hate it.

my post was trying to help him with a lot of the deeply rooted reasons as to why he has resorted to smoking cigarettes.

like i said before ...i smoked cigarettes for about 10 years... and because i started to understand the pathology of my addiction... i am able to say that i don't smoke... and i haven't for almost 3 years.


i don't want anyone to misinterpret my intentions.

 

[JBroll]

I was using helpless and spineless for exactly what you meant.

As far as 'inflating my egoic reasoning'... no, I enjoyed it, and when I didn't enjoy it I stopped. It never took control, I didn't do anything I didn't want to do, and when one day I decided I wasn't going to do it anymore I just didn't. There was none of this dramatic internal crisis that you're saying I had... you're not even close to anything resembling reality, and by pretending to know what I went through and why I acted as I did you're coming not across as insightful or experienced but as the kind of obnoxious jackass that Bill Hicks tore to bits so many times over. I don't want to push people into smoking, but if you're really going to help and not just look like a pompous jackass you need to stop telling people how they felt and what they enjoyed. I'd know if it was far from the truth... I was there. I know how easy it was for me to do exactly what I wanted - including pulling it to a dead halt - and you don't. Trying to help people is fine, but you can go take a flying fuck at a rolling bicycle wheel if you think that telling people how their own lives went is going to do anything but inflate your own ego and annoy people who know what they're talking about.

The fact that some weak people can't pull their way out is no evidence that smoking is for the weak and feeble... if someone is weak and smokes, they need to fix being weak *with stopping smoking as a possible goal or milestone* and not just quit smoking. A weak person will just jump between addictions, bad habits, and regretted decisions, and a strong person can dive in and out at will without doing anything he doesn't want to do - build actual strength of will, not a collection of nice habits. Since he's been smoking and hates it, hearing more awful things about smoking (true or false) is probably redundant.

OP... you can quit. Quit letting things seem complicated, figure out what you really want to do, and do it.

Jeff

 

[setyouranchor]

Thank you Jeff, means a lot. I AM GONNA DO IT.

No offense tim, but your explanations came across quite big headed and actually quite scary. I know quitting smoking ISNT scary but your making it out to be a HUGE deal and thats the last thing I want it be.

 

[TheWinterSnow]

No offense tim, but your explanations came across quite big headed and actually quite scary. I know quitting smoking ISNT scary but your making it out to be a HUGE deal and thats the last thing I want it be.

While his intentions were good, he didn't explain very well. I think he more or less was trying to say that people who are inclined to be "addicted" are people who normally have chronic anxiety and depression, which medically speaking makes up the vast majority of chronic smokers, people who can't get by with their days without lighting up. The people that do not have such chronic illnesses don't have much of a problem quitting because they only did it for the enjoyment and not the dependency. I think he was trying to say that anyone who has such a hard time quitting for such reasons, the anxiety and depression and similar ailments have to understand why they reach for a cigarette and deal with those demons before they truly have the power over themselves to quit.

Summed up, you have to know the psychological reasons that make you light up, and once you know what it is and how to deal with it, quitting smoking is just like cutting anything else out of your life. The question to ask yourself is, if you hate smoking, what is making you light up? Really search in yourself to find out why, because as soon as you know why you do, you can think about how you can deal with it, and once you have that under control, the grip that nicotine has on you will cease to exist.

 

[timislegend]

I was using helpless and spineless for exactly what you meant.

As far as 'inflating my egoic reasoning'... no, I enjoyed it, and when I didn't enjoy it I stopped. It never took control, I didn't do anything I didn't want to do, and when one day I decided I wasn't going to do it anymore I just didn't. There was none of this dramatic internal crisis that you're saying I had... you're not even close to anything resembling reality, and by pretending to know what I went through and why I acted as I did you're coming not across as insightful or experienced but as the kind of obnoxious jackass that Bill Hicks tore to bits so many times over. I don't want to push people into smoking, but if you're really going to help and not just look like a pompous jackass you need to stop telling people how they felt and what they enjoyed. I'd know if it was far from the truth... I was there. I know how easy it was for me to do exactly what I wanted - including pulling it to a dead halt - and you don't. Trying to help people is fine, but you can go take a flying fuck at a rolling bicycle wheel if you think that telling people how their own lives went is going to do anything but inflate your own ego and annoy people who know what they're talking about.

The fact that some weak people can't pull their way out is no evidence that smoking is for the weak and feeble... if someone is weak and smokes, they need to fix being weak *with stopping smoking as a possible goal or milestone* and not just quit smoking. A weak person will just jump between addictions, bad habits, and regretted decisions, and a strong person can dive in and out at will without doing anything he doesn't want to do - build actual strength of will, not a collection of nice habits. Since he's been smoking and hates it, hearing more awful things about smoking (true or false) is probably redundant.

OP... you can quit. Quit letting things seem complicated, figure out what you really want to do, and do it.

Jeff

you are right... and i am wrong.

i apologize for making you feel personally attacked. my intentions were not to belittle.

if you feel i have been arrogant in any way, you must understand ...i was merely generalizing.

a lot can be said on this subject... and in this particular domain, people can misconstrue the primary effort due to the sterile environment of a forum.


once again, my apologies and ...i hope you quit smoking @setyouranchor

 

[Josh Burgess]

I was using helpless and spineless for exactly what you meant.

As far as 'inflating my egoic reasoning'... no, I enjoyed it, and when I didn't enjoy it I stopped. It never took control, I didn't do anything I didn't want to do, and when one day I decided I wasn't going to do it anymore I just didn't. There was none of this dramatic internal crisis that you're saying I had... you're not even close to anything resembling reality, and by pretending to know what I went through and why I acted as I did you're coming not across as insightful or experienced but as the kind of obnoxious jackass that Bill Hicks tore to bits so many times over. I don't want to push people into smoking, but if you're really going to help and not just look like a pompous jackass you need to stop telling people how they felt and what they enjoyed. I'd know if it was far from the truth... I was there. I know how easy it was for me to do exactly what I wanted - including pulling it to a dead halt - and you don't. Trying to help people is fine, but you can go take a flying fuck at a rolling bicycle wheel if you think that telling people how their own lives went is going to do anything but inflate your own ego and annoy people who know what they're talking about.

The fact that some weak people can't pull their way out is no evidence that smoking is for the weak and feeble... if someone is weak and smokes, they need to fix being weak *with stopping smoking as a possible goal or milestone* and not just quit smoking. A weak person will just jump between addictions, bad habits, and regretted decisions, and a strong person can dive in and out at will without doing anything he doesn't want to do - build actual strength of will, not a collection of nice habits. Since he's been smoking and hates it, hearing more awful things about smoking (true or false) is probably redundant.

OP... you can quit. Quit letting things seem complicated, figure out what you really want to do, and do it.

Jeff

Holy fuck... a bit overdramtic, don't you think?

You do come off sounding like you have a massive ego, Jeff...