Quitting Smoking

Quote: Wizard

Meanwhile, I'll give you some extra slack if you get snippy with me.

I was looking forward to JB Vs. Wizard brawl, and JB being suspended.

Oh well

Quote: Wizard

Congratulations on going a week so far! I will be rooting for you every step of the way.

Thanks!

Quote: Wizard

Don't worry too much about gaining weight for now. For four months or so I would make cigarettes to be the only demon you try to slay. Once you conquer that you can work on losing the weight. Meanwhile, I'll give you some extra slack if you get snippy with me.

Thanks again. I rarely get snippy with anyone other than members of my immediate family, so you should be safe.

While I still smoke, I have managed to quit just about every other chemical known to man. My advice – don’t give “reasons”.

You may want to quit to save your health, save your money, not stink anymore, be able to run, whatever. Your mind will poke holes in those reasons as fast as it can and will do so before you even realize it. One day you’ll wake up and find money doesn’t mean everything, or maybe you came into a spot of cash. Health is important, but you’re in your 30s and still got time. Who cares what people think, they’re not feeling the pain you are. And running sucks anyways, leave that to the youngin’s. You don’t even have time to run anyway, might as well light one up!

Forget rationalizing, forget “reasons”. Don’t quit for money, for health, for stamina. Just QUIT. You quit because you do, and never look farther than that. Doesn’t matter how far you’ve come, how far you’ve got to go. Start thinking of that stuff and it’s all over. Your brain is wery tricksy, and it’ll fuck you over and out as soon as look at ya to get what it wants.

In the moment, you control what you do. As long as you always quit NOW, you have the control. It’s the only way I managed to quit anything, and I’ve quit almost everything, without replacement therapy or any sort of "crutch".

Good luck, and congrats on your progress!

Quote: JB

I also forgot to mention that by quitting (having smoked a pack a day) I am now saving... $2920 to $3294 per year

I was always told that you should throw that money in a jar and by something tangible that you have always wanted to remind you one of the benefits.

I've also been told it can be just like alcoholism. Someone I know tried a single cigarette after 15 years, and within two days was back to addiction. It took another 5 years until he could shake it again.

40 year old PSA

Quote: Pacomartin

I've also been told it can be just like alcoholism. Someone I know tried a single cigarette after 15 years, and within two days was back to addiction. It took another 5 years until he could shake it again.

Exact thing happened to me. "C'mon, it's my wedding!" Then honeymoon, then trip home, then last days of the vacay, then weekends, then "after work"..... took 3 years to get back off. No more "because", no more "reasons". I just do, right now. Been clean ever since.

Well, I have made it past the 2 week mark. Yippee.

Just some advice, five years will be when you can consider it permanent. I had dreams about smoking for years.

Quote: Mosca

Just some advice, five years will be when you can consider it permanent. I had dreams about smoking for years.

I believe it. I wanted to buy a pack many times this past week. It's very tempting because all I can seem to do now is eat and sleep. Before quitting, I would typically stay awake until I was exhausted, which might mean staying up for 54 hours straight, and then I would sleep for as long as it would take to recharge, sometimes up to 16 hours. But now I find myself sleeping 12 to 14 hours every damn day, and it feels like such a horrendous waste of time that restarting smoking is beginning to look like it would be a very productive option.

So adopt some sort of activity to replace the smoking... carry a word puzzle with you or something. A drink and a cigarette can be replaced with a drink and a word puzzle or session at HitorStand.Net. Talk to some sweet young thing without first offering or seeking a cigarette.

One shuttle bus driver told me it was two years after he quit before he started smelling flowers and new mown grass again ... and he passed by it every day.

Quote: JB

Before quitting, I would typically stay awake until I was exhausted, which might mean staying up for 54 hours straight, and then I would sleep for as long as it would take to recharge,

I can vouch for this. I hope you don't mind me telling the story, but once JB basically lived in the Tuscany lobby for three days without sleeping, except perhaps nodding off from time to time.