Need To Cut Down On Smoking

[Guest N.Chaos]

I've been smoking for maybe two years now, and up until recently a pack would last me over a week. 4-5 smokes a day, not too shabby.

Over the past 5-6 months, things have gotten incredibly stressful on just about every avenue of my life. My girlfriend got kicked out, moved in with my best friend who I also kind of live with, I'm trying to figure out how to come out to my parents, my writing is getting published, I need a job, family drama, just AGH. EVERYTHING.

And somewhere along the way, I started smoking a lot more, somewhere around 12-13 cigarettes a day which isn't as bad as some people, but to me that's still too much. And then yesterday, without even realizing it, I smoked over 20something. I'm not sure exactly because we roll our own, but I realized at the end of the day "holy nuts, half the tubes are missing, and that's from ME". And honestly, it scared the hell out of me. I know realistically I can't force myself to quit right now. I picked up smoking when I quit drinking the second time, and I'd rather smoke than drink. At least I'm not going to try and kill someone when I'm smoking.

So does anyone have any suggestions, tips, hints, anything to help motivate/force yourself to cut down? I really, really want to get back down to 5-6 smokes a day because this is just getting ridiculous.

[Michelle 2010]

Hi Chaos,

I smoked in my twenties. I found that I was an all or nothing kind of guy, er, girl. Every time I though I was in control, it slipped away in a short time. But thats me. I heard a guy one time say that if you think about whether your in control of your addiction, your probably not

Physical activity can allieviate the jitters. I actually kept a couple of toothpicks in my wallet to substitute for the oral fixation craving. I also quit drinking Scotch, because I associated it with the smokes. Gave up my favorite seat in the house too.

If you can keep it to 5-6 a day, good for you. If you have to fight to keep it there you may consider abstinence since it only gets harder the longer you smoke.

Good Luck

Michelle

[Guest N.Chaos]

Gosh darned...and I've got it even worse, because all but one of my friends and family members smoke X_X

I've never been able to quit anything cold turkey, so if I'm ever able to quit, it'll HAVE to be gradual.

I've been doing a bit better today, I've also been thinking about moving all the cigarette making stuff to various points of the house so I'll be too lazy to get all the crap to make em'.

[Michelle 2010]

Roll your own? I'd forgotten I did that as a starving college student for a few months, lol! Yeah, make it hard for yourself so ya gotta really want one to go thru the hassle.

Btw, I really did examine all behaviors. I used to smoke, drink coffee and read the news paper in the bed in the morning. I cut back on coffee(jitters), got out of bed, and read the paper elsewhere. I did switch chairs too, that wasn't a joke. I never went back to Scotch though I continued to imbibe other stuff. Think of the things you do that create the urge to smoke and do other things. They are triggers. If you smoke watching movies, try reading etc.

Trying out new behaviors helps break old habits. The toothpick thing really did help for a few months, because of the hand to mouth thing that gum and mints didn't satisfy.

I have a son who smoked for a few months. I told him he was like a kid playing in front of a cave that housed a dragon, and that like a kid, he thought he could go in and play with it. I know folks who have quit heroin, alcohol and cocaine who can't stop smoking. Nicotine is too powerful. Please be careful.

Huggs

Michelle

[Guest N.Chaos]

Heh, yep, we've been rolling our own for a while now, since cigarette prices are ridiculous it's infinitely cheaper.

What's been helping too is smoking half of one, butting it out and smoking the rest later. That and (finally) working out again, I'm too tired to even want cigarette after that lol. Ironically, when I'm watching movies or writing I half forget to smoke so I'm gonna force myself to work on my Gosh darned novel, and I just borrowed a bunch of movies I haven't seen from a friend.

I'm like triple screwed though, because I have one of those addictive personalities, everyone I know smokes, aaaaand I've got some weird addiction to self abuse in any form. I'm hoping once my friend finally comes through on my next tattoo that'll alleviate that for a while though, and that way it's not something detrimental to my health.

[Guest NatashaJade]

I'd say just quit, but you have to really want that. Seriously, having gone through my time as a smoker quitting when I wasn't ready, nobody believed me when I was and actually did. There were betting pools on when I'd start again. Nobody ever got paid. I wanted to be done with them because I was turning 30 and I was starting to feel like they were going to kill me (when mortality begins to approach, you start think about these things.

It's not a cost thing for you, so it's a desire thing. If you want to cut back but you don't want to gain weight, take up sugar free mints. Seriously, have a mint whenever you want to smoke. The next time, drink some water. Replace it with something healthy.

It's a tough addiction to break. Quit when you're ready.

xoxo

Tasha

[Guest Emily_MI]

Actually what I heard that works (going to try for my Father) is getting Electronic Cigerates, they provide the nicotine that you need but without the extra crap that goes along with it. It looks and kind of makes you feel that you are smoking, you even exhale water vapor to give you that 'smoking' feeling. Not very expensive I think a start kit runs like $35(US) and the extra nicotine ends are pretty cheap as well and last quite awhile from what I hear (200 puffs?). Hope this helps?

[Guest N.Chaos]

^ I'd forgotten ALL about those! Oh man, I'm going to research the hell outta em' now and invest in getting a kit.

Natasha, that's the whole reason I'm not even trying to quit right now, I know I can't and I know I don't want to, or at least not strongly enough.