Why Does Smoking Have To Be

[Guest Vixen Amber]

So hard to quit....All I can think of is chain smoking my menthols... I go draw my comic, I end up stopping and smoking... Every time I finish something on it. I almost quit when I ran out for a few days but something happened and I ended up stuffing the butts in a pipe and smoking them. What the heck is wrong with me? Is there an easier way other than cold turkey cause I get really irritable when that happens..

[Guest Vixen Amber]

Frikk... just smoked another makin this. I really am pathetic.

[Guest Elizabeth K]

Well I was a pipe smoker - really addicted - for eight or nine years. I gave up smoking for 'lenten' season - 40 days. Having a set goal really helped. The first year I did it - I went back to smoking, and then realized how stupid that was! The next year, after 40 days? I never went back.

And how some 25 years later? Sometimes I STILL want to light up my pipe (it took four years to toss out those beautiful, expensive pipes!)

Maybe set a goal - make it say two weeks. At that time restart another goal or go back - your choice.

Lizzy

[Guest Vixen Amber]

I'm gonna have to do something. I don't want to be ugly that's my big fear, ive only been smoking for 3 months but still...probably have some irreversible damage now.

[JJ]

The good news is that you haven't done any irreversible damage yet. There is still time to prevent that. But of course every day is one too many.

However beating yourself up never helped anyone stop anything. Especially if it an addictive habit used to substitute for another one. So there are basically two things that will help. First picture all the positives you are seeking by being smoke free. Don't focus on trying to make yourself stop but on seeing that this is something you want to do to stay young and attractive longer-as well as living longer.

And second-find something you can live with to replace it. That's why some people turn to hard candies or chocolate or something. Give yourself something to fill that void. If you gain a little at first it will be temporary and you can lose it when you get the habit stopped. Besides smoking gives you wrinkles-especially those ugly ones around the mouth and interferes with your HRT while a little weight gain on HRT just softens you a little more and goes on in female places.

There are all kinds of stop smoking aids out there from electronic cigarettes to nicotine candy and gum. They all work for some people and not others. So no way to tell what will work for you. But with your history I would very strongly suggest not going on any of the prescription medications. They are based on the same drug as Welbutrin and can exacerbate any chemical imbalances. In some cases severely. Many Drs are aware of the dangers now-but not all. I really can't stress too strongly how bad those medications can be for some people. My family has a history of bi-polar disorder and depression and two different members have had severe reactions to stop smoking medications-becoming uncharacteristically violent in fact. In researching the drug I found that it is not an uncommon reaction.

You'll find something that works. keep trying and don't beat yourself up over it. It's not easy but it is possible.

Hugs

Johnny

[Guest Vixen Amber]

Hmmm that's actually a really good idea... gobstoppers. I noticed I stopped eating them when I started smoking... Thanks ill try that

[Guest Robin Winter]

Gobstoppers might help short term, but to be honest, all that's really doing is keeping the habit alive and increases the chance that you'll start up with tobacco again. The very best way to quit is to kill the habit before you actually stop smoking, get rid of all the associations, like in my case, no matter when I smoked during the day, I always had one first thing in the morning, immediately after a meal, and last thing before going to bed. Stop habits like that before you stop smoking and don't replace the cigarettes with anything else when you do stop, and it will increase your chances of success by leaps and bounds. Also, you'll need to find a healthy way to deal with stress because as I'm sure you know, stress and nicotine cravings seem to feed off of each other.

Drinking a lot of water seems to help too. I often confused thirst with cigarette cravings. And lots of water has plenty of other benefits too.

[Guest Vixen Amber]

Yeah I guess it wouldnt be too much better lol. Idk maybe I could draw when i feel stressed. Seems to keep me chill for a while but idk how ill stop it when i get a job lol.

Oh well, gonna try those 2 things today, should help. Thanks all

Maybe ill keep my pack of cigs to help me fight temptation Showing me that even tho they are there I dont need them.

[Guest]

Hi Amber,

There are prescription drugs these days that can be used.

I quit about 8 years ago after many tries, and feel almost lucky that it happend that time. The difference was that I asked my doctor for an antidepressant because nicotine withdrawls were enough to send me over the edge. The antidepressant wasn't the usual Wellbutrin, but it worked in an unexpected way. In two days, I had no cravings for nicotine. All I had to do was to work on those triggering habits after that - not that difficult when you're not panic-stricken for nicotine!

I will second Shilo's advice about water consumption. It really helps and, unlike many other substitutes, is perfectly healthy for you!

Best of luck - you'll feel so much the better for quitting!

Love, Kat

[Guest Elena]

Lets see, I've tried like 6 or 7 times. Cold turkey... No go a couple of times. Weaning... No go. Drugs, had a very bad allergic reaction... 3 days in the hospital. Definate no go. Hypnosis... Couldn't be hypnotized... Useless. Accupressure, actually worked great for me. Stayed off the coffin nails for well over a year. Until my wife (now ex) started smoking again. It tasted so bad when I kissed her that I started smoking again so I wouldn't notice. I gotta get my booty back to the accupressure, seeing as I don't have to worry about smoky kisses anymore.

There are tons of options to help you quit. Pick one, set a reasonable goal then try to extend it. If you can't try something else, rinse and repeat.

You'll get there, but definately don't beat yourself up if you have a setback. That only makes it harder to deal with the next setback.

Cheers,

Elena

[Guest Fiarlia]

I actually didn't quit, but went with Electronic Cigs. They have the nicotine in them, plus water vapor and flavoring, and that's it. Absolutely zero of the other chemicals and poisons in normal smokes, they're also cheaper too. They also don't stink, and you don't get smoker breath. A study done by the World Health Organization (New Zealand branch, if I recall correctly) stated that smoking electronic smokes has the same health benefits as not smoking at all, so long as you don't OD on nicotine (which is possible, but ridiculously hard to do, even stated as such in the study).

I liked to smoke, but hated the extreme health risks involved in it. Quitting through any means never worked for me, possibly because I always liked smoking (yeah I'm weird), so E-cigs were pretty much a godsend. I highly recommend switching to them, even if you do ultimately want to quit, that way until you can quit, at least you won't be causing irreparable harm to yourself.

Regardless, good luck on whatever path you choose.

[Guest ErikaRose]

I was actually successful on an E-cig for like two months! You just made me want to try again! I stopped using it because I felt like quitting completely. I wasn't ready, and went back to normal cigs to keep the habit going. Now that is sad! =( It's horrible, best advice

I would of wanted to hear at 3 months into the habit, which was at the age of 16! "Stop, right now! What are you doing you have any clue what kind of a horribly hard addiction you are starting!" I may have listened... Probably not!

<3

Erika