Jump to content
  • Welcome to the TransPulse Forums!

    We offer a safe, inclusive community for transgender and gender non-conforming folks, as well as their loved ones, to find support and information.  Join today!

Why Does Smoking Have To Be


Guest Vixen Amber

Recommended Posts

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..

Link to comment
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

Link to comment
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.

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

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

Link to comment
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 ^_^

Link to comment
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.

Link to comment
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 :P Showing me that even tho they are there I dont need them.

Link to comment

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

Link to comment
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. :lol:

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

Link to comment
  • 2 weeks later...
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. :)

Link to comment
  • 2 months later...
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

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Who's Online   5 Members, 0 Anonymous, 104 Guests (See full list)

    • Miss Cormac
    • Maddee
    • Susie
    • Willow
    • MaryEllen
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      80.5k
    • Total Posts
      767.2k
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      11,944
    • Most Online
      8,356

    Melissa_J
    Newest Member
    Melissa_J
    Joined
  • Today's Birthdays

    1. Amyjay
      Amyjay
      (58 years old)
    2. bettyjean
      bettyjean
    3. Breanna
      Breanna
      (52 years old)
    4. Emily Ayla
      Emily Ayla
    5. JET182
      JET182
  • Posts

    • Willow
      Good Friday Morning    I will be spending a good portion of my day at church today.  I don’t know how any of my family would have been with me.  They all passed before I figured myself out.  I often think my mother and sister may have figured it out before I did but maybe it was just my depression that they saw.  I don’t know and never will.  My grandfather Young unconditionally loved me but he passed when I was 9.   Same with my wife’s parents, both gone before.  We’ve never had the greatest relationship with my wife’s brother but we do see them occasionally.  They words and actions aren’t always in sink when it comes to me.   Sour kraut or boil cabbage were never big even with my parents so that was something we were never expected to eat.  Nor was anything with mustard.  My mother hated mustard and it turns my stomach. My wife tried to sneak it into things early in our marriage but I could always tell.  She stopped after a while.   well I wave to go get ready to go to church.  I have a committee meeting at 10 and then we have a Good Friday Service at noon.   Willow
    • Mmindy
      Good morning everyone,   @KymmieLI hope you're misreading your bosses communications. As you say keep plugging a long. Don't give them signs that you're slow quitting, just to collect unemployment.   I have a few things to do business wise, and will be driving to the St. Louis, MO area for two family gatherings.   Have a great day,   Mindy🌈🐛🏳️‍⚧️🦋
    • KymmieL
      Good morning everyone, TGIFF   It seems like I am the one keeping or shop from being the best. According to the boss. I don't know if my days are numbered or not. But anymore I am waiting for the axe to fall. Time will tell.   I keep plugging a long.   Kymmie
    • KymmieL
      In the warmer weather, Mine is hitting the road on the bike. Just me, the bike, and the road. Other is it music or working on one of my many projects.   Kymmie
    • LC
      That is wonderful. Congratulations!
    • Heather Shay
      What is relaxation to you? Nature? Movie? Reading? Cuddling with a pet? Music?
    • Heather Shay
    • Heather Shay
      Having just a normal emotional day.
    • Heather Shay
      AMUSEMENT The feeling when you encounter something silly, ironic, witty, or absurd, which makes you laugh. You have the urge to be playful and share the joke with others. Similar words: Mirth Amusement is the emotional reaction to humor. This can be something that is intended to be humorous, like when someone tells a good joke or when a friend dresses up in a ridiculous costume. But it can also be something that you find funny that was not intended to be humorous, like when you read a sign with a spelling error that turns it into an ironic pun. For millennia, philosophers and scholars have been attempting to explain what exactly it is that makes something funny. This has led to several different theories. Nowadays, the most widely accepted one is the Incongruity Theory, which states that something is amusing if it violates our standards of how things are supposed to be. For example, Charlie Chaplin-style slapstick is funny because it violates our norms of competence and proper conduct, while Monty Python-style absurdity is funny because it violates reason and logic. However, not every standard or norm violation is necessarily funny. Violations can also evoke confusion, indignation, or shock. An important condition for amusement is that there is a certain psychological distance to the violation. One of the ways to achieve this is captured by the statement ‘comedy is tragedy plus time’. A dreadful mistake today may become a funny story a year from now. But it can also be distant in other ways, for instance, because it happened to someone you do not know, or because it happens in fiction instead of in real life. Amusement also needs a safe and relaxed environment: people who are relaxed and among friends are much more likely to feel amused by something. A violation and sufficient psychological distance are the basic ingredients for amusement, but what any one person find funny will depend on their taste and sense of humor. There are dozens of ‘humor genres’, such as observational comedy, deadpan, toilet humor, and black comedy. Amusement is contagious: in groups, people are more prone to be amused and express their amusement more overtly. People are more likely to share amusement when they are with friends or like-minded people. For these reasons, amusement is often considered a social emotion. It encourages people to engage in social interactions and it promotes social bonding. Many people consider amusement to be good for the body and the soul. By the end of the 20th century, humor and laughter were considered important for mental and physical health, even by psychoneuroimmunology researchers who suggested that emotions influenced immunity. This precipitated the ‘humor and health movement’ among health care providers who believed that humor and laughter help speed recovery, including in patients suffering from cancer1). However, the evidence for health benefits of humor and laughter is less conclusive than commonly believed2. Amusement is a frequent target of regulation: we down-regulate it by shifting our attention to avoid inappropriate laughter, or up-regulate it by focusing on a humorous aspect of a negative situation. Interestingly, amusement that is purposefully up-regulated has been found to have the same beneficial physical and psychological effects as the naturally experienced emotion. Amusement has a few clear expressions that emerge depending on the intensity of the emotion. When people are mildly amused, they tend to smile or chuckle. When amusement intensifies, people laugh out loud and tilt or bob their head. The most extreme bouts of amusement may be accompanied by uncontrollable laughter, tears, and rolling on the floor. Most cultures welcome and endorse amusement. Many people even consider a ‘good sense of humor’ as one of the most desirable characteristics in a partner. At the same time, most cultures have (implicit) rules about what is the right time and place for amusement. For example, displays of amusement may be deemed inappropriate in situations that demand seriousness or solemness, such as at work or during religious rituals.
    • Heather Shay
    • Heather Shay
    • Heather Shay
    • April Marie
      Good morning, everyone!!! Two cups of coffee in the books and I am just feeling so wonderful this morning. Not sure why, but I'm happy and smiling.   Enjoy this beautiful day!!!
    • Heather Shay
      A U.S. dollar bill can be folded approximately 4,000 times in the same place before it will tear. -You cannot snore and dream at the same time. -The average person walks the equivalent of three times around the world in a lifetime. -A hippo’s wide open mouth is big enough to fit a 4-foot-tall child in. -Chewing gum while you cut an onion will help keep you from crying.
    • Susan R
      Love it! This is great news. We need more of this to combat the excessive hate-filled rhetoric and misinformation. 👍
  • Upcoming Events

Contact TransPulse

TransPulse can be contacted in the following ways:

Email: Click Here.

To report an error on this page.

Legal

Your use of this site is subject to the following rules and policies, whether you have read them or not.

Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
DMCA Policy
Community Rules

Hosting

Upstream hosting for TransPulse provided by QnEZ.

Sponsorship

Special consideration for TransPulse is kindly provided by The Breast Form Store.
×
×
  • Create New...