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On Smoking

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Re: On Smoking

#11

Post by dingo454 »

augusto-moura wrote: post #4
jessriedel wrote: post #2

> too embarrassed of chewing-gums In case others don't know, there are nicotine lozenges that are smaller than the gum and require no chewing. And if you happen to swallow them nothing happens, the nicotine is destroyed by your stomachs without being absorbed. They are really very discreet to use. (Even the gum isn't actually chewed like regular gum; you just chew it for a few seconds and let it sit on your gum.)

I think that she means chewing gum to mask off the breath. I'm a smoker and do that very often, it's kinda rude to speak to other people while having a breath of thousand cigarrettes

That hardly masks anything TBH. You smell the same with some hint of mint on top. Most of the smell comes from your lungs, your clothing and your hair. You need to stay outside for a good 10 minutes to make a significant difference in perceived smell. Anything else is mostly wishful thinking...

Re: On Smoking

#12

Post by alksjdalkj »

murat131 wrote: post #3

The thing about smoking is that when you quit smoking you quit it every day. Imagine a light switch on the wall. You turn it off by quitting smoking and you can always go back at a desperate time for instance and turn it on. And some time later off again. Smoking your first cigarette implants that light switch on your mind and you can't make it go away. Since you know how it makes you feel good when the switch is on,…

This is such a perfect description. I quit years ago but still whenever I see someone smoking I get a craving and when I'm stressed I find myself wishing for a cigarette. I've accepted that it's just something that'll be with me the rest of my life.

Seriously, don't start smoking. It's a mistake that you really can't undo.

Re: On Smoking

#13

Post by version_five »

murat131 wrote: post #3

The thing about smoking is that when you quit smoking you quit it every day. Imagine a light switch on the wall. You turn it off by quitting smoking and you can always go back at a desperate time for instance and turn it on. And some time later off again. Smoking your first cigarette implants that light switch on your mind and you can't make it go away. Since you know how it makes you feel good when the switch is on,…

Agreed. The article mentions becoming a new person - for me, it's different, I'm still a smoker, I just don't smoke anymore. I quit 10 years ago, and I won't start again, but I still want to smoke every day.

I rarely see this discussed when people talk about addiction. You can't un-ring the bell so to speak, and once you know you can do something you enjoy, you don't just forget about it. The cliche of the addict tied to the bed for a few weeks and then back to normal is not my experience at all. Acute withdrawal is easy compared to the hole that is left in your life. And I'm just talking about cigarettes, happily i never got involved with anything even more addictive.

Re: On Smoking

#14

Post by AlexandrB »

murat131 wrote: post #3

The thing about smoking is that when you quit smoking you quit it every day. Imagine a light switch on the wall. You turn it off by quitting smoking and you can always go back at a desperate time for instance and turn it on. And some time later off again. Smoking your first cigarette implants that light switch on your mind and you can't make it go away. Since you know how it makes you feel good when the switch is on,…

I once had a very bad night and chain smoked 3-4 cigarettes. Since then I've never experienced the "light switch" you describe. The experience of smoking was not unpleasant, but not something I crave either. My sister seems to be the same way and smokes a few cigarettes once every few years when things are particularly stressful but never habitually.

I wonder if there are physiological differences that account for this difference of experience.

Re: On Smoking

#15

Post by YarickR2 »

murat131 wrote: post #3

The thing about smoking is that when you quit smoking you quit it every day. Imagine a light switch on the wall. You turn it off by quitting smoking and you can always go back at a desperate time for instance and turn it on. And some time later off again. Smoking your first cigarette implants that light switch on your mind and you can't make it go away. Since you know how it makes you feel good when the switch is on,…

Well, it's probably like this for some, and totally different for others. I smoked for ten+ years, a pack a day, and quit cold turkey in three days, and don't miss it any tiny little bit. Light switch was ripped off the wall, and the place it had been hanging (nice easily reachable convenient place) has been levelled off, painted clean , and is now perfectly empty

Re: On Smoking

#16

Post by bitcuration »

pengaru wrote: post #5
jessriedel wrote: post #2

> too embarrassed of chewing-gums In case others don't know, there are nicotine lozenges that are smaller than the gum and require no chewing. And if you happen to swallow them nothing happens, the nicotine is destroyed by your stomachs without being absorbed. They are really very discreet to use. (Even the gum isn't actually chewed like regular gum; you just chew it for a few seconds and let it sit on your gum.)

It's also worth noting nicotine has interesting "nootropic" properties. You don't really have to quit your addiction to quit smoking, and there can be some advantages to continuing if you can afford it in safer forms.

has vaping been out of question?

Re: On Smoking

#17

Post by alea_iacta_est »

staticautomatic wrote: post #10
alea_iacta_est wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't be like me and end up addicted to the lozenges... Still using them after 5 years since I quit smoking.

Better than being addicted to cigarettes though.

Yes, definitely, even if they're not perfect, they can give you some stomach ache, bloating, mouth sores, etc, but overall, I don't regret the trade.

Re: On Smoking

#18

Post by Scarbutt »

murat131 wrote: post #3

The thing about smoking is that when you quit smoking you quit it every day. Imagine a light switch on the wall. You turn it off by quitting smoking and you can always go back at a desperate time for instance and turn it on. And some time later off again. Smoking your first cigarette implants that light switch on your mind and you can't make it go away. Since you know how it makes you feel good when the switch is on,…

Smoking your first cigarette implants that light switch on your mind

I don't think that's true in general, at least not for me or many of my friends. We never got hooked. Please don't try though ;)

Re: On Smoking

#19

Post by version_five »

Jhsto wrote: post #7

Has anyone else tried writing under some arbitrary restrictions? In case you did not notice, the blog subtitle is 11 sentence essays. The post as well, unsurprisingly, is 11 sentences (... I guess, but it has a number of complicated ones).

A month ago I wrote what I would call a professional post on a social media / networking site. I had drafted it in a text editor first, and when I pasted it to post, I found there was a character limit I'd run afoul of and was forced to edit. It was actually very helpful to be forced to clarify and shorten what I'd written. I'd like to find a way to recreate the forced restriction (especially when discovered only after I thought I'd made it concise already).

Re: On Smoking

#20

Post by 1_player »

alksjdalkj wrote: post #12
murat131 wrote: post #3

The thing about smoking is that when you quit smoking you quit it every day. Imagine a light switch on the wall. You turn it off by quitting smoking and you can always go back at a desperate time for instance and turn it on. And some time later off again. Smoking your first cigarette implants that light switch on your mind and you can't make it go away. Since you know how it makes you feel good when the switch is on,…

This is such a perfect description. I quit years ago but still whenever I see someone smoking I get a craving and when I'm stressed I find myself wishing for a cigarette. I've accepted that it's just something that'll be with me the rest of my life. Seriously, don't start smoking. It's a mistake that you really can't undo.

I think the "light switch" paradigm works for any drug with very strong addiction potential. Don't even consider doing heroin or nicotine. Cocaine _very_ carefully if you really have to.

Though to be honest nicotine is one of the hardest ones for the simple fact that it's so widespread. You can't really avoid it if your friends smoke or if it's still cool to smoke on TV (i.e. Mad Men). You don't go to a rehab or join a support group and call your sponsor whenever you feel you'd go for one, you'll be on your own. Thankfully it's getting easier and easier these days when it's not socially acceptable to smoke anymore, but still, quitting nicotine is one of the 3 hardest things you'll ever do in your life.

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