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On Smoking

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Re: On Smoking

#41

Post by hannofcart »

1_player wrote: post #20
alksjdalkj wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

Just curious as to what the urge two 'hardest things' are. Could you elaborate?

Re: On Smoking

#42

Post by k__ »

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).

Went into a wikipedia rabbit hole about restricted writing after reading about E-Prime.

It's a very intriguing topic.

Re: On Smoking

#43

Post by chippy »

I started vaping around the same time as the first lockdown. I never enjoyed it really and it kind of actually hurt my lungs a couple of times. I stopped. Break until next lockdown. I started smoking a tobacco pipe. Maybe 1 bowl every 3 days. More meditative, lasts around 40 mins, with the geeky hobby of different flavours, blends, techniques. It's also less nicotine and because there's no inhalation, much less worse. But it feels good and much more "right" than vaping or smoking like an addicted monkey.

I never got into smoking cigars, they seem to last way longer and be more powerful. Like being forced to drink 10 espressos over the space of 20 minutes.

Re: On Smoking

#44

Post by 1_player »

hannofcart wrote: post #41
1_player wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

Just curious as to what the urge two 'hardest things' are. Could you elaborate?

I have no idea. I'm just saying that quitting smoking will be one of those three. Probably not the hardest, but it's up there. FWIW it's the hardest thing I've done in my 34 years of age, it's taken me 10+ years to quit, I'm now 1.5 years nicotine free and I will have to be vigilant for the rest of my life.

Re: On Smoking

#46

Post by dimmke »

unixhero wrote: post #24
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 quit smoking, and it was very very hard. I don't agree with you that the addiction, need and nicotine + other triggers will remain with me until the end of time. Deprogramming is part of the process of quitting to smoke. I do now never want to smoke. It is not attractive to me as a way to relax or focus. I can stand in a tobacco section of an airport taxfree shop holding a 5 cartons in my hands with absolutely no d…

I agree. I quit smoking back in 2016 and I don’t think of myself as a smoker at all anymore. I sometimes have to remind myself I used to smoke.

Re: On Smoking

#47

Post by [deleted] »

version_five wrote: post #19
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 aft…

[deleted]

Re: On Smoking

#48

Post by dageshi »

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.

Nicotine seems to vary depending on the delivery mechanism. Cigar (not inhaled) do not seem to be addictive at all for most who use them, more of a hobby. I've used the little Swedish "packets" you slip under your top lip and those are like a habit that's hard to break while you have a supply, they become part of your daily routine but I've never had any withdrawal symptoms from them.

Cigarettes by all accounts seem addictive as fuck, I did have one when I was younger, desperately wanted another for about 2 days afterwards, after that the craving subsided I never had another one since.

Re: On Smoking

#49

Post by 1_player »

whereis wrote: post #22
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 smoked for ten years. Took Chantix for a week about fifteen years ago, which increased the frequency and intensity of my suicidal ideations. I then quit for good, with help from the Carr book, about a year thereafter. Quitting was horrible, but it got better. Now, the thought of smoking a cigarette is repulsive. Zero cravings, and the smell is highly offensive now. There's no light switch. YMMV.

Telling yourself there is no light switch in you, that you are stronger or better equipped than others, is a dangerous way to eventual relapse. Though for your own sake I really hope I am wrong.

Re: On Smoking

#50

Post by chippy »

k__ wrote: post #42
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).

Went into a wikipedia rabbit hole about restricted writing after reading about E-Prime. It's a very intriguing topic.

E-prime intrigues me too ;-)

I just love E-Prime. I once, for a month, used social media where I would try to only use e-prime. I experienced a lot of difficulty, but I enjoyed the experience. For a week, I tried only speaking in e-prime and had to use a notepad to formulate my thoughts before speaking. I had more problems then, but also more fun explaining to people why.

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