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On Smoking

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Re: On Smoking

#91

Post by agumonkey »

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,…

do you do the diversification trick ? smoking less and finding something else to absorb / massage your mind instead ? so you can find another switch to flick

Re: On Smoking

#92

Post by gerdesj »

I gave up just over three years ago. It was bloody hard. I came up with a couple of things to say to myself if I wanted a fag. I used them as mantras as soon as I wanted a drag.

I came up with "I don't want to die" and "I don't want to smell".

I also made targets - 1 day, 2, 4, week. Fortnight. Month. etc (I will never go back ...)

If you want to give up you can but it is bloody hard

Re: On Smoking

#93

Post by watwut »

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 stopped smoking over 10 years ago and still want to smoke regularly. Often in situations where there are no cigarettes available

Re: On Smoking

#94

Post by whereis »

1_player wrote: post #49
whereis wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Good sir, I regret to inform you that your assessment of my situation contains incorrect assertions based upon false premises, as I've made no such statement about my relative strength or equipment. I further regret to inform you that I've since been in the presence of smokers and cigarettes, through which no cravings arose.

Sir, I further regret to inform you that I've accidentally inhaled tobacco in recent years when being passed a (REDACTED BASED ON FEDERAL CANNABIS LAWS) that, unknown to me, had tobacco mixed in. I coughed, was disgusted, and had zero cravings for tobacco thereafter.

As such, there is no risk of relapse.

I do believe that my short stint consuming Chantix may have permanently rewired my brain's reaction to cigarettes.

Re: On Smoking

#95

Post by Seanambers »

TameAntelope wrote: post #23
Scarbutt wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 ;)

My experience has been similar. I've smoked cigarettes probably ~12 times in my life, maybe up to 20 if you count cigars, but I've never felt like I need one or am in any way compelled to continue smoking on my own. Always, always while drinking. Maybe that helps isolate the context?

12 times is too little I would say. It's addictive, but its not heroin either.

In the beginning it was something to do with friends at parties, then it became something to do while hanging out, and last came the addiction- ' I must have it'. All in all maybe a year from beginner to smoker.

I Started when I was 14, quit at 24. Used snus/chewing tobacco for 3 years after that, then I quit. Used to have nightmares of relapsing. The fascinating thing is that the physical addiction is over very quickly(days) its the psychological addiction that breaks people(and me more times than I care to remember).

Re: On Smoking

#96

Post by nyolfen »

mavhc wrote: post #52
dimmke wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Why do people start smoking? Surely they know it's addictive, expensive, and bad for you

it's a pleasant social activity when you're young; you have a ritual you perform together and share informal bonding time. smoking also gives a physical sense of relief once you're addicted to it and it gives you something to punctuate your day with, little benchmarks -- i will finish writing these emails so i can have a cigarette, etc.

i smoked for 8 years then switched to vaping. i don't want to vape for the rest of my life, but there was an obvious difference in my fitness as soon as i quit (e.g. being able to run twice as far without stopping). i also smell better and my teeth are whiter. i'm glad that i switched, but it doesn't share the same ritual feeling when you can just pull a drag at any arbitrary time.

Re: On Smoking

#97

Post by nine_k »

TchoBeer wrote: post #82
mavhc wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why do people start smoking? Surely they know it's addictive, expensive, and bad for you

Alcohol is also addictive expensive and bad for you, and yet no one asks why anyone would drink alcohol

To get physiologically addicted to alcohol, one has to drink heavily every day for a year or so. Few people, especially people with college education, do that. One can drink a glass of wine or a cocktail every weekend for life, and form no addiction at all. Such a person can go dry for weeks or months, without any adverse effects.

Nicotine forms a physiological addiction much faster, and then the addict has to have a fix daily, several times. So the exposure to nicotine (which is mildly toxic in the quantities needed) and smoke (which is way more dangerous, and hits the lungs directly) is much more intense and sustained.

Re: On Smoking

#98

Post by Cyril_HN »

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 gotta say, smoking has not been an addiction for me. After a year of smoking, I quit. I realised I literally didn't get enjoyment from it anymore. 6 years later, here I am, having tasted a cigar just to experience it and otherwise having never thought about tobacco or had urges.

I don't think smoking is always addictive. But, given that it is for almost everyone, I'm utterly fascinated why it wasn't for me.

Re: On Smoking

#99

Post by standardUser »

I think the most important thing for people to realize about nicotine addiction (and all addiction) is that is does not work the same for everybody. Some people can smoke a few cigarettes every other weekend and not think about it otherwise, while others will never voluntarily go more than 45 minutes without a cigarette.

Re: On Smoking

#100

Post by namenotrequired »

TchoBeer wrote: post #82
mavhc wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why do people start smoking? Surely they know it's addictive, expensive, and bad for you

Alcohol is also addictive expensive and bad for you, and yet no one asks why anyone would drink alcohol

The addiction likelihood of alcohol is much smaller. Nowhere near tobacco's ~100%
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