Smoking

[dl10956]

I'm absolutely fed up with myself right now. Three months ago, I gave up smoking cigarettes - permanently, I hoped. Today, though, a craving for one overcame me and I capitulated. I subsequently made a beeline for the trash can and tossed the cigarette, after extinguishing it. Anyone who is or has been a smoker knows full well how difficult it is to quit completely, but that's still no excuse. I'd appreciate any advice. I've been really stressed out lately, so maybe that's been contributing to these cravings.

[Charlie B]

I am in the same boat, I stopped on oct 30 and gave in to the cravings this weekend. I wished I had some advice for you, but the only thing I know for sure is that this is one tough habit to stop! Good luck!

[beallucanb]

I stopped over 20 years ago and much like you I ran into a situation where I just wanted a cig, well I smoked the cig then gave up for good.

Don't give up because you smoked one or two, don' t get back on that smoking treadmill to no place.

To give you a little incentive I show you what I do with my cig money.

[beallucanb]

Old pic I replaced everything there within the last year except the mower with new stuff.

[Repaid1]

let me get this straight for a less than a dollar a day? Giving just that $365 a year for 20 years, you can afford the mower?? Please!!!

I know smoking is a tough thing.. but just stick it out.. Like was said, stop when you can..I still swear every morning when I lightup and cough for a hour. But I paid cash for all that in the pictures and did smoke!... and I am smart enough to smoke right, I couldn't afford any of that in 50 years if I quit... just say'n... smoking has nothing to do with money...it has to do with how hard it is to quit, and how much you want to, that's it.. Smoke and deal with it, or quit and deal with better.. it's pretty simple really. Anyone that spends more than $1.25 a pack deserves a life of not having anything but the damn cigarettes.Get smart! smoke what ya want, or not... the worse ones you have to deal with are ex- smokers.!! No offense to anyone that posted above me~

[Bettypooh]

Where in the world can I get ciggies that cheap? My 'bargain brand' runs $4.28 a pack- the cheaper ones are still $3.89 and SC is one of the cheapest places to buy ciggies. My habit runs me $50+ a week- and that is the main reason I'm working up the gumption to put these da%* thing away for good this time!

Bettypooh

[Repaid1]

Where in the world can I get ciggies that cheap? My 'bargain brand' runs $4.28 a pack- the cheaper ones are still $3.89 and SC is one of the cheapest places to buy ciggies. My habit runs me $50+ a week- and that is the main reason I'm working up the gumption to put these da%* thing away for good this time!

Bettypooh

This: http://www.americanryo.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=SFNT, I can roll a pack in 5 minutes with the Top-0-matic machine

[shoelessjoe]

I'm a recovering smoker and I don't have any problem with people smoking around me except in real tight spaces like a car with the windows up. I know how difficult it was for me to quit so I don't judge anyone else that's addicted. I had a pretty mild habit, like 4 or 5 a day and double that when I'd drink. It took me 6 or 7 years just to get my addiction under control for what's been a year now. I quit for a year previously and started up again for about 4 years before quitting again this time. In the last year I smoked a cigar and started someones cigarette for them(one puff), both on a drunken night.

Other than that no tobacco at all. I quiting drinking entirely for a few months to start out with and that helped me get going. But I was just ready this time if that makes any sense. I've had a few friends quit as well and they've said similar things about how something change inside them and they could really feel they were ready to quit. If I could have enjoyed smoking and not beat myself up about it I think I'd still be doing it. But I just started feeling like I was doing something bad everytime I smoked and that feeling made it no fun to smoke anymore. Sometimes being neurotic pays off.

[Andy]

I'm absolutely fed up with myself right now. Three months ago, I gave up smoking cigarettes - permanently, I hoped. Today, though, a craving for one overcame me and I capitulated. I subsequently made a beeline for the trash can and tossed the cigarette, after extinguishing it. Anyone who is or has been a smoker knows full well how difficult it is to quit completely, but that's still no excuse. I'd appreciate any advice. I've been really stressed out lately, so maybe that's been contributing to these cravings.

Try to find your personal method against stress. Mine is going for a run between 30 and 60 mins every 2nd day, for the long breath so to say. Sometimes for the short moment a punching ball or sand sack works miracles as well if it is dead negative stress

[glycerine]

Don't end up like my Dad did. After his 2nd heart attack the doctor said "Stop Smoking or Die". THAT got my Dad's attention. He went cold-turkey and lived another 20 years. He got lucky. Either attack could have killed him.

[ItchyTasty]

Haven't smoked in years as I'm also asthmatic.

The only thing I used to smoke was skunk on it's own in a bong which didn't affect me unlike tobacco. But apart from it being a class B now, I haven't touched it since I got epilepsy as it might give a bad adverse reaction with the medications I'm on and/or cause seizures as certain strains do and certain strains help.

The stimulating cannabis strains causes seizures but the relaxing cannabis strains help seizures.

Shame the stupid uk, can't have legal medical cannabis unlike the usa. Otherwise I could probably just be on that and not the meds with their somewhat nasty side effects.

[diaperwerx]

I quit for six years then moved abroad and started again. The first time I quit it took me about six to eight months. I read somewhere that if you have one, then let it be just that one, but try to go longer before giving in again. So the first few days maybe I would make it a day or two, then maybe a week, after a while ( a few months) of going progressively longer I eventually got to the point where I didn't like the taste or the smell of it on my clothes or fingers. It took some doing but the point is don't give in.

Now quiting for the second time is harder, but I'm approaching it with the same method and slowly lengthening the amount of time between smokes. On a side note the first time I quit was after I found the DPF (it was before DD) and realized that diapers provided enough comfort to alleviate the jitters. I pretty much wore full time while quiting the first time and I'm wearing again now to hopefully quit for good.

I'd rather spend my money on my family, cars, donating to DD, or diapers than smoking....i'm just working out the kinks in the stress cycle to accomodate it.

Wish you all the best of luck in your efforts!!! And seriously don't quit quitting!

[Guest gnappies]

Move to the UK!

Ciggies, (that's a pack of fags, to us Brits, stop sniggering), I reckon for a cheap brand would be about $10.25 a pack.

Add to that, you can't smoke at work, Malls, public buildings, concerts, football stadiums, and pubs(Bars). If you drive for work and have a company car/van/truck, you can't smoke inside them, this also applies to the self employed, ie one man and his truck plumbers/electricians/odd job men.

You can smoke in your own home, but..... should a member of the public service is due to visit, health workers, social workers, council staff, you should refrain from smoking in those rooms the visitor may go into two hours before the visit. The public worker can refuse to enter if the person is smoking.

Not all rules are applied to the letter but most are.

Welcome to the free world!

[nhdl]

I spent 3 days in tje hospital with respiratory flu. Couldnt smoke and figures it may be a good tit to stop. I was so sick I could only manage to choke on one cigarette per day for a week. Well, i thought if i could live with one cigarette a day i could do with 0 cigs a day. Been almost a year and havent smoked since. I still crave one every once in a while

[redneck diaper boy]

In 1977 the doc told me to quit or die. I quit and never started again.

[KittenAB]

Okay, first, try e-cigarettes, they are like smoking but not the same, so you can replace the urges in a less dangerous manner while feeding the habit portion of it. The habit is really what holds us back. I'm not for or against smoking, I think people should just butt out of everyone's life, but if you do want to help curb cravings without spending three times that money on junk food, e-cigarettes can work. It gives you a dose of nicotine to calm the craving while giving you the feeling of smoking. However, it's still not better than going cold turkey, it's just an alternative to help. Otherwise, there is no real way to curb the cravings, things like patches and gums do not curb the habit so you could ultimately smoke more when you go back. Cold turkey is hardest but ... it's also the best method. You have to convince yourself that you don't smoke anymore, and that's all psychological.

However, the pressure to stop may be what's creating a boost in the urges, and idiotic anti-smoking freaks just won't see this. Ignore the "don't smoke" messages and avoid those people when you try to not smoke, they will only work to remind you of it and increase your stress level, thus increasing your craving. Something that people tend to forget is that half of the addiction is in your head, and that's actually the hardest half to suppress. I'm making a slow transition to the e-cigarette, mostly because it's cheaper in the long run (initial costs seem high but after a few months you save money) and it's something you can break the "smoke until the cig is gone" portion of the habit. Yes, that's a thing, your mind doesn't think it's had enough nicotine until the cigarette is burnt out. Medically there is no study to show e-cigarettes help at all, but those of us who are making the switch or who have all seem to agree, it's better than regular cigarettes and helps. Several people who made the switch just so they could smoke in more places have actually stopped smoking completely just because the habit was gone. So it's a chance if "all else fails".

[TBlazer]

Yup, picked up the dirty habbit while driving around the west this summer. Tobacco just makes sense in death valley.

I recommend switching to a roll your own brand. I smoke american spirit organic, which is a lot cheaper then commercial brands. It also delivers ten times the nicotine content, so you smoke less and get fewer cravings. At least thats been my experience. Add to that all the additives in commercial cigs arent there. Its my personal belief that the real killers in cogarettes are the additives and crappy papers they use. And how many smokers do you see burning that cherry right down to the filter? Cant be good.

Actually ive read smoking tobacco greatly reduces the risks of alzheimers and parkinsons. I bet theres a healthy balance that the anti smoking crowd refuses to acknowledge.

[KittenAB]

Yup, picked up the dirty habbit while driving around the west this summer. Tobacco just makes sense in death valley.

I recommend switching to a roll your own brand. I smoke american spirit organic, which is a lot cheaper then commercial brands. It also delivers ten times the nicotine content, so you smoke less and get fewer cravings. At least thats been my experience. Add to that all the additives in commercial cigs arent there. Its my personal belief that the real killers in cogarettes are the additives and crappy papers they use. And how many smokers do you see burning that cherry right down to the filter? Cant be good.

Actually ive read smoking tobacco greatly reduces the risks of alzheimers and parkinsons. I bet theres a healthy balance that the anti smoking crowd refuses to acknowledge.

As with all drugs, nicotine has beneficial qualities. It's a matter of weighing the risk and benefit based on your own personal needs. As I stated in my previous post, people just need to butt out of how someone chooses to live. As for the additives, most brands use almost nothing added to it, many of what was labeled as an additive is actually the end result of burning the plant due to many factors. The plant itself can produce many chemicals being burnt, but also when harvested, impurities (other plants in other words) get into the product, so some brands will have different common impurities based on where it's grown, these are also included in the "ingredients" listing in spite of them not technically being added.

Oh, and in case anyone who does want to smoke wants to save money, you can save a fortune buying loose tobacco that's marketed for cigars. It's actually purer as well (I think it's hand picked or something for most brands) and is not effected by the last excessive tax hike. You can buy filters for the rollies, often those are a cotton blend instead of the common fiberglass, in case you're like me and don't like them filterless.