It's time

by **Glade** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 3:11 am

I need to quit smoking. It's become a matter of necessity and no longer choice. I'm hopelessly addicted, smoking upwards of 40 cigarettes on an average day. I've tried to quit countless times over many years but nothing has worked to date. Seeing quitting as something I should do is just not cutting it. I need more of a push than that - to start seeing it as something I need to do. Period. Final. That its a sickness of the mind. A condition to be treated. I need to reclaim control over my mind from this insidious weed. I hate smoking more than ever yet I am more addicted than ever. I am smoking almost despite myself. The addiction has come to dominate me and so that's why it is now to be seen as a condition. This sits well rather well with me, surprisingly, because I won't do something if I'm not forced or if inaction is inconsequention.

Either way, I've just got to not smoke. I'll try not to complicate it. Just simply not have them and wait for my beliefs and body to catch up and harmonize with my behavior.

Hey ladyswan,

Thanks for your reply. I haven't quit yet, I'm terribly addicted and battling mental illness on many fronts - Bdd, GAD and depression. Being in such a weakened mental state makes this task so much harder, and it's catch 22, because I believe smoking to excess like I do heightens my anxiety and worsens my depression symptoms. Similar to the whole 'I eat because I'm depressed and I'm depressed because I eat' thing.

But I'm not giving up on giving up. Im keeping alive the approach i outlined in my first post, abd i think when i do quit it will be due to having a rock hard conviction and commitment to this approach/mentality.

I agree that cold turkey is the only way. I think the nrt products mostly serve to keep the addiction fueled and not create enough distance between smoker and substance. And when you come off then youre left unarmed. I dunno. Maybe they work for some people but I'm an all of nothing kinda guy when it comes to this.

I like to hear people's stories of inspiration. Stories about how good life is without cigarettes and all the benefits that I should look forward to. I have almost no concept of life without tobacco so the world seems a scary and dark plans when I think of quitting. I know this is silly, but we all do it. Fear change even if it's good.

Thanks again for you reply.

by **ladyswan** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 12:23 pm

I can tell you that since I've quit:

-I saved over $2000 and find it much easier to budget
-No longer get sick 4 times per year
-Don't wheeze or cough
-Feel overall healthier
-Don't have to deal with nasty looks in public if I'm smoking outside
-My place is cleaner because there's no smoke and ash around

There's been times when I almost buckled and had a cigarette but remembered these things.

by **Glade** » Sat Jul 21, 2012 12:57 am

Thats awesome ladyswan that you almost buckled but didn't. I'd never be able to almost buckle - I just would buckle. It worries me when I hear the cravings never really go away. I can't imagine myself not responding to those cravings.

Fear of failure is a huge factor for me too.

I just feel I have no reserve strength or clarity of might to succeed in quitting atm, even though I want to so bad and my health is screaming I have to.

I believe cutting down might be a more appropriate objective for now. Kind of like a harm-reduction approach. I seems I can't give it up altogether, but equally I can't keep smoking near 40 a day either. I think if I become more moderate in my consumption then that will give me small glimpses into what a smoke free life is like, and that I can trust it. It will be a 'step-up' of sorts.

I can feel positive and realistic about cutting down more than I can about quitting, currently, so I'm going to go with the power of that. I hope that the smaller benefits of cutting down will inspire and motivate me to want more of those benefits and go the whole way. Until then, cutting is down is better than smoking to the extreme the way I have been.

by **ladyswan** » Sat Jul 21, 2012 1:16 am

Do what you have to do. Before quitting for good that's what I did too. Went from a full pack per day to half a pack in a span of 4 months, and then got myself down to 5 or 6 per day. Then I found out I was pregnant and quit altogether within a month.

I don't know if this helps for you or not, but I started making rules for when & where I could have a smoke. I couldn't smoke while at work or in my apartment. It had to be outside & not in public. That left me with few opportunities to light up and sometimes laziness would override the craving. In a sense it gave me an excuse to fight it harder as well.

When you make a significant enough reduction and start to notice the good effects it gets easier to stay motivated.

by **Glade** » Sat Jul 21, 2012 4:05 am

I do think that will help, ladyswan, thanks. I've had ideas of doing something similar myself...to schedule in my cigarettes and attempt management and control over this habit. I think all these small changes are going to result in a big mental shift, and my faith in my own ability to resist will start to improve. Its in the culmination of small changes and building on those where I think my solution lies.

I went for 6 hours without one today

by **Chrysaor686** » Fri Dec 07, 2012 5:49 pm

Here's something they never tell you, for whatever reason:

Smoking actually dulls your sense of taste and smell. Once you quit, you will find these senses heightened.

by **ladyswan** » Sat Dec 08, 2012 3:35 am

Chrysaor686 wrote:Here's something they never tell you, for whatever reason:

Smoking actually dulls your sense of taste and smell. Once you quit, you will find these senses heightened.

Very true! I drank french roast coffee while smoking. When I quit, the taste became too strong and caused me to switch to a medium blend.

It's time

It's time

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