One year smoke-free; a few thoughts

[BobBKK 5,840]

One thing I can say is that many relapse so just keep going. I think after 5 years you can really say "I am a non-smoker" and 15 to be the same as if you never smoked.

 

5 years is what it takes for your death from lung cancer to drop by 50% compared to when you smoked and 15 years for you to be equal to a life-long non-smoker.

 

I found the 2nd and 3rd years the hardest but now 25 years on I hate smoking but can still understand how it is enjoyable, but deadly and foolish.

[Golden Triangle 3,686]

Well done Samui Bodoh ( I'm interested in the back story of your user name  I may have to start a new thread LOL ) I have just managed to pass the 18 months stage, so yeah, I'm pretty happy too, I have another demon to exorcise and defeat I will - but that's another story that and not for this thread.

 

 I'm not gonna give anyone any advice or tips as I'm just happy that I have managed to quit for this long, but if you can stop then good for you, it will save your life and save you money.

 

Keep up the good work as I always like to read about a success in someones life  

[dieter1 165]

my background:

stopped  10 years ago (roughly).

 

the most important facts for me:

- most (heavy) smokers are very addicted (physiological) - this is because of the  substance (nicotine)

if you smoke 25 or more cig. /day you are addicted. If you have problems to stay away from smoking for more then an hour- you are addicted. if it is the last and first what you do is smoking (morning , night) you are ...

 

- nicotine  is perfect to make you a slave for the cigarette business/and state to get tax: you pay them a  lot of money and you cant stop  this . They invested billions of money (advertising) to make you addicted

(do you know that in the beginning of the 20 century the tobacco industry  paid the suffragettes/womenslib propagating smoking  as kind of  liberation of women?  - look for Edward L. Bernays)

 

Smoking does not have any advantages for smokers. If you do not understand this, you chances are small that you can stop! When you start  smoking it may in some circumstances be a stimulation but if you are addicted, it is just a poison that makes you weaker, something that you need (you  think you need) for normal functioning. Any  idea that smoking helps you or is positive for your live is just an irrational function of your brain to justify your  addiction. To understand this, is very important to be able to stop smoking. You must understand, that your thinking will try everything to justify your smoking.

 

At this point, you maybe start to realize, that the smoking addiction  is severe as being addicted to morphines (heroin...)

the main difference is: one is allowed one is not. Most of you think, heroin junkies are a complete mass, low lifes, criminals ...

Yes most of them are, but not because of the substance. They are , because being heroin addicted by law makes you criminal and most people can only get the big money they need  for their daily dose with illegal activity (or as prostitutes).

 

Like with most substances: if you  are at one time addicted, you are addicted for you live. Even if you are able to stop consuming, you are not like other people who were never addicted. The programming after years of consuming will always stay inside of you.

 

There are many  triggers that can  make you start consuming again - psychological problems like loosing your job, your partner, in general every heavy and stressing live event.  But sometimes all what it is needed, it just a moment, in which you just be a little bit off guarded . may be thinking, that after such along time just one cigarette cant do much harm for you . And BINGO, you are again an active smoker, like 10 years before. Many people, who were heavy smokers before, when they start again ,start  at the same level. If you were used to smoke 30 or more cigarettes/day you normally can not just smoke 10 or less when you start again.

 

If you are interested , you will hear many stories of smokers, who quit smoking for more then 10 years and start again, smoking the same, like they have never stopped. If you think these are just special cases you still do not understand the functioning of nicotine/smoking addiction.

 

some tips for quitting:

- first: never underestimate the addiction

- if you have problems in quitting, dont blame yourself . These problems are normal and not a sign of deficits of your character !

- be prepared that if you stop, there may occur heavy symptoms of withdrawal ( nervousness, sweetening, emotional instability , in general negative emotions, sleep disturbance,... ) you will not die because of it but you may feel very uncomfortable !!

- and - of course - you will permanently think of smoking !! this is normal.

the sever physiological symptoms may end after about a week- the emotional symptoms (included the permanent thinking ) can  stay for a much longer time.

 

I personally  think, that the thinking of smoking and not smoking is a good indicator, how far you have gone from being an active smoker to being an inactive one. The longer the periods be, that you not think of smoking or how to succeed in non-smoking, the more you succeed in overcome the active addiction.

 

I would suggest, not to count the days, the weeks etc. you not smoke. When you actually cant remember the exact date  when you actually stopped- that will be a good sign.

 

last note:

many times addictions are connected to other addictions:

most prevalent : smoking and drinking alcohol  (nicotine and alcohol addiction).

Many people are addicted  to both.

for many people it is at least a very severe connection between both habits.

Just my example: I was only able to stop smoking because I stopped drinking before. One oft the problem with drinking is, that your normal will power gets weaker when you drink alcohol. I for myself had my first relapse when I got(nearly) drunken. This was after being  smoke-free for many years. Luckily , I did not start smoking again (did not continue smoking being sober the next day).

I still can remember  that moment: someone was smoking in that bar beside me. And I felt this gigantic urge for a cigarette. At that moment I knew exactly  how stupid it was but the impulse was just too strong.

 

 

[GOLDBUGGY 1,738]

Well I smoked non-stop for about 45 years and heavy for the last 25 years (4 packs a day) and I quit recently as well (about 3 months now.) I quit Cold Turkey like you did, but I had some help as I was in the hospital for about a month. I don't smoke at all but do take some Nicotine Gum in the morning and a few at night, as it helps me mellow out.  

 

I think my reasons for wanting to quit was different than many. I just felt that Smoking is so Socially Unaccepted these days and harder to smoke anywhere. When I started smoking Doctors in the Hospital used to walk down the hallways with a cigarette hanging out of there mouth. But I travel a lot now and found myself racng to the Business Class Lounge to have a smoke first thiing off the airplane. So my main reason why I quit smoking was that I was tired of being a Slave to the Cigarette.

 

The huge benefit for me and smoking was that I loved my cigarettes. Nothing better to me than a few cigarettes in the morning with a cup of coffee. Better than sex even! I think anyone who smoked a long time is a liar if they say they didn't like smokng. I still miss smoking sometimes, but I don't have a huge craving to smoke anymore and thus don't. 

 

I never really notice that I gained any big health issues. I suppose I breath better than before but not that noticable. They say food tastes better after you quit, but I never noticed a difference in that either,. Might eat more out of bordem though or just finding something to do with my hands. But can't say I gained a lot of weight yet. I don't smell like cigarette smoke anymore either and my teeth are easier to clean now as well. But nothing great and perhaps why I am a little disappointed about this. 

 

Even 6 months ago I thought I could never quit smoking. I was sure I was a Lifer! But when an opportunity presented itself I took it, and surprised myself.  I never promised myself that I would quit for a lifetime as I loved smoking so much. But I m hoping to get a few years away from that anyway, and see what happens after that. I know if I start with one cigarette I would be right back at it again  

 

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