Smoking Still?
 

Ok - I looked for a thread that addressed this question but, unfortunately, didn't find my answer.

Here's the deal...I started smoking lightly at age 15. It got progressively worse until I got "addicted." I never really smoked that much (2-3 packs per week).

I quit smoking when I entered seminary last August. Now, it is almost a year later, but my desire for a ciggy is exactly the same. After I eat, when I'm on a study break, etc. the urge comes up. When I'm around second-hand smoke, my body relaxes a bit and my mood lightens. I know that's just a sad psychological reaction to a trigger.

Question: WHEN DOES THIS MESS END????

ETA: I smoked from ages 15 to 25.

I don't think it ever ends. I "quit" smoking in Feb., but lost a patient on Sunday in surgery and was upset (this is when I have my biggest cravings-at work when I am stressed) so I went out and had one. I had another one this AM after a stressful night. I am in what I call the "bummer" phase-where I won't buy a pack but instead bum one from other people. I don't smoke at home anymore which is an improvement. We'll see how this next week goes-hopefully I will stay away from those nasty things.

My mom quit smoking 22 years ago. She has emphysema and chronic bronchitis and has been on oxygen for about 8 years now. She's home bound and has to rest on her way to the bathroom. She still says that there are times she really would like a cigarette. It's a hell of an addiction. Stay quit. The longer you smoke, the harder it is.

Dee

and you would think all of that would motivate me to quit, wouldn't ya?

Are you sure your mom isn't my grandmother?

Grandma smoked from age 13 to 76. Currently she also has chronic bronchitis and emphysema, and according to the doctor, about 10% of her lung capacity. She's on oxygen and takes breathing treatments several times a day. She hasn't left her apartment in 4 months (last time being her 80th bday party, down the hall).

My mother is an only child, so she's grandma's sole caregiver. You'd think this, and watching her father die of lung cancer 14 years ago, would be enough to get her to quit? Nada.

I don't think the craving, or the psychological craving goes away...

I smoked about a pack a day when I was 19 to 22 - and even after I quit I still get the cravings for a smoke, or at least going through the motions. So I still want to take a "smoke break", or have a drag while having a beer on the patio. Unfortunately it'll just require alot of will-power to keep yourself from having a smoke... and don't worry about caving in for one smoke on the rare occasion - as long as it's only one smoke!

But then of course one smoke leads to 2, then t 4 then before you know it you've smoked the whole pack.

The best thing to do is try to replace the "motions of smoking with something else". When you're craving one, try drinking a glass of water, or chewing on some gum or sucking on a mint/piece of candy. If you feel the need for a smoke, replace the smoke with something else.

all this coming from a smoker. It's hard to quit and I commend you for doing so. I quit for 2 days once and then I lost my job, so of course with all the stress I started again

I think the urge to smoke either just goes away or it doesn't. I used to smoke and then I quit for years. Last year, I smoked for about a month and then stopped. This year, I've had a few cigarettes but only in the last few weeks. I never crave one to the point of it making me uncomfortable and I just get sick of it after a while and stop.

My boyfriend, on the other hand, has been smoking for years and would have a really hard time quitting.

Re: Smoking Still?
 

I was never really a smoker, every now and then I'd hit a cig up when I was shit faced drunk or if I was being social around a lot of people that smoked and then I'd blaze one for the peeps.

If you're trying to quit, something that worked for me was drinking redbull. I drank like 4 redbulls a day and quitting alcohol/tobacco/weed or any narcotic at all was easier to do than anything I've ever done in my life. I think I did that about 4 days a week for about 3 weeks and then I didnt need the redbull either. The redbull also help cut me up.....drinking all that had my metabolism going like a freight-train.

That's exactly how I am too. I smoke when I drink sometimes, smoke a lot or a few months and then just stop for a year. I never smoke because I feel like I "need" to it's just something I do every once in awhile and then I get bored with it and quit. There are few people in the world who somehow do not get addicted to nicotine the way most people do (I learned about this in my drugs & behavior class woo!). The group of people are called "chippers" and they can smoke for 20+ years and never become dependent on nicotine the way a regular smoker does.
/random fact

As for the cravings and everything else, I wish I could tell you what to do but I've never actually had a friend quit (only like 3 of my friends actually smoke anyway) but I know Lady Pi Phi has the right idea with trying to find something to replace your smoking behaviors.

Good luck! :)

My boyfriend just recently quit smoking. He stopped smoking, but started dipping (DISGUSTING) to get the nicotene effect. He limited himself to 2 -3 dips a day to try to slowly kick the nicotene addiction. He has now stopped dipping. :) He still has cravings and it drives him nuts sometimes. He now always has a package of sunflower seeds laying around for when he gets the craving.

Scary thing is, my mom only smoked from age 21 to age 40 and she's in this mess now...

ONLY??? Jesus, no wonder she's got BP written all over her lungs.

I've turned into a gum-aholic. That's my trade off, but you'd think that after 10 months, the desire would fade.

I'm tellin y'all, I know I could go right now and pick up where I left off with little problem. After discussing this with my doctor, she tells me that the physical addiction (if there even was a strong one) is now long gone. It's the psychology of it that's getting to me.

I realize that I used to smoke as a reward for doing things: after a test, during breaks, while I was out partying, after cleaning, etc. And, I haven't replaced that reward with food or anything satisfying.

Gum is all I have now. :(

I feel for anyone trying to quit and reading this thread! It sounds horrible.

I've noticed a lot of people have substituted the gum for smoking but the gum ends up costing about as much or more as the cigarettes.

I quit smoking ages ago but I still want a cigarette with every beer I drink, after every meal I eat, & on really stressful days at work.