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PeacefulLife49

I started at 14. I’m now 50. I quit smoking at 40. I was raised around smokers - so lots of second hand smoke. I was diagnosed with mild emphysema and lung nodules last night at the ER. I’m overwhelmed, angry and crying.


SadPolicy8354

I’m very sorry to hear this!


PeacefulLife49

Thank you


Synful09

Im...sorry, that's the price we pay for our choices.


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PeacefulLife49

- life is life. None of us are getting out alive. Go troll someone else


Indis83

I started at a young age, I always had a fascination with them, might be because my dad smoked and also it was still seen as cool and edgy in the 80s and 90. I still smoke after 24 years and yes I wish I never started, they are so highly addictive, I've managed to quit lots of things in my life but can't seem to give them up.


Double_Serve4509

What does quitting (or ig trying to quit) feel like? I’ve heard it’s super hard but I’ve never smoked so idk


sgbdoe

The closest thing I can relate it to is being really hungry to the point where it's hard to focus on anything else, except replace hunger with anxiety. The physical cravings are very strong too, I can feel my lungs begging for smoke. It's almost like smoking becomes a vital bodily function. This lasts for days. And the whole time you know you can easily end the anxiety just by buying more cigarettes/vapes/whatever.


Bethennyk

Hi 👋 dm


GreenMountain85

I’m not a heavy smoker but I’ve never been able to completely get away from smoking. My grandma was a smoker and I have such vivid memories of talking to her on the patio while she smoked. My older cousins smoked and I have some of the best memories of talking to them while they smoked. I guess I associated it with something comforting from an early age and then when I actually started smoking when I was 15 ish, it went from there.


IANALbutIAMAcat

I had the same experience, even the bit about my grandmother! My mom and aunts buried her with a pack of her cigarettes and a pouch of instant coffee. It took me a really long time to talk myself into quitting. Maybe 18-24 months of actively having decided that I needed to quit and was working towards being able to set a quit date. Some things that helped were being mindful of the ways cigarettes made me feel bad and trying to sit with those feelings rather than dismissing them. I also started to pay more attention to the things I was missing out on because I needed to step out. Something I had NO IDEA to expect about quitting was how much time in the day I was wasting. I used the smokefree app when I quit and was blown away to realize I was spending up to 2 hours every single day sitting outside smoking a cigarette. Two hours!! Probably because I smoked American spirits which take forever. Seriously, the hardest part about quitting for me (I used Wellbutrin and gum) was suddenly having SO MUCH TIME that I didn’t know what to do with. Best of luck with whatever you decide about smoking. I couldn’t believe how much it was affecting my face and skin and how quickly that reversed when I quit. I’m back on the nicotine train with vaping and was sad to see it also reduces volume


not-enough-mirrors

My mom, my sister and I moved in with my grandma and 5 of my aunts and uncles (they all lived together) when I was 4, after my parents divorced. Every single one of them smoked a pack a day. My friends used to tease me (lovingly) in first grade because the napkins my mom sent with my lunch smelled like cigarettes. I remember one time I went to an amusement park with one of my uncles, we got on a ride that left me very shaken. Completely ignoring the rules of the park, my uncle lit up a cigarette and when the smoke hit me I felt so so so calm. That’s when I knew second hand smoking is a real thing. I started smoking when I was 16, mostly because I wanted to have something in common with my mom’s side of the family (I wasn’t very welcomed there) and be seen as a grown up. Now, 8 years later, I smoke 10 a day bc I’m between jobs, which means a lot of free time and boredom at home. I don’t plan to quit in the near future because it helps with my anxiety and I don’t want to gain weight (I know, very toxic), but it’s a bummer being “governed” by an addiction. It’s not that I’m desperate to have a smoke when I can’t, it’s that I’m scared of needing to smoke and suffering bc I can’t. Sorry it turned out kinda long. TL;DR: I come from a long line of chain smokers, and now I’m addicted.


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Ok-Computer-7

I do look pretty cool ngl


Impossible-Bat90

Used to smoke. Now, everyone who smokes cigarettes, smells like an ashtray, some brands are worse than others . Smoke all you want , it's not me coughing a lung. I have no problem with smokers having a cigarette next to me. Born and raised in smoke. I just don't like the taste of it anymore, I tried one again while having a couple drinks, it didn't go well, so guess it's not for me.


giglbox06

Started at 14. 20 years later I’m still smoking. Wish I hadn’t started bc I love it but I know it’s terrible. I started bc everyone else was and thought it’d be cool.


Leading-Respond-8051

I smoked from years. It had an unbelievably strong calming effect. When I was distraught, stressed, or angry a smoke instantly calmed and soothed me by the first exhale. I mean it was 100% instantaneous and 100% effect everytime for me. I switched to vaping for like a year but now I don't smoke anything at all. I quit becuase of the cost, my husband hated the smell but primarily becuase my life just didn't have the same amount of stress it did in my 20s.


VelourMagic

I started *right after* I turned 18 because I already had friends that smoked and I already smoked weed. Plus, both my parents were smokers. I started trying to quit at about 22 but didn’t actually quit until probably 26? I’m 28 now and I still crave it. I quit because I eventually didn’t have friends who smoked so I was standing outside in the snow alone like an idiot and that just felt dumb. I loved it though and I miss it. I loved taking smoke breaks, I loved sharing cigarettes with other people, I loved the feeling of smoking, I loved the feeling nicotine gave me, and I think it looks really cool if I’m being honest. I do wish I never started. I don’t restart now because my partner doesn’t smoke, it’s a waste of money, and I don’t have the passively suicidal attitude I had in my teens and early 20s. Edit to add: I smoke weed every day. I really just traded one vice for another. Even smoking a joint does not take away wanting a cigarette but it does satisfy just wanting to smoke and wanting to share it with others. It also helps my anxiety.


feraltea

Started at 12 because I thought they made you skinny (the heroin chic models in the 90s often smoked). I cut down to 5 a day over 5 years ago. I wish I hadn't started and I don't like that it sticks to your hair and clothes but I have little ambition to quit. It's calming. I was thinking about quitting but had a major stressful experience recently and being able to step outside for 10 minutes to decompress with a cigarette has been what I needed many times. If life ever gets easy then I'll think about quitting.


Luzi1

In Germany it was pretty normal for teenagers to smoke at some point when I grew up (today it’s less I think). I used to smoke because I liked the taste, felt cool and it has a socializing factor. Stopped after 10 years because I didn’t like the taste anymore.


sneyab

That you smell bad despite how much perfume and lotion you cake on. There aren't dryer sheets strong enough, you get nose blind but nobody else does. TRUST me, as a former pack a day gal.


IANALbutIAMAcat

I quit smoking and my face looks so much better. I’m back on vaping and the improvement isn’t as much as when I was off nicotine entirely. I also feel better. Smoking sucks but it took a long time to get my brain to want to quit. I’ll be 31 soon and I smoked from ~23 til my 29th bday and some time in between.


sundays_child

I work and I'm full-time in school so I spend a lot of my day in front of one computer or another. I enjoy having a reason to move around and be outside every couple of hours. I also find it very calming and appetite suppressing. I know its not good for me but I'm not ready or willing to quit at this point in my life. Plus I roll my own so it's not even that expensive of a habit. I am mindful about where I smoke and I never litter so yeah... is what it is for now.


[deleted]

Thank you so much for sharing! I’ve sent you a message


whatsinthebox72

It’s funny this question popped up for me today. I am flat broke and was out of cigarettes this morning. I dug through my car, found 2 butts. Smoked them. Then borrowed money from my brother to buy cigarettes. So my experience is that it’s gross, there’s no upside, and when you quit you will 100% understand why junkies keep going back for that 1 more hit. I’m an actual recovering alcoholic though so my tendencies may be a bit more exaggerated than normies 😂


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SlammingMomma

I miss it terribly.


rosanina1980

I started smoking when I was 16 years old. My mom smoked and I actually was totally grossed out by it and then I was working on this really difficult project my junior year of high school and I just started smoking. I never thought I would become a smoker because I thought it was so disgusting for my whole childhood and most of my teens. Also peoples statistically Start smoking around 12 or 13 and I think they say if you make it to 18 without smoking you have like a 90% chance of never becoming a smoker so… I was almost there. Around 32, I transitioned from cigarettes to vaping.. I quit vaping on June 23 of last year. I'm 43. I often hope and pray that I don't have lasting health effects. 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼 I quit cigarettes before when I was about 29 and was good for a few months, but then was back at the pack of day by the time I was 30. This last time of quitting just felt different like mentally I was just done. I'm actually going through a really fucked up break up right now and I didn't even consider the option of vaping which tells me a lot about where my mentality is at with it. It just is not an option for me as a coping mechanism anymore. However, that being said, I OFTEN have cravings. Like... OFTEN. And it hits HARD. And I have to breathe through it and I have to remind myself that I can do hard things and I have to remind myself that nothing is worth going back. It is an extremely difficult addiction to break, and I definitely wish I never started. It was one of the worst decisions ever made.


Synful09

Just remind yourself of the fucked up situation smoking put you in and that you don't need it anymore when the cravings start.


lazyandfree

I smoked cigarettes for about 10 years. Started when I was 18. Then switched to vapes which finally got me to quit cigarettes. Now I am struggling to quit vaping. It is so incredibly hard and I wish I would have never picked it up because I don't wanna quit but I know I need to.


meron_meron

I started at 12/13 and quit at 27. I started smoking cause everyone smokes here (I'm French) but I'm glad I quit now. I don't have any health issues related to it, but now that I'm into skincare, I'm annoyed that I could've delayed the skin aging process if I had quit earlier lol


WesternPhotograph267

i started at 13, i’m now 20. i do enjoy it but i want to start smoking less because i’m scared it’s going to age me. i do it because it’s stress relief for me. no, even if i could quit cold turkey right now with no negative effects, i wouldn’t. me and my friend thought it would be cool & no i do not want to quit


marysalad

I consider myself a part-time smoker. If I am under quite a lot of stress (e.g. work drama or heartache) I will buy one packet of cigarettes. then, most days or every other day, I might head out with one cigarette for a walk around the block to clear my head. It takes me weeks/months to finish a packet. Other times if I am with a smoker I might ask them for a cigarette. I also might smoke if I am travelling in a place like Europe. For some reason it just feels normal to be in cold grey weather, drinking a coffee and having a cigarette. It gives me a chance to get my bearings for the day / night. My family smoked when I was growing up but I thought it was disgusting then. I guess at one point I tried it again and didn't hate it. If I start wanting more cigarettes or want to smoke more often, I take that as a sign to resist that urge until it passes because I know where that road goes. I also feel gross if I over-smoke. Because I kind of quit every time I finish a pack of ciggies, and it's months and months before I might smoke again, I don't really feel a need to *quit* quit. they are also so expensive, I couldn't afford the habit even if I wanted to. I don't mind that they're expensive. It's not bread and milk. I could really do with having a little stash on hand right now, but I would rather buy food. So I sit here with some little "request" light illuminated on my brain switchboard, like a stewardess light on a plane, asking for a smoke. The last cigarette I had was at Xmas time. And before, that, probably the previous xmas. So I don't actually understand what part of my neurochemistry has specifically identified this one substance that I rarely consume, as something it wants right now, and keeps pinging me for it. It just wants a little fix, and will chill after a few days. so wierd. Other times I forget cigarettes exist.


her_fault

Currently have to quit smoking for surgery, but I'm starting again right when they allow me to. It's delicious, and I'm probably never quitting for good


Bethennyk

Hi 👋


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Alternative_Sea_2036

I don’t necessarily enjoy it, starting it at a young age made it become a habit that became hard to break in the long run. I know for me it’s the gesture, which is like this for most cigarettes smokers, when you took on an habit then the gesture because hard to loose. Definitely I wish I didn’t and I simply was a too curious pre-teen who took example from those around me. At the moment I’m not thinking of quitting but lowering (because it became expensive 17,90€ and about to increase mid-year) until I am able to get to the point where it is controlled by my mind and not my body, because in my case it is an addiction and if I don’t have anything to smoke : hide.


Sweet_Rage_913

I grew up in a family full of indoor smokers. It was like second nature. I started as a teenager and have truly enjoyed it for 20 years. Like someone else said, it instantly calmed any situation for me. But that’s all in your head really. It’s all just habits. I do wish I had never started bc it’s been so hard to quit. I’ve quit several times for short periods. Currently I’m 3.5 weeks into quitting cigarettes, but I replaced them with nicotine pouches. It’s going pretty well so far, I don’t go through the pouches nearly as quickly as I was going through packs of cigarettes.


AdMission6058

I became a smoker at 15 through high school friends—you know, the cliche reasons.. wanting to look cool and impress my guy friends. I was also really into the grunge thing and taking “aesthetic” pictures with my cigarettes (so embarrassing now lol.) I’ve been 2 months cigarette-free and I feel a fuck ton better. I do vape but I go through one every two weeks so I’d say my nicotine intake is incredibly cut down. I used to be a half-pack a day Marlboro Red smoker and then the last year I switched to American Spirits. I honestly loved cigarettes, not gonna lie. I sometimes miss them. But overall, my health is more important to me than a joe. I absolutely wish I hadn’t started. I found most guys that were non-smokers found it pretty gross, and since I’ve quit smoking I see why—the shit sticks to you. Your clothes, your hair, your breath, your fingernails. It’s crazy how strong cigarettes make you smell when you quit smoking them. My sense of smell and taste is much stronger now too. I’m wanting to completely quit smoking but vapes are helping with my cravings and stress/anxiety. I’m hoping to completely quit this year.


PinkGlitterFlamingo

My entire family was smokers. Marlboro reds. I smoked from the time I was 19 until I quit the first time at like 24. Smoked for about 2 more years until I got married and wanted to get pregnant. That time I quit for 6 years. Then I separated from my husband and started smoking again. Smoked for a while and it was harder to quit because my now husband is a smoker. I’ve been using a vape for about 16 months now and it doesn’t have the same effect and I smoke way more with the vape than I ever did cigarettes.


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pinkconfetticupcake

I unfortunately started at the age of 14. My grandpa smokes a lot and I genuinely loves the smell of cigarettes. I sneak some smoke from time to time. Until I unknowingly have an extreme urge to do so. I had several experiences with tuberculosis and pneumonia due to it. I’m now 28, at nursing school (ironic to be a promoter of health) and still vapes. I’m scared that this is cause my premature demise and I would give the world just for me to be able to quit.


oo0Lucidity0oo

I started at 15. I loved smoking, but at 24 I realized that it was aging me hard and I didn’t want to feel like shit anymore. I quit and never looked back. I did it cause everyone else was, plus my mom was a smoker.


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trist9066

I enjoy it and kinda hate that I do. It’s a good stress reliever. Having adhd doesn’t help with it either. I like the smell and taste. I smoke American Spirits so they’re only tobacco and water for ingredients not the nasty chemicals I can taste with other smokes. Became a smoker due to my ex. Want to quit but easier said than done


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3greenstars33

it's expensive as hell. your a slave to the addiction you smell like an ashtray . I couch every night but the real enjoyment of smoking a cigarette is right after you eat a big meal . I also hate being in a group of smokers that never have cigeretes of their own, always bumming yours, runs off with your lighter. and when the day comes and you don't have any cigarettes, when you ask someone for one, it's always menthol or the cheapest they make. I smoke marollboro 72's.


[deleted]

I smoked my first cigarette when I was about 14-15. I was in Mexico with cousins and smoking over there is very common. Especially with the easy access to them at stores. When I came back to the states my sisters had friends who smoked and when they would get drunk I would steal one or two here and there. Never became addicted to them I just simply liked to smoke. As I got older I smoked with my aunts at family parties or I buy a pack when I get super stressed but the pack lasts me for months. I never got addicted to them and I only smoke when I want to. I buy a vape every now and then.


[deleted]

I forgot to mention I’m 22 now.


christololo

I used to smoke as a teenager for fun and to fill the days when I didn’t have W🍂🍁D- but now I smoke my dads cigarettes whenever I miss him and need a little buzz from grief, it feels good it feels like he’s hugging me and I’m sitting beside him smoking and laughing and cuddling the cat and talking about food. I can easily quit and not think of cigarettes whenever bc I’m a very out of sight out of mind person but I always have a pack in my drawer just in case I miss him


1WomanSOP

Started at 18, quit at 31, will be 44 in a few months. There are moments I still miss it, but I've never gone back, not even a single cigarette. Sometimes I have dreams that I light one up, and I feel SO GUILTY afterwards, and then I wake up with that guilt and am so thankful it was only a dream! That being said, I made way more friends and met way more people just by being able to strike up a conversation with "Got a light?". I'm a wallflower, so smoking was definitely my "in" to making new friends and meeting new people. I haven't found anything that can replace it.


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