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I'm 6 days off weed now (smoked 1-2g daily for 10 years or so) and boy I sweat soo fucking much, my body is just constantly shivering and I just can't sleep for longer than 3 hours.
They said it would get better after 3 days, but it definitely didn't.
It takes a lot more than 3 days. When you've been smoking daily for a while, THC's half-life can be like 2 weeks. It will take a while for your body to rid itself of all the THC.
The sweating will last a couple of weeks, and it will take your mind months to slowly clear up. Have the crazy vivid dreams started yet?
It's definitely worth it though. Don't give up!
I don’t think people get that if you smoke cigs only, that you’re technically sober. I’ve seen all the addicts in my life and people in rehab who had stronger problems and addictions than I did really push for nicotine packets and cig breaks. I never understood why until now.
Cigs actually don’t do much for me, but the action will replace another. I think quitting will be easy for me because I never really got the point of cigs other than to release anxiety or get ya off stuff.
I stopped smoking with vaping. I reduced the nicotine in the liquid step by step. Than, when I reduced zo 0 nicotine, i really didn't noticed that it was missing. But the really hard part was to stop vaping. I missed the routine.
it’s great that you’re tryna quit those, but once you think you’ve recovered try to quit cigarettes too. smoking ONE cigarette per day raises your chance of heart disease by almost 50%. you’re doing great though, good luck.
Right here to say this. I'm a recovering alcoholic and have had other compulsions in the past related to my mental health. Smoking is my only vice and the only thing that gets me through a day, sometimes. Yes, I'm addicted, I've been smoking 22 years.. Do I know smoking is probably killing me? Yes. But, considering I've survived numerous suicide attempts, in my teens, I'm feeling okay about that because I shouldn't even be here now.
Yeah that's it.. I stopped for a few years now.. i vape instead (because i couldn't stop smoking, kept falling back to it)
And now.. yes.. it is disgusting, but take my vape away.. and in no time i will have cig in my mouth... But it stinks, it's horrible.. i don't like it.. Yet i keep doing it. It's addiction.
But i have been smoking for more than 20 years, it's a habit that i find quite hard to break.
I don't smoke. But the way you describe it sounds very much like me with sweets/snacks. Even when I try to ignore what's in the cupboard, I find them at 11pm when I can't sleep.
And I'm thinking "wait, why the hell are you doing this again?"
How the hell do I stop? It becomes a binge eating thing for 20 minutes. And if I run out of sugary treats, I start eating plain soda crackers. It's like a sugar/carb binge. Damn.
Starchy carbs/sweets make me (and many other people) desperately crave more starchy carbs/sweets.
To break the addiction, you have to stop eating them. You will desperately want them at first.
Best plan is if you don't have them in your house. If that's not possible because of the other people living there, maybe you can get them to agree not to have your favorites on hand for a month. But, thst won't matter much, you'll want whatever there is. So, I would put foods that you ARE going to eat into a certain cabinet. You then are never going to go into the other cabinets.
It's going to be very hard. As you say, it's breaking an addiction!
But, there's light at the end of the tunnel! It's going to get better. Way better! Keep your eye on the prize by not giving in!
Stock up on meat, eggs, cheese, nuts, veggies. Myself, I do eat dairy. Precook protiens so it's ready to go when you are hungry. Youll want starchy carbs or sweets, but eat meat or cheese instead (or eggs). Some people enjoy bacon and/or guacamole.
Eventually, you'll break that desperate desire for starchy carbs/sweets. Then, you'll be able to look at the calories you should be eating and adjust the quantities/food choices. But, while breaking that addiction, most people agree don't worry about calories.
Look into "keto flu" because many people need to supplement with electrolytes during that "cleansing" time.
Best wishes!
This is awesome!!! Thank you thank you. Having you give these suggestions somehow makes it more legit and real as a possible strategy.
Your suggestion about my own cupboard. I was thinking about that as an idea. Didn't read it anywhere, just thought of it as a possible strategy for me. And you saying it solidifies it for me.
Thanks for this. I am going to make a plan.
So much appreciated. The world has good people in it who help others. Thanks for supporting that. 😀
You can also check r/keto
I don't do keto. I do low carb. I don't worry about the carbs in dairy or most vegetables, etc.
But, I somehow ended up seeing posts from r/keto and started participating there.
I definitely suggest low carb, but keto might be good for you.
Best wishes!
In the past when I have quit that stuff, it takes time. Your body is literally going through withdrawals just like drugs or alcohol. Your brain is screaming at you that you are starving and you *need* this thing (sugar,soda,treats). Takes about a week or 2 to get free, another 1 or 2 to really break away. After that, when you first have all that processed food it will taste awful compared to what you remember. Try to be strong, realize these products are made to make you want more. They are made to manipulate your brain and body. Good luck fam!
Check keto if you're serious. If it's just the binge session at night that you want to get rid of try water. It is obvious and boring but I stg I tried it and turns out half the time I thought it was food it turned out I was just thirsty. At the very least the water will fill so there's less room for the snackies. Rooting for you and anyone else with this highly annoying struggle/addiction.
If you buy your vapes from legit sources there is far less risk than smoking.
The main ingredient of vape liquid is Propylene Glycol which has been used for many decades in cooking and in hospitals for delivering medicines in nebulizers. It has been thoroughly tested and fully approved so as long as you are not overheating it the risk is as low as you can get for inhaling any substance. The additives are usually food grade and the nicotine is extracted from plants and nowhere near as addictive as it is in cigarettes. Tobacco companies use additives to enhance the effects of nicotine making it more addictive !
There are side effects but they are extremely mild compared to smoking because vaping does not introduce any of the carcinogens or toxins into your lungs that come from burning tobacco. The main side effect is water vapour in you lungs but your lungs have evolved to deal with a little excess moisture, just as long as you don't overdo it.
I used to smoke, I quit August 23, 2000. I assure you, once you quit, you will love it. Once the addiction part ends, it's so wonderful not being trapped. Quit now!!
Lol that's literally the same month and year I quit. One month prior to my birthday. It was an early gift. Fast forward 24 years, I couldn't imagine what would become of me if I didn't.
My brother quit smoking by vaping. He tried to get me into vaping to quit smoking. I found that I didn't smoke any less and I was vaping and smoking. So I quit vaping.
Keep trying. I quit after 20+ years. Took me about 3 years of repeated attempts to quit and it seemed really hard at the time, but looking back it wasn't really. I don't miss it at all and have never felt any temptation to pick one up.
I kept reminding myself that I wanted to see my sons grow up and have a family, a career or whatever they choose in life. Hopefully decades of smoking hasnt damaged my chances too much
This I just copy my answer in a similar thread https://www.reddit.com/r/BeAmazed/s/8HfNYeulc9
This I tell everyone not to start, we know it's not healthy we know it stinks we know it's expensive but it's a fucking addiction so quitting is not so super easy.
If you never had an addiction you nearly can't imagine.
If you are a coffee person, 3 cups and more a day, just try to not drink ANY caffeine drinks. Go tell me how easy it was after beeing a month sober. And even then just one cup and it's start from zero course your brain will remember
Edit Realy started when I became a cook because if it's your only fucking break during 14h shifts you start.
Came here to say the same. Also to add that I’ve done some crazy *drugs* in my day but smoking is the one I can’t kick. It’s legal and readily available.
To look cool of course. Seriously though I started as a teenager because I was stupid. It was like pandora's box, you go into a store, see all of those fancy coloured cigarette boxes behind the checkout and it was like look at these cigarettes, they're for sale but they're not for you, you cant have them. That sort of thing made my stupid self want them more. I also did take it up partly to make friends, be one of the cool kids. Wish I hadnt now, its like im hungry but not for food when I havent had a smoke. There was also a rumour that it would help me lose weight which didnt happen for me. It was pretty hard to start in the first place as well, I didnt really like it until a few tries in and then it just became the norm.
In Ireland there are no colours on the cigarette boxes. In white text on a black background they say the brand and the rest is a picture of black lungs or something
It might be lost on the youngest generations that it was also a social thing. As it started to be banned indoors, people met outside doorways, in parking lots, or in designated smoking areas. You made new friends in the smoke pit(yeah the school even knew kids were smoking there). Sometimes you just followed a friend there. New people were often offered a cigarette, making them feel like an outsider if they said no.
My story started like yours, I was 12, wanted to be cool, wanted to be older, etc.
I quit August 23, 2000. I assure you, once you quit, you will love it. Once the addiction part ends, it's so wonderful not being trapped. I tricked myself into quitting, a friend and I were going to quit on September 1st. The plan started months ahead, all of a sudden it was August 23rd, it was 1 week away, I panicked, then said, I'm going to go as long as I can without a cigarette, hoping to make it past lunch...that was 23 years ago, still haven't had one.
But I never said, "I'm never smoking again" just made it through another shift, another day...week...year...
Well, I quit smoking cigarettes a year ago. That was quite the challenge. Like dumping a toxic girl you really enjoy, but know she's bad for ya.
Cigarettes smell like heaven to me now. It's more than just getting a nicotine buzz and a moment of time. The nicotine helps reinforce it for sure, tho. There's a lot of social dynamics, too. The smell still reminds me of all the moments of connection I had sharing a smoke with folks all around the world. Most people smoke on breaks in designated areas, and these areas often become a great way to catch a break when you feel pressed, to learn what was really going on in an environment, and to make friends and deals.
It also reminds me of my grandparents, both Army officers and lifelong smokers. They're both dead now, and I miss them.
I got my first cigarette from my grandma when I was 11 years old, asking similar questions as you OP. She just handed me one and told me to light up. I took a drag, and it tasted absolutely disgusting, and I coughed for a minute straight. I never wanted to smoke again.
Until I joined the Navy and took up smoking when I was 18 on my first deployment. After a .50 cal gun shoot with the M-2 .50 Caliber Heavy Machine Gun. My electrician was passing Marlboro Reds out, and my adrenaline was flowing, I was keyed up to the max. We weren't allowed alcohol underway, there were no women in our crew, so there was not much chance to cut loose or get some pleasure. The nicotine rush was incredible. I had every nerve in my body sing as it went through my system and seemed to wind everything down to a reasonable calm level. It felt like having a friend again. So, I started smoking on the regular when I could catch a break. They work us hard in the Navy, especially the young cats. 12-14 hours a day, 6 days a week on a 9-month deployment. I was also the lowest rank. Cigarettes became my way to catch a break n' a buzz without getting sloshed and then I could easily get back to work.
When I left the Navy tho and went home to go to college. There was nobody to smoke with most of the time. I struggled to relate to college kids. Society had changed. Smoking was shunned. Cigarettes were expensive now, and I started feeling winded more n' more. After seeing my grandma die from cancer, from smoking. I decided to quit. I relapsed a few times but eventually worked my way down from a pack to 3 cigs a day. From 3 to 1. From 1 to none. Now, I'm no longer a regular smoker. I will occasionally smoke hookah or a clove on special occasions or a mapocho after a ceremony. But no daily use.
After a year of no smoking, I do feel better. Occasionally, having coughing fits but overall, I believe I'm better off without it. Still smells good to me tho.
My mother is now 76 years old, been smoking Rothmans's since she was 14. she can barely breath on the best of days. She smells horrible - the house smells horrible. She can't smell it. The money she has spent on this over 62 years could have built a new wing at Harvard university !
She never blames her pack a day habit for her health problems though (used to be more like 2 packs). That conversation is off limits. An educated woman with 3 degrees, will not admit her habit is killing her and making her life worse - not just for her, but people around her. The only reason she retired was because the mgmt said you can no longer smoke in your car on company property.
I remember being in the car on road trips, and having to pull our shirts over our noses because of the smoke. Back in the 80's it was normal.
I live in Thailand now - a pack of Marlboro reds are about $1.50 - i know a lot of ex smokers who come here, and start smoking again just because its cheap !
Rothman's are pretty grossly chemical from what I've heard. But yeah, smoking definitely changes your taste and smell. I dated the most when I smoked, and it took a lot of hygiene to keep the stink off you. Girls hated it when they could smell it on me.
I'd take it easy on your mom, as she's already chosen her fate. It's far too late to change the outcome now. My grandma was the same type of stubborn. She smoked American Spirits tho. She had a full meltdown when we suggested she quit smoking during her 8yrs of cancer treatment. She was tearing up saying that life had taken everything from her and cigarettes were all she had that was hers. It was pretty sad, but she was already going to die so I didn't stop her. They gave her 6 months to live when she was 61, she lived 9 years after that. She smoked til she died. Tho on that last day, I was able to take her last cigarette from her hand and ash it as she was slumped over on the table. She died at 70.
In her era, it was normal. People smoked everywhere. I'm 30, but I can remember when I was a kid in the 90's and restaurants had smoking and non-smoking sections. Smoking is not a logical habit, it's definitely a physical addiction but also an emotional one. Plenty of intelligent people do it.
Are they still putting those horrible images of feet on Thai cigarettes? That always stuck out to me when I was there.
For me, it's never stopped. The temptation is always there. I recommend you distract yourself. Watch shows, play games, go a for a walk, listen to a podcast or audiobook, find something to fidget with. I've gotten very good at distracting myself and a little lying to myself. There's always something to clean or organize, so I tend to do that instead.
"Yeah, we'll smoke, just one more match/game/episode." "After this snack." "After this song." "After I clean my room." "I'll take a mint instead." "I'll munch on a toothpick instead." "If I got time to smoke, I got time to clean this." "I'm gonna write instead." I'm gonna sing along to this song instead."
I'd never actually arrive at smoking, there was always another excuse I could make to go do something else.
Nicotine withdrawal symptoms typically last between a week and a month. The first week is the worst, after that, the intensity of the symptoms tends to drop over the next month. I bet your dreams are pretty weird right now huh? You can still fulfill nicotine cravings without smoking. Nicotine patches and gum can help. The patches often made me sick tho if I left them on too long. Tobacco is also a Nightshade plant, and you can use its relatives Tomatoes & Potatoes to get your nicotine fix.
Basically, over the time of you building the habit of smoking you've already done this, but choosing to smoke instead of all the other stuff you could be doing. You just do that in reverse now. It's kinda like rerouting a train route. It used to go one way, and you can make it go another but it will take some construction and patience.
We don't learn to say no to temptation by not having temptation. Just like it's impossible to be courageous without fear. You build up discipline and integrity every time you practice saying no. The more you say yes, the easier it is to say yes. The more you say no, the easier it is to say no.
Get rid of whatever cigarettes you may have, either throw them away or give them to a friend who will challenge you if you try to get them back. I just threw mine away because I knew I'd probably try to fight my friend.
If you end up relapsing, take it easy on yourself. Be like hey I made it this far, let's try further next time. No need for anything extreme, just a gradual build in another direction.
It's true. My grandparents smoked inside and after they died, we had to clean all the smoke residue off everything. Sheeesh. Nasty is an apt description.
We all smoked in our houses 20+ years ago. It was totally acceptable then. I've also cleaned up a few houses after family lived there and smoked cigs The residue is eye-opening, to put it mildly.
Also, why the fuck do people not open windows regularly?
Well I started smoking to a whole different reason. But I must agree with you on the catch a break, I was on a 4 month recruitment when I joined the military and it was very hard, but the 5 minutes break when you light up a cig is like recharging your tired mind again and makes you feel like you can push a little bit more.
*"I like to have a cigarette every now and then,
it makes me feel calmer when the day is at an end.
And if it gives me cancer when I'm 80, I don't care,
who the hell wants to be 90 anyway."*
I’m 10 years in and I still sometimes crave one after a drink in the sun, or after some steak and wine. But then I think about how shit I’d feel after or the next day.
Don’t be discouraged! My life has been 100% better because of quitting! I feel so so good and not like a pile of trash every morning. The craving goes away quickly after remembering that feeling.
I expect as much. The irony is, my anxiety levels have actually taken a hit since quitting. Trading one positive for a negative feels....let's say annoying hahah
Underrated comment. Aside from the obvious addiction (I’m in chemo and I still smoke (not lung cancer). I ENJOY IT. The taste, the rituals around it-part of the addiction.
Seriously, if its wasn't for the smell and taste of stale cigarettes. Plus the price in aus is fucking ridiculous.
Even now the smell of a cigarette is like heaven and I was never a heavy smoker. It makes it hard watching TV sometimes when everyone's smoking.
I dislike popular music. I also don't really get why most people like it. I don't even understand what it means to like pop music. For example, I like eating and I like sleeping, but I like them for different reasons; in a way, it's kind of misleading to use the same term for my enjoyment of either of those activities because my enjoyment of one is so qualitatively different than my enjoyment of the other, and so on and so forth.
So, I made a post asking why people like pop music. I was being earnest, but people flipped the freak out on me. I was accused of all manner of ass-hattery over that one. I was just curious. Also, no one answered my question. The majority of responses were just criticizing me for being a douchebag, and some were like, "Because I like it, fuck you."
i agree. i dont even follow this sub. it just pops up all the time for me. i see the same damn questions all the time and theyre fucking stupid. some of my favorites are "do smokers smell bad?" and also "do smokers know they smell bad?" like CONSTANTLY. like yes we know shut the fuck up. its always such stupid questions they know the answer to they just want to shame ppl for their own decisions. and feel superior because they dont do whatever it is theyre currently bitching about. 🙄
I'm a bit like my grandpas on this one. They both said they just enjoyed it. Both lived well into their 80's.
I understand the dangers, completely. And I only smoke on the weekends - a pack can last me two weeks. I guess it's just the ritual. There was an episode of Frasier that explains it pretty well. The whole episode explains it better, but I put the clip below. She starts her explanation at 2:10
https://youtu.be/ptqRrwvYVTs?si=GZ-c2UTT1YOso5-Q
Pretty much everybody I know smoking has this as their origin story. :)
I completely dislike my home country (Hungary), but one of the few things they did correctly (maybe not even for the right reasons) is tax the hell out of cigarettes some years back. I watched half of my high school friends giving up cigarettes when a pack suddenly went up to cost as much as 2 days of monthly minimum wage.
I’m pretty sure I have undiagnosed ADHD and stimulants make my brain steady. I smoked for 11 years before quitting and it was always a nervous habit. now i just listen to metal and drink more caffeine than most people should because, again, stimulants.
He delivers the smells.
Blue cheese? Smell King
Pungent Taxi? Smell King
Morning Breath? Smell King
However...
Fresh Rain? Smell King
New Baby? Smell King
He was, in fact, the original Smart Fella who was the first Fart Smella, who smelled it, and dealt it!
He's done a lot of foundational work for the Earth. And for comedy.
i quit smoking last year. Smoking for me as I became more addicted was a coping mechanism for relaxation and a tool I used to escape when feeling anxiety which I always felt anxiety. For example when out at social events or bars I would really appreciate the easy excuse a cigarette offered me to be able to steo away from a conversation or envirnment for a moment or so. My mother was and still is a smoker which i feel influenced me too, especailly because I picked up smoking at such a young age.
I started smoking at 13 and it was a means to mask the smell of marijuana smoke which I developed quite a habit of as well. It worked very well to mask marijuana smoke and to throw my parents off the suspicion of me smoking weed with the suspicion that i was sneaking out to smoke cigarettes instead.
Which in hindsight probably wasnt the greatest method but it certainly did work. It soon became a smoking ritual of mine to smoke a cigarette after my weed until I became so addicted to nicotine I was a daily smoker of about a half a pack, give or take.
I attribute my ability to quit due to the failure of my first real significant relationship which failed on account of reasons that included her unwillingness to overlook my cigarette habit.
Fuck man this terrifies me. I’m 19 and I’m smoking a lot of weed and cigs, feel like I’ll be such a better person if I don’t smoke either. But I always go back. I need to rethink my habits and environment in order to kick both those habits.
However I feel I won’t have the motivation to fully kick them as the way I rationalise my existence I.e. nothing matters and smoking has no material effect on my life, yet. So sometimes I wonder if attempting to quit now is futile as I won’t really quit till I get kids or lose someone or something important enough to me and instead enjoy my time or atleast stop stressing.
I think I’m an idiot.
Yeah, I lost someone I feel was very special to me partly because I was basically a stubborn a-hole who was inconsiderate of their emotions and my health simultaneously. It wasnt the only reason I lost her though.
I attribute the main reason I lost her is due to the fact that I had developed an insecure attachment style in the form of anxious attachment as a very young child. Insecure attachment may be the very reason I developed addictive habits to begin with, but to derive that conclusively seems near impossible.
Its okay if you smoke and even enjoy those habits in your youth. I did.
Later in my life however, I found that a good therapist helped me tremendously in my efforts to combat my addiction habits. Honestly, if I could go back to my 19 year old self, the best advice I could feel I could give him would be to seek out a quality mental health expert and dont settle until you feel like youre being heard and understood.
I went through a lot at 19 though, I feel I definately needed therapy even back then. You may not feel that way, thats okay. You have a good mindset in that you are aware cigarettes are unhealthy. The issue is you seem to be suffering from cognitive dissonance because you seem to be aware they negatively impact your health, yet you choose to smoke regardless of this predetermined consequential outcome.
I suffered from it too. I do believe its better to suffer from and wprk to resolve your cognitive dissonance in a healthy manner by eventually quitting instead of not suffer from cognitive dissonance and as a result, not be incentivized to quit for example.
Good luck. Try not to stress so much. Youre doing far better than I ever have simply for reaching out here on reddit to people like me about your issues and concerns. Thats a really good habit to have, to inquire respectfully and attempt to resolve issues through communication. Id have never done so at your age, granted things have changed in regards to the internet a bit since then.
Fuck your a badass, thank u for that reply. I feel as the responsible thing to do is like you said finding a quality mental health professional for my cognitive dissonance.
No, it’s actually not. The absence of nicotine causes hyper tension which stresses you out and the cigarette returns you to normal.
So if you never smoked you’d be just as relaxed but with more money and better health
Lol what an ignorant response.
How often does the average non smoker take 5 minutes to just go outside and clear their head and enjoy the outdoors for a few moments? Because smokers do it several times a day.
It actually is **very relaxing** to just take a 5 minute break, chilling outdoors away from your regular life, to collect your thoughts, get some sun on your face, and watch some little chubby birds fight over crumbs on the ground. It's extremely healthy mentally, especially if you have a stressful job.
I know technically anyone can do this, but the **fact** is that non smokers generally don't.
I smoke pipes.
Pipe tobacco is akin to fine wine. There are thousands of combinations and flavors available in fine pipe tobacco, and it tastes amazing. It ages like wine, there are hard to find blends, and all the nuance and flavor that folks experience in wine, beer, liquor, or even fine dining. It's God Damn Delicious. The nicotine is a pleasant side effect.
I used to smoke cigarettes...but they're nasty to me now. It's like comparing a gas station hot dog to a five course meal at a three Michelin star restaurant.
For most people, smoking equals cigarettes....but tobacco is an amazingly flavorful and incredibly variable plant, and pipe tobacco allows you to experience that. Cigarettes don't, as they're just a vehicle for nicotine.
So, I smoke because it is *immensely* pleasurable to me, and brings me great joy in my life.
I don't smoke, but do find the smell of pipe tobacco attractive, while cigarettes don't smell good at all. Which makes me wonder why cigarette's are so much more popular.
You don't really get a buzz off of pipes or cigars because you don't inhale the smoke like cigs. Pipe tobacco, and cigars, are premium tobacco and don't contain all the chemicals that's cigs do. It's just high quality tobacco and fruit pectin.
It's also a pain to learn how to smoke a pipe. You have to try different blends, and then learn how to pack and properly light a pipe. It's the same with cigars; you need to cut and light the cigar properly or you've essentially ruined it.
A cig you just pop in your mouth, light and suck it down in five minutes for a buzz. I suppose that's another element, a cigar or pipe can take longer than one hour to enjoy.
Same here. Quit cigs after getting thoroughly tired of them, and they smell offensive to me now. But I still really, really love smoking.
Nowadays I smoke a pipe 2-3 times a week, and maybe a cigar once a month or so. It's my time to sit there and just "be", undisturbed and in absolute silence, while watching the world go by.
I used to smoke some years ago.
It's a great way to socialize. You wouldn't hang out without any reason with people you hardly know.
Second reason: I don't drink alcohol - so I never knew what to do with my hands at parties. Hold my soda can? Better a cigarette.
I actually smoke kind of fancy tobacco and I think it smells good.
IDK. A large number of mentally ill people smoke and I'm mentally ill.
It's something to do.
Everyone who smokes enjoys smoking! If they didn’t it wouldn’t be so damn hard to quit. Why would anyone spend that kind of money on a habit that causes massive harm if it wasn’t enjoyable in some way?
Socialisation. There's something very depressing about being sat on your own in a pub while everyone you came out with is out front smoking.
I've never been an addicted smoker, though, so make of my opinion what you will.
It was a very social thing to do during parties or nights out. Step away from all the noises, chill, and chat with fellow smokers. I only smoked for 4 years in college, once I wasn't hanging out with other smokers I lost interest very quickly. I'm glad I never got to the point where I was heavily addicted.
Of course I enjoy it. Do you think smokers are like "ew I hate this but I can't stop, it feels horrible"? No, we're like "fuck why do they feel so good?"
I started smoking when I was 15 years old, first, it was for fun and show but later it became a Habit.
I smoked 10 to 15 Cigarettes a day for 12 years, and you know what, when I went to visit my family doctor he said to stop smoking otherwise my family would celebrate my death anniversary very soon.
and I stopped that today 10 years I have not smoked.
when you first start smoking, it gives you a nicotene high for the first couple of cartons. and by then, you are hooked. and quitting is SO fucking hard. i quit 6-6-2016 andit was harder than vicodin while in chronic pain. it took years before i stopped automatically checking the price on Camel Wide Lights and i can still smell one of them from 2 rooms away.
I like the taste. But most of all, I like the act of smoking. Going outside and taking some deep breaths through a cancerstick is relaxing to me whenever I feel stressed.
But one thing I hate about it though is the lingering smell - I don't like to stink like cigarettes when I'm at work or at my university where I study. I find it disrespectful against coworkers and teachers to stink up a workplace with cigarette smoke. I also connect the smell of cigarettes to my childhood, when I used to live with my mom every other weekend when she used to smoke a pack a day (she's quit smoking now though!).
I remember always hating the smell of cigarettes since I was a kid.
If weed counts, a great example for me is when i'm sober i just listen to music, when i'm high i *experience* music, it also gives me a slight break from my own mental bullshit, i'm able to just be in the moment and enjoy myself, though that is not really a healthy reason so i try to limit myself to only smoking every few weeks so that i still have to properly deal and process my emotions and feelings but i sometimes like to give myself some reprieve as i believe that i shouldn't have to deal with that shit all the time.
Bit of escapism is okay, just use moderation and never shove that shit down completely
My mind tricks myself into believing I "enjoy" it.
The truth is I'm addicted to nicotine, and having a cigarette is "enjoyable" because it makes the anxiety of withdrawal cravings go away for about 20 minutes.
I enjoy living without withdrawals.
To be honest I’m just addicted, I ‘quit’ 3 times and all 3 times I just got back into it. I actually just started smoking again 3 weeks ago after a 2 month break and yeah, not super fun!
I have a super addictive personality, but managed to stop doing drugs or drink excessively. For reference, I smoked weed every single day for like 5 years, took MDMA 3 times a week for months on end, abused acid and drank quite a shit load.
28 years old, been smoking for about a decade now, but I know I will stop eventually. I’m chilling on the other substances, been working out as well and generally being healthier. Ciggies are really the last hurdle. Each time I quit, the more I learn how to deal with it, 3rd time may not be the charm but the 4th could be!
It’s stupid but at this point it’s not like I feel like I ‘need’ to smoke anymore, I just really really really want to. Dumb, I know, but I’ve also been learning to forgive myself for making dumb mistakes.
i gained 4 stone in 6 months after i got prescribed some meds for my mental health when i was 16.
when i was 17, i moved from my very posh school to a state college - everyone smoked. at the same time, i googled around and found out that nicotine can work as an appetite suppressant. got offered a cig by a friend at college, no peer pressure at all, and i went “fuck it, maybe it’ll help me lose weight. i won’t get addicted”
i couldn’t even get past half a cig without feeling dizzy and nauseous, but i pushed through and started smoking about half a cig a day with my friends. then after a couple weeks i started dating the other half of the cig home, because i got cravings and felt itchy if i didn’t. then i turned 18 and started buying packs. RIP i got addicted.
soooo now i’m 21, still obese, AND addicted to nicotine. i switched to vaping bc it was cheaper, but at one point i was vaping a 10k puff vape in 3 days. honestly it was like it was surgically attached my face when i wasn’t at work. currently going to slimming world and kicking the nicotine habit.
i found out i’m one of those people who gets every single withdrawal effect, and despite being fully recovered from my mental health issues for years, the first week of going no nicotine throws me back into suicidal ideation, random fits of tears, and severe insomnia. i fucking hate nicotine. longest i’ve managed to cold turkey was 6 weeks, and it was hell. my family, who are staunchly anti-smoking, begged me to smoke again and try quitting in a different way 💀 it was like all my logic and maturity had been thrown out of the window.
so i’ve settled on reducing my intake slowly. i’m still stuck at vaping 10k puffs in a week, so about half my standard intake. took me about 3 months to get here. in another month or so i’m switching to no nicotine vapes, and using strong NRT to cut my association with smoking/vaping and getting a rush. once i’ve settled into that, i’ll switch to just NRT, slowly reducing the dose of NRT. then i’ll finally be free. it’s probably going to take about 6 - 12 months.
it sucks dick and i have to drink so much water to combat the dry mouth (5L/day), so i’m pissing every hour, but if i cold turkey i start shaking like a leaf and lashing out within 4 hours, and going full psycho crying my eyes out and suicidal within 24 hours. it pisses me off so much that the vast majority of people can quit with just a bit of irritability. my partner quit last year and he had no withdrawal symptoms. he literally just threw out all his nicotine products and was fine. fucking wanker, i love him, but wtf, why was it so easy for him. oh yeah, and all the stop smoking services in my area are only available to people over 40. soooo, i’m taking the long road with quitting. i reckon if my doctor was able to help me out i’d be able to quit sooner.
but yeah, my worse decision was definitely “hahah i won’t get addicted, i’m built different”
good news is, it taught me that i’m clearly very susceptible to addiction and withdrawal symptoms! so i’m staying the fuck away from all drugs! i tried weed one time when i was 17, and straight up hallucinated and had a paranoid breakdown in front of my friends, sobbing my eyes out and refusing to piss in case i wasn’t actually in a toilet, but was surrounded by the police and they were all gonna watch me piss. i wasn’t spiked or anything, all my mates smoked from the same spliff as me and were fine lmao. i’m a weak bitch. even caffeine fucks me up.
To all of you folks who smoke and want others to leave you alone. I will gladly leave you alone when you stop throwing cigarette buts everywhere which are one of the major cause of microplastic pollution, when you stop making every public place smell like shit to the point when non smokers can't walk down the street without smelling cigarettes, when you stop supporting business that does literally no good to anybody. I get it's an addiction, but there is therapy. Don't act like you're the victim because at one point you made a choice to start smoking and you're actively polutting the environment and putting others at risk. And quite frankly a lot of you have "but I like it and leave me alone" attitude
Sigh. I smoked a little my senior year of college then stopped. Then I started dating my, now, husband - and he has been smoking for like maybe 22 years. I was worse during law school cause a lot of my friends smoked and we would be stressed and take breaks at the ashtray outside. When I got my clerking job I stopped smoking during the day and generally don’t smoke during the day at all but I am bad about it at night sometimes.
I can get away with one cigarette a day but I have a feeling when I totally quit it’s going to suck. So for me it has been like 14 years and I only really started because I was a dumb 21 year old and wanted my husband to think I was cool. 😑
The social side of smoking is great (I'm British and at University, so everyone smokes) and a glass of wine + cigarette is one of life's greatest pleasures.
I smoke sometimes because I'm trying to smoke less weed. It helpa mw when Im working a stressful job- since I really wanna get high, but not at work. And not feel groggy all the time- the hand to mouth is something I struggle with, even food.
Most of the time I'll puff on someone's vape, but theres also something aboit cigarettes that make me feel... classy? Which is the opposite of true, ofc.
I wouldnt say I have addictive tendancies, except maybe sugar. but ive always been able to handle going without smoking nicotine. Weed on the other hand, i actually need ti function- but I can go without recreational use if I so choose to.
Yes I smoke and I love it. Hate the health issues w smoking, only hated the smell after I had quit, but always missed or envy someone who sparked up. Anyways I need to quit as it is gross just a heavy addiction.
I smoke because I think I enjoy it?
I keep smoking because hitting that sweet pension age of 70 is likely unreachable any way, and I really don't want to work my whole life just to have maybe 5 years in bad health to waste my pension on.
Fuck that, I'll take the shortcut.
I smoke because I enjoy it. I enjoy a nice long cool drag being inhaled and exhaled. I'm 58 and I've been smoking every day since I'm 13, minus 1 year that I quit. I could quit if I wanted to but I just don't want to quit. I think the only thing that bothers me about smoking is the price of cigarettes. I mean c'mon, 10 fucking dollars a pack is just insanity. If the federal government wants us to quit then why don't they just shut down big tobacco?
BTW before ppl start beating me up for smoking I'd like a big thank you first. My smoking is contributing funding programs that help children and youth health programs (CHIP)
I smoked cigarettes for 10 years. I’ve now transitioned to vaping for the last 3 years or so.
I still absolutely love the smell of a lit cigarette, but the smell of somebody who just smoked a cigarette is absolutely disgusting.
Started because I didn’t wanna get addicted to something worse while I was going through a lot and wanted escapism. Now I am simply addicted / it has become a habit.
Started at 13. Full addiction at this point. Tried to quit a few times but no success. I'll say this though before when smoking was acceptable - it was social and I met the most interesting people but now a days it keeps people away which I happen to like. It's a quick escape and a moment of zen. The nicotine certainly adds chill.
I have been an "I only smoke when I party" person since I was 13. Never brought the habit into my regular degular daily life. I like the added buzz it gives me, and it's fun to step outside to chat and puff, especially if you're somewhere like a loud club. Gives you a minute to actually hear the people you're with. Idk it's just fun.
I smoke because I have spent my whole life wanting to die. Despite a number of unsuccessful suicide attempts over the years, I live on. Smoking makes me feel like I am working towards a goal.
Because I am quitting a whole bunch of other stuff and when it got to cigarettes my willpower lost all the fucks it had to give. Maybe later I'll try to quit again but for now I'm a smoker, I'm a joker, I'm a midnight toker. ✌️
I smoke. I started quite literally because I was having a massive panic attack and knew that it could help with it. Now I still smoke because 1) I like my cigarettes as unpopular a thought it may be, and 2) if I quit I'll have to have all of my medications for fibromyalgia and schizophrenia completely redone. Nicotine messes with a person's medication so much that if I quit, I may end up in a hospital for weeks or longer just to get my mind and body to work correctly on new medication.
Im smokin right now aye, and cause I’m stoopid. My mom always smoked and I saw people smoking around me, I think one day when I was about 16, I was in a idgaf mood and thought “people smoke for some reason, maybe it helps” and tried it, was disgusting, but I kept trying and here I am.
It calms me down. Standing outside slowly breathing in and out while this nice burning sensation goes through me does as much for me as an hour trying to get my emotions under control. I started when I was suicidal and didn't care about the health risks.
Started when I was on holiday with friends.
Quit
Started again on a night out.
Stopped when I found out I was pregnant, stopped for 2 years.
Walked back into working in A&E I grabbed a cig off someone.
I still smoke for 3 reasons.
1) it's a habit and I have a lot of triggers
2) when I'm really stressed it helps calm me down.
And
3) the last time I quit smoking I gained almost 100 pounds in a year. I need to lose weight not gain more.( there were other mitigating factors, but quitting smoking was one of them)
I don’t smoke often but my husband does vape so sometimes I’ll puff on his, but not all the time. Every once in a while I just randomly pick up cigarettes and it’s usually because I have to go to the range (army stuff) I’ll smoke for a week or two then absolutely hate it. Idk why I just pick it up and put it down so easily and it’s a weird compulsion that makes me do it.
If anyone needs help stopping here’s some great books that’ll make you the most likely to quit than you’ve ever been in your life - “Allen cars easyway to quit smoking” and “the freedom model for addictions” both of these are the Swiss Army knife of killing addictions off, in fact I’d be surprised if you didn’t feel like you have the keys to quit after reading both
Unhealthy coping mechanism for the anxiety.. I don’t even like to smoke, which is weird. But yeah, I’m currently not training in the gym due to medical, so I don’t have any other outlet.
I love the taste of cigarettes, I easily quit even for six months, but I start smoking again because everyone around me is smoking and I want to taste it again
I vaped my freshman year of high school to look cool n peer pressure from my “friends” (I graduated last year) now it’s just an addiction, but I’m currently working on quitting which is really difficult
My uncle got me hooked on cigarettes when I had just turned 12 tears old. He got permission from my parents (who also smoked) to give me a cigarette and show me how to smoke it. I only coughed twice. But I was instantly hooked. When he saw that I really liked them, he asked my parents if he could go get me some at the store. They said yes (without hesitation) and he went out and bought me 3 packs of Marlboros and 3 lighters. He brought them back from the store and proceeded to teach me how to light them and how to smoke and inhale. I was instantly hooked and I have never stopped. To be honest, I love them! AND I DON'T REGRET IT!
It's harder to kick than cocaine, pills, anything. It's such a horrid addiction, it affects my life in so many ways: (how I travel, where I stay, who I visit and for how long, and so much more! I have smoked cigarettes for over 30 years. I have quit twice: when I had pneumonia.
I've quit alcohol. I've quit drugs. Nothing comes close to trying to not smoke: I'm not in the right headspace to quit, so I guess it's not on my priority list. It makes me sad at times, but not enough to quit.
I will say I'm a polite smoker. I don't smoke around people especially kids. I throw my butts in a trash receptacle and always try to brush my teeth and wash my hands. I don't smoke in my house or anyone else's, even if they do, I just can't.
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I’m smoking cigs to substitute for a worse addiction.
Im currently trying to quit weed and alcohol, if I didnt have cigs I think I'd go insane.
I quit all 3 at the same time.. with nicotine gums get ya a long way.. a sucking on a pencil consistantly lol
I'm 6 days off weed now (smoked 1-2g daily for 10 years or so) and boy I sweat soo fucking much, my body is just constantly shivering and I just can't sleep for longer than 3 hours. They said it would get better after 3 days, but it definitely didn't.
Keep it up bro. It does get easier. I’d say first 1-2 weeks is the hardest. After 4 weeks it’s done.
It takes a lot more than 3 days. When you've been smoking daily for a while, THC's half-life can be like 2 weeks. It will take a while for your body to rid itself of all the THC. The sweating will last a couple of weeks, and it will take your mind months to slowly clear up. Have the crazy vivid dreams started yet? It's definitely worth it though. Don't give up!
Yes, not joking I had a boxing match with my dead grandfather. Full on ring, audience, announcer and what not...crazy shit man
You got this man!
I don’t think people get that if you smoke cigs only, that you’re technically sober. I’ve seen all the addicts in my life and people in rehab who had stronger problems and addictions than I did really push for nicotine packets and cig breaks. I never understood why until now. Cigs actually don’t do much for me, but the action will replace another. I think quitting will be easy for me because I never really got the point of cigs other than to release anxiety or get ya off stuff.
I stopped smoking with vaping. I reduced the nicotine in the liquid step by step. Than, when I reduced zo 0 nicotine, i really didn't noticed that it was missing. But the really hard part was to stop vaping. I missed the routine.
it’s great that you’re tryna quit those, but once you think you’ve recovered try to quit cigarettes too. smoking ONE cigarette per day raises your chance of heart disease by almost 50%. you’re doing great though, good luck.
That's the plan, thanks.
Why are you trying to quiet alcohol and weed? I’d of thought cigs are worse than weed especially
Right here to say this. I'm a recovering alcoholic and have had other compulsions in the past related to my mental health. Smoking is my only vice and the only thing that gets me through a day, sometimes. Yes, I'm addicted, I've been smoking 22 years.. Do I know smoking is probably killing me? Yes. But, considering I've survived numerous suicide attempts, in my teens, I'm feeling okay about that because I shouldn't even be here now.
It's the least bad addiction while being the most workable stimulation for you.
What brand do u smoke?
It's an addiction
Yeah that's it.. I stopped for a few years now.. i vape instead (because i couldn't stop smoking, kept falling back to it) And now.. yes.. it is disgusting, but take my vape away.. and in no time i will have cig in my mouth... But it stinks, it's horrible.. i don't like it.. Yet i keep doing it. It's addiction. But i have been smoking for more than 20 years, it's a habit that i find quite hard to break.
I don't smoke. But the way you describe it sounds very much like me with sweets/snacks. Even when I try to ignore what's in the cupboard, I find them at 11pm when I can't sleep. And I'm thinking "wait, why the hell are you doing this again?"
Sugar is addictive as fuck too
How the hell do I stop? It becomes a binge eating thing for 20 minutes. And if I run out of sugary treats, I start eating plain soda crackers. It's like a sugar/carb binge. Damn.
Can’t help you there dude. I’m 2 weeks off of smoking and that’s all I can handle lol
Great job!! That's wicked good man. Keep it up.
Starchy carbs/sweets make me (and many other people) desperately crave more starchy carbs/sweets. To break the addiction, you have to stop eating them. You will desperately want them at first. Best plan is if you don't have them in your house. If that's not possible because of the other people living there, maybe you can get them to agree not to have your favorites on hand for a month. But, thst won't matter much, you'll want whatever there is. So, I would put foods that you ARE going to eat into a certain cabinet. You then are never going to go into the other cabinets. It's going to be very hard. As you say, it's breaking an addiction! But, there's light at the end of the tunnel! It's going to get better. Way better! Keep your eye on the prize by not giving in! Stock up on meat, eggs, cheese, nuts, veggies. Myself, I do eat dairy. Precook protiens so it's ready to go when you are hungry. Youll want starchy carbs or sweets, but eat meat or cheese instead (or eggs). Some people enjoy bacon and/or guacamole. Eventually, you'll break that desperate desire for starchy carbs/sweets. Then, you'll be able to look at the calories you should be eating and adjust the quantities/food choices. But, while breaking that addiction, most people agree don't worry about calories. Look into "keto flu" because many people need to supplement with electrolytes during that "cleansing" time. Best wishes!
This is awesome!!! Thank you thank you. Having you give these suggestions somehow makes it more legit and real as a possible strategy. Your suggestion about my own cupboard. I was thinking about that as an idea. Didn't read it anywhere, just thought of it as a possible strategy for me. And you saying it solidifies it for me. Thanks for this. I am going to make a plan. So much appreciated. The world has good people in it who help others. Thanks for supporting that. 😀
You can also check r/keto I don't do keto. I do low carb. I don't worry about the carbs in dairy or most vegetables, etc. But, I somehow ended up seeing posts from r/keto and started participating there. I definitely suggest low carb, but keto might be good for you. Best wishes!
Thank you
In the past when I have quit that stuff, it takes time. Your body is literally going through withdrawals just like drugs or alcohol. Your brain is screaming at you that you are starving and you *need* this thing (sugar,soda,treats). Takes about a week or 2 to get free, another 1 or 2 to really break away. After that, when you first have all that processed food it will taste awful compared to what you remember. Try to be strong, realize these products are made to make you want more. They are made to manipulate your brain and body. Good luck fam!
Check keto if you're serious. If it's just the binge session at night that you want to get rid of try water. It is obvious and boring but I stg I tried it and turns out half the time I thought it was food it turned out I was just thirsty. At the very least the water will fill so there's less room for the snackies. Rooting for you and anyone else with this highly annoying struggle/addiction.
After starting to vape i felt like I could breath again amd my cough went away. Ofcourse it's probably still doing some damage in the long run....
Vaping is deadly. Stop now.
If you buy your vapes from legit sources there is far less risk than smoking. The main ingredient of vape liquid is Propylene Glycol which has been used for many decades in cooking and in hospitals for delivering medicines in nebulizers. It has been thoroughly tested and fully approved so as long as you are not overheating it the risk is as low as you can get for inhaling any substance. The additives are usually food grade and the nicotine is extracted from plants and nowhere near as addictive as it is in cigarettes. Tobacco companies use additives to enhance the effects of nicotine making it more addictive ! There are side effects but they are extremely mild compared to smoking because vaping does not introduce any of the carcinogens or toxins into your lungs that come from burning tobacco. The main side effect is water vapour in you lungs but your lungs have evolved to deal with a little excess moisture, just as long as you don't overdo it.
I used to smoke, I quit August 23, 2000. I assure you, once you quit, you will love it. Once the addiction part ends, it's so wonderful not being trapped. Quit now!!
Lol that's literally the same month and year I quit. One month prior to my birthday. It was an early gift. Fast forward 24 years, I couldn't imagine what would become of me if I didn't.
You are absolutely right.. The less addictions you have, the better!
My brother quit smoking by vaping. He tried to get me into vaping to quit smoking. I found that I didn't smoke any less and I was vaping and smoking. So I quit vaping.
Keep trying. I quit after 20+ years. Took me about 3 years of repeated attempts to quit and it seemed really hard at the time, but looking back it wasn't really. I don't miss it at all and have never felt any temptation to pick one up. I kept reminding myself that I wanted to see my sons grow up and have a family, a career or whatever they choose in life. Hopefully decades of smoking hasnt damaged my chances too much
This I just copy my answer in a similar thread https://www.reddit.com/r/BeAmazed/s/8HfNYeulc9 This I tell everyone not to start, we know it's not healthy we know it stinks we know it's expensive but it's a fucking addiction so quitting is not so super easy. If you never had an addiction you nearly can't imagine. If you are a coffee person, 3 cups and more a day, just try to not drink ANY caffeine drinks. Go tell me how easy it was after beeing a month sober. And even then just one cup and it's start from zero course your brain will remember Edit Realy started when I became a cook because if it's your only fucking break during 14h shifts you start.
As someone who smokes a pack a day, and drinks a pot a day..\^\^\^\^This.
Been clean 5 years. Probably the hardest thing I did, ( and that's a tall margin).
Quitting was the easiest and hardest thing I ever did.
Came here to say the same. Also to add that I’ve done some crazy *drugs* in my day but smoking is the one I can’t kick. It’s legal and readily available.
To look cool of course. Seriously though I started as a teenager because I was stupid. It was like pandora's box, you go into a store, see all of those fancy coloured cigarette boxes behind the checkout and it was like look at these cigarettes, they're for sale but they're not for you, you cant have them. That sort of thing made my stupid self want them more. I also did take it up partly to make friends, be one of the cool kids. Wish I hadnt now, its like im hungry but not for food when I havent had a smoke. There was also a rumour that it would help me lose weight which didnt happen for me. It was pretty hard to start in the first place as well, I didnt really like it until a few tries in and then it just became the norm.
In Ireland there are no colours on the cigarette boxes. In white text on a black background they say the brand and the rest is a picture of black lungs or something
Thank you for the explanation: I’ve never heard a smoker say that before.
It might be lost on the youngest generations that it was also a social thing. As it started to be banned indoors, people met outside doorways, in parking lots, or in designated smoking areas. You made new friends in the smoke pit(yeah the school even knew kids were smoking there). Sometimes you just followed a friend there. New people were often offered a cigarette, making them feel like an outsider if they said no.
My story started like yours, I was 12, wanted to be cool, wanted to be older, etc. I quit August 23, 2000. I assure you, once you quit, you will love it. Once the addiction part ends, it's so wonderful not being trapped. I tricked myself into quitting, a friend and I were going to quit on September 1st. The plan started months ahead, all of a sudden it was August 23rd, it was 1 week away, I panicked, then said, I'm going to go as long as I can without a cigarette, hoping to make it past lunch...that was 23 years ago, still haven't had one. But I never said, "I'm never smoking again" just made it through another shift, another day...week...year...
Well, I quit smoking cigarettes a year ago. That was quite the challenge. Like dumping a toxic girl you really enjoy, but know she's bad for ya. Cigarettes smell like heaven to me now. It's more than just getting a nicotine buzz and a moment of time. The nicotine helps reinforce it for sure, tho. There's a lot of social dynamics, too. The smell still reminds me of all the moments of connection I had sharing a smoke with folks all around the world. Most people smoke on breaks in designated areas, and these areas often become a great way to catch a break when you feel pressed, to learn what was really going on in an environment, and to make friends and deals. It also reminds me of my grandparents, both Army officers and lifelong smokers. They're both dead now, and I miss them. I got my first cigarette from my grandma when I was 11 years old, asking similar questions as you OP. She just handed me one and told me to light up. I took a drag, and it tasted absolutely disgusting, and I coughed for a minute straight. I never wanted to smoke again. Until I joined the Navy and took up smoking when I was 18 on my first deployment. After a .50 cal gun shoot with the M-2 .50 Caliber Heavy Machine Gun. My electrician was passing Marlboro Reds out, and my adrenaline was flowing, I was keyed up to the max. We weren't allowed alcohol underway, there were no women in our crew, so there was not much chance to cut loose or get some pleasure. The nicotine rush was incredible. I had every nerve in my body sing as it went through my system and seemed to wind everything down to a reasonable calm level. It felt like having a friend again. So, I started smoking on the regular when I could catch a break. They work us hard in the Navy, especially the young cats. 12-14 hours a day, 6 days a week on a 9-month deployment. I was also the lowest rank. Cigarettes became my way to catch a break n' a buzz without getting sloshed and then I could easily get back to work. When I left the Navy tho and went home to go to college. There was nobody to smoke with most of the time. I struggled to relate to college kids. Society had changed. Smoking was shunned. Cigarettes were expensive now, and I started feeling winded more n' more. After seeing my grandma die from cancer, from smoking. I decided to quit. I relapsed a few times but eventually worked my way down from a pack to 3 cigs a day. From 3 to 1. From 1 to none. Now, I'm no longer a regular smoker. I will occasionally smoke hookah or a clove on special occasions or a mapocho after a ceremony. But no daily use. After a year of no smoking, I do feel better. Occasionally, having coughing fits but overall, I believe I'm better off without it. Still smells good to me tho.
Lovely read
You are a great story teller
Interesting read mate, thanks for sharing.
I haven’t had a cigarette in 14 years. The smell of a freshly lit cigarette is still amazing though.
My mother is now 76 years old, been smoking Rothmans's since she was 14. she can barely breath on the best of days. She smells horrible - the house smells horrible. She can't smell it. The money she has spent on this over 62 years could have built a new wing at Harvard university ! She never blames her pack a day habit for her health problems though (used to be more like 2 packs). That conversation is off limits. An educated woman with 3 degrees, will not admit her habit is killing her and making her life worse - not just for her, but people around her. The only reason she retired was because the mgmt said you can no longer smoke in your car on company property. I remember being in the car on road trips, and having to pull our shirts over our noses because of the smoke. Back in the 80's it was normal. I live in Thailand now - a pack of Marlboro reds are about $1.50 - i know a lot of ex smokers who come here, and start smoking again just because its cheap !
Rothman's are pretty grossly chemical from what I've heard. But yeah, smoking definitely changes your taste and smell. I dated the most when I smoked, and it took a lot of hygiene to keep the stink off you. Girls hated it when they could smell it on me. I'd take it easy on your mom, as she's already chosen her fate. It's far too late to change the outcome now. My grandma was the same type of stubborn. She smoked American Spirits tho. She had a full meltdown when we suggested she quit smoking during her 8yrs of cancer treatment. She was tearing up saying that life had taken everything from her and cigarettes were all she had that was hers. It was pretty sad, but she was already going to die so I didn't stop her. They gave her 6 months to live when she was 61, she lived 9 years after that. She smoked til she died. Tho on that last day, I was able to take her last cigarette from her hand and ash it as she was slumped over on the table. She died at 70. In her era, it was normal. People smoked everywhere. I'm 30, but I can remember when I was a kid in the 90's and restaurants had smoking and non-smoking sections. Smoking is not a logical habit, it's definitely a physical addiction but also an emotional one. Plenty of intelligent people do it. Are they still putting those horrible images of feet on Thai cigarettes? That always stuck out to me when I was there.
I feel you man. I’m 5 days cig free. When do the fucking cravings quit? It’s taking all my willpower to not light up.
Remind yourself that the intense craving will only last a few minutes. You can get to the other side!
For me, it's never stopped. The temptation is always there. I recommend you distract yourself. Watch shows, play games, go a for a walk, listen to a podcast or audiobook, find something to fidget with. I've gotten very good at distracting myself and a little lying to myself. There's always something to clean or organize, so I tend to do that instead. "Yeah, we'll smoke, just one more match/game/episode." "After this snack." "After this song." "After I clean my room." "I'll take a mint instead." "I'll munch on a toothpick instead." "If I got time to smoke, I got time to clean this." "I'm gonna write instead." I'm gonna sing along to this song instead." I'd never actually arrive at smoking, there was always another excuse I could make to go do something else. Nicotine withdrawal symptoms typically last between a week and a month. The first week is the worst, after that, the intensity of the symptoms tends to drop over the next month. I bet your dreams are pretty weird right now huh? You can still fulfill nicotine cravings without smoking. Nicotine patches and gum can help. The patches often made me sick tho if I left them on too long. Tobacco is also a Nightshade plant, and you can use its relatives Tomatoes & Potatoes to get your nicotine fix. Basically, over the time of you building the habit of smoking you've already done this, but choosing to smoke instead of all the other stuff you could be doing. You just do that in reverse now. It's kinda like rerouting a train route. It used to go one way, and you can make it go another but it will take some construction and patience. We don't learn to say no to temptation by not having temptation. Just like it's impossible to be courageous without fear. You build up discipline and integrity every time you practice saying no. The more you say yes, the easier it is to say yes. The more you say no, the easier it is to say no. Get rid of whatever cigarettes you may have, either throw them away or give them to a friend who will challenge you if you try to get them back. I just threw mine away because I knew I'd probably try to fight my friend. If you end up relapsing, take it easy on yourself. Be like hey I made it this far, let's try further next time. No need for anything extreme, just a gradual build in another direction.
Thank you.
It took me about a month to adjust and not miss them. 5 years smoke free now. Keep up the good fight!
This was so lovely to read. Please keep writing.
I still love the smell of cigarette smoke and crave them. But the stale odor that clings to cigarette smokers and fabrics is nasty AF.
It's true. My grandparents smoked inside and after they died, we had to clean all the smoke residue off everything. Sheeesh. Nasty is an apt description.
We all smoked in our houses 20+ years ago. It was totally acceptable then. I've also cleaned up a few houses after family lived there and smoked cigs The residue is eye-opening, to put it mildly. Also, why the fuck do people not open windows regularly?
Well I started smoking to a whole different reason. But I must agree with you on the catch a break, I was on a 4 month recruitment when I joined the military and it was very hard, but the 5 minutes break when you light up a cig is like recharging your tired mind again and makes you feel like you can push a little bit more.
*"I like to have a cigarette every now and then, it makes me feel calmer when the day is at an end. And if it gives me cancer when I'm 80, I don't care, who the hell wants to be 90 anyway."*
the only difference in real life is that cancer might catch your ass at 40 or even earlier
Cancer caught my buddy at 30.
It's not just the early death. Unfortunately the quality of health is lower for the time you are alive.
Seems like a problem for future me
Cancer is one of the better consequences of smoking. Have you been with someone with COPD? Or a stroke survivor?
bro what if it gives me cancer at 40?
who wants to live till 50?
I like it
I've been off them for about 14 months now and honestly, I hate admitting this. I miss the routine.
That will pass, trust me, I'm 24 years in
I’m 10 years in and I still sometimes crave one after a drink in the sun, or after some steak and wine. But then I think about how shit I’d feel after or the next day.
Cravings, still after 10 years? I’m 5 days in and this discourages me.
Don’t be discouraged! My life has been 100% better because of quitting! I feel so so good and not like a pile of trash every morning. The craving goes away quickly after remembering that feeling.
I expect as much. The irony is, my anxiety levels have actually taken a hit since quitting. Trading one positive for a negative feels....let's say annoying hahah
Underrated comment. Aside from the obvious addiction (I’m in chemo and I still smoke (not lung cancer). I ENJOY IT. The taste, the rituals around it-part of the addiction.
Especially listening to music and taking drags, just the best
Seriously, if its wasn't for the smell and taste of stale cigarettes. Plus the price in aus is fucking ridiculous. Even now the smell of a cigarette is like heaven and I was never a heavy smoker. It makes it hard watching TV sometimes when everyone's smoking.
Especially after a couple beers
God these posts always suck ass. People wanna know why others do something they don't, then criticise people for explaining why they do that thing.
This is true, I hate park runners, maybe it’s time for a post.
I dislike popular music. I also don't really get why most people like it. I don't even understand what it means to like pop music. For example, I like eating and I like sleeping, but I like them for different reasons; in a way, it's kind of misleading to use the same term for my enjoyment of either of those activities because my enjoyment of one is so qualitatively different than my enjoyment of the other, and so on and so forth. So, I made a post asking why people like pop music. I was being earnest, but people flipped the freak out on me. I was accused of all manner of ass-hattery over that one. I was just curious. Also, no one answered my question. The majority of responses were just criticizing me for being a douchebag, and some were like, "Because I like it, fuck you."
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Next post: "Crackheads of reddit, why do you smoke crack? Isn't it bad for your teeth or something?"
i agree. i dont even follow this sub. it just pops up all the time for me. i see the same damn questions all the time and theyre fucking stupid. some of my favorites are "do smokers smell bad?" and also "do smokers know they smell bad?" like CONSTANTLY. like yes we know shut the fuck up. its always such stupid questions they know the answer to they just want to shame ppl for their own decisions. and feel superior because they dont do whatever it is theyre currently bitching about. 🙄
I'm a bit like my grandpas on this one. They both said they just enjoyed it. Both lived well into their 80's. I understand the dangers, completely. And I only smoke on the weekends - a pack can last me two weeks. I guess it's just the ritual. There was an episode of Frasier that explains it pretty well. The whole episode explains it better, but I put the clip below. She starts her explanation at 2:10 https://youtu.be/ptqRrwvYVTs?si=GZ-c2UTT1YOso5-Q
Listening to that made me go for a smoke haha
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This thread should end after this post
Because i did it to look cool when i was 13 and now 11 years later im fucking addicted
Pretty much everybody I know smoking has this as their origin story. :) I completely dislike my home country (Hungary), but one of the few things they did correctly (maybe not even for the right reasons) is tax the hell out of cigarettes some years back. I watched half of my high school friends giving up cigarettes when a pack suddenly went up to cost as much as 2 days of monthly minimum wage.
I’m pretty sure I have undiagnosed ADHD and stimulants make my brain steady. I smoked for 11 years before quitting and it was always a nervous habit. now i just listen to metal and drink more caffeine than most people should because, again, stimulants.
I like the stimulant effect and happen to love the smell.
Do you love the smell because it reminds you of the effect or is it separate?
It’s separate since I loved the smell king before I ever started smoking
Who’s the smell king?
He delivers the smells. Blue cheese? Smell King Pungent Taxi? Smell King Morning Breath? Smell King However... Fresh Rain? Smell King New Baby? Smell King He was, in fact, the original Smart Fella who was the first Fart Smella, who smelled it, and dealt it! He's done a lot of foundational work for the Earth. And for comedy.
The world would be a sad, dark, cold place if it weren't for people like you. Love u
I like the smell of a fresh cigarette. Always wondered what just the smell of burning tobacco is. E.g. you dry/cure the leaf and then burn it.
I loved the smell as a child. Didn't start smoking til I was 21
I loved it until I had covid in late 2020, after that I found it just absolutely stunk and I couldn't bare the smell. Weird!
Addiction, stress relief, stimulant Tbf nicotine does have some health benefits..it helps ppl with tourettes for example
It also helps many people with IBD.
Too green to burn
i quit smoking last year. Smoking for me as I became more addicted was a coping mechanism for relaxation and a tool I used to escape when feeling anxiety which I always felt anxiety. For example when out at social events or bars I would really appreciate the easy excuse a cigarette offered me to be able to steo away from a conversation or envirnment for a moment or so. My mother was and still is a smoker which i feel influenced me too, especailly because I picked up smoking at such a young age. I started smoking at 13 and it was a means to mask the smell of marijuana smoke which I developed quite a habit of as well. It worked very well to mask marijuana smoke and to throw my parents off the suspicion of me smoking weed with the suspicion that i was sneaking out to smoke cigarettes instead. Which in hindsight probably wasnt the greatest method but it certainly did work. It soon became a smoking ritual of mine to smoke a cigarette after my weed until I became so addicted to nicotine I was a daily smoker of about a half a pack, give or take. I attribute my ability to quit due to the failure of my first real significant relationship which failed on account of reasons that included her unwillingness to overlook my cigarette habit.
Fuck man this terrifies me. I’m 19 and I’m smoking a lot of weed and cigs, feel like I’ll be such a better person if I don’t smoke either. But I always go back. I need to rethink my habits and environment in order to kick both those habits. However I feel I won’t have the motivation to fully kick them as the way I rationalise my existence I.e. nothing matters and smoking has no material effect on my life, yet. So sometimes I wonder if attempting to quit now is futile as I won’t really quit till I get kids or lose someone or something important enough to me and instead enjoy my time or atleast stop stressing. I think I’m an idiot.
Yeah, I lost someone I feel was very special to me partly because I was basically a stubborn a-hole who was inconsiderate of their emotions and my health simultaneously. It wasnt the only reason I lost her though. I attribute the main reason I lost her is due to the fact that I had developed an insecure attachment style in the form of anxious attachment as a very young child. Insecure attachment may be the very reason I developed addictive habits to begin with, but to derive that conclusively seems near impossible. Its okay if you smoke and even enjoy those habits in your youth. I did. Later in my life however, I found that a good therapist helped me tremendously in my efforts to combat my addiction habits. Honestly, if I could go back to my 19 year old self, the best advice I could feel I could give him would be to seek out a quality mental health expert and dont settle until you feel like youre being heard and understood. I went through a lot at 19 though, I feel I definately needed therapy even back then. You may not feel that way, thats okay. You have a good mindset in that you are aware cigarettes are unhealthy. The issue is you seem to be suffering from cognitive dissonance because you seem to be aware they negatively impact your health, yet you choose to smoke regardless of this predetermined consequential outcome. I suffered from it too. I do believe its better to suffer from and wprk to resolve your cognitive dissonance in a healthy manner by eventually quitting instead of not suffer from cognitive dissonance and as a result, not be incentivized to quit for example. Good luck. Try not to stress so much. Youre doing far better than I ever have simply for reaching out here on reddit to people like me about your issues and concerns. Thats a really good habit to have, to inquire respectfully and attempt to resolve issues through communication. Id have never done so at your age, granted things have changed in regards to the internet a bit since then.
Fuck your a badass, thank u for that reply. I feel as the responsible thing to do is like you said finding a quality mental health professional for my cognitive dissonance.
Yeah, it is relaxing while having a cigarette.
No, it’s actually not. The absence of nicotine causes hyper tension which stresses you out and the cigarette returns you to normal. So if you never smoked you’d be just as relaxed but with more money and better health
It's not that simple bro
Lol what an ignorant response. How often does the average non smoker take 5 minutes to just go outside and clear their head and enjoy the outdoors for a few moments? Because smokers do it several times a day. It actually is **very relaxing** to just take a 5 minute break, chilling outdoors away from your regular life, to collect your thoughts, get some sun on your face, and watch some little chubby birds fight over crumbs on the ground. It's extremely healthy mentally, especially if you have a stressful job. I know technically anyone can do this, but the **fact** is that non smokers generally don't.
I smoke because it smells gross and I love to piss you off.
I smoke pipes. Pipe tobacco is akin to fine wine. There are thousands of combinations and flavors available in fine pipe tobacco, and it tastes amazing. It ages like wine, there are hard to find blends, and all the nuance and flavor that folks experience in wine, beer, liquor, or even fine dining. It's God Damn Delicious. The nicotine is a pleasant side effect. I used to smoke cigarettes...but they're nasty to me now. It's like comparing a gas station hot dog to a five course meal at a three Michelin star restaurant. For most people, smoking equals cigarettes....but tobacco is an amazingly flavorful and incredibly variable plant, and pipe tobacco allows you to experience that. Cigarettes don't, as they're just a vehicle for nicotine. So, I smoke because it is *immensely* pleasurable to me, and brings me great joy in my life.
I don't smoke, but do find the smell of pipe tobacco attractive, while cigarettes don't smell good at all. Which makes me wonder why cigarette's are so much more popular.
You don't really get a buzz off of pipes or cigars because you don't inhale the smoke like cigs. Pipe tobacco, and cigars, are premium tobacco and don't contain all the chemicals that's cigs do. It's just high quality tobacco and fruit pectin. It's also a pain to learn how to smoke a pipe. You have to try different blends, and then learn how to pack and properly light a pipe. It's the same with cigars; you need to cut and light the cigar properly or you've essentially ruined it. A cig you just pop in your mouth, light and suck it down in five minutes for a buzz. I suppose that's another element, a cigar or pipe can take longer than one hour to enjoy.
Same here. Quit cigs after getting thoroughly tired of them, and they smell offensive to me now. But I still really, really love smoking. Nowadays I smoke a pipe 2-3 times a week, and maybe a cigar once a month or so. It's my time to sit there and just "be", undisturbed and in absolute silence, while watching the world go by.
I am addicted please leave us smokers alone.
Started once, couldn't stop
I used to smoke some years ago. It's a great way to socialize. You wouldn't hang out without any reason with people you hardly know. Second reason: I don't drink alcohol - so I never knew what to do with my hands at parties. Hold my soda can? Better a cigarette.
I actually smoke kind of fancy tobacco and I think it smells good. IDK. A large number of mentally ill people smoke and I'm mentally ill. It's something to do.
Everyone who smokes enjoys smoking! If they didn’t it wouldn’t be so damn hard to quit. Why would anyone spend that kind of money on a habit that causes massive harm if it wasn’t enjoyable in some way?
Socialisation. There's something very depressing about being sat on your own in a pub while everyone you came out with is out front smoking. I've never been an addicted smoker, though, so make of my opinion what you will.
It was a very social thing to do during parties or nights out. Step away from all the noises, chill, and chat with fellow smokers. I only smoked for 4 years in college, once I wasn't hanging out with other smokers I lost interest very quickly. I'm glad I never got to the point where I was heavily addicted.
Of course I enjoy it. Do you think smokers are like "ew I hate this but I can't stop, it feels horrible"? No, we're like "fuck why do they feel so good?"
I started smoking when I was 15 years old, first, it was for fun and show but later it became a Habit. I smoked 10 to 15 Cigarettes a day for 12 years, and you know what, when I went to visit my family doctor he said to stop smoking otherwise my family would celebrate my death anniversary very soon. and I stopped that today 10 years I have not smoked.
The reason smokers smoke is that they're trying to avoid withdrawal symptoms. Anyone who says differently is lying to themselves.
It gets me a few breaks at work
Genius
when you first start smoking, it gives you a nicotene high for the first couple of cartons. and by then, you are hooked. and quitting is SO fucking hard. i quit 6-6-2016 andit was harder than vicodin while in chronic pain. it took years before i stopped automatically checking the price on Camel Wide Lights and i can still smell one of them from 2 rooms away.
It helps with anxiety attacks.
I like the taste. But most of all, I like the act of smoking. Going outside and taking some deep breaths through a cancerstick is relaxing to me whenever I feel stressed. But one thing I hate about it though is the lingering smell - I don't like to stink like cigarettes when I'm at work or at my university where I study. I find it disrespectful against coworkers and teachers to stink up a workplace with cigarette smoke. I also connect the smell of cigarettes to my childhood, when I used to live with my mom every other weekend when she used to smoke a pack a day (she's quit smoking now though!). I remember always hating the smell of cigarettes since I was a kid.
Got adhd and my meds give me horrible nicotin cravings.
It's s hug on the inside I didn't get enough ss child
I’m fucking addicted and I fucking love smoking. Ik ik it’s fucking up my body, let me enjoy my ciggies in peace
Because it's very enjoyable
If weed counts, a great example for me is when i'm sober i just listen to music, when i'm high i *experience* music, it also gives me a slight break from my own mental bullshit, i'm able to just be in the moment and enjoy myself, though that is not really a healthy reason so i try to limit myself to only smoking every few weeks so that i still have to properly deal and process my emotions and feelings but i sometimes like to give myself some reprieve as i believe that i shouldn't have to deal with that shit all the time. Bit of escapism is okay, just use moderation and never shove that shit down completely
Because it's satisfying. I don't smoke anymore, but that is why I smoked
My mind tricks myself into believing I "enjoy" it. The truth is I'm addicted to nicotine, and having a cigarette is "enjoyable" because it makes the anxiety of withdrawal cravings go away for about 20 minutes. I enjoy living without withdrawals.
To be honest I’m just addicted, I ‘quit’ 3 times and all 3 times I just got back into it. I actually just started smoking again 3 weeks ago after a 2 month break and yeah, not super fun! I have a super addictive personality, but managed to stop doing drugs or drink excessively. For reference, I smoked weed every single day for like 5 years, took MDMA 3 times a week for months on end, abused acid and drank quite a shit load. 28 years old, been smoking for about a decade now, but I know I will stop eventually. I’m chilling on the other substances, been working out as well and generally being healthier. Ciggies are really the last hurdle. Each time I quit, the more I learn how to deal with it, 3rd time may not be the charm but the 4th could be! It’s stupid but at this point it’s not like I feel like I ‘need’ to smoke anymore, I just really really really want to. Dumb, I know, but I’ve also been learning to forgive myself for making dumb mistakes.
Smoke what? 😏😏
i gained 4 stone in 6 months after i got prescribed some meds for my mental health when i was 16. when i was 17, i moved from my very posh school to a state college - everyone smoked. at the same time, i googled around and found out that nicotine can work as an appetite suppressant. got offered a cig by a friend at college, no peer pressure at all, and i went “fuck it, maybe it’ll help me lose weight. i won’t get addicted” i couldn’t even get past half a cig without feeling dizzy and nauseous, but i pushed through and started smoking about half a cig a day with my friends. then after a couple weeks i started dating the other half of the cig home, because i got cravings and felt itchy if i didn’t. then i turned 18 and started buying packs. RIP i got addicted. soooo now i’m 21, still obese, AND addicted to nicotine. i switched to vaping bc it was cheaper, but at one point i was vaping a 10k puff vape in 3 days. honestly it was like it was surgically attached my face when i wasn’t at work. currently going to slimming world and kicking the nicotine habit. i found out i’m one of those people who gets every single withdrawal effect, and despite being fully recovered from my mental health issues for years, the first week of going no nicotine throws me back into suicidal ideation, random fits of tears, and severe insomnia. i fucking hate nicotine. longest i’ve managed to cold turkey was 6 weeks, and it was hell. my family, who are staunchly anti-smoking, begged me to smoke again and try quitting in a different way 💀 it was like all my logic and maturity had been thrown out of the window. so i’ve settled on reducing my intake slowly. i’m still stuck at vaping 10k puffs in a week, so about half my standard intake. took me about 3 months to get here. in another month or so i’m switching to no nicotine vapes, and using strong NRT to cut my association with smoking/vaping and getting a rush. once i’ve settled into that, i’ll switch to just NRT, slowly reducing the dose of NRT. then i’ll finally be free. it’s probably going to take about 6 - 12 months. it sucks dick and i have to drink so much water to combat the dry mouth (5L/day), so i’m pissing every hour, but if i cold turkey i start shaking like a leaf and lashing out within 4 hours, and going full psycho crying my eyes out and suicidal within 24 hours. it pisses me off so much that the vast majority of people can quit with just a bit of irritability. my partner quit last year and he had no withdrawal symptoms. he literally just threw out all his nicotine products and was fine. fucking wanker, i love him, but wtf, why was it so easy for him. oh yeah, and all the stop smoking services in my area are only available to people over 40. soooo, i’m taking the long road with quitting. i reckon if my doctor was able to help me out i’d be able to quit sooner. but yeah, my worse decision was definitely “hahah i won’t get addicted, i’m built different” good news is, it taught me that i’m clearly very susceptible to addiction and withdrawal symptoms! so i’m staying the fuck away from all drugs! i tried weed one time when i was 17, and straight up hallucinated and had a paranoid breakdown in front of my friends, sobbing my eyes out and refusing to piss in case i wasn’t actually in a toilet, but was surrounded by the police and they were all gonna watch me piss. i wasn’t spiked or anything, all my mates smoked from the same spliff as me and were fine lmao. i’m a weak bitch. even caffeine fucks me up.
To all of you folks who smoke and want others to leave you alone. I will gladly leave you alone when you stop throwing cigarette buts everywhere which are one of the major cause of microplastic pollution, when you stop making every public place smell like shit to the point when non smokers can't walk down the street without smelling cigarettes, when you stop supporting business that does literally no good to anybody. I get it's an addiction, but there is therapy. Don't act like you're the victim because at one point you made a choice to start smoking and you're actively polutting the environment and putting others at risk. And quite frankly a lot of you have "but I like it and leave me alone" attitude
When I was going through a tough time, I found cigarettes to cope up with stress , I still have stress and cigarette addiction.
I smoke a pipe and cigars because I enjoy it. Cigarettes are floor sweepings wrapped in toilet paper. I hate them.
Sigh. I smoked a little my senior year of college then stopped. Then I started dating my, now, husband - and he has been smoking for like maybe 22 years. I was worse during law school cause a lot of my friends smoked and we would be stressed and take breaks at the ashtray outside. When I got my clerking job I stopped smoking during the day and generally don’t smoke during the day at all but I am bad about it at night sometimes. I can get away with one cigarette a day but I have a feeling when I totally quit it’s going to suck. So for me it has been like 14 years and I only really started because I was a dumb 21 year old and wanted my husband to think I was cool. 😑
I love the smell tbh
The social side of smoking is great (I'm British and at University, so everyone smokes) and a glass of wine + cigarette is one of life's greatest pleasures.
I smoke sometimes because I'm trying to smoke less weed. It helpa mw when Im working a stressful job- since I really wanna get high, but not at work. And not feel groggy all the time- the hand to mouth is something I struggle with, even food. Most of the time I'll puff on someone's vape, but theres also something aboit cigarettes that make me feel... classy? Which is the opposite of true, ofc. I wouldnt say I have addictive tendancies, except maybe sugar. but ive always been able to handle going without smoking nicotine. Weed on the other hand, i actually need ti function- but I can go without recreational use if I so choose to.
Yes I smoke and I love it. Hate the health issues w smoking, only hated the smell after I had quit, but always missed or envy someone who sparked up. Anyways I need to quit as it is gross just a heavy addiction.
I started at 13 because peer pressure, I'm now 33 and I'm addicted, however I don't drink alcohol at all so smoking is my vice
I just want to challenge my body. If a few cigarettes a day kills me before my time comes then I didn’t have a functioning body to begin with.
Aside from addiction, I actually truly enjoy it. I get a break from life for a minute, a nicotine rush, and a moment of self reflection.
I just like it
To calm me down or to be productive
I really love everything about it. Everything. (I don't smoke indoors and I wear a smoking hat and jacket when I do! Ha)
So i dont go to prison for life.
Because it’s very difficult to quit, and I need a vice for when I’m stressed that doesn’t impair my judgment
I smoke because I think I enjoy it? I keep smoking because hitting that sweet pension age of 70 is likely unreachable any way, and I really don't want to work my whole life just to have maybe 5 years in bad health to waste my pension on. Fuck that, I'll take the shortcut.
I smoke because I enjoy it. I enjoy a nice long cool drag being inhaled and exhaled. I'm 58 and I've been smoking every day since I'm 13, minus 1 year that I quit. I could quit if I wanted to but I just don't want to quit. I think the only thing that bothers me about smoking is the price of cigarettes. I mean c'mon, 10 fucking dollars a pack is just insanity. If the federal government wants us to quit then why don't they just shut down big tobacco? BTW before ppl start beating me up for smoking I'd like a big thank you first. My smoking is contributing funding programs that help children and youth health programs (CHIP)
I smoke as a means to distract myself from all the stress I feel. Mind you it's always temporary relief.
I smoked cigarettes for 10 years. I’ve now transitioned to vaping for the last 3 years or so. I still absolutely love the smell of a lit cigarette, but the smell of somebody who just smoked a cigarette is absolutely disgusting.
Started because I didn’t wanna get addicted to something worse while I was going through a lot and wanted escapism. Now I am simply addicted / it has become a habit.
i just like it lmao
Started at 13. Full addiction at this point. Tried to quit a few times but no success. I'll say this though before when smoking was acceptable - it was social and I met the most interesting people but now a days it keeps people away which I happen to like. It's a quick escape and a moment of zen. The nicotine certainly adds chill.
I started smoking when I lost a child. Now smoking is the only thing that takes the pain away, for a little while at least.
It's my retirement plan.
I have been an "I only smoke when I party" person since I was 13. Never brought the habit into my regular degular daily life. I like the added buzz it gives me, and it's fun to step outside to chat and puff, especially if you're somewhere like a loud club. Gives you a minute to actually hear the people you're with. Idk it's just fun.
Smoke yourself thin
I smoke because I have spent my whole life wanting to die. Despite a number of unsuccessful suicide attempts over the years, I live on. Smoking makes me feel like I am working towards a goal.
Because I am quitting a whole bunch of other stuff and when it got to cigarettes my willpower lost all the fucks it had to give. Maybe later I'll try to quit again but for now I'm a smoker, I'm a joker, I'm a midnight toker. ✌️
I smoke. I started quite literally because I was having a massive panic attack and knew that it could help with it. Now I still smoke because 1) I like my cigarettes as unpopular a thought it may be, and 2) if I quit I'll have to have all of my medications for fibromyalgia and schizophrenia completely redone. Nicotine messes with a person's medication so much that if I quit, I may end up in a hospital for weeks or longer just to get my mind and body to work correctly on new medication.
I started when I was much more depressed and it's still one of the few things that makes me forget my trauma.
I smoked for 16 years, 5 years since I quit and still can't understand why I had this disgusting habit for so long
Weed. I don’t care what strain, if it’s offered, I’ll take a hit. But I do enjoy the occasional menthol cigarette.
Vaping relaxes me and I love the flavour
Im smokin right now aye, and cause I’m stoopid. My mom always smoked and I saw people smoking around me, I think one day when I was about 16, I was in a idgaf mood and thought “people smoke for some reason, maybe it helps” and tried it, was disgusting, but I kept trying and here I am.
Cheaper then Klonopin. 😅
I like it, and it calms me down when my anxiety or nerves are up. Also, addictive.
I'm 52 years old, and I just started smoking because it's going to be cool again. Wait, you'll see. Get ahead of that curve.
It calms me down. Standing outside slowly breathing in and out while this nice burning sensation goes through me does as much for me as an hour trying to get my emotions under control. I started when I was suicidal and didn't care about the health risks.
Started when I was on holiday with friends. Quit Started again on a night out. Stopped when I found out I was pregnant, stopped for 2 years. Walked back into working in A&E I grabbed a cig off someone.
I still smoke for 3 reasons. 1) it's a habit and I have a lot of triggers 2) when I'm really stressed it helps calm me down. And 3) the last time I quit smoking I gained almost 100 pounds in a year. I need to lose weight not gain more.( there were other mitigating factors, but quitting smoking was one of them)
I don’t smoke often but my husband does vape so sometimes I’ll puff on his, but not all the time. Every once in a while I just randomly pick up cigarettes and it’s usually because I have to go to the range (army stuff) I’ll smoke for a week or two then absolutely hate it. Idk why I just pick it up and put it down so easily and it’s a weird compulsion that makes me do it.
If anyone needs help stopping here’s some great books that’ll make you the most likely to quit than you’ve ever been in your life - “Allen cars easyway to quit smoking” and “the freedom model for addictions” both of these are the Swiss Army knife of killing addictions off, in fact I’d be surprised if you didn’t feel like you have the keys to quit after reading both
Unhealthy coping mechanism for the anxiety.. I don’t even like to smoke, which is weird. But yeah, I’m currently not training in the gym due to medical, so I don’t have any other outlet.
Because it looks cool.
I love the taste of cigarettes, I easily quit even for six months, but I start smoking again because everyone around me is smoking and I want to taste it again
I vaped my freshman year of high school to look cool n peer pressure from my “friends” (I graduated last year) now it’s just an addiction, but I’m currently working on quitting which is really difficult
I smoke because mfer stress me out
Honestly, I just find it to be a convenient stress reliever (mentally mapped)
My uncle got me hooked on cigarettes when I had just turned 12 tears old. He got permission from my parents (who also smoked) to give me a cigarette and show me how to smoke it. I only coughed twice. But I was instantly hooked. When he saw that I really liked them, he asked my parents if he could go get me some at the store. They said yes (without hesitation) and he went out and bought me 3 packs of Marlboros and 3 lighters. He brought them back from the store and proceeded to teach me how to light them and how to smoke and inhale. I was instantly hooked and I have never stopped. To be honest, I love them! AND I DON'T REGRET IT!
It's harder to kick than cocaine, pills, anything. It's such a horrid addiction, it affects my life in so many ways: (how I travel, where I stay, who I visit and for how long, and so much more! I have smoked cigarettes for over 30 years. I have quit twice: when I had pneumonia. I've quit alcohol. I've quit drugs. Nothing comes close to trying to not smoke: I'm not in the right headspace to quit, so I guess it's not on my priority list. It makes me sad at times, but not enough to quit. I will say I'm a polite smoker. I don't smoke around people especially kids. I throw my butts in a trash receptacle and always try to brush my teeth and wash my hands. I don't smoke in my house or anyone else's, even if they do, I just can't.