Ex-Smokers: Helpppp!

Txbred87

Hey guys! So, I am a smoker. I've been smoking since I was 16, I am now 30. I smoke a little over a pack a day on average. I am trying to make healthier choices in every other aspect of my life and I feel it's pointless if I'm still smoking. Not only that, but exercise and going to the track is much harder to do when you smoke. I did 1 mile the other day. I walked half, jogged the other and thought I was going to have lung give out. I know I can do it! I was super pumped! It's my lungs that are struggling. I want to quit. I've tried the patch. I've tried the gum. I've tried the whole "vape" trend. The problem is, I enjoy smoking. It's more than just a habit. When I go without it feels like my blood is bubbling. The anxious feeling of needing a cigarette is terrible! Plus, I work for a small family owned company- and we are allowed to smoke inside. And EVERYONE here smokes!! Also, I don't want to gain weight when I quit!!! So.... Did you used to smoke? How long? How did you quit? How long until you felt a difference? Helppp!!!

AshAlvarezz

I smoked for about 5/6 years & stopped a little over a year ago. I said for months I was going to stop then one day I just said screw it. They are too expensive & there's really no point.
I feel amazing now. I'm at the point where I HATE being around people smoking which a lot of my friends still do, hate the smell hate everything about it. You just have to be dedicated, for me it was just something to do with my hands, so try finding something else if that is the case for you too, my sister used the green tea toothpicks & they really helped her stop.

bigmuneymfp

Vape

ShrinkingViolet1982

I ended up quitting after 12 years of smoking because a family friend died in a head-on car crash from a drunk driver. It was a real wake-up call that she died through no fault of her own, and I was sitting there killing myself on purpose.

My mom and I quit together cold turkey, and it was really hard. Every time I wanted a smoke (1 1/2 packs a day), I had to tell myself "Why would you want a cigarette? You don't smoke." and chew gum/take walks/drink water all day. You're right, the only thing to keep an eye on though is not to replace the smoking with food. You don't gain weight just from lack of nicotine, but because you're bored and eat too much.

Maybe your quitting will inspire some of your coworkers as well. It'll be hard, but very shortly you will see how strong the smell is once your tastebuds and nose get back to normal, and it'll irritate you into not having any.

Mycophilia

I came across and read this website. Quit that same day and haven't had a smoke in 2.5 years.

tabletop_joe

My story's close to @ButterballBookworm

Identifying as a non-smoker works very well. It's what drove my success quitting. I bought nice shampoo and perfume and worked on finding joy in smelling really good--smoking would undo that! So I didn't smoke. And haven't since, after over 11 years as a smoker. My mom did too--she was 31 years a smoker.

You can do it. If your job is standing in the way, you need to find another. It's that important that you quit.

vaman

Quitting smoking is not easy! I smoked heavily for many years and attempted to quit many times. Tried the patches, gum, hypnosis and group therapy (gum and the patches several times each.)

What finally worked for me was Chantix, I've been smoke free for over four years now. It does require a doctor's prescription and it's not inexpensive, but it works for many people.

Whatever method you use to quit, please give it your best shot. Cigarettes will kill you!

smurph1968

I smoked at least a pack a day for 20 years. I quit over 10 years ago. I wanted to quit because I was starting to feel the damage it was doing to my health. I ended up in the hospital and couldn't breathe and I just KNEW it was cancer! It wasn't, it was pneumonia, thank goodness, so that's when I quit. That really scared me. I used Commit Lozenges and they really helped. I also used an online smoking cessation forum. My mother also quit after smoking for nearly 50 years. She used Chantix and swears by it. Good luck! You can do it! You will be so surprised how great you will feel in just a few weeks!! I loved smoking too but I am SO HAPPY I quit.

zyxst

Smoked for 17 years. I was only able to stop because I couldn't afford the price a carton cost in Canada.

ShrinkingViolet1982

zyxst wrote: »

Smoked for 17 years. I was only able to stop because I couldn't afford the price a carton cost in Canada.

Seriously. Just ridiculous the price up here.

YvetteK2015

I smoked from the time I was 13 to 30. At 30 I got cancer. Period. Quit. It's easy to think "well, I'm still so young, I have time". Guess what, you never know when the big C is going to knock on your door. Then you start to ask yourself "Would I have gotten this if I quit 5 years ago, 3 years ago, 1 year ago.....why didn't I just quit instead of making these half hearted attempts.
And I know it's hard. I LOVED smoking. I enjoyed it so much. Until reality punched me in the face at 30.

millzy64

I was a pack a day smoker for over 30 years. I changed over to vaping a few years ago an never looked back. Don't bother with the over the counter e-cigs you see in the convenience stores. Go to a vape shop, find a tobacco flavor that works for you and start with the highest nicotine level. They can hook you up with an advanced unit that will give you a much better draw and have a much wider choice of flavors, etc. You can lower the nicotine of the juice as you go along. I totally understand what you say about enjoying smoking. My wife and I both feel the same way. We now vape rather than smoke and I have to tell you, your lungs clear as if you quit. I used to get so winded just walking up my driveway that I had to rest when I got to the top. Now I can run a 5k. I can't say vaping is "safe" but I can say with certainty that my lungs are VERY happy with me since I changed over. No coughing, no smell, none of the tar clogging up the lungs, not to mention you'll save a boatload of money! If you can't quit, I would recommend giving it another shot.

GiddyupTim

Running cuts your risk of lung cancer by a lot.
I also think that running helps because it gives you a little bit of an incentive to smoke less, and the problem with quitting is that there is no positive reinforcement when you don't smoke. You just suffer cravings. But, if you run, the running is easier when you don't smoke. That's a positive reinforcement, of sorts.
I started smoking daily at age 13 years. Made my first attempt at quitting at, probably, age 22 years. Smoked about two packs a day, but never stopped trying. Finally made it at age 51 years, with Chantix.
Chantix made it fairly easy for me. But, that said, in the actual FDA approval studies for the the drug, varencycline, the results weren't impressive. They were something like: If 10 percent of people who try to quit are still quit at one year, then 15 percent of those who used varencycline were still quit at one year.
You should try to quit. We smokers tend to kid ourselves with the idea that we like it. But, if that is true, why does every smoker try to quit eventually? We think we like smoking because we like the relief from the cravings we sometimes get when we light up. But, smoking, in and of itself, is not that pleasurable after the first few times.

manderson27

I smoked from the age of 16 I am 60 now.

I quit in October 2015. I had a really bad chest infection and it scared me to death. I really thought "This is it, I have lung cancer and I am going to die" Finally the message had been driven home.

Also the fear in my husbands eyes as I hunched over and coughed and coughed and coughed until I was sick and nearly passed out made me understand that this was not just about me. He was terrified he was going to lose me and our children were going to lose their mum.

This habit was going to kill me, truly kill me. So I stopped. I did have an electronic cigarette but barely used it. I did fall off the wagon on night while out with my best friend drinking.

But like losing weight I got back on the horse next day and haven't smoked since.

I did put on a lot of weight because I just could not cope with dieting and quitting but there is no reason that you should do this. YOU CAN DIET AND QUIT AT THE SAME TIME. I just was not able to do this.

But I feel so much better, I breathe better, I sleep better, I have more stamina, I am much richer, I don't stink, my gums are healing, my teeth are whiter, the list is endless. My lungs are scarred from all the years of smoking but they function much better even with the scarring.

I have made the best decision of my life, for my life.

THE ONLY WAY TO STOP SMOKING IS TO STOP BUYING THEM AND PUTTING THEM IN YOUR MOUTH.

It is hard, really really hard to get that monkey off your back. But it is so worth it.

Txbred87

Wow, thank you guys so much for sharing your experiences with me. Some of them actually scared me into putting out my cigarette as i read the comments. I'll check out that link tonight. I'm super nervous because I can't imagine life without smoking..as terrible as that sounds. But if you all can do it, i know i can too. I just need to follow through and do it. Thank you all so much!!