Quitting Smoking

Sigh. I've decided (for like the millionth time in my life) that this weekend, I'm going to try to quit smoking. I met a man today at work, a customer, and got to talking with him for about forty-five minutes (needless to say, it was a "slow" day), and he was in the middle of his chemotherapy treatments for cancer. Long story, but basically he said he'd smoked for 20 years, did drugs, drank, the whole nine yards...and anyway the conversation ended up being inspiring. I have a coworker who just quit smoking after ten years of it, and she says she feels so much healthier, etc. Plus, it's getting expensive...really expensive. It just seems silly to keep spending money on something that's...killing me. Plus, seeing this guy who used to be a triathelete, who could hardly talk and his breaths sounded strained and sickly, was eye-opening. Plus, I hate the fact that I'm "addicted" to anything. I don't know. There's a fairly high chance that I'll fail at this. Who's to say I won't get stressed about work, or money, or something else, and say, "fcuk it, I need a cigarette". We'll see. Just felt the need to share my pseudo-revelation...

Nope, I've changed my mind. This weekend is just too soon. I have a couple stressful things going on right now. I think I'll tentatively set the date of August 15th, 2003 at 9:00 a.m. Yes.

I think tomorrow I will try to see how long I can go without a cigarette before I freak out. I've done this once, ONE TIME before, long ago...maybe a couple years ago...and I remember being very restless and not being able to concentrate on anything but the idea of smoking a cigarette. Until I had it. And then I felt guilty. And then I thought, "well, feeling guilty sucks, so I'm just going to smoke when I want to". lol...

I think I need an online antismoking support group...

Okay. I realize this is my fourth post to myself. I think I'm thinking "out loud"? Grrrr....so I'm sitting here wondering if I can actually do this. It seems silly, but cigarettes have gotten me through so much in my life. lol...No really...they have. At work, when I have to go about five hours without a smoke, I notice that without even thinking about it, I hold my pen like a cigarette (good Lord...I have a problem)...I really don't know if I can do this. I mean, I know I can do ANYTHING, but the question is, will it drive me to a mental institution?? I am wondering how bad my withdrawals are going to be. I've heard it's different for everyone. What if I get all...excorcist-ish...we'll need a young priest, and an old priest...lol...)

Oh, time for a smoke now.

🙂

Someone call the authorities about me...I am a danger to myself. lol

One thing that helps is that I "thought I'd try something different" and bought a pack of Camel Turkish Jades (menthols)...and I really don't like menthols, especially these particular ones...so the desire to smoke them isn't too strong.

Is that stopping me entirely? No. lol. But it's helping. A little.

Hmmmmm Phoenix, YOU have given all of your power to cigarettes....you are letting them control you. Why? Take your power back and YOU make the decision to honor yourself and change your life. You can do it if you really, really want to. Honestly, with any addiction it comes down to: Do you love yourself? This is the basis, the truth of any unhealthy situation that we find ourselves in. We don't love and honor ourself enough nor do we feel worthy. Once one understands this, the choices that we make will reflect this.

Yes, life is difficult but.....you do have the power within yourself to change, you just need to claim it and believe it! 🙂

I wish you the best, you are a remarkable person and you are needed here.

Love,
Freebird

Try nicotine patches..I hear they work.

I had a friend get hypnotized....it worked and he has never had the desire to smoke at all...

We LOVE you Phoenix!!!!!!!

Yes Phoenix definitely set a date ahead of time and try and cut down until then so your ready for it. And you could take Freebird's advice for hypnotism, I have heard that works very well, because it really is all in your head the mental part is a lot worse than the physical part. I myself started smoking cigars to help quit cigarettes they taste better and they are easier to walk away from, but I doubt you wanna do that. lol
Anyway good luck, I know you will be able to kick the habit if you set your mind to it.

Thanks for your support my "peeps"! (lol, just wanted to say "peeps")... 😛

Seriously though, it's nice. I've decided to just calm down about it, and take my time with it, because I know it'll be hard to do it cold turkey.

Considering hypnosis and the patch. Does "the gum" work?

P.S. Actually romeclone, not a bad idea about the cigars. I've smoked "Swisher Sweet" cigars, cherry-flavored, etc. I don't know if those qualify as "real" cigars, because they're smaller and skinnier than the ones you see Mafia guys smoking. Anyway, cigars weird me out because you're not supposed to inhale, which goes against every urge in my body when something is in my mouth, that I'm supposedly "smoking"...lol...however, that very fact could eventually turn me off to smoking anything after a while.

Thank you for the kind words, Freebird. You are also a remarkable person. 🙂

This may not mean much but last year we buried a friend who was a pack a day smoker. Lung cancer. she was 34.

I wish you the very best of luck too for your deadline date PR!!! My advice is going to come from a different angle - OK you can get cancer, OK you may die....but listen to me - use the vanity thingy here....smoking SO ages you...so ages you!!....your gonna get wrinkles round your lovely mouth and yellow skin and jaundiced eyes - just keep thinking wrinkles, wrinkles, wrinkles.....:-) Vanity thy name is Phoenix Rising:-)

Also believe it or not,if you are a young male, it can cause your picker to stop working when you get old. Doc told me this, I do not smoke, just talking at the pub one night he said it works just like the heart. the blood veseals fill up and clog in the picker no more standing up when its needed. Good reason to quite if your male.

So PR - can you just imagine it......you go out with your latest partner and you enter a beautiful dim-lit restaurant and share a nice romantic meal together staring into each others eyes byt he candle light - and then you and partner retire to dim-lit bedroom:-) Then partner decides they want to "do it" with the lights on!!! And they switch on the light to see your beautiful face and they reel back in horror at your wrinkly wrinkly face and to top it all - you can't get it up - what a disaster!!! for you, the partner and the p....r!! as JT calls it!!:-) - oh we are going into the realms of gibberishness here - so come on PR - no more huffing and puffing - "just do it"!!:-)
A x

Quit smoking now. Smoking is yukky! I refuse to kiss a woman that smokes, its like kissing an ashtray. Not only is it bad for your health but to me its unattractive.

Not that my opinion matters to you, but i think you can change if someone helps to remind you too like a boyfriend that cares for you alot. hey anything helps because thats one of the hardest habbits to quit.

In New York it's been state law that there's no smoking in any restaurants. Now they just extended it to bars as well... In NYC you can't smoke inside any buildings I think except for private residences... Basically any public places with a fixed roof you can't smoke at... I think it's just really stupid that they banned smoking in bars. I mean, I think smoking is disgusting and it makes me choke and my brother gets asthma... but still... people should have the right to smoke if they want to.

Even though I am a former cigarette smoker and current cigar smoker I think people should be allowed to go wherever they want and not have to breathe in someone else's smoke. People also have the right to breathe.

I guess... 😛 (only kidding)

I am a considerate smoker. I don't smoke in enclosed places, near children, the elderly, and people who are hooked up to breathing apparatuses. Thanks Alana and Johny (although Johnny, I don't need a boyfriend to help me quit...I've learned since my fairly recent breakup that a lot of things I thought I "needed" a boyfriend for, I don't). Thanks for the encouragement though. 🙂

if people cant quit then i saw this ad of this 'new revolutionary ciggeratte' and i looked at the message boards, many have said positive things about it. So maybe some of you would like to check it out?

Holy Smokes... 😉

I'm so going to try these. And I found out the 7-11 near my house sells them. I'm so excited...yeah...because, I think right now is a really bad time to try to quit entirely, as I'm a bit stressed as to whether or not I'm going to get this new job...and I will have no paycheck soon...and that means no money, which means little to no personal freedom, which means...I'm gonna go out of my mind. So I'm definitely going to give these things a try. And then, once I've got the job (positive thinker that I'm trying to be...snicker), I'm gonna really quit. Oh yes Indeed.

Thank you Luz, for the link. Very much.

Today...is the first day of "cutting down". I have five cigarettes...I'm only smoking half at a time, to make it seem like more. And this is going to be difficult, I can tell already. Because here's the sucky thing: the more I think about QUITTING, the more I just plain think about CIGARETTES. eep. I think I'm going to do my own version of electric shock therapy and put a rubber band around my wrist and snap it when I'm thinking impure cigarette thoughts. 🙂

g'luck pheonix 🙂

Thank ya 🙂

okay. here's this. slowly. of course but u know i don't think the reward system will work. ypmbosttenusm will work. just good luck though. and be strong.

as to the fact of smoking legal. it's like saying having to tell someone fire burns. it's the same way.

Hey Phoenix, any luck with quitting smoking yet? I would sure like to find a way for my mom to quit smoking but she won't listen to me. 😢

phoenix i still lov you and i miss you.