Quitting smoking, need some encouragment!

[EightEightFive]

Just some info I recently discovered that may help. My mom has been smoking for my entire existence, around 1/4 of a century. She recently got something along the lines of "Auricular Therapy" but instead of acupuncture it was some kind of electric shock. It's supposed to put you at around the day 5 mentality of quitting cold turkey. It has been about a week and she hasn't touched a cigarette.

Here in the Midwest it cost about $120..... Might be something to look into if you are wanting to quit.

Cheers /885

 

[J.]

Dipped for 7 years, just crossed my one month mark without it. Feels good. I only smoke cigarettes if I’m blitzed but that’s what I’m going to tackle next.

 

[DocCallahan]

Everybody here is pulling for you to quit.
There’s no bigger support group. Seriously.
The personally stories on here will tug your heart strings.

It’s not worth it, and you know it. So the only left is to face the mustard and swim through it. It’ll suck, you know. That’s why you do. It’s just another challenge. Too easy. Make it a mentality, ignore the pain or make it your motivation.

You got this brother

 

[Marauder06]

Here is some motivation for you. This story is 100% true.

I've known "Thomas" (not his real name) since I was in the 8th grade. He and my father worked together and his family lived down the street from mine. His son and daughter and my sister and I all went to the same junior high and high schools. His son was my best friend and best man at my wedding, and I took his daughter to her senior prom. Our families have been close for decades. My parents moved away after I graduated from high school, but when I came back to town (which was often), I always had a meal and a place to spend the night.

Years later, I joined the organization and Thomas ended up being my deputy. We had a very close relationship both in the unit and in our personal lives. Thomas and his wife were our "emergency contacts" for our children, etc. The relationship that Thomas had with his wife was what I tried to pattern my own marriage after.

The problem was, Thomas had (probably still has) a several-packs-a-day smoking habit for as long as I have known him. His daughter called my wife a little while ago to tell us that Thomas is in the hospital and is going to die of cancer. It has progressed so far now that it probably only has a few weeks to live. I don't have to be a doctor to be 100% confident it is smoking-related.

Thomas is leaving his wife, his two children, five grandchildren, the organization he worked for for all these years, and all of the rest of us because he couldn't. stop. smoking. It took over his life and now it will kill him. Smoking doesn't kill everyone, but it is going to kill Thomas. In college I visited my paternal grandfather in the hospital days before he died of smoking-induced emphysema. It was terrible. My maternal grandfather, a non-smoker, lived another twenty + years and died at the age of 93.

I know it's not a rational thing, but I'm pissed off at Thomas for choosing cigarettes over all of us. Other than smoking, he kept himself in pretty good health and probably would have lived another 10, 15, 20 years. Now he's going to be gone.

Stop smoking. Do it now. Do it for yourself, for your family, for your unit... for everything that matters to you. Don't "try," don't do it later, quit right now. Throw away every cigarette you have and never buy another one. Be stronger than your addiction, and live to be there for the people who love you. I know it's not easy, but it can be done. What is more important to you?

Someone “liked” this post today so it came back up in my alerts. The organization I referenced in the original post was JSOC. Thomas worked with my father there when they were both in active duty. He retired and stayed on there and was then my deputy when I came back to Bragg. If he didn’t smoke, he would probably still be at JSOC, doing great things for the country.

But he’s not, because he was addicted and it killed him.

If you are reading this and you smoke, do WHATEVER IT TAKES to quit. Dying from a smoking-related illness is painful, protracted, and ruinously expensive.

 

[RoosterJ]

Someone “liked” this post today so it came back up in my alerts. The organization I referenced in the original post was JSOC. Thomas worked with my father there when they were both in active duty. He retired and stayed on there and was then my deputy when I came back to Bragg. If he didn’t smoke, he would probably still be at JSOC, doing great things for the country.

But he’s not, because he was addicted and it killed him.

If you are reading this and you smoke, do WHATEVER IT TAKES to quit. Dying from a smoking-related illness is painful, protracted, and ruinously expensive.

@Marauder06, that was me that liked your post. While I am not personally a smoker, many of my family members were, and I can't say I have ever heard a more convincing story on why you should quit. You made the point crystal clear and made it so that it is relatable to anyone. I am glad you reposted, that way anyone just reading through this thread who smokes will hopefully see it.

 

[LibraryLady]

I've been a quitter for more years than a bunch of y'all been alive. We didn't have options to assist us in quitting back then. I found there were "habits" that I had to change to get the quitting to stick.

Now I'm watching someone slowly trying to wean off the smokes. Didn't realize how agonizing it is to be the one watching.

Here's hoping it works!

LL

 

[BloodStripe]

Just passed 8 years cigarette free. Keep at it, those trying to quit.

 

[pardus]

Working in the medical field I cannot tell you how fucking harmful and stupid smoking is. It is phisiology safer to be a heroin addict that it is to smoke cigarettes.
It's like adding a drop of Agent Orange to every drink you consume.
I see people die from this all the time, end stage, it's horrific. I'm sympathetic but I also think, "You did this to yourself, and you knew it!".
The same with fat fucks.

 

[Gordus]

I would argue very notable-to extreme obesity is a greater bitch to general health than slowly committing suicide by accumulated tobacco residue. I've seen and know quite many old smokers who are still kicking, some better than the avarage non-smoker, and in contrast knew several people who unfortunatly had their life span reduced by all the consequences of obesity, sugar and binge eating. You cripple your spine and mobility at an early age. Had to fight it myself and still suffer for being a stupid boi back then. But that's just one observation from one person.

 

[LibraryLady]

Abusing your body is not a good thing, the chemical processes in your brain are difficult to repattern and habits are hard to break.

Will power is key. Everyone's got will power, how else do we get out of bed and everything else we do? It's not easy, but it's possible.

LL

 

[BloodStripe]

It's an addiction. Even after 8 years I still get cravings. Me reading about smoking or talking about it always makes me want one.

 

[48over4000]

It took me four attempts and the only thing that worked was cold turkey. I both smoked and dipped and found that salted sunflower seeds worked wonders.

You got this shit.

 

[48over4000]

Dipped for 7 years, just crossed my one month mark without it. Feels good. I only smoke cigarettes if I’m blitzed but that’s what I’m going to tackle next.

I found it harder to quit dipping. Smoked for 10 years and the only thing I ever crave is a pinch of Copenhagen.

 

[48over4000]

@JohnnyBoyUSMC how are you doing?

 

[Kaldak]

Dipping is a b&*ch to quit. Patches and gum...when my rolls are done, I'll try for "real". No cheat days this time.

I mean, I can't waste tins after all.

 

[Bambi]

Little insight here from a forum newbie:

10/26/2017, when I was 17, my mom passed from Cancer. She was a heavy smoker, died at the age of 46. I was angry, she didn't put cigs down until it was too late. The day that I had my first kiss ever, was the day she was diagnosed with cancer. Less than a month later, she died.
Think about your kids, friends, family.

 

[LibraryLady]

Well... it's official. I live with a quitter. My positive thinking means it's going to stay that way!

LL

 

[Bambi]

That quitter, is a winner. Most important decision regarding their health that they will ever make.

 

[J.]

Over 6 months without smoking now, if you think you can’t do it, you can. Don’t quit quitting.

 

[Hackney1993]

Any tips to help with the cravings? I'm trying to Join the Army in December and I know if I don't before I ship out Basic will be a bitch for sure. I know it's pretty much 100% mental as well but, I would love if something you tried help cause ive put down all my old bad habits but cigarettes are for sure the hardest thing ive tried to quit.