I smoked heavily for 23 years, until I quit five years ago due to a cancer scare. Now I just regret how much of my life I wasted on it... like the other guy said, 'how could I have been so monumentally fucking stupid?'. Basically I was deluded, and it's only when you're outside that delusion that you can see it for what it is. Beliefs and fears that kept me hooked... like 'how will I get get by without all those breaks?' only to realise once I was out, that they weren't natural needs at all; ie I don't need breaks all the time, every time I change activity or whatever, it's the smoking that does that. So as a smoker it's like you're constantly stretching a rubber band, and when you smoke it's like letting go and it loses the tension... but that tension never really, truly, goes away while you're a smoker.... you just start metaphorically stretching it again. Only once I was out did I realise, there is no rubber band, no constant increasing tension that needs periodically relieving, but I don't think that's something I could have learned whilst under the delusion. So that was personally my biggest takeaway from quitting.

I smoked for 30 years and during most of that time I wanted to be rid of the habit.

(October 20, 2023 at 7:39 am)The Grand Nudger Wrote: Love it.   Damned shame it's gonna kill me.  Unless I manage to figure out some florida man shit first, that is.

I never pegged you as a smoker. FWIW if you do have any interest in quitting, but are finding it difficult, I'd highly recommend the drug I used to quit. It was a prescription only drug, and IMO a miracle drug, called Champix (just ask your doctor about it). It basically rewires your perception of smoking, makes you perceive it as bland and pointless. It's great if you have trouble with the willpower required to quit smoking by other means, because this hardly needs any beyond the decision of when to actually have your last cigarette. For me, quitting was just that decision followed by a gradual and deliberate process of identifying and exposing myself to as many smoking triggers as I could think of until I had basically reconditioned all my habits.

I've mentioned before that I went cold turkey. NOT for everyone, rarely have I run into someone for whom it worked. The greatest benefit from CT is that you NEVER want to go through that again.

(October 21, 2023 at 11:16 am)Gawdzilla Sama Wrote: I've mentioned before that I went cold turkey. NOT for everyone, rarely have I run into someone for whom it worked. The greatest benefit from CT is that you NEVER want to go through that again.

I certainly respect anyone who can do it that way. I just lacked the willpower, and it speaks even more to that that it took hitting rock bottom so to speak... a cancer scare... before I did it. Tbh if I didn't have access to that drug I don't know if I'd have been able to do it cold turkey, even with that cancer scare.

There is no wrong way to quit. In my years of smoking I learned and used a large variety of quitting tools. I think having a full set of armor was key to finally sticking with it.

There's an organization that is religiously dedicated to the idea that cold turkey is the only way to quit. From what it appeared, they'd decided the Wikipedia page on smoking cessation was going to be as slanted toward cold turkey as possible.

I suggest aversion therapy for smokers who want to quit: light up near me and I’ll set you on fire.

Boru

(October 21, 2023 at 11:33 am)emjay Wrote:

(October 21, 2023 at 11:16 am)Gawdzilla Sama Wrote: I've mentioned before that I went cold turkey. NOT for everyone, rarely have I run into someone for whom it worked. The greatest benefit from CT is that you NEVER want to go through that again.

I certainly respect anyone who can do it that way. I just lacked the willpower, and it speaks even more to that that it took hitting rock bottom so to speak... a cancer scare... before I did it. Tbh if I didn't have access to that drug I don't know if I'd have been able to do it cold turkey, even with that cancer scare.

I had a mantra: "I am stronger than this addiction!"

(October 21, 2023 at 12:37 pm)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote: I suggest aversion therapy for smokers who want to quit: light up near me and I’ll set you on fire.

Boru

I was in the Deserter Apprehension Unit in San Diego while I was quitting. The Master Chief gave me a stack of files and one month in LA to clear all of them.

(October 21, 2023 at 12:34 pm)Angrboda Wrote: There is no wrong way to quit. In my years of smoking I learned and used a large variety of quitting tools. I think having a full set of armor was key to finally sticking with it.

There's an organization that is religiously dedicated to the idea that cold turkey is the only way to quit. From what it appeared, they'd decided the Wikipedia page on smoking cessation was going to be as slanted toward cold turkey as possible.

Yeah, whatever works for the individual is good. Just didn't work very well for me, the traditional methods of cold turkey or NRT, but if they work for others, great.

Strange to hear that about wiki though.