Can I just say, and I'm just being honest...

[Jackalope]

I'm trying...it's so hard with all the stress I'm under right now. I have cut way back though. I went from a pack down to about 8 a day. So that's a start.

I had to really be ready to do it. I used to get sick several times a year, all upper respiratory infections. Bad bad bad pneumonia in '13. Finally a year ago almost to the day I started to get sick again - and I remembered how fucking sick I was and how close to losing my life I was. I haven't touched tobacco since. I was a pack+ a day smoker for a long time.

I haven't been sick since, and my lungs are in much better shape

I don't know what motivates you, but if you find it, you'll succeed. You can do it

[Joods]

Thanks CD. Rob quit smoking six weeks ago. He smoked more than a pack a day but he had chest pains one day at work and he ended up getting admitted to the hospital. They never did find out what was wrong, but that alone scared him enough to quit.

They say trying to quit smoking is worse than breaking free of hard core drugs like heroin. I don't know if that is true, as I've never tried that stuff but it is very hard for me to stop smoking. I think a huge reason is because I'm home alone all day with nothing to do. I can only clean so much. I really don't go out except to school and to run errands after Rob gets home. And I don't want to replace one bad habit with another (food) because I could very easily do that.

I'd love to exercise but I get out of breath just walking up the steps with a laundry basket. I do have asthma, but it is activity induced, as per my pulmonary doc. So I'm really at a loss as to what I can do. I lead such a sedentary lifestyle that I'm embarrassed about it.

[Excited Penguin]

Thanks CD. Rob quit smoking six weeks ago. He smoked more than a pack a day but he had chest pains one day at work and he ended up getting admitted to the hospital. They never did find out what was wrong, but that alone scared him enough to quit.

They say trying to quit smoking is worse than breaking free of hard core drugs like heroin. I don't know if that is true, as I've never tried that stuff but it is very hard for me to stop smoking. I think a huge reason is because I'm home alone all day with nothing to do. I can only clean so much. I really don't go out except to school and to run errands after Rob gets home. And I don't want to replace one bad habit with another (food) because I could very easily do that.

I'd love to exercise but I get out of breath just walking up the steps with a laundry basket. I do have asthma, but it is activity induced, as per my pulmonary doc. So I'm really at a loss as to what I can do. I lead such a sedentary lifestyle that I'm embarrassed about it.

I can't quit myself, and I've never tried heroin either but that sounds right to me. Smoking is such a sneaky addiction, you mostly believe you can stop anytime you want until you actually try.

This is going to sound stupid, but if you really want to quit you just do it on the spot and never look back. At least I think, but I'm not one to say.

[Joods]

No, it doesnt sound stupid. Youve got an excellent point there. But, I've tried that. I actually quit during both pregnancies with the girls. Stress is what caused me to start up again.

35 years is a long time. Sad to say but this "relationship" with smoking has been the longest relationship I've ever had and I don't even get anything out of it. Damn. That really puts it into perspective, doesn't it?

[account_inactive]

Quite a few professionals have said that nicotine is as addictive as heroin and I'm willing to take their word for it. I always thought that quitting smoking would be a breeze, but sadly it's not the case.

[Jackalope]

Quite a few professionals have said that nicotine is as addictive as heroin and I'm willing to take their word for it. I always thought that quitting smoking would be a breeze, but sadly it's not the case.

I can say from personal experience it's on par with quitting a daily cocaine habit. I couldn't say about heroin.

It's *hard*.

[Jackalope]

Judi - I know between the asthma and smoking that exercise is hard to impossible. My experience was about the same. Stairs used to kill me but I can easily skip the elevator at work now, even with my fat ass.

[Joods]

That's awesome. I hope I can get to that point some day. A million kudos to you on that

[Athene]

I quit cold-turkey three  times. Twice when I became pregnant. Again, about five or six years ago.

Now, I only smoke when I drink...maybe every couple of months or so. 
I have pack in the freezer, behind a box pierogies.

No one at my house eats pierogies.

[Edwardo Piet]

I feel the love in this thread!

I love the way we support each other

Look! A sign with a heart on it. It's so turtley

I know, I know... what do I even mean. I'm weird okay? But y'all (Florence!) all knew that