Anyone a smoker?

[keeka]

I’m filled with so much guilt that I smoke cigarettes. I know it’s making my asthma worse and I also know I have been trying hard to quit. Trying all sorts of different ways. Can anyone relate. (Please no judgements)

[utkmybrthawy]

I can relate. But if you are REALLY honest with yourself: cigarettes aren’t really that satisfying. Something else is going on... I know cuz I’m just like you. You finish one and think: that was actually yucky. Would love to talk to you more. Feel like we could write a book on it together!😅. See if you can just keep telling your inner spoiled-rotten child “maybe later” , then go to bed, and continue the next day “ maybe later, sweetie”. That’s my latest, anyway. Oh, and if you’re interested, I’ll tell you about home-made eucalyptus fume cigs. They actually are HEALING and kind of actually satisfying. Dixie

[keeka in reply to utkmybrthawy]

What are these eucalyptus cigs? Ya, idk I’ve just smoked for more than half my life idk what could be beneath it. Hmmm

[Suerkaplan]

I smoked a pack a day. I quit over a long period of time, moving to lower and lower nicotine cigs with each carton. When I reached the lowest level I started saying no at certain times of the day till I was down to just the wake up and the after meal needs. That is when i quit. I was not quitting from a high nicotine pack a day habit so it was much easier than that would have been. Good luck!

[Crackerjack4u]

I've smoked since the age of 11, (smoked in front of my parents and they bought them for me as a child from the age of 13-17), and am now 54, so I get it. I think about quitting a hundred times a day. I've tried everything gum, patches, Chantix, vaping, cold turkey, etc. and nothing has helped me quit for good. I've been recently diagnosed with both COPD and Asthma, humm can't imagine why. I honestly hate being a smoker, but actually enjoy smoking. I suppose when I reach the point of having to choose between being able to breathe at all, or smoking, maybe then I'll wise up enough to finally lay them down forever, but for now my nasty, dirty, expensive, habit continues.

So unfortunately I can't offer you advice on how to easily quit, or I'd not be smoking either. All I can say is right or wrong, good or bad, I completely understand, and hopefully one of these days we can both lay them down, and never look back. Hang in there. You are not alone.

[keeka in reply to Crackerjack4u]

My mom has COPD and still smokes. It’s a hard addiction to crack!

[Crackerjack4u in reply to keeka]

Yes it is a very hard to stop. I have cut way down since my diagnoses, but I'm still at it ugggg.

[keeka in reply to Crackerjack4u]

Keep trying! I know we can do it if we don’t give up hope. I want to be an example for my mom so badly. To show her it can be done.

[Crackerjack4u in reply to keeka]

Yes we can hun, it's one of the hardest habits to break that I've ever had to deal with. My hubby is battling lung cancer right now, and he, unfortunately, still smokes more than I do.

My mom was the example for me, and I promised her on her death bed that I'd do my best to quit, and here I am still smoking, 15 years later.

My mom was a 4 pack a day smoker, fought and beat colon cancer, and still continued to smoke. Several years after the colon cancer she had to have quadruple bypass surgery on her heart, and after her bypass surgery she finally laid them down, cold turkey. But there was never a time after she had eaten a meal, during all her remaining smoke free years that when she finished eating that she didn't say, "D&%$, I wish I had a Cigarette," but she never picked another one up.

Hopefully one of these days, I too will be complaining that I want one after a meal, and have enough will power to not pick one up, but I don't think today is going to be that day.

But we WILL do this. All we can do is take one day at a time, and hope tomorrow goes better than today. There's no doubt you will be the example that you want to be for your mom. Good Luck, You will get there!!

[keeka]

Good luck to you too my friend, and I’m sorry for all your loss.

[Kathleen49]

I really do empathize! I quit about a year ago, after 40+ years. Even thought I had cut back, even though I had tried to quit several times..... It took a major crisis to help me stop. I had a severe bout with some kind of flu last year, and literally felt it was a choice between smoking and breathing. It was that bad. That's what it took. And do I still want a cigarette? Sometimes.... but then I remember the visceral feeling of not being able to breathe....

Keep at it! All the best to you.