Giving up smoking?

[Davies]

It's been more than 3 months now, and I still crave smokes. :puppydogeyes
Will it ever stop?

Hi Claudya,

I never smoked for very long, and was able to quite easily, but my vice was snuff. After a month quiting the first time, I felt much better, that is the withdrawals went away. The rest of quiting was mental. I quit snuff for several years only to go back to using it. I've stopped using it for almost nine months now. I don't have cravings, but the reasons I have for not using are more powerful than my desire. But I'd be kidding you if I told you that I wouldn't use again if I thought it wasn't harmful. I could easily pick the habit up again. You have to be about your Father's business, and the reasons for not using have to be stronger than the reasons for using. You have to overcome your physiology. I think only by a strong faith in Jesus can such a strong addiction be overcome. That's a lot of have to s. One last thought, and I'll stop rambling. Think of smoking as an entity that desires to kill you. If you haven't had someone try to kill you, you'll have to use your imagination. What do you do? You have to be deadly serious about killing the cigarette. Hate it with all your heart. If there is anything we have permission to hate, it's tobacco. It will lie to you and rob you, your friends, any children you might have and the rest of you family of any benefit you might have been to them. If you come close to death, you'll understand, or perhaps you do.

- Davies

 

[Nick]

It's been more than 3 months now, and I still crave smokes. :puppydogeyes
Will it ever stop?

I don't think the craving ever goes away, but it gets easier. You could tri nicotine patches, allowing you to slowly kick the habit. Quitting suddenly would be very difficult.

 

[farouk]

I don't think the craving ever goes away, but it gets easier. You could tri nicotine patches, allowing you to slowly kick the habit. Quitting suddenly would be very difficult.

Nick: Yes, doing it slowly works better for some people.

 

[farouk]

Re: Giviing up smoking?

PS:

I don't believe that this is a habit that is directly addressed by the Bible. It is instead one of those that must be addressed by God in His timing and His prioritization. IT should be treated the same way as whether or not to eat meat. I QUIT while I was pregnant 45 years ago after 3 doctors told me that it was irritating my asthma and thereby threatening the baby's oxygen supplying . MY HUSBAND and I quit cold turkey at the same time and I still remember it as being the longest month of our marriage. I have a great deal of compassion for those who are trying to quit, those who don't have any desire to quit but who know they really should , as well as those who really should quit for medical reasons but who refuse to consider doing so. And I acknowledge that there are some who are not addicted to nicotine who can smoke 1 or 2 cigarettes a week and possibly not do as much harm to their lungs or to the people around them. My prayer is that your freedom will not cause those of US who are the weaker brethren to stumble, including children and teens who may emulate you. And I pray for you to use Godly wisdom. Personally, I envy you your freedom.

Carolyn:

It would be a matter of self-control, wouldn't it? if they can do it.

Some people are 'addicted' to chocolate, yet Fundie preachers don't seem to 'mind' chocolate addiction as something to denigrate arbitrarily. (I always prefer preachers to concentrate on preaching a heart-warming gospel, rather than get side-tracked by side issues).

Blessings.

Carolyn:

 

[farouk]

It's been more than 3 months now, and I still crave smokes. :puppydogeyes
Will it ever stop?

Claudya:

So how is it going at the moment with the quitting? I know that quitting altogether can be far more difficult than cutting down on the quantity of cigarettes smoked.

 

[Claudya]

Claudya:
So how is it going at the moment with the quitting? I know that quitting altogether can be far more difficult than cutting down on the quantity of cigarettes smoked.

Thanks for asking.
It's still hard sometimes, especially when I'm stressed or upset or nervous about something. But I will prevail.
It's been 4 months now.

I disagree with your quitting versus cutting down statement though. The cold turkey method may be more brutal for the first days. But cutting down slowly would be like going through the withdrawal torture for weeks while keeping your addiction alive to torture you. The total amount of suffering is probably lower if someone just stops completely. The statistical success rate is higher, too.
If you want to swim in a lake of cold water, would you slooooowly walk in like a sissy, or would you just jump in to get it over with? ;)

 

[farouk]

Thanks for asking.
It's still hard sometimes, especially when I'm stressed or upset or nervous about something. But I will prevail.
It's been 4 months now.

I disagree with your quitting versus cutting down statement though. The cold turkey method may be more brutal for the first days. But cutting down slowly would be like going through the withdrawal torture for weeks while keeping your addiction alive to torture you. The total amount of suffering is probably lower if someone just stops completely. The statistical success rate is higher, too.
If you want to swim in a lake of cold water, would you slooooowly walk in like a sissy, or would you just jump in to get it over with? ;)

Claudya:

Well, I see; it's a case of what works for you, I guess.

I guess the social side of things doesn't matter to you, so much. Like, social smoking?

 

[Claudya]

Claudya:
I guess the social side of things doesn't matter to you, so much. Like, social smoking?

Most of my friends are non smokers now.
But I can stand next to a smoking friend while they are enjoying their cigaret. I feel the temptation, and resist it.
It is one of the hardest situations to get into. If I were upset, drunk, and someone was smoking next to me, I don't know how that would end. :-( So I avoid getting drunk around smokers. I don't drink much, so it's not very hard.

 

[farouk]

Most of my friends are non smokers now.
But I can stand next to a smoking friend while they are enjoying their cigaret. I feel the temptation, and resist it.
It is one of the hardest situations to get into. If I were upset, drunk, and someone was smoking next to me, I don't know how that would end. :-( So I avoid getting drunk around smokers. I don't drink much, so it's not very hard.

Claudya:

Well, it seems you have a lot of will power.

But really the impression I have is that often 'reasons for quitting' and 'reasons for smoking' are in rather different categories.

This is why I mentioned the social smoking. For many people, the reason they smoke (if infrequently) is because their friends smoke and when their friends do it, they do it too. It might even be part of the reason why you started smoking, originally?

It didn't work that way for me, exactly, but I know it does for a lot of people.

I guess if friends smoke, quitting completely as opposed to cutting down can be a struggle; not just for reasons of cravings. But rather on the social side: if you are known to be a smoker, then it's kind of natural for others to have no hesitation in lighting their own cigarettes. I guess the people who know you, have known for a long time that you are or were a smoking woman, rather than someone who might be bothered by it.

 

[farouk]

Anyway, Claudya: whatever's best for you, I hope it works out.

Some folk regard smoking as a form of drug abuse. But I think it's far fetched to take such a view.

 

[farouk]

Re: Giviing up smoking?

PS:

...Last timeI tried, my wife couldn't take it after the 3rd day, went to shops and bought me a pack. I was that bad!
..

Paul1965:

So you mean that your wife preferred you as a smoker, than as a non-smoker who couldn't smoke.

Blessings.

 

[mdougie]

Nicotine is a very addictive drug, and smoking is very damaging to not only the smoker health, but those who inhale the second hand smoke.

I switched to electronic cigarettes a little over a year ago. They seem to wean you off naturally on their own, and since it is just water vapor and some nicotine my lungs feel like I haven't smoked. My Dr. says that my lungs sound great. I don't cough anymore. I don't feel goo in my lungs.

 

[farouk]

Nicotine is a very addictive drug, and smoking is very damaging to not only the smoker health, but those who inhale the second hand smoke.

I switched to electronic cigarettes a little over a year ago. They seem to wean you off naturally on their own, and since it is just water vapor and some nicotine my lungs feel like I haven't smoked. My Dr. says that my lungs sound great. I don't cough anymore. I don't feel goo in my lungs.

mdougie:

So you can still get the nicotine you need, then, when you want it?

 

[mdougie]

mdougie:

So you can still get the nicotine you need, then, when you want it?

Yes. The idea is to lower the level of nicotine level slowly over time. For example when I first quit I would go through a bottle of ejuice every two weeks. Now with out even trying I go through less than one a month. Also the nicotine level in the ejuice is variable. From a high of about 38 milligrams down to 0. I am at 15 milligrams right now. I find I like the refillable kinds the best. The Joytec ego is the one I use. Also, the money I save is amazing. Even when I was using it constantly I only spent about 20 cents a day.

 

[farouk]

Yes. The idea is to lower the level of nicotine level slowly over time. For example when I first quit I would go through a bottle of ejuice every two weeks. Now with out even trying I go through less than one a month. Also the nicotine level in the ejuice is variable. From a high of about 38 milligrams down to 0. I am at 15 milligrams right now. I find I like the refillable kinds the best. The Joytec ego is the one I use. Also, the money I save is amazing. Even when I was using it constantly I only spent about 20 cents a day.

mdougie:

Okay. So like, do you still enjoy your nicotine kicks like you did your inhales previously from cigarettes? like, are they comparable?

 

[mdougie]

mdougie:

Okay. So like, do you still enjoy your nicotine kicks like you did your inhales previously from cigarettes? like, are they comparable?

They are very comparable. In fact nearly identical. The vapor looks, tastes, and feels exactly like smoke except that it isn't smoke and thus isn't nearly as harmful. The nicotine in the vapor relieves the nicotine craving in the same way as smoking does.

 

[farouk]

They are very comparable. In fact nearly identical. The vapor looks, tastes, and feels exactly like smoke except that it isn't smoke and thus isn't nearly as harmful. The nicotine in the vapor relieves the nicotine craving in the same way as smoking does.

mdougie:

I see. Ty. So for ppl that feel they need nicotine kicks, you would definitely recommend electronic smokes, then?

 

[mdougie]

mdougie:

I see. Ty. So for ppl that feel they need nicotine kicks, you would definitely recommend electronic smokes, then?

I certainly would recommend them for anyone addicted to nicotine.

 

[farouk]

I certainly would recommend them for anyone addicted to nicotine.

mdougie:

Okay.

What about ppl who want to try smoking: are electronic cigarettes good enough for them to be likely to stick to them, and not get into the 'real' cigarettes?

Do you think that some fundamentalists would figure there are what they might see as theological objections even to starting to smoke electronic cigarettes (but not to drinking coffee, for instance)?

 

[mdougie]

mdougie:

Okay.

What about ppl who want to try smoking: are electronic cigarettes good enough for them to be likely to stick to them, and not get into the 'real' cigarettes?

Do you think that some fundamentalists would figure there are what they might see as theological objections even to starting to smoke electronic cigarettes (but not to drinking coffee, for instance)?

I would not recommend anyone try an addictive drug, but if you are going to try I would recommend the electronic version over inhaling tar filled carbon monoxide filled burning tobacco.

As for the "fundamentalist" aspect I don't quite understand. I would think I would agree with them. One shouldn't willingly start addictive drugs.