Reminders for my quit

[dallas3]

My reasons for quitting:

1.  I'm having a baby girl next month.  Parents who smoke are three times more likely to have kids that smoke.  I can't imagine my little girl going through this much pain.

2.  After just smoking again for about 4 months, I'm unable to breathe.  I cough and wheeze.  I'm now strapped to an inhaler again.

3.  I need this to reaffirm my personal strength.  Shouldn't I be able to beat this?

Why I haven't succeeded in the past:

1.  I truly enjoy smoking.  If there were no health risks associated, I'd probably smoke forever.  I don't think this will ever go away, so I'm doomed to a life missing cigarettes.  This is why I must continue to tell myself my reasons rather than dwell on what I'm missing.

2.  I get overconfident and think I have it beat.  Once this happens, it's easy to slide back into smoking.  This is why my success is limited to 2 - 6 months.

Key success factors:

1.  Strong support of friends and family - primarily patience from those around me that will detect my internal suffering.  Also, the occasional recognition that I have quit smoking would be nice.

2.  Isolating myself from the smoking situation.  I don't have that strong of a drive to smoke at work anymore, as several of my smoking buddys are no longer smoking.  At home, it's no big deal unless my mom, sister, or dad come over.  We tend to like smoking and drinking on the patio.  This won't really be happening until after the baby comes, so this helps.

3.  Relaxation and exercise.  It's key for me to find a way to blow off some steam.  I'm contemplating doing some yoga, riding my bike, or going to the gym.

Quotes:

"Cigarette smoking is the most preventable cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States."
 

[maynell]

Good honest blog, Dallas. Your No. 2 reason for past slipups is my No. 1 reason: Overconfidence. I have succeeded in quitting for 6 mos. to a year multiple times in the past, only to slide back down that slippery slipup slope by thinking, "Hell, quitting is easy, I've been quit now for months, so I'm in control of this." Guess what, that's a lie. I am a slave for nicotine and my addiction will tell me anything, give me any excuse. I finally realized the best reasons to "take a puff" came at the most opportune times for nicotine - while I'm with smoking friends away from the kids. It's then that the addiction sneaks in and takes over. I am avoiding those situations as much as possible now, and when I can't help it, I am arming myself with the truth BEFORE I get in that situation. I'm on Day 13 now after a relapse of epic proportions (It had been over one year) and I'm not going to kid myself anymore or listen to my addiction tell me it's okay to take a puff. It's not. Not One Puff Ever. 

May

[ohiosheltielady]

I agree with May's comment above, this was so brutally honest and heartfelt.  And I so much related to much of what you said.  Nobody smokes at work anywhere anymore, I don't think.  It's so incredibly politically incorrect to smoke anywhere.  I feel guilty smoking in my own car when in traffic if people can see me.  I am truly a closet smoker!  I hate smoking.  I detest the way it steals the scent of that expensive perfume that I'm wearing.  I swear to you, I wash my hair just to get that smell off of me.

There are a million reasons to quit and I think maybe you would agree that when you say you like smoking, maybe, just maybe that's the addiction talking.  Maybe it's not really you saying that. 

Great post!

[freebreath]

While learning to reestablish control over that which is what we do want I feel the idea that "I love smoking" is one that really deserves careful research so that when this 'idea' or 'sales pitch' reenters your thinking process or you hear another person professing this type of emotional attachement to inhailing toxic poisons you allow yourself , for a change, to really consider the chemical reality of that professed "emotion".

When I learned about how this addiction, unlike other addictions, actually alters the brain and also that the "hook" that tobacco addictions into within the brain of the sucker who is paying for this product actually inhibits the host addict from producing the
naturally occuring chemicals to experiance the sense of "well being".

In chemical reality the "choice" to purchase, or bum a tobacco product is , sort of , free choice. Unless you are one of those who has second hand addiction to this toxic chemical pattern. After that the true insanity of this addiction is that the ability to generate the chemicals is tampered with so that only through the accessing using a for pay product that has sever and fatal as well as very subtle and equally dibilitating affects. The sucker host addict actually "feels" love, dependancy, and it is like the stockholm syndrome.

I know I do not have to smoke. I know that when I desist smoking I begin to actually notice the improvements immediately.
After a few days of becoming an ex I can talke cooling, relaxing breathes that feel good in my lungs. My mouth feels and tastes better. I establish other activity patterns that fill the times I spend as a stinking addict wasting my health and ruining the environment around me for others.

I have found my way out of bad relationship befor and what is extremely clear to me is that the substance or person who is hurting me on a daily basis is NOT LOVE. That , in this situation, is one that you can take to the bank.

Best of luck you will not regret Quitting the smoke habit and the becomeing and ex transformation of your life. I LOVE IT!

[kristi4]

Addiction. Period. There is no safe puff. It sounds like you've made it longer in the past than i am now(100days) but, there is nothing I like about them, and I will never take a puff. Because I know its addiction. I dont see how there is anything to miss about smoking. Coughing, smelling,standing outside in the rain and cold to get a fix. And the only reason you "enjoy" smoking is because your body does "not enjoy not smoking." If there was nothing addicting in cigarettes, you probably wouldnt have faithfully smoked this long and this much. Nobody can be in control of an addiction. Addiction controls you. So therefore, quitting cant be "beat'. Life is too beautiful. Dont let these things ultimately control what disease you may get and possibly die from. Why let it control your fate?

[JonesCarpeDiem]

Change it up. Get a different attitude and you'll have a new life.

Forget the 2-6 months successes which become failures.

Keep them away from your face and you will do fine