Sometimes smoking actually makes me feel ashamed

[jennifer41]

It's pretty sad, but true, smoking makes me feel ashamed of myself. I've had some seriously hot guys hit on me and then when they found out I smoked... it was a complete turn-off to them. Why should I limit myself to only guys who smoke? I shouldn't simple as that. I'm only 20 soon to be 21, and I just feel like it's pretty safe to say that I won't find myself very attractive here soon when my skin starts aging terribly and my teeth are all permanently stained. I have been smoking on and off since I was 8. I know that sounds crazy, but that's when I first lit up. I started because my older cousins all convinced me it was the cool thing to do. I learned to inhale when I was 13, and smoked on and off then until I was 16 when my mom found out that I smoked and let me get away with it because that's when her mom let her start. She said that I would either do it behind her back or in front of her and she'd prefer me to do it in front of her. I haven't stopped since. Now, I wish I had never started because I've missed out on a lot of great opportunities in my life just to keep up with my smoking habit. It's time to put an end to this and move on with my life.

[angel6]

You really should try to stop sooner than later. By the time you are my age, 36 , you will have horibble lip wrinkles, and stained teeth and fingernails. You are still pretty young, so kicking your habit may be easier than for those of us who have smoked for 20+ years. I started smoking at 13, inhaling and everything. My mom let me smoke in front of her too.
After 20 + years, it is really hard to change all of the routines and habits you have developed. Smoking really is an ugly habit, and society is geared to being healty. Smoking is no longer glamourized. So it is just natural that really hot guys are turned off by smoking, because they are probably very health conscious. I say give up the smokes!

[sherri10]

Jennifer, I know what you mean about guys looking elsewhere one they found out that I smoked! There was a guy about a year and a half ago that I really, really liked a lot. We used to talk after class everyday. I'm pretty sure he would have asked me out. One day, he leaned in a little closer to me and breathed kinda deap. I'm assuming that he was checking to see if I smoked. We didn't talk much after that!

[nan7]

Jennifer, I only wish I could go back to where you are now. Its quite simple, you can quit now, quit later or die smoking. Don't subject yourself to that hurtful discrimination, endless cost, and early aging. I just quit, but I am now 55 years old. I smoked since I was 15. I have wasted alot of time and a lot of money. I also used to feel ashamed but I just let it make me hateful. Quitting is the same process whether you do it now or later. Its just that you get to enjoy the reward for your efforts for a much longer time if you do it when your young. I quit when I was 35 (for 2 months), and it was MUCH easier than it was this time. Go for it Jennifer, choose the life you want !!!!

[mark_g]

I can relate to that last comment about missing out on great opportunities in life just because we smoked cigs...its absolutely an awful disgusting habit, and i am glad to say im about 3 and a half days quit, its feeling awesome, and i hope u can get thru this as well! good luck with everything and stay strong

[julied]

I'm 46 and have been smoke free for 4 weeks.

I started smoking at 15 and had only a few short quits in all those 31 years of smoking.

I only dated a few men who smoked. I didn't like men who smoked. I also got turned down by men who didn't smoke because they couldn't stand smokers.

Smoking is just not attractive in men or women. Its funny, I smoked like 30 a day and yet I wouldn't date a man who smoked. I wasn't attracted to them. Now what kind of sense does that make? None.

I hated myself smoking, I felt unattractive. I used to berate myself for smoking by telling myself that I looked so unattractive smoking, I reminded myself that the wrinkles in my face were most likely caused by smoking. I'd cover myself in sunscreen to protect my skin from the sun and yet I'd still smoke. I even got skin cancer and kept on smoking.

Make the decision to quit. I feel so much more attractive as a non-smoker, even with the few pounds that I've put on since I quit.

[sherri10]

I was really ashamed everyday at school. After a couple of hours in class, I could smell the smoke on my backpack sitting on the floor. I kept a bottle of Febreeze in my car to spray myself and my backpack down before going to class. And I could still smell my backpack!!! I can only imagine how it smelled to those around me!!! And I tried not to get to close to people when I was talking to them because I also drink coffee. I think that smoke/coffee breath is the worst!!! I always kept gum with me!! I will still do that because I still drink coffee!

I also didn't want to date men who smoked. Damn I'm a hypocrit! My reasoning was that I was going to eventually quit one day and I didn't want the added difficulty of having a partner who smoked when I did finally quit! Turns I'm single when I finally quit anyway!

[les]

Jennifer, quit now. I promise you, you won't regret it. I'm soon to be 48, have always been an athlete, and always smoked and tried to quit. I started smoking in college; as a dance major, so many dancers smoke...so I did, too. I quit for 7 years and started back 5 years ago while going through a divorce. Funny thing is I quit for those 7 years during a separation to the same man I divorced 5 years ago. Please, please do yourself a favor and experience your life for what it truly is and can be; not enslaved to something that does nothing but poison your beautiful, young body! If you think your life won't fly by, you are nuts, and you don't want to be one of those who 20 years from now is blogging on a forum telling people you wished you had listened to all of those who told you to quit when you were 20. It was yesterday that I was 20 years old...

[mike-v]

I feel the same way. Being ashamed and somewhat embarassed. I mean alot of my friends don't smoke either, so when I am with them and need a smoke, they just stand around with me until I was done. I'm kinda feeling bad for them. I wonder what goes in their minds about my smoking? Hmm... When surfing early mornings, its pretty embarassing to come out from the water and have to smoke.... I mean trying to get the lighter to light while fingers are wet and the wind is blowing... Geez... Stupid habit and addiction....Hang in there and good luck... I don't know if there is a point to my reply....But i'm trying to keep busy replying with whatever I can think of....Sorry!

[askala]

Jennifer!! Look at all of the wonderful feeback you've gotten! I second all of it with two words of advice: QUIT NOW! You have got your whole life ahead of you to be a non-smoker-- make the choice to be a non-smoker- you are already on the right path! YOU CAN DO IT!! I'll be praying for you, Askala