118 replies to this topic

[Junjie]

Congrats!

[cara]

I'm almost at 5 months

That is amazing! You’re awesome. #goals

[NapisaurusRex]

Quit for five months, got new high stress corporate job where everyone smokes, started again. About two months ago.
 
But I'm getting back on the quitting wagon. I'm down to only a couple a day, and none on weekends. Just gotta stop with the social smokes during work time.

What do you think worked best for you? My partner is trying to quit.... for months now.

I'm almost at 5 months

And you too

[cara]

What do you think worked best for you? My partner is trying to quit.... for months now.

And you too

Avoiding situations where you typically smoked/have smokers involved.

And I don’t mean never go on your porch again because you smoked there, or never hang out with smokers again. I mean avoid going on your porch all the time or hanging out with smokers daily. Make new habits. Go for a walk during the time you’d usually spend smoking on your porch. Hang out with smokers, but maybe not every day. Or not every other day. For me, it was the ‘I can have one once in a while and not get hooked again’. But when you say that every day, you get hooked again. My opinion is you really need to change your everyday habits.

[Coops]

For me not avoiding those situations has helped. The issue I always had was that all my friends smoke, my mom smokes, I had a lot of social habits where I smoked. Talking on the phone, I smoked. Visiting friends and family I smoked. Cruising around in my best friends car, we smoked. When I would try to quit, I'd avoid those situations and ended up isolating myself almost entirely because it turns out I smoked in almost every single social situation lol I'd stay away from them until I felt "comfortable" but then I'd be around them and give in almost immediately because I was lonely, depressed, and still craving them. This time instead of avoiding them, I put myself to the test and inserted myself into those situations as much as possible. The more I did that, the stronger my will power became. It worked, I never crave them anymore and I am constantly around people who smoke.

Congrats and well done! It really is so tough. I'm proud of you for sticking with it.

[Coops]

Thank you! I really think it's for good this time I have no desire to smoke again.

That's incredible. I'm happy for you!

[cara]

For me not avoiding those situations has helped. The issue I always had was that all my friends smoke, my mom smokes, I had a lot of social habits where I smoked. Talking on the phone, I smoked. Visiting friends and family I smoked. Cruising around in my best friends car, we smoked. When I would try to quit, I'd avoid those situations and ended up isolating myself almost entirely because it turns out I smoked in almost every single social situation lol I'd stay away from them until I felt "comfortable" but then I'd be around them and give in almost immediately because I was lonely, depressed, and still craving them. This time instead of avoiding them, I put myself to the test and inserted myself into those situations as much as possible. The more I did that, the stronger my will power became. It worked, I never crave them anymore and I am constantly around people who smoke.

That’s crazy how it’s like opposite for us. I literally have no willpower and whenever I’m a situation when offered to smoke, I said yes every time. Props to you!

[Emily]

I quit in November, and I haven't had one since. Sometimes I want one when I'm stressed, but I haven't picked them up so that's good.

[Shannon]

Not sure if quitting the Juul/Suorin Drop counts, but I guess nicotine is evil in many forms. I used to be so fucking obnoxious about it - think immature high schooler juuling while their professor's head is turned. Finally, it hit me one day (after many many months of constant use) how much money I was putting into such a useless, physically detrimental habit and pretty much quit cold turkey. Now, I nearly gag when I take up an offer of a vape hit lmao. Glad I kicked the habit but my wallet is even more glad.

 

Kudos to everyone in here who quit their vices, as well. It's tricky, but very very worth it

 

Edit: Just found this snap from finals season last December. rip

Spoiler

Edited by Shannon, 25 June 2018 - 07:38 PM.

[cara]

So glad to hear you three lovely ladies are going strong! Totally my inspiration. I’m still at like 2-5 a day and need to make the plunge to completely stopping. I’m thinking this weekend because it’s a long weekend.

[Coops]

So glad to hear you three lovely ladies are going strong! Totally my inspiration. I’m still at like 2-5 a day and need to make the plunge to completely stopping. I’m thinking this weekend because it’s a long weekend.

 

 

I think the fact that you WANT to is great. So many people don't even desire to quit. You will do it when you're mentally and physically really just done with it. 

What Kate said! 

Also, be kind to yourself Cara. It's hard to quit. It really is and you're doing the best you can. 

[cara]

What Kate said!

Also, be kind to yourself Cara. It's hard to quit. It really is and you're doing the best you can.

Thanks I really appreciate that. It’s really hard to quit but how stupid is it to inflict damage on your body when there are people in the world with health issues that they didn’t inflict on themselves? It makes me feel awful. We smokers truly are the dumbest of the bunch.

[Coops]

Thanks I really appreciate that. It’s really hard to quit but how stupid is it to inflict damage on your body when there are people in the world with health issues that they didn’t inflict on themselves? It makes me feel awful. We smokers truly are the dumbest of the bunch.

Nah. It's just a different kind of illness. I understand that guilt you feel. And it's valid, but you're not totally responsible for it. Obviously, we make choices and to an extent, we have to take responsibility for those. But addiction isn't just choosing to keep doing something harmful, y'know? So in that way, you can't really help it. All you can do is accept it's a complicated illness and work towards not internalizing that guilt, while working towards being mentally and physically ready to quit like Kate said. It's a process. You're doing the best you can. 

[cara]

Nah. It's just a different kind of illness. I understand that guilt you feel. And it's valid, but you're not totally responsible for it. Obviously, we make choices and to an extent, we have to take responsibility for those. But addiction isn't just choosing to keep doing something harmful, y'know? So in that way, you can't really help it. All you can do is accept it's a complicated illness and work towards not internalizing that guilt, while working towards being mentally and physically ready to quit like Kate said. It's a process. You're doing the best you can.

You’re so right, I definitely forget that smoking is an addiction. I often catch myself thinking ‘they should just stop’ about people who have addictions, which I know is awful and I try to remind myself that it’s not a fair way to think of people.

[Coops]

You’re so right, I definitely forget that smoking is an addiction. I often catch myself thinking ‘they should just stop’ about people who have addictions, which I know is awful and I try to remind myself that it’s not a fair way to think of people.

I mean, yeah, I'd hope you don't think that way about people but I understand with stuff like that it's internalized. We all get messages constantly from our society and culture that imply addiction is a choice. It's hard not to automatically think that if that's the type of message you get daily. But you catch yourself and remind yourself it's not a fair way to think about people (and by relation, yourself) and that's really important. That's good. It's not about our initial thoughts, but what we say or do, and if we let our initial biases inform how we act. Don't diminish that.