I'm A Quiter "Again" and proud of it!

[Dutchess of Darkness]

Hey geekmidwinter, I'm doing good with the smoking issue so far And Draven's doing well, his surgery is on the 24th so I'm stressin about that. But still haven't had a smoke, and hubby got home late last night, he's home for 2 weeks so that will put me to the test as he smokes, although he doesn't smoke inside, we've never smoked inside anywhere we've lived.

I too use to be a heavy smoker before I quit for the first time in 2003. I started when I was 9 and by the time I was 15 until 2003 I was at 2 packs a day.

The first time I quit, after I got out of hospital I went onto the gum for about 4 months then just quit it one day and never needed anything more. But then after I started again in 2005, each time I quit I was always on the gum. Same with this time, I'm on the gum, but really working hard to control the amount I use because over all the times I've used the gum it's caused several problems with my teeth. First it's pulled out 2 of my fillings and broke the other 2 in half, and its broke one tooth itself pretty much in half. ALso, the new kind they came out with "with the stupid white coating" rots my gut. So I'm really working at limiting its use and hope to be off everything after 2 boxes max. I can't use the patch as I'm highly allergic to adhesive glues and sensitive to latex. and can't use some of the pill products cause of drug interactions with meds I'm on.

[Dutchess of Darkness]

Ok, I still haven't had a butt, but I also don't have my long long finger nails anymore, yep all gone about an hour ago, oh well, hubby will breath a sigh of relief

[One Eye'd Jack]

I really do commend you, DOD! That is NOT an easy thing to overcome. I've been smoking a pipe since I was 22 and cigarettes since I was 18. I stopped smoking cigarettes in 2000 and I unfortunaltely started up again last year.

I have nothing to say for myself cuz everything is just an excuse.

[Dutchess of Darkness]

OEJ, Don't be so hard on yourself, and never let anyone harp on you about smoking. There are many circumstances that cause a person to take up smoking or any other number of vises one may have. I don't know anyone without a vise "even those who like to condemn smokers have their own vises they should contend to before preaching", its just that some are seen as more acceptable then others, but none the less still a hazardous influence. Each of us has a personal Journey to walk and nobody can walk it for them, nor should they try and alter another persons journey. When the timing is right "for You" you will quit "if that is a part of your journey" know what I mean.

To be honest, I've been a smoker & non-smoker and my personal journey as a non-smoker has never lit any fireworks for me "meaning" for all the good benifits I was told I could expect to experience, none of of them ever came true. In fact, when I quit the first time for 2 years I experienced more shortness of breath then I ever did smoking two packs a day, and when I asked my Cardiologist for a reason why, all he could say was " we don't understand why thats the case with some people, but it is" And in fact, I still have issues with the whole not smoking thing ,but with the problems with my head increasing I finally had to give it a try to see if lowering the toxins might help, not to mention my vascular issues, or how I feel about hubby seeing me arrest and how seeing me smoke worries him, he saved my life 13 years ago, the least I can do, for what its worth is do my best to make his life less stressful.

I get really down on people when they try to tell my hubby he should quit smoking to support me, especally my number of specalists, I tell you, I've set them all straight on that matter. IF they want to bitch at me when I am their patient thats one thing, but nobody has any right to tell another what they should or shouldn't do to support someone else, hell if it wasn't for him I would have been dust 13 years ago, and thats a fact. It's my journey, my issue, Hell he was only 11 when I started smoking, so like he had any great influence on my addiction.

Anyways, sorry for ranting, I just despise it when people badger someone about something that's such a personal journey that they really probably know little about when it comes to how that persons journey started in the first place. And I think people need to practice more compassion then preaching "just my personal opinon". And more Prayer & good energies then Ranting & complaining.

[halloweenqueen]

DOD i totally understand how you feel with people preaching about not smoking. it flys all over me when someone starts up with that <deleted>. My fav is when people say "you know thats bad for you right?" Im like "OH MY GOD!!! Are you serious??? Why didn't anyone ever tell me that before!!! Hell if I would have known that, I would have quit a long time ago!" I mean, seriously people. We (us smokers that is) KNOW its bad for us. We know. Trust me! Its an addiction, just like any other. It's not a matter of just putting it down. Its hard to quit and those of you who have quit and/or are trying should be commended BIG TIME!!! I personally am going to quit, Im just not at the right place in my life at the moment to do so. I think that you have to be in the right state of mind or you won't be successful.

In my speech class the other night, we had an assignment to give a speech of any kind we wanted. Any topic, any type of speech. So this little girl (seriously she must have been 19 or so) gets up there and gives the infamous "stop smoking" speech. Me, being the only smoker in the class, just sat back and listened to what she had to say. She was an idiot to say the least. She said something to the effect of "people say that they smoke cause it relieves stress, but i just don't see how puffing out smoke from a little stick can do that. its just stupid to me" I swear! I wanted to just knock her upside the head and tell her "cause your an idiot and if you would have done your research more thoroughly you would have found that inhaling a cig, releases endorphins in the pleasure center of the brain. the same as <deleted> and chocolate do. thats why its so damn addicting" But i didn't. I went with a classic instead..."dont knock it till you try it" i know it wasnt the most appropriate thing to say but i was really getting peeved. i mean, its annoying enough to get lectured by people for smoking but its damn near unbearable to be lectured by someone who's almost 10yrs your jr and who obviously didn't know enough about the subject to give an accurate account of the addiction.

sorry for ranting...just my 2 cents...

[LawP]

Ladies, I too am an off again, on again smoker. I quit three years ago and did very well...but I keep going back. The positive side of this is I changed my habits associated with smoking (taking walks instead of smoke breaks at work, not smoking in front of my kids, etc.). The result was I had less opportunities to smoke - kind of a mind game with myself. Now, there are days I go without smoking but I still need to know I can if I want to. Make sense??? DOD, if you want to quit you will definitely succeed. Just don't beat yourself up if you fall off the wagon. Sometimes it takes several trips to get it right. Halloweenqueen, you answer to yourself and no one else. That little girl should be grateful she doesn't share our addiction. That's exactly what I say to people that feel the need to lecture a smoker. I'm done with my rant.

[Rising Dead Man]

I agree that girl was stupid. Does she know about CHEMICALS? And she never even tried it!

Anyways, I don't like being preachy but I always get worried when I see people smoking.

If anyone has good tips to quit smoking post them here!

I have a page about it on my website. It only has a link to a website, but I am going to add my own tips to it soon! Check out the page on my website if you smoke. It has good tips.

[Haunt Master]

I'm not quitter! I'm so sorry, but I try my best to stop smoking and drinking!

So, RDM, what are you trying to post a link here? Is it about hwlping people to quit smoking?

[Rising Dead Man]

You can get to it through the link in my signature but I will post a link here.

http://www.freewebs.com/iseverynametake ... moking.htm