smoking

[wil]

Sure, people develope a TOLERANCE to nicotine, and if they suddenly stop they'll go through physical withdrawal, but isn't that no worse than having a cold for 3 days? I mean, come. on.

Cigarettes have been compared to heroin when it comes to breaking the habit...not as addictive, not as bad of withdrawals but as hard a habit to break..partially because they are socially acceptable and when you quit everywhere you look folks are smoking...

People do not develop a TOLERANCE to nicotine. Our body requires nicotine, and it naturally produces nicotine. When you smoke cigarettes our body knows that it does not have to produce nicotine and that function of the organ shuts down after time. It takes a while to restart production and properly adjust nicotine levels when we quit smoking, that is the withdrawal issue. But due to the social issues many folks spend the rest of their lives, not with a craving, but a desire to just have another smoke, during stress, after sex, after a meal, while drinking, while driving...all those times they used to smoke, all those memories.

It isn't easy, it can be done, and how difficult it is varies from person to person...

 

[Eclectic Mystic]

"Blah, blah, blah, blah."

 

[mee]

I know this is contraversial but this is what I think:

Cigarettes are NOT addicting. If you want to quit, just quit. Don't buy into this propaganda that they're hard to quit. Sure, people develope a TOLERANCE to nicotine, and if they suddenly stop they'll go through physical withdrawal, but isn't that no worse than having a cold for 3 days? I mean, come. on.

have you ever been a slave to smoking ,to know what it is like to be addicted? i havent myself ,but i know people who have been addicted and it is not a good thing to go through when trying to give up, so i dont think it is as easy as you make out, but who am i to say , as i havent been there

 

[mee]

Cigarettes have been compared to heroin when it comes to breaking the habit...not as addictive, not as bad of withdrawals but as hard a habit to break..partially because they are socially acceptable and when you quit everywhere you look folks are smoking...

People do not develop a TOLERANCE to nicotine. Our body requires nicotine, and it naturally produces nicotine. When you smoke cigarettes our body knows that it does not have to produce nicotine and that function of the organ shuts down after time. It takes a while to restart production and properly adjust nicotine levels when we quit smoking, that is the withdrawal issue. But due to the social issues many folks spend the rest of their lives, not with a craving, but a desire to just have another smoke, during stress, after sex, after a meal, while drinking, while driving...all those times they used to smoke, all those memories.

It isn't easy, it can be done, and how difficult it is varies from person to person...

I was talking to my brother-in-law the other day ,and he has just got over a heart attack ,he has always been a very heavy smoker, the docs have told him that if he smokes again he will not be here for much longer, so he has not had a cig in about a month now, but it is as you mentioned, the habit forming things that he has done for years, like having a meal and straight after lighting up , it must be hard to change a lifetime of doing things .

 

[wil]

I know this is contraversial but this is what I think:

Cigarettes are NOT addicting. If you want to quit, just quit. Don't buy into this propaganda that they're hard to quit. Sure, people develope a TOLERANCE to nicotine, and if they suddenly stop they'll go through physical withdrawal, but isn't that no worse than having a cold for 3 days? I mean, come. on.

"Blah, blah, blah, blah."

The eclectic part I am beginning to understand...the mystic part is starting to be confusing. Your knowledge of science, your compassionate abilities, and your ability to carry a discussion are well....eclectic.

 

[17th Angel]

I know this is contraversial but this is what I think:

Cigarettes are NOT addicting. If you want to quit, just quit. Don't buy into this propaganda that they're hard to quit. Sure, people develope a TOLERANCE to nicotine, and if they suddenly stop they'll go through physical withdrawal, but isn't that no worse than having a cold for 3 days? I mean, come. on.

*standing applause*

And this years winner of the "I am a complete idiot" award goes to!!!

Eclectic Mystic....... Well done idiot! Come on down and collect your prize.... *points to the badge which states "I'm special!"....*

Propa-freaking-ganda? Have a word.... You smoke for as long as I have and say that you freaking tart. OH!! OH if they stop their body has some kind of effect does it? That wouldn't have ***$£%"% anything to do with your body becoming dependant on it? NO? ASS....


There are loads of little, iddle bitty cells in your brain... We shall call them receptors... These... IF, IF introduced to nicotine become more wanting of this substance and can cause "$£%"£% chaos if not appeased.... It then becomes hard for a smoker, even harder for a heavy smoker to stop the habbit, as the body, and receptors... DO, DO become dependent on this substance and crave it more, making you crave it more... It's freaking science, I bet your willing to believe the bible and such? Or some religion... You take that for reals? Yet say being addicted to nictoine is untrue and nonsense? Please....... As I stated before it has the oppotunity to be more addictive then heroine...

 

[Eclectic Mystic]

Well done idiot!

OH if they stop their body has some kind of effect does it? That wouldn't have ***$£%"% anything to do with your body becoming dependant on it? NO? ASS....

There are loads of little, iddle bitty cells in your brain... We shall call them receptors... These... IF, IF introduced to nicotine become more wanting of this substance and can cause "$£%"£% chaos if not appeased.... It then becomes hard for a smoker, even harder for a heavy smoker to stop the habbit, as the body, and receptors... DO, DO become dependent on this substance and crave it more, making you crave it more...

people develope a TOLERANCE to nicotine, and if they suddenly stop they'll go through physical withdrawal,

...

 

[Muslimwoman]

Good thread. Update on my attempts. I usually smoke 40 a day (don't be shocked, 2 years ago it was 60 a day) but over the last 6 weeks have tried to cut right down.

On Monday instead of the usual 280 cigarettes for the week I just bought 140. It is now Friday morning and I stll have 3 packets left, so Fri, Sat & Sun.

I would see it as a huge achievement if I could get used to only 20 a day, then I could work down to 10 a day.

The bad news is that I have put on 4 kg, so even if I manage to kick the cigarettes I will have the weight battle next.

 

[paul]

You do get hungry more when giving up.

It's like a craving is still there, and it's similar to hunger.
It does go after time, the more you keep at it.

You can beat the intial cravings for food, I can't remember right, but I think you can also with cigarettes.
Maybe you could set yourself goals, a target of time to beable to beat that craving, face the struggle, and attrubute it to temptation as sin.
What I mean by a target of time is go longer and longer without, setting yourself a more targets to achieve.

If possible you could try eating healthy, and maybe exercising.

Exercising itself, can take away hunger, it's also works off the food.

I know exercise can be boring, I started playing squash before, it was more enjoyable, playing with someone, than just boring exercises.

We do need to continually give ourselves that little push in all parts of our lives.
What I find though is I lack strength.
In that I can only advise prayer.

And for it all, you really need prayer for God to help you beat it and even when you're craving pray to God for help.

 

[17th Angel]

The bad news is that I have put on 4 kg, so even if I manage to kick the cigarettes I will have the weight battle next.

Stick to smoking then...

60 a day? I thought I was heavy..... *bows down* I'm like phantom weight... and you're like the undisputed heavy weight champion of the woooooooooooooooooooooooorld *ding ding* *CROWD GOES WILD!"$£!!!!!*

I smoke aboot 30 a day... And then there is other things I smoke along side it... I tend to have 5 joints after work... and on weekends over 20 a day... SO I guess in some ways I am heavier

 

[mee]

just found out my brother-in- law is on patches , the hospital put him on them after his heart attack . so there was me thinking that he wasnt having nicotine any more . which must mean that he is still a slave , do they stay on the patches for good or do they slowly come of them ?

 

[17th Angel]

by golly mastah! He still be a slave! lol.......

Depending on whatever type of smoker you are you will get given a patch/gum/shot in mg's like any other drug... The higher the addiction the more the mg... And you slowly decrease that to a smaller dose.... till you get to the point you no longer require them... The patches suck... I tried them once.. While chewing a whole packet of nicotine gum and smoking at the same time lol boy.... was I ill. Fun anyway... But yeah.. It is a wheening process..... Majority of smokers dislike them specially if it isn't their choice to quit......

You still a freaking slave mee? To that silly book? Or they got you on Psalm patches now?

Isn't that degrading? Well, taste of your own medicine..... Like I already said... IF YOU CHOOSE... To do something it is an act of free will not slavery....

 

[Paladin]

Actually the patches can be a great tool but only if quitting is a commitment.
I finally quit smoking after 25years because I got completely enraged at the fact that this addiction was leading me around by the nose. One day I was very busy with customers calling needing service. Being out of tobacco I needed to get downtown for more but simply had no time. I was feeling overwhelmed as it was and the idea of having to go out of my way for something I didn't really need ( as compared to food, air , water, you know) just pissed me off, so I stopped at the druggist and bought a box of patches, slapped one on and said "There, take that dammit" to no one in particular just talking to " my addiction"

One thing I did notice however. Even though the patches were sending nicotene into my blood stream, the "ritual" of smoking was missing. I had cravings even though the drug was in me. Therefore I had to deal with that as a separate issue, but found a way that worked quite well.

 

[17th Angel]

Actually the patches can be a great tool but only if quitting is a commitment.

One thing I did notice however. Even though the patches were sending nicotene into my blood stream, the "ritual" of smoking was missing.

Majority of smokers dislike them specially if it isn't their choice to quit......

 

[Paladin]

Exactly 17th, which is why I mentioned the commitment part. Good call.
Besides the obvious physical aspect of withdrawl I wanted to address the emotional, and psychololgical aspect which seems to cause nearly if not just as much trouble. This aspect of the withdrawl has a certain-for lack of a better word- illusory nature to it. Once understood this can become a good management strategy to handling addiction. Will it work for everyone? Hell no, only those who are completely committed to quitting. Half measures just won't work and it is too easy to lay blame on the exoteric method.
That being said, I really feel for those still feeling miserable about their smoking habit, and for those who revel in smoking, well, have a good time with it

 

[17th Angel]

I don't feel one way or the other... It is just something I "have" to do now.. Like if I am some kind of freaking robot that has a program... You know? Although in stressful or scary situations.. Like say, close to death situation... Can make me enjoy a cigarette... I think seeing I prefer the more "exotic" kind of tobbaco... I do not acknowledge tobbaco as a pleasure any more, it is a simple part of my ways.

Those patches though.... Hmmm nasty. You seen the fake cigarete? It is basically like a bit of plastic... When you need a cigarette you chew on this... And fiddle with it in your hands and magically makes you better lol That would no way work for me.

Hypnotics seem interesting method too.

 

[Eclectic Mystic]

Besides the obvious physical aspect of withdrawl I wanted to address the emotional, and psychololgical aspect which seems to cause nearly if not just as much trouble. This aspect of the withdrawl has a certain-for lack of a better word- illusory nature to it.

The second aspect doesn't exist unless it's believed to exist and agreed to/ complied with.

 

[Muslimwoman]

The worst one I tried was having a piece of wire sewn inside my ear - you cannot imagine the pain. I had to have both ears done because the needle split the right ear. I still have pain in my ear now on cold days but I was prepared to go through it to give up. The stated success rate was 98% but I lasted just 3 weeks.

 

[Paladin]

The second aspect doesn't exist unless it's believed to exist and agreed to/ complied with.

Umm yes, simply put, but essentially correct. The problem is moving oneself into the position where this is realized. Here we are in unknown waters for many people because the majority of humans reason from a feeling place rather than pure logic. I came to the conclusion that the psychological aspect of addiction is illusory through personal experience. I experimented with the Buddhist idea of mindfulness here. Now understand that this was only my experience and therefore anecdotal at best but by looking deeply into the feeling of craving, allowing myself to fully feel every painful bit of the craving instead of trying to resist or placate it. In doing so I noticed the craving would fade and disappear in a matter of moments. It got to be a challenge for me to fully and mindfully face it time and again as it crept up on me.
I know it sounds silly but I treated the addiction/craving as an adversary separate from me that would creep up on me at any time day or night and I had to be ready to face it down.
After about a week of this, the cravings were lessened dramatically untill after a month they were all but gone.

 

[Tao_Equus]

The worst one I tried was having a piece of wire sewn inside my ear - you cannot imagine the pain. I had to have both ears done because the needle split the right ear. I still have pain in my ear now on cold days but I was prepared to go through it to give up. The stated success rate was 98% but I lasted just 3 weeks.

seems to me u are just too dedicated to defying percentages..... thta makes you beautiful... till your last cough