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Thread: another quiting smoking thread

  1. #46
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
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    Phoenix, AZ
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    282
    Grats GDA on making it to year 2!

    I recently quit myself after having smoked for almost 10 years -- one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, but I already feel great. I was one of those people who was ashamed of my smoking -- my sifu knew I smoked and when he occasionally could smell it on my clothes or breath, he would give me hell and I would feel like I was letting him (and more importantly, myself) down.

    Both of my parents smoked when I was younger, as did my brothers. There was a time in my teens when the whole family was smoking. My parents had quit for years and picked it back up -- it always worried me a bit that I would never be able to kick the habit because of something my mother told me. She had quit for a period of 7 years, and one night gave in and indulged herself. She said that it seemed to her like she had never quit, the cravings came back that fast, and it took her several years before she quit again.

    I was the last one in my family to quit, and what it took for me was my mom going through breast cancer. She had a dual mastectomy and is a survivor, but going through that really hit me hard. My mother does have a genetic predisposition to cancer (her father passed away from it when she was 14) and who is to say how much her smoking was a factor in her own disease, but obviously something like that will make you reevaluate your choices and lifestyle. I wish I could have quit before going through a traumatic event like that, but I guess for me it took something life-changing to realize how short life can be and how I had taken my health for granted.

    I feel grateful to have gotten over such an adictive habit, and I feel like mustering up the willpower and fighting the impulses have affected me positively in other areas of my life too -- I have decided to pursue my Master's degree again after years of putting it on hold and working in a career that has paid the bills but doesn't fulfill me mentally. Quitting smoking seems to have been a catalyst for me to address the other areas in my life that I was complacent in -- I'm eating better than ever, I go to the gym 5x a week faithfully, sleep has improved, and I even curtailed my social drinking which was close to getting out of hand too.

    To anyone who is trying to quit and just hasn't been able to -- never give up and keep focused on the benefits of quitting -- heck, at the prices of smokes these days, it's just on a financial basis to justify not quitting. One thing I did which helped was to save a percentage of the money I would have spent on cigarettes and then use that to periodically reward myself with something fun -- in my case, I took a vacation to London. Other than the obvious health benefits, it is a psychological boost to have a reward like that for your "good behavior".

    I will never look down on smokers anymore, as I think it's a bit hypocritical considering I once smoked like a fiend, but neither will I ever stop giving friends and family encouragement to quit.

    *Wow, this was kind of a sappy post after re-reading it, sorry for the length too*
    Last edited by Li Kao; 07-29-2006 at 03:09 AM.
    The Eye Half-Shut:
    Part of the Truth Revealed
    http://rubesroost.blogspot.com

  2. #47
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    dont be sorry ... this is the thread for that post.

    youre not the only one with a few paragraphs.
    where's my beer?

  3. #48
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Maine
    Posts
    82
    Excellent news, GDA. You know I have a weak spot for you. It has been just over 22 years since I quit. Still think about it sometimes. Won't go back, though.

  4. #49
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    22 years ... **** ... this is what i like to hear.
    where's my beer?

  5. #50
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    little over 2 years.

    how is everyone else doing?
    where's my beer?

  6. #51
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    san francisco
    Posts
    283
    started in 1987, cuz it felt neat! quickly worked up to 2 packs a day, eventually evened out at 1 pack a day. at the end, was only smoking about 6 cigs/day. got a flu in 1999 and didn't smoke for 4 days cuz they tasted nasty and figured, why not quit? i was also feeling like smoking was a sort of roadblock to my meditation/taiji practice. anyway, since then i have had exactly one drag off of a cigarette in 2000 or so--tasted like $HIT. here's the funny part: as a smoker, i never smoked in dreams. as a non-smoker, i occasionally smoke in dreams. i don't miss weed, either, but i do miss taking ecstasy! but back on topic: my successful attempt at quitting cigarettes happened after about 6 tries in 12 years--the longest i had quit previously was only 2 weeks!
    Originally Posted by Lee Chiang Po
    You then walk backwards, forcing him off his feet and then drag him by the eye socket and lips. You can pull so hard that the lips tear away. You will never hear such screaming.

  7. #52
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Marietta, GA
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    Got 3 months under my belt earlier this year.
    I don't know what's wrong with me.
    I'm not a daily smoker and never have been.
    I'll get a ridiculous craving about once every few weekends- sometimes once a month, other times much longer.
    The craving usually comes in response to an emotionally traumatic event- like seeing my grandfather in the hospital, thinking he might go any minute; or a particularly lonely evening.
    I guess I use it as a coping mechanism.
    I'd like to think it's better than going out and getting drunk instead; but I'm kinda getting tired of always going back to that well.
    zoloft was kinda helping for a bit, but now not so much & i'm getting tired of taking it.
    not sure what i should do.
    guess i'll keep trying.
    What would happen if a year-old baby fell from a fourth-floor window onto the head of a burly truck driver, standing on the sidewalk?
    It's practically certain that the truckman would be knocked unconscious. He might die of brain concussion or a broken neck.
    Even an innocent little baby can become a dangerous missile WHEN ITS BODY-WEIGHT IS SET INTO FAST MOTION.
    -Jack Dempsey ch1 pg1 Championship Fighting

  8. #53
    Maybe here in Colorado we just live a healther life style. I know of no one in our school that actually smokes. I'm sure there are a few but these few would not dare light up anywhere near the place!

  9. #54
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
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    we got coaches who light up behind the gym with the big back door open...
    the smell wafts into the gym and even tho i have a smoking past, when you're working out, it'll still make you nauseous...

    popular east coast mma fighter dwayne "diesel" shelton smokes before every fight- he's a freak though, competing in MMA, muay thai, and grappling all in a single weekend.

    as long as i keep it real infrequent, it doesn't mess with my performance much but i'd definitely rather not do it all.
    What would happen if a year-old baby fell from a fourth-floor window onto the head of a burly truck driver, standing on the sidewalk?
    It's practically certain that the truckman would be knocked unconscious. He might die of brain concussion or a broken neck.
    Even an innocent little baby can become a dangerous missile WHEN ITS BODY-WEIGHT IS SET INTO FAST MOTION.
    -Jack Dempsey ch1 pg1 Championship Fighting

  10. #55
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    Sep 2004
    Location
    Wimberley, TX
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    380
    Next month will be 7 years for me.

  11. #56
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    Jan 1970
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    3rd year ... not a drag
    where's my beer?

  12. #57
    my friends dad had something that really helped
    when he was quitting he bought a fake cigarette like u can get from fun fairs and such and when he felt the need to smoke again he just puffed on that

    no nicotine but it was that lips could feel a cigarette that helped

    like that guy said
    nicotine only stays with you for a couple of days

    after that its all psychological

    so you possibly could replace smoking with another activity like sucking a lolipop or something




    i smoked for a while when i was about 10 aswel but then my mum found out and that was the end of that hahah

    i used to be a heavy drinker aswell and i used goin out and getting smashed with my friends was the usual
    and i still smoked marijuana pretty regular up until about 6 months ago

    when i made the descision to become straight edge

    and now i dont drink smoke or do drugs
    i dont know why but i dont feel any longing for my old habits to coem back

    i just made a clean break

    maybe i'm just weird
    there are only masters where there are slaves

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    Quote Originally Posted by Shaolin Wookie View Post
    5. The reason you know you're wrong: I'm John Takeshi, and I said so, beeyotch.

  13. #58
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    Feb 2003
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    four years for me, i quit using this thread

    my how stupid i was
    Bless you

  14. #59
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    Quote Originally Posted by bodhitree View Post
    four years for me, i quit using this thread

    my how stupid i was
    lmao ... did you see my last post on the thread?

    man i forgot that i tried to quit for adora's birthday. i felt like a real piece of **** when i ended up smoking again 3 days later. got it right few months later though.
    where's my beer?

  15. #60
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    Feb 2003
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    Quote Originally Posted by GunnedDownAtrocity View Post
    lmao ... did you see my last post on the thread?

    man i forgot that i tried to quit for adora's birthday. i felt like a real piece of **** when i ended up smoking again 3 days later. got it right few months later though.
    that's funny man

    oh, and, man, how ****ing stupid did I used to be
    Bless you

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