Don't smoke, y'all

by "Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection" (itsalwayssteve)
Published 04/12/2017 at 13:17

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STARS: 17

I’m six years quit as of this coming July.

This is out of a truck with about 180k miles and one heavy smoking owner. The shop is putting leather and a new headliner because the detailers took one look at it and said “hell naw.”

Replies (24)

"Ash78, voting early and often" (ash78)
04/12/2017 at 13:20, STARS: 2

Congrats, Steve! It ’ s been about 15 years for me (after almost a decade of a pack - a - day). The doctor says I ’ m basically back to where I ’ d be if I ’ d never started. I had an aunt die of lung cancer just a couple weeks ago, and my grandmother from a smoking - related stroke when I was a kid. Personal choice and all, but these things will mess you up.

"My citroen won't start" (lucasboechat)
04/12/2017 at 13:21, STARS: 0

I have a few smoking rules to myself:

-never smoke inside the car

-never smoke inside de apartmant away from windows or near the carpets

-never smoke near children

-never go over half-pack until midday.

"CaptDale - is secretly British" (captdale)
04/12/2017 at 13:23, STARS: 0

I have been trying to quite, but I never ever smoke in my car or inside. My guy friend smokes in his, so I do too, but never mine anymore. I spend too much $ a month to do that.

"jimz" (jimz)
04/12/2017 at 13:24, STARS: 2

every day I’m thankful I never took up smoking.

"Taylor Hedgie" (TaylorHedgie)
04/12/2017 at 13:25, STARS: 2

Congrats! I’m currently as of this moment stopping cold turkey and on my first day, somehow have not killed a man yet.

Tips on successfully quitting?

"TheRealBicycleBuck" (therealbicyclebuck)
04/12/2017 at 13:28, STARS: 0

My grandmother quit once my grandfather developed leukemia and died. Fast forward 5 years and grandma couldn’t stand the smokers’ smell. She wondered why we put up with it for all those years.

"Deal Killer - Powered by Focus" (dealkiller-ii)
04/12/2017 at 13:30, STARS: 0

That headliner looks only moderately stained. I’ve been in several homes where the nicotine is actually running down the walls after years of heavy smoking by the owners. Yuck, yuck, yuckity yuck.

"Xyl0c41n3" (i-am-xyl0c41n3)
04/12/2017 at 13:48, STARS: 2

-Never smoke.

FIFY.

"Meatcoma" (mastapoof)
04/12/2017 at 13:48, STARS: 2

1 year come may!

"My citroen won't start" (lucasboechat)
04/12/2017 at 13:49, STARS: 0

That’s fair enough. Right now I’ve swapped most of my depression/anxiety medicine for cigs, and I honestly feel more stable.

"Xyl0c41n3" (i-am-xyl0c41n3)
04/12/2017 at 13:49, STARS: 2

Don’t beat yourself up if it takes a couple of tries. That’s the only advice I have. Know a couple of people who have quit and very few do it on the first go-around. Good luck! And don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it.

"Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection" (itsalwayssteve)
04/12/2017 at 13:55, STARS: 5

I have this thing I keep on the cloud for advice:

The cravings only last about as long as it takes to smoke a cigarette or two. If you feel it coming on, try to distract yourself and muscle through.

Citrus is your friend. Grapefruit juice especially. I don’t know why but the grapefruit effect seems to work with nicotine.

Clean out and deodorize your car. Do all your laundry. The smell can lead to temptation.

If you smoked a pack a day, try putting about $5 a day into a savings or investment account. Watching your money grow can be a strong incentive to stay off the smokes.

Food and drink will taste better - the only exception I can remember is black coffee. Since you’re not smelling smoke all the time you can really savor foods.

Restructure the smoking triggers. If you smoked a lot in the car, try taking a different route to work or home. Simple change of venue can be a real help

Stay around supportive people. And stay away from smoking areas.

"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
04/12/2017 at 13:55, STARS: 1

In many cases, it’s not the emphysema that gets you, it’s the bladder cancer. My grandfather was 2-pack-a-day Salem smoker for 50 years and though his lungs were shot and he had prostate cancer, it was the bladder cancer that killed him. My mother smoked heavily for many years and quit about 10 or 15 years ago, but she is now being treated for bladder cancer. The bladder simply can’t process all the tar and nicotine. Though manufacturers cut down on those two ingredients, they added other chemicals that are known to cause cancer. I’m trying to quit my cigars. It’s hard. The only possible silver lining in those clouds of smoke is that I never inhaled them (though of course there is second-hand smoke) and they are all 100% tobacco cigars without all the added chemicals.

"Ash78, voting early and often" (ash78)
04/12/2017 at 13:57, STARS: 1

Both are good points — cigars are pretty “pure” in terms of toxicity compared to cigarettes. And even heavy cigar smokers usually end up with mouth/throat problems, not lungs. Moderation.

"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
04/12/2017 at 14:00, STARS: 0

For many years, it was one a day. In the last year or two, it was two or as many as three a day. Now I’m shooting for one or two a week. We’re also paying more for our insurance because I smoke. I think it’s like $50/month, which is not insignificant.

"Tristan" (casselts)
04/12/2017 at 14:39, STARS: 2

I’ve been quit for just over 3 years. Things that helped me: realize that nicotine does NOTHING aside from making you want more nicotine. Try this: grab a pen, put it in your mouth like you would a cigarette, and pretend to take a nice, big, deep drag. Realize it’s the deep breathing action that helps to calm and relax you- not the nicotine.

When I quit, I tried vaping. It made me stink less, but made my lungs feel even worse. Plus it gave me terrible WRX cravings, and I found myself wanting to screw up the alignment and put wrong size tires on all my cars...

"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
04/12/2017 at 15:12, STARS: 0

Pictured: Every damn surface in my childhood home.

Both of my parents were heavy smokers, and thought nothing of smoking in the house or in the car or around us kids. By the time I was old enough where I could’ve tried it, I was so damn sick of cigarettes that I’ve never taken a single puff of anything. My dad is still a heavy smoker, and my mom was until her dying day (of cancer, of course).

The smell in my house was so bad, that some of my friends weren’t allowed to come over at all. And when I was in high school, all my friends who did start smoking, used being at my house as the reason they smelled like smoke. I also got hauled into the office at school and searched because my History teacher was convinced I was smoking weed because of the smell. I wasn’t and never have.

"Stapleface" (patrickgruden)
04/12/2017 at 15:25, STARS: 0

My father is a cigar smoker. His last truck (2012 F150) the dealer gave him a hard time on trade in. I’m pretty sure he got killed for it too. His new rule, no smoking in the new truck. As an occasional passenger in said truck, I applaud that decision.

"nermal" (nermal)
04/12/2017 at 16:53, STARS: 1

It’s all attitude driven. I’m 5+ yrs quit. Some advice:

1) Accept that you are not a (former) smoker, you are a nicotine addict. This is an important distinction. Even if you are not currently consuming nicotine products, you are still a nicotine addict.

2) Commit to it. You’re not trying to quit. You’re not giving it your best shot. You’re not trying to get rid of a bad habit. You ARE breaking an addiction.

3) Put breaking your addiction as your #1 priority, including above other people. If your friends won’t support you, they’re not your friends. If somebody offers you a cigarette, tell them that they are weak and controlled by their addiction, and that they should go fuck themselves.

4) Destroy everything of substance that supported your addiction. Have a smoking jacket? Ashtray? Chair on the back porch you sat and smoked in all the time? Zippo lighters? It all must go. Those are tools to feed your addiction, which you are breaking, and you don’t need any more. In to the trash they go.

5) Change your lifestyle to stop doing things that you used to do that involved nicotine consumption, and try new things. Join a badminton league, or go birdwatching, or something entirely new.

6) Don’t go the the place where you used to buy tobacco. If that’s a gas station near your house, get gas somewhere else.

7) Thinking about relapsing? You’re better than that. Tell yourself that you’re better than some stupid drug, and you won’t let it control you.

"Vlachen" (vlachenaranias)
04/12/2017 at 16:54, STARS: 1

7 years out of a pack+ a day:
I know that my mind tried REALLY hard to rationalize getting a smoke, either by buying or bumming. Many “aw, fuck it!” moments when the day’s shit hit the fan, something went wrong, or I was just down and wanted a cup and a smoke. All the “think about how much you’ll save” and “think about how good food will taste” and “distract yourself” didn’t do much for me.

There’s nothing more forcefully persuasive than a brain that really wants a smoke.

That being said, the AA mantra comes in handy: “One day at a time.” One craving at a time. The cravings would hit me so hard I couldn’t focus on anything but getting a cig. The lizard brain that wants all of its desires satisfied is very loud and aggressive. The voice you need to really listen to is the one that says “not anymore” when you’re jonesin’. It’ll be quiet, but it’ll be there, almost lost in the noise. Listen to that voice and you might find that your craving has passed without much thought. Rinse and repeat. It helped me to make a promise to my then SO, now spouse, that I was going to quit, so that I could see her disappointment whenever I screwed up and bummed one.

I also tried some transference methods which didn’t help much. What was supposed to be the occasional pipe and more occasional cigar turned into an often multiple time a day ritual.

I don’t want you to be discouraged, but I want to make sure I’m honest. Too many people react with “oh, just quit” and it always pissed me right the fuck off. It is hard. It is a challenge. It totally is worth it. Just sucks on the way through.

"nermal" (nermal)
04/12/2017 at 16:55, STARS: 0

This is terrible advice for somebody trying to break an addiction. Going into it with this attitude gives them an out to take when things inevitably get difficult, which they will.

" The Compromiser" (charger)
04/12/2017 at 18:16, STARS: 0

About to hit 3 years. Champix. Never had a craving since.

"Xyl0c41n3" (i-am-xyl0c41n3)
04/12/2017 at 18:30, STARS: 0

No. It acknowledges the high recidivism rates involved in breaking an addiction. Some people beat themselves up because they can’t be “perfect” in breaking an addiction, breaking a bad habit, learning new good habits, etc. Some people punish themselves needlessly because of that. My advice acknowledges that mistakes are ok, and are NOT failure by any means. My advice acknowledges that seeking support is also a great way to stick to your goals. When you have loved ones and friends cheering you on, holding you accountable, and just being there for you, it helps. A lot.

One of the most powerful tools ANYone has at their disposal is the ability to forgive. Including forgiving oneself. Forgiveness is hard. It requires patience. And when you’re trying to break an addiction you need the grace the forgive yourself for a possible backslide. I’m not saying it’s guaranteed to happen, but it might. And that’s not the end-all, be-all in a person’s journey towards ultimately breaking that addiction.

You know what IS horrible advice, though? Telling someone that breaking an addiction is just a matter of attitude. That if they have the right attitude they’ll be able to break their addiction. That’s bullshit. Attitude is but one part of the larger addiction equation. Addictions cause psychological and physiological changes in a person, including changes in how that person’s brain chemistry works. No amount of “right attitude” alone is enough to break an addiction. It may have worked for you, but you’re an outlier. Surely you’re aware of that?

Breaking an addiction isn’t a zero sum game of pulling yourself up by your bootstraps. Nor should it be.

"nermal" (nermal)
04/13/2017 at 17:07, STARS: 0

You are completely wrong here.

When it comes to something as difficult as breaking a nicotine addiction, the ONLY way to do it is to convince yourself that failure is not an option. Going into it with the attitude that this is the LAST time that you quit is the only way you will be able to power through the difficult parts of the process.

You know what happens if you take the stance that it’s ok to fail? You will. You will give in to the cravings because you had a stressful day, or there was traffic, or “just one” won’t hurt, or whatever other stupid bullshit excuse you use to convince yourself that it is acceptable to relapse. And what happens then? You are right back where you started, and whatever time you spent quit is completely wasted.

Mistakes are NOT ok, setting yourself up for failure by giving yourself that option at the start is NOT ok, and going into it thinking that it’s going to be anything other than the most difficult thing you’ve ever done, but something that you can do, is a recipe for failure and relapse.