For you smokers on the fence about quitting.....

[not on the rug]

8 minutes ago, hunterbob1 said:

I'm a nicotine addict.It sucks!I grew up when it was a cool thing to do?WWll gi's Doris Duke.

So what?  Nicotine is a very weak substance.  Chew the gum for a couple of weeks and then wean off of that.  Use the patch.   Or just stop completely.  It's not heroin, it's nicotine 

I know you can do it

[not on the rug]

3 minutes ago, Nomad said:

Do I have to come over there with my 13EEE boots?!

Those aren't boots...those are flippers

[FishNHard]

Well My stop smoking story I quit 27yrs ago I was a little over 3 packs a day, when I first started a pack of Marlboro was 35 cents , I enjoyed smoking calmed then nerves and stress , as the years went on it got to the point from a dead sleep id be standing in my room pouring sweet gasping for breath, IT WAS EITHER THE SMOKES GOTTA GO OR I DO , for me it was a little bit easier because those nights would  scare the shit outa me , not going to say it was easy , the 3 tough things to get over was the first smoke in the morning before my feet got outa bead  , while  out having a few beers and the hardest for my was the after dinner smoke , I cut way down for a bit and I can remember to my last day  I just bought a carton and was driving down rt 18  I looked over and said if I open that ill never be able to quit , rolled down the window and chucked the carton out , Skip the money part of what you'd be saving that don't mean shit , do it for yourself and be healthy , the crazy thing is years later sometimes id be going out and be like weres my smokes and id was like WTF I haven't smoked in years, It reminded me of my uncle who had lost his leg and would scream my foot itches like hell phantom itch he called it Best of luck for all you guys thinking of quitting , it'll be tough but worth it in the end.  John

[Zipper]

Good luck to all trying to quit those coffin nails! Your health and life is worth saving. Sorry for your loss Swampy.

 

Edited January 10, 2020 by Zipper

[gregtpal]

Even if you don't care about your health do it for the money saved a pack A-day habit cost you 300 bucks a month after taxes so you gotta earn about $350-$375 to cover that each month.  That's a good chunk of a car or small boat payment...

[hunterbob1]

40 minutes ago, Nomad said:

Do I have to come over there with my 13EEE boots?!

You?A 13EEE HaHa,that be like a perp running away on snow shoes.

[JHbowhunter]

55 years old. Am I the only one my age to never even try (inhale) a cigarette?     Saw what it was doing to my dad and my uncle who I hunted with my entire youth.     Ironically my uncle died Thanksgiving 2018 and my dad 4 days later, both had lung related cancers and COPD that did them in. 

I went through an age 35+  cigar phase - now down to 1 or 2 a month.  I went through a late teen / early 20's weed phase - only inhaling I ever did. 

Best way to quit is to never start. 

Edited January 10, 2020 by JHbowhunter

[barrike]

12 hours ago, not on the rug said:

Here's a suggestion.  Stop.  Right. Freaking. Now.  Don't ever light another one on fire.  Don't ever buy another pack.  You're smarter than cigarettes.  You're stronger than cigarettes.  You can do it.  Every time you buy a pack or light one up, you're making a choice.  

You obviously never smoked.  Kudos to you.  If only it were that easy. 

First and foremost, you have to REALLLY want to quit.  No half-assing it here.  No BSing yourself.  

I was a 2-3 pack a day guy for years.  Tried the cold turkey thing a few times, but didn't last a week.  Then i tried the patch.  It was expensive back then(late 90's).  Figured if it worked it would be worth every penny.  Quit for 2 years.  Thought i had it beat.  Then hit a rough patch in life and started up again.  Quit again 2 years later with the help of a good woman and the patch.  I've been smoke free for 19 years now.  I don't see myself going back, but you never know.  Addiction is a powerful thing.

Edited January 10, 2020 by barrike

[nmc02]

Sorry to hear. My dad was a heavy smoker....died 4 yrs ago from lung cancer. When he was on his death bed he constantly told anyone who would listen to quit....horrible death.

[not on the rug]

1 hour ago, barrike said:

You obviously never smoked.  Kudos to you.  If only it were that easy. 

First and foremost, you have to REALLLY want to quit.  No half-assing it here.  No BSing yourself.  Don't even attempt it if you really don't want to quit.  YOU WILL FAIL!  

I was a 2-3 pack a day guy for years.  Tried the cold turkey thing a few times, but didn't last a week.  Then i tried the patch.  It was expensive back then(late 90's).  Figured if it worked it would be worth every penny.  Quit for 2 years.  Thought i had it beat.  Then hit a rough patch in life and started up again.  Quit again 2 years later with the help of a good woman and the patch.  I've been smoke free for 19 years now.  I don't see myself going back, but you never know.  Addiction is a powerful thing.

I never smoked, I did dip and chew tobacco for quite a few years.  One day I said that enough was enough and stopped.  I never bought another tin or pouch.  I never dipped or chewed again.  Not once.  

I agree that in order to quit, the person really has to want to quit.  Everything else is just an excuse by a weak-minded person.  Same can be said for fat people who "just can't seem to lose weight" who eat well and exercise for a week and then dive right back in to Doritos and pizza. 

The average human doesn't realize how important the concept of mind over matter really is.  They give in to weakness. They give in to excuses.  They give in to what is routine or feels easy.  

You hit a rough patch and used cigarettes as a crutch.  Imagine how much better your life would have been if you used exercise as a crutch?  What if you chose to head outside and shoot your bow every time you felt the "need" for a smoke?  You might be a world class archer.  

Addict behavior is escapism.  Life is hard, woe is me... I NEED to smoke.  No, you need to face your problems and emotions head on and not escape them.  This is the key to life and the key to dealing with struggles.  I have a few friends who are bartenders and they talk about the same sad, pathetic people who go to work and then hit the bar every single night, 60 year old men and women who are still angry that their daddy was mean to them when they were kids, so they NEED to drink to deal with it.  

It's your life. You're in the driver's seat.  You're making choices every single day.  You can make the right choices or the wrong ones, but at the end of the day, they're your choices.   So like you said, people really have to want to quit in order to do it, but most people won't because it's not the easy way out.

Edited January 10, 2020 by not on the rug

[Lunatic]

35 minutes ago, barrike said:

You obviously never smoked.  Kudos to you.  If only it were that easy. 

First and foremost, you have to REALLLY want to quit.  No half-assing it here.  No BSing yourself.  

I was a 2-3 pack a day guy for years.  Tried the cold turkey thing a few times, but didn't last a week.  Then i tried the patch.  It was expensive back then(late 90's).  Figured if it worked it would be worth every penny.  Quit for 2 years.  Thought i had it beat.  Then hit a rough patch in life and started up again.  Quit again 2 years later with the help of a good woman and the patch.  I've been smoke free for 19 years now.  I don't see myself going back, but you never know.  Addiction is a powerful thing.

It is easy for a guy who is not struggling to say just quit. Some people can quit some, for whatever reason, get highly addicted and its seams impossible. Is it as addictive as heroin? I believe for some yes as some smoke to the very end while dying horrific death from smoking.
Good luck

Edited January 10, 2020 by Lunatic

[barrike]

17 minutes ago, not on the rug said:

I never smoked, I did dip and chew tobacco for quite a few years.  One day I said that enough was enough and stopped.  I never bought another tin or pouch.  I never dipped or chewed again.  Not once.  

I agree that in order to quit, the person really has to want to quit.  Everything else is just an excuse by a weak-minded person.  Same can be said for fat people who "just can't seem to lose weight" who eat well and exercise for a week and then dive right back in to Doritos and pizza. 

The average human doesn't realize how important the concept of mind over matter really is.  They give in to weakness. They give in to excuses.  They give in to what is routine or feels easy.  

You hit a rough patch and used cigarettes as a crutch.  Imagine how much better your life would have been if you used exercise as a crutch?  What if you chose to head outside and shoot your bow every time you felt the "need" for a smoke?  You might be a world class archer.  

Addict behavior is escapism.  Life is hard, whoa is me... I NEED to smoke.  No, you need to face your problems and emotions head on and not escape them.  This is the key to life and the key to dealing with struggles.  I have a few friends who are bartenders and they talk about the same sad, pathetic people who go to work and then hit the bar every single night, 60 year old men and women who are still angry that their daddy was mean to them when they were kids, so they NEED to drink to deal with it.  

It's your life. You're in the driver's seat.  You're making choices every single day.  You can make the right choices or the wrong ones, but at the end of the day, they're your choices.   So like you said, people really have to want to quit in order to do it, but most people won't because it's not the easy way out.

Why did you start dipping and chewing tobacco?  Were you escaping something?  If so, why didn't you choose to exercise or shoot bow instead?

[not on the rug]

Just now, barrike said:

Why did you start dipping and chewing tobacco?  Were you escaping something?  If so, why didn't you choose to exercise or shoot bow instead?

I started when I was about 15 and did it until I was about 21.  

I was trying to be cool and sure, escape my parents, rebel, find myself, etc.  Then I grew up and realized it was a filthy, expensive, and destructive habit.  I never smoked because of my involvement in athletics, so dipping was the go-to route.  

I was exercising, playing sports, lifting, running and competing in 2 sports year round. I hunted with my family and shot bows and guns regularly.  

One day I made a decision to stop and stopped.  It's not that complicated.  It's not like you can grow cigarettes in your kitchen.  You have to stop and buy them.  You have to actively open the pack and put one in your mouth.   You have to light it up.  You can very easily make the choice to not do any of those things, and BOOM, you're not a smoker anymore.  

[Lunatic]

7 minutes ago, barrike said:

Why did you start dipping and chewing tobacco?  Were you escaping something?  If so, why didn't you choose to exercise or shoot bow instead?

I am sure it wasn't the weak minded thing in his post.

[barrike]

2 minutes ago, not on the rug said:

I started when I was about 15 and did it until I was about 21.  

I was trying to be cool and sure, escape my parents, rebel, find myself, etc.  Then I grew up and realized it was a filthy, expensive, and destructive habit.  I never smoked because of my involvement in athletics, so dipping was the go-to route.  

I was exercising, playing sports, lifting, running and competing in 2 sports year round. I hunted with my family and shot bows and guns regularly.  

One day I made a decision to stop and stopped.  It's not that complicated.  It's not like you can grow cigarettes in your kitchen.  You have to stop and buy them.  You have to actively open the pack and put one in your mouth.   You have to light it up.  You can very easily make the choice to not do any of those things, and BOOM, you're not a smoker anymore.  

I started smoking for the same reasons.  I think that is why many people start smoking/dipping/chewing/drinking/drugs/etc.  Unfortunately, by the time you wise up you're hooked.