You guys are totally awesome. Thanks for all the info and encouragement about the whole not smoking thing.
The process has been distracting and unsettling, but not as hard as I expected. It's been three weeks and 2 days, and I don't really think about smoking very often anymore. And that's pretty cool.
Honestly, I thought there would be more urges and cravings. But right from the beginning, it's been relatively mild. I don't really understand why, but I am grateful. Seems like it should have been a lot worse, I've been smoking a lot for a long time.
I'm still not "normal" as a non-smoker. Here's the best way I can describe my current state:
I don't actually "miss" smoking now...but sometimes I still "notice" that smoking is missing...if you see what I mean.
I figure when I no longer notice that I'm not smoking...then I'll be done.
(Oh....and since I never remember dates or time spans, when I stop knowing exactly how long it's been since I quit, that'll be another indication that I've moved on.)
I've been lucky actually. It's been easier for me than for people who quit before the PC pinheads ran the world because now there are so few places where you run into people actually smoking. You have to go out of your way to find them. In the old days, people who quit were confronted with a thousand burning cigarettes every day. That's gotta make quitting way harder.
And finally....while I'm not entirely settled into my Non-Smoker identity....my biggest issue isn't really Not Smoking. It's Not Eating!
I CAN'T STAND the idea of pudging out because I quit smoking.
No rest for the wicked.
So anyway, there's my update which I ended up doing because I wanted to say thanks for the support.
The Gunslinger
(May do old age without an oxygen tank...)
Joebama American citizens 2024 print
9 months ago
Congratulations! I know the pain. Smoked for 22yrs and quit just this year. I'll always know When I quit, as I had my last cigarette on St Patrick's day. I applaud your fortitude and hope that things stay easy for you.
ReplyDeleteMy method:
ReplyDeleteI smoked for 15 years, off for over 30 years now.
After quitting twice for 9 months each time within 5 years I realized I HAD TO WANT TO QUIT, not just try.
I psyched myself up for 10 months then quit cold.
I realized I HAD TO REPLACE THE ACTIVITY ,so I chewed ALOT of gum.
I had to get past the first 3 weeks; even though I had quit, I had dreams in which I had failed and returned to smoking.
YOU HAVE TO WANT TO QUIT.
Hope this helps.
Gunny:
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you aren't just puffing about finally gettin' off your butt and giving up the bad habit. Anything else would be a real drag. You really must learn to filter out what the naysayers are telling you and just go for it. To-back-o-ut now would be lame, bordering on liberal - ugh! Thanks for drawing our attention to your ongoing battle again' big tabacker. Afterall, it's either your ash or theirs.
Why is it when you are trying to give up smoking everything seems to remind you of it?
Good luck,Gunny! When I got called back to work 11 weeks ago (yay!),I had to get a physical,and found I had high blood pressure (160 over 108!). I changed my diet,cut smoking to half a pack a day,I've lost 15 pounds,and BP is down to 130/80 already. Kudos to you for stopping cold turkey on the smokes! Call me a wuss,but I know me,so my own method is to leave the things behind at home as often as I can,or eat celery,carrots,etc.My first-time-ever primary health giver (i.e.,doctor) I picked from the phonebook is named Moses (!),and looks like Forrest Whittaker.Flaky superstition,perhaps,but I took it as a sign. Just robbing the Federales of tax money alone is a pretty good incentive in itself! Again,good luck!
ReplyDeleteKeep it up, slinger! I know you can do it.
ReplyDeleteMy own issue, even after being off them longer than I was on them, is dreaming that I have a cigarette in my hand, and I am taking a long drag on the stupid thing...
Congrats, Gunny!
ReplyDeleteI've never had to face that one down, but have friends who beat it. They have said what you just said, when you don't remember exactly how long it has been since your last smoke, you're free. If you get to saying, "it has been 9 years, 6 months, 13 days and 10 hours", you still haven't quit. ;-)
Turns out some days are definitely harder than others. I thought I'd be over that now, but no such luck.
ReplyDeleteI thought Zombies and Vampires were bad. The Demon, Weed, is definitely a much badder ass that either!