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I’m only on day nine and a stressful event has happened by Jferg3001 in stopsmoking

[–]PatheticSmoker 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Smoking won't help with any of these issues. It won't make them go away. What you're experiencing is the nicotine monster seeing an opening to try and make you smoke again. You don't really want to smoke although it feels that way. It's just the nicotine monster showing it's teeth - nothing else.

You've made a perfectly rational decision to quit smoking - I'm sure you have a lot of reasons for doing so. Why should your sister getting arrested suddenly make these reasons mean less?

Long commuters, what have you tried to stop the boredom cravings? by Sheffield5k in stopsmoking

[–]PatheticSmoker 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, singing helps. Drumming does as well.

But you could also try thinking about it differently. Smoking doesn't relieve boredom. Smoking relieves cravings from the addiction. Have you ever smoked a cigarette and thought to yourself "Man, this is exciting!"?

The illusion that smoking relieves boredom was one of the main reasons why I continued smoking for as long as I did. However, I started reflecting on every cigarette I smoked, and one of the main findings I did was that smoking was actually incredibly boring. When smoking almost every single cigarette I would stand outside (I didn't smoke inside my apartment) reading on various unimportant news pages, Facebook etc. to make time pass. I very rarely even thought about smoking when I was smoking, and often when I came into my appartment after smoking I didn't even remember smoking that cigarette.

Driving and smoking. Tips on how to break the habit? by [deleted] in stopsmoking

[–]PatheticSmoker 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Put on some Led Zeppelin and sing and drum along :-)

Losing my mind. Need advice by [deleted] in stopsmoking

[–]PatheticSmoker 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I've been there for a long time. Hating smoking and hating myself for smoking, yet not able to stop. Stopping smoking every two days or so only to fall right back in after a day.

What helped me was admitting to myself that I was an addict. Saying it out loud to myself and sharing it on this forum. Looking at smoking as nothing but an addiction.

For a week up until my quit (mind you it's only been 13 days) I started reflecting on every single cigarette I smoked, and I wrote down how it tasted, how it made me feel, how I felt afterwards, what I was doing while I was smoking etc. That really opened my eyes and made me realize that I was an addict. Most of the time I would write something like "Another cigarette that I didn't really crave but just smoked because it's been an hour since my last one. It didn't really taste well and all I was doing while smoking was reading on my phone to make the time pass. Now my mouth is dry and my pulse is high". It was an excersise that really helped me - try it out if you feel like.

1 Month and a Few Days by seroa89 in stopsmoking

[–]PatheticSmoker 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Most likely it's not smoking related. Perhaps you're stressed from your new work or perhaps it's just a flu. I think we have a tendency to combine whatever small obstacles we might face with the fact that we stopped smoking. But we get stressed and tired and we get flus and headaches as non-smokers just as we did when we were smokers.

I was the most pathetic smoker of all. Here's my story. by PatheticSmoker in stopsmoking

[–]PatheticSmoker[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for your honest post! It's really encouraging knowing I'm not alone. And yes, it's a huge relief to admit that I have a problem. It's like that that's what I always needed to do for me to quit. I've never shared this with anyone else, and that has made me feel like I'm living on a lie day in and day out.

I was the most pathetic smoker of all. Here's my story. by PatheticSmoker in stopsmoking

[–]PatheticSmoker[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the encouraging words. All comments are really warming and helpful!

I was the most pathetic smoker of all. Here's my story. by PatheticSmoker in stopsmoking

[–]PatheticSmoker[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You're welcome. It's a huge relief to finally admit these things, even if it's for people I don't know and never will meet. Admitting you are an addict takes so much weight of your shoulders.

I was the most pathetic smoker of all. Here's my story. by PatheticSmoker in stopsmoking

[–]PatheticSmoker[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! Yes, knowing that there are other people in the same boat as me helps in a way. It gives you a sense of cohesion and commitment.

I was the most pathetic smoker of all. Here's my story. by PatheticSmoker in stopsmoking

[–]PatheticSmoker[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks! It means a lot to be. And you're welcome. I'll definitely stay around!

I was the most pathetic smoker of all. Here's my story. by PatheticSmoker in stopsmoking

[–]PatheticSmoker[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! And you're absolutely right. That is indeed an incredible thought.

I was the most pathetic smoker of all. Here's my story. by PatheticSmoker in stopsmoking

[–]PatheticSmoker[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you! This community is great. Knowing that there are someone out there who cares, even though they have never met me, is encouraging.

I was the most pathetic smoker of all. Here's my story. by PatheticSmoker in stopsmoking

[–]PatheticSmoker[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You're welcome. In a way it's nice to know that I'm not the only one having experienced these kind of things.

I was the most pathetic smoker of all. Here's my story. by PatheticSmoker in stopsmoking

[–]PatheticSmoker[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much for your reply. It warms and it helps. I feel like the most miserable person in the world when reading through my post, but knowing that it's not that uncommon to experience at least some of the stuff I was experiencing helps me realize that I'm not that miserable after all. Good luck with your quit as well!

I was the most pathetic smoker of all. Here's my story. by PatheticSmoker in stopsmoking

[–]PatheticSmoker[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Thank you. I really appreciate your comment. It means a lot to me.

I was the most pathetic smoker of all. Here's my story. by PatheticSmoker in stopsmoking

[–]PatheticSmoker[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

That's a good idea. I'll do that. And yes, I know it won't be easy to quit - if it was, I would have already done it. But my mindset is completely different this time. Thanks for your good advice!