(no my OC, I am attempting to help spread this that I saw first on https://programming.dev/post/33666663 because I think it helps to know that it is not too late to make changes even for major things like smoking and our health!)
~19 months into quitting. Best decision of my 40+ years.
If you’re out there thinking it’s too hard to quit: You’re wrong, you can do this and it’s worth it.
Same, I’m also almost 19 months in, after so many tries.
How did you do it?
Turns out what I needed wasn’t an iron will but to understand why I smoked. I tracked every cigarette for two weeks, writing down the time and the reason - boredom, a context switch (“I just arrived at the office, now I need to get ready”), anxiety, needed a break…
Once I had that, I could start identifying the reasons for my cravings more easily, which in turn made it easier to switch to a healthier alternative, knowing the craving would pass.
Another two weeks later, I had already cut down my consumption from like 20 to 5 cigarettes a day, which felt wildly empowering. At that point, quitting entirely felt doable, so I did. That feeling made me excited to quit.
I mean, it was still not a walk in the park, but motivation was so much higher than before. I still used nicotine spray for a while to help with the worst cravings.
My dad quit smoking and what was the kicker for him was the oral fixation aspect. He bought a big box of plastic straws and just chewed the shit out of them whenever he felt the urge. Worked pretty well too
I became a step dad and it became massively important to me to not pass the habit along, as well as to do my best to ensure I’m around and healthy to see them grow up.
Right, kids change things. My father used to smoke and the memory of both the visuals and the smell are so vivid, I didn’t want my kids to remember me like that. Good on you!
congrats on nearly 2 years, that’s a huge accomplishment!!
you’re right on, imo “iron wills” are not an ideal approach to addiction management and it seems way better to come to understand the default behavior first and implement alternatives so you can incrementally resist more when triggers happen. I’m not a smoker but I see this point made in research into food, gambling, and porn addiction and it makes sense - you’re setting yourself up to take control of the behavior which is a very empowering feeling even if it’s partial control in the short term.
Interesting! I always thought that once you were a smoker, you have basically cooked your health. Did not know that quitting actually helps with these probabilities.
What doesn’t get undone is lung damage.
it is for your own good.
you have to quit for you.
it feels hopeless to be under the smoking blanket. while getting out from under the blanket seems impossible and terrible, there’s life out here outside of the blanket.
don’t get me wrong, it does suck to quit but it’s better than not quitting.
maybe think about how those bastards made these addictive chemicals designed to do this to you… * for profit*.
27 years a quitter. Fuck tobacco.
Honestly don’t smoke to begin with
It is scary how many younger people vape. I’m sure it will never cause health issues.
While we’re at it, let’s just tell alcoholics to never try drinking, and drug addicts to just not try drugs!
🙄
Wow, kind of amazing to see how the body can heal after 15 years like that.
If I wanted a long life I wouldn’t be smoking…
Forget long, some of us just want quality:-)
Unless I had the option of immortality. I could just sleep for the next 500 years and see if shit gets better.
It takes that long to fully recover. Holy shit.
Just take a 15 year break every once in a while. 🤷♂️
Actuslly, kinda curious what the risks are for someone who smokes less than 1 or 2 packs a day, because those were the only kinds of smokers I ever remember being talked about when it came to all the horrific health issues. If you only smoke 1 cigarette every 15 years, would it even take a toll on you? 🤔
One cig every 15 years would be less than all the second hand smoking and air particles you digest.
But “less than 1 or 2 packs a day” sounds it will definitely lead to health issues. I’d say 1 cig a day would be acceptable and probably without serious health issues.
That makes me think about picking up smoking again. I could keep it to 1-2 a day, right? It’s crazy I quit like ten years ago and still miss it, still get the occasional craving.
It’s always 1 a day, then 2, then a pack, and then 2. Not talking from personal experience, but the body naturally builds up tolerance.
The trick is to rotate addictions weekly ;)
It’s always 1 a day, then 2, then a pack, and then 2. Not talking from personal experience, but the body naturally builds up tolerance.
The trick is to rotate addictions weekly ;)
0 is less than 1 or 2.
Literally, yes. However you so not use this wording in natural language.
There are other health effects than heart issues examined here - e.g. there’s cancer, which occurs due to changes in the DNA of your cells, and that is a cumulative process (although e.g. outer skin layers replenish so in 15 years not the same cells, but I am not sure how long lung and other cells take to similarly replenish).
Between 5-15 years after you stop smoking, stroke risk is reduced to that of a non-smoker.
Is this not a tautological statement?
![[Image] What happens when you stop smoking?](https://lemmy.zip/api/v3/image_proxy?url=https%3A%2F%2Fprogramming.dev%2Fpictrs%2Fimage%2F5fdbec14-890f-47fe-99f6-1d9f805820b4.jpeg){kind=link}