Originally posted by Victor Von Doom
Can I ask a question that has always puzzled me?What exactly is the difference between brands?
Better tasting smoke?
I myself think it's what you get used to. I started on Menthol and regular ones always feel like they are burning a hole in my throat, as for specific brands, I think yeah it's a taste thing.
Can an ex smoker answer this?
I was 13 when I started, 32 when I quit. I am currently 42.
I smoked 3 packs a day.
I was most definitly hooked.
I am living proof anyone can quit. I was by definition a very heavy smoker. In my catagory (more than 2 packs a day) 90% that stop go back to it in six months. Of the 10 percent that make it that far 90% of those go back to smoking in the following 6 months. That means that out of heavy smokers only 1% succussfully quit for more than a year. As of Dec 2 I have been smoke free for ten years.
So how did I do it? First of all, you really have to WANT to quit. Forget about reason other than you want to for yourself.
Tell yourself you are going to quit. If you say you are going to try then you have already failed. NEVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES can you "reward" yourself with a cigarette for "having done so good".
The first few days are the worst. I was climbing the walls for about 4 days. After that all the nicotine was out of my system and the withdrawls stopped. I knew I had it beat. After that it was all psychological. I got up in the morning I was used to having a smoke. I'd get in the car and start my engine I was used to lighting a smoke. I'd drink my coffee and I was used to having a smoke. Hell, I was so bad I'd even wake up in the middle of the night just to smoke.
Bottom line is, if you really want to, you CAN quit. The benifits are incredible. You can taste and smell a lot better. There's no longer looking for a smoking area anywhere so if you live in northern climates you don't have to go outside and freeze to satisfy your addiction.
And if you think you smoke because you enjoy it. What is really happening is your body is going through withdrawls and all you are doing by smoking is satisfying those withdrawls. Trust me, quit for a few months and see how much better you feel.
Oh quitting isn't without it's drawbacks. Ever since I quit I've gained about 30 lbs that won't seem to go away. Still, I think I got the better end of the deal.
Originally posted by Jedi Priestess
Congratulations. clap Did you hack violently the first week? Ive tried to quit and thats what happened to me, the Dr said it was me coughing up all that crap up out of my lungs but in the end I still failed.
For several weeks actually. Yes, it's all that tar in your lungs breaking up.