Smoking

[zaney]

Does anyone on here smoke (cigarettes) and kind of hate themselves for it?
I want to give up - I have before - Yet I know if I was to try give up now that my studies would be effected. At the moment smoking doesn't really effect my health. I'm worried that once I grow older it will be too hard to quit, and my health will definitely suffer once I'm older.

edit: It does have its benefits, everyone in my lectures that smoke seem to get along. So it's actually made me friends. I can think of other situations too when I've been having a smoke and started talking to others. Sometimes all it takes is one common interest for a friendship to start.

 

[Equinox]

I don't smoke; never have, never will. I could never understand why anyone would want to start, now that we all know how much it sucks. It makes no sense to me.

Oh, and it's already affecting your health; you just haven't noticed it yet. First thing to go is your sense of smell. That's why smokers never notice how much they actually stink.

 

[TheSolitaryMan]

Imagine someone came up to you and said: "Hey, do you wanna spend thousands of your hard-earned money every year to smell awful, contract lung cancer, get tooth stains, breathing problems and an addiction?"

Smokers are the people that respond "Hells to the yes!"

I really don't get why people do it. As a chemist, working with stuff like carcinogens and other toxic substances is a hazard I face with gloves, a lab coat, a fume cupboard and an acute sense of caution.

Yet people actually pay to deliberately ingest those chemicals. You couldn't make it up!

Also, it really turns me off someone as a romantic partner. Even the prettiest girl becomes kind of unattractive when she smells like a clogged chimney, I imagine kissing a lady like that would be like wrapping lips around an old smoke stack :\

 

[Lovely Smile]

Well I don't smoke, but I've been around it my whole life

Nicotine is an immediate stress reliever which is why it helps with your studies and like drinking its a social thing, an ice breaker so to speak, that one thing you already know you have in common. You become more stressed when you quit because of nicotine withdrawal, if you can ever get over that hump things get easier (or so I have been told)

The longer you do anything the harder it is to quit (which is understandable), but if you can do it, it does lessen your risk for things like lung cancer. Only you can decide when you'll be able to quit and if/when you do I'll support you. PM me anytime for a chat I hope i've been helpful!

 

[IgnoredOne]

I used to be around people who smoked a lot, always felt more or less frustrating to have to get the scent of smoke out of /everything/ I wore. It does seem like an expensive, pointless addiction with definite repurcussions and extremely few benefits.

 

[Ak5]

Also, it really turns me off someone as a romantic partner. Even the prettiest girl becomes kind of unattractive when she smells like a clogged chimney, I imagine kissing a lady like that would be like wrapping lips around an old smoke stack :\

This.

 

[Lovely Smile]

He said he want to give up the habit and kind of hates himself for it, don't you guys think bashing zaney about it is being a bit harsh? I mean geez if i smoked I'd feel like *what goes into the toilet* about myself. Clearly this person is asking for advice not fro 1001 reason why smokers suck.

 

[Arcane]

I smoke. Most of my life I told myself never ever ever ever. It's disgusting and all the adjectives we all already know. I started because I was an idiot and wanted to get someone else to stop. Oh the irony. I want to quit ..when I'm ready. Something about slowly disgustingly aiding my own death lures me though..

 

[Equinox]

He said he want to give up the habit and kind of hates himself for it, don't you guys think bashing zaney about it is being a bit harsh? I mean geez if i smoked I'd feel like *what goes into the toilet* about myself. Clearly this person is asking for advice not fro 1001 reason why smokers suck.

Actually, this person asked if anyone else here smoked and hate themselves for it, and nobody's been bashing him. People are just answering whether or not they smoke, and they're reasons for (not) doing so. Besides, saying that "smoking sucks" isn't the same as saying "smokers suck". I know people who smoke, and they're nice people - as long as they don't smoke anywhere near me, they're all fine in my book. Even if I can't relate to their choices, they're free to do whatever they want with their own bodies.

(I could never be in a relationship with a smoker, though. It would be too impossible to hug and kiss someone who reeked of that stuff.)

 

[shells]

I hate myself for a slew of reasons. Smoking isn't among them.

I smoke socially and/or occasionally to keep the edge off. Is it expensive and bad for you? Sure. But so is fast food, soda, and bottled water that has BPA in them.

 

[zaney]

Thanks for the opinions guys
yeah I would like to quit. . but it's ALOT easier said than done. Someone said the longer you do it the harder it is too quit. This is what I'm most worried about. What I meant by not affecting my health at the moment is my physical health. I can easily keep up and actually beat most of the non smokers, my age, at my gym in a cardio test. So I keep using that as an excuse not to quit :/

edit: I'm gona finish off my pack then give it a shot. Wish me luck.

 

[Arcane]

good luck

 

[Felix]

I hate myself for a slew of reasons. Smoking isn't among them.

I smoke socially and/or occasionally to keep the edge off. Is it expensive and bad for you? Sure. But so is fast food, soda, and bottled water that has BPA in them.

Well that's precisely why we don't need to ingest any more crap

I never smoked, I did it a few times as a teenager, after 3 or 4 I started liking it so I stopped, I feel like I have enough issues to deal with as it is.

They say is even more addictive than ilegal drugs... to be honest, I don't mean to be rude, but I always wondered why someone would pick up that habbit, I think is stupid... It's terrible for your body and expensive as well, not to mention gross... people are aware of this things and still do it... maybe there is a selfdestructive side to it.

Well I'm glad at least you've made friendships out of your addiction

 

[Chasm]

good luck zaney

 

[annik]

It's sort of funny how many people say they wouldn't date a smoker. My sister for instance said it. She's currently dating a smoker. The thing is she fell in love and then things like that kind of don't matter so much anymore. I've said it but have also simultaneously been madly "in love" with a smoker for going on 15 years...I often think about kissing him Though I expect he tastes like lamb not fags.

I've never smoked, my parents both do and I worry about their health (and my dad burning the house down in the wee hours) and tell them they are stupid. What gets me is my mum stopped twice having me and said sister...why did you start again...TWICE...numpty.

 

[zaney]

I hate myself for a slew of reasons. Smoking isn't among them.

I smoke socially and/or occasionally to keep the edge off. Is it expensive and bad for you? Sure. But so is fast food, soda, and bottled water that has BPA in them.

Good point. Imo eating badly and not exercising is probably just as unhealthy as smoking but its not really considered a social stigma. People are often vocal on how unattractive smoking is but it's frowned upon to comment on someones weight.

 

[IgnoredOne]

Good point. Imo eating badly and not exercising is probably just as unhealthy as smoking but its not really considered a social stigma. People are often vocal on how unattractive smoking is but it's frowned upon to comment on someones weight.

Lots of things, yeah. Good luck on quitting, but I also suggest finding a program or consulting a physician on advice. Just like learning another language often helps with instruction or classes, quitting also can use support.

Keep it up, and live in good health

 

[Fvantom]

Thanks for the opinions guys
yeah I would like to quit. . but it's ALOT easier said than done. Someone said the longer you do it the harder it is too quit. This is what I'm most worried about. What I meant by not affecting my health at the moment is my physical health. I can easily keep up and actually beat most of the non smokers, my age, at my gym in a cardio test. So I keep using that as an excuse not to quit :/

edit: I'm gona finish off my pack then give it a shot. Wish me luck.

the mistake a lot of people make with quitting is dropping it cold turkey, now youve got to be tough on yourself, but if you go from 2 packs a day to nothing, its gonna be way too hard, and youll end up going back.

If you smoke 2 packs a day, cut back to one pack, then to half a pack, from there you can let that pack last you 4 days, then 5, then a week, and which point you keep cutting back more and more until you just dont need a smoke every day.

 

[TropicalStarfish]

If there are benefits to your habit, then it is not a bad habit.

I have smoked tobacco both for recreation and out of habit. For personal enjoyment and socially.

Having been a social smoker I found it easier to relate with those that do continue to smoke socially or used to.

It's not about the nicotine. It's about the habit. The spark, the draw, the exhale, the flicking of the ash. These are all suited distractions to social unease.

My best advice for anyone wanting to quit smoking, is to not think less of yourself because you do not feel you can just stop and never go back.

It's like learning to ride a bike... Once you learn you never forget. You can't forget the habit, you know all the best ways to ease social tension and or inner turmoil.

Instead you must learn now to unlearn what you have learned. This can be a different process for everyone depending on the reasons behind wanting to quit.

Would you rather live a long life doing what you do not enjoy? Or a short life doing what you do enjoy? The frequency and duration of your habit is what will affect your over all health and it sounds like you would prefer to be physically fit and active over having to stop to breathe after jogging 10 meters.

If you attempt to quit, then end up going back, this is not because you are weak and incapable. If anything it is a sign of your success in being able to adapt, learn, and retain information.

So don't beat yourself up about it. You are aware that the longer you smoke the harder it will be to quit. You are aware that the positive benefits of smoking in the long-term are outweighed by the benefits it gives you in the short term.

So count out how many cigarettes you smoke in 1 week. Smoke that many every day for 1 week. Then take 1 away and smoke that many for the next week.

This will give you time to adjust, learn, and adapt to the new habits you will need to form in order to replace the one you can not forget. If you make a mistake, say you are at 10 a week and have a tough day and bump back up to 15... This is not because you are weak and you do not need to feel bad about this. When you are learning to ride a bike, what happens many times before you perfect it? You fall. Then you get back on again and keep trying till you do not fall. So restart at 15 for a week and then keep going from there.

However, this is only 1 of many ways to go about quitting. I've heard tales of people that have smoked for 40+ years, and just one day decided they were done, and stopped smoking. Notice I didn't say "quit" smoking, they stopped. Quitting smoking isn't the same as stopping. I think a lot of people get confused between the two and this is why so many people try to quit smoking, keep failing, and then give up. They weren't deciding to stop smoking. They just wanted to quit so they could live longer and be healthier, which just isn't the same.

Good luck to you.

 

[TheSolitaryMan]

I hate myself for a slew of reasons. Smoking isn't among them.

I smoke socially and/or occasionally to keep the edge off. Is it expensive and bad for you? Sure. But so is fast food, soda, and bottled water that has BPA in them.

Good point. Imo eating badly and not exercising is probably just as unhealthy as smoking but its not really considered a social stigma. People are often vocal on how unattractive smoking is but it's frowned upon to comment on someones weight.

There's a fair enough reason for that though. If someone wants to eat fast food for every meal and become obese, or not bother exercising, that's a choice that only impacts themselves.

If someone insists on smoking next to me in my home, their home, their car or our workplace, I'm effectively having to smoke it too, just without any of the "good" effects.

Would you be pissed off if an overweight person came over and started forcing a burger into your mouth, or smeared grease all over your clothes? I think that's the big difference. People have a reason to comment on it, because it affects them too.

I didn't mean to put smokers down in my first post, by the way, I was just trying to illustrate what a bizarre choice it is to me personally.

@TropicalStarfish, I fundamentally disagree with your very first sentence.

I'm pretty sure meth/crack users would say there are benefits to their habit, does that mean when they're ODing or mugging people to pay £15,000 a year for their habit that it's not a bad one?

Same thing with other forms of hedonistic activity. Some people sleep around lots - if they do it in a manner which makes them shallow and hurtful to other people, is that not also a bad habit, despite the pleasure they get from it?

I can see the attraction as in it's "something to do" in awkward or stressful situations, but other than that...nah.