Why do I smoke? Help me understand how addictions work, please

[[ma...]]

I didn't read Allen Carr's but I read, by Ginger's suggestion, "Freedom From Nicotine - The Journey Home" by John R. Polito. I think it's in the same line. It did help me a lot because I understood how nicotine acts on our brain, making us think we need it to relax, cope with stress or enjoy good moments. This made it easier to resist the cravings which was my main difficulty. I'm now around three weeks off. I still don't know if I'm gonna make it because I smoked for so many years I still can't believe I was finally able to quit. But so far so good and cravings are getting weaker. One day at a time.

 

Congrats Magnesi You are quite determined to get this poison out of your life. I hope you will succeed. Keeping my fingers crossed for you.

 

Thanks, Estee I hope your recovery goes well too.

[[Ca...]]

Hi Guys...

 

Wishing everyone the best..!!

 

Hope I get a clear run from here...!!

 

Stay strong..

[[Es...]]

How is it going with the cigs, Cant? You’ve been silent lately... Hope you haven’t given up trying

[[Ca...]]

How is it going with the cigs, Cant? You’ve been silent lately... Hope you haven’t given up trying

No, Im going ok... have had a couple last week due to recent events, but thats fine, Am on the path...

Thanks..!!

 

[[Es...]]

One hasn’t failed as long as one keeps trying. You’ll make it, Cant

[[ma...]]

How is it going with the cigs, Cant? You’ve been silent lately... Hope you haven’t given up trying

No, Im going ok... have had a couple last week due to recent events, but thats fine, Am on the path...

Thanks..!!

 

Also for me it's harder to resist when life becomes stressful. Hope all goes well for you, Cant

[[Ca...]]

How is it going with the cigs, Cant? You’ve been silent lately... Hope you haven’t given up trying

No, Im going ok... have had a couple last week due to recent events, but thats fine, Am on the path...

Thanks..!!

 

Also for me it's harder to resist when life becomes stressful. Hope all goes well for you, Cant

Thanks Mag... Its stuff that should only happen once in a life time, if one is unlucky enough...

Just one more stage of it to go, Then its all behind us in a sense...

Step by step, ever forward...

 

My best to All..

 

[[GA...]]

I recently understood that while I'm dependent on the benzo, I'm addicted to smoking cigarettes. I really don't understand why I do it as it's bad for my health, makes me look and smell bad and it's expensive. I consider myself clever but I keep on doing it despite wanting to quit. And then I realized is that if I want to stop, I'll have to understand why I do it.

 

So, to the people here that know about addictions, could you give me some guidance? How can I learn about this subject?

 

----------------------------------------------------

Recent nicotine quitters in this thread:

 

OliveKitty - 12/11/2017

Magnesi - 10/4/2018

Cantfly - 15/4/2018

 

If you are quitting, ask to join the list!

 

edit: member request

One of my favorite subjects! Quitting cigarettes.

 

I tried to quit thousands of times. I used nicotine patches, cold turkey and hypnotism. These worked for a while, usually a very short while.

 

I hate cigarettes. I hated them while I was smoking them! They're filthy, they stink, they make you cough and wheeze. Why do people smoke them? Is it because they are addicted to one of the most addicting substances there is?

 

The only way I was able to quit was to make it my priority in life to quit. Not that I "should" quit. Only when I wanted to quit more than anything else in the world (no exaggeration) did it work. January 2, 2002. The day before, January 1st, when most people try to quit, I bought two packs of cigarettes and smoked them both in three hours. I was sick of them. On Jan 2 I started chewing nicotine gum. I kept the gum in my shirt pocket, where I used to keep the cigarettes. I kept the hand-to-mouth action that I used with the cigarettes. That hand-to-mouth thing is not to be underestimated, because as I found it, it is just as addicting as the nicotine itself.

 

The recommendation is to use nicotine substitutes for only so long, I used that gum for at least three years. Then came the day I went from nicotine gum to regular sugarless gum. Surprise! There was absolutely no withdrawal. I thought I was addicted to nicotine but had no withdrawal going from one substitute (nicotine gum)to another (regular gum). The main addiction appeared to be the hand to mouth action.

 

You see little toddlers always sticking something in their mouth as if by habit or need. All of our lives we find comfort by eating, by the act of putting food in our mouths. It seems to be a definite need, just not eating only for nutrition but using that hand to mouth action.

 

So I've been tobacco free since 2002. But I always keep a box of toothpicks in my shirt pocket and keep the hand to mouth action there.

 

It is GREAT to no longer need cigarettes.

[[Ca...]]

Hey GABA..

Too true...

I can only give up when I WANT TO... shoulds dont work...!!

 

Im realy hoping it will help my energy levels...!!

 

[[GA...]]

Hey GABA..

Too true...

I can only give up when I WANT TO... shoulds dont work...!!

 

Im realy hoping it will help my energy levels...!!

 

It is very likely that a person who stops smoking will feel more energy. Smoke clogging the lungs and carbon monoxide in the system sure doesn't help! There are so many negatives to smoking. And so many positives in stopping.

[[Ol...]]

Cant, even though Nicotine is a stimulant, I noticed that it sucked my energy. I always felt weird and lethargic and anxiety ridden after I would smoke, but then an hour later I would be compelled to smoke again 

Anyway I noticed much more energy after I quit. 

Go GABA for being quit for so long!!! It really is a struggle for your life when you make the commitment. I quit in 2003 for 12 YEARS and then I stupidly started again in 2015. So glad to be done with that now. 

[[Sc...]]

Good for you. The whole "quit one thing at a time" idea as far as for cigarettes, (maybe not psych meds) isn't true because they are really bad for you. Once you get over the 3 month hump you really start to feel better in every way. If you have been smoking for a long time especially it may take some time before you actually feel better. But you get immediate benefits. Overall, I think it is important because a lot of us have chronic pain and neuropathies in our bodies and brains. Not smoking reduces all that inflammation. I personally can't heal right if I smoke. It really bothers me. I get nasty headaches and cigarettes are not even enjoyable. Keep it up rickatu. You won't miss it after 6 months. It takes a good year to really not get cravings anymore but you need to always keep your guard up

Hi, I’ve been having quite a hard time with the nicotine withdrawal. FYI I havnt started my benzo taper yet.  I already had treatment resistant depression prior to quitting & started smoking @ a young age & for many years. I removed my last nicotine patch about a month ago &  things have really gone downhill emotionally, cognitively, & fatigue wise. It’s been tough all along stepping down with patches, but the depression with each drop would restabilize & I really didn’t have cravings until infrequent ones on lowest patch. But since being nicotine free, I can get long intense cravings along with the aforementioned negative effects. It therefore gives me hope that you say things like it gets better @ 3 months or 6 months, when I’m struggling because it worries me when others just say they feel great after quitting & well I don’t, not yet. I also feel like it’s made my clonazapam oversedating without the stimulant effect of nicotine. Anyone experience that? Anyway, thanks for the imput. Be well

[[Ol...]]

So sorry Scardie, everyone is so different. I bet if you stick it out you will be feeling better in no time. I did have cravings but nothing like what you are experiencing. Hang in there! You can do it! When I was having a tough time I joined the reddit group r/stopsmoking and it helped me to read through that and get support there.

 

And on another note, today is my 6 month anniversary of the last time I smoked a cigarette!!!!!! I can't believe it!!! So stoked. I still vape here and there but if feels so benign compared to the nicotine rush and toxicity of a cigarette. Yay!

:yippee: :yippee: :yippee: :yippee: :yippee: :yippee:

[[ma...]]

So sorry Scardie, everyone is so different. I bet if you stick it out you will be feeling better in no time. I did have cravings but nothing like what you are experiencing. Hang in there! You can do it! When I was having a tough time I joined the reddit group r/stopsmoking and it helped me to read through that and get support there.

 

And on another note, today is my 6 month anniversary of the last time I smoked a cigarette!!!!!! I can't believe it!!! So stoked. I still vape here and there but if feels so benign compared to the nicotine rush and toxicity of a cigarette. Yay!

:yippee: :yippee: :yippee: :yippee: :yippee: :yippee:

 

Fantastic OliveKitty! Congrats for the six-month anniversary So great to know things are going well

[[Sc...]]

So sorry Scardie, everyone is so different. I bet if you stick it out you will be feeling better in no time. I did have cravings but nothing like what you are experiencing. Hang in there! You can do it! When I was having a tough time I joined the reddit group r/stopsmoking and it helped me to read through that and get support there.

 

And on another note, today is my 6 month anniversary of the last time I smoked a cigarette!!!!!! I can't believe it!!! So stoked. I still vape here and there but if feels so benign compared to the nicotine rush and toxicity of a cigarette. Yay!

:yippee: :yippee: :yippee: :yippee: :yippee: :yippee:

Congrats & thanks for getting back with me. Do you vapewith nicotine in it? Be well

[[Ol...]]

Hey Scardie,

When I first quit I vaped with 6mg nicotine, just for about a week or so, just to keep me from running to the store to buy a pack of cigs. Then I bought some 0mg juice of the same flavor and started diluting the 6mg down to 0mg, that lasted about a month. I would only vape when I was out around other smokers and every once in awhile at home. Then for about 4 months I didn't vape at all. 0mg juice is not very satisfying and I didn't really need it anyway. Lately I have been vaping with 3mg juice, it's very mild and doesn't give you the buzz of a cigarette but feels like a treat in some way. I won't vape forever but right now I have cut out coffee, chocolate, sugar, dairy, wheat, alcohol, recreational drugs, social life, and dealing with benzo w/d so I said Fuck It I want to vape! It's strawberry coconut pineapple and delicious 

-I will note that I was at my mom's for 3 weeks recently and hardly vaped at all and it was fine, never even thought about it. So it doesn't feel like a crazy addiction. When I smoked I could hardly go a workday without smoking, and if I did it was all I could think about.

[[Sc...]]

Hey Scardie,

When I first quit I vaped with 6mg nicotine, just for about a week or so, just to keep me from running to the store to buy a pack of cigs. Then I bought some 0mg juice of the same flavor and started diluting the 6mg down to 0mg, that lasted about a month. I would only vape when I was out around other smokers and every once in awhile at home. Then for about 4 months I didn't vape at all. 0mg juice is not very satisfying and I didn't really need it anyway. Lately I have been vaping with 3mg juice, it's very mild and doesn't give you the buzz of a cigarette but feels like a treat in some way. I won't vape forever but right now I have cut out coffee, chocolate, sugar, dairy, wheat, alcohol, recreational drugs, social life, and dealing with benzo w/d so I said Fuck It I want to vape! It's strawberry coconut pineapple and delicious 

-I will note that I was at my mom's for 3 weeks recently and hardly vaped at all and it was fine, never even thought about it. So it doesn't feel like a crazy addiction. When I smoked I could hardly go a workday without smoking, and if I did it was all I could think about.

Thanks for the update. Congrats on all vices you’ve given up, whether temporarily or not. Yes, we must sometimes say fuck it, something has to give. Glad your not feeling addicted & if you begin to you can always quit again. What’s the expression for quitting smoking(not saying your smoking) it’s easy, I’ve done it a million times! That’s my story anyway. I never really vaped. I sure wish I never smoked my first cigarette though, so young, naive, & ignorant. No doubt we all wish we’d never been advised to take benzos too. Well enjoy your vape! I’m going to keep hanging on to nic abstinence & hope as more time goes by my brain will readapt appropriately. Take care

[[Sc...]]

Hey Scardie,

When I first quit I vaped with 6mg nicotine, just for about a week or so, just to keep me from running to the store to buy a pack of cigs. Then I bought some 0mg juice of the same flavor and started diluting the 6mg down to 0mg, that lasted about a month. I would only vape when I was out around other smokers and every once in awhile at home. Then for about 4 months I didn't vape at all. 0mg juice is not very satisfying and I didn't really need it anyway. Lately I have been vaping with 3mg juice, it's very mild and doesn't give you the buzz of a cigarette but feels like a treat in some way. I won't vape forever but right now I have cut out coffee, chocolate, sugar, dairy, wheat, alcohol, recreational drugs, social life, and dealing with benzo w/d so I said Fuck It I want to vape! It's strawberry coconut pineapple and delicious 

-I will note that I was at my mom's for 3 weeks recently and hardly vaped at all and it was fine, never even thought about it. So it doesn't feel like a crazy addiction. When I smoked I could hardly go a workday without smoking, and if I did it was all I could think about.

Thanks for the update. Congrats on all vices you’ve given up, whether temporarily or not. Yes, we must sometimes say fuck it, something has to give. Glad your not feeling addicted & if you begin to you can always quit again. What’s the expression for quitting smoking(not saying your smoking) it’s easy, I’ve done it a million times! That’s my story anyway. I never really vaped. I sure wish I never smoked my first cigarette though, so young, naive, & ignorant. No doubt we all wish we’d never been advised to take benzos too. Well enjoy your vape! I’m going to keep hanging on to nic abstinence & hope as more time goes by my brain will readapt appropriately. Take care

Congrats again on your quitting! Why did you give up ‘cut out coffee, chocolate, sugar, dairy, wheat,‘ & please do tell how it’s helped you?

Was it just for your taper?

Has it helped with benzo withdrawal?

Has it helped with anything else?

Be well