[alpha1]

Originally Posted by noopster

This is a very interesting read exploring the origins of addictions. As a recovering smokaholic (5 years clean now) I can relate to it pretty well.


Link: http://huff.to/1S5bu2A

Thanks for the article, it basically spells out what I have been thinking all along, though not about heroin or morphine but alcohol.

"The rats with good lives didn't like the drugged water. They mostly shunned it, consuming less than a quarter of the drugs the isolated rats used. None of them died. While all the rats who were alone and unhappy became heavy users, none of the rats who had a happy environment did."

"Professor Peter Cohen argues that human beings have a deep need to bond and form connections. It's how we get our satisfaction. If we can't connect with each other, we will connect with anything we can find -- the whirr of a roulette wheel or the prick of a syringe. He says we should stop talking about 'addiction' altogether, and instead call it 'bonding.' A heroin addict has bonded with heroin because she couldn't bond as fully with anything else."


Besides, what really is construed as addiction? (https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/addiction)
... when a person ingests a substance (e.g., alcohol, cocaine, nicotine) or engages in an activity (e.g., gambling, sex, shopping, exercise) that can be pleasurable but the continued use/act of which becomes compulsive and interferes with ordinary life responsibilities, such as work, relationships, or health.

Most people want to get over the boredom of "mundane" life.

[maddy42]

Been two years since i quit. What started off as a crazy night of drinking and smoking in a casino in vegas turned to a bad health the next day. I quit the stick for a month after which i was unable to take the smoke in as i get terrible coughs.

I do the occasional mouth smokes(1 maybe) once a month and have a cigar once a month. Both cannot go down my throat. I am happy at my current state and now time to get my fitness back.

For smokers trying to quit just give a reason to do so and forget about the smokes, keep away from your regular sutta friends.

I have observed a lot of young kids get hooked onto the e cigarettes. Its a HUGE industry here. Am so glad i didnt get hooked to that, else quitting would be worse. That thing smells and tastes yummy :P

Maddy

[vinay kamath]

Life Is God's Precious Gift To You ! Think Of All Your Loved Ones Who Need You ! Do Not Ruin Nor Endanger Your Life By Smoking or By Driving Rashly!

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by maddy42

For smokers trying to quit just give a reason to do so and forget about the smokes, keep away from your regular sutta friends.

Am so glad i didnt get hooked to that, else quitting would be worse. That thing smells and tastes yummy :P

Maddy

One of the first things to do if you plan on quitting the stick, avoid hanging out with smokers. When you are making new friends, never let them know that you smoked once upon a time. They are sure to force you "to have just one".

And if you are quitting slowly, by reducing the number of cigarettes per day, please take your smoke breaks alone and that too, discreetly. Once your regular, frequent smoker friends get to know about your habit; they will drag you along for company each time hey go out and eventually, turn you into a frequent/chain smoker too. I have had such experience when I moved from 3-4 cigarettes/week to 10-15/day (a few of my friends had similar problems at different points of time). And it becomes difficult to refuse senior office colleagues and close friends once they get to know about your "rare" or "past" habit. Not to forget, the aroma of burnt tobacco in the air which, in itself is difficult to resist.


Nowadays, I go 15-20 days at a stretch without any cigarettes without any cravings. The stretch breaks the day I'm with my old friends and I usually indulge in a few sticks for that day.

[plimsollmark]

Folks I would like to share my success story here for those who are trying to quit.
I say success because it's been over 9 months now. I was smoking an average of 20-25/ day since 1997.
People may have the discipline to taper down their count but in my opinion that's really adding to the grief of giving up something your brain seems to thrive on ! Here goes my experience -

1. You have to want to quit. No pressure helps.
2. From what I have heard it varies from person to person.
However I know of 3 people including myself who found the use of nicotine gum very helpful.
3. The main reason for this is your are then battling only the psychological addiction. The physical addiction is under control with the gum.
4. It took me about 3 days to not miss the cigarette every few minutes.
5. It took me a 2-3 weeks or so to really get over the damn thing.
6. Till week 5 or so I was having 2 gums a day of 2 MG and then I tapered it down to 1 gum a day and then eventually alternated with regular gum and finally just switched to regular gum for a couple of weeks and then left it.
7. Believe it or not associations are so strong that even today when I go out to the local watering hole I am kinda tempted. But few seconds of controlling and urge diminishes.
8. As of now am in a wierd limbo where the smell irritates me yet it it's like an old friend beckoning...

So as a bottom line - it's going to be a lifelong effort - but is it worth doing ? Hell yeah.

I am a different person despite having gained nearly 10 Kgs and my heightened sense of taste that's making me eat more !

All the best to you guys who are trying.

[maddy42]

Originally Posted by plimsollmark

Folks I would like to share my success story here for those who are trying to quit.


I am a different person despite having gained nearly 10 Kgs and my heightened sense of taste that's making me eat more !

All the best to you guys who are trying.

Good luck. When you cross a smoker you get a yuck feeling similar to "Gosh did i stink like that "

I have gained weight too, which was standard for all my smoking life! Need to start work out from today. My other physical activity is field hockey once a week!

Lastly when you quit, do keep your brain occupied with something else. Idle mind will get you back to the stick soon.

Maddy

[vinay kamath]

Exercise as well and as frequently as you can , especially by walking briskly, after quitting smoking. The increased stamina , in terms of walking longer distances in lesser time , after a couple of weeks , may imply better lung power , and this High of realising of having better breathing lungs is a great feeling and achievement. Climbing up 2-8 flights of stairs is another good one.

[fine69]

Originally Posted by plimsollmark

I say success because it's been over 9 months now. I was smoking an average of 20-25/ day since 1997.

I am a different person despite having gained nearly 10 Kgs and my heightened sense of taste that's making me eat more !

I hope you also realize that you've saved somewhere between 42-54000 rupees in these 9 months.

Just in case weight gain is a worry, get an annual membership in the best gym w/ spa/sauna in your locality and you'd still be left with some dough!

Great going nonetheless!

[vinay kamath]

Man Asks: “Am I Missing Something By Not Smoking?” Here’s What The Internet Told Him
Here’s what he’s missing by not joining his friends into smoking.


A Quora user posted about the pressure he felt by being a non-smoker in a group of smokers.

“I am an undergraduate,” he introduces himself. “All my friends smoke, but I don't. Am I missing something?”

Here’s how people responded.

Subhash Yeniganti offers a sardonic response:
What?! You are not smoking? Why is that? You should really start smoking .You are missing so many things in your life.

You are missing the early onset of various diseases.

You are sure to miss the cancers of lung, throat, lung, mouth, nose, larynx, tongue, nasal sinus, esophagus, throat, pancreas, bone marrow, kidney, cervix, ovary, ureter, liver, bladder, bowel and stomach which are quite common in regular smokers.

You are missing the yellow teeth, shortness of breath, various gum diseases and the possibility of mouth cancer.

You are missing the development of premature wrinkles, various complications of diabetes and the possibility of memory problems.

You are missing all the permanent unfavourable genetic damages to your DNA.

You are definitely missing an early death.

How bad it is to miss all these things, right? NO. It’s not bad. You really are not missing anything good. You have done a great job in not starting to smoke. Keep it up. Don't start smoking under the premise that you are missing something. You really are not. I repeat, you are not missing anything.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Carmen Sisson explains the problems of maintaining her pack-a-day habit.

1. I catch pneumonia every winter and end up in the hospital, losing an average of 2-3 weeks a year to laying in bed trying not to die.
2. Last year, in June, I caught pneumonia and nearly died. I was carried to the hospital unconscious twice. The last time, I had to be intubated because I didn't regain consciousness. I spent three weeks in the hospital, racking up $16,000 in debt.
3. My family harasses me about smoking, which stresses me and I end up smoking more.
4. My friends and colleagues see my many attempts to quit as weak, and they think less of me. They are right. I think less of myself, too.
[…]
7. I waste $200 a month on cigarettes.
[…]
9. I have seen a return of the childhood asthma that was gone. I take two asthma drugs per day and also carry a rescue inhaler and use a nebulizer at least once or twice a day. When I get stressed out, I usually have an asthma attack.
10. I worry constantly that I will suffocate.
11. I have spent thousands of dollars on dental work, partially because smoking is horrible on the teeth and the asthma drugs I take make my mouth dry, compounding the problem.
12. I am college-educated, with a fair number of accomplishments of which I am proud. I am ashamed to be a smoker and ashamed at my pathetic attempts to quit. I feel like a loser.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Shashikant Singh shares his note on how smoking changed him:
I have been smoking for almost one and half year. Then I realised that
My face become so bony.
I lost my weight tremendously (I was already skinny)
Lips became blackish
People hate smokers
I looked ugly
Stomach Problems
Breathing Problems
No they are not friends, they are just co-smokers

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
And this anonymous post, on what really happens once you have cancer from a tobacco habit.

Alcohol and tobacco are the biggest contributors to head and neck cancer.

Don't let medical marketing fool you into believing that cancer is now easy to treat. It's not. It's your worst frigging nightmare.

The part of your body where the tumour grows will be cut out. In tobacco-related cases, you could lose your cheek, face, neck tissue, jaw bone, teeth... the possibilities are endless. After your disfigurement, you'll prefer staying at home to avoid being seen and ridiculed in public. People are unkind. They will point fingers and call you a freak.

Surgery (...) could bring tonnes of complications. What if your stitches don't heal? What if the rearranged tissue isn't settling? What if you have fever or dysentery? Forget cancer. Any of these little side effects are potent enough to kill you.

You start chemotherapy. It hurts like hell. Hurts more than anything you'd ever felt. You're throwing up all over the place. You're shitting your guts out. You can't eat. You can't sleep. You feel like peeing the whole time. You're screaming at your family. You're frustrated. Your family doesn't know what to do. The treatment is worse than the disease..
The disadvantages of smoking outweigh its advantages.
Still feel like lighting up?
Don't.

the link:
https://in.news.yahoo.com/man-asks--...120142650.html

[maddy42]

Originally Posted by vinay kamath

Man Asks: “Am I Missing Something By Not Smoking?” Here’s What The Internet Told Him
Here’s what he’s missing by not joining his friends into smoking.


A Quora user posted about the pressure he felt by being a non-smoker in a group of smokers.

“I am an undergraduate,” he introduces himself. “All my friends smoke, but I don't. Am I missing something?”

Here’s how people responded.

Subhash Yeniganti offers a sardonic response:
What?! You are not smoking? Why is that? You should really start smoking .You are missing so many things in your life.

You are missing the early onset of various diseases.

Nice article but as a person who has been there i can say that the disease aspect of smoking doesnt prevent users from smoking or beginning to smoke. Most of the usage starts at a young age when everybody believes that they are super human and nothing can go wrong.

The aspect which needs to be targetted is the concept that "Smoking is sooooo coool bro", cmon its just one puff.

Majority of the anti smoking ads are done by folks who have never done it.


Ecigarettes: For people who want to quit smoking is a good option i believe. I was just chatting with a colleague who switched to ecigarettes and he was mentioning that the brand he has currently has like 30k varities of flavor which you can try out. His daily intake of cigarettes has gone drastically down.

If your trying to kick the butt do check it out.

Maddy

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by maddy42

Good luck. When you cross a smoker you get a yuck feeling similar to "Gosh did i stink like that "

And you wonder, "How could I have been so rude to others as to smoke near them?"

You realise, no, just vaguely blowing it in the other direction, or standing by the door or the window is not enough.

Been there, done that... and realised those things later on

[alpha1]

And I am very confident that the responses cited here by Vinay:

Originally Posted by vinay

“I am an undergraduate,” he introduces himself. “All my friends smoke, but I don't. Am I missing something?”

Here’s how people responded ...

Appears to be by non-smokers.
Scaring someone via heath issues cannot make a currently healthy smoker quit (in most of the cases).
It is a futile exercise.

Originally Posted by maddy42

The aspect which needs to be targetted is the concept that "Smoking is sooooo coool bro", cmon its just one puff.

Majority of the anti smoking ads are done by folks who have never done it.

You are right, it is the "coolness quotient" that makes cigarettes attractive to the majority. Unfortunately, you cannot really kill the coolness quotient in an instant.

A part of the coolness quotient is inherent in the bad boy / bad girl image that cig smoker carries. Most teenagers secretly wish to be that bad boy / bad girl. And along with that comes the herd mentality (the very same that makes people want to buy Harleys - "bad to the bone image", wear leather and hangout with the HOGs)

[vinay kamath]

for High School smokers, shock awareness may help dissuade them from continuing to smoke.

How about a compulsary tour to Cancer wards of hospitals to watch how painfully lung cancer patients struggle for breath, vomit blood, and other typical tragic situations.

Then take patient & treatment pictures with their smart phones to show to other classmates , to interview the ward nurses about the last days of departed patients in penury and bankruptcy.

Lastly , a campus tour to a few MNC cigarette & Indian Beedi factories, where CEOs drive exotic Bentley , and wear plenty of Gold watches & jewellery, and Armani suits, attend parties and fashion shows.


Then, they will surely figure out the stark contrast of the lives the supplier and the consumer lead.

[Rahulkool]

Found a interesting video, please watch it completely.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRL7o2kPqw0

[alpha1]

Originally Posted by vinay kamath

How about a compulsary tour to Cancer wards of hospitals to watch how painfully lung cancer patients struggle for breath, vomit blood, and other typical tragic situations.

They would come up with 10 times more examples of people around them who have been smoking their entire lives but not gotten ill.
What will you do then?

It gives me an impression that even you are not a smoker.