I can unequivocally state that giving up tobacco has been the hardest thing I have ever done and the most miserable. In retrospect, maybe I should not have been the hero and sought some professional help or at the least some good opiods to cut the pain.
In lieu of either I smoked dope. Lots of dope. And you know what, it did not help. Nicotine turned out to be harder to quit than the heroin of my youth, the cocaine of my youth, and the alcohol I used to drink to wash all that shit down with. Have I mentioned that nothing in my life has been harder?
So now 13 months later, I go hours at a time without thinking of tobacco. I can walk past the pitiful groups I used to join for butts in the cold without batting an eye. But still even after these last 13 months when I am sitting quietly, I will crave a cigarette. Or maybe when watching an old movie where everyone smoked, I will ponder their pleasure of sucking in that beautiful poison filled smoke.
But the reason I even bring this up today is "Pipe's" fault. He commented on my last blog post and asked me how I was doing with the no smoking. Fine Pipe, until you brought it up dammit!
Pipe, you know I am just kiddin.
Later ................................................................
4 comments:
I finally quit smoking in '97. For years after at times I would think how it would be nice to have a smoke, especially when smelling second hand smoke. Or when doing something when I used to smoke. I don't have thoughts of smoking very often now, it still creeps into the mind sometimes.
It took multiple attempts and about a decade and a half to finally quit. But as the years go by it gets to where it's no longer an issue.
I smoked 3-4 packs of unfiltered camels a day and thanks to my 6 year old son(I'm sure you remember the story on ydg..I quit cold turkey and for some reason it was easier than quitting drugs and booze. But I feel for you..just think of all the people that went to rehab and quit cocaine crack heroin booze and still smoked e packs of Marlboro ..it's the hardest. Good luck...to you and poor.
Mike:
You are a bit ahead of me. My completion of a full year away from my beloved pipes and pipe tobaccos will be (if I make it) on February 14th.
It is VERY much a challenge. But, like you, I do have some time where I do not think about it. Truthfully, these days I probably average only 4-5 times a day when I think about enjoying a bowl of the beautifully heavy brown crumbles.... and that is a significant improvement.
I figure I should be able to make it to the year mark. But, I am not really sure of my intentions after that point.
PipeTobacco
Good for you!
I quit in 2001. It was my third attempt, having smoked since I was 14 and having tried every damned method know to man. This time I told myself I could have a smoke anytime I wanted. No cold turkey. BUT, when I decided to have one, I told myself to try waiting 30 minutes. When the 30 were up...I waited 30 more. It took a week to extend that to an hour. At the end of 2 weeks, I wasn't even using that crutch. It was about a year before I just quit even thinking about it. I also decided not to give up my beer, vino...and coffee. Getting passed those without smoking was hell. But I did it. So, now I have been a non-smoker for almost 18 years. Unbelievable. I also considered myself extremely fortunate to have dodged the cancer and emphysema bullet. I see young people puffing away and I feel for them. But I never preach at them because it is something one has to get control of themselves...and that's a bitch.
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