Quit, Quitting, Have Quit, Maybe. . .

[jpmcwjr]

Very best of luck to you and best wishes for your health making a big jump in the right direction.

 

[nicotnman]

I smoke a pipe, cigar and chew, no more than 24 days out of the year. With at least 2 months without any tobacco use. Guess im a tobacco hobbyist. I think about smoking a pipe daily in anticipation of my next 3 to 4 day session. I have only been doing this for 4 years though. Might be harder to do for someone who has smoked for a long time. The withdraw symptoms get better after 7 days without any tobacco. I have not met anyone else who is able to do this. I just think its mind over matter. Thought I read somewhere Native Americans only used Tobacco a couple times a year for ceremonies. Dont know if thats true or not. Before you give it up completely try a few days twice a year. Its a lot easier than saying never again. If its something you love to do, do it occasionally.

 

[saltedplug]

I already feel stronger and my lungs have stopped making crinkly noises. I have no doubt that the coughing, sneezing and raw throat were due to tobacco. Maybe I can return to smoking after a period of abstinence, but I don't want to encourage another round of denial in support of a practice that is undermining my health. I had what recovering alcoholics refer to as a "moment of clarity" about my smoking. In the grip of addiction such moments can be all too few.

 

[derekflint]

Best of luck to you salt....

 

[pepesdad1]

When your body tells you to stop...STOP! No sense in killing yourself...we would really miss you.
My .02.

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

Funny that respiratory symptoms should be a virtual impossibility if you control your cadence correctly and don’t let any smoke down your wind pipe.

Ironically, my problem is that my mouth is just super sensitive. I’ll probably never be able to smoke regularly, I get almost the same reaction from eating highly cirtus fruits as I do smoking a pipe. The Wasabi I had on some Sushi this week just about had the skin on the roof of my mouth peeling off (I never allow any of it to go to waste).

Due to being in the middle of an orthodontic procedure it’s been over a year since my last bowl.

I can’t wait to get back to watching movies with my pipes (should be able to start again this summer)

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

I can definitely agree that self control is difficult though. When I started out a few years ago I was incredibly eager to just keep trying new things, new pipes, new blends, I desperately wished I could smoke even just one bowl a day. I tried a few times, it never went well.
Pushing three bowls a week is still uncomfortable, it’s almost the same recovery schedule as my current weight lifting routine (four workouts a week and my shoulders and knees start to ache).

 

[perdurabo]

Damn, Saltedplug, I'm sorry to hear about this. I know you will do the right thing for yourself. Perhaps a pipe a month. As a treat. But you have to make those decisions. Good luck to you.

 

[lawmax3]

Saltedplug I hate to hear that you are having respiratory troubles.

Maybe after a while you will be able to have the occasional smoke and not fall back into the habit.

Do whats best for your health.

 

[deckpiper]

I can definitely agree that self control is difficult though. When I started out a few years ago I was incredibly eager to just keep trying new things, new pipes, new blends, I desperately wished I could smoke even just one bowl a day. I tried a few times, it never went well.
Pushing three bowls a week is still uncomfortable, it’s almost the same recovery schedule as my current weight lifting routine (four workouts a week and my shoulders and knees start to ache).

So, I just started out. I have smoked twice a week for a few weeks. I have to say, I find myself really looking forward to (and repeatedly thinking about) my next pipe. Schedule was tight this week, or I would have smoked mid-week. Looks like it will be the weekend before I smoke again...plan is tomorrow night. Is this desire because I've found an enjoyable new hobby?...or because I'm experiencing addictive impulses for the first time? Maybe I should keep it to once a week maximum.

 

[alan73]

Salted : sorry to hear about that . I wish you better health and feelings. I hope for the best for you.

 

[oldtoby]

Sad to hear this, Saltedplug.
If you need Nicotene, try the patch. They do work. I know.

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

"Is this desire because I've found an enjoyable new hobby?"
Probably, but everyone's different.

Personally, I'm fairly resilient to the effects of substances, sugar, caffeine, and seemingly Nicotine. The first effect I feel in my head when I'm smoking a pipe (or cigar) is dizziness from carbon monoxide poisoning (this is without inhaling, I've heard inhaling is what gets people the "kick" that they have cravings for).
I remember the first time I knew that I actually had some chemical connection to caffeine was the first time I had started drinking 2-4 cups daily at a job, then stopped for a month, then the next time I smelled coffee I felt a strong reaction in my head (Adrenaline? Endorphins?).
Only you can say how easily you get addicted to things.

 

[artificialme]

Hey, hope you get better soon. Maybe find a new hobby will help if you can't deal with the crave to smoke

 

[robcapp]

Sorry to hear this, SaltedP.

I've always enjoyed your posts, and look forward to your contributions when you are so inclined.

I hope your health and situation improve, friend.

 

[saltedplug]

I had my first serious craving last night but didn't smoke. It's amazing how I can have a clear understanding that smoking won't work anymore, but that in the craving the only thing that matters is its satisfaction. Thanks to all for the support!

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Read the book, My Lady Nicotine: A Study in Smoke by J. M. Barrie. It starts off that he has to quit smoking pipes and cigars to get married, and the whole book was written in a daydream of longing for smoke. The author is the writer of Peter Pan, and has a wonderful sense of humor. It may not get your mind totally off of smoking, but it can pass the time through times of longing.

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/18934?msg=welcome_stranger#h2HCH0030

 

[saltedplug]

Thanks Cosmic.
Just finished packing up all my pipes and the 75 jars that were visible. Seeing them had become a trigger.

 

[oldmansmoking]

Don’t quit!

 

[mrenglish]

Hang in there, Salted. I know all too well how the triggers can cause you to relapse. Your health is more important.