Community
What's your primary reason for your quit?
Vanity? Cost? Health? Social???
Share your primary driving factor in this poll...
and in thinking about it, we just called to mind 8 good reasons NOT to smoke today.
I'm genuinely interested in what drove people to quit in the first place.
;-) hugs and happy day to you all!!!!
It didn't fit in to other more productive & healthier habits that I was trying to maintain. I'm at 245 DOF, and have come to a place of constant gratitude to have come this far.
That is great, congratulations! I can't wait till I hit the triple digits. How often do you get cravings just out of curiosity.
Thanks for the affirmation desiree465 . I think my addict mind will always on some level want to "reward" myself with smoking, but I can promise you that it does get easier to deal with craves. I don't actively "wish" that I could smoke, or romanticize it as much as I did earlier in my quit. It even makes me nauseous now to see other people smoking, which has been a great deterrent.
Just respect that you're suffering from an addiction. Read read read everyday. Come here every day and stay aware of the huge life shift that you're undertaking. I didn't drink alcohol for about five months once I quit, only because I didn't want to compromise my judgement. Be objective with yourself. Protect your quit at all costs. Don't get complacent, even when you reach those glorious triple digits. I PROMISE that it will get easier.
THATjust made my day!!
Gratitude is a beautiful word! The world needs more gratitude!!;-)
Amen! I work at it everyday!
I had a scare with bladder cancer. I am fine but it scared me to death. Also, I hated the way I smelled and the way my breath tasted and I did not want my grandchildren smelling a stinky Nana. Today when I pass a smoker in the store or whatever, I am amazed at how BAD they smell. I think, WOW...thats how I used to stink.
I dont do that anymore!
Nuts, I just chose lung disease because it was definitely number one but every single reason listed mattered to me. I had tried to quit unsuccessfully and then the choice was really taken out of my hands. I just got off the phone with my sister who lives in California, she is also a recovering smoker and she has a different kind of emphysema from mine, she had one lung stapled because one of her lungs kept collapsing....actually, they both did at various times and she needed to have chest tubes put in on an emergency basis. Today is her birthday and her wheezing is so bad that it makes me want to cry. She was helping a friend finish up renovations at her house and she said that the construction dust really got to her. She has had to use a rescue inhaler several times over the past ten days since the friend has been visiting. I am so afraid that she is going to end up in the hospital or that someone is just going to find her...she is so far away. She is not allowed to fly because the changes in cabin pressure could cause her "good" lung to collapse. I am so sorry that she and I BOTH deal with these consequences and I would not wish this on anyone. For her birthday, she took two naps and she is spending the evening at home, alone, she told friends and her daughter that she can always celebrate her birthday but she cannot always celebrate just paying attention to what SHE wants to do. I am incredibly grateful that smoking is no longer in my life.
Ellen
They all matter, you are absolutely right. I am so sad that your sister has such dramatic lung disease, Ellen. My heart breaks for all of us who didn't stop soon enough, and selfishly I pray that I have stopped early enough.
I truly hope she has had a restful and quiet Birthday.
My heart goes out to her, and you, sending love and prayers! Thank GOD we've quit.
this life, whatever ANY of us have left, will be lived out on our terms, and with our best possible outcome having quit when we did.
its time to be the bossy sister and tell her "no more" with renovations and such. She doesn't need to tempt fate so... xoxo
The "friend" is gone and she should be able to get some rest now...I just feel terrible hearing her struggling like that to breathe. I hope and pray that she is going to get a "second wind."
ill join you in that prayer!
I have two reasons.
1. I want to be here to watch my daughter fulfill her destiny. We'll be 55 and 15 this year. I want as much time as I can possibly get with this her.
2. I have a business in the health and wellness space and workout at least 3 times/week. Smoking just didn't make sense any longer. Not that it ever did.
Have to say health - that applies to all organs in jeopardy from smoking. Hoping that I didn't wait to long. The contradiction really didn't make sense anymore-exercise frequently and do lots of physical work inside and outside the home, but continued to smoke to negate the benefits of any healthy activities.
I'm with you. I used to go running, come home and light up literally 10 minutes after I got home! lol Seriously what a contradiction.
my husband said we couldnt pay rent and MY pay for MY cigs....i asked if we could live in our car so i can continue using MY drug NICOTINE.....he said no he liked living in a apartment....the rest is in BLOGS....YAHOO-thanks asking
I wasn't even able to quit after my dad died of lung cancer. What ended it for me was seeing my mom suffer with copd. Truly gasping for breath. It is the scariest thing I have ever seen. I didn't want to end up like that. Not only was that my main reason for quitting, it is what has helped me stay quit for over a year now!!
SissysMom Congratulations on staying quit for over a year...that means you are an ELDER! I have been quit for over five years but I waited until I had COPD and you are absolutely right that it is the scariest thing there is. This original blog was written over a year ago. Glad you are doing so well. Don't be a stranger.
Ellen
My lungs were starting to sound horrible. Even though I went to the doctors and that Spirometer test came back normal it really started to weigh on my thoughts that I had just gotten lucky and the next time I might not be lucky.