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[digitS']

There was a guy telling us about how he deals with depression and he said "exercise!" His enthusiasm for using it to keep depression at bay was heartwarming ...

Exercise is so useful even in areas where it's effects won't be direct. He talked about having a personal trainer for making him more accountable. I had the idea he had progressed far beyond what anyone would have thought of as out-of-shape.

This person had been through a lot and felt that exercise was part of his healing.

Steve

 

[Nyboy]

I have tried quitting many times.

 

[buckabucka]

I watched my husband quit smoking more than once (and finally successfully) and I think it is one of the most difficult habits to quit.

The gum worked for him, but he had to chew it all the time, even in the night.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Everybody is different. Some people find patches, gum, or other things help, or maybe gradually taper off. With me it was all or nothing. I could not taper off. It was just cold turkey or not at all. Once I truly decided to quit I just quit. If I thought it would ne nice to quit or just that I needed to quit, nope no good at all. I was smoking two packs a day.

The first time was surprisingly easy, I just quit. Wow, why didn't I do this a long time ago! But I made the huge mistake of starting again after about two years. The second time quitting was just pure torture. Now I understood what other people go through.

Smoking didn't seem to bother me when I was younger. In the Army I went through some fitness tests. I not only easily beat the time in the mile run for maximum points I was the third or fourth person to finish out of the company. One time when a girl dumped me at college after three years, I went to the track and ran five miles to blow off steam. Then some friends showed up and wanted to run sprints. After five miles for me and they just showed up! Yeah, right.

I ran in several 5K races into my 30's. Not competitively but just for the T-shirt and the party after. It was when I got into my upper 30's that I could tell a big difference. Plus I now had young kids and knew I was setting a bad example. Those kids are what really provided the motivation for me.

I hope you can find the motivation and the method that will work for you. As long as I know you are trying, I'll understand it you are kind of grouchy.

 

[baymule]

Not just the money, smoking stinks. I am not rude to smokers, have a lot of compassion for those who are trying to quit.

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

Holy Smokes Nyboy!!! pun intended.

Mother quit smoking in the 60's when they said it was harmful. Daddy was a pipe man until about 10 years before his death, when he switched to cigarettes. He reeked. When he died in his afternoon nap, I remember leaning over and kissing him and he still reeked. Sigh....

Leonard Nimoy died yesterday, of pulm disease. 30 years after he quit smoking...

 

[digitS']

I could taper down fairly easily but there were times I needed a cigarette. Funny thing was -- the more cigarettes I was smoking, the more I felt those needful moments.

Having cut down, it was easy to quit! I did it a dozen times.

Okay, not quite that many. Fortunately for me, I'd just quit when I'd met the future DW. Four or 5 months later, I'd be "sneaking" cigs at work, at the bar, when I was in traffic - that surreptitious pack under the seat.

DW began to cry when I came home smelling of smoke ... Even when I hadn't smoked any!!

Shoot. I made the commitment and I stuck with it.

Steve
nearly 30 years without tobacco

 

[NwMtGardener]

I will admit to having a pretty grumbly internal dialog with myself when people tell me they're smokers. I TRY and keep it internal, but I'm sure my attitude is obvious. Its just really difficult for me not to be critical when I see patients every day, suffering at the end of their lives from one of the many consequences of smoking. Working in health care, I've just noticed what an awful way it is to go, and how hard it is on families to watch their loved ones gasping for breath, struggling and panicky in their last days and hours. Sorry to be so grim, its depressing to me that its so completely preventable.

 

[bobm]

I smoke 2 1/2 packs aday price $14.08 a pack in ny

NYboy, here is a motivation for you since you love dogs and own dogs and have a dog related business ... I necropsied MANY lap dogs as well as dogs of households that had smokers. If you could see their brown as OLD SHOE LEATHER lungs with black as chimney soot spots throughout and not to mention the riddled cancerous lungs and not to mention the other horrendous mastasified cancers throughout their bodies ... it would make you gag. If not for yourself, stop that nasty habit for the sake of YOUR dogs as well as your CLIENTS' DOGS.

 

[Nyboy]

I never smoke inside at work. I had a few clients tell me they left the last groomer because dog would come out smelling like a ashtray.