4 ms·

Stopping smoking was one of the best decisions I ever made. I didn't need a gimmick, I didn't need to vape, I didn't need patches, I needed to admit that willpo

Stopping smoking was one of the best decisions I ever made. I didn't need a gimmick, I didn't need to vape, I didn't need patches, I needed to admit that willpower was what I had lacked in the past and that I wanted better health for my family. If you genuinely want to quit, you can do it if you learn self-discipline. Say no to social smoking, say no to just another pack, nip it in the bud today if that's what you want for yourself. Yes, it can be psychological torture in the short-term to not take the easy route, but that's why you started in the first place. In the long-term, your quality of life will be far higher, and you'll be better off for it financially. Take the money you saved from not smoking and invest it in your own health and that of your family.

matthewmacleod 4y ago
“You might remember me from such self-help videos as ‘Get Confident, Stupid!’” This is useless advice that basically says “I quit smoking by simply not smoking any more”.
- hammyhavoc 4y ago
  How is it useless? If I acknowledge that placebo gimmickery didn't stop me smoking, but just powering on through withdrawal and not giving in to the easy instant gratification, how is that bad advice? It isn't like alcohol where it might actually cause you brain damage to suddenly stop.
  - Clubber 4y ago
    It's the same as telling a person with a lifelong heroin addiction to just stop using heroin.
    - hammyhavoc 4y ago
      Heroin is nothing like cigarettes, don't conflate them. Keep in mind I've had family in living facilities for months at a time over addiction.
      - Clubber 4y ago
        "Nicotine has been proven to be as addictive as cocaine and heroin and may even be more addictive." https://www.ucsfhealth.org/conditions/nicotine-dependence https://www.ucsfhealth.org/conditions/nicotine-dependence
        hammyhavoc 4y ago
        People generally don't go to living facilities for cigarettes, nor sell themselves or everything they own or end up on the street jacking off strangers because of cigarettes though.
        Clubber 4y ago
        I don't disagree with you, but the context was telling people to "just quit smoking," which is pretty silly advice because of how addictive it is. Those same people probably wouldn't seriously say, "just quit heroin."
        carlmr 4y ago
        Something can be more addictive while causing less withdrawal symptoms.
- erybodyknows 4y ago
  I disagree. I think a lot of people try various gimmicks and tactics without staring themselves in the mirror and deciding that they actually want to for themselves.
  - hammyhavoc 4y ago
    Exactly. The gimmicks are a compromise. It's just switching the medium you're getting your fix from. Any compromise becomes more compromises where you've supposedly done better by switching to x, but you still haven't quit, and like with vaping, may actually be worse for you, and has become a hobby with all the different odds and sods to modify your vaping setup with. The intent to quit is something you have to be very honest with yourself over. I say this with countless former smokers in the family, and homeless levels of alcoholism on my partner's side of the family. People can live through hell on the street for decades, people can try and help them too in all kinds of ways from treatment to money to a job, but if they don't want it for themselves then nothing is changing in the long-term. "It's just one drink". Life down the toilet once again, they never actually quit. And yes, they eventually got off the street after almost twenty years, but it took them to genuinely care about themselves and want better.
istajeer242 4y ago
Allen Carr helped me - rather his book. Cold Turkey. No withdrawal symptoms, urges - nothing. It just made smoking seem so illogical (basically we smoke to feel "normal" again, as we are trying to fix nicotine withdrawal). The book did not use health scare tactics, hypnosis, or any of that. I highly recommend his book to anyone who wants to quit.
- hammyhavoc 4y ago
  Couldn't find the book, do you have an ISBN or link for it? Would love to gift it to someone I know who loves to read but equally loves to smoke and would like to stop.
  - throwaway22032 4y ago
    https://www.amazon.co.uk/Allen-Carrs-Easy-Stop-Smoking/dp/1405923318 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Allen-Carrs-Easy-Stop-Smoking/dp/14...
    - hammyhavoc 4y ago
      Thank you!
      - istajeer242 4y ago
        Ah sorry, yes that's the one. They should take their time with it, and let the information soak in.
SeanAnderson 4y ago
How did you learn self-discipline? I'm not a smoker, just curious.
- hammyhavoc 4y ago
  A combination of things. As a person, I always look for the most efficient and frictionless way to achieve something, the "path of least resistance", including not feeling like physical or psychological trash (read "instant gratification"). That's a character trait and a character flaw. Trusting in the methodology and idea that "yes, this feels like shit right now, but countless millions of people get through this stage of withdrawal, and they go on to live great lives where they don't feel like crap anymore and instead feel better than when they smoked". When you're down in that ditch, not just quitting, but because your life is sub-par in various ways, and smoking is something you can rely on to make you feel better, it's hard to just leave it alone, and it's difficult to trust that others are right when you have a cynical outlook on the world and it feels like people frequently misguide you and others, so why would it be any different this time? That's a bad perspective. Apply logic and reasoning. Wrestle with it. Rationality. People would invite me outside for a smoke over a pint, or after achieving something, or after a difficult conversation. I "rewarded" myself with a cancer stick for doing something on the project management system, all kinds of weird little things you do to justify a smoke "because I achieved x and I should be rewarded for x", but the reality is that you were rewarded for x anyway, and x was kind of fun, that's why you do it in the first place, but your worldview revolves around getting the next nicotine fix. It isn't even just the nicotine. It's "you" time. It's a ritual. It's time to decompress mentally and not look at a screen, do something with your hands that isn't work-related, and "indulge". But it's all bollocks. There's nothing positive or of substance in smoking. It's all in the head of the smoker. They're hooked. Sometimes it has meant avoiding certain situations with some people, e.g., I don't go to the pub, or bars. In fact, I don't drink anymore either. Been sober ~7 years now. After a year or so of saying "no, I won't fucking do that to myself and to my family", suddenly, you just don't want a drink, you just don't want a cigarette. That's not to say that sometimes in a stressful situation I don't reminisce and go "oh, a cigarette would make me feel so much better right now", of course, that happens, then the fantasy passes, and I'm still at my desk, I haven't given in. To anyone wanting to quit and is serious; get rid of your lighters, including the neat-looking Zippo you like to fidget with, and all the other paraphernalia. Get rid of your ash trays. Get rid of your rolling papers, filters, rolling machine (if you own one). If you're going to quit, why will you need any of it? Don't replace it with eating junk food. Don't replace it with a cheeky glass of wine. If you have struggled with one kind of addiction, you will struggle with another. The self-discipline is being honest with yourself and reigning the monkey on your shoulder in. And don't justify "just one smoke" with because it's a holiday or you're on vacation.

matthewmacleod 4y ago

“You might remember me from such self-help videos as ‘Get Confident, Stupid!’” This is useless advice that basically says “I quit smoking by simply not smoking any more”.

hammyhavoc 4y ago
How is it useless? If I acknowledge that placebo gimmickery didn't stop me smoking, but just powering on through withdrawal and not giving in to the easy instant gratification, how is that bad advice? It isn't like alcohol where it might actually cause you brain damage to suddenly stop.
- Clubber 4y ago
  It's the same as telling a person with a lifelong heroin addiction to just stop using heroin.
  - hammyhavoc 4y ago
    Heroin is nothing like cigarettes, don't conflate them. Keep in mind I've had family in living facilities for months at a time over addiction.
    - Clubber 4y ago
      "Nicotine has been proven to be as addictive as cocaine and heroin and may even be more addictive." https://www.ucsfhealth.org/conditions/nicotine-dependence https://www.ucsfhealth.org/conditions/nicotine-dependence
      - hammyhavoc 4y ago
        People generally don't go to living facilities for cigarettes, nor sell themselves or everything they own or end up on the street jacking off strangers because of cigarettes though.
        Clubber 4y ago
        I don't disagree with you, but the context was telling people to "just quit smoking," which is pretty silly advice because of how addictive it is. Those same people probably wouldn't seriously say, "just quit heroin."
        carlmr 4y ago
        Something can be more addictive while causing less withdrawal symptoms.
erybodyknows 4y ago
I disagree. I think a lot of people try various gimmicks and tactics without staring themselves in the mirror and deciding that they actually want to for themselves.
- hammyhavoc 4y ago
  Exactly. The gimmicks are a compromise. It's just switching the medium you're getting your fix from. Any compromise becomes more compromises where you've supposedly done better by switching to x, but you still haven't quit, and like with vaping, may actually be worse for you, and has become a hobby with all the different odds and sods to modify your vaping setup with. The intent to quit is something you have to be very honest with yourself over. I say this with countless former smokers in the family, and homeless levels of alcoholism on my partner's side of the family. People can live through hell on the street for decades, people can try and help them too in all kinds of ways from treatment to money to a job, but if they don't want it for themselves then nothing is changing in the long-term. "It's just one drink". Life down the toilet once again, they never actually quit. And yes, they eventually got off the street after almost twenty years, but it took them to genuinely care about themselves and want better.

istajeer242 4y ago

Allen Carr helped me - rather his book. Cold Turkey. No withdrawal symptoms, urges - nothing. It just made smoking seem so illogical (basically we smoke to feel "normal" again, as we are trying to fix nicotine withdrawal). The book did not use health scare tactics, hypnosis, or any of that. I highly recommend his book to anyone who wants to quit.

hammyhavoc 4y ago
Couldn't find the book, do you have an ISBN or link for it? Would love to gift it to someone I know who loves to read but equally loves to smoke and would like to stop.
- throwaway22032 4y ago
  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Allen-Carrs-Easy-Stop-Smoking/dp/1405923318 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Allen-Carrs-Easy-Stop-Smoking/dp/14...
  - hammyhavoc 4y ago
    Thank you!
    - istajeer242 4y ago
      Ah sorry, yes that's the one. They should take their time with it, and let the information soak in.

SeanAnderson 4y ago

How did you learn self-discipline? I'm not a smoker, just curious.

hammyhavoc 4y ago
A combination of things. As a person, I always look for the most efficient and frictionless way to achieve something, the "path of least resistance", including not feeling like physical or psychological trash (read "instant gratification"). That's a character trait and a character flaw. Trusting in the methodology and idea that "yes, this feels like shit right now, but countless millions of people get through this stage of withdrawal, and they go on to live great lives where they don't feel like crap anymore and instead feel better than when they smoked". When you're down in that ditch, not just quitting, but because your life is sub-par in various ways, and smoking is something you can rely on to make you feel better, it's hard to just leave it alone, and it's difficult to trust that others are right when you have a cynical outlook on the world and it feels like people frequently misguide you and others, so why would it be any different this time? That's a bad perspective. Apply logic and reasoning. Wrestle with it. Rationality. People would invite me outside for a smoke over a pint, or after achieving something, or after a difficult conversation. I "rewarded" myself with a cancer stick for doing something on the project management system, all kinds of weird little things you do to justify a smoke "because I achieved x and I should be rewarded for x", but the reality is that you were rewarded for x anyway, and x was kind of fun, that's why you do it in the first place, but your worldview revolves around getting the next nicotine fix. It isn't even just the nicotine. It's "you" time. It's a ritual. It's time to decompress mentally and not look at a screen, do something with your hands that isn't work-related, and "indulge". But it's all bollocks. There's nothing positive or of substance in smoking. It's all in the head of the smoker. They're hooked. Sometimes it has meant avoiding certain situations with some people, e.g., I don't go to the pub, or bars. In fact, I don't drink anymore either. Been sober ~7 years now. After a year or so of saying "no, I won't fucking do that to myself and to my family", suddenly, you just don't want a drink, you just don't want a cigarette. That's not to say that sometimes in a stressful situation I don't reminisce and go "oh, a cigarette would make me feel so much better right now", of course, that happens, then the fantasy passes, and I'm still at my desk, I haven't given in. To anyone wanting to quit and is serious; get rid of your lighters, including the neat-looking Zippo you like to fidget with, and all the other paraphernalia. Get rid of your ash trays. Get rid of your rolling papers, filters, rolling machine (if you own one). If you're going to quit, why will you need any of it? Don't replace it with eating junk food. Don't replace it with a cheeky glass of wine. If you have struggled with one kind of addiction, you will struggle with another. The self-discipline is being honest with yourself and reigning the monkey on your shoulder in. And don't justify "just one smoke" with because it's a holiday or you're on vacation.