Thoughts on continuing smoking?

[Awayinthewindow]

I'm trying to quit alcohol, currently on day 6 so early days. I also smoke and want to quit but I do think it will be much easier this way round. I don't think I can quit both straight away. I can't quit coffee abd tea either! But I wonder what others think about it.
On the plus side its not that I've replaced one with the other as I'm not smoking more, in fact smoking less.

I tried to do this for a long time but never managed it, then 3 weeks ago I stopped smoking, although I am using a vape. Tomorrow is Day 8 of no alcohol. I honestly don't know if stopping smoking has made it easier not to drink, but I do know that when I tried to stop the alcohol first, then I would smoke, and I feel it triggered also wanting to drink. I can't really explain it, but this is just my experience and I'm feeling really positive right now.

A word of warning if you are looking to stop smoking using a vape- this will work very well, and you can probably swap over very quickly. You might find this easier as the vape won't have the alcohol connotations you are used to.

BUT if you wish to be done with your nicotine habit, approach the vape only carefully and with a plan. You will consume much more nicotine daily with a vape. It is too easy to do so and you don't have the end point you do with a cigarette so you'll end up with a higher addition than ever.

Quitting the vape has hurt more than quitting smoking ever did. And because it didn't smell and I'd do it in the house I had so many more associations of doing it all the time.

I think with the nicotine the only real way to quit is cold turkey with some gum to take the edge off. But you need to do it when you are feeling strong and determined or I think you'll crumble. So I'd suggest waiting until you are feeling good in the alcohol quitting first.

If you’re serious about quitting drinking, I’d focus on that first until you find your feet. There’s a reason people in early sobriety are told not to make major life changes in the first year. It’s a lot to do all at once. You will temporarily really rely on those crutches. Lots of people lean on caffeine or sugar when they never used to before. There’s time to deal with other things later, but I’d give it 3-4 months personally.

Hi there!

Quitting both at once makes life unnecessarily hard. Obviously, smoking is terrible for your health, but probably better than daily binge drinking, so clear the latter first. Realistically, a few more months of smoking isn't going to vastly change the impact on your risk to health.

I second the switch to a vape. It seems to work for lots of people. It didn't for me (I haven't touched a cigarette in years bar a drunkern mistake a year and a half ago, nor does any part of me miss it), so you could give it a go and see how it goes. Don't put too much pressure on yourself at once though.

No need to give up coffee and tea! Metaanalyses highlight a health benefit of coffee if consumed as 3 shots or under a day. Tea is also a beverage high in favourable nice antioxidants etc.

I gave up smoking first. I felt at the time it was more straightforward to give up something that society sees as anti social and really bad for your health whereas drinking is much more prevalent and social ly acceptable so it took me a lot longer to get to the point where I knew I had to stop. If y are at a point where are you ready to stop doing both, I’d personally suggest stopping both at once and reading the Allen Carr books back to back ( stop smoking and stop drinking now), which are very likely to help achieve your goal. If yo need to eat more chocolate , drink more tea, eat more biscuits for a while, do whatever you need to do!

I quit smoking 5 years ago, after 5 years of trying and having stints in various lengths. After giving up smoking, (I don't think about it at all now, but it took me 1 year to get to this place) I started drinking more, which is common. I've now decided to give up drinking too, as I was drinking far too much. I think I have an addictive personality! I'm about 4 or 5 months sober at this point, but I could never ever have done both at the same time. So pick one, and be gentle with yourself.