I need your help to stop smoking. Tell me the horror stories!

[Rhony]

I've stopped smoking. As of right now. I know it will be hard, but I have to do this for my son, and for myself.

I am hoping to have a bank of aversions to help me when I have a craving. Can you help me? What are your horror stories?

You'll smell so much better! I always think smokers must go nose-blind and not realise that they always smell powerfully of smoke. A colleague of mine always uses breath sprays and chewing gum after a smoke not realising that it makes no difference when her clothes and hair are constantly impregnated with the smell. You'll be fresh as a daisy from now on

Also from a positive perspective - pretty much right away your health will improve! Your lung capacity will be better, your blood flow improved, your risk of cancer plummeting like a stone! You can do it!

Do you want horror stories of the withdrawal effects of giving up smoking or horror stories of what happens if you don't?.

I've never given up smoking but in 30 years as an Oncology/ Palliative care Nursing I have witnessed hundreds of people die from horrendous lung cancers and head and neck cancers and Oesophageal cancers , pretty much all smokers and drinkers.

If you have Facebook, look up a post by a woman called Amanda Eller showing a smoker’s lungs and a non-smoker’s lungs - that might provide encouragement.
Good luck 🍀

My DH is on the heart transplant list.

Horrific enough for you?

Seeing patients with smoking related heart failure or COPD drowning to death whilst simply sitting in a chair.
Drag it out for several years and a miserable existence.
I used to smoke socially until I witnessed this. Never, ever, ever again.

My poor mums toes turned black. She was in agonising pain. I'm nearly crying writing this. She begged for them to take her toes off. She died before they did. She worked from when she was 15 and didn't enjoy one day of her retirement. Yes she was ready to go but it doesn't make it any easter aside from the fact that she's at peace.
My nan died of lung cancer.
All that said though. I guess we'və all got to die of something, I suppose.

The thing that helped me stop lighting up was keeping a jam jar of old dog ends in water. Everytime I fancied one had a sniff from the jar. Job done.

Thank you all. I really appreciate it. I have quit for a couple of years here and there, but determined that this is it now. I know that the reality of health implications of smoking really work in terms of stopping me from having a cigarette. I think seeing it in black and white is going to help even more.

My mum died of lung cancer. It came on very quickly so it was quite a shock to her and us. She spent her last weeks in a morphine fug and full of denial. If walking hurts you can sit down but if breathing hurts you're fucked. She didn't get to have a retirement, or to see my sister marry or become a mum. I wish she was around to see me more settled in a nice house, providing for myself and my children.

She spent 3 weeks only able to concentrate on Friends episodes or Christmas films with her eyes closed. Instead of her life flashing before her eyes she probably had 'we were on a break' go through her head as she passed away.

Not fun imo.

Plus it's expensive and it makes things smell.

You only get a finite amount of willpower so find something else you normally restrain yourself around and be more indulgent with it.

I have moved to 10 motives e cigs . Cost a fortune but so like fags!

Honestly I don’t miss the fags

My horror story was annual chest infections inlcluding one that almost turned into pneumonia when I was alone abroad

Then another chest infection that necessitated steroids and eventually anti biotics

After that I was like I cannot fucking smoke again

I saw someone die of a cancer that had spread to the lungs . I won’t go into detail out of respect for them but it haunts me to this day

Honestly - I miss the wine 🍷. But not the fags

And you are free ! I don’t have to exit an airport and have a fag . I don’t have to have fag breaks . I am fitter and don’t cough up green shit .

Please stick with it

Just get on the pitches to ride it out - after 3 months it’s so manageable BUT the cravings come back- do keep the patches close. When you feel weak coz you can’t kick it or the cravings drive you to distraction- a Dr told me smoking is more addictive than Cocaine, do every smoke you gong have tell yourself well done and you will, will, will kick it

My mum smokes and I was the kid who stank. I used to feel deep shame growing up as I’d go to school smelling of cigarette smoke because our house stank.

• for every smoke you don’t have - well done!

@Rhony good for you! Hope this thread helps

My mum has COPD, has smoked since age 13. She is now 60, has non invasive ventilation at night and sometimes in the day too. Her overall health is really poor and has really deteriorated in the past few years. She used to dismiss anyone who nagged her to quit and laugh it off. She has now finally quit and is busy telling everyone she knows who smokes to stop now so they don't end up like her!

Once you've taken all the teeth out of a 37year old then followed them to theatre to watch their jaw being removed... it's hard to see the attraction.
The aftermath is pretty harrowing. Laser treatment to remove the hairs in the tongue that was reconstructed from arm skin.

Speech therapy to learn how to swallow your own salute. Never being able to eat a meal again because the laryngeal muscles couldn't be spared.

Nope.

I too need to quit. I quit a few weeks ago for a week

Tomorrow will be my day 1. FFS!

*saliva

When I was in school we all had to watch a video about smoking, which showed the black tar on a smoker's lungs versus healthy pink lungs. It was repulsive and so powerful that I've never smoked.

And the teeth infections

DP can’t give up and had a horrid gum infection and eventual extraction last year

All fag related

I think you can’t escape the fag bad health . Alcohol maybe yes / but the fags eventually get you . In one way or another

Fortunately they got me when I was young enough to be able to get healthy again ?

The children of smokers are more likely to smoke themselves - your son will see it as normal, and he will have easy access to try them by pinching yours. And you won’t smell it on him. So you won’t be able to step in until it is too late and he is addicted.

I used to feel so ashamed when I smoked. I knew it was expensive and destroying my health but I couldn’t stop. And when I did (10 years and 5 months ago), that shame lifted. I had a list of the reasons why I wanted to stop and I read it everyday. I kept it in my purse so that if I was tempted to buy any it was there.

I feel stupid for ever starting, and for carrying on with it as long as I did (about 20 years), but I am proud that I stopped.

You can do it!

I sucked lollipops to get through the awful first few days of giving up. Been over 3 years now.
Best of luck to you!

@stopfuckingshoutingatme do you mean that even if I stop now, you think the health problems will still occur in later life?

A relative of mine chainsmoked since being 14. He passed away due to cancer of the lungs and he was a shadow of the man I love. It finally gave me the motivation to pack it in. It’s hard but i’m getting there. One day at a time.

My mother died of emphysema in her early 50s. Never knew her grandchildren.

And it's a bloody horrible way to die (it's a bloody horrible way to live too - gasping for every breath).

Don't look back.