To think that the damage has been done?

[Meralia]

Hi all, please be kind, this is the first time I’ve posted on this board.

I’ve been a smoker for 20 years now, ranging from light, to moderate to heavy then to moderate again.

There have been times when I’ve stopped (pregnancies etc...) but I’ve always restarted at some point.

Aibu to think that even if I stop for good now it won’t really matter in the long run as my body has been taking in all this poison for 20 years.

I began smoking at 17 so should have known better at that age really.

I really want to stop, but it is so difficult, an irrational part of me thinks what is the point of putting myself through the stress of quitting if I’m going to die from a smoking related illness anyway?

Thanks for reading.

a year from now you'll be glad you stopped today

You may not save all the damage but you can stop a whole lot of new damage. Do it!

My mum smoked from age 14. She tried so hard to stop over the years but just couldn't. Even when her elder sisters died prematurely from smoking related disease.
Three years ago at 64 she ended up in hospital with heart failure. She was really ill and we thought we would lose her. She had no choice but to stop smoking. She came home with oxygen and was very poorly. Had to have a stair lift and other disability aids fitted.
Now almost three years later, she has never smoked again. She is off oxygen and the doctors are amazed by how well she is.
She is much fitter. Her chest is much better. She had copd which is now well managed.
If she hadn't managed to stop she wouldn't be here now.
Whilst smoking has done a lot of damage. Stopping smoking has had the most amazing effect on her health and quality of life.
Stopping smoking is so hard though. I think she knew it was quit or die and that's why she managed it this time.

My nana smoked all her life until her mid to late 60's and she then quit (complete cold turkey). She's now 87, going super strong and no health complaints.
It doesn't matter when you quit, just quit! Good luck OP!

It is so so worth it. My friend has stopped smoking 40 a day (ish) at the age of 57. I met him when he was 36. He just was a cloud of fag smoke. He's so amazing now. He was before in many ways, but it has improved everything about his life so so much. The health benefits have been explained above of course but there is so much else that will improve. Good luck!

Do you want your children to avoid visiting you in years to come because they cannot stand the reek of smoke in your home and don’t want to expose your grandchildren to it?

If not, cut down, or stop.

meralia give up. I know it's not what you want to hear but you know in your heart your health will benefit.

I smoked for 20 years. I gave up age 33. It wasn't easy but I did it.

I watched my mum die of COPD. It is a very cruel, very nasty way to die. She had that attitude too. ' The damage is done. " Those exact words.

If she had taken the support on offer to help her stop smoking she would have seen her grandkids grow up.

I hope you’ve read the links people have posted.

It’s DEFINITELY NOT too late to quit. You cannot use that as an excuse to carry on.

IF you don’t quit, you have to look at yourself in the mirror and admit you prefer smoking than being healthy, living longer & seeing your children & grandchildren growing up. Because THAT is thevreality.

It’s your decision to make - but own it, either way.

I hope you choose to give up.

The actual chemical addiction passes remarkably quickly, it’s the ‘habit’ that takes longer to deal with, but I think knowing that helps.

...you could look at joining in with WoollyHugs on here, it’s a great way to keep your hands busy and contributing to a project that brings others comfort. If you can’t knit or crochet we will help you learn 😊

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply everyone.

I suffer from bouts of depression. I tried Champix a couple of years ago but I became very unwell mentally (was a really rough few months).

I do really want to give up, I think as I’m getting older I’m becoming more aware of my mortality, and the denial I had about smoking has lifted and I’m left with the cold stark truth of the damage it causes. A bit like a light switch I suppose.

I’m 37 now and at the moment I don’t think I have ‘smokers face’, but I’ve seen people in their 40s onwards where you can just kind of tell that they’re smokers?

I knew someone that was in the late stages of COPD and it was just awful, after being around them I managed to quit cold turkey for 7 months.

I’d also read that stopping before 40 gives you a good chance of coming out of it relatively unscathed.

I remember some years ago, my son coming home from school after the stop smoking team visited them during a lesson, practically in tears saying he didn’t want me to die.

I want to be around for my children and any future grandchildren I may have also. When I have stopped I’ve been much healthier. My skin definitely looks better, as a smoker I think the skin on my face looks very sallowy. When I’ve stopped there’s definitely an improvement.

I’ve tried vaping, but it just doesn’t give me the kick to stay satisfied, even using the strongest e liquid (24mg) back in the day.

I have nicotine patches and the nicorette throat spray and inhalator, so may try to use those. I always feel a bit bereft when I stop smoking and I don’t know why, it’s odd.

I’ve also heard fantastic things about the Allan Carr book. It may be worth a go.

From all your replies it looks like there may be hope for me yet.

Once again, thank you.

Not only does it benefit you at your age to stop NOW ...

... spare a thought for those around you. You're polluting their environment and possibly contributing towards health issues for those who share your living space. Do you have children living with you? If so, why are you even asking whether you should give up?

My dad stopped aged 50 after a bad bout of bronchitis. The damage was already done and he died due to COPD. But he died at 78, if he had continued smoking I am positive he would have died much younger. He would never have a good 8 years of retirement, or spent time with my son who loved him so much.

My mum also stopped smoking at 48, is 78 now and has no smoke related illnesses.

I stopped at 35, I am 50 now and only time will tell how much damage it did to me.

You don't know what damage has or hasn't been done, the only thing you can know for certain is if you stop now there wont be any further damage and stopping WILL prolong and increase the quality of your life.

I do have children, yes. I’ve never smoked in the home though. I don’t smoke when I’m out and about, only in my garden. You’re right though, it’s not a good message to send to them, or pleasant if they can smell it on me when I come in from having a cigarette.

I worked in a famous cancer clinic (not in UK) ten years ago. The specialists there claimed that even if you had terminal lung cancer quitting smoking still gave you more quality and a slightly longer life.

It is more doable to quit now if you change to vaping first. I hope you will be succesful.

Yabu. It’s not too late!

My nan quit when she was diagnosed with cancer in her fifties and went on to live till she was in her mid-nineties.

The other nan kept smoking till her seventies and still lived till her eighties, but her quality of life was much worse than quitter-nan.

My df was a 50 a day smoker. He gave up at 40 and had 2 heart attacks by 45. He's now 65 and going strong.

I gave up in my early 20s and felt the effects straight away. But I too felt like I was grieving the loss of my best friend, my ciggie was always there with me, driving, having fun, first thing in the morning and last thing at night. It was bloody tough but I felt amazing afterwards.

My dm has COPD that is heredity, never smoked. Emphysema is caused by smoking. It's a form of COPD but I feel not calling it emphysema when it's smoking related is making it out that it is an unfortunate disease, not fully avoidable.

You're using the same lie all us smokers do. "What's the point anyway?" There is a point. Stop, cut down, only smoke on weekends... it all helps.

If stopping is too much try vaping during the day, no fags before 6 then 7 then 8...

All steps are good steps.

My Grand father in law gave up at about 70 and lived until 96. There is definitely huge benefit to giving up now. Alot of the damage can be reversed.

I was a really heavy smoker from when i first started at 16/17. Got much heavier when i was 21 i would smoke almost 40 a day then on nights out anywhere to 60. I gave up just over a year ago. Best decision i ever made. I can breathe easier (i am only 25 but my mother would comment on my breathing and how out of breath i was) i feel better as well. I tried champ ex tablets and patches and they didn't work. So i took up vaping. Low nicotine though and cut it down further gradually. Can't recommend vaping enough.

I smoked for nearly 20 years, often 30 a day. Download the smoke free app and it tells you the health benefits
I went from 30 a day to none, overnight with vaping. Bloody miraculous

I’m sorry to hear about your MH issues 💐

You have given up cold turkey before, I think you’d be better off just doing that. Anything else, when you’re able to go cold turkey just drags it out.

You have the advantage that you don’t smoke around your kids & you don’t smoke out and about so you have good ‘non smoking’, habit free spaces.

I have never smoked (I grew up in an extended family of heavy smokers, that put me right off!), but I understand what you mean about feeling bereft. I’m hopeless at being told I cannot have xyz, once I’m told that, I want xyz BADLY so, I do the ‘I can have it, just not today’...and that just goes on & on. IF I say ‘never ever again’ I’m doomed.

You sound like you’ve got to the place where you know you need to ‘break up’ with Cigarettes, but it’s hard, because despite knowing it’s a bad relationship, you still love them.

Be strong, break up with Cigarettes for your own sake & for your kids. If you’re anything like most Mums, you’d die for your kids...try living for them instead 🌷

To add, vaping is definitely different if you haven't tried it for a while. I tried in 2013/2014 and couldn't do it
I gave up on 18mg liquid, an eleaf istick battery and a triton mini tank. 24hrs of it attached to my face while I got through that bit and then it was fine

I can confirm what pp have said about noticing the health benefits very quickly. Within days of giving up I could breath easier, my sense of smell and taste had improved, I was sleeping better and my skin and hair felt cleaner.
I used a combination of patches and hypnotherapy. I only used the patches for 3 days but listened to a hypnosis cd every night for 3 weeks. I've never looked back!
Whatever methods you feel will work for you it's so worth trying.

I gave up cold turkey 3 years ago age 37 and I thoroughly recommend it. I always felt on edge when I smoked but that went very quickly. So did the breathlessness and everything else , it's so worth it.

Try the Jason vale 2 hour quit app op, it’s fab. I listened thinking I’ve got nothing to lose and 3 weeks later I still haven’t smoked.