please tell me to throw away my cigarettes

[Alex37]

I quit smoking in December of 2009.  Last night I bought a pack of cigarettes and smoked two.  It's stupid.  It's money that I should save for transitioning, and it will destroy my health.  F*ck knows I've already tried to destroy my body; now that I know transitioning is possible I want to take care of my body overall.... but I wanna smoke too. 

It's probably just stress from breaking up with my first real bf, coming out, encountering negative reactions, and hence asking myself again if I'm possibly just confused.  Please tell me I'm being stupid, and I should quit.   

[CrazyTina]

I know right? I am still struggling with smoking, though it has been over a month since my last one. Tell you the truth, I have 3 nearly full packs in my apartment. However, I like the feeling I get when I have the self control and the will to resist even though it would be so easy. It makes me feel like I am bigger than the addiction, and I feel whole.

I am not telling you to keep the packs if you think you can't over power them. But I can understand the love connection and it being hard to toss them.

So for gods' sakes alive! Toss the damn ciggs and lets move on. [/thread]

[Alasdair]

I noticed that you started out with "I quit smoking....". I found this to be a real bad mindset for me to get in because when I would inevitably smoke again whether it be weeks months or years I felt like such a tremendous failure because "I had quit smoking". Anxiety, frustration and similar emotions, particularly those aimed at myself always drove me back to my addictions quicker than anything. I learned that, for me, I used the term "Im not smoking today" or hell "Im not smoking for this next 5 minutes, or 1 hour" and IF  I smoked again I wasn't the failure I had been when, in the past, I had "quit smoking". Remember- ANY amount of time not smoking is a success. I haven't smoked in many years and I never say or think "I've quit smoking".
Youre doing good! Keep it up!

[Lisbeth]

Throw away your cigarettes. Don't wait it finish reading the forum. Do it now! Right now! Stand up, crush them into powder, and flush them down the toilet. Right now.

[Mika]

I'm so bad about getting rid of mine when I do occasionally relapse, even though I've more or less stopped. But honestly, sometimes I give it to a friend that knows I'm trying to stop, and they toss it. That way, things either have to get awkward (read: my precious!) or I have to shell out another five bucks for a smoke. Or, when you do give in and buy a pack, buy the nastiest ass brand. That's my rule, if I give in, I'm not gonna enjoy it more than nicotine gum and a 5 minute break. Keep a pack around, dehumidify it somehow, stick it in the freezer for a few days, pull it out: save those nasty stale death sticks, and see if you give in. But I have strange methods...lol.

There's also e-cigarettes: still not healthy and still very much so addictive since it is nicotine vapor, but no tar or carcinogens.

[V M]

Okay... You're stupid and you should quit... Throw your cigarettes away... That being said, I'm stupid and should quit too...
I've been trying to quit for quite awhile now and have managed to cut down to just a few smokes a day... I should quit altogether

[Alex37]

That way, things either have to get awkward (read: my precious!)

lol i've definitely been there 

thanks for all the encouragement!  unfortunately, i'm still smoking.  but since i've got to live off of student loans soon, hopefully that will be enough of an incentive for me to just. stop. it.  i did, however, recently quit smoking other stuff, so i've been feeling pretty good about saving money in that regard, and i've been able to run more easily too... so it's easier to justify the cigarettes. 

i've tried to quit before by just cutting down, buying cigarettes i hate, etc. but none of that has ever worked.  i think the only way that works for me is to just quit cold turkey.

I noticed that you started out with "I quit smoking....". I found this to be a real bad mindset for me to get in because when I would inevitably smoke again whether it be weeks months or years I felt like such a tremendous failure because "I had quit smoking". Anxiety, frustration and similar emotions, particularly those aimed at myself always drove me back to my addictions quicker than anything. I learned that, for me, I used the term "Im not smoking today" or hell "Im not smoking for this next 5 minutes, or 1 hour" and IF  I smoked again I wasn't the failure I had been when, in the past, I had "quit smoking". Remember- ANY amount of time not smoking is a success. I haven't smoked in many years and I never say or think "I've quit smoking".
Youre doing good! Keep it up!

thanks! it is a more positive mind set.  i'm going to try it... going to, eventually lol  actually, it's similar to another piece of advice that i've been applying recently about worrying that no one sees me as a guy, and hence struggling to believe myself.  instead of thinking "they think i'm a girl, i don't pass, no one really thinks i'm a boy, i'm look ridiculous behaving like a boy" i've just been thinking "i am a boy, and therefore, when i do something, i'm doing it like a boy" sorry for the tangent, lol

anyway, we should all quit.  good luck! 

[Alasdair]

An action or behavior always begins in the mind!

[Kim 526]

Not patting myself on the back but I am on day 26 off cigarettes. Should have quit in 2001 when I had GRS... and the time five years ago when I had pneumonia... and hundreds of other times. But this time it just feels right. I have only snuck once and it was gross. Started seeing little lines around my mouth - that is what caused me to stop (vain little girl!!)!

We can do it!

Love,

Kim

[Alasdair]

Not patting myself on the back but I am on day 26 off cigarettes. Should have quit in 2001 when I had GRS... and the time five years ago when I had pneumonia... and hundreds of other times. But this time it just feels right. I have only snuck once and it was gross. Started seeing little lines around my mouth - that is what caused me to stop (vain little girl!!)!

We can do it!

Love,

Kim

What would be wrong with patting yourself on the back? My guess is that it will make going with out cigarrettes for a period easier. Pat yourself on the back every day you dont smoke but if you do, well duh! Not smoking is hard and youre not perfect. 
Keep posting your progress and CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ACHEIVEMENTS!!!!!!

[Alex37]

yeah, i still haven't quit, but right now i'm kicking myself for spending so much money on them.  i was walking around and the only place nearby to buy them was at a bar.  after the bartender handed them to me, she said "they're expensive as hell- $8." of course they were, it was at a bar, but i had already walked in and asked, so i just bought them. :/  i need to quit soon... or now, but as i just bought an $8 pack, i don't think that's going to happen this minute. 

Not patting myself on the back but I am on day 26 off cigarettes. Should have quit in 2001 when I had GRS... and the time five years ago when I had pneumonia... and hundreds of other times. But this time it just feels right. I have only snuck once and it was gross. Started seeing little lines around my mouth - that is what caused me to stop (vain little girl!!)!

We can do it!

Love,

Kim

pat yourself on the back!  that's awesome that you've made it so far!  good luck

[xxUltraModLadyxx]

i never started, but just think about how you aren't gaining anything in the long term from smoking unless it is health risks. heart disease, lung cancer, gingivitis, tracheotomy, collapsed lung. the list goes on for a long time. instead of smoking, try replacing that with something else. maybe a hobby? last, think about how much money you are blowing on these when you could be spending it on more valuable stuff. realistically, it's just money spent for a way to waste yourself.