Why am i still smoking?
Two years out of stage 2 er+ pr+
Gave up drinking dont miss it but can not shake the cigs although only one a day... maybe two.
Anyone have any help/ words anything?
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Hi tabbytink
I smoked for 11 years and have stopped for 22 years. I started when I was a teenager, as the times back then, it was the 'cool' thing and then reality of life set in and it became an addiction for stress release. I quit 22 years ago as a wedding present to my husband. It was tough. I gained weight and cant get into my wedding dress. But what got me thru and got me to quit was what was mentally going on with me. For me, the mental issue was control. I like and do need control of my life as it helps on my anxiety and stress. In my mental state then, and what got me thru, was refusal to give control of my time, my life, and my habits to that one little cigarette. It controlled what I do when I woke up in the morning, what I do after lunch & dinner, and what I do before bed. I think to give up any addiction it has to start with your inner self, the mental aspect. Once you are committed to doing it mentally, the physical part should follow. Doing it cold turkey did not work for me. It was a slow and gradual process. There are times in this cancer journey that I crave it but I am not give in to it again.
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It’s actually pretty common to struggle with smoking even after giving up alcohol — nicotine habits are deeply wired into stress and routine. What helps some people is addressing the underlying triggers through therapy or support programs. If you’re open to it, you could explore resources like outpatient rehab Orange County that focus on both addiction recovery and long-term behavioral change.
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I too started as a teenager, but quit in my mid twenties, after college (I'm 72 now). It was not easy and that "last one" every day was the hardest for sure. It also took about 3 separate and distinct efforts before success, but I did it all on my own without any sort of program; just wanted to stop.
Some of my old besties from junior high who I started smoking with continued on and on. Two of them (sisters) both got stage 4 cancers. They have both done very well in spite of it all. My best friend's sister got pancreatic cancer way back around 2007. It was stage 4 to begin with and she is still with us and still smoking regularly. Her sister (my old bestie) got lung cancer maybe around 2016-2018 and hers is also stage 4. She too is still with us, but has pretty much quit smoking, but it has been a terrible challenge for her. She even opts out of visiting her sister because her sister and husband continue to chain smoke, even when she's there. My bestie's own husband also got stage 4 esophageal cancer back in 2010 (again stage 4) and he too is still with us. He was a real smoke and drinker. He and my old bestie really support each other though in their quests to stop the bad habits and I think that is part of the reason they have both done so well. My bestie's sister and her husband continue to chain smoke, and why she has managed to stay alive is beyond me, but in spite of it all, I am really, really happy for her of course. That was my old "home away from home" family and I am just so glad that we are all still here whether some of us smoke or not.
I'm telling you all of this to show you the range, I guess. You can stop smoking, but don't beat yourself up if it's hard, takes longer than you'd hoped, or if you just can't knock it 100%. It has got to be one of the hardest things on earth to ever do. I've heard some say that it was harder to quit smoking than drinking. Just keep at it and I will cross my fingers for you for sure!
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