Why a Quit Sticks.

[El Bandito]

Now then, let's be perfectly clear

 

My only expertise is a little experience in smoking and quitting smoking. I have watched some videos, read some books and shared with some fellow quitters. I have zero medical experience or expertise, in fact I look away when they show operations on medical dramas. No knowledge whatsoever of brain chemistry. 

 

There is some true expertise knocking around on the forum - and a lot of it is pinned to the top of the boards - this however is just me shooting the breeze, sharing some experience and some observations.

 

People choose to quit smoking for a variety of reasons. Some of them are deeply tragic personal experiences. The loss or debilitation of a loved one for example. Some are scared into it. Some just make a rational decision.

 

Some people quit Cold Turkey. Some use NRT. Some use acupuncture, hypnosis. Some use Vaping. Some read books.

 

I believe that it matters not a jot why someone chooses to quit or how they quit.

 

Allen Carr, Joel, all sort of people have said this many many times - I am amazed at how long it has taken me to truly understand it. (Quite a thick head :rolleyes: )

 

One thing matters.

 

Understanding the con.

 

Every single one of us believed that we enjoyed smoking, that smoking gave us a benefit of some kind. Allen Carr covers this in depth - he calls it the key.

 

We spent years convincing ourselves that we liked stinking, liked poisoning ourselves and those around us, liked impoverishing ourselves, liked being slaves to a drug addiction. Even when we stop - we yearn for the 'carefree' cigarette.

 

BOLLOCKS!

 

The moment that one realises that smoking does not give us any benefit and NEVER did, that it was all an elaborate con trick, then the Quit is done. It sticks.

 

The con has worked for decades. People have made millions, no billions, of Dollars - and they continue to do so in the developing world.

 

Perhaps the strongest testament to the power of the con - is that they are doing it again - and new generations of people are falling for it.

 

"Here, take a strange looking pen shaped object, suck it and enjoy some vapour. Yes! Vapour. It's cool. Look you can have coffee flavoured vapour! To make the vapour even better, we have added a special ingredient called nicotine - this nicotine is brilliant as an insecticide, at fooling receptors in your brain and here is the real kicker.....nicotine is an absolute superstar at addicting you - guaranteeing that you personally will pay US a fortune for the rest of your life. 10% off if you buy an extra pack!"

 

People are queuing up to suck this stuff in.

 

I see them interviewed on TV

 

"why are you vaping?"

 

"it's kinda cool yaknow? Relaxes me innit. I enjoy it"

 

Really? Sucking a pen is cool? You enjoy it? What the flavour? The coffee flavour? Here's an idea - HAVE A COFFEE!

 

 

 

 

A quit fails because a little part of us clings onto the idea (an idea being pushed all around us) that smoking was enjoyable.

 

It wasn't.

 

It is a con.

 

Understand this, really understand it and come to rely on it when you feel the siren call of a cigarette -  and whether your quit started a year ago, a month ago, yesterday, today or even tomorrow - your quit will stick.

[Doreensfree]

Wow stu...a powerful post....a brilliant post....love ya buddy....

I had smoked that long....nearly my whole life.....in total denial....head well in the sand....

It was Allen Carr.....who made me actually question all what I thought about smoking....take a long look at myself.....

Well that and one whopper of a health scare....the outcome unthinkable....

I have always said ....all,roads lead to Rome.....it doesn't matter how you quit....just please quit.....

I think this is why vaping is still,a scarey thing for me...it's still taking something in to your lungs....

Once you really see what smoking is...in every sense....people just making money killing other people...

You will keep the quit.and protect it with all your strength.....

There is nothing to romance.....

My only expertise on this subject too ....is seeing first hand what emphysema does to a person....there is no going back then....

My best to all

Xxx

[SueBeDoo]

Nice one Stu,

It sure will, love a sticky quit so I do,

It is an absolute pleasure not a burden being free from the chains of nicotine/cigs, bestest feeling in the world,

I honestly believe every smoker should have a chance to taste freedom, they would never go back to the chains once freed, that is the wholehearted truth, you owe it to yourself to experience life as a non smoker, you owe it to yourself to go through seasons, birthdays, weddings, funerals, holidays, sick days as a non smoker, everything is infinitely better, stop doing yourself a disservice, live life how it was meant to be lived xx

[El Bandito]

Just a clarification - believe it or not, I have nothing against vaping as a way to quit. As Doreen says - All roads lead to Rome.

 

I know several people whom have used vaping very effectively to quit. All power to them!

 

Where I find myself getting boggled is never-smokers taking up vaping - and then justifying it with the exact same nonsense that Big Tobacco spouted for years "There is no proof that smoking/vaping is bad for you"...

 

I just know that 30 years from now there will be people dying because it turned out that sucking in nicotine-laced liquid vapour was in fact not terribly good for you

[babs609]

great post Stu!!!

 

You nailed it.  The only people who continue to suffer when "attempting" to quit smoking are the ones who still believe in the cigarette.  Once you realize it was all a lie....commitment to NOPE is unbreakable.

[Sazerac]

Great Post Roquette Surgeon Scot,

 

Thank you for your thoughtful and True post.

 

I think there is another CON going on as well...

 

and that other Con is :

 

It is terribly difficult, neh, harder than Heroin !  to quit smoking.

 

Granted, it is often quite uncomfortable, especially the first 72 hours,

 

and takes some weeks or months of self discipline and re-adjustment

 

BUT, quitting smoking is ultimately DO-ABLE !  

 

It doesn't HURT.

 

It isn't Rocket Science.

 

Once you make up your mind to quit,

 

once you understand your addiction, 

 

it really can be

 

Easy Peasy  

(thank you, Sarge).

[ChRiSpY]

Pride in my quit.

[Jenny]

Wonderful post!   

[Still winning]

I love this buddy. Foolish to smoke when we know what we know. So proud to be free. So sick of hearing smoking justified so thanks. X

[MarylandQuitter]

Love this!  You're 100% right, it's a freaking con-job.  Once we realize that we never really truly enjoyed smoking, the conflict is removed and we no longer feel like we're depriving ourselves of something.

[sgt.barney]

 

...

 

it really can be

 

Easy Peasy  

(thank you, Sarge).

:)

[Sazerac]

On 11/5/2014 at 4:37 AM, El Bandito said:

Now then, let's be perfectly clear

 

My only expertise is a little experience in smoking and quitting smoking. I have watched some videos, read some books and shared with some fellow quitters. I have zero medical experience or expertise, in fact I look away when they show operations on medical dramas. No knowledge whatsoever of brain chemistry. 

 

There is some true expertise knocking around on the forum - and a lot of it is pinned to the top of the boards - this however is just me shooting the breeze, sharing some experience and some observations.

 

People choose to quit smoking for a variety of reasons. Some of them are deeply tragic personal experiences. The loss or debilitation of a loved one for example. Some are scared into it. Some just make a rational decision.

 

Some people quit Cold Turkey. Some use NRT. Some use acupuncture, hypnosis. Some use Vaping. Some read books.

 

I believe that it matters not a jot why someone chooses to quit or how they quit.

 

Allen Carr, Joel, all sort of people have said this many many times - I am amazed at how long it has taken me to truly understand it. (Quite a thick head :rolleyes: )

 

One thing matters.

 

Understanding the con.

 

Every single one of us believed that we enjoyed smoking, that smoking gave us a benefit of some kind. Allen Carr covers this in depth - he calls it the key.

 

We spent years convincing ourselves that we liked stinking, liked poisoning ourselves and those around us, liked impoverishing ourselves, liked being slaves to a drug addiction. Even when we stop - we yearn for the 'carefree' cigarette.

 

BOLLOCKS!

 

The moment that one realises that smoking does not give us any benefit and NEVER did, that it was all an elaborate con trick, then the Quit is done. It sticks.

 

The con has worked for decades. People have made millions, no billions, of Dollars - and they continue to do so in the developing world.

 

Perhaps the strongest testament to the power of the con - is that they are doing it again - and new generations of people are falling for it.

 

"Here, take a strange looking pen shaped object, suck it and enjoy some vapour. Yes! Vapour. It's cool. Look you can have coffee flavoured vapour! To make the vapour even better, we have added a special ingredient called nicotine - this nicotine is brilliant as an insecticide, at fooling receptors in your brain and here is the real kicker.....nicotine is an absolute superstar at addicting you - guaranteeing that you personally will pay US a fortune for the rest of your life. 10% off if you buy an extra pack!"

 

People are queuing up to suck this stuff in.

 

I see them interviewed on TV

 

"why are you vaping?"

 

"it's kinda cool yaknow? Relaxes me innit. I enjoy it"

 

Really? Sucking a pen is cool? You enjoy it? What the flavour? The coffee flavour? Here's an idea - HAVE A COFFEE!

 

 

 

 

A quit fails because a little part of us clings onto the idea (an idea being pushed all around us) that smoking was enjoyable.

 

It wasn't.

 

It is a con.

 

Understand this, really understand it and come to rely on it when you feel the siren call of a cigarette -  and whether your quit started a year ago, a month ago, yesterday, today or even tomorrow - your quit will stick.

 

 

This is a good post from our friend, Stuart.

[jillar]

This is my Pick of the Week this week. Excellent post worth bumping. 

[Doreensfree]

I agree ..A Brilliant post.

 

[tocevoD]

I read something a while back that said that governments and tobacco companies were looking at ways, for decades, how they could lose the need for cigarettes specifically. A way for people to ingest nicotine and stay addicted without the need to smoke a cigarette. It looks like they are onto a winner with these vape machines. The amount of children I see and hear of who are basically addicted to them is grotesque. Schools are having to send out warnings to parents of the dangers because they know how many kids are using them. This needs to be addressed by governments but they won't do nothing. There will be initial lip service for a while because they want this addiction to get a firm hold in the community first and don't want anything to get in the way of that.

 

It's absolutely horrible. I fear that everyone using them now is a guinea pig and we will start to see the problems they cause years down the line. Much the same as we did with smoking.

Edited July 29, 2023 by tocevoD
Typo

[Doreensfree]

I agree with you ..

Who knows what will come to light in years time ..

Our lungs are not meant to have anything going in ..only good fresh air ..

My friend is convinced her sister died of using a vape ..

Its shocking and scarey the amount of young ones who are vaping 

 

[garry mhudson]

Our governments should do something about this before it takes hold of more and more young people. My generation (73) was kept in the dark about the dangers of smoking for years. They are suppose to protect us and here we go again. Big money takes over again.