GUS (Gave Up Smoking) is a community support diary for Kossacks in the midst of quitting smoking. Any supportive comments, suggestions or positive distractions are appreciated. If you are quitting or thinking of quitting, please -- join us! You can also click the GUS tag to view all diary posts.
Hey everybody. It's GUS time again, how is everybody doing? Anybody really hurtin'? Anybody got a good joke? I thought I'd yammer on about a few subjects, and then let folks have at it! Thanks to everyone who's been doing these diaries, they really do help. They are actually a good thing to do (work circumstances permitting) instead of your smoking break at work. You can easily waste the 15 minutes in one of these diaries, and then, well, you can't really take another break can you? In most cases that's probably 'no'. So that alone is helpful! Anyway, let's get to it. I'll start you off with something moderately nauseating. Come along now, don't fear the reaper and all that.
Will you look at that y'all it's the god-damn Gipper, recommending that we smoke Chesterfields.
Chesterfields!
Have you ever smoked a damn Chesterfield? Ugh, ghuueueh! I'd rather huff tractor fumes.
So, I've stopped overtly keeping track of days. It's been most of a month since I got too lazy to smoke, or forgot to keep doing it, or whatever. Mental minefield is never-ending, but I definitely feel physically better pretty much all the time. I have been using nicotine patches which NY State kindly sent to me, and then kindly sent more of them to my ladyfriend when mine ran out after 2 weeks. Having attempted a few kinds of 'stop smoking' methods before, I have to say I find the patches very effective for my personality type.
I have read numerous suggestions about 'smoking substitutes' from people here, and you really get a sense of what kind of associations smokers form about their habit from that. It's quite interesting. For some people its about holding something and repeatedly bringing it up to the mouth to mimic the sheer physical movements involved in smoking. Some people (ahem, ahem) need the drug. We're far-gone addicts. We tend to be the ones who answer the question that stop-smoking programs always ask, "How soon after you wake up do you have your first cigarette?" as '15 minutes or less'. Some people can entirely mentally combat the stuff. Way to go y'all! I can't comprehend that, but you keep doing what you're doing!
And then of course, since it's the truth, it's also important to remember that most attempts to quit smoking ultimately do not succeed. But of course, part of that is attitude. It's important to keep trying despite the overwhelming odds. As long as you keep that mentality that it's a journey, that setbacks are evidence that you are a human trying to do a good but difficult thing, and that there is no reason not to keep pursuing the goal, save some sort of even more overwhelming circumstances, even if and when you do have setbacks. I haven't gotten to the stuff yet that tends to set me off. I've had a great past month + anyway, so I've been lucky. I smoke exponentially more with elevating stress levels. I get some pangs from seeing smokers here and there. And sometimes I want to just have coffee and a smoke at work, etc. But the things that most set me off are all stress-related. Especially arguments. If I have an argument with someone who's opinion & feelings I really care about, I find it nearly impossible not to smoke. There's just no question or ability to stop myself. Luckily I haven't had a serious argument in several months.
Well that's not entirely true, but not a serious argument with a close friend or loved one. Even sad or difficult news I feel able to deal with. But outright conflict = smoking! for me. I should try to come up with some kind of strategy to deal with that probably, no?
General question for everyone out there — is there anything else that the law of diminishing returns fails to apply to in the way that it does with smoking? Anything? Even my favorite books / music / activities / people I get tired of from time to time. I only want to quit smoking because I know it's killing me! If it wasn't bad for me, I'd never stop. Some people would eventually just get grossed out and drop it. I don't think I'd be one of them.
Speaking of which, what was up with the massive denial way back when? ie —
Oh these were a real good idea. Seriously. What kind of extreme placebo effect would cause anyone to think they felt asthma relief after smoking cigarettes? That is some tweaked-out logic there.
Yeah, instead of that 'throat treatment (wtf?), have one of these. They're cheaper than Camels!
Take it from this apparently post-orgasmic lady, these DO NOT affect her throat at all! Shut up!
Yeah, I know people were old and confused, even when they were young and all that. But I mean, come on y'all.
This one's the, um, most something of the bunch...
So just remember this if any of you out there have been having trouble with the ladies recently...
I mined these pics from here.
Tues AM: Vacationland
Tues PM:
Wed AM: Chocolate Chris
Wed PM: seenaymah
Thur AM:
Thur PM:
Looks like tomorrow has vacancies. If no one signs up for the AM, I'll do some kind of follow-up to this one, but to anyone thinking of giving it a shot, I encourage you most enthusiastically to say so somewhere amidst the various comments! OK, yak it up. Or not. I'll be around for a while. And feel free to post vids of funny shit if you don't feel like overtly talking about smoking. We'll understand.
Current members of the GUS team! Please post a comment if you would like to join, or if your name is here in error:
1BQ, 3rdGenFeminist, Abra Crabcakeya, addisnana, amk for obama, Anne933, ArthurWolf, bamablue, barnowl, bgblcklab1, Bike Crash, BirderWitch, blue husky, Blue Intrigue, bluestatedem84, breedlovinit, bsmechanic, Chocolate Chris, ChurchofBruce, coppercelt, dadanation, dangoch, DRo, duckhunter, Fineena, flumptytail, FrugalGranny, greylox, gchaucer2, Im a frayed knot, Indexer, interceptor7, inventor, itsbenj, jvolvo's Mom, jwinIL14, kai99, khloemi, labwitchy, ladypockt, langerdang, LarsThorwald, Lipstick Liberal, lmdonovan, luvsathoroughbred, maggiemay, magicsister, Mikeguyver, MinervainNH, nannyboz, ncsuLAN, Nick Zouroudis, Ordvefa, Pennsylvanian, post rational, rosebuddear, SallyCat, seenaymah, smartcookienyc, spmozart, trueblueliberal, Turn VABlue, uc booker, Unduna, Vacationland, webranding, weelzup, Wood Dragon