Deathline, literally

[Goht]

I've been a smoker for 8 years since after high school, it was kind of a vestigial thing I took with me after I broke away from the religion I was indoctrinated into and I went into rebel mode, but I've noticed it has been replacing a lot of things I used to enjoy, such as proper exercise, and doing art more regularly since it releases the dopamine in me that art used to provide. I've quit unsuccessfully a few times, longest has been over a month. The 20th is my next quit date and I will be updating here as I go, any support or words of advice from ex smokers or just anybody in general is much appreciated.

In order to succeed I think I need to replace it with something else, so my second goal is to work on producing a website portfolio by the end of the month, while working on new art.

[vonZandrum]

Hey Goht,

Not sure if this will help, everyone is different but hey, you never know. What really helped me with quitting was getting a wall calendar and crossing every day that you go without a cig with a big red "X". Sounds lame but when the days turn into weeks and the weeks turn into months you start feeling good about it. (The days you give in and have a smoke don't cross out ...they'll stick out like a soar thumb and taunt you every time you look at the calendar) I'm not sure how many "coffin nails" you go through in a day but start rationing those things out. Like from half a pack to 5 a day and downwards. Try avoiding people and situations in which you normally smoke. That can be a bitch if all of your friends do but it gets easier with time. Exercise is a good way to go because it's easier with clear lungs and you can measure progress and improvement. You're not going to feel like a million bucks right away but little things like not having the feeling that your lungs are clogged with tar every time you wake up are motivating. There's plenty of other things I could mention but a crucial one (in my experience anyway) is getting rid of the habit of buying packs. Let's face it, if you have them chances are you'll smoke 'em :S. Resist the urge to go to the nearest Mac's (or wherever you usually go) and buying them. If you're at the cash register buying something else and get that urge or rather reflex of asking for a pack just grab gum instead. You can also put the cash you'd normally spend on cigs away in a piggy bank (a sock, an envelope or a jar hehehe). Do it daily, weekly, whatever works best...turn it into a fund for something you'd like to get. Art books, a new wacom tablet or whatever is on your wish list. I know a guy who did that everyday and he ended up taking his wife on a trip to the Bahamas after a year. I met up with some old time friends in Europe a few months back and gave in to the temptation of getting a pack :(. Being in their presence made me feel 17 again and since we all smoked like chimneys back then and there was alot of beer drinking involved I slipped back into the habit. It's scary how easy it is to fall of that wagon. I might use that date of the 20th to go cold turkey again hehehe. Best of luck with that, quitting ain't easy but it's possible :)

[Angel_Intheuk]

Hi Goht

Good luck, it gets a lot easier the longer you give up. I gave up in August and I've slipped a few times (like when I visit my folks or my friend) but I don't beat myself up about it. The calender is a good idea then you can see when you do slip and in what circumstances, but the main thing is not to let that derail you, to carry on and not think of it as starting at the beginning and thinking "Oh well, I might as well start up again" it's a journey and there are bound to be hiccups.

The only advice I can give is to get an e-cig, that's what helped me. Though there is a danger of getting hooked on those lol, especially the cherry flavour but after a while even that was too harsh and I couldn't be bothered with the hassle of filling up the cartridges and stuff, before I knew it I'd gone a week without using one and didn't even realise. Exercise and art are great distractions too. Are you doing the bloodsport challenge?

[Goht]

Thanks for the advice, I think both of these ideas have merit and I appreciate the encouragement, I just need to have a shift in attitude which feels like it has been building up for quite some time. The death sticks are filthy, nasty things and I think we all have a lot to live for. I did get an e-cig but in Canada they don't sell the ones with nicotine in them, the ones they do sell are just vegetable glycerin and flavoring so they're mostly meant to replace the habit, like the tactile qualities of the smoke and feeling you have something in your hands. That's another thing, I'm going to have to give up Beer Fridays at work, or at least drink in moderation, after a few I lose the inhibition of not wanting to smoke.

Angel: Not this time around, I put it off too long and I just got here, with a week or so left I have a lot of things I need to keep busy with at home in terms of client work, but I look forward to the next one. With that Kekai Kotaki artist of guild wars being the guest judge, Its too bad I missed it.