Poll Do You Smoke?

[kaydee]

I cant really answer your poll (categories dont suit ) but, would like to share something I have noticed in regard to my smoking.

I noticed that at times when things are at there worst, the amount I smoke increased nearly to a point of chain-smoking (I became totally focussed on the physicality of smoking). Being honest and looking back on these times there was also a thought of "self punishment" in each one I consumed.

Right now I am seriously considering stopping (a first for me) your question (whether you intended to help me in this direction or not ) has helped me to firm my resolve.

thank you

 

[trapped]

I cant really answer your poll (categories dont suit ) but, would like to share something I have noticed in regard to my smoking.

I noticed that at times when things are at there worst, the amount I smoke increased nearly to a point of chain-smoking (I became totally focussed on the physicality of smoking). Being honest and looking back on these times there was also a thought of "self punishment" in each one I consumed.

Right now I am seriously considering stopping (a first for me) your question (whether you intended to help me in this direction or not ) has helped me to firm my resolve.

thank you

I noticed the exact same thing in myself... then I was started on Buspar, quit smoking cold turkey. For whatever reason, the drug made me not want any nicotine, also made me not want to drink at all too... since stopping it not long ago, it's been SO damn hard to not chain smoke and binge drink. Stopped the buspar cold turkey (not that great of a thing to do), because they changed the color of the pills and that was causing more anxiety than it was worth (a bit OCD, yes...).

I also noticed that when I did smoke a fair amount, the flashbacks only got worse. The buspar appeared to help with the flashbacks, however I can't say with certainty yet if it was the buspar that actually helped or just the fact that I wasn't smoking or drinking at all.

 

[cragger65]

I definately find I smoke a lot more after the trauma. At one point just after the breakdown, I had to go to the hospital because I couldn't breathe from smoking, but I couldn't stop myself doing it. Now I chain smoke at points because of anxiety, but not as heavily as before.

 

[patrick]

After 45 years of smoking two packs a day, I quit on April 1st. I'm not out of the woods yet - chewing a lot of nicotine gum - but I'm already starting to breath a little better, which is a good thing since I have chronic pulmonary obstructive disease, which is almost always caused by smoking. The funny thing is that I quit because I was mad that the federal taxes were being raised another 62 cents a pack and I just got tired of giving the various governments so much of my money just because I did something that they didn't approve of. Breathing better is a good thing too, I guess.

 

[Petchen]

I am not sure why I still bother....

Been fixin to go out and have a smoke for at least 3 hours....

I should quit.

;-/

 

[Flower]

I used to chain smoke cloves when I had really bad intrusive thoughts/memories or when I had to do something I didn't want to do. I did it because I made me become spaced out or depersonalized or whatever the names are for when you aren't really there mentally. It was great for when I needed to mentally escape, but oh so bad for me. I can't remember anything much that happened to me while on a nicotine buzz, which I think was the point. Made the sweating/heart rate/vigilance worse though...

 

[absence]

I've smoked since I was eleven. I've tried quitting but it never lasted more than a few hours. I smoke more heavily when things are bad. I also have atypical schizophrenia and I've read that schizophrenics tend to smoke more heavily. I know that when I can't sleep I stay up all night and smoke.

Maybe when things get better I might be able to quit. I currently smoke about a pack a day on the good days and close to three packs a day when things are bad.

 

[insomnia]

I've been smoking for 12 years now and I'm going to try to quit smoking this coming sunday . I pray that I can do it .

 

[changed]

I would have occassionally before my trauma, maybe 2 a day at the very most, some weeks none. Now i smoke 20+

 

[Iam]

Yes...I started smoking when I was in 3rd grade. Grew up with domestic violence and both parents smoked. I quit at 17 then started up again when I was 49. Quit for 6 months then started up again a couple of weeks ago. Seems that when the symptoms are bad I really want to smoke. Don't know why that is.

 

[intothelight]

The more stressed I am, the more I smoke. I also smoke when I isolate, since no one likes to be around a smoker. It makes it easier to keep other people away.

 

[just me here]

I quit the easy way, but don't try it on purpose. I spent 3 weeks in the hospital, first for a bowel obstruction from a car accident wound, then for a bleeding ulcer that I blame on the gastric tube they left up my nose for a cruel amount of time. Anyway, no smoking inside the building, and I was practically threaded into the hospital itself with all the IV, heart monitors, catheters, suction lines, and best of all a little button that gave me morphine whenever I needed a cigarette. That was the easy way to quit all right.

My wife admits to coming to visit me, finding me asleep, pushing the button a couple of times, then going out and having a smoke while the juice kicked in and then waking me when I would be guaranteed in a better mood. I married an angel.