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I am 50 and many hard partying people I grew up with are dead from liver damage - it can happen very young - it happened when most of them were in their 20s. When you are young you don't realize the damage you are doing. My Father was a functioning alcoholic - he held a job and all - there are many people like that.
I used to smoke - I really liked it - I even enjoy the smell to this day but I was coughing constantly and I smelled disgusting - I am so glad I quit 20 yrs ago - it was killing me - I smoked 2 packs a day. I recently saw that cigarettes are $50 dollars a carton now - that's nuts! My sister recently died from smoking - it was so sad - she was gasping for air - do you know how horrible that is? Please get help and quit if you still smoke - there are many new drugs and such out there to help you that they did not have years ago.
And yes, addictions run in families - now if I can only get over my food addiction....
Maybe they are that cheap down in Virginia, but they're $80 a carton and more here in the NY/NJ metro area. The cost was the major incentive for me to quit, although there were other factors.
I quit smoking when I had a startling realization of just how much my stamina had decreased. About five years ago, I was extremely good at Dance Dance Revolution. I mean like, truly good. Not quite masterful, but definitely a pro. I had a massive amount of stamina and was probably in the best shape of my life. Here is a video of me playing an extremely fast and physically taxing song. This is how good I was:
I tried playing a relatively easy song a few months ago and was severely out of breath by the end. It was like my legs just couldn't get enough oxygen. I thought to myself, "This is not acceptable. I used to be in such excellent shape!" A few weeks later I had a sudden moment comprehension where the potential future where I died of lung cancer suddenly became 'real'. I took one look at the cigarette, threw it on the ground (symbolically; I threw it away later) and never looked back.
Being on Wellbutrin for my depression almost certainly helped, as it binds to nicotine receptors. I had very little physical withdrawal symptoms, but the 'need' for a cigarette still has not gone away.
I am 50 and many hard partying people I grew up with are dead from liver damage - it can happen very young - it happened when most of them were in their 20s. When you are young you don't realize the damage you are doing. My Father was a functioning alcoholic - he held a job and all - there are many people like that.
I used to smoke - I really liked it - I even enjoy the smell to this day but I was coughing constantly and I smelled disgusting - I am so glad I quit 20 yrs ago - it was killing me - I smoked 2 packs a day. I recently saw that cigarettes are $50 dollars a carton now - that's nuts! My sister recently died from smoking - it was so sad - she was gasping for air - do you know how horrible that is? Please get help and quit if you still smoke - there are many new drugs and such out there to help you that they did not have years ago.
And yes, addictions run in families - now if I can only get over my food addiction....
This is could have been my post, except my father didn't drink.....God bless him. And, yeah, to the food thing. LOL
Was it AA ? That made you stop drinking? What about smoking? Anyone just woke up & stopped whats your story?
I enjoy a cold beer, especially in the summer. I don't need to go to AA because I don't have a problem. Smoking was another matter. I started smoking in the Army in1969 and continued until 1986. After several attempts to quit I finally got up one Saturday morning and just didn't light up that first cigarette. By Saturday night I was very jittery. By Sunday night I felt like I was wearing my skin inside out. Monday things were a bit better and by Tuesday morning, extremely better. It's about the desire to be a non-smoker. If you seriously want to be a non-smoker you'll do what it takes to be one.
I began smoking cigarettes at a very young age. By the time I was 13, I was smoking 4 to 5 cigarettes per day. This turned into a full pack a day by 16, and more than one pack by 18. Fortunately, I grew tired of running out of breath when playing sports with friends.
One day, at the age of 18, a friend invited me to go jogging with him. By the time we were half way into our jog I was totally out of breath. We had only jogged about 2 miles when I was forced to take it down to no more than a walk. My friend slowed down and walked with me. A few days later we jogged again. For the next few days we jogged on a regular basis. I noticed two things: My lung capacity was improving and my craving for a cigarette spread further apart each time we jogged.
I continued jogging regularly on my own. One day, after a long jog, it took 9 hours before I craved for nicotine. At that point I decided to stop . . . and I did!
I was tired of Stinking. as a smoker you really have no idea how bad you smell, that is until you stop smoking.
I used Chantix and although I had some crazy dreams, it was a wonder drug.
I was blessed to have the money to afford it as I did not have insurance.
I've been smoke free for almost 5 years ( June 2009) And I feel like a million dollars.
I had no idea Smoke smelled like vomit and garbage rolled together, and I wondered why I couldn't get a date.
Just the smell now is the worst thing ever. I'm so glad I'm now a nonsmoker.
Drinking was never a big issue for me, but I do take anxiety meds, so they don't mix. I also think it would take me back to the old 'Combo' of drinking and smoking so I don't fool with any form of liquor.
In order to quit any addiction, you need to be totally disgusted by the effect it is having on you. I smoked for over 30 years and was up to three packs a day. I quit smoking 7 years ago. I used the patch for a few weeks, but I found the sticky glue too irritating on my skin. So I stopped using the patch and I was fine.
I stopped drinking, because the hangovers were lasting longer than the buzz. I wasn't addicted to alcohol per se, but I did drink to get drunk, thus the long hangovers. My simple rule is, when the bad outweighs the good, it's time to stop. Now if I could just apply my simple rule to food.
It was easy.
What is hard for me is candy. And my mom's cooking.
Same here. Candy addict.
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