Meraviglioso

I don't want to take on too many things at once, but I would like to eventually quit smoking too- whether that be tomorrow or months from now I don't know, but it is on the agenda.

I am smoking more than I used to now that I am not drinking. I thought it would be the opposite as the two went hand in hand for me. But I find myself smoking to replace the alcohol in some way.

Not sure what to do really. I am afraid of giving up this "crutch" but I know I would feel better if I did stop.

I'm sure so many of you have gone through this, any thoughts?

KateL

I did the same. I quit on and off for years until I discovered the e cigarette.

Funtimefranky

Hey there, I gave up cigs 2 months ago but I have attempted to give up alcohol when I was smoking. I think smokers under any sort of stress tend to smoke more so I can't see how giving up booze would be any different? I wonder if when you are further down the road in your recovery and there is less stress around stopping whether you might naturally reduce the amount you smoke again? I hope that makes sense. I just know that when I was a smoker if anything stressfully happened in my life, I would smoke more. Then when things calmed down my smoking would to. I'm sure when you are ready you will also kick nicotines butt as you have alcohol. Keep up the good work, I'm right behind you!

Myresolve

sorry you are having that trouble luckily i am smoking less. but i was like you said drinking and smoking were hand in hand. but the rare days i didnt drink i wouldnt smoke much if any but when i did drink 3 packs easy for now though im gonna just work on one vice at a time

Fly N Buy

Smoking is a b***h! I am smoking more now as well and thought It would be reduced once stopped booze. I think it's just that mental process of "something to do with your hands".

Several months back tried ecig, patch, wellbutrin et al

I am thinking perhaps of a cessation group. All I hear from sober drunks is that quitting the butts is harder than booze. Something to look forward to!!! Morning coffee and a cig is so ingrained in my brain.....

Meraviglioso - how bout we gather up our fellow smokers around us here on SR and let's all set a quit date??!! Maybe support it with a thread and a pledge to each other?!?

Meraviglioso

um, yeah, eh.... great idea. kind of.... yes, of course I want to do it, totally enthusiastic in that sort of convinced not really convinced sort of way.....




Alright, I'm in. whew. This is gonna be a tough one. Can we give it a bit of time, at least a week from now? I've gotta gear up in my mind for this!

Fly N Buy

Crack me up.....yea, I am the same way! Need to, but(t)........waiting for divine inspiration I suppose.

I think I will write a letter to myself from a doctor telling me the really bad news I am terrified of hearing one day...maybe we can post that to start the thread.

Mr. Flynbuy, It with great sadness your tests have come back and you have stage 3......

Meraviglioso

*sobs*

you go first :p

Rosie88

Mera, I'm exactly like you now too!

Wine and smoking were a must for me. Now, I'm smoking more. It seems so strange!

I even smoke when I walk to the gym in my gym clothes. I can feel the people judging me. Haha

I just reached 15 days of sobriety and I'm afraid that I'd be taking on too much if in quit. I guess I've always made a reason not to quit. I've smoked for the last 10 years (I was 16 when I started, thought I was so cool...). I've managed to quit three times before for the maximum of 1 week. Lol

I'd be willing to try to quit though... I do need some mental preparation though! Eep!

Low

I didn't feel like I was truly in "recovery" until I stopped the cigs as well. Because for me, I smoked to stuff feelings, every time I had an emotion, good or bad, I reached for cigarettes....yeah, I didn't wreck cars or black out over ciggies, but still was a addiction that kept me from "self" and fully living life, and thats why I got sober, to live life, not be controlled by some chemical substance. After I was sober and no cigs for a few months, at one point I picked up a cigarette using that old rational, "hey, it's better than drinking" etc. etc. and I felt out of control again....that's when I truly realized it really is still participating in addict type behavior....what I wanted to get away from. It is so WORTH stopping the nicotine as well....so much stuff comes up, it's reality in one's face....bring it on. Good luck with this, I really recommend it putting the one last monkey on our backs to bed.

Meraviglioso

ugh, I hear ya. I don't smoke before the gym, I go to see a personal trainer and he'd give it to me good if he smelled it, but I light up as soon as I get home. So gross. Also yesterday my son saw me with a cigarette and said "mamma, perche' fumi cosi' tanto?" (why do you smoke so much?) He then went on to lecture me about how I needed to read the book that papi' read. His father read that easy way to quit smoking book and just quit..... Yeah, I read that too, and kept on smoking. One thing at a time I guess.

LadyinBC

Yeah I still smoke and I did smoke more after I quit drinking. Deciding when you quit the cigs is a personal choice, I know for me, there was no way I was going to try early in sobriety.

Maybe someday I will, but I admit that I like smoking and am not ready to give it up yet.

SeekingGrowth

William White, the brilliant and well-known addiction expert (and prolific writer on the subject) wrote a really great paper on the subject of smoking and addiction. Among other things, he suggests that quitting smoking reduces the risk of relapse to your drug (or drink) of choice. Here is the link to the article:

http://www.williamwhitepapers.com/pr...ecovery%29.pdf

Rosie88

I've heard of that book! My ex boyfriend, about 5 years ago, read it and "quit" for three weeks. He always told me to read it. One day... He fell off the wagon smoked again.

He also tried and chantix and quit for a year... Then one day he started smoking again!

I keep telling myself, "well, I NEED one vice. Everyone needs one. Just so happens that smoking cigarettes will not ruin my life." That is until further down the road I guess.

I keep rationalizing to myself so I don't have to quit!!

wellvoice

What a great post. Am following...

Fly N Buy

Great White Paper, and perfect timing.....Poignant that alcohol recovery rates are higher for those who quit smoking - wow, great stuff!! Much thanks for this.

From the above link:

Quitting smoking reduces the risk of relapse and increases one’s odds of sustained recovery from alcohol and other drug addictions.

Risk of Continued Smoking: Smoking cessation in early recovery does not increase craving for or urges to drink alcohol.26 Continued smoking following treatment for alcohol and drug dependence is a risk factor for resumption of alcohol and other drug use.

Improved Recovery Rates: Quitting smoking in tandem with efforts to cease alcohol and other drug use does not threaten such recovery efforts and in fact, increases one’s chances of recovery. Smoking cessation improves recovery rates of other addictions.

taramaree

Cigs are/were WAY harder for me to give up than alcohol. Last year, I stopped smoking cold turkey, and past day two it was a breeze. Didn't start back smoking until I slowly started drinking again. Do you have any interest in vaping? Or e cigs, they are kind of like the same thing. What helped me to quit was Allen Carr's "the easy way to quit smoking", I think anyways. Good luck to you, cigs are horrible! I'm actually going to looking at vaporizers today, because I've been smoking more now that I quit too! Good luck.

anattaboy

I quit cigs 6 weeks ago (alcohol 8 weeks) by vaping but now probably do more nicotine with the e-cig than I smoked. I'm still a slave but maybe less so? I dunno-smoking was my first and longest addiction. Tried to do a lesser nic level last week and rebelled a bit and went back up. My best in your effort or anybody's to quit.

dwtbd

I stopped smoking tobacco before quitting drinking. I switched to ecigs about two years ago and have since switched to "vaping". I am comfortable with the harm reduction and have the ability to vary nicotine levels. And the flavors , hundreds of flavors

northof49

Hi all! I'm also a smoker, a pack a day guy.....not good I know, but as a few have said above me, I want to make sure I am confident in my sobriety to attempt quitting smoking. So, I decided that on my one year birthday (5 months from now) I'm going to give up the cigs! Going to do it cold turkey just like I did with the booze. What I'm finding is that as I reach each monthly milestone of sobriety, I'm also telling myself one more month closer to quitting smoking, kind of convincing myself that I can do it, just one day at a time, and preparing myself to quit and know that I can.