Quitting smoking is a nightmare
 

I always intended to quit smoking and drinking together because I only ever did them together. I never smoked without alcohol.

However, a few weeks without alcohol and cravings wise things are not too bad. Tobacco however is a different story, and I'm afraid to say I've been smoking a couple of times a week.

Maybe both at the same time was just too much all at once, I'm losing weight as well so it is quite a lot.

And I was worried smoking would be a big trigger but it hasn't actually been the issue I thought.

Because I do need to quit. I was so focused on quitting drinking, because that was the thing really screwing up my life that I didn't pay much mind to smoking. Anything that wasn't making me collapse at local shops wasn't my main concern. But my doctor has said that's my main risk long term.

Any fellow ex smokers/current smokers got any tips/suggestions for how to make it through.

I have read stories here of people quitting drinking and smoking at the same time. I guess it might work for some, but I can only imagine how hard it must be.

When I was in detox for 6 days, I met each morning with a psychiatrist, and he told me that his recommendation was to work on one addiction at a time. After I had at least six months of sobriety, then I could consider quitting smoking.

I think that is good advice, but, I feel like these things are different for different people. While we all share the same affliction, we are individuals and must figure out what works for us.

I've never been a cigarette smoker but I would say stick to the same recovery principles. Cigarettes are hard to quit but do not let your AV talk you into believing that it is impossible a lot of people have done it and do it every day and so can you. Build a cigarette quitting plan, commit and work it every day!

You can do this too!

There's all manner of quitting aids out there now Andagain - patches, gum, vaping...why not give something a go?

D

Yeah, my doctor I think was coming at it from a medical standpoint, obviously medically, stopping both drinking and smoking would be better for me physically than stopping drinking and then smoking. But this may be a case of what is doable.

I am still smoking. I definitely want to quit eventually, but I want to have some more time away from alcohol under my belt. That's just my personal choice though.

Yeah, I was looking into starting one of those next week (I'll do a bit of research first) and seeing psychologically what stuff is supposed to help.

I was the same as you drinking and smoking went together but stopping both was too much , so I quit the proper cigarettes and went onto the vaping ones

I found smoking to be far far easier to quit. I didn't have any kind of lingering withdrawals like I do from alcohol. It was really just getting the habit out of my head that was the hardest part about it. I only smoked for 6 or 7 years though and quit those 19 years ago now. I actually started drinking quite a bit more, for some reason my tolerance went up when I wasn't smoking.

Hi Andagain. I've been a smoker for 20 years. I've been putting off quitting for a lomg time. I smoked 20 a day easily. Bought a vaper last Sunday. The liquid I use is 12% nicotine. So far I've not had a cigarette and it's been not too bad at all! Obviously I'm still getting the drug via the nicotine in the liquid bit it's still a very big improvement health wise and I can reduce the nicotine content slowly and wean off.
Anyway just thought I'd share my experience. It's not affected my commitment to my sobriety which is the main thing. Good luck! xxx

I was never physically addicted to alcohol, but I was physically addicted to nicotine. So speaking only for me, alcohol abuse and my physical addiction to cigarettes are two different animals needing two slightly different recovery approaches.

I first used Chantix to beat the physical addiction to cigarettes, and now to beat the psychological addiction, I use methods similar to those I use for alcohol. However, my psychological cravings for nicotine are much weaker and less frequent than my psychological cravings for alcohol.

I suggest a chat with your Dr. You can put down the smokes, but you may need help.

Cigs are hard to give up . 7 years in september My wife and I gave up and started vaping and never smoked another cig. Vaping I know is another habit but better than the cigs .

My "recovery" list has always been a little bit overboard: I'm going to quit drinking, quit smoking, start exercising, lose weight, cure cancer, and broker world peace...tomorrow!

I'm giving myself the six-month sober option before attempting to break up with my nasty cigarettes...only another month to go! I'm planning to switch to vaping like all the cool kids are doing...

I agree, quitting cigarettes was far harder for me. I'm doing a step down method and using an ecig. They have them at the store. I haven't had a regular cigarette (what vape people call an analog) since June 5th. I eventually will step away from the ecig too which, hopefully, will be easier.

If you ever told me there would come a day I wouldn't light up a real cigarette for a whole day I would have laughed at you. After 8 weeks I feel so much better, I can breath and also smell and taste things. One of the best things I ever did.

If you go the vape or ecig route here's some info. Don't go into it thinking it will be the same as smoking. Not that it's not as good, it's just different. When you smoke a regular cigarette it gives you immediate relief right away when you take the first drag. When you smoke an ecig you take a hit, wait about 5 or 10 seconds, and take another hit. You'll eventually feel the same relief but the delivery of the nicotine is different. It takes some getting used to.

I'll never go back to cigarettes. I love the fact that my front porch no longer smells nor do my hair and clothes. I don't have to fish through my pocketbook anymore for a lighter and no more of those random little burn holes here and there in my car and on my clothes. It's convenient too. I'm really looking forward too to not having to go stand on the front porch in subzero weather to have a cigarette.

I'll pm you further info on what I use.

Hi , I tried it..far to hard for me!

I virtually quit cigarettes after about a month of being sober and moved onto vaping

Actually find vaping lot more satisfying and it's become a hobby trying different flavours and helped overcome the times when mind was on booze

Cigarettes actually taste bland now after vape

Good luck ! :-)