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emmasma
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28 Aug 2017, 9:17 am

How many people here smoke or have quit? I know smoking is not a problem specific to people on with AS or other conditions, but it seems like some of the things that make me an aspie are the same things that make me smoke so obsessively when I do. I have since I was a teen- on and off. I need to quit. It smells, Its messy, and expensive. Plus it's really affecting my breathing. I'm not one that can just do it once and a while. I don't even enjoy smoking anymore, I just keep doing it. The only time I quit long term was for about 6 years while I was married because I had a husband who didn't approve of women smoking. I don't miss him being a patriarchal a**hole, but I am having trouble giving it up just for myself (and my kids).

I actually enjoy quitting. I get that new life feeling and feel clean all the time. The problem is that I start again when my life gets really bad. I use whatever it is as an excuse to pick up my pacifier again "temporarily" to get me through and have to start all over. Most recently I started again about a year ago, after my mom died and then I ended a long term relationship. I have tried to quit since, on and off for six months. It got bad and was affecting my work and mood with the pills then the patches and stopping and starting... Anyway I decided t just give myself a break for a few months and smoke without trying to quit. Now it's been a few months and I'm feeling yucky with my painful phlegmy lungs. I'm ready to quit very soon, and looking forward to the immediate boost it will give my physical and mental well being.

Do any other aspies here have experience giving up cigarettes?

How about E-ciggs? I used those for a while a few years back and it almost seemed worse. I would do it all the time, and never seem "done" because a vaporizer doesn't get done and put out at the end. I always felt like I had nicotine poisoning and water on my lungs.

Chantix made me very sick and agitated, wellbutrin made it hard for me to focus at work although I was on new anti anxiety meds at the same time.

Patches seem to be a good choice for me. My heart gets racy because of the constant nicotine, but I KNOW that I can't smoke with them on because it's dangerous so I don't. I kind of look forward to it because they make me have vivid dreams :D. I'm planning on getting some with my next check.

Sorry this is getting long. I guess I just wanted to spell it out. Thanks for reading. Encouragement would be appreciated. If you are a self righteous non-smoker who wants to talk crap about how stupid it is please be aware I might tell you off :wink:. I'm aware.



megan2019
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Location: London, UK

09 Dec 2019, 3:40 pm

Hey, buddy. Before you attempt to quit smoking, spend some time analyzing when and why you smoke. It’s important for you to understand your smoking patterns so you can plan for events and situations that will be tempting or stressful for you. Do you smoke when you are tense or anxious? Do you smoke when you need to energize yourself? Do you smoke when others around you are smoking? Do you smoke when you drink? I know the woman, who gave up smoking after reading the article "", because she understood what she did with the child.



Last edited by B19 on 11 Dec 2019, 10:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.: spammer

Joe90
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09 Dec 2019, 7:06 pm

My boyfriend has smoked since his early teens and he is now late 40s. He is developing some very bad health problems due to smoking, such as COPD, and he's been to the hospital a couple of times in the last year, complaining of difficulties breathing and persistent cough. He's been prescribed inhalers, but quitting smoking is very hard for him.
His COPD is causing him stress - which he smokes to deal with - which is prolonging his health problems - which is causing more stress, and it's become a vicious cycle. He knows he should quit smoking but seems too afraid to even try. Whenever I've tried to help him he just turns it away and says he is quitting, but it's very clear that he isn't.
But if his COPD is making him miserable then surely he wants to give up?
I mean, if you had terrible toothache, you don't go and eat sweets to deal with the toothache, do you? No, you seek solutions to prevent it from coming back.

I'm sorry but I don't have any time or sympathy for smokers. You smokers are basically laughing at those suffering with cancer, because you're actually wasting money on increasing your own chance of getting cancer and it doesn't seem to faze you. The moral is to look after your body and do what you can to live a full, healthy life. If you still get a disease without being a smoker then it's unfortunate and is beyond your control, but smoking increases your chances of getting diseases of the lungs and mouth, and knocks years off your lifespan. It can also harm other people around you and even pets.

You may think smoking eases your stress levels but that is just a placebo. Really it doesn't, especially when you get to a point where smoking rules your life. Don't let it control you.

One thing to do is not to tell yourself you're quitting BEFORE you have smoked your "last cigarette", because when you're on that last cigarette you will grieve over it and panic when you've smoked it, which will ruin your willpower. What you should do is go about your daily business and not focus on which cigarette will be your last, but instead when it's been a few hours or even a day after you've run out of cigarettes and haven't had the chance to buy some more, that's the time you should tell yourself, "right, I'm not buying any more." It's a great way to trick your mind into getting out of a habit before you've even begun. It's all about mindfulness.

Good luck.


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Sweetleaf
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09 Dec 2019, 9:18 pm

I used to smoke, and now I vape instead. I have found success with the refillable pod type devices and now a lot of them have replaceable coils so you don't have to replace the whole pod when the coil burns out.

But yeah that is what has worked for me.

Patches weren't an option for me because I didn't smoke quite enough for that, I was able to limit my cigarettes during the day but still just couldn't quit.


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MjrMajorMajor
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09 Dec 2019, 10:11 pm

I very much relate. I have quit smoking, but I still use the patch years later. It's a bit embarrassing, but I was able to stop smoking long term.

Using the patch, I can't go overboard when stressed. That was a main driver of my smoking so I've decided to measure smaller wins.

Good luck :D