[Celerian]

BenignDesign, on 19 April 2012 - 10:40 AM, said:

Celerian, on 19 April 2012 - 01:29 PM, said:

Kinda harsh to say I'm blowing smoke out my ass and I'm a freak.

Welcome to the Lounge. I'm B9 and I'll be your asshole tour guide today.

Get in, sit down, shut up, and enjoy the ride.

Thanks, I don't really need the introduction. I'm fairly good friends with the internet, and I fully understand the Internet Fuckwad theory. In fact, I can put it into play myself.

Another thing I forgot to mention is that in your post you said you tried quitting, but failed several times. You obviously learned the "If you DON'T want to quit, you WON'T" part of the idiom by trial and multiple errors, but I assure you that the inverse is just as correct. The problem with people who say they want to quit and then seemly can't quit is that they don't fully understand what a WANT is. They get it confused with the more wishy-washy feeling of SHOULD. I SHOULD quit, and I'll try, but if it gets to hard, I'll start smoking again. Verses I WANT to quit, and I can because all it takes is not spending the money, not picking up a cigarette, and not smoking the cigarette. Its really easy to do with a little willpower. Humans are fairly week willed creatures though. We confuse WANT/SHOULD and when things get tough, we give up to quickly.

And sure, I still smoke. I was fair in that. However, I'm not smoking every day. I have the power to turn them down. I don't act on impulse. I don't tell myself that I NEED a cigarette. I don't tell myself I WANT a cigarette. When I go out to the bar, I choose to have a cigarette and then be done with them again. Its the ability to make a choice instead of allowing yourself to feel controlled by the craving that, I believe, defines your success. And there are plenty of people who stop for a while, and if they don't have good enough control, they turn one night of drinking and a few cigarettes into buying a new pack every day/week because they still really WANT a cigarette. And the WANT to have a cigarette has trumped their ability to say no and their feeling that they SHOULD stop. They didn't WANT to stop in the first place.

You could even say that when I was debating the E-Cig I didn't want to quit either. I desired an alternative that got me all the things I wanted. And when the alternative wasn't an option, I found that I still wanted to be healthier, and that beat out the desire to smoke regularly. And that was the driving force that made me WANT to quit.

[baavgai]

BenignDesign, on 19 April 2012 - 12:23 PM, said:

The freaks who insist that "if you want to quit, you'll quit, period" have a point, but mostly they're just blowing smoke out their own asses.

Been there, done that. Bite me.

I always said to my partner, "when you want to quit, just give me a few days notice." Right before one long labor day weekend spent at a friend's place, she told me she wanted to quit soon. That weekend I went through three times more smokes than usual. I could barely talk on the ride home.

I was ready to quit. I threw out the remains of the last pack. That was a very long time ago.

Years before that I'd walked out of the hospital after suffering a pulmonary embolism and lit up in the parking garage. Point is, if you ain't really ready to quit, nothing it the world will help. If you are ready, hey, choose your placebo.

[WolfCoder]

It may still be the usual addictive substance, but at least you've removed the smoke. Seems like an obvious method of cutting back or quitting altogether only appearing that way the first time someone presents the idea.

[BenignDesign]

Celerian, on 19 April 2012 - 01:57 PM, said:

I fully understand the Internet Fuckwad theory. In fact, I can put it into play myself.

So I've noticed.

baavgai, on 19 April 2012 - 02:25 PM, said:

If you are ready, hey, choose your placebo.

Exactly. If you want to quit, if you're ready to quit, and using a placebo will get you across the bridge, what's the big deal? Why is Fuckwad all worked up because someone is contemplating using a different method? I think Fuckwad has control issues.

[Celerian]

BenignDesign, on 19 April 2012 - 01:02 PM, said:

Celerian, on 19 April 2012 - 01:57 PM, said:

I fully understand the Internet Fuckwad theory. In fact, I can put it into play myself.

So I've noticed.

baavgai, on 19 April 2012 - 02:25 PM, said:

If you are ready, hey, choose your placebo.

Exactly. If you want to quit, if you're ready to quit, and using a placebo will get you across the bridge, what's the big deal? Why is Fuckwad all worked up because someone is contemplating using a different method? I think Fuckwad has control issues.

I didn't once say that there was anything wrong with him using the Electronic Cigarettes, and the only one who is "worked up" appears to be you. I'm not calling you names or resorting to insults, I'm merely relating my experiences with his. Do I believe that he could do it on willpower alone, sure, but he has to want to do that. If he wants to step down, that's a fine way too. Now, it would seem that you ascribe to the idea of your way is the only right way, so if anyone is a Fuckwad, you might want to go look in the mirror. You could definitely use a few lessons in manners, at the very least.

[jon.kiparsky]

Uh-oh, he's breaking out the downrep...
shit just got serious.

[modi123_1]

Let's try to keep this semi civil and on topic..

[blindstone]

lol so much hate! Imma just try em out and go from there, sounds like a good idea and like baavgai said - choose your placebo!

[Celerian]

My friend loved the Volcano E-Cigs. I'm not trying to shill for the site, so I won't link. Besides, I cannot personally attest to their quality. However, I will say that I would trust my friend's judgement, since she rarely sugarcoats anything. The starter kits are a little expensive, but after a while, it should pay for itself vs. what you would normally pay for a pack of cigarettes.

Good luck quitting!

[BBuschRN]

I have tried the E-cig, nic patches, nic gum, and hypnosis (it said it was guaranteed to work!!).. the last thing that actually worked was Chantix. Amazing drug with awesome dream side-effects. But you asked about E-cigs...

They didn't work for me only because they made me want to smoke more. I found that I could smoke everywhere I wanted: movies, bowling, even at work (in a secret place..). But I did like them a lot.

[e_i_pi]

My wife tried Champix, which I'm assuming is the same as Chantix but branded differently in Australia. She broke out in boils over her legs, chest, and underarms - 6 months on, about 75% of them have disappeared, but some are still appearing. I also tried it, and being asleep was like a bad mushroom trip, every single night. I also yakked (threw up) most mornings. I know two other people who have tried it and got violently ill for several days, then quit Champix vowing never to do it again. Looking on the pamphlet you get in the packet displays about 200 side-effects, 20 of which are hospitalisable. I would recommend against using Champix, since it appears to be a cross between ebola, depleted plutonium, and Justin Bieber.

I've found patches to be effective, never tried e-cigs, mostly because the price is a bit prohibitive if I end up not liking them.

I've also found one of the better ways to quit is to wait until you start getting a congestive head cold, then smoke as much as you can during that period. Once the head cold kicks in, you won't want to smoke at all, since you'll feel like throwing up from the congestion build-up, or your throat will be so dry you won't be able to inhale hot smoke. When the cold clears up, you will have been not smoking for several days, and with the continued bringing up of congestion, you'll be put off by the prospect of inhaling. Before you know it you'll be healthy again and off the smokes for 4-8 days, which is hte hardest period when going cold turkey. After that maybe try gum (I wouldn't recommend, as it sloughs off your gum tissue) or patches, to ween yourself off the pyschological need to puff.

Or, do what I do, and keep smoking.

[nK0de]

A friend of mine and I had this convo about using E-cigs and she told me it did really help some of her friends to quit smoking. But she also said that now there are arguments that it's not safe either. Oh well, I dunno for sure.
I used to be a chain smoker too. Then I started getting chest pains and shit so I've reduced drastically now. Still not able to quit completely though. I smoke occasionally. I can control myself. And I rarely buy packs. Only 1 or 2 cigarettes at a time. It kinda keeps me away from smoking a lot too 'cause I'd have to walk over to a shop each time I get an appetite for a smoke but I'm too much on the lazy side.

This post has been edited by nK0de: 20 April 2012 - 01:18 AM

[Magooguli]

Can anybody say availability heuristic?

SpartanGuy07, on 19 April 2012 - 01:46 PM, said:

Most of the stories I have heard of people using them have been successes.

[BenignDesign]

Celerian, on 19 April 2012 - 04:10 PM, said:

I didn't once say that there was anything wrong with him using the Electronic Cigarettes, and the only one who is "worked up" appears to be you. I'm not calling you names

1. I'm always worked up about something. The sooner this is realized, the easier things are for everyone involved.
2. I didn't call you names. I used the same term you used.

modi123_1, on 19 April 2012 - 04:27 PM, said:

Let's try to keep this semi civil and on topic..

Kill joy.

Celerian, on 19 April 2012 - 04:52 PM, said:

My friend loved the Volcano E-Cigs.

These are what I used. Love them.

[WolfCoder]

nK0de, on 20 April 2012 - 02:18 AM, said:

A friend of mine and I had this convo about using E-cigs and she told me it did really help some of her friends to quit smoking. But she also said that now there are arguments that it's not safe either. Oh well, I dunno for sure...

It does still have nicotine in it.