# I've gone 150 Days....



## jaerdaph (May 29, 2005)

...without a cigarette! 

I know ReignMan and dpmcalister were quiting too around the time I did. How's it going, guys? Good news too I hope. 

Grapeshot - have you quit yet? You gotta quit too - at least quit the dipping. Everyone here will support you!


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## the Jester (May 29, 2005)

Hey, excellent!

It's a hard one to quit- but it sounds like you're through the worst of it.  Congratulations!


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## Jdvn1 (May 29, 2005)

Cool, congrats!

I can't say I went through the same thing, but I'm glad I never started.


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## Psionicist (May 29, 2005)

Cool, you've saved enough money to buy a car!

...

I think.


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## Captain Tagon (May 29, 2005)

Awesome stuff. I know from experience with some members of my family how hard it can be.


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## IronWolf (May 29, 2005)

Congrats jaerdaph!  From watching others around me quit, I know it can be quite a hard thing to do.  Makes me glad I never started.


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## DaveStebbins (May 29, 2005)

Congratulations jaerdaph! Quitting smoking is one of the toughest things people can do. You are the man!


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## devilbat (May 29, 2005)

Congrats man.  From what I've seen. quitting smoking has got to be one of the toughest things to do.  

I work with a guy that quit smoking, but continued allocate the money he would spend on it into a shoebox each week.  After only six months, he had saved enough to take his etire family (wife and three kids) on a trip to Disneyworld.  Amazing what can be done.


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## megamania (May 29, 2005)

Congrats and keep it up.  I hope the others have successfully quit also.


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## The_lurkeR (May 29, 2005)

devilbat said:
			
		

> Congrats man.  From what I've seen. quitting smoking has got to be one of the toughest things to do.
> 
> I work with a guy that quit smoking, but continued allocate the money he would spend on it into a shoebox each week.  After only six months, he had saved enough to take his etire family (wife and three kids) on a trip to Disneyworld.  Amazing what can be done.





Cool!   

Congrat's jaerdaph


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## CarlZog (May 29, 2005)

Been just over 10 years for me. Hang in there. It does get easier.

Carl


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## Darth K'Trava (May 30, 2005)

Keep it up, dude!!! And don't let any stressful thing get you back to smoking! If you get stressed, game more!!!


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## Darth K'Trava (May 30, 2005)

Jdvn1 said:
			
		

> Cool, congrats!
> 
> I can't say I went through the same thing, but I'm glad I never started.




Me neither. 'Tis a disgusting habit! I can't see why people find it "cool".... it stinks, and makes YOU and your stuff stink on top of that!


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## Kanegrundar (Jun 1, 2005)

There's where I fell.  I was doing good for a month and then work crap hit and I was lighting up again.  My fiance was annoyed since it looked like I was making good on the promise to quit before we got married...I still have a little over a year to get it done.

On the other hand, congrats, Jose!!!

Kane


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## Queen_Dopplepopolis (Jun 1, 2005)

*passes out the party pie*

Awesome, Jaerdaph!  Awesome!!!


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## diaglo (Jun 1, 2005)

cool. keep on keeping on.


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## Mark (Jun 1, 2005)

Smoked for 25 years and quit last July.  Hang in there, jaerdaph.  It gets better every day.


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## Arbiter of Wyrms (Jun 2, 2005)

Darth K'Trava said:
			
		

> Me neither. 'Tis a disgusting habit! I can't see why people find it "cool".... it stinks, and makes YOU and your stuff stink on top of that!



Yeah, but it's sooo addictive!

It's been about twenty minutes since my last cigarette.  I do hope it will be my last.  It's tough to do, but when I've quit in the past, I always felt much better for having done so.  Hopefully, when my wife gets paid again, we'll get some patches.


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## jaerdaph (Jun 3, 2005)

Thanks for the support, everyone!

Arbiter - I highly suggest the nicotine gum instead of the patch. For me, cigarettes were very "I want one I have one" and the gum is the same way.  Get a generic brand as well - it's much cheaper than the Nicorette name brand. I eventually weaned myself from the gum with Trident.


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## Queen_Dopplepopolis (Jun 3, 2005)

jaerdaph said:
			
		

> Thanks for the support, everyone!
> 
> Arbiter - I highly suggest the nicotine gum instead of the patch. For me, cigarettes were very "I want one I have one" and the gum is the same way.  Get a generic brand as well - it's much cheaper than the Nicorette name brand. I eventually weaned myself from the gum with Trident.



 I took an excellent class on drugs and their effect on the body last semester.  I learned *a lot* - one of the things that I learned is that the patches do not (statstically speaking) work.

A cigarette gives you a "spike" of nicotine to your blood.  The patch provides a constant flow that does not reach the high of the nicotine "spike" in a cigarette.  As such, the patches do not help you effectively fight your cravings.

Biologically speaking, the gum, the soon-to-be-released nasal spray, and inhaler are the best options b/c they provide a "spike" similar to that of an actual cigarette.


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## Arbiter of Wyrms (Jun 3, 2005)

I'm not much of a gum-chewer anyway and I heard that the nicotene gum tastes like. . . donkey, and the nasal inhalers are prescription only.  Maybe I'll try cold turkey again, I made it six months that way one time.

EDIT: Thank you for the support, everyone.  I've come to believe that that is one of the most important keys to quitting.


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## Queen_Dopplepopolis (Jun 3, 2005)

Arbiter of Wyrms said:
			
		

> I'm not much of a gum-chewer anyway and I heard that the nicotene gum tastes like. . . donkey, and the nasal inhalers are prescription only.  Maybe I'll try cold turkey again, I made it six months that way one time.



 Granted, the patches do work for some people or they wouldn't be on the market.


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## DungeonmasterCal (Jun 3, 2005)

Congrats!  I've never smoked, but I recently kicked an addiction to the painkiller Talwin I'd developed while recovering from my accident.  I quit cold turkey, and there was about 4 days where I felt like I was dying, and would've been grateful to have done so.  UGH.


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## jaerdaph (Jun 3, 2005)

DungeonmasterCal said:
			
		

> Congrats!  I've never smoked, but I recently kicked an addiction to the painkiller Talwin I'd developed while recovering from my accident.  I quit cold turkey, and there was about 4 days where I felt like I was dying, and would've been grateful to have done so.  UGH.




EXCELLENT! Good for YOU!


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## jaerdaph (Jun 3, 2005)

Queen_Dopplepopolis said:
			
		

> I learned *a lot* - one of the things that I learned is that the patches do not (statstically speaking) work.




Interesting. I'd tried patches once before, but they never worked for me, so I opted for the gum this time. Seems to have worked so far


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## DungeonmasterCal (Jun 3, 2005)

jaerdaph said:
			
		

> EXCELLENT! Good for YOU!




Thanks... but let me tell ya...I ate Tylenol like Pez to kill the flu-like aching and consumed banana pops by the box full to ease a weird craving for sweets I had during that whole time.  Now I'm hooked on banana pops... LOL


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## jaerdaph (Jun 3, 2005)

DungeonmasterCal said:
			
		

> Thanks... but let me tell ya...I ate Tylenol like Pez to kill the flu-like aching and consumed banana pops by the box full to ease a weird craving for sweets I had during that whole time.  Now I'm hooked on banana pops... LOL




Nothing wrong with that.


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## Jdvn1 (Jun 4, 2005)

Darth K'Trava said:
			
		

> Me neither. 'Tis a disgusting habit! I can't see why people find it "cool".... it stinks, and makes YOU and your stuff stink on top of that!



Well, I mostly wanted to congratulate -- while I don't like the smell it gives everything, I have a friend who's (literally) deathly allergic to it.  If he gets the slightest whiff of the stuff, he has to run out of whatever building he's in and recover, which often takes about an hour.

I think people who never smoked have the right idea, but I have a greater respect for those who did smoke and had the mental fortitude and good sense to stop (no matter what their reason).


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## Arbiter of Wyrms (Jun 11, 2005)

I've gone about twenty hours without a cigarettee.  I'm sure there's an open pack and a lighter in the breezeway.  As I type, I'm about 5 ft (less than 2 meters) from 3 fresh packs.  My wife's at work.  No one would know . . .

except me.

I've quit cold turkey before and have found that the first two or three days are the worst.


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## jaerdaph (Jun 12, 2005)

Arbiter of Wyrms said:
			
		

> I've quit cold turkey before and have found that the first two or three days are the worst.




Yes, the first couple of days are the worst. Hang in there!


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## Arbiter of Wyrms (Jun 12, 2005)

32 hours and counting.


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## Hijinks (Jun 12, 2005)

> Hopefully, when my wife gets paid again, we'll get some patches.




That's what's so friggin annoying about trying to quit - the cost of the "aids" to help you quit! I realize they're made by private companies that want to make money, but JEEZ! If the gov't really wants to help people quit, they should offer discounts on the gum and/or patch.


I successfully quit smoking 3 1/2 years ago using the patch for 2 weeks. That patch cost my dad $75. I was quitting not for my health, but because I couldn't afford cigarettes. Yet I couldn't afford to get the patch, so my dad, wanting me to quit, bought it for me. I'm very glad he did, or I'd have found a way to afford to keep smoking, since I never could afford that $75. The gum seemed nasty to me, so I couldn't chew it (ironic that I was smoking, which in and of itself is nasty, but I didn't want that nasty gum )

It's sad that people keep smoking because they can afford cigarettes, but not the patch.

*\o/* *\o/* *\o/* to those trying to quit!  You can DO it!


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## Jdvn1 (Jun 13, 2005)

Hang tough, guys!


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## jaerdaph (Jun 13, 2005)

Congratulations, guys! Keep it up!


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## jaerdaph (Jun 13, 2005)

Hijinks said:
			
		

> That's what's so friggin annoying about trying to quit - the cost of the "aids" to help you quit!




I ended up buying the drug store "generic" version of Nicorette. Much much cheaper. 

Also, my accountant told me to save my receipts because I can write it off on my taxes.


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## Queen_Dopplepopolis (Jun 13, 2005)

Jdvn1 said:
			
		

> Hang tough, guys!



 I've had "Hangin' Tough" by the New Kids on the Block in my head since reading this post this morning.

It upsets me greatly and it's all your fault!


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## der_kluge (Jun 13, 2005)

GIS for "smoker"


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## Jdvn1 (Jun 13, 2005)

Queen_Dopplepopolis said:
			
		

> I've had "Hangin' Tough" by the New Kids on the Block in my head since reading this post this morning.
> 
> It upsets me greatly and it's all your fault!



 I apologize for your remembrance of the 80s.


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## Arbiter of Wyrms (Jun 16, 2005)

6 days and counting!

My goal is to catch up to jaerdaph, who I know has a substantial lead on me, so I'll just have to extra-not-smoke.

I'm trying to keep all my old smoker's routines, but sans nicotene.  It's just about to time for me to have another Flavor-Ice.  

Thank you, everybody, for the support, and particularly to jaerdaph, for the inspiration.   It's working.  Below is a link to the Thank You thread.


http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=136304


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## DaveStebbins (Jun 17, 2005)

Good for you, AoW! We're all pullin' for you. Or pushin'. Whatever.   

-Dave


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## Mixmaster (Jun 17, 2005)

Congrats! Keep going!!


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## Angel Tarragon (Jun 17, 2005)

I manged to quit smoking myself, well partly anyway. I don't smoke cigarettes anymore, but I do enjoy the occassional cigar.


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## jaerdaph (Jun 17, 2005)

Arbiter of Wyrms said:
			
		

> My goal is to catch up to jaerdaph, who I know has a substantial lead on me, so I'll just have to extra-not-smoke.




You'll get there - I promise it will be much easier to catch up to me than it will to catch up to Crothian in post count! 

Keep up the good work, and congratulations! 



			
				Arbiter of Wyrms said:
			
		

> Thank you, everybody, for the support, and particularly to jaerdaph, for the inspiration.   It's working.  Below is a link to the Thank You thread.
> 
> 
> http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=136304




It's the caring, supportive people here that makes EN World the special place it truly is. And knowing that my quitting smoking has inspired another person to quit smoking is the best reward to date.


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## Arbiter of Wyrms (Jul 21, 2005)

In the bible, Noah builds a boat beacuse it rains for 40 days and 40 nights.

Moses leads the Israelites around in the desert for 40 years.

Everything's all about 40.  That's because the ancient Hebrews used the number "forty" idiomatically to mean "a lot."

If the bible had been written by Valley Girls in the 1980's, it would have rained for "DAaaaaYS, dude."

Anyway, it's been about forty days for me, now.

A smoking cessation of BIBLICAL PROPORTIONS!


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## Jdvn1 (Jul 22, 2005)

Now go for 40 40's.


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## jaerdaph (Jul 22, 2005)

Arbiter of Wyrms said:
			
		

> Anyway, it's been about forty days for me, now.
> 
> A smoking cessation of BIBLICAL PROPORTIONS!




Excellent! Keep it up, man!  Make sure you reward yourself - buy yourself a game book or something else you really want.

I'm still smoke free on day 203! Over half a year now smoke-free. I bought myself the new edition of the Arkham Horror board game to celebrate.


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## Arbiter of Wyrms (Jul 22, 2005)

jaerdaph said:
			
		

> Excellent! Keep it up, man!  Make sure you reward yourself - buy yourself a game book or something else you really want.
> 
> I'm still smoke free on day 203! Over half a year now smoke-free. I bought myself the new edition of the Arkham Horror board game to celebrate.



So I was thinking of rewarding myself for graduating, too, since my diploma finally came (B.A. English/Linguistics).  Does this mean I should plan on buying two game books, one REALLY expensive one, or just picking one cheap book and actually buying it?


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## Arbiter of Wyrms (Aug 16, 2005)

Wow, it's been, like, two months now.  I think I'm done smoking.  I hardly ever feel the need to go outside and sit.  Nic-fits are long gone.  Now, I just have to shed the quitting weight, and I'll be set.  

Thanks again, jaerdaph, and everybody here, for inspiration and support.


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## Wyn A'rienh (Aug 17, 2005)

Way to go!  It's been about three months for me.  Like you, I really feel like this is it - I'm done smoking for good.

According to quitnet, here are my stats -  (I'm kinda proud of 'em)



> My Stats:
> Your Quit Date is:  5/23/2005 2:00:00 AM
> 
> Time Smoke-Free: 85 days, 20 hours, 41 minutes and 29 seconds
> ...




Keep it up!


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## Arbiter of Wyrms (Aug 17, 2005)

That's too cool  http://www/quitnet.com

61 days, 9 hours, 56 minutes, 51 seconds

$162.75 saved  7 days more life.


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## The Thayan Menace (Aug 17, 2005)

*Take it From a Pro ....*







"Nicotine is a hell of a drug ...."

(However, I've been clean for just over two years.)​


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## Jdvn1 (Aug 17, 2005)

Good to hear! You should find something to do with that extra time on your life now.


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## jaerdaph (Aug 19, 2005)

Arbiter of Wyrms said:
			
		

> That's too cool  http://www/quitnet.com
> 
> 61 days, 9 hours, 56 minutes, 51 seconds
> 
> $162.75 saved  7 days more life.




Yes! Yes! Yes! 

I'm at 231 days now and counting!


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## DarkSoldier (Aug 19, 2005)

Can you taste your food now?


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## jaerdaph (Aug 19, 2005)

It wasn't that I couldn't taste food before, it just tastes even better now, if that makes sense. It's nice to be able to pick out flavors better in certain dishes - the subtle hint of ginger in the sesame chicken from my favorite Chinese restaurant, that sort of thing.


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## Arbiter of Wyrms (Jun 28, 2006)

Over a year now and I still want a cigarette.


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## Harmon (Jun 28, 2006)

One hour, and one day at a time.  Keep up the good work.     

My Dad did lots of work with addicts and almost all of them have said that smoking is the worst drug of all- even the heroin and meth users say that they could give those up but not the cigs.

Keep up the good work, you can do it, we have faith in you.


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## Felix (Jun 28, 2006)

> Over a year now and I still want a cigarette.



It's been three years for me, and there are times when I fondly remember the great pull and aftertaste of a Camel smoked just after a meal. The Chinese have a saying that translates to, "A cigarette after a meal makes your life better than the gods'". Hyperbole, maybe, but it really was good.

Then I remember I like walking up stairs without breathing heavily. 

I carried a box of toothpicks around with me for months after I quit; that might help. That and willpower is a helluva lot cheaper than patches, gum, or munchies.


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## jaerdaph (Jun 28, 2006)

Arbiter of Wyrms said:
			
		

> Over a year now and I still want a cigarette.




Congratulations!!!! 

A year and a half for me now, and believe me, so do I, every now and then. That's why I always have Nicorette gum with me everywhere I go, just in case I get the urge.


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## MonsterMash (Jun 28, 2006)

Congratulations


[passes round cigars] - ooops


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## kibbitz (Jun 28, 2006)

Congrats to you guys who managed to quit. Dad quit around 50. Wished it was earlier, but well, I'll take what I can get. Hope you'll never find a reason to take a pull ever.


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## Lord Zardoz (Jun 30, 2006)

I have never smoked.  I never had the compulsion to even try it, probably because my mothers smoking made me cough a great a deal.  But I have some idea how hard it is to quit smoking from having watched people try and fail, and from the stories of friends of mine who did quit.

I do have two questions though.  Why did you start smoking to begin with?  And at which point did you realize you were addicted?  (As far as I know, lots of people experiment with smoking in their retarded phase between 7th and 10th grade, but plenty quit).

Aside from 2nd hand smoke making me cough to a stunning degree, I figure there are a few key reasons I never even bothered with the whole mess.

1)  Social Apathy.  I put no value in the opinons of strangers, and dont typically get the urge to meet new people.  This means that I do not care at all if I am considered cool, or popular.
2)  I am a cheap bastard, and prefered to spend the money on other things.
3)  None of my friends smoked.

I figure that most people who end up becoming smokers (or any use of any recreational drug, legal or otherwise) do so for social reasons.  While my own social tendencies made my high school experience fairly unpleasant, it did have the side effect of keeping me out of trouble.

END COMMUNICATION


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## Jdvn1 (Jun 30, 2006)

Just wanted to toss in my congrats too.  I like this sort of thing.


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## Kanegrundar (Jun 30, 2006)

Lord Zardoz said:
			
		

> I have never smoked.  I never had the compulsion to even try it, probably because my mothers smoking made me cough a great a deal.  But I have some idea how hard it is to quit smoking from having watched people try and fail, and from the stories of friends of mine who did quit.
> 
> I do have two questions though.  Why did you start smoking to begin with?  And at which point did you realize you were addicted?  (As far as I know, lots of people experiment with smoking in their retarded phase between 7th and 10th grade, but plenty quit).
> 
> ...



 You may be right in some cases, but that's not how all people start.  I started with cigars around the time I was 17.  It wasn't out of any desire to be cool or anything like that.  My grandpa smoked Dutchmasters.  I always loved that smell, so I started with that and gradually moved to cigarettes.  It's a nasty habit, yes, but it's also been a stress relief for me as well.  I'm sure I'm addicted, but I've noticed that I have no trouble at all quitting.  It's just I haven't found anything that works as well to relieve the stress I feel at times (like now with wedding plans and all the BS that goes along with it is ramping up big time).  Once I find something that will calm me as well, I'll quit for good and never look back.  

For me your 3 points are off the mark.

1. Socially I did fine.  High School was ok for me.  Only 1 of my friends smoked, so there wasn't any peer pressure.  I wasn't in the least bit concerned about looking cool or being one of the gang.  I always did whatever I thought was fun even if my friends weren't totally interested.  (Playing D&D for one.)

2. I'm a cheap bastard as well (just ask my fiancee), but I will spend money on things I enjoy.

3. Like I said above only 1 of my friends smoked, but so did my dad, grandpa (who doesn't anymore), my uncle, and one of my great uncles (who also doesn't anymore).  That likely played a small part, but I never liked cigarettes (which is what my dad and his bother smoked) until I was well into college.  I always preferred (and still do) cigars and pipes.

:shrug: Each to their own, IMO.  I'm respectful of those around me, so all I ask is that people respect my wishes as well.  Even if they aren't the best.


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