Smoking Addiction & Recovery Support Group
The CDC claims that nicotine is a "very addictive drug" that can be "as addictive as heroin or cocaine." Nicotine is typically eliminated from the body within 2 to 3 days, however, physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms may last for much longer depending on the individual. If you are trying to kick the habit, this community is dedicated to giving smokers the...
And here is a list of reasons that make the posters on this thread happy that they've stopped smoking, I hope this gives everyone a bit of encouragement, whether you're still to stop or have stopped and waivering, or just stopped and want to remind yourself how great you are
Not having to ask non smoker friends if we can sit outside, when the weather really isn't good enough
Having nice smelling hair and clothes
Coming home to a nice smelling house
No more sore throat and burnt feeling tongue
No more 'smoking hangovers' where the night before you smoked a packet which makes you feel much worse than any amount of alcohol
Not worrying about whether you've got cash for cigs all the time
Not getting evil looks from passers by when you have a cig break on the pavement at work and the smoke goes near them
Smelling smoke from other people and thinking that actually it doesn't smell very nice and realising you might be able to actually give up
Having a 2,000 a year tax-free pay rise
Being able to concentrate on what you're doing without thinking about going and having a cig when your finished, eg eating, cleaning, working!
People not backing off from smelly smokers breath
OH saying how much better the flat smells now
No nasty clearing your throat all the time
Taking deep breaths of clean air
Being a bit richer
Having a pink tongue!
Your lungs getting rid of gunk
Clean fresh hair and clothes
Paintwork will stay whiter as will ceilings
Lovely clean teeth
More energy
Ateries becoming un-clogged
Longer life
Not having to go outside the pub for one
Laughing at those who do have to go outside for one
Moaning about all the butts they leave outside
And finally, but most importantly, here's the reason we're doing it (thanks to Adz for digging out this info):
At 20 minutes after quitting:
blood pressure decreases
pulse rate drops
body temperature of hands and feet increases.
At 8 hours:
carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal
oxygen level in blood increases to normal
At 24 hours:
chance of a heart attack decreases
At 48 hours:
nerve endings begin regrowth
ability to smell and taste improves
Between 2 weeks and 3 months:
circulation improves
walking becomes easier
lung function increases
Between 1 to 9 months smoke-free:
Starting as early as a month after you quit smoking, and continuing for the next several months, you may notice significant improvements in these areas:
coughing
sinus congestion
fatigue
shortness of breath
At One Year Smoke-Free:
Your excess risk of coronary heart disease is decreased to half that of a smoker after one year.
At Two years Smoke-Free:
Your chance of achieving long-term success with quitting tobacco increases significantly after two years.
At 5 years smoke-free:
from 5 to 15 years after quitting tobacco, stroke risk is reduced to that of people who have never smoked.
At 10 years smoke-free:
risk of lung cancer drops to as little as one-half that of continuing smokers
risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas decreases
risk of ulcers decreases
At 15 years smoke-free:
risk of coronary heart disease is now similar to that of people who have never smoked
risk of death returns to nearly the level of people who have never smoked
Not having to ask non smoker friends if we can sit outside, when the weather really isn't good enough
Having nice smelling hair and clothes
Coming home to a nice smelling house
No more sore throat and burnt feeling tongue
No more 'smoking hangovers' where the night before you smoked a packet which makes you feel much worse than any amount of alcohol
Not worrying about whether you've got cash for cigs all the time
Not getting evil looks from passers by when you have a cig break on the pavement at work and the smoke goes near them
Smelling smoke from other people and thinking that actually it doesn't smell very nice and realising you might be able to actually give up
Having a 2,000 a year tax-free pay rise
Being able to concentrate on what you're doing without thinking about going and having a cig when your finished, eg eating, cleaning, working!
People not backing off from smelly smokers breath
OH saying how much better the flat smells now
No nasty clearing your throat all the time
Taking deep breaths of clean air
Being a bit richer
Having a pink tongue!
Your lungs getting rid of gunk
Clean fresh hair and clothes
Paintwork will stay whiter as will ceilings
Lovely clean teeth
More energy
Ateries becoming un-clogged
Longer life
Not having to go outside the pub for one
Laughing at those who do have to go outside for one
Moaning about all the butts they leave outside
And finally, but most importantly, here's the reason we're doing it (thanks to Adz for digging out this info):
At 20 minutes after quitting:
blood pressure decreases
pulse rate drops
body temperature of hands and feet increases.
At 8 hours:
carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal
oxygen level in blood increases to normal
At 24 hours:
chance of a heart attack decreases
At 48 hours:
nerve endings begin regrowth
ability to smell and taste improves
Between 2 weeks and 3 months:
circulation improves
walking becomes easier
lung function increases
Between 1 to 9 months smoke-free:
Starting as early as a month after you quit smoking, and continuing for the next several months, you may notice significant improvements in these areas:
coughing
sinus congestion
fatigue
shortness of breath
At One Year Smoke-Free:
Your excess risk of coronary heart disease is decreased to half that of a smoker after one year.
At Two years Smoke-Free:
Your chance of achieving long-term success with quitting tobacco increases significantly after two years.
At 5 years smoke-free:
from 5 to 15 years after quitting tobacco, stroke risk is reduced to that of people who have never smoked.
At 10 years smoke-free:
risk of lung cancer drops to as little as one-half that of continuing smokers
risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas decreases
risk of ulcers decreases
At 15 years smoke-free:
risk of coronary heart disease is now similar to that of people who have never smoked
risk of death returns to nearly the level of people who have never smoked
Not getting out of bed after great sex to go and have a smoke.
Sorry if I offended anybody.
Deb