Shnate McDuanus Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 I picked up smoking (ugly habit, turned off a lot of girls) in the middle of last year, and held onto it until this weekend. I started out on Marlboro Reds, everyone's first, the gold standard, the perennial favorite, the cowboy killer, etc. Moved from those to Pall Malls to save money, and then to Camel Filters when I ran into some money, then to Basic Fulls when I wanted to save money again, then to Marlboro No. 27 Blend when I wanted a better-tasting cigarette, then to Pall Malls again, then to Camel Filters again, then to Marlboro 27s again. The last time I switched from Pall Malls to Camel Filters, I began to realize that I didn't enjoy smoking as much as I used to. It was more of a chore than anything else, something to wake me up in the morning and clear up the sore throat that I started the day with, something to amplify the buzz when I was getting drunk, some sort of social crutch I could use to make friends, and something to amplify the buzz when I was drinking coffee or energy drinks. A few weeks later, it turned into a general hassle, an annoying habit and a huge turn-off for a girl I was trying to get closer to. This weekend it turned into a waste of money and an old habit that I was no longer interested in. I finished my last pack yesterday, and I've been going through today with no ill effects and no withdrawal symptoms to speak of. No headaches, no anxiety, no nausea, no appetite changes. A little more money in my pockets and a new outlook on life. No cigarette cravings, either. While I can't speak for how long this will last, I will say that I'm pretty happy about being able to quit, and I think that this will overall be a very positive change in my life. It was starting to get hard to walk up stairs. I'm going to stay determined about it--I don't want to pick it up again. I've also decided, since I'll have more cash lying around now, I have a new system worked out that I think you'll all like: I've decided to add up the amount of money that I would expect myself to have spent on cigarettes each week and, at the beginning of each week, deposit it into the bank. It was about $49 a week, assuming that I would probably spend somewhere around $7 a day for one pack a day, so I'm going to round it up to $50/week. This will go into a gear fund for myself, that I'll use to cover gear that I would otherwise be unable to afford. First off, I think, is going to be a Digitech Death Metal, then a bass, probably an Ibanez, then some sort of bass amp, and then a Shure SM57. Then I'll get an audio interface to plug everything into. Then I'm going to start saving up towards Toontrack Superior Drummer 2.0, so I can program drum tracks. After that, I want to go for a proper DAW, probably either Cubase or Sonar, and with that and the rest of the gear and software, I'll be able to finally start working on my djent/groove metal/sludge metal project that I've been writing songs for. It'll take a long time to accumulate all this gear, but now that I've stopped smoking, it'll certainly take less time than it would have otherwise. I'm stoked about it. Change is good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jantha Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Hey, good for you. Good luck! If I remember correctly, Murph used the same technique to help him quit... Seems like a great way to motivate yourself Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimbabig Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Great man! Hear is a congratulatory loop! I hope it sounds atleast somewhat what you wanted, or atleast somewhat like music. I kind of crapped it together in two minutes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHn9-cN5yGM&feature=player_embedded Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silenced Fred Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 now i'm the only one around here good for you though man, i don't know how people smoke a pack a day to be honest, but yeah, that's some serious cash Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shnate McDuanus Posted October 18, 2011 Author Share Posted October 18, 2011 Great man! Hear is a congratulatory loop! I hope it sounds atleast somewhat what you wanted, or atleast somewhat like music. I kind of crapped it together in two minutes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHn9-cN5yGM&feature=player_embedded Thanks! I liked the loop! It sounded spiffy! now i'm the only one around here good for you though man, i don't know how people smoke a pack a day to be honest, but yeah, that's some serious cash Nate, you're not a smoker, you're just a guy who smokes occasionally. You haven't become a real smoker until you've gone through a pack in a single day. Don't feel bad about being the only one, though. I'm the only djent fan around here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shnate McDuanus Posted October 18, 2011 Author Share Posted October 18, 2011 I quit smoking when my daughter was 5 years old; she is almost 22 now. There was no support groups or any of that touchy feely stuff like today. There was the gum but it was the worst thing ever so I did it without the tools back then. I got to 1/2 a pack a day then down to less than that and have been smoke free since then. Good luck, it was difficult for me yet the best decision I have ever made. I went cold turkey, because I've heard (from my mother, of all people,) that that was the only way to go. At the end of my time as a smoker, I was just not enjoying it anymore and at the beginning of every smoke I just asked myself "Why am I doing this?" I think it's that personal sort of reason that's probably going to make this a little easier. I had already cut back from before when I realized that it wasn't as fun as it used to be. As of the past two weeks I had only been smoking half a pack a day, as opposed to my previous pack-a-day habit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silenced Fred Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Nate, you're not a smoker, you're just a guy who smokes occasionally. You haven't become a real smoker until you've gone through a pack in a single day. Don't feel bad about being the only one, though. I'm the only djent fan around here. LOL that **** is crazy man, my lungs would die. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grampa Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 I went cold turkey, because I've heard (from my mother, of all people,) that that was the only way to go. At the end of my time as a smoker, I was just not enjoying it anymore and at the beginning of every smoke I just asked myself "Why am I doing this?" I think it's that personal sort of reason that's probably going to make this a little easier. I had already cut back from before when I realized that it wasn't as fun as it used to be. As of the past two weeks I had only been smoking half a pack a day, as opposed to my previous pack-a-day habit. I've known a few who have quit and they said the only way is to first decide you are going to quit and then just cold turkey quit. But you've only smoked for a year and a half, you had it easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j-dub Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 congrats on giving up the darts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shnate McDuanus Posted October 18, 2011 Author Share Posted October 18, 2011 I've known a few who have quit and they said the only way is to first decide you are going to quit and then just cold turkey quit. But you've only smoked for a year and a half, you had it easy. Yeah. I figure it would have been much harder if I were smoking for a longer period of time. Glad I got bored of it when it was still a relatively new habit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaxson50 Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 I quit in 75 because it was cutting into my beer money! For 15 years I would dream that I was smoking. It is the most addictive stuff in the world. I was smoking 2 packs of Pall Malls a day, this was my second try at quitting, so this time I went cold turkey, I bought a couple of those Vicks inhaler things with the cotton core filled with some stuff that will fill you're head vapors, every time I got the urge I would use the Vicks thing. After a couple of weeks my urges went away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender 4 Life Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 good on you XDk !! I quit for 5 years once, and foolishly relapsed....Camel Filters, for wayyyy too long. the busier you can keep yourself and keep your mind occupied, the less you'll think of them. shout up once in a while about how it goes..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shnate McDuanus Posted October 18, 2011 Author Share Posted October 18, 2011 good on you XDk !! I quit for 5 years once, and foolishly relapsed....Camel Filters, for wayyyy too long. the busier you can keep yourself and keep your mind occupied, the less you'll think of them. shout up once in a while about how it goes..... Oh, I have no shortage of ways to keep myself busy! I went for a nice long jog tonight (after being inspired by J-dub's post on the fitness thread,) I've been reading like crazy this weekend, I've been learning a bunch of new songs, I'm in the middle of three writing projects, one of which I'll be getting paid for and another of which there might be some prize money out of, I've been writing a bunch of my own material (mostly death/doom, in the vein of Asphyx and Obituary,) and I've been considering learning how to cook! Also I'm taking a regular course load this semester, so I have to devote plenty of time to classes. With extra money in my pockets from no more cigarettes, and with extra time from not having to step out for a smoke all the time, I think life's gonna get a whole lot more fun. My guitar playing will probably improve a lot, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest farnsbarns Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Great man! Hear is a congratulatory loop! I hope it sounds atleast somewhat what you wanted, or atleast somewhat like music. I kind of crapped it together in two minutes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHn9-cN5yGM&feature=player_embedded Here's a neat trick with slide. Hit a high harmonic, then slide from the nut as high as you can, you must start at the nut. You will increase the pitch of the (already high pitched) harmonic. You can actually get outside the human hearing range (above 20000 Hz). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimbabig Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Here's a neat trick with slide. Hit a high harmonic, then slide from the nut as high as you can, you must start at the nut. You will increase the pitch of the (already high pitched) harmonic. You can actually get outside the human hearing range (above 20000 Hz). Thanks man, I'll try that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Notes_Norton Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 I quit when I learned to play the flute. The flute takes more air than any other wind instrument and beginners waste more air before their embouchure gets refined. I was getting dizzy and I decided to quit. So I took up pipe smoking for a while because you don't inhale the pipe. But the pipe is a lot of work; cleaning, loading, tamping, etc. so one busy week I realized I hadn't had time to smoke the pipe in a few days, so I threw everything out and never looked back. That was 20 years or more ago. I feel like I am a lot healthier now, and I don't miss it one bit. In retrospect, the minimal pleasure I got from smoking really wasn't worth the risk to my healthy anyway. Notes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twiz Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 That's great that you quit. I smoked for about 12 or 13 years (I can't remember). I stopped mainly for financial reasons, but later realized the obvious health benefits. I figured I spent about $1,900 a year on smokes. Plus now I can smell things, and food tastes better, I can carry my gear into a gig, and not have to take a break 1/2 way. So, that rules. It's tough sometimes, but you just have to stick with it. Last year my dad quit, and that made me really stoked too. Cheers man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FirstMeasure Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Here's a neat trick with slide. Hit a high harmonic, then slide from the nut as high as you can, you must start at the nut. You will increase the pitch of the (already high pitched) harmonic. You can actually get outside the human hearing range (above 20000 Hz). Thanks for this tip!! It totally explains Lowel George's last note on "Time Loves a Hero" from Waiting for Columbus. On Topic, I quit smoking about 12-13 years ago (coincidentally). Still not sure why I started. You only catch a buzz off your first cigarette, from then on the "Calming Effect" is just easing the addiction. Wouldn't have needed calming if I wasn't coming off nicotine. Don't miss yellow fingers, stinky hair (specially if you wear a beard), ash trays, smelly curtains, the damage it does to Speakers and Electronics, the octave it steals from your voice, need to stop what your doing to get a fix. Why would any musician want to smoke? Not to mention when I started smokes were $.99, quit when they were tipping $3.00, I cannot imagine spending $5.00 for a pack of 20 smokes. Bad Scene. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnastynebr Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 Congrats, bud. Keep it up......If you made a thread about it, that means you need to stick to it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChanMan Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 Gratz man.... $50 a week x 52 weeks = $2600 That's some hella gear money, dude! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chewy60 Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 yeah, i'm an occasional smoker myself. only in group situations when someone offers me a smoke. weed though is a-whole-nother story.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swamprock Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 I smoked for 12 years, then quit for ten. I went through a divorce and started drinking heavily again, which led to me starting smoking again. That lasted for two years and then I quit again for 1 1/2 years. I then got bombed at a bar (again) and started up again, now going on three years. Although I now only drink beer, and in moderation, I blame my lack of willpower, combined with the alcohol and being able to smoke in bars, as the catalyst for my constant quitting and restarting. Now that smoking is banned in public buildings here, and my drinking has gone from imbibing Jack Daniels daily at the local bar to a couple of beers at home a couple of times a week, I'm ready to quit again. It's literally become a hassle, financially, health-wise, and convenience-wise. The only thing I hate is the two months of mild depression that always follows quitting; at least for me. Nicotine is insidious; someone else pointed out the smoking dreams he had for years. I have these as well whenever I quit. I do like to smoke, which is another problem. The hassle of smoking is negating that enjoyment, however. What works for me is to just do it; don't pick a day and work up to it. Drop them and find other things to do. Now that I've been playing guitar daily again for the past eight months (and making tremendous progress), I know that it's almost time to quit again. That'll be my juice this time to do it. The day will come soon; I can feel it. Good luck! (As an aside... luckily for me, I've never been much of an alcoholic, and have been able to go from being daily drunk to more civilized drinking. Feeling like crap the next day, everyday, was the catalyst there. No DTs whatsoever when I just suddenly stopped drinking liquor.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A add9 Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 I quit smoking..............cigarettes in 1989 after smoking about 15 years. The way I did it was cutting back a little more everyday, and replacing the urge to smoke with doing something healthy in it's place, such as push-ups, drinking water etc. After a week or so, I woke up, went the whole day without, and never went back. I had a few dreams where I was smoking, and I was so bummed that I had given in, only to wake up , and be relieved! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.