rodeomom
Pearl Clutcher
Refupee # 380 "I don't have to run fast, I just have to run faster than you."
Posts: 3,659
Location: Chickasaw Nation, Oklahoma
Jun 25, 2014 23:34:38 GMT
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Post by rodeomom on Nov 2, 2017 14:32:17 GMT
I will never understand...it is beyond gross. I actually cannot wrap my head around it being cool. When I see a smoker all I see pathetic/weakness. How are people even affording them and why would you waste money. Well that was kind of mean and judgy wasn't it. I was in the 9th grade so not really all that smart. Hanging out with an older crowed of kids who all smoked. It's not like it's a bad habit, it's an addiction. My father also smoked. I stopped smoking each time I was pregnant. But started back when they were born. I feel very guilty about the 2nd hand smoke I exposed my kids too. I have been quit about 25 years now, but I know if I were to smoke one cig today I would be back to a pack a day by the end of the week. If you have never had to deal with addiction then you are very lucky.
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Post by Susie_Homemaker on Nov 2, 2017 14:40:31 GMT
Why can't I just ditch it? It seems so easy right? Just simply don't smoke. Peas who haven't struggled with addiction just don't understand it. And I get it. Can I ask a question? And I'm asking honestly in the interest of your answer. There are so many things to help you (general) stop smoking now, have you tried those things (Rx, or gum or patch..etc) and just not had luck with them? Or have you just tried to quit cold turkey? Or not tried to quit at all?
Nevermind jeremysgirl I just saw your other thread! I do think it's a terrible habit. But since I've never smoked or really had the urge to I can't understand the addiction and how difficult that is so no judgement from me!
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Post by refugeepea on Nov 2, 2017 14:45:40 GMT
I'm not going to judge too harshly. I'm fat and I know it's bad for me. My dad died at the age of 63, most likely because of genetics and years of severe yo-yo dieting. I have health issues and I'm *very* close to being in plus sized clothes. I'm obese and have back and knee issues. I get very little sleep because my kids have issues and for quite a few years I've relied on soft drinks with caffeine to get me through the day. I'm so exhausted, I grab the easiest food item out of my kitchen. I'm not going to be a control freak and make my husband stop buying bad food. Plus, it's easy to go through a drive-thru just like it's easy to buy a pack of cigarettes and "waste money" that way too.
The same could be applied to me.
"I will never understand...it is beyond gross. I actually cannot wrap my head around it being cool okay. When I see a smoker fat person all I see is pathetic/weakness."
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Post by pondrunner on Nov 2, 2017 14:46:14 GMT
I think it's generational. My parents generation was told it was healthy for you to smoke so they did. Now we know it isn't but some in my generation still do it, we watched our parents and grandparents smoke.
I don't smoke but know many my age who do, it's hard to get that ingrained idea out of your head that it's just what adults do when you watched that happen for decades. Then you start and the chemical dependency makes it hard to stop. Or some people smoke instead of other vices like drinking or drugs.
I saw the weak and pathetic comment and started to reply because I thought it was nasty, I actually think smoking is one of those things that got pushed on us for generations and now we are paying the cost. The tobacco lobby is still strong and while that doesn't force individuals to make any particular choices it is still a strong cultural force along with being a social influence.
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Post by jeremysgirl on Nov 2, 2017 14:48:27 GMT
Why can't I just ditch it? It seems so easy right? Just simply don't smoke. Peas who haven't struggled with addiction just don't understand it. And I get it. Can I ask a question? And I'm asking honestly in the interest of your answer. There are so many things to help you (general) stop smoking now, have you tried those things (Rx, or gum or patch..etc) and just not had luck with them? Or have you just tried to quit cold turkey? Or not tried to quit at all? I do think it's a terrible habit. But since I've never smoked or really had the urge to I can't understand the addiction and how difficult that is so no judgement from me! I have probably quit forty times. I never smoked when I was pregnant and quit cold turkey both times. But I also didn't have coffee and alcohol. Which are two triggers for smoking. I have tried the patch and the gum. I can't chew gum 24/7. It seriously tastes like crap. The patch helps but it cannot replace the psychological habit. E cigs are probably the best replacement. But there are mixed reports about the health of them too. I cannot take medication to help. All medications mess with your brain chemicals. And I have enough of that going on already.
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Post by kibble on Nov 2, 2017 15:02:10 GMT
I remember it being "cool" when I was a teen (I'm 45) My sister - who is a year older than me - and I tried them at the same time. I never tried more than a couple and felt quilty because I'm a rule follower so never took it up after that (and I'm so thankful for that). My sister is still smoking to this day. Now her 17 year old daughter is smoking. My sister buys her cigarettes. Unbelievable to me since she hasn't had any success quitting that she would buy her daughter them.
My boyfriend met my sister when she was up a few months ago (she lives down south and I'm up north so we don't see each other often) He said if he hadn't known he would have assumed she was a decade older than me rather than a year because her face looks so weathered. This might be mean, but I asked my niece why she would smoke when she knows it's not only bad for her, but terrible for her looks (she is a very pretty girl and very vain)
I will admit I'm judgy about it because the cigarette butts everywear bothers me. I'm in NY so I'm not really around smokers anymore since you can't smoke in very many places here, but it irks me to see them on the ground.
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Post by gar on Nov 2, 2017 15:08:52 GMT
I will never understand...it is beyond gross. I actually cannot wrap my head around it being cool. When I see a smoker all I see pathetic/weakness. How are people even affording them and why would you waste money. What do you mean how are people affording them? The same way they afford vacations and jewellery - oh wait, you're assuming smokers are poor people right?
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oh yvonne
Prolific Pea
Posts: 7,996
Jun 26, 2014 0:45:23 GMT
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Post by oh yvonne on Nov 2, 2017 15:09:20 GMT
I feel so bad for smokers who wish they could quit.
The one that gets me is the meth use/epidemic. We have been seeing those awful mug shots of people's faces getting destroyed, literally decayed by meth addiction.
Where the eff is the glamour and appeal to start that shit?
The coke thing, the cigarettes, I get starting, for the 'cool' factor. But Meth? Good God. That's of the devil and I can't wrap my head around that one.
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Post by katlady on Nov 2, 2017 15:22:32 GMT
Lot of my friends started smoking in high school. It was “cool”. Some of you are too young to have seen them, but cigarette makers were allowed at one time to advertise on TV. Those commercials were all about being cool. I never even tried it because I have asthma and was afraid to. Luckily I had friends who did not pressure me to try it.
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Post by missbennet on Nov 2, 2017 15:49:04 GMT
I feel so bad for smokers who wish they could quit. The one that gets me is the meth use/epidemic. We have been seeing those awful mug shots of people's faces getting destroyed, literally decayed by meth addiction. Where the eff is the glamour and appeal to start that shit? The coke thing, the cigarettes, I get starting, for the 'cool' factor. But Meth? Good God. That's of the devil and I can't wrap my head around that one. Now that I will agree with, for vanity if absolutely nothing else and missing teeth is about the least of the damage. But I think the deal is that if someone can ask questions like how could someone smoke, how could they overeat, how could they drink too much, their experience is just so many miles away from people who are vulnerable to addiction or to substance abuse like meth, there's really no explaining it. Sort of like "you can't understand because you can't understand." And we should be grateful, not judgy, but that's not how humans work, IME. For a decent percentage of current heroin addicts, they started then their doctor dropped their vicodin scrip but they were already addicted. And for many people who are addicted to hard drugs, whatever inner pain they have is so major, whatever happens to their bodies and lives as comparatively minor to them. For those of us who can't understand that, thank your lucky stars. This wasn't all in response to you Yvonne, I'm just kind of musing about it.
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Post by femalebusiness on Nov 2, 2017 16:06:55 GMT
When I started as a teen (I have long since quit - haven't had a cigarette in 30 years) it was to be cool. Plain and simple. Exactly this. Haven't smoked for 30+ years but I started because it was considered sophisticated back then. Hahaha, more like stupid. I can honestly say that starting smoking cigarettes is the only life choice that I have made that I would never, ever do over again. It is just too damned difficult to stop. I smoked in the labor room when I was having my daughter, along with the doctor and a nurse, in the hospital!! I do not understand people who choose to start these days. We KNOW without a doubt how dangerous it is.
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oh yvonne
Prolific Pea
Posts: 7,996
Jun 26, 2014 0:45:23 GMT
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Post by oh yvonne on Nov 2, 2017 16:09:59 GMT
I feel so bad for smokers who wish they could quit. The one that gets me is the meth use/epidemic. We have been seeing those awful mug shots of people's faces getting destroyed, literally decayed by meth addiction. Where the eff is the glamour and appeal to start that shit? The coke thing, the cigarettes, I get starting, for the 'cool' factor. But Meth? Good God. That's of the devil and I can't wrap my head around that one. Now that I will agree with, for vanity if absolutely nothing else and missing teeth is about the least of the damage. But I think the deal is that if someone can ask questions like how could someone smoke, how could they overeat, how could they drink too much, their experience is just so many miles away from people who are vulnerable to addiction or to substance abuse like meth, there's really no explaining it. Sort of like "you can't understand because you can't understand." And we should be grateful, not judgy, but that's not how humans work, IME. For a decent percentage of current heroin addicts, they started then their doctor dropped their vicodin scrip but they were already addicted. And for many people who are addicted to hard drugs, whatever inner pain they have is so major, whatever happens to their bodies and lives as comparatively minor to them. For those of us who can't understand that, thank your lucky stars. This wasn't all in response to you Yvonne, I'm just kind of musing about it. Thank you for your post, I totally respect your answer/musings. That's what I love about this place, I always learn so much. <hugs>
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Post by femalebusiness on Nov 2, 2017 16:23:34 GMT
jeremysgirl I tried and failed four times to quit smoking before I finally succeeded. It is indeed the most addicting addiction that you can have. What finally worked for me is mind games. Every time I started wanting to light up I would picture my daughter crying and grieving, watching me die. What I couldn't do for myself I could do for my daughter. I would walk over hot coals for her and no way did I want her to have to watch me die like that. For me mind games was the only way I succeeded. You can do it. Just never, ever quit trying to stop.
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Post by femalebusiness on Nov 2, 2017 16:28:52 GMT
I will never understand...it is beyond gross. I actually cannot wrap my head around it being cool. When I see a smoker all I see pathetic/weakness. How are people even affording them and why would you waste money. If I looked deeply into your life I will guarantee you that I would find choices that you have made that I would think are weak and pathetic also. Don't be so harsh until you live a perfect life.
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Post by gar on Nov 2, 2017 17:55:50 GMT
I smoked in the labor room when I was having my daughter, along with the doctor and a nurse, in the hospital!! Times change don't they My late Grandmother was told she should start smoking by her doctor during the War. Her husband was away fighting and she had 3 children and her doctor suggested she had a cigarette or two in the evening to relax. They just didn't have the knowledge and info we have had in recent years.
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Post by freecharlie on Nov 2, 2017 17:57:09 GMT
Everybody I hung out with then smoked, so I did too.
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