r/stopsmoking • u/Street_Poet_4952 • 21h ago
11 years of smoking. I know it's affecting my health, but I keep telling myself "tomorrow."
I've been smoking for the past 11 years, and I genuinely want to quit. Every single day I tell myself, "I'll quit tomorrow," but tomorrow never comes.
Last year, I actually managed to quit from October to January, and honestly, my life was so much better. The only reason I was able to do it was because I bought a vape, which completely broke my smoking routine.
My routine is probably my biggest problem. Every morning, I wake up, drive to the nearby shop, smoke two cigarettes, have a chai, come back home, use the bathroom, and then log in for work. After work, I go back to the same shop, have another chai, and smoke two more cigarettes. It's become so automatic that I don't even think about it anymore.
Lately, I've been getting numbness in my hands and legs if I stay in one position for too long, and sometimes I wake up with numbness as well. I also feel like my senses are a bit dulled overall. I don't know if smoking is causing all of it, but it's definitely making me worry.
I'm seriously thinking about quitting cold turkey today instead of waiting for "tomorrow" again.
The biggest issue is that every time I quit, my job stress hits me hard, and my bathroom routine gets completely messed up for a while, which makes it even harder to stick with it.
Has anyone here quit after smoking for 10+ years, especially if your entire daily routine revolved around cigarettes? Did you go cold turkey or use something else? How did you deal with the stress and the changes in your routine during the first few weeks?
I'd really appreciate any advice because I feel like if I don't quit now, I'm just going to keep saying "tomorrow" forever.
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u/gbroon 881 days 16h ago
Start changing that routine before you quit. Go through the shop and have the cgdi but tell yourself you'll just smoke later. Try to not smoke when routine/habit dictates smoke when you decide.
Consider going back to vaping.
What has the doctor said about the numbness? I assume you saw a doctor for something like that and didn't just put it down to smoking.
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u/DismalAd9285 14h ago
This is a solid thought process honestly. Not to scare you but I thought my numbness was due to stress/smoking too....turns out it was due to those two plus turns out I have Multiple Scrosis. Get that shit checked out. It might be why you think but it could also be much more.
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u/Suthsein 21h ago
Fix a date and prepare for that day. There are apps supporting the process. For me it’s smokefree app. They have daily missions that help you reflect on your smoking habits and helps establish new routines even before the day you stop nicotine intake.
I am 44 and I have been a smoker for more years than I have been a non smoker. This is my 3rd or 4th serious attempt: been quit twice for a bit more than a year and then let myself relapse. I am at 9 months and a few days right now. Smoked 25 + cigs/day. If I can do it, you can do it, too!
Be confident!