A HUNDRED DAYS OF HELL
Ten bits of advice (kind of) when ending nicotine addiction.
NO PUNCHES PULLED
If you are a real addict, like me, it’ll be 100 Days of Hell. So be it. And if you aren’t ready, just don’t do it!
SOLITUDE
Although help will come from unlooked-for places, it’s best to assume you will face this alone. Likely, most of your friends and family do not understand addiction. And, here is one of the more interesting things I learned: even if you know some ex-addicts, they are almost always not helpful. I don’t know why that is, unless it be that at the beginning, the most difficult time, we are the most likely to relapse, and people just can’t be bothered. It’s pretty hard to take, but you heard it here.
CATCH- 22
There is a cycle at first which would make Heller jealous. One wants to end it all in the first few weeks, and looks for high buildings. However, whichever the choice may be to end the crushing depression, obviously you would have a last cigarette first! And then, of course you would no longer want to off yourself. So you get confused. This happens every 20 minutes or so. It’s really quite hilarious when you think about it later.
Saurian Saint 
Whoa I’m glad I never cultivated a taste for tobacco smoke
I have heard quitting cigarettes is harder than giving up heroin
I watched my father die from throat cancer
Thank God you Quit
Cheers
Cheers to you, too. My dad has struggled with this as well and has undergone a tracheotomy, etc., has other cancer problems probably stemming from cigs. Thank you for sharing this.
I smoked for about ten years, then quit maybe five years ago. Since the smoke bone is connected to the drink bone, I more-or-less gave up alcohol at the same time. I still feel the very occasional urge — I assume I’m scarred for life — but you get used to resisting and luckily the urges diminish in frequency and intensity.
Fantastic new album, by the way!
Hi Brian. I somehow managed to separate the two bones, and I still love wine (now with cheese). I never even think about cigs anymore, and I don’t mind if folks smoke around me. I am really happy about that because I didn’t want to be the horrid ex-smoker. And, if they tell me one day I am dying, or if I turn 85 (whichever first), I am immediately going to start smoking again. It’s kind of my silver lining. Both hopefully a ways off, but something to look forward to before the end!
Thanks for writing,
Lara