help,this is hard

[treecol]

Hi as you see I'm new here. Have read your posts re smoking. very helpfull as I thought I was the only believer who had tried so many times to quit, after hearing many stories of how people were instantly set free from this habit, yet I failed. I gave up 20 years ago when I got saved. Then after 10 yrs backslid big time & smoked again. Now I want to quit to gloryfy God, but it just isn't happening. God is moving mightily in my life to restore me to Him better than we were last time. Stuff is going that I have had fo years, but not smoking. Any ideas?? Thanks

 

[BlakeMatt]

Have you considered talking to your General practicioner and seeing if maybe the aid of some quit-smoking medications may help you get back off of smoking? There's a lot of things out there such as Chantix, which has serious mood changing side effects. There's also Bupropion which is also prescription a lot like Chantix but hasn't had much reports for the Serious mood changing side effects. Both of those don't contain Nicotine but there are some prescribed medications that do.

It may be worth a shot sometimes these things cannot be done by yourself no matter how much you try. You can also try free counseling support via the phone a 1-800-784-8669

Good luck, the first step is always the hardest

 

[TealTuesday]

the gum is ick and the patch thing didn't work for me. it scares me when i read some of you have smoked way long. for me just 2 years like this. it must be death that scares us into quitting but how do ya get there and where does the addiction begin to be really that dangerous? i don't cough or anything.

 

[Kathleen111]

In my opinion, it does not make you more of a believer to quit smoking or less of a believer to smoke. I know quite a few nuns and priests trying to quit smoking for good.

Every last human being on this planet has bad habits. It's only other people's bad habits that are annoying.

We need the love and support of other people to quit for good. To admit we are human, fragile, falliable, and finite, to each other is a start. Confession is good for the soul and bad for the reputation. Try to find people who are exsmokers and not concerned with status or importance.

Quitting does not make you a more important church member than a smoker. Just like this kind of sin does not make you better than that kind of sinner. All sin and all fall short. Let he without sin cast the first stone.

Have you ever heard that story of how a man drowned in a flood after refusing help from three people, a fireman, a neighbor, and a fisherman, saying he was waiting for the Lord to save him? The Lord said, I sent a fireman, a neighbor, and a fisherman.

You have to stretch out your hand to others and not be above anything or anyone.

I get mad at myself for being human too. It sure is humbling.

 

[MaraPetra]

PFFFT. My husband's ex-wife was saved, and within a week had quit smoking and drinking. I told her that what happened to her wasn't normal.

God works on all of us in different ways. One person may be delivered instantaneously, another may struggle deeply and over a long period of time before things become better. But that all becomes a matter of a witness...

I firmly believe that the harder a struggle is, then the stronger your testimony for Him will be!

Last night, I spoke with the deacon of a very large Roman Catholic church. He puffed religiously on his Marlboros, and I didn't allude to his addiction. However, my mother-in-law came out and berated him. I looked at the deacon, shrugged, and said, "I'm sorry. I don't think she understands that no person will quit until they are ready." He agreed with an annoyed look at her retreating back.

I saw the beginnings of him wanting to quit yesterday. So what will the testimony of this man be when he finally quits? It will be HUGE. Why? As a deacon of a megachurch, his quit will inspire many more to quit smoking. Eventually, when he finally finds the hidden strength to stop, and he endures the hellishness of his quit, he will be uniquely qualified to walk other parishioners through their quits.

I don't want someone to be up in my face and tell me, "Oh, I quit smoking a few years ago, it was easy." Horsefeathers. Every quit is different, and what someone says is easy for them may be horrific for you. Don't judge your own impending quit to the standard of someone else; you will almost inevitably feel inferior, when in all actuality, your story is just different from theirs. We do have a thread on here for making alternatives to quitting smoking...don't forget to check it out.

 

[MaraPetra]

tealtuesday, it's not "fear of death", although that inspires some. Each person has their own unique reason to get rid of smoking for good.

I quit because my husband wanted me to, and I originally was going to do a "token quit". I went to my doctor, got some Chantix (Champix), and figured I'd go about 9 days before starting back up again. It was a half-hearted quit, especially considering I had already done cold turkey, the patch, the gum, the inhalor, various homeopathics, hypnosis, wellbutrin and placebos. Nothing else had worked, and I had resigned myself already to a life of forever smoking, and of an eventual early death.

To my surprise, by day 5, I had gone from smoking almost 2 packs per day to about 5 per day. I still had craves, but the urge for nicotine wasn't as bad as it was! So, after 18 or so tries, I was finally successful. My final cigarette was on January 7, 2007.

My motivation had gone from "shut hubby up & start smoking again" to "I can do this, I can quit!" It became something that God led me through, and I can't thank Him enough.

As you can see from my testimony, not every quit method will work for everyone. You will need willpower no matter what quit method you use, and you will need strengh from God no matter when you quit.