CIGARETTES AND SMOKING
78
I am a 64 year old male and I am a smoker. I have smoked for 52 years of that time and I have been a second hand smoker for all 64 years, because my dad smoked. I now smoke about 10 cigarettes a day. This is down from a time where I used to smoke as many as 50 cigarettes per day.
People say that for every situation, for every rule, for every cure, there is always an "Exception to the rule" meaning in 100% of something tried, there is always that 1% where it cannot or will not apply or work for whatever the reason it just will not work for them. I am definitely apart of that 1% "Exception to the rule.
Over the years I have tried to quit many times but without any long success. I tried "Cold Turkey" first. That lasted about 1 week, and I suffered physically and mentally every day. My mind and my body craved whatever the cigarettes delivered.
I became miserable to be around stressed and iritable, hyper and easily ticked off, always hungry, and angry. I didn't like myself much so I submitted to my addiction and started back smoking. I immediately noticed a calmness. I was instantly back to my happy go lucky self again and others noticed the difference too.
Several years passed and then Nicorette Gum and inhaler, appeared on the market. The manufacturer all but guaranteed that this product would help one quit smoking in no time. So off I went and bought this gum product and the inhaler, that was supposed to get me off the cigarettes. It was supposed to make you ill, if you tried to smoke while using it. They lied, I didn't even last a week cuz I would chew and smoke too with no ill effects.
A few years later along comes these "Miracle Patches" by some drug manufacturer. ( $60.00 a pack) You stick the patch on your arm and this patch feed through osmosis nicotene into your system. This idea was supposed to suppress you need for the drug by the patch feeding the drug into you, and if you smoked while using it, again you would become deathly ill. Lies Lies Lies!
Several years passed by, and my family physician was on my case again to quit smoking. I told him about my various attempts in the past and he suggested hypnosis and a hpynoyic suggestion. I agreed and off I went to this Hyno-therapist.
The problem with this is that your mind has to be able to be hypnotized, you must be weak-minded for it to be effective. My mind and my will, is very powerful and resists what it does not want to be. Therefore I cound not even be hypnotized, let alone be given some hypnotic suggestion to stop smoking.
My last attempt was about 2 years ago. I am a Christian so I thought, OK, I'll turn it over to God. I told God that I was weak and had absolutely no control over my smoking, so I'm going to continue smoking even when I pray until God decided that it was time for me to quit and simply stopped me from smoking and removed the drug dependency completely from me, thus making it His choice, not mine. To date, I am still smoking,but thanks to God I have been able to cut back from 50-60 cigarettes a day down to 10. Like God I am patient and I await the day God says to me, OK no more, today you stop.
I discovered several important things about myself, throughout my tries to quit. First, when I want to be, I have a very powerful and strong will at times. Second, even though I have this strong will power, the power of the drug, and believe me it is a drug has given me a drug dependency that I cannot fight or resist. Third.
The nicotene in the cigarettes, combined with the cafeine in coffee keeps me on a very comfortable, even and relaxed keel and allows me to go through my day usually at peace, unless my wife upsets things. My nerves are calm, I eat less, and am less hungry, and since I am less hungry, I keep my weight steady.
Even the financial cost of smoking worries me not, for I don't pay full market price for mine. I simply head to my nearby Indian reserve where I can buy them for less than 1/2 price of what any retail store sells for. Where a Carton of 200 might cost 65-70 dollars in the store I get mine for 15 dollars. I can live with that.
Like I said earlier, there is an "Exception to every rule". Yes I am aware of the various warnings that doctors, and health officials make abut smoking possibly causing illnesses like heart disease or respiratory diseases or hardships, this and that, but in my mind they have failed to prove to me a direct causal relationship for any of these warnings, at least not to me they haven't. I'm 64, I'm as strong as I ever was, I can climb and run, OK, I get winded a little but I write that off to my age, I have an appetite like a horse, none of my senses has been lessened, etc. etc., therefore I am the exception to the rule.
I don't know if there is any cure out there that will stop me from smoking on a permanent nature without having to go through any or all of the withdrawl symptoms but if there is, I might be still willing to try. My wife will tell you though, if I have to go several hours without a smoke, I become like a miserable angry hungry grizzly bear.
On a lighter note, just for a laugh, I've instructed my wife that when it becomes time to bury me, put a pack in the box, incase I get the urge in heaven.
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No kidding! That junk is killing people all the time and it is getting more expensive every year. It surprises me how many people pay to knowingly kill themselves slowly.
I’m thankful there is always a lighter side Brother Dave. God bless you ~ eddie
Purple turtle none of these warnings about smoking being dangerous has been satisfactorally proven, not to me at least. Doctors and who ever can say what they want to, but if you cannot prove it to me, it just isn't so.
Eddie: Indeed there is always a lighter side to almost everything in life. It's all in one's perspective on life.
Dave, one of the hardest things in the world is to quit smoking. My best friend is going through that-again. You wrote: "so I'm going to continue smoking even when I pray until God decided that it was time for me to quit and simply stopped me from smoking and removed the drug dependency completely from me, thus making it His choice, not mine. To date, I am still smoking, so I guess God must think it OK. " No, God does not think it is okay. We are expected to work along with Him and His miraculous support. The Bible says we can do all things through Christ who strengths us (Philippians 4:13. It never said He will do it for us while we sit back and do not contribute. You know I seldom get into this type of issue because I do not argue and quarrel. The Holy Spirit is upon me though and I am concerned a new believer or one who has not studies the Bible will be confused by what you said. God never condones things that cause illness, sickness and death. Those are from Satan the devil.
Dave, a brave article and one to be sent forward! Glad you find yourself the exception, and able to stand in faith on the issue.
If you can smoke with a good conscience, there is no problem.
John
Hyphenbird: Please forgive my flippant sarcastic comment about asking God's help. I know what the Bible tells us, and God is helping me. As you see from this article, God is helping me with the problem for I have gone from 50-60 cigarettes per day down to 10, but at present I still cannot get past that hurdle.
John: I don't know if you recognize the attempt to hand it over to God idea. I believe this was a hub of yours, maybe not. I tend to view this in two different and opposing views. God has helped me to cut back from 50 to 10, but the hunger and the dependancy on the drug is still so powerful, and I am unable to fight it. I pity my poor wife, if I try to because I saw on the weekend what I was like even having to go without for 6 hours, and it was not a pretty sight, as I was screaming and yelling at her for no good reason, except that I was without the drug.
Shamefully I am a smoker myself. I reach for its poison for an altered state formed from habit and preferring to avoid working hard on an issue that is as dangerous as addiction to drugs. My youngest the other day drew a sweet picture of us. When I asked what was in my hand in her painting, it was "your cigarette, MOM".
What's worse is that I am my own worst hypocrite. The truth is ONLY when you desire change can you take it into your hands if the demons haven't convinced you otherwise...
Would love you to look at my hubs as well:)
Dear brother Dave. Forgiveness is not necessary. I never held anything against you. It is just that God is blamed for so much and people get confused and think He brings sickness and death to us. The blood of Christ is powerful and has redeemed you from this terrible addiction. I pray for the day the healing manifests and the craving is gone. Bless you.
ALUR: As you can tell, I have had the desire to quit many times, but I cannot resist the drug. I will keep trying though.
Hyphenbird: I would never blame God for my stupidity and my addiction to the narcotic in cigarettes. God has his schedule for curing me so I continue to wait on Him. He knows the how, and when.
Dave, the answer, when you are ready to quit, is to deal with it spiritually, the 'formula' is to recognise the spirits that operate when we smoke, mine have always been 'nicotine' and 'addiction'. Once you decide to quit, the simple prayer whenever you get the urge is "I command you spirits of 'name' to leave me alone in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ"
If you do that, you will have the cravings stopped, but you need to pray that every time you feel the craving.
However, having said that, 10 smokes per day is no different from drinking coffee or tea, both of which are addictive also.
What we consume is irrelevant, there are no penalties (spiritually) from our consumption PROVIDED it is consumed with thanksgiving and consecration.
That is, with a good conscience.
If God has convicted you that you should not smoke, then the offence is rebellion, not smoking.
God gave us the final word to defeat the 'doctrines of devils' that seeks to condemn us.
Matthew 15.
And Jesus called the people to Him and said to them, Listen and grasp and comprehend this:
1It is not what goes into the mouth of a man that makes him unclean and defiled, but what comes out of the mouth; this makes a man unclean and defiles [him].
Then the disciples came and said to Him, Do You know that the Pharisees were displeased and offended and indignant when they heard this saying?
He answered, Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be torn up by the roots.
Let them alone and disregard them; they are blind guides and teachers. And if a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a ditch.
But Peter said to Him, Explain this [a]proverb (this [b]maxim) to us.
And He said, Are you also even yet dull and ignorant [without understanding and [c]unable to put things together]?
Do you not see and understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the [d]abdomen and so passes on into the place where discharges are deposited?
But whatever comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this is what makes a man unclean and defiles [him].
For out of the heart come evil thoughts (reasonings and disputings and designs) such as murder, adultery, sexual vice, theft, false witnessing, slander, and irreverent speech.
These are what make a man unclean and defile [him]; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him unclean or defile [him].
The world is ever looking for a bigger stick to beat us with, but Christ spoke plainly, and reiterated it three times to ensure we understand.
John
John: I know what you are saying. I feel no guilt for smoking as I realize that the use of cigarettes helps keep me relaxed and on an even keel. Maybe that is considered a crutch. God has never asked me to quit. My previous attempts were just me testing my ability and willpower to see if it could be done, and to be totally honest, it was extremely difficult to get through even one day smoke free.
I have placed this in the hands of the Lord and when He asks me to stop, I will do my best to obey. I pity my poor wife though, for the ugliness of withdrawl that comes out of me, no one should have to face. This past Sunday, I accidently forgot my smokes at home when we went to church. We were away from home for only 6 hours, and during that time, I became so rude and beligerant and obnoxious to her, and for no reason. I was just out of control. I acted and spoke so shamefully. She was like a martyr and simply sat there and took it knowing it was not me but that I was without my smokes. I never want her or anyone to face me like that ever again, so when it is time to quit, like an addict going through withdrawl I need to be tied down sedated, and left locked up on my own for a couple of days, until the withdrawl passes.
Dave, if smoking affects you as such, you need to ASK the Lord to remove this addiction from you and be prepared to surrender your authority to God whilst you stop.
Some tips.
First start denouncing cigarettes when you want to light up, as per the prayers above.
Second change to rolling tobacco, it is less addictive than manufactured smokes and less appealing, plus it take time to roll, and will relax you beforehand, you will also smoke less.
Third stop smoking late Friday evening and stay put away from society until Monday, in 24 hours the nicotine has left the body, in three days you will already feel better.
Fourth, it takes nine days before you will not remember the date of your last smoke, but on the ninth day, you will not be able to remember the exact time ans day you stopped smoking, unless you wrote it down.
Fifth, it take 40 days to break or make a habit.
BTW I am currently a smoker, there is too much business stress in my daily life right now for me to want to stop, however I stopped once for 13 years, and stop periodically for months at a time, but the simple fact is I like a smoke sometimes and especially if I am having a coffee break or in company or having a drink.
The problem with manufactured smokes is that the tobacco industry loads them with highly addictive chemicals, to keep smokers smoking!
Your 'confession' is pretty negative "I became so rude and beligerant and obnoxious to her, and for no reason. I was just out of control."
That is not good, nor worthy of you, because though we have never met, I warrant from your writing that this was not you.
If it was not you, then you need to revoke the power of whoever it was.
John it definitely was not me. I could see it happening, I didn't want it to happen, but I had no control over me,my mouth, or my actions. I was sort of outside myself observing the whole thing and hating what I was seeing.
Like you I see my smoking as a stress reliever, and with all the hardships we are facing and the satanic attacks because of our spiritual involvements serving God, stress factors in a lot into our daily lives. Thank God we were out at a shopping plaza and not at church when this demon took control. I would hate for it to have happened infront of my brothers and sisters in Christ at church.
To segregate myself from Friday to Monday would be impossible for we both attend two churches and sing with choirs. My wife could not attend without her driver driving her.
The way I see me handling this matter of quitting is to either become hospitalized, or God Forbid, end up in jail for a week or so. No, Jail is not really an option, but it does serve the restraint time required.
For now I hope I never forget to take my crutch with me again. I never ever want to see that ugliness in me again, and I never want my wife to see him either. I haven't bought store bought smokes for over 5 years now, for the Indian reservation ones are 80% cheaper than the store bought ones, and don't have the additives either.
LOL! If you went to jail you would have plenty more than cigarettes to smoke!
1 Corinthians 6:12
Everything is permissible (allowable and lawful) for me; but not all things are helpful (good for me to do, expedient and profitable when considered with other things). Everything is lawful for me, but I will not become the slave of anything or be brought under its power.
That last line is the essential one, and Dave, you have clearly indicated that you ARE a slave to smoking, which means that your problem is NOT the smoking, but the rebellion against the advice of God, or Paul at least, but I kind of take that as having relevance!
Believe me brother I am NOT wanting to beat you up, but we do need to recognise that sometimes our obedience to the Word needs to override our ability to exert willpower.
I suggest that had your outburst taken place in your church, they may understand that dealing with the situation was more important than singing in the choir, literally and metaphorically.
I also think you would have agreed with your church authority that you needed a weekend off to deal with this enslavement.
My father passed away or lung cancer in 97 He was also a lifetime smoker. I was a smoker at the time and you would think it would have inspired me to quit but it didn't. I had tried all the above methods as well. I felt that God was wanting me and urging me to quit but like you I was willful and didn't like the angry miserable withdrawal I felt.
I ended up developing a sore in my esophagus that lasted 6 months I was terrified that I had finally done it this time and concluded it was a dumb reason to die. Getting hit by a bus would be more noble than dieing over an addiction to tobacco. I felt like the Lord was saying "no more excuses"
"There is no temptation that has overtaken us but such is what is common to man" in other words the misery I felt in resisting those urges was not a special case. I wasn't experiencing anything much different than most people do when they quit.
The bottom line is this giving up an addiction of any kind is miserable and it was.
I therefore prayerfully committed that no matter how ugly I got I was not going back to my smelly idol the cigarette.
The first whole year was a battle the second year was a lot better and by the third year it wasn't even a passing thought in my mind. Today over 5 years later. I am so happy that tobacco no longer rules in my life and I feel so much better.
I strongly encourage you to stick with it in spite of the ugly feelings that go with giving it up. It is a slow process but it does get better and eventually it is over with. You won't feel that way forever.
My personal conclusion is there is no easy way around it Giving up tobacco is a painful process and once that is accepted it is easier to determine that you will do it anyway.
Bless you Dave in your next attempt and cling to Him all the way through it.
Tamarajo: My last attempt is still on going with Almighty God in control. As I have mentioned, I have gone from smoking 50-60 cigarettes per day, that's 3 packs of 20, down to 10 cigarettes per day. God knows my limitations, my weaknesses. He alone can take total control over the powerful addictive control of this narcotic dependency, and turn it around. He alone is able to turn a bad thing into a good thing, so I wait patiently on Him. It's in his hands to do with as He Wills.
John you are not beating up on me over this addiction dear brother and I definitely appreciate your concern and your help.
Our Father God knows that I have a desire to be rid of this, but that I have zero will power to try and fight it. Together He and I will find a way. He got me from 60 down to 10 cigarettes a day with little to no problem what so ever, there's just that last mile to go.
Dear God please let your will be done as soon as possible so that I can be finally rid of cigarettes and their addiction. Find a plan that will help me to achieve this and end it for ever, In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
Dave, I, also, am a smoker. I quit for 15 years and started again after a emotionally trying time. Now I smoke around 10 or 12 cigarettes a day. I also tried the patch, gum and a smoking cessation group, all to no avail. The secret- we must want to quit. It's as simple as that.
Way to go Dave for cutting back. You are a trooper! SusieQ is correct we must want to quit. My doctor says I could be a poster child for smoking. It sounds like you could be also. Great hub! Voted UP!!
One tip that may help, take a cigarette and suck the smoke into your mouth, then blow through a paper tissue, and you see what you were about to suck down into your lungs.
SusieQ42 and Sunshine625 are both correct, we have to WANT to stop smoking, and that is the only way to stop.
In a peculiar way 10 per day may be actually keeping you there! it provides the nicotine buzz and makes cigarettes a reward to be taken at set times, you could also try smoking so many in a week that you felt terrible and grew to hate them, because 30 a day from a standing start will certainly do that, make you feel horrid and set up an aversion therapy!
With you on this one Dave, all the way.
John
SusieQ: The war is not over. With My Lord by my side on this we continue to fight one battle at a time against satan. My Lord will be victorious in yet another battle and I will do my part to fight by his side.
SusieQ, step onto the field of honor and join the battle with Jesus and me, together we can defeat the foe and vanquish it.
Sunshine: When the battle is over and the dust has settled God and I will win. As for being a poster-child, since I had no part in the accomplishment, it was all God's doing, I can't take any credit.
John thank you for your kindness, your encouragement, and your suggestions. You are a true friend. In war, success is measured one battle at a time. God is my General, we will fight this, side by side on His terms. God is a winner and never fails.
Dave, thank you, it's good to know spirit filled Catholics! in my early years I was warned against the RCC, but like all things, since I have fellow-shipped with Catholics, I find they are the same as any other believer, indeed one of my best (older) friends is a lifelong Catholic and we have the best conversations!
I also admire you transparency in this issue, it's a brave man who admits to his smoking habit in today's PC world!
Hope we meet this side of the gates one day, but if not, see you in the main square in heaven!
John: just a slight correction here. I am a Christian. I attend Catholic mass service but since I have discovered that several of the dogma and teachings of the Catholic church are not in agreement with Biblical Scripture, ie. infant baptism, addressing priests as "Father", confessing sin to a priest, receiving only the body of Christ, and not the blood at communion, just to name a few, I do not consider myself a Catholic. Truth be know, I attend their church because I love the music, be it in Latin or English or any other language. As a choir singer the music in Catholic churches touches my godly spirit like none other.
Not being a smoker, I will step up and say:
Each one of has a vice!
Now, smoking can not be healthy, I am not inferring
that there is no risk...........but , I do think it
has become a modern day witch hunt. Even children of nonsmokers have earaches, cavities, and are unruly in school.
Just recall, in recent news:
eat breakfast.......avoid eggs, bacon, ham, gravy, bread
consume more protein!
avoid caffefine
coffee has antioxidants, so does tea
eat protein
avoid beef, eat fish
just when I learned to tolerate Talapia, comes the news..........farm raised, is fed the same grains as pork!
I have personally decided, that an honest day's work is
the key to health.
My Grandparents, set a grand breakfast table: ham, bacon, pork chops, biscuits, gravy, eggs..........THEN they went to work. At leftover meats and veggies at lunch ( dinner), and cleaned the pots at dinner, ( supper). Eat it, and work it off.
Ps........they NEVER went to the gym or had a treadmill, or 'exercise bike'.
Onegoodwoman: What you say is true. We all have our crosses to bare up and carry. Some are not hard to be rid of some are. Nicotine is one of the most powerful addictions to rid oneself from psycologically and physically.
Dear Dave, I was on my way to look up your letter hub and saw this and had to stop by. May I say that I agree...everyone does have a cross to bear. While I Know smoking is bad, it is not worse than the obese person singing in the chour. Sin is sin..I dont want to make light of this as I know the conviction is hard sometimes but was it Paul who said I do the things I hate..I pray God will help you quit oneday just like he will give me the strength to not doubt him or over eat and many other things I fail so misserably at..God bless you..Thank you for your honesty and just being real.
Sunnie
I've known more than a couple heroin addicts (in my former life) who told me it was, seriously, harder for them to quit tobacco than heroin . . . they weren't trying to make a point, they were being forthright.
Sunnie: I continue to ask God to help me to quit completely. I await that day.
Mickey: The medical profession has acknowledged that nicotine addiction is thee most powerful addiction ever, mor stronger even than Coke or crank or any other opiate drug.
Dave Mathews Hub Author 6 months ago
If you are not a smoker, don't start.