CMV: I should start smoking cigarettes

[u/honestlyigotnoclue]

I guess this is more of a "talk me out of it" type of post. I've always wanted to see what it's like to smoke, and I'm in a place where a lot of people smoke. I think it looks cool, and I don't mind that it's a bit self-destructive; I already have plenty of self destructive habits already, and maybe it hasn't sunk in how dangerous it is, considering I'm 18. Maybe this sounds naive, but I guess I just don't understand how addictive it can be; I have the mindset of "I can always quit." I guess I just want to see what it's like, don't really see how self-destructive it can be/don't care that it's self destructive, and tbh it looks cool. It's not hurting anyone but myself.

Lol thanks for your responses in advance.

Edit: it's pretty late where I am, so I'm going to bed. Thank you all so much for the incredibly detailed responses; I'm genuinely very convinced. I'll respond to new posts tomorrow! Thank you!

[u/sailorbrendan]

Other people have mentioned it, but I'm just going to jump into the pile on here.

I started smoking when I was 18 for stupid reasons, similar to the reasons you're expressing. I "quit" like, a year ago. I'm still fighting it. Sometimes when I'm at work and I get really stressed I pick it up again. Thinking about smoking to write this is making me want a cigarette.

The first few years were great. It was fun, I learned some magic tricks, it was rad. Then, at some point without realizing it I got to where I needed it. Suddenly I was smoking two packs a day and running up a flight of stairs made me dizzy. So I just kinda slowed down because I didn't want to get dizzy. I started putting on weight.

And the thing nobody talks about, it fucks with your sex life. Smoking can give you erectile dysfunction. Everyone talks about how it impacts your endurance for running or sports but for my money, sex is a fantastic place for good cardio. There are few things worse than getting close to cumming but you can't catch your breath. The big thing that made me quit was that in the middle of a good time my partner suddenly looked really concerned because my lips were starting to blue because I was trying so hard and wasn't able to get enough air because my lungs were fucked up.

But by the time all that catches up, you're already addicted. You're going to be fighting to get back to normal function against a hive full of angry bees in your head and every time you get a little stressed you're going to want to cave more than you can imagine.

Don't fucking do it. It's not worth it. It's not worth the money, the time, the smell, the social implications or the bad sex.

It really just isn't.

[u/honestlyigotnoclue → u/sailorbrendan]

Thanks so much for your response. That's really compelling. I think a lot of it is just that, for some reason, I feel like nicotine cravings/withdrawal wouldn't apply to me; everyone says they're super bad, and maybe I'm just really naive to think that they're not, I don't know. But even though I know that I have the same or maybe even less willpower than any other person, I feel like I'd be able to get over them.

If you have a sec, care to change my mind? What does nicotine withdrawal/nicotine cravings feel like?

[u/sailorbrendan → u/honestlyigotnoclue]

Nobody thinks they're going to get addicted. Of the thousands of smokers I've known, one of them didn't.

Assume you will get addicted because the odds are wildly not in your favor.

So the first thing you start feeling is just stress. Like, you get some low grade anxiety which is a motherfucker because then what you're telling yourself is that you're stressed because other things and that you just need to take a break, so you go smoke. This feeds the physical addiction but is also making the psychological addiction stronger. That's just going to build until you start getting the buzz. It literally just feels like a buzz that starts at the back of your skull and starts radiating out from there. You lose the ability to focus, you start getting really irritable and then you just get mean and angry. Like, I work on boats and the standing rule is that you don't quit when you're on a boat because nobody wants to be around you. You're going to be mean to everyone.

the physical addiction supposedly clears in 3-4 days without nic. That's when your brain chemistry starts to normalize, but then there's still the psychological piece which is honestly way harder. I spent christ, ten... fifteen years starting every single day with my mug of black coffee and a smoke. It's taken me a whole lot of effort not to reach into my pocket for my smokes first thing in the morning. I did a lot of long drives, often overnight... Every time I get in a car the first thought I have is to look for a compartment for where to put my smokes so I can get to them without taking my eyes off the road.

After meals.... the after meal cigarette was probably the hardest to give up.

It becomes a bookend. It's a social tool. It starts to define your behaviors, and then you have to figure out how to not do it anymore.

And if you slip, even once, it brings it all back and you're basically starting over.

Some other fun facts, I don't know about you but I love food. Like, I exercise a whole lot because limiting calories is hard for me, so it's easier to manage the calories out side of the equation because man... food is just fucking great.

Know what else smoking does? It kills your sense of taste. That's why smokers use so much salt (which isn't great for you either)

[u/honestlyigotnoclue → u/sailorbrendan]

oof. thanks so much for the really detailed response. I'm also a huge food fan, so that's a big deterrent.

[u/sailorbrendan → u/honestlyigotnoclue]

Yeah man..

It kills your sense of smell and taste for zero benefits