Melissa,
Seems it is just about time for a Melissa Herndon cigarette status update. Hope things are going well.
Seems it is just about time for a Melissa Herndon cigarette status update. Hope things are going well.
Cigarette update
- Thread starter Williebetmore
- Start date
Willie,
I don't recall seeing Ms. Herndon puffing Saturday night after the matches. If she were to fall off the wagon that certainly would have been a tempting time
Wally~~fell off the wagon long ago
I don't recall seeing Ms. Herndon puffing Saturday night after the matches. If she were to fall off the wagon that certainly would have been a tempting time
Wally~~fell off the wagon long ago
Hi all,
I cannot tell a lie....I have fallen off the wagon a couple times....but right now, I am firmly planted in the back of the wagon with no plans of falling again.
It all started in Vegas. I actually made it thru the first 7 days without succumbing to the cravings. But, on the day before I left for home, I got into an argument with a close friend, and I was so upset that I went straight to the pool room and had some drinks and a few cigarettes. I woke up the next morning and my lungs protested heartily....so I knew I didn't want to take up the habit again.
Then, in Peoria, I smoked a couple on Friday night, at the sing-along party in the bar. Once again, I wasn't all that thrilled with the taste in my mouth when I woke up the next morning.
So, since then, I have been back on the smoke-fee wagon and enjoying it. It is a brutal habit to break...and I am proud of my progress even though I didn't stick to it completely. Since we don't have another tournament for a couple of months, hopefully that will provide me the time needed to break the habit completely.
Thank you all for the support! Sorry I cheated!
Melissa
I cannot tell a lie....I have fallen off the wagon a couple times....but right now, I am firmly planted in the back of the wagon with no plans of falling again.
It all started in Vegas. I actually made it thru the first 7 days without succumbing to the cravings. But, on the day before I left for home, I got into an argument with a close friend, and I was so upset that I went straight to the pool room and had some drinks and a few cigarettes. I woke up the next morning and my lungs protested heartily....so I knew I didn't want to take up the habit again.
Then, in Peoria, I smoked a couple on Friday night, at the sing-along party in the bar. Once again, I wasn't all that thrilled with the taste in my mouth when I woke up the next morning.
So, since then, I have been back on the smoke-fee wagon and enjoying it. It is a brutal habit to break...and I am proud of my progress even though I didn't stick to it completely. Since we don't have another tournament for a couple of months, hopefully that will provide me the time needed to break the habit completely.
Thank you all for the support! Sorry I cheated!
Melissa
Melissa Herndon said:
You're forgiven
. We still love you. 
Strong performance in Peoria for an ex-smoker (well almost ex-). The fewer excuses for smoking the better (I guess poor performance is going to be no good as an excuse from now on). Every trip off the wagon is an opportunity to learn something about quitting. Good luck!!!
Williebetmore said:
Thank you! There are no excuses for smoking....I guess it's more like there have been a few instances when I just really wanted to smoke...and maybe my moods triggered it. But I tend to think it's more a matter of my moods caused me to give in instead of resisting the urges. So, I don't say that my anger at my friend in Vegas caused me to smoke...I say that I wanted to smoke and I was upset so I didn't feel like fighting it.
Thanks again to all of you for the advice and well wishes! I will definitely be kicking the habit completely soon!
Have a great weekend! I am off to play some pool!
Melissa
Melissa...keep up the good work
melissa. What can i say. Keep up the good work. That 1st cigarette in the morning is the hardest. I quit 5 months ago after smoking for 40 years. and i am only 54. I quit cold turkey. i picked a date and smoked my last cigarette the night before. I went to bed and woke up a non smoker. Although i am now a non smoker, i will not be anti smoking. I remember how good it was to have a cigarette. Like i said. Keep up the good work and take 1 day at a time..........mike
melissa. What can i say. Keep up the good work. That 1st cigarette in the morning is the hardest. I quit 5 months ago after smoking for 40 years. and i am only 54. I quit cold turkey. i picked a date and smoked my last cigarette the night before. I went to bed and woke up a non smoker. Although i am now a non smoker, i will not be anti smoking. I remember how good it was to have a cigarette. Like i said. Keep up the good work and take 1 day at a time..........mike
cueball1950 said:
Hi Mike,
Like you, I also smoked. I started at seventeen. Smoked for seventeen years and quit. Overnight!! That was twenty five years ago. Don't miss it at all. I also dislike the anti-smoking craze that we're enduring here in New York. What ever happened to personal choice? On the other hand, I visited a bar in Vegas last week. For the first time since I quit, I had, repeat had to leave. The smoke bothered my lungs something fierce. Somewhat hypocritical eh? Incidently, how are you and Zug's billiard table getting along?
Melissa, keep trying. Its a tough battle. Your foe is insidious. You can't have "just one". I wish you, and all others trying to quit, the best of luck.
I agree with you two. Smoking can be a nasty habit to quit, but it's not impossible. I started smoking at a young age and now I am only 20. When I decided to quit smoking, I just threw a brand new pack of cigarettes in the trash and said I would never buy myself another buy. Now, I do smoke one or two here and there, but I never buy a pack of cigarettes. Some people are just able to quit when they want to, I guess I'm one of those.
one of those??????????
How can you seriously say you are 1 of those. Although you no longer buy the cigarettes, you are still smoking by your own admission" The only thing you did was stop buying them. which i applaud you for doing. But you are young and hopefully you will be able to stop all the time. Good Luck...mike
How can you seriously say you are 1 of those. Although you no longer buy the cigarettes, you are still smoking by your own admission" The only thing you did was stop buying them. which i applaud you for doing. But you are young and hopefully you will be able to stop all the time. Good Luck...mike
XzyluM said:
Dude,
Don't be too offended, but that's the stupidest thing I've heard recently. You are only fooling yourself using that "example" of self discipline. Just when your lungs start to heal a little, you "smoke one or two here and there" and put yourself right back to square one.
I am one of those hypocrite reformed smokers. You know the type; we are the loudest critics of the "evils" of cigarette/tobacco smoking. Personally, I won't tell you you have to quit or give you the 9th degree. I feel smokers have the right to smoke, regardless of the costs BUT their rights end where my nose starts. I don't want to breathe it anymore.
Eric >touched a nerve
Cueball, Cardiac, Xzylum,
Thanks to you all for the advice and support.
When I first quit about 2 months ago, I was definitely ready...and quitting was no problem. I lasted about 7 weeks....until I let my emotions get the best of me in Vegas...and then the habit kicked in and I "needed" a cigarette to calm my nerves. In truth, my body didn't really need one....but my mind wanted one and I didn't say no.
Since then, it has been easier to say "yes" when I crave one....because I gave in that first time. I still want to quit completely, but now I have to start over. Even though I have only smoked a couple times since Vegas, sit has now become a very difficult task to just stop for good.
Xzylum - Here is my advice to you. Since you are still young and you don't smoke regularly....why not just quit completely? Nobody here wants to see you start a bad habit...and it really is impossible to just be a social smoker. I have known people over the years who started out only smoking every now and then...and after a year or two...they were regular smokers. Since you are an ex-smoker...you are even more likely to go back to smoking full-time. So, be an inspiration to other young people and just say no!
And I will try to do the same!
Best Regards,
Melissa
Thanks to you all for the advice and support.
When I first quit about 2 months ago, I was definitely ready...and quitting was no problem. I lasted about 7 weeks....until I let my emotions get the best of me in Vegas...and then the habit kicked in and I "needed" a cigarette to calm my nerves. In truth, my body didn't really need one....but my mind wanted one and I didn't say no.
Since then, it has been easier to say "yes" when I crave one....because I gave in that first time. I still want to quit completely, but now I have to start over. Even though I have only smoked a couple times since Vegas, sit has now become a very difficult task to just stop for good.
Xzylum - Here is my advice to you. Since you are still young and you don't smoke regularly....why not just quit completely? Nobody here wants to see you start a bad habit...and it really is impossible to just be a social smoker. I have known people over the years who started out only smoking every now and then...and after a year or two...they were regular smokers. Since you are an ex-smoker...you are even more likely to go back to smoking full-time. So, be an inspiration to other young people and just say no!
And I will try to do the same!
Best Regards,
Melissa
Hey Dahlin', quitting is easy. Hell, I did it thousands of times, nothing to it
Seriously, I don't think the craving every completely leaves. I have been quit sonce '98 and every now and then a urge will hit and let me tell you, it is strong. Haven't given in to it tho. It passes in just a inute or so. Odd, I gave uyp cigarettes and drinking but still go to the bars and shoot pool without it bothering me. WHY can't I give up junk food???????????
Hang in there dear. I will get easier, Pel
Seriously, I don't think the craving every completely leaves. I have been quit sonce '98 and every now and then a urge will hit and let me tell you, it is strong. Haven't given in to it tho. It passes in just a inute or so. Odd, I gave uyp cigarettes and drinking but still go to the bars and shoot pool without it bothering me. WHY can't I give up junk food???????????
Hang in there dear. I will get easier, Pel
When I was smoking, I was smoking around a pack and a half to two packs. I started smoking at a very young age, around 11. Though I only smoked when I was able to come across a cigarette or two here and there, I did smoke whenever I had one. When I was around 16, I was smoking everyday. That just goes to show, it's not impossible to quit smoking. Now, you may be right, I do still smoke one or two here and there, so I am not 100% done. I am in the poolhall an awful lot and I also work there. Trust me, I can smell cigarettes and just how bad they really are when you don't smoke. When I was smoking, I couldn't smell cigarettes, they never bothered me. That's a big improvement. I never smoke while I am at home or around. It's always when I am at work or at the poolhall. I'm not using that as an excuse, but I can actually turn a cigarette down anytime I want to. I do it all the time. Every smoker I've seen try to quit always moved down from what they were smoker. They never through a pack away and went several smokes before touching another one. They get those patches and gum and everything else. I never messed with any of that. I just think I am able to quit doing whatever I set my mind. I believe everyone could do the same, it just seems more complicated. Melissa, you are right. I really should quit smoking one or two here and there and quit completely. I'm pretty sure I did a lot of damage to my lungs when I was a full time smoker. But I can say this, it's quite nice being able to breathe again and smell when I always just had cigarette taste in my mouth. It is a lot of inspiration. And I thank you. I wish you the best for quitting the nasty habit for good.
Melissa Herndon said:
It is a particularly difficult habit to break while in the environment of a pool rooms, bars, etc. I commend you on your success thus far, stay strong.
Hello Melissa and everyone else,
I have been reading this thread and the original one for a while now. I am totally rooting for your success to quit smoking Melissa. I started socially smoking when I was 17. I bought my first pack when I was 18. I am now 27, so I guess I have been smoking for about 10 years. I have tried to quit a few times, but to no avail. The car and bar are what get me the most. At the bar I seem to get caught up in the environment. When your body is telling you that you need something and your brain is telling you no, it is easy for your body to win, especially in a bar environment when it is so easily available. And there is just nothing else to do in the car, especially driving long distances. I was eating sunflower seeds there for a while, and it worked...for about a week. I guess mentally I am just not ready to give it up, somehow I am still vested in it.
However, last night I was thinking about this thread while playing. I know sometimes, for me, when a game is on the hill, or the rolls just aren't going my way I NEED to smoke then and there. It levels me out I guess, calms me so my brain can function again. I know there are other Pros out there who smoke, and I going on the assumption that smoking is prohibited during matches, I want to ask you, as a smoker, and as a former smoker, how do you deal with the stress of the game not going your way and the knowledge that you're not going to get to smoke until it is all said and done? And since your body has adjusted to not smoking to what I would imagine being some of the most stressful times in your life helped you in your quest to quit?
Thanx.
I have been reading this thread and the original one for a while now. I am totally rooting for your success to quit smoking Melissa. I started socially smoking when I was 17. I bought my first pack when I was 18. I am now 27, so I guess I have been smoking for about 10 years. I have tried to quit a few times, but to no avail. The car and bar are what get me the most. At the bar I seem to get caught up in the environment. When your body is telling you that you need something and your brain is telling you no, it is easy for your body to win, especially in a bar environment when it is so easily available. And there is just nothing else to do in the car, especially driving long distances. I was eating sunflower seeds there for a while, and it worked...for about a week. I guess mentally I am just not ready to give it up, somehow I am still vested in it.
However, last night I was thinking about this thread while playing. I know sometimes, for me, when a game is on the hill, or the rolls just aren't going my way I NEED to smoke then and there. It levels me out I guess, calms me so my brain can function again. I know there are other Pros out there who smoke, and I going on the assumption that smoking is prohibited during matches, I want to ask you, as a smoker, and as a former smoker, how do you deal with the stress of the game not going your way and the knowledge that you're not going to get to smoke until it is all said and done? And since your body has adjusted to not smoking to what I would imagine being some of the most stressful times in your life helped you in your quest to quit?
Thanx.
landshark77 said:
Okay, I am not a doctor, but I have done research on this. The physical addiction to cigarettes is gone within 72 hours.....but the psychological addiction is what hangs on and makes it difficult for people to quit. Your body and mind are trained to believe that smoking helps you relax. They are trained to want a cigarette while driving, or after eating, or when you are drinking at a bar.
The key to breaking the addiction is breaking the habit. When you feel a craving for a cigarette, make a conscious decision to focus on something else, like deep breathing. Try yoga breathing.....breathe in for 4 slow counts and out for 4 deep counts. Repeat over and over while trying to clear your mind. If you can make it for 5 minutes (you don't have to deep breathe the whole time, but hang on and don't give in), the craving will pass. Meanwhile, you are creating a new habit to replace the old one.
Smoking constricts blood vessels, which actually decreases oxygen to your brain. Deep breathing increases oxygen flow to your brain, which will make you think more clearly and calmly than ever.
Also, find a really good gum to occupy your mouth. I really love Orbit Bubblemint Gum....it is honestly the best gum I have ever had, and I have turned about 20 people onto it now.
So, deep-breathing and gum. I know it sounds silly, but the deep-breathing is very important and very, very, very useful. I use it now to center myself during tense matches...and I am having great success with it. At the last Pro event in Peoria, I used it in every match, and I finished 5th. When I found myself getting nervous or tense, I would just take several deep breaths while my opponent was at the table and then I would feel clear-headed and calm when it was my turn.
Hope this helps! And I feel doubly committed now that I have reviewed this info myself and shared it with you! Best of luck in all you do!
Melissa