Zoe's List of Pros and Cons

From Zoe(Zoemajik):

I made a list of what I liked about smoking vs. what I hated about smoking...and though I really missed it at first, looking at this list I made really made me see that I didn't like it as much as I thought I did.

Maybe you should sit down and make a list like this for yourself. It might give you the nudge towards where you know you want to be.

Take care, Zoe

What I Liked about Smoking:

• The bonding I experienced with other smokers.
• The feeling of creating a ritual.
• Watching the cigarette burn, and watching the smoke swirl.
• Momentary gratification.

• The after-smell on my clothes, furniture, car, house, everything, yuck.
• Not being able to breathe properly.
• The constant, nagging cough. All day, all night.
• Lots of phlegm, lots of throat-clearing, and losing my voice mid-sentence.
• Painful heartburn every night and every time I drank coffee.
• Feeling winded after extremely mild activity.
• Severe throbbing headaches, occasional migraines.
• Lingering colds and bronchitis.
• Racing heartbeat, more sweating.
• Increased rate of hypertension.
• Dizziness after smoking too fast or too many cigarettes.
• Nausea from smoking too much.
• The constant coppery, ashy taste in my mouth.
• Yellow skin, teeth and fingernails.
• Scaly, unhealthy-feeling skin.
• Anxiety from the fear of what I was doing to myself, and the consequences.
• No relaxation, always feeling in need of something. A constant feeling of not being satisfied.
• Mini-withdrawals throughout the day.
• Feelings of shame while spending time with non-smokers.
• Not accomplishing tasks because of wasted time smoking.
• The late-evening/middle-of-the-night trip to the gas station.
• Going out in bad weather to smoke alone.
• Feelings of inadequacy and substance dependence.
• Driving my cat out of the room every time I lit up.
• Dry mouth and constant feelings of thirst.
• Coughing so hard that I made myself sick.
• Trembling hands and fingertips.
• Fear. Of being unable to quit, of dying an untimely, painful death.
• The stinging feeling in my lungs when I tried to take a deeper or slower breath.
• Getting smoke in my eyes.
• Burning my lips on the filter.
• Trying to light short butts, and feeling my eyebrows singe. Ouch!
• Re-lighting a previously torched cigarette, so I don't "waste" any tobacco.
• Overflowing ashtrays, ashes and dust everywhere.
• Burn holes in my car upholstery, and on my clothes.
• "Will I fall asleep smoking?"
• "Will I catch something on fire?"
• Dry, chapped lips.
• The cost. All that money wasted on ruining my health and well-being.
• My nails and hair grew very slowly.
• Smoking so young probably stunted my growth during puberty.
• It fueled my compulsiveness relating to other bad habits, such as nail-biting, and binge-eating.
• Having to reapply my lipstick after smoking.
• The filthy taste of cheap tobacco.
• Having to crack the car window in the pouring rain. Wet leg, wet arm, water in my eyes.
• Tar build-up on windows and furniture.
• The way my hair and skin smelled.
• Limited motivation and energy.
• Spilled tobacco in my purse, on my dresser, on my computer desk.
• Lighting the filter end by mistake...
• Dropping a cigarette while driving.
• Trying to tap my ashes out the car window...while the window is rolled up.
• Dropping hot ashes or losing the tip of a cigarette.
• Oops! Tapped ashes in my drink.
• Feeling "exiled" in the smoking section/smoking room.
• Dulled sense of taste and smell.