Drinking and Smoking

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When I 1st stopped drinking in 1984, I continued to smoke. Advisors told me to give up 1 addiction at a time, that I could find it too difficult to go without both at once.

But since I always had a beer in 1 hand and a cig in the other, I found that just having the cig seemed incomplete, and I had continual urges to drink. My brain was remembering how it used to be, I guess.

When I stopped smoking in 1989, urges to drink greatly diminished and eventually ceased. Looking back, I wonder if I should have ceased both at the same time?

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Mmmm dunno, I think people approach these things based on their personality. Some people are very much all or nothing and even here, there are countless posts of someone quitting everything, joining a gym, and doing a complete diet overhaul on the same day. Others like to tackle things one at a time. As far as I’m concerned… whatever works, works.

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Well I tried to quit weed, alcohol and cigarettes all at the same time without my psycho meds and it didn’t work out well for me. So I had to rewind myself in steps. Still got the cigarettes to quit but I’m getting there. I agree it’s whatever works best for you.

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Stopped drinking in 86 and smoking in 87 was hard as everyone at meetings smoked had to go outside at break to get fresh air lol

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Smoking was my hardest addiction to quit. I also quit smoking a year after alcohol; it was the cornerstone in me leveling up to a life of sobriety instead of a life of recovery. While I did experience a brief relapse with drinking, I never went back to nicotine.

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hey Jay - would love to hear more about how you’d define a life of recovery vs a life of sobriety. (i finally got sober from alcohol 14 months ago but im still smoking…)

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I am 134 days clean from cocaine, alcohol and cannabis. Three tough addictions all at once is a struggle every day. But I feel like a fully restored 1979 Honda civic with brand new engine, body and transmission. Just have to keep the maintenance up (meetings, step work) and I think I’ll get a few more miles (clean time) stacked up.

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I was able to quit all things at once. Sort of like you a drink, cig (or vape) and some pot I only did as a unit.
Once I decided to quit , I was all in…10+ months in.

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I also smoked and drank. I tried to quit smoking numerous times, but drinking always led to smoking.

I tried to quit drinking numerous times as well, and like you, they went hand in hand, so smoking eventually led to drinking.

So in 2018, I quit both on the same day, and as hard as it was, it worked.

The withdrawls from either were pretty bad, I figured going through them concurrently would be my best option.

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