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The other day I was talking with someone who said that she’d given up smoking cold turkey. She was incredibly anxious and trying to distract herself when she craved cigarettes. I’ve never smoked, and I’m glad because I know that if I tried it, I would get addicted. So many people have said that it’s near impossible to quit, a sentiment Lady Gaga shared during a recent interview:
Lady Gaga says she has officially called it quits when it comes to smoking cigarettes.
The pop superstar, 33, opened up about letting go of her cigarette addiction during an interview Friday on New Music Daily with Zane Lowe on Apple Music.
“I’m not smoking anymore, but I’d smoke 40 cigarettes all day long,” she revealed. When Lowe, 46, questioned her about quitting again, Gaga assured him that she means business this time.
“I swear on my life I’m not smoking cigarettes,” she confirmed. “I completely quit — I quit cold turkey. But it was so hard. If you don’t smoke, don’t smoke! Because quitting is worse. It is so brutal. And I will never smoke again because I think I saw Jesus for an entire week. It was so awful.”
Everyone I know who has tried to quit smoking has said the same thing. I really hope that Gaga is able to stick with it this time. The American Cancer Society has some interesting facts about the ways that a person’s body changes after they stop smoking. I’m fascinated by lists that track things over time like this: 20 minutes after you quit smoking, your heart rate and blood pressure drop. 12 hours after you quit smoking, the carbon monoxide level in your blood returns to normal. Two weeks to three months after, your circulation improves and your lung function increases. Quitting is incredibly difficult, and my hat is off to anyone who makes that attempt.
Gaga also talked about her new single, “Stupid Love.” The video is here. I don’t love it as much as I like some of her other stuff, but the video is playful and wacky: Warring factions on another planet all wear bright clothes and eventually stop fighting and decide to have a dance party instead, thanks to Lady Gaga and her crew. I can get behind that.
I never understand when someone who makes a living with their voice smokes. Glad she quit.
I think it’s a balancing act for a lot of these famous women because they make their living by their voices … and their bodies. And smoking helps suppress the appetite (and makes food taste bad) and helps them stay skinny.
I would bet that’s at least part of it.
It’s very easy to understand – they are addicted and can’t stop.
Then I’ll rephrase – I don’t understand why they even START smoking.
I mainly smoke when I’m drinking so I could go weeks without smoking. As soon as alcohol passes my lips. I will smoke about every 30 mins. I enjoy a tipple and don’t want to quit drinking but definitely want to stop smoking. Vicious cycle.
My mother stopped smoking after she had a stroke last May and she hasn’t touched a cigarette ever since. She always said that she would never quit and she only admitted to herself how bad smoking is until it was almost too late.
I hope Lady Gaga stays strong, she is saving her own life that way.
I smoked for 10 years and I quit cold turkey 6 years ago. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I spent the first day in bed crying and almost unable to function. So, so hard! But I still haven’t touched them and I’ve reached the point where cigarette smoke makes me sick. So yay!
I quite smoking a year and 8 months ago (after being a regular/heavy smoker for 10-11 years) and wow, the first few weeks were hard… I also got incredibly sick during that time (quite common for smokers quitting). For 2 months, I was just constantly coughing phlegm – ugh awful. Honestly that experience was enough to scare me off from smoking again. Just because I NEVER want to go through that experience every again. I compeltely understand what Gaga is saying here. If you don’t smoke – please don’t start! I started when I was 16, and yes I do regret it lol. Thankfully I quit before I saw any bad health issues, so i count myself lucky in this respect. Really, there is NO pro to smoking, and that includes E-cigarettes!!!!!!
But I will say something, the most difficult part of quitting smoking is NOT the physical part – it’s the psychological part. It took a long time before my urge to smoke subsided (and there’s usually triggers for it). It can be really difficult to quit smoking, just for that reason.
It took me multiple tries before I quit for good. I should have gotten a prescription to help ease the cravings. Part of it is simply the habit too. But after quitting, I can’t stand the smell. Yuck
Do NOT use Chantix. I don’t know a single person who hasn’t become severely depressed or suicidal while on it, me included. I was only able to quit because of an unexpected pregnancy but to be fair, I’m a recovering addict. Smoking is usually what bites us in the ass when we get clean. But I’m pregnant again and not smoking, yay!
Non-smoker here just to say major kudos to all above (Lucy2, Tila, Brinibini, Christina, whitecat & Joana) and any other CB readers who have quit smoking – that’s so great! 😀
I love her new song
I quit cold turkey when I got pregnant with my first child. It was difficult but I think I succeeded because my husband had quit six months earlier and I had a reason to stay away. I didn’t want to be a parent who smoked and I certainly didn’t want to smoke while pregnant. It was still hard to do but it’s almost 11 years later and I can’t stand the smell of cigarettes anymore.
I quit cold turkey a few years ago and it was rough. Way harder than I imagined. I felt like I couldn’t concentrate on anything, was oddly buzzed like I had drank 3 red bulls every hour, and was super emotional. For a whole week. I’ll never start again just so I dont have to quit again.
I tried quitting a few times, always failed, then limited myself to only a few at night. But one day I was at a neighbor’s house and we both lit up cigarettes–then out of the blue, I became sick to my stomach. I didn’t realize it then, but smoking suddenly made me sick. I have to say, I am so glad that happened. I tried smoking a few more times with the same result, nausea each time, ugh. Now I feel I was blessed because that is what really stopped me from smoking dead in my tracks. That was many years ago and I have never had a desire to smoke again. Quitting is REALLY really tough, so I can attest to that 100%. Cigarettes are addictive to the max. I was lucky and had to stop, and it’s wonderful never to smell like smoke again, never to have to go outside to smoke, never to have to buy cigarettes. It’s a wonderful blessing to be free again.
I quit smoking at the first of the year because I was moving to NYC to take care of my 91 year old non smoking Mom. She lives in a high rise and there was no way I would take the elevator and go outside just to smoke. I wanted to quit and it was the perfect time. I also smoked for decades.
I bring this up to say that I have chosen to do it cold turkey and address the psychology of smoking. I have chosen to address it as a breakup with someone I really loved but was just bad for me. Been there done that. I mentioned how many wonderful years and fun we’ve had together and I’ll always Love you but it’s over. It’s been hard but has really helped me not to mention the health benefits. Good luck to all quitters and thinking about quitting.
I love your breakup analogy. It’s exactly how I feel. I smoked for 50 yrs & quit 7 yrs ago when I broke my leg & was hospitalized. I really had no choice but when I got out I just felt that I had already gone thru the hard part & didn’t ever want to have to go thru that again. It is hard but the true suffering only lasts a week or so & then gradually gets better.
I do know of a lifelong smoker who quit without too much trouble because he took a doctor-prescribed medication to help with that.
However, he said hallucinations and suicidal ideation can be some of the side effects of that medicine! So it’s potentially really dangerous, but he didn’t have those issues, and said he was able to quit relatively comfortably.
My mom has to intervene when I was on that stuff because I was a zombie. Literally staring at the wall thinking about death all day.
It’s so weird to hear her say these things, mostly because it reminds me that she’s…well, a human being, lol. You will say “no sh*t, Sherlock”, but sometimes I do need that reminder (about celebs in general, not just her). I’m really glad she took that step. I hope she’s able to mantain it.