Petmom, I read your post and identified so much with what you were going through. I used to say oh its OK…I’m fine… But I clearly was not OK and would suffer through it knowing that I would get a headache afterwards and if we were eating and they lite up I would get stomach cramps. And I hated the smell. So after much thought and talking to a counselor I decided I needed to stop being so accommodating. I no longer will allow a smoking cigarette in my air space. I do not have any friends who smoke. and my family members who do smoke know they can not smoke around me. I respect them for respecting my need to be smoke free. My apartment and car are smoke free zones.
Nicotine has to be one of the worst addictions. (glad I never started – I hated the smell and was repulsed by the thought of inhaling it) I have a sister who will quit for months at a time and then go right back to it. One of these days she will be successful. I have decided that I can be supportive when she wants to talk about it. but harping on it does not work at all. But she does not smoke around me…except if we are outside and wind is blowing the smoke away from me.