Some people have asked in their opinions, why do smokers ever start smoking in the first place? So I will attempt to answer that, and also tell you about one of the help aids I am using to kick the habit.
I started smoking at about 13 years of age. At first, it was to try and see what all the fuss was about, what did other people get out of smoking. I would just puff the cigarette and then blow it out. Later on, I was encouraged by friends to inhale. By the age of 15, I was a regular smoker, about 10 a day. They were cheap then, about 10p for 10 I recall. It was the ‘in’ thing to be, a smoker. If you weren’t in the loo’s at breaktimes having a cigarette, then you were nobody. It was big and it made you look ‘hard’. At least that was the way of thinking at the time.
By the time I had left school, I was smoking 20 cigarettes a day. I started to enjoy smoking. It was relaxing, calmed my body when I felt stressed, and was something to do when I felt lonely. I even started to enjoy the taste in my mouth. I was addicted.
If you have ever been addicted to anything, you will understand how hard it is to break the habit, but if you have never been addicted to anything, then you are very lucky.
From then on it was a regular 20 a day, sometimes 25. The worst times for me were the mornings and when I was out having a drink in the pub.
So what has made me suddenly want to stop?
I have found my will power. I have made attempts in the past to give up, and the best I have achieved is nearly 3 months, but the stress of moving home made me yearn for my relaxant, nicotine. On top of that, my reason for giving up was the ever increasing price of cigarettes. This alone was not good enough. I would never have the will power on the strength of that.
So what’s different this time?
I will tell the truth. Scaremongery by the UK NHS has given me the right reason to want to give up. The adverts on the TV showing real people with cancer, telling their story to the nation about what has happened to them. This has scared me and I wonder how many others are feeling the same way. My own sister, who is also a smoker, has been denied a routine operation on the NHS because she is a smoker. Now you may look at that as discrimination, as I first did, but is this really hospital policy or another way of scaring people? What of the high taxes on cigarettes? I thought this went to treat the smokers?
How am I doing it?
My doctors surgery has started an anti smoking campaign, and have appointed an advisor to help people try to kick the habit. I started with a meeting, gave her a start date(the date I would start giving up), and then she gave me a voucher to take to a participating chemist to exchange it for an anti smoking aid. Unfortunately they are only allowed to give you one voucher for one weeks worth of patches or gum. After that you are on your own regarding payment. Ask your doctor if his surgery is taking part in this campaign.
I decided to try nicotine replacement patches for the first week. I chose the product Nicotinell 21mg. This was free(with my voucher), but it would have cost £17.49 for one weeks supply.
The box contains 7 sealed patches, an 84 day calendar with little stickers, so you can mark each day that you have not smoked, and a booklet explaining what the patches do, how to use them and lots of helpful information to help you give up. They also include a help line number in case you get the urge.
They suggest that you place a patch, a new one every 24 hours, on a different hairless area of your body every day. I decided to use the outer arms and back. The patches are like large round plasters and unless you are allergic to plasters, you hardly notice you are wearing it. They remained firm to the skin and did not come off whilst showering.
I have also had to change my normal everyday routine. Usually, when I first wake up, I would come downstairs, make a coffee and check my email on the PC. Because this was routine, it might have given me the feeling that I should be lighting up, as I usually do, so I no longer check my email first thing. I have changed to decaffeinated coffee and now tidy the lounge and wash up anything from the night before. This seems to have worked. To keep my mouth occupied when it decides it should be drawing on a cigarette, I stick some gum in my mouth. Not nicotine gum, just plain chewing gum. You cannot chew nicotine gum AND wear patches. My hands are kept occupied by spending more time typing on the PC.
After 2 days, I removed the patch, smoked a cigarette and then replaced the patch. Why? My mouth needed to taste nicotine. I couldn’t help it. I have not had another one since.
For the second week, I decided to try NiQuitinCQ 21mg patches. They cost £16.49 for one weeks supply. One patch is placed on a hairless area of the body, which I generally rotate between the outside of my arms and my back. Although these patches still give my body the nicotine it requires, the actual patch is not very good at all.
It does not tend to stick very well and I can notice that I am wearing it. It is a more rigid patch than the Nicotinell, not very flexible. It stayed on during a shower but the edges did start to curl.
I have thought about cigarettes once or twice during this week but did not have the thought that I wanted one. I am still chewing gum to keep my mouth occupied, and try to spend more time at the PC to keep my hands occupied.
I am now in my third week, and have reverted back to Nicotinell patches. I have gone down a strength to 14mg. These are slightly smaller in size and have 7mg less nicotine. I will use these for 2 weeks before dropping down to the 7mg patch. I have not smoked, and yesterday I treated myself to a new hair style. Doing something like that also helps give me a lift and makes me feel proud of being on the road to being a non smoker.
I know the road is still long, but whilst I clutch my will power I know I will make it. Giving up is twice as hard for me, as my boyfriend is still smoking. He has no intention of giving up, and I have no intention to try and make him. He is very supportive and respects why I want to give up. Once I have reached the 3 month mark without a cigarette, I can say I am a quarter of the way to being a non smoker.
I also believe that I will never preach to smokers. That is their civil right. Or will I?
When I reach this quarter stage I will come and update this opinion to let you know how I am getting on.