Be a junkie that is. No one starts their day out and says, “Oh Boy! I think I’ll start smoking today and die and early death!”
I know none of those of us who smoked, started out realizing it would be so difficult to stop once started. I have smoked for more years than I would care to admit, and started really hating it.
So what did I do? As of today, it has been one week since I have touched a cigarette and I’m humming along fine.
What Helps
There are many different things that help people to break the habit, once they are truly ready. I think this is one of the most important things a person needs to admit and that is that they are truly ready. But, if you quit and only make it a day or two, you are still working it.
There are the patches which stick to the skin and nicotine is absorbed through the skin to help ease any withdrawal symptoms the person may have.
The Inhaler is another tool that can be used to help ease the effects of quitting smoking. Simply follow the instructions that are provided in the package.
Nicotine gum such as nicorette is a wonderful and useful tool that has worked for people I know. I myself have used this gum and it is wonderful. Again, follow package directions carefully. Nicotine is a drug, and one can overdose believe it or not. (Or at least that is what I have been told, I personally don’t care to find out if this fact is true or not.)
Cold Turkey is another method that people try in order to rid themselves of the horrible habit of smoking. However, if you are a heavy smoker, beware, withdrawal symptoms can be very rough. I should know, I tried this method on several occasions. Sick stomach, headaches, chills, shakes and many more side effects can happen if you are a heavy smoker and try to stop in this manner.
Your doctor also has medications at his disposal that can be of help for someone trying to break the addiction to smoking.
Understanding the addiction can also help, realize that most people fall off the wagon several times before they finally do quit for keeps. And realize too, that if this does happen to you, that you aren’t a bad person or a weak person because it has happened to you. Just use what you have learned and quit again.
Get Support
If you are trying to quit, you need to have an outlet in which to vent your frustrations. You can achieve this by simply keeping a journal of your feelings and reactions, or even going the route I did and join a support group. You can find a wonderful one at egroups.com that is over 1000 members strong and growing all the time. And believe it or not, everyone in the group seems top notch. After all, they are all just like you and I, trying to get back their lives.
Another bit of support you can get is a wonderful tool called a quit meter . This little program installs onto your computer and keeps count of how long it has been since you smoked, money saved and life saved.
They can be found on the web by doing a search for smoking meters or you can visit, https://silkquit.org to get a copy of the one I have on my machine.
Here is what mine reads as of today:
“One week, 1 hour, 6 minutes and 26 seconds. 232 cigarettes not smoked, saving$43.60. Life saved: 19 hours, 20 minutes.”
Personal Note
My Mother always thought *other * people were the ones that got sick from smoking. But now she is almost 65 and we’ve almost lost her once already due to lung cancer and leukemia. I realize that it may not be a total guarantee that you will get cancer just because you smoke, but if your lungs are full of the dirty grime then your body can not get the oxygen it needs to take care of itself. And sooner or later, you could be huffing and puffing just like I was.
If you even think you are ready to quit smoking, please seek help in doing so. Buy a box of the gum and join a support group, give it your best shot, after all, there are quicker and less expensive ways of killing yourself than cigarettes.
Good luck!