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There is an old joke about quitting smoking. “Quitting is easy, I did it several times!” There is, in reality, some truth to it. Stats show that most smokers quit several times before they quit forever. So, my message here is, don’t give up, and keep trying!
I too, tried to quit several times. Every smoker knows the health risks, but we still do it. I smoked for about ten years, a pack a day. I tried the gum, patch, etc in the past. I did have some success, though. Then some stress would hit me at my job or family or friends and I would start again. Frankly, my jobs got down to where I was making lower and lower, and I could not afford the packs. One fine day, I got fired. I took my things home, and smoked a whole pack in a few hours. Then I thought, I can’t afford this **** anymore, and I quit. Just like that. Cold turkey.
The cravings began in a few hours. Then the irritability and restlessness. Fortunately, those feelings were not new to me. From my previous quitting attempts, I guess I got sorta “immunized” to those. I held on. I kept some things in my mouth and hands when I got fidgety, gum, pens, guitar, whatever. When things get really bad, I used to run into a movie theater and watch movies. Luckily, I am a movie buff. Watching movies took my mind off cigarettes for a while. I used to go to any public place where cigarettes are banned. They are becoming more and more these days! I kept a few cigarette substitutes for some weak moments. I called my friends sometimes.
Basically, this is what worked for me. Distraction! I used to distract myself with something else, anything that would take my mind off smoking.
It has been almost a year since I quit, my longest quit time so far. I have since found another job. My cough improved, I can breathe better, and I find more energy to do things. I don’t think I can go back to smoking ever. In a strange way, the smell of smoke kind of repulses me now. Strange, but true!
My message is – you can quit smoking. Do not give up if you failed a few times. An attorney who fails the bar exam a few times before he passes is still an attorney. Quit cold. Distract yourself. Keep some things in your mouth and hands. It will work. The longer you smoked, obviously, the harder it will be to quit. But it can be done. I did it. So can you. Email me if you need help.
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