Exactly 1 year today!
Just received an email from this site congratulating me on 365 days smoke-free. After having smoked for 42 years and thinking about quitting for probably 30 of those years, I am convinced this is forever now - UNLESS they prove smoking is healthy and the price goes back to the 80's prices, which of course will not happen. Back in the first weeks, I used this forum, and I am so grateful to the person who told me NOT to actually start on nicorettes at that stage - maybe to just carry them around as security. I had not realised then, how many people are struggling to get off the nicorette products. So reading the Alan Carr book, and being alarmed at the increased cost of cigarettes and no longer working, did the trick for me. There is not a day that I don't think "would love a smoke" but this is really only usually once or twice a day now. People have offered smokes, and I have not even taken a puff - BUT I do like standing near a smoker sometimes, while they are smoking. Really notice and dislike the smell that lingers on the smoker once they have finished and walk back inside. The BEST thing for me, is that I am not forever plotting when and where my next smoke will be - so many wasted cigarettes when we would stop while travelling and I would think "can smoke a quickie here" - and how annoying for everyone else who didn't smoke. I can even walk past smokers and think "lucky them" because I do miss that hit, BUT somehow I know I will never take it up again. I haven't saved the money to do something spectacular, but I have loved shopping and where I used to think, no that's a waste, I now think, "why not?" - smoking was the big waste of money and time. I know I haven't given all the spiels that a non-smoker should, but I have been honest. No I don't feel wonderfully healthier, and I don't need food to taste better, I always liked it - have put on 2k, but am ok with that. Giving up is damned hard, but when the moment is right for you, you will do it. My Mum said this to me 22 years ago when she gave up - she never harassed me, she just said "the day will come and you will know". Having said that, in the 12-24 months prior to giving up, we moved house (a long way) and I took a redundancy and semi retired. I think I should/could have set the dates those things happened, as so much of our smoking is habitual. Nothing new here for any of you, but I think Alan Carr's book did get me to think about what I "hated" about smoking, rather than clinging to that wonderful part. I think for me, that one puff would set me off - I know other people who have stopped have said they have taken puffs, just to verify they hate it.....don't do it, even thinking just one puff will help - then it will be just one smoke a day, and we all know where that will lead us. However I have friends who can just smoke every now and then, but I will never be one of those, and you should not think that you can either. REMEMBER - when you give up, and you will, don't become a wowzer and give smokers a hard time - of course they wish they were not smokers, we all know the issues - just let them know their day to give up will come, if they want to, and of course they do - I had all the clever retorts too - my best being "smokers pay a lot of taxes, supposedly die young, so even after maybe draining health funds for a year or so, we are not lingering in nursing homes until we are 100 and THAT is where the major cost to government is happening". BUT I am extremely angry at young people taking it up, and I think the plain packaging has only made it more enticing for the young bogans to think they are 'cool" - I am of course from the Bogan Capital, so I see this - put the packets in prissy pink, or make the cigarette papers a revolting colour - for some reason it does seem to be more lower-income people that take it up - bump the price up but let smokers over the age of 35 for example, claim something back on tax, as they are probably working (to pay enough tax and lodge a claim) and imagine keeping all your receipts for a year and seeing what you spent? I was only going to write a quick thank you - going now - but thank you for this site/forum - it truly helped, and I wish everyone the best perseverence in their endeavours to give up and stay off....Best wishes from "Struggling", but could possibly take a new name of "Managing"!!
