How I Quit Smoking
I
had quit a few times before but always ended up falling off the wagon after a
couple of months. Just 1 won't hurt but as always I would eventually return to
full-time smoking. I was a habitual smoker and always smoked after coffee, after
dinner, with a pint etc.
The
initial reason for my latest quit was the most selfish reason. I work in a pub
and with the smoking ban coming into effect in July 2007, I wouldn't be able to
smoke at the bar while keeping an eye on customers who might want serving. I
was left on my own most times and couldn't just go out for a cigarette as there
would be no-one to cover for me. The thought of going without a cigarette for
over 4 hours filled me with dread. When I look back now, I am disgusted with
myself that this was my initial trigger for wanting to give up smoking again.
The secondary reasons were my health, money, and being a bad role model to my
son. That was the nic demon inside me. It makes you a very selfish person. If I
was deprived of my nicotine fix, I turned into an absolute monster. The quit
was to start on 1st July 2007.
I
had analysed my failings on my last quit and was determined not to fail this
time. The key to this quit was 'Not a single puff!' If I ever got tempted
(Usually when out drinking) I would say this to myself. I even wrote myself a
note to carry around in my wallet in times of temptation. The note would remind
me why I quit and how stupid I would be if I had a cigarette. It would also
remind me that I couldn't be a social smoker and eventually I would return to
smoking full time if I had a puff. And in big capital letters it would say 'NOT
A SINGLE PUFF'. I was smoking up to the last minute of 30th June, even though I
had a bad chest at the time.
I
enrolled myself in the NHS stop smoking clinic which was basically reporting to
a advisor every fortnight to check the levels of carbon monoxide in my blood
and get my patches on prescription. Patches worked for me before so I thought I
would use them again. My problems normally began after the 10 week course had
finished. While the patches dealt with the nicotine craving, I concentrated on
breaking the habit.
The
quit was going well! I kept to my rule and even managed a few enjoyable nights
out. The smoking ban helped in the way that I could sit in a pub and not have
the temptation of everyone smoking around me. We had a surprise in August with
the news that my wife and I were going to have another baby. I guess my sperm
were quite inactive while I smoked as my last quit was responsible for my first
son. I think it was more than just a coincidence.
Something
changed my quit in October. My dad a heavy smoker for most of his life was diagnosed
with terminal lung and liver cancer in August (Due to smoking and heavy
drinking). While we thought he would live for at least a few months, he had a
fit while in hospital and died in October, He was 62. When I heard the news
that he had died I was round my mums, all I wanted to do was have a cigarette.
My mum wouldn't let me. I'm glad she didn't.
Losing
my dad at the age of 28 to a smoking related illness, made me rethink my quit.
I was definitely doing this for my son and at the time my unborn son. I don't
want them to lose their dad like I did, I want to watch them grow up to to be
men.
As
time has gone on I have changed the way I think about smoking. After losing my
dad, I read Allen Carr's 'Easy way to stop smoking'. I don't know if it would
of helped me with my initial quit but has certainly change my views on my
addiction.
A
year after my quit I began to not count the months so much. I had used this
forum and another forum previously. the support from other quitters is so
valuable and I have made some friends as well. I don't post on here so much
these day's as I am not a big forum user anyway, but do like to pop my head in
to say hi every so often.
I'm
coming up to the 2 year mark in a month and so naturally, this forum and all my
old quit buddies have popped into my head.
I've
put on a stone in weight which I am still struggling to shift, but I no longer
snore, I hardly ever need to use my inhaler anymore and more importantly I am
no longer killing myself.
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