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Share your quitting journey

IF ONLY

froguelady
Member
0 2 11

Hi everyone, sorry I have been away so long.  The above two small words, if only, carry alot of meaning. They are used as a reason,an excuse, an after thought.  As a reason, if only things were better in my life I would not smoke.  As an excuse, I smoke because it makes me feel better about the stress I am under.  As an after thought, if only I had quit sooner my health would be better.  Does any of these apply to you?  This is mostly for the "newbies" as the ones far enough in their quit will recognize the ones we used to keep smoking.

Some of you know me and some of the "newbies" do not.  So for them I will tell you about me.  I smoked for 54 years and used every excuse there is to keep smoking.  So don't think you are alone in your struggle, you aren't because I know what you are going through.  Been there and so have lots of the quitters here. I have found the ONLY way to quit and stay quit is to stop lighting cigarettes. Period, that is the way to quit.  If you need to use an aid to help you, for me that is ok. Some people object to that and I respect their opinion and expect the same in return.  I used some NRT in the first couple of weeks but your mindset is the most important aid you can use.  When you become a non smoker in your mind, your quit WILL succeed.  This site is a lifeline to use before you smoke.  The first week is very hard as the nicotine leaves your body but get better physically and then the mental craving kicks in and it very hard but you can overcome it.  I did and you can also just want it enough. 

My name is Betty and after being a DEVOTED smoker for 54 years I have been smoke free for 308 days.

2 Comments
About the Author
Gone but Not Forgotten. RIP - they leave a legacy of their quit journeys behind as road maps for future members, to prevent the pitfalls, provide the tools and show the hope and possibilities for success at overcoming this addiction at any age at any stage. Mother, grandmother and great grandmother My name is Betty and I was born and raised in Kentucky where tobacco was a way of life. I started smoking full time by age 14. The first time I can remember smoking I was 9. I have been on the road to quitting for several years. I quit once for 6 weeks and then thought I would smoke just one. It only took a few weeks till I was smoking full time again. That is why remembering NOT ONE PUFF EVER is so important. It will never be just one puff or just one cigarette. Nicotine addiction doesn't work like that, it is an addiction, feed it and you become addicted. Here are a couple of links to reading materials that I recommend to ALL who would like to quit smoking: What to Expect in the First Four Months (by Jonescarp aka Dale): http://community.becomeanex.org/pg/blog/read/3713880/what-to-expect-in-the-first-four-months The "Easy Way to Stop Smoking" by Allen Carr.