Hello everyone, hope all is well with each and every one of you. My name is Dawn. I am 44 years old, and I just quit smoking after 28.5 years on 4/21/2022. It has been 10 days without a cigarette or any kind of nicotine/tobacco products. For many years, I thought I needed cigarettes to get through the minutes of everyday just to function. Now do not get me wrong, I'm not saying I smoked every second of the hour or anything like that, but it was enough. I suffer from depression, generalized anxiety disorder with panic attacks, and I also have a son with Tourettes Disorder anxiety and depression. Now my son just turned 13 in April 2022, so with that being said his issues weren't triggers in the years prior. I just knew I wasn't going to be able to quit cigarettes. When I first started oh my goodness, what a wonderful feeling. Though I felt just a tad bit sick(dizzy) in those first moments, I also felt a short sigh of relief, not to mention I felt cool, I felt good , and last but not least "grown " I was only 15 , but that was just the beginning. See the first time I was with 2 other friends, 2 of us 15, one of us 16. We had just come from having lunch. On our was home, by the way we were walking, we passed a small Bodega. I remember one of my friends saying "Hey, let's get a pack of cigarettes ". Without hesitation we agreed. Well after the purchase from the store along with a lighter, we walked to the nearest park. We packed our cigarettes like we have seen so much of neighborhood people do. We sat and smoked at least a half a pack each back to back. I remember feeling sick, but I just continued. I went home shortly after that with a half pack of cigarettes in my purse. I remember my mom telling me that her father told one of her siblings who wanted to smoke to give him 3 good reasons why he should let him or her smoke cigarettes. I guess they were good enough reasons, because they became a smoker. My mom went through the same thing she told me. Naturally I thought she would do the same to me. She didn't. I just asked and she gave me permission. That was at age 16. From that day on until 4/21/2022 I was a professional smoker. So far 10 days without a cigarette. 28.5 years of smoking. Truth be told the thought of quitting smoking gave me anxiety. Cigarettes have helped me through the toughest of times. How in the heck am I going to do this without my friend my lover my beloved smokes. The few times that I have tried. I have successfully failed. I forced myself into not smoking because of what others have said, well that didn't work. I tried to stop because I felt ashamed and embarrassed. That didn't work. Thre reason it never worked is because I not only did I enjoy it, it became such an addiction and habit and I just simply WAS NOT READY! I just simply did not want to. You have to be honest with yourself and really need to want it. I don't want to sound cleche, but it I can anyway can. Pray and leave it there. Don't be afraid to talk to your doctor about medication that can help along with NRT. It is not easy. It is doable. I hope this helps someone.
