Hi all! I joined almost two years ago, 3/23/18 to be exact and quit on 3/31/18.
This is actually my first post here. I log in occasionally to read others posts and today I just felt that I had to say something.
There are so many of you posting about withdrawal, cravings, keeping busy, counting days etc. You sound like you're suffering and I'm here to tell you that it's all just so unnecessary.
Back when I joined here the first thing I did was start reading. I read every post and every comment. While reading I stumbled upon a recommendation of a book called Easy Way.
Whoever that was that put out that recommendation, thank you!
Yeah, a book about how to quit and easily at that. Funny stuff right there right?
Let me give you a little background on my smoking. I smoked for 40 years. I smoked a lot, easily 30 a day or more. I knew it was bad for me when I started but back then it was the cool thing to be doing. Later, I developed the lovely smokers cough and coughed while I smoked. I knew I really should quit doing it and probably tried to quit only 2 or 3 times because really I was convinced (and so was my family) that I couldn't do it since I'd been doing it for so long. So naturally after a half a day I would pull in to that gas station and buy a pack before I died of withdrawal.
You probably already see where I'm going with this right? Sounds pretty dumb doesn't it?
So, back to when I joined here and found the book. I downloaded it and read that I should keep smoking while reading this book. So I set my quit date for the 31st and then l started to feel the usual dread and fear, LOL! I've set the date,I now I've committed! The day will start to draw nearer and I will have to do it! Hehehe! Oh, I can laugh about it now but it was real. I felt it, lived it for years every time I planned to quit. So, I started reading this book and smoked and smoked! I was going to smoke all I could before I had to stop. Some people think that cutting down helps but I wasn't going to go out like that. So I smoked and smoked and read and read. I planned to finish this book by the night of the 31st and have my last one that night and go to bed. That was always my quitting plan, smoke right up til bed time and start fresh the next morning as a non smoker.
Well, I finished that book at about 10:00 p.m. and had about 5 precious cigarettes left in the pack and guess what? I didn't want them.
I gave them to my husband and said "I'm going to bed, goodnight" I haven't smoked again since that day. No cravings, no withdrawal, nothing!
It really is all you and your mind doing this to yourself and keeping you smoking, making you feel awful and telling yourself that you can't do it.
If you are one of the people who posted about trying to keep busy, trying to not think about it, having withdrawal, you are looking at the whole quitting thing the wrong way! Please do yourself a favor and find the download of the book and read it. You really have nothing to lose except a bad habit.
Sorry for such a long post but I just felt that maybe if I step up and say something it might possibly help someone who is struggling. You don't need to, it really is easy.
