Hi there,
I've been a smoker since the age of 14. By smoker, I mean a pack a day, sometimes more. When my daughter was born, I tried to quit. When my son was born, I tried to quit. I'm ashamed to say I smoked a cigarette here and there during both pregnancies. I just couldn't beat it. In April 2010, my best friend Jill died at the age of 45 from cancer. She left behind a husband and a seven year old son. During her fight, she gave me hell for choosing to smoke. I was watching her die - she had no choice in the matter, and still continued to do something that could put me in the same place. I knew I should quit, but I didn't have the "strength" to deal with it on top of losing her.
In October of 2010, my 11 year old daughter finally got my attention. She adored my best friend, who was more of an aunt to her. Losing Jill hurt my daughter as much as it did me. It took her saying the exact same thing Jill had said to me many times - "Mom, Auntie Jill never had a choice. She died from cancer. Why are you choosing to give yourself cancer?" I knew I couldn't expect my daughter to make healthy, life improving decisions if her own mom was doing something so outright destructive.
So I went looking for something new. I'd tried the patches, the gum, the pills. Nothing had worked. I'd managed to quit with all of them. But I"d never stayed quit. Then I found "Become an Ex". It gave me a totally new perspective on my addiction. It wasn't about just getting off the cigarettes. It was about relearning everything I do all day long - without the cigarettes. So for two months, I learned to switch up my routines. Delay my cigarettes so they wouldn't be associated with things I enjoyed - my morning coffee, after meal conversation, a glass of wine in the evening. By separating the smoking from all of my daily habits, it became easier and easier to let them go. I did go on Chantix for a week to help ease off the cigarettes. But I have to say I don't recommend those pills at all! Bad bad side effects and scary mental thoughts/dreams.
Anyways, fast forward six months - not a single slip up! My kids are proud of me, I'm proud of me! My husband is still working on it. He's slipped several times, but he keeps going. He'll get it, I know he will. I'm not going to lie and say I never want one. Every once in a while, I'll get smacked sideways with a huge craving. But I think about those first few weeks and how hard it was, and decide each time that I never want to go through that hell again.
I hope that everyone out there that is fighting this nasty addiction continues to fight. Have faith in yourself, you will win! Follow the exercises, relearn your addiction and your life. It is so worth it in the end!
Good Luck!
Renae
