time to Qiut

[brian90]

I have had enough need to quit smoking for my health and daughter's. NEED HELP!!!!!

[trev2]

I recall being in secondary education in what they would now classify as year ten when smoking became habitual. I had started a year or so before but never really inhaled and got a headache the few times that I did inhale in order to show the bigger lads that I was a tough guy.

I remember going down to the bike-sheds or the old air raid shelter at the back of the fields where the other lads would smoke, the ones who could afford to, and I would ask them for cigarettes. If no-one would offer me one I would apply some pressure by stating that if after searching their pockets anyone HAD a cigarette then I could take the whole lot. The cigarettes would soon be offered. I may even decide to take two..he he. Well, that's where the habit started and carried on through year eleven where I was working a Saturday job and was able to afford them myself (still went on the scrounge down the bike-sheds though)

I recal the summer of year eleven and the school athletics meeting. There was I, unbeaten in all my school years at the 100 meters, lined up with no thought of anyone else as I was deemed unbeatable. First place was mine for sure. On your marks, get set, bang! Off we went. As usual I headed the field but this time I could see some guy out of the corner of my eye keeping up with me 40, 50 meters still there, then he started to pull away from me. I knew I had no more to give, no response in my legs, off he surged, I could clearly see his heel ahead of me, over the finish line, the whole school flocking him. Beaten forlorn, disbelief. How could that have happened? Beaumont beaten. Must have been the fags, I thought. Not to give him any credit. Blame something, anything except myself or a superior runner. In retrospect that was an indicator of where my life was heading.

Anyway, that was the first time I considered that cigarettes were affecting my life.

Hanging around the streets of my home city within the Afro-Caribbean community, that phrase says it all really, we got up to much however, smoking cigarettes and marijuana became a synonymy. I went to college and made new friends. I recall a young man named Craig from New Zealand or South Africa who perhaps came on to the course in the second year because I cannot recall him in my class before then. Anyway, he used to tell me of his life in his homeland, not that I was too interested, but I was more interested in what he brought to the table. He used to bring in some home grown marijuana and we would sit at a bus stop after college and hmmmmm nice stuff Craig.

By this time i was fully addicted to cigarettes. I recall being a student and having little or no cash, picking up butts off of the floor and putting the tobacco into a tin in order to use for hand rolling tobacco... yuk when I think about it now but hey ho that was part of my life, part of the addiction. Gotta have it by any means. I recall a guy from at collage calling me 'the cigarette merchant'. I was not aware of the addiction, just meandered along in life accepting things as they were.

After college I was unemployed for about eighteen months. During this time I was dating a young lady who is now living in New Zealand (thanks Facebook). I recall going up to see her at her family home once or twice a week ensuring that I have collected my unemployment benefit, bought my stash of marijuana on the way to her home 20 miles or so from my home city. She was a heavy smoker and though I used to ensure that I have my own, I was reliant on her for this.I believe that it was during these times when habitually I would ensure that cigarettes and marijuana were my closest allies.

I recall at the age of twenty and anticipating a nine hour plane journey to Jamaica without cigarettes, not wanting to pay the extortionate amount for nicorette patches I decided to eat some tobacco so that the nicotine could remain in my system. It worked! No craving throughout the whole journey... innovation or what?!.... a regular addict.

Through the years I tried to limit myself to smoking ten cigarettes a day because I realized that he chancellor of the exchequer continually held me to ransom by putting duty on cigarettes year in year out on without mercy. When I was about twenty one years old I decided, after the revelation that I should try Christ, that I would not smoke nor drink more than I currently do. At this point I was able to see the truth about many situations. Realizing addiction is with me, I sought to curb him, stop him from getting a further hold of me. I wanted to take back a degree of control.

Onward in time, smoking every day, including marijuana, and at the approximate age of thirty six when I had a life changing experience of hearing the spirit warn me of an imminent danger which I managed to avoid (see Hawarden), thank you Lord Jesus, it was in this moment when my spirit said 'I have to get off of this stuff'. I had to stop smoking. I must make a conscious effort. I had almost run over a man's head whilst under the influence of marijuana! I had been forewarned seconds before the incident that the incident was going to happen. I have to get off of this stuff. I wasn't kidding myself though. I knew this would not be something that I could do overnight let alone on my own.

Over the next four to five years I would try, to no avail, to quit smoking for a day. I would often convince myself that I enjoyed smoking; that I was mature enough to make a conscious decision to continue the habit regardless of the dangers; that not everyone who smoked died of smoking related diseases; that it was probable too late anyway so I should just continue. These thoughts I would later realize were not my own.

By his time I was attending church regularly and after the service I would often smoke marijuana and feel guilty that I had done so. The guilty feeling would kick in soon after the high of the drug had settled the anxiety caused by withdrawal. I used to berate myself thinking that I was not worthy of attending church and what I was doing is hypocritical until one day the spirit within spoke to me and told me that if a person is sick they must go and see the doctor. The doctor may, depending on the severity of the illness, prescribe a course of treatment over a period of time until the patient is cured. This revelation gave me heart and motivation to conquer the negative thoughts that I was getting about attending church whilst with my continuing habit. As I have stated, these thoughts I would later realize were not my my own.

One Sunday I was in church and Pastor Kevin gave a sermon around words and how powerful words are. He referred to a passage in the book of John which states 'In the beginning was The Word' (John 1:1 ). He spoke of how nothing was created without the word, spoken, written or other means of communication. The chair that I was sat on, the building that I was sat in, my clothes, my attendance, everything that man has created needed some type of communication vehicle to come in to existence! Thoughts without communication will remain just that. It was a very powerful sermon that impacted on my life and had I listened to the thoughts that had said i was not worthy of attending church i may not be writing this testimony right now because after the sermon I had another revelation. That revelation was that the following weekend I will give up smoking. I was so sure, so so sure, that during that week I continued to smoke but using words I told the addiction as i was smoking the cigarettes that I was giving it all up at the weekend. The following weekend I was doing a 25 hour shift, including a sleepover, at a scheme in a shared house where there lived four tenants who each smoked heavily. In those days one was able to smoke in public buildings and though I knew that all tenants in the scheme would be smoking throughout, I was inspired that if I could get through my shift without smoking then the rest of the 'cold turkey' period would be easy.

The confidence that I had been given through the spirit took me through. I used an inhalator for that weekend and during the first week stopped using the aid. During the next three months I saw some amazing differences physically and mentally like, after misplacing a cup of coffee and proceeding to leave the lounge and look for the coffee in the kitchen I literally smelled the coffee and detected that it was in the lounge. Toothpaste had a foamy effect in my mouth again when brushing, food tasted different, I no longer had to cough up phlegm first thing in the mornings. One day I was deep in thought in my back garden staring out at a tree, meditating on things when suddenly I saw something leaving my body. This thing was not visible to the eye yet I could see it leaving my body via my head and my chest in front of me. It moved from me slowly and I watched it for about one meter as it went. It was as water, or as air, an invisible force, but I could literally see it and sense its presence. As I watched it leave my body it communicated with me and said, 'I cant get you any more'. Wow!! at this time I had the revelation that I would never smoke again. I realized that the negative thoughts and anxieties about smoking, the thoughts of enjoying a cigarette,  telling myself that I was not worthy of attending church ect were not actually my thoughts, but the words of this thing, this spirit that i had attracted into my being through my indulgence in things that did I not fully understand. It gave me all the reasons and excuses why I should continue to smoke cigarettes. It mirrored my personality, my thought processes, influenced my actions and interactions and conquered my will for a season. In total it was approximately five years from wanting to, to actually giving up smoking cigarettes.It was to be some years later that I realized I had encountered a spirit that day in my back garden. I felt as though I had escaped from Alcatraz and was safely in Brazil. God has revealed this spirit to me for my understanding and testimony to others who are going through addiction.

[hey-lucy]

Hello all, I'm new here and I need you!! I'm a 55 year old professional who is terribly sick of smoking and its effects on my health but find myself powerless to stop.  Since i retired a few years ago and started my own business, I have even more freedom to smoke and now i'm smoking more than ever.  I hate the way it tastes, I hate the way it looks (social stigma), I hate the way it smells, I hate the way it makes me feel.  I WANT to be a non-smoker!!! Most people who don't smoke would say to me "So what's the problem? Just put them down".  It's not so easy because smoking is not only a physical addiction but a mental addiction as well.  You have to fight duel battles to make it and that's where I need help.  I have tried all the stop-smoking aids with no success..  I did try Chantix, but became ill (with another ailment) that forced me to stop at the time.  My plan right now is to begin this coming Monday  taking the Chantix again, begin reading "The Easy Way to Stop Smoking" by Allen Carr again, and with the hellp of this site, track my cigarettes and triggers and work to eliminate them one at a time.  I have set my quit date for 1 week from the start of the Chantix.

[terrymj61]

Hi my name is Terry and I have a big problem with quitting, I have tried so many times. I had stopped for 18 months and started up again, it really was a stupid venture. I thought that if I could take a drag, I would be able to stay off. I was wrong and here I am trying to quit again, many times and was unsuccessful. I want to quit, the desire is there but the will is not, My mother quit 2 years and then was diagnoised with cancer, then eventually passed. My desire to quit is to have a closer relationship with our heavenly Father and to do his will, that is the first item on my list for reasons to quit then there is the savings. In the past, I have always been searching for enough change so I can get a pack, not realizing that the 7.00 could put a meal in my stomach. I have also found that when I am hungry, I light up instead. I am very serious and I so want to stop this nasty habit, it sometimes grabs me without thinking first and then I get upset because I light up....HELP ME!!! Please

[susanmiller-underwood]

hi, my name is Susan. I have wanted to quit the last few years and i did for months and even for a year, but I always find my way back to smoking. I am ready to quit and for good this time. Last week my husband and his sister had to sit in a hospital room with their mother and listen to a doctor tell them their mom had lung cancer and she has a very short time left with them. I never want my children to have that conversation about me, especially not when I can do something to prevent it.

[tiffanyann2]

This is one of the best sites that I have been on. I been on this site for a few weeks. And I think that it is great and it is very helpful to me. But I did quit smoking and it is not an easy thing to do. I have been smokefree for over a month now and it is great. I live with a smoker so you know that it is hard for me to deal with. If it wasn't for the patch, the nicotine lozenge, prayer, straws, candy, and water, I would not have made it this far. I know that it is hard but once you quit smoking, you will feel great. I know that I feel great and I love being smokefree and I feel and look better too. I will never go back to a cigarette again. I pray that I don't go back and I have people praying for me not to go back. I know that if I can do it, you can do it and I had tried to quit about 11 times. This is my last quit and I can say that because I don't want to go back to a cigarette now that I know what to do when the urge hits me again. I will do almost anything except smoke when the urge hits me again. And water works the best. Now I take water where ever I go because I know that the urge to smoke will hit. Good luck to all of you and I know that you can all do it. And you will thank yourself when you do quit smoking. Quiting smoking is one of the best gifts that you can give yourself. And you should be proud of yourself for even going on this site in the first place. I'm proud of you and you should be proud of yourself too.

[chupacabra62]

Hi my name is  Brian  ive tried to quit smoking several times in the past  im 50 years old and smoked since i was 15  and  enjoy it very much .  but  it hasent killed me yet  so i figure its time i tried chantix in the past  it only made me a very hostile person  so  this time i orderd the gum  set my quit date for feb 14  and started  not to smoke in the house or while driving. ive been doing the suggestions like waiting untill after my first cup of coffee  to have my morning smoke  and actually cut down about 40%  in the last 3 days i hope i can get to maybe 10 a day in the next couple weeks before my actuale quit date arrives wish me luck  lol

[chupacabra62]

Hi my name is  Brian  ive tried to quit smoking several times in the past  im 50 years old and smoked since i was 15  and  enjoy it very much .  but  it hasent killed me yet  so i figure its time i tried chantix in the past  it only made me a very hostile person  so  this time i orderd the gum  set my quit date for feb 14  and started  not to smoke in the house or while driving. ive been doing the suggestions like waiting untill after my first cup of coffee  to have my morning smoke  and actually cut down about 40%  in the last 3 days i hope i can get to maybe 10 a day in the next couple weeks before my actuale quit date arrives wish me luck  lol

[vera-wood]

Hello,    My name is Vera.     I am planning my quit day on Sunday, Jan. 27th. 

I need help on trying to quit .....   where do I go to the blog you hang out.    I would appreciate anyones help in doing this quit time.    wish me luck ..... 

[ilovenickncolton]

I am ready to quit smoking so that i can be healthier for my children. Its really hard though given my finacial status I cant afford any nicotine substitute. Plus my business partner who i work with everyday smokes and so does my mom and sister. I really want to be sucessful and have only smoked 4 cigs since fri april 12 because I have been sick. I thought since its been 5 days maybe its a good start. I have really been wanting to smoke bad though

[kimmy_07]

hi my name is Kimmy i am 24 years old and have been smoking since i was 16. I am ready to quit for my children as well as myself and my family. I have tried and tried but the irritaion that comes along with not smoking has been too much for me to handle so i always give in. I have MS and smoking with MS is a definate NO NO. Please help me quit this nasty habit!