When someone you care about is trying to quit.

[CrazyQuitter]

My Ex Boyfriend who is also one of my dearest friends decided to cut down on smokes and eventually quit for good! He realized that it costs him half his disability pension (which is about $500AUD) just by buying the kind that you roll yourself.

On his first day he went back onto the nicotine gum in the spur of the moment and took the advice of the park-chew-park technique that was on the back of the packet and went 12 hours without a smoke. He went from chain-smoking everyday to only smoking 5-10 smokes per day this week. He realizes that he'll only pay about 70 - 80 dollars on the gum for a while. He feels that the Nicotine gum has really helped him a lot! I have asked him a few times how he feels about doing this and he says he feels really good. He is looking forward to the amount of money he will be saving for sure!

He feels that Loneliness and boredom are his main triggers to smoke. Also drama that cause him stress.

But talking to his friends, writing music and  just talking to me help. 

It is so great to see someone who no longer chain smokes. He has proven to me that he really wants to eventually be smoke free.

Can you Please tell me about your stories about how someone you care about chose to quit? I'd love to hear hear about them in the comments!

[Maki]

Well I had a relative who smoked ... many many more years than I yet he never thought either of us would or could quit . He also had hard core brothers and sisters who smoked . After about five years quit we were at a family gathering and he was expecting the ol smoking buddy to join him and his sister for an after dinner smoke . I declined .  He saw I'd quit then 

 I could feel the surprise ! Then a year or so later I was talking with him and read him a poem that I wrote about quitting addiction .. it was the last I saw him for several years until a Christmas gathering he was quit ..never got up to go for the after dinner cig .

Now I haven't seen him since,  but heard he is still quit . His sister and his brother both died of cancer here within two years of each other and his younger sister about five years ago or so also a heavy smoker .. 

This relative had already quit another addiction (alcohol) ..  nagging doesn't help , as many tried to get us both to quit but by watching someone who also thought they couldn't quit,  that I think was when he realized he could too . 

I am glad he did . He also had cancer,  but they caught it in time . 

Hope your friend quits .. I think watching your growth will be a light for him . 

[CrazyQuitter]

Wow that is so interesting! I told My friend that I had been 8 years smoke free and he asked if I still had cravings and I said no. I think that influenced him more along with the rising cost of cigarettes.

It's amazing how each quit journey is so different!