My Intro
Hi Lissie,
I stopped 12 days ago. Ok you's are all gonna hate me coz I've not had too bad of cravings this time
. I really believe its your frame of mind.
Like you I got a medical scare only mine was sarcoidosis which is an auto immune disease.
Mine attacked my lungs and lymph nodes. When first diagnosed I gave up smoking for 3 weeks after which a fight with my then bf caused me to reach for the packet again. It didn't help that he smoked and kept his lying around
.
Its now been 5 years since I was diagnosed. Like you I was in denial saying to myself ah maybe its a mistake and maybe just maybe I can keep smoking but it turned out I couldn't. As my breathing deteriorated really badly I convinced myself it was not the cigarettes. Then came the crunch where I had a really bad month financially and it came to the point where it was food or cigarettes. I chose food.
Tuesday 2 weeks ago I turned to my current boyfriend and said after tonight I'm giving up the cigarettes. He didn't really believe me until the next day when I text him and asked him to throw out the half pack that I'd left at home that day that I wouldn't be smoking anymore, even at that he wasn't convinced.
I didn't go for any NRT as I really think they just tease me.
I've never managed to give up using them for more than a day or two, sometimes even smoking while having a patch still on. I quit cold turkey this time. I've not had huge cravings but I do miss the obvious ones. The one after dinner, the 20 with my bottle of wine. The cravings are daily but then the feeling is in the back of my head that if I pick up another cigarette its going to kill me and I think that is enough of a reason to stay stopped. After 2 or 3 days I realised that my breathing had improved. I can walk upstairs now without stopping halfway to have a wheezing attack.
I'm positive this time and I really believe that anybody can give up if they're in the right frame of mind. I've also read allan carr's book and I found what he said really made sense. We don't need cigarettes, we are addicted to nicotine, we are drug addicts. They don't help stressful situations they cause us more stress because we are craving nicotine ontop of whatever situation is stressful. They don't taste nice.. thats us brainwashing ourselves. Try eating one. And frankly since my breathing started to get really bad I don't remember the last time I enjoyed one (without a fit of coughing that is)
Best of luck on your stopping.
Love and light
Caroline xx
My Mileage:My Quit Date: 9/8/2010
Smoke-Free Days: 13
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 260
Amount Saved: �111.15
Life Gained:Days: 0
Hrs: 22
Mins: 25
Seconds: 13