Hi Melissa
Its tough to be around other smokers for 10 hours a day. I really feel for you with that one.
This is going to take a very strong mental attitude on your part.
First of all you have to really WANT to quit smoking. I mean really want to, because it takes effort to quit smoking (pretty much)
Secondly, you started smoking at age 14, I presume that you have never quit before? I started smoking at 15. I found that my head did not know what to do, all my adult life I had been a smoker, the only time I was not a smoker was when I was a child pretty much.
I did quit ONCE for three months - it was weird, because i hadnt felt like that since i was a child. So that was odd.
This time, I really had thought about giving up smoking i read and read.I found the Allen Carr Easy way to quit smoking book really helped. A lot of it is mind tricks, you mind WILL play tricks on you, reading ahead gives you power and helps you to beat it and stay ahead of the game.
For years you have taken deep breaths in, and out, inhaling exhaling smoke... that can be rythmic and in a way relaxing. I found deep breathing techniques really helped with this, and to be honest that got me through some bad cravings.
When you stop smoking DO NOT TAKE ONE PUFF EVER again!! Just put it off, if you are having a bad time, then think tomorrow will be a better day, most likely it will. Get rid of all cigarettes, if you dont start with this attitude, most likely you wont carry on with your quit, as you will be longing for the cigarette.
If you havent yet stopped smoking, I recommend that when you smoke, take notice of the cigarette as it burns down, look at the brown imagine the tar in your lungs... watching it burn...imagine the money burning away.These are the images that will help you in your quit later down the line.
You need to see the cigarette as it really is.. see the negative, and dont give it power... you really can do it!!
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 6/12/2006
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 17
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 441
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] �127.5
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 1 [B]Hrs:[/B] 13 [B]Mins:[/B] 16 [B]Seconds:[/B] 50