If you had asked me -- on December 12, 2004 -- if I would ever quit smoking, I would have laughed my head off. It was as big a surprise to me as it was to those who know me that I would wake up one morning and quit smoking. It wasn't easy...I had no fairy dust surrounding me. I had to do the hard work myself, even though I had a very powerful Force as my team member. I worked hard, made a few folks suffer, went to counseling, stayed close to SSC and a couple of other sites, gritted my teeth and pushed through. On one occasion, I grabbed a hit from my husband's cigarette in anger, but it was just an emotional hit, not craving.
My level of addiction? I didn't need a test to tell me that I couldn't get out of bed without at least one smoke, that I couldn't drink a cup of coffee without smoking, I couldn't drive, use the computer, or do anything at all without accompanying it with a cigarette. I was a pack and a half a day addict for 40 years.
Today, I occasionally think about a cigarette but it's just a thought that I immediately let go. Mostly, I just continue to fill my life with activities I never had time or motivation for before I quit smoking. I have a very busy job, I'm in a graduate program, I tutor, I exercise and I travel. My smoking husband and I are getting along great -- I don't take on his issues.
So good luck to you all. The road may be a little bumpy at times, but if you just step back on the path when life pushes you onto the shoulder, you'll beat this horrible addiction. Never give up on yourself, never sell yourself short.
I will end with a quote from the Buddha that I have used throughout my quit.
[i]You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection.[/i]
Rusty :)
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 12/13/2004
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 670
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 18,771
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $2345
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 92 [B]Hrs:[/B] 5 [B]Mins:[/B] 10 [B]Seconds:[/B] 2
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Quit Meter
$54,984.80
Amount Saved
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Quit Meter
Days: 649
Hours: 9
Minutes: 28
Seconds: 35
Life Gained
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Quit Meter
5287
Smoke Free Days
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Quit Meter
211,480
Cigarettes Not Smoked
