My life as a smoker
I started smoking in 1985, my senior year in high school and the year my father passed away.
My brand was Camel Straights ("the brand that gives the cigarette machine lung cancer") because that was the brand that my best friends' parents smoked.
I smoked 1/2 to a pack a day until 2010, 25 years.
Why and how I quit smoking
I didn't plan on quitting but rather a couple of situations helped to get me there.
I lived in the mountains and the closest source for cigarettes (as well as most anything else) was a minimum 15 minute drive from home.
Second, I had come down with a mind-bending flu.
As any die-hard (ha ha) smoker will tell you, being sick will not keep you from a smoke.
After 2 days I ran out of smokes (or butts with enough crud in them to light) but wasn't up to driving yet so I told myself that I would be okay for a couple of days.
When I felt good enough to go to town it occurred to me that I had survived 2 ENTIRE days smoke free so I decided to take it a day at a time and see how long I could stretch it out.
This coming Monday will be day 731. That's 2 years plus one day for leap year. ;)
Advice
- I don't know what advice I can offer since I quit cold turkey other than, you will get over it.
- Did I have cravings? Massive ones, at times.
- Did I dream that I was smoking and suddenly wake up? Yep.
- Did I look at people with hatred who were (seemingly) enjoying a cigarette? Oh yes.
- Do I miss checking for a pack & a lighter every-single-time I leave anywhere? Not in the slightest.
- As time went on did I forget that I smoked? Amazingly, yes.
- Good luck to you, just trying one day smoke free is like winning a medal.
