My life as a smoker
I started smoking when I was 16, but when I became pregnant with my daughter Juno, I stopped instantly. I didn't even think about lighting a cigarette while pregnant, but after she was born, her father didn't help out as often as I needed him to, and fatigue and stress led me back to smoking.
I worked full-time and started back at college part-time while he stayed at home. I started very slowly... first buying a packet of fags because I was stressed, and in no time was smoking 20 a day. I'm back down to 10 a day now. I'm not with Juno's dad anymore and my new partner and I are quitting together.
Why and how I quit smoking
I'm quitting for my daughter and to have more money to do the things I want. The last straw was having to sell some of my things because we had no money and then... still... spending money on fags.
I only started yesterday, and tried to go cold turkey. I ended up bursting into tears and not being able to pull myself out of it, so I had one cigarette yesterday. Today is a new day though and I am going to do my best not to smoke.
Advice
- Commit to your quit...make it the top priority in your life.
- Use rewards to keep your spirits up. (Chocolate bar worked for me as a treat!)
- Make a star chart reward system. For each day that I go without a cigarette, I'm going to add a sticker, then at the end of the month, I'll be able to see just how far I've come.
Terry Martin, Smoking Cessation Guide, says:
The discomforts of nicotine withdrawal are tough for all of us early on, along with the loss of the habits or rituals associated with smoking. While it is an intense period, it's important to remember that early cessation is also temporary and will pass.We are lucky to live in a time when there are so many quit aids available to help us shed the addiction to nicotine. If cold turkey isn't working for you, research the other choices you have and check in with your doctor to review them:
Do things to ease nicotine withdrawal and make sure you have solid support to lean on, both at home if possible, and with others who are going through what you are:Learning how to cope with stress without a cigarette in hand is difficult when we first quit smoking. But with a few tools and some practice, you'll find it's less challenging than you might have expected. Don't look ahead with worry or back with regret. You can't do anything about the future or the past, but you can control what you do today...and that is all that counts. Deal with tomorrow when it comes.Slow down and take your quit program just one simple day at a time for now and keep it at the top of your list of priorities.
You have what it takes to quit smoking successfully, Laura. Believe that and believe in yourself.
