Born To Smoke?--Not My Kids!---Milestones Write-Off
Apr 12 '02
The Bottom Line Quitting smoking may be one of the toughest things you'll ever undertake, and once you've broken it's grip you'll feel like a new person! Work hard, and be rewarded.
I was born to smoke. O.K. that might be exaggerating just a tad, but at the very least I was bred to smoke. Both of my parents smoked from my earliest memories, along with several other family members.
Heck it was the 70's, and the Surgeon General hadn't yet started to really crank out the information and education campaign, and smoking was everywhere. You could still do it in restaurants and public buildings (and lots of people did). My parents did it in the car and the house, and it was just the normal way of things
I didn't smoke at all until I was into my late teens, and it started innocently enough. My roommate smoked, and I would have one here and there with her at a party or something.
I could quit any time, I would never get addicted, I would never buy my own, I would never spend that kind of money on something, I would never smell like smoke.
I told myself all of things and many more as I began my slide into addiction. It started out innocently and spiraled into a full blown pack and a half a day addiction.
If waking up in the morning and anticipating with glee your first cigarette of the day as you clear out the phlegm that's settled in your throat overnight, and blowing all the gunk out of your stuffed up nose sounds like you.....newsflash all signs point to addiction!!
Now for many years the status quo was fine with me. I liked, no make that LOVED to smoke. I had no desire to quit and frankly, if you don't want to quit don't bother to try. You'll fail, feel badly and set up a failure cycle that will make it that much harder to succeed when you really do want to do it.
The Pause-
I paused so many times I lost count of them. Why paused? Well since, I stopped and then started up again I choose to call it a pause. The reasons varied from a Lenten challenge (I would have had better luck giving up food) to lack of funds (in my college days). My two longest pauses where when I was pregnant with my two children. I stopped the moment I found out I was pregnant, and lasted through childbirth and beyond. I nursed my youngest for 20 months, so I paused for over 2 years the last time. Why on earth did I ever start again???
The answer to the best of my knowledge is habit, comfort, and stress. So finally, finally I am about to bestow upon you some thoughts on how to succeed at quitting smoking. Because this time I have quit for good and always.
Quitting Once And For All-
Find Your Motivation-
Quitting when I was pregnant was a snap, did it with ease and never looked back. Quitting every other time was a problem to say the least. I finally found my motivation to quit for good, yours may vary, but find it and I think the job will be easier. For me, the motivation was my children. They will not be bred to smoke! I don't want them to remember me sneaking outside after dinner to have a quickie, I don't want them to hug me and catch a whiff, and I want to live long enough to watch my grandchildren grow up!
Gross Yourself Out-
As much as I was motivated to quit, I was plagued with weak moments. I developed a little strategy to help gross me out. I kept a coat that I had used for my trips outside to smoke in and I would make myself smell it, the stale odor usually helped curb my cravings, but just in case it didn't I would pull out the big gun, er can (the stinky ashtray/coffee can outside) and get a load of all of the butts piled up in there.
Put It On Paper-
Lucky for me my decision to quit coincided with a LARGE sales tax hike on cigarettes last New Years. I think they run about $5.50 a pack here now. I put down on a sheet of paper what I was spending monthly and yearly on cigarettes and I look it over when I need motivation.
Get A Buddy!
My husband has always been a buddy to me, but during my quitting ordeal he was especially helpful. The first few days were difficult and I was cranky at best and maybe ornery at times. He kept telling me I couldn't have one, I didn't need one and so on. It helped really. He was quitting too, and we did it together.
Ditch The Bad Habits-
Whatever the bad habits were, alter them as best you can, and ditch the ones you can. I stopped hanging out with friends that smoked for awhile. I always took the kids in the car so I couldn't smoke. My husband and I only went to non-smoking restaurants, and so on. Anythng you can think of to keep you out of temptation, do it!
Reward Yourself-
I'm a girl that loves to pamper, and for every month I go smoke free, a treat awaits. I pick it out at the beginning of the month and await it eagerly. Even now, as the urges are minimal, I stick with the reward. Why? Why not? I think any motivation to keep up with non-smoking is beneficial, and don't we all love little treats?
Remember, Smoking Just One Is How It All Started!
That might be my single most helpful bit of advice to you. I can't smoke just one and walk away. There may have been a time when that was possible, but it is long past for me. Just one, will be my downfall, and my quitting will be just another pause in the road.
Final Thoughts-
Addiction to smoking is an insidious thing, what often starts out as social, relatively innocent behavior can quickly turn into a lifelong battle to beat it. I look at my beautiful children each day and think what gifts they are. Becoming a mother was the truest milestone in my life and the motivation for almost everything I do. Quitting smoking will be worth it for me, and anyone else who sets their mind to quitting rather than pausing! You can do it if you want to.
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This review is a contribution to the milestones write-off hosted by Epinions member naphtalia as she passes 75,000 hits and 600 reviews. I cannot imagine! Congratulations.
Please look over the other contributions by the following members for more milestones:
azielinski
yusakugo
jo.com
bluehawq
reviewer12
gungian
RadioGuy
EdGrover
ArtByJude
erinrounds
Faireheart
Centaur
Mattygroves
Telynor
MaryTara
naphtalia
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