Smoking is NOT an Option!!
Jun 15 '00 (Updated Jul 02 '00)
**I finally found a suitable category for the following editorial I wrote in March...it finally has a home!!!**
Exactly 6 days, 1 hour, 18 minutes, and 32 seconds ago, I quit smoking cigarettes. In that time, I have not inhaled 151 cigarettes and have saved myself $30.27 and 12 hours, 35 minutes of my life.
This is my second serious attempt to break this filthy habit. The last time I quit was on October 30, 1997 and I stayed quit for a year and a half. I broke down and had "just one" when my life was in a state of upheaval.
I am not going to preach about WHY people should quit smoking. If you smoke, you know all of that stuff already. My post is about how I prepared for my Quit.
Both of my Quits started off with these common elements:
1) A very strong desire to stop smoking. The "want" has to be great enough or the quit will not be successful.
2)The realization that smoking is not just a dirty habit, it is AN ADDICTION.
3) Lack of sleep because of constant nighttime coughing fits. I also woke up several times a night with nicotine cravings.
4) Tired of hiding the fact I smoked. I was a "closet smoker," which means I did not light up in front of anyone, just when I was alone. I felt like an outsider in many social circles.
5) An arsenal of Quit Aids in my home, my car, and my purse. As I stated previously, smoking is an addiction and must be treated that way. The old school of thinking is that you must completely suffer during your quit to stay Quit, meaning going cold turkey. It is simply not true. Many quitters who have remained Quit for YEARS were aided by Nicotine Replacements (patches, gum, inhalers) and prescription drugs such as Wellbutrin and Zyban. If quit aids seem too expensive add up how much money you waste on smokes a week. That should change your mind really quickly.
Addictions are difficult to conquer, so I strongly suggest finding a support group on the Internet.
Among the ones I have found useful are:
-www.quitnet.org---a wonderful site; highly recommend; chat rooms, message boards, many helpful people; no flaming allowed; lots of info on quitting and on smoking;
-alt.support.stop-smoking--a newsgroup; many helpful people here; lots of flame wars and spam;
-www.motleyfool.com--no personal experience with this group. Nevertheless, The Fool usually has excellent boards and I would not hesitate visiting this one if I felt the need.
Get a meter! You can see mine at the end of this post. It is a small program that counts off exactly where you are in your quit. Many meters are offered for *free* on the web. Here is a site where you can take a look at the meters that are compatible with you and your computer's needs : http://quitsmoking.about.com/msubquitmeters.htm?rnk=r1&terms=silkquit
One last note: I believe that once a person is a smoker, they are always a smoker. A quitter can never let his guard down. A quit lasts only as long as a quitters willpower. One slip and the quit is in danger of becoming a bad habit again, as it did in my previous attempt.
Stay Smober,
Joy
Six days, 1 hour, 38 minutes and 24 seconds. 151 cigarettes not smoked, saving $30.34 towards something really cool that doesn't involve decreasing my lung capacity. Life saved: 12 hours, 35 minutes.
**My quit is still going strong by the way...here are my stats as of today:
Two months, three weeks, five days, 35 minutes and 50 seconds. 2150 cigarettes not smoked, saving $434.91 towards something extravagant and luxurious!!!! Possibly something glittery? Life saved: 1 week, 11 hours, 10 minutes.
ONE OTHER THING...
This epinion is a repost but I don't know how to transfer an epinion over to another category. I have asked The Powers That Be at Epinions via email but have not received an answer. If you know how to do this without a "deleted epinion" showing up on my list, please email me!
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Epinions.com ID:
Starrrynit
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Location: Chicago, Illinois area
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