Ok, so the other day a good friend of mine asked me how I quit smoking. It never really dawned on me how I quit could possibly be of any use to someone else contemplating the giant leap but, I tried to give her my two cents and I'm not really sure it helped or not. But, I am going to attempt to lay out how I quit and explain something about quitting in general I discovered during the process. And just as a reminder I am currenlty going 4 months without a single cigarette.
I think somethings are important to mention just for the sake of full disclosure here. I never considered myself a hardcore smoker. Most of the time I never smoked during the week I for the most part kept it confined to a weekend drinking phenomenon. Though at my height while working at Applebee's I was smoking quite a bit. I was probably close to 2 or 3 packs of week as I found myself just to get the hell out of the restaurant and well everyone else I worked with did. This said I don't think I was ever completly physically addicited to the substance. It was just stress relief and a handy companion to a nice cold beer.
So how did I quit? I've tried and thought about quitting several times. I just never seemed to have the will power to pull through with completely and kick the habit. But, I remeber clearly the day I decided to quit. I was actually in the middle of sucking down cigarettes, drinking beer, and tailgating up in Athens. The topic of conversation came up about cigarettes and quitting. How everyone thinking about quitting was currently smoking. Then my cousin said something that made me realize I wanted to quit. I am not really sure what it was the clicked in my head but, all he said was "The hardest part about quitting is when everyone tries to offer you a cigarette, especially when drinking. That all you got to do is make tell to back off." Okay, not really inspirational stuff, I know. But, it clicked. It was a challenge. A gauntlet, if you will smack, in my face. I was going to make it personal. Me versus everyone one else. I wasn't going to back down.
I think that is the key. There are millions of ways and strategies to quit. But, in the end if you don't want to quit more than you like the pleasures and comforts of a nice cigarette. It is all pointless. It is pure simple economics. You got to be willing to give that part of your life up. In return for the pure pleasure of never smoking again. It is tough because the reward for smoking that cigarette is instentaneous. While the rewards of not smoking are simply long-term. Longer, healthier life. It isn't easy.
But, the strategy I employed was fairly simple I feel. One I made it personal. A challenge I wasn't going to back down from. I hate losing and I love being the under dog. I was going to kick cigarettes ass. Pure and simple Two. I told people I was quitting. It is one thing to say your quitting but, for me once I say I am going to do something. I am going to do it. I hate failing. I hate even worse for people to see me fail. I burnt my bridges. If I was going to quit. I was going to quit or fail gloriously in the process. Three, Well I decided if I was going to give up something I had to take it easy on someother area of my life. You always here of people giving up cigarettes putting on a lot of weight in order to fulfill some oral fixation. I went another route. Every week I went without a cigarette I would buy myself a cd. If I didn't make it no cd. Which is kind reward/punishment. I love buying cd's it is one of my few true indulgences. I couldn't imagine not being able to buy a new cd ever again. Fortunatly I have rather cheap indulgences so what I was spending on cigarettes roughly equalled what I would be paying for a cd.
With strategy in hand I begin the process. All was well and good up until the first weekend. Oh my God it was so painful. That weekend I went up with a friend to a bar and proceeded to smoke about an entire pack right in front me my body started to convulse with the desire just to say fuck it. So I just fixated myself on the reward. I kept telling myself what would you rather have a nice new cd at the end of the week or one cigarette right now you are only going to regret. That is the only thing that kept me from lighting up. I think that why the second most important thing is to have that prize for you at the end of the week. Something a little more short-term too offset that desire for the short-term rewards of a cigarette. It makes it more tangible to have something dangling there for you at the end of the week. To say look what you did. Went a week without a cigarette one of the hardest habits to quit period. It is impressive just to go a week without. Give praise and reward were it is dully deserved.
I kept this up for a month. Just keeping my eye on the prize every time someone lighted up next to me. The first month was hard. I just wanted to break sometimes. I'd have a long day be tired and just want a cold beer and cigarette. I would refocus my mind on the damn simple CD. It worked and I'm suprised it did honestly. Now four months into the process it is the streak that gives me the will power I need. I couldn't possibly let myself down by breaking my streak. I look forward to 5 months 6 months, and hopefully a year from now. I enjoy letting people know. A little look at me never hurt anyone. I am proud of myself and rightly so. And honestly, I really does get easier the longer I go without one. I really never get cravings anymore. An occasional twinge just to indulge in that safe familiar feeling. I can't do it anymore though and it is easier to push out of my mind.
Well this is all pretty long and I'm not sure if it will be helpful to anyone else considering the leap but, it is how I did it. I do want to mention relapse really quick though. If you do fail. Which hell I might possibly have a moment a weakness eventually myself. We are all human. Don't beat yourself up. Get mad and get determined you are going to learn from the lesson and you going to quit once and for all. Restart, reclear your mind, and go at it with as much gusto you can muster. And always remeber the buring desire to be a non-smoker versus being a smoker is were you have to start.
2 comments:
I am still SO proud of you Michael! And I think your story and advice would be really helpful for people trying to quit. As i've told you before, i work with a doctor who does smoking cessation research. One important thing you mentioned is telling people you're quitting- having support from your friends and family can make all the difference sometimes. And your smoking friends KNOW you're trying to quit, they won't offer you cigs and tempt you when you're vulnerable.
One other thing I've learned: nicotine is SO physically addictive, sometimes nicotine replacement therapy (like the patch, nicotine gum, or even prescribed meds) can really help heavy/daily smokers quit, so encourage your friend to check that out if they need additional help.
I think Haley hits on some good points that I didn't really go into a lot of detail in on the blog. In the whole full disclosure part I wanted to reference the fact me quitting vs. a everyday smoker is like night and day. And that is were the different strategies (i.e. patch, nicotine gum, etc.) are specifically tailored for specific individuals and levels of addiction. I just wanted to give a template or an example where people could take it and mold it into a plan that could work for them.
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