It must be five or six months since I have smoked. I had been meaning to stop for ages but never had and it was with the advent of fatherhood to my second child that I thought I really must knock this habit on the head... Before it knocked me on the head as it were.
So I stopped. Boom. Just like that.
I won't say it wasn't hard. It was difficult but I was determined and it paid off.
However... You would think that the longer you had stopped something the easier it would get? Oh no. More and more these days I have found myself harking back to the glory days.
I find myself remembering all the good times in my life in which I just so happened to be smoking or had a cigarette in my hand. It is very bizarre because these things would all have happened anyway. But, in the wonderfully weird way the mind works, it has decided to throw these images at me as if it was smoking that caused all the great things to happen to me.
I suspect that the insidious nicotine still has a grip on me at some low level.
It has been building up. Slowly but surely, that little voice in my head has been telling me wouldn't it be great to be smoking right now?
It all came to a head today.
I was coming back to work from my lunch break and had to pass the corner where all the smokers hung out. I felt a pang. I used to be one of them. I stopped for a moment.
Hey Richard, hows things?
I said to one of the guys I used to have many a conversation with.
Erm, alright mate.
He answered. He seemed a little awkward.
I turned to another one of my erstwhile bro's.
And you Bill, ya wild man, whatcha been up to!
I gave Bill a mock shoulder punch. Me and Bill went way back.
Not much mate. Not much.
He answered.
I stayed for a few minutes longer trying to coax some conversation out of them. It was like getting blood out of a stone.
I knew what was happening. I was no longer in the gang. I had stopped smoking and as such was now ostracised from the "cool kids" who still did it. Maybe they were envious of my new found longevity now that I was off the tabs?
I sighed and went back into work. I would like to say that being ostracised by the gang had strengthened my resolve not to smoke but if anything it had made it worse. I sat at my desk and attempted to do some work. A thought kept popping into my head, however.
Surely it wouldn't be so bad to just have the one?
Just one ickle-wickle cigarette. Just one. I mean I could buy some, then head down to the corner and chew the fat with the guys. I just knew that as soon as they saw me smoking again I would be back in the club. There would be back slaps and handshakes and manly shouts of celebration.
Yeah, damn it. I was going to do it. Why not? I mean. I had shown myself to be capable of stopping on a whim. I would just have one.
I reached behind me for my jacket and as I did so I noticed Bill from smokers corner coming over to my desk.
Hey dude, I meant to say, did you see my new phone? It's so cool!
He leaned in to show me his shiny new phone. I opened my mouth to ask if he was heading downstairs and if I could come with him.
Then I smelled it. The acrid smell of cigarettes. He stank of them. Absolutely reeked, like a corpse that had been dipped in glue and rolled in a giant ashtray.
Suddenly I didn't feel the urge to smoke anymore.
All pictures sourced from pixabay and in most cases subjected to various manipulations. Except the gif, it was made by my own fair hands :0)
Authored by: @meesterboom
Great story! This is such a powerful ending, thanks a lot! It gave me the same memory I had when I was a kid surrounded by adults who were smoking everywhere!
I salute your good courage to stick with the abstinence regimen. My dad did the same thing and stopped cold turkey one day he had had enough. He didn't want to be a slave to it anymore and he is still going strong and stronger every day, over 20 years later...
The brain has learned to connect your "good memories" with the cigarette, thus, it is looking for dopamine and the likes by sending you these messages. The only thing you need to focus on when it comes up, make new memories of goodness where you treat yourself, love yourself. this way, you build the new memories you brain will connect to in the near future, eradicating the old "good memories" that are still lingering and connected to apparent self-love.
Namaste :)
Thank you! You have it exactly right, the betraying brain has associated even the simplest things with smoking in an attempt to lure me back in. I am fortunate enough that I am far enough out of it now though that Ican plainly see the negative "benefits" to it. It was the icing on the cake when I smelled the guy. When you smoke you just dont really smell it!
Namaste!
Wow nice post!
Really great success ..congratulations..I worte also how i had been quitting the smoke..
Smoker of 16 long years. It's been a month and 25 days(4 months now) since my last puff. Here's my story;
My first day:Woke up late and got busy with some urgent official work. Unusually it was 4 PM without a smoke. I thought, this could be the day I quit smoking.
The day had to pass without smoking. I decided not refusing anything to myself, but smoking. Started with ordering some good food. Did some long pending online shopping. Bought a movie online. It was 6PM and I immersed myself into the movie. Had food, completed movie, spent time with family and it was 9 o' clock. Dinner and some socialization, touched 11PM. Buying a pack, is 15 KM drive now. Was about to have my first day of another attempt.
It's tough to sleep:Time to bed. Nicotine urge kept me awake so started browsing some literature about quitting and stumbled upon following http://whyquit.com/whyquit/A_Ben.... Felt motivated and slept. I can't say I slept well but I did sleep. Next day when I woke up, I did not want to loose on the struggle of my last day.
My first day at work: On the way to work, I had successfully crossed my cigarette shop. It felt good. The day began. Thoughts were foggy, was unable to focus, so decided to finish some pending back office work. Avoided co-smokers. Avoided situations that create the urge. Time was moving slow. It felt like I will never be normal again. I might loose my creativity. Which feels like a joke now. Lesson: coffee does not help, but increases the urge.
The day had to pass, and food came to rescue. I ordered food in good quantity and shared. Sharing always makes you feel good. Did not have mid day, after lunch - cigarette. Ordered some more food in the evening. Day passed.
First week: Evenings were tough but food, movies, family and hobbies helped. Was unable to get good night sleep but when I woke up, the mouth was not so bad, mood was better.
I do not smell so bad. There is no need to have mouth fresheners regularly. Regular taste in the mouth is better. Throat is not sour always. I attended a family function, felt free that I do not need to find excuses to go out.
I had reasons to continue this journey. I kept reading health journals. Light headedness felt bad first but then I started enjoying it.
I did not fall for "only smoke when you drink" formula, and realized alcohol works better without nicotine.
Face it: Week two, I went out with co-smokers when they smoke, but did not smoke. Had some disagreements, but did not smoke. Enjoyed alcohol without smoke. Visited all the places where I used to smoke but did not. In stress, the first thing that came to my mind was to smoke, but did not. I kept having winning encounters. I requested my close co-workers to co-operate regarding my attitude.
End of physical urge: Generally week three is, when the physical urge reduces drastically. It feels better, stronger. I realized that, when we smoke, the mood swings are frequent. Immediately after smoke, it feels good but the mood swings towards a decline and one has to smoke to get it back to high. Now I am free of nicotine related mood swings. When I wake up I am not so annoyed.
55 Days Passed: I am out of the physical urge. I can sleep peacefully. Health is better. Food tastes better. I wake up fresher. Stamina has increased. I feel good about myself.
(Edit)4 Months Passed: Felt like having a puff, during many booze sessions. It only occurs when someone lits and takes a first puff. Once you pass the first puff, it doesn't matter. It's like you are involved in a discussion. It rarely occurs that you are not smoking.
10 Months: Frequency of throat infection has reduced. Brushing teeth in the morning is a better experience. When asked, still count myself to be a smoker at first, then I proudly tell em that it's been … months that I did not smoke.
All the best.
That is fantastic. It is a wonderful thing to stop, to know that you are not enda=ngering your health needlessly any more! When the physical urge is gone its great
Absolutely..
Awesome story , I really like it.
thanks
Great ending. Great post!
Glad to hear you didn't crumble to the temptation, laughed at the idea of you being cheered back into the smoker's circle with back slaps and handshakes Lol, great post!
Haha, it was a funny idea in my head. I am convinced it would be the case :O)
Lol maybe they'd break into song and everyone would start doing the cha-cha!
I am very inspired by this story.
I am an active smoker, started smoking cigarettes when I was 20 years old until now at my age of 47.
I really want to stop it, I have tried it in some momment, but after two or three days later I go back to smoke a cigarette, I do not know what makes me too tersugesti with this tobacco roll, I used to even enjoy the flower bouquet of marijuana, although in a short duration, I stopped.
Now at the age that has begun to dusk I was only able to plant a determination, I should be able to quit smoking, though somehow, hopefully not death that makes me stop sucking it.
Thanks a lot for share, best Regards
I genuinely think the first week is the hardest. If you can get past that then you cna do it no bother. It makes it easier here because cigarettes cost almost 11GBP a pack :O)
Wow! I'm glad you lost the urge to continue smoking. Guess you just saved yourself from death by lung cancer!
It was always on my mind!
Good that you didn't do it after all!
It always starts with just one and then in no time u find urself part of the gang again and would be harder to quit .
Well done, I know u just lost the feeling not like it's ur well😁 but sell done anyway. 👏
It is always that tiny one and then boom. 20 a day! I am glad I didnt, it has passed now!
I haven’t had a drink in 3 weeks and never will again. I got a DUI for driving after 2 beers on thanksgiving eve, it’s a stressful time. Don’t drive call Uber, if it’s on your breath it will cost you thousands and potential jail time.
Thats rough. Uber is a hero in those circumstances
Goodday Sir!
wooow this is really a great story, I was lost in it when reading it, I hope It is about you personally,, because I imagine the writer in the main personality.
This story inspired very much because I am 25 years old, and I smoke. I always tell myself to stop but I havent stopped yet for almost 5 years,, tomorrow morning I will try to live my life without a cigarette in my hand.
Yup, its about me! I would definitely try. In my twenties I would set myself targets. Like, I will definitely stop when I am 30, then 32, then 35. So on and on. But you dont unless you make that choice now. Even saying, I will just finish this pack is not as powerful as crushing the pack and binning it
Great story and i've been there myself many times, just felt the urge to have one but managed to fight it off, i dont think it ever really leaves you some things seem to trigger the emotion.
Your 100% right the smell is disgusting, mind i do still love the smell of a cigar been smoked.
Cigars smell fantastic dont they! You are right, I dont think it ever leaves you
Yeah it's crazy how when you smoke all this positive associations with having a cig form in your subconscious and conscious minds. Like how a meal is so much better with a cigarette afterwards. Of course I would probably be able to taste my food a lot better if I quit smoking. Props to you for resisting the siren call of the most addictive and most pointless drug on the planet. I hope I can pull off what you did before it's too late.
You got it right there. Sometimes you love it when you smoke and others you are looking at the damn things and thinking, why am I doing this?!
Thats a great achievement, I wish my friends did the same. They don't understand that it's not healthy for them. And a friend who tried to stop smoking. came back to smoking a week later.
It's too hard.
so thats why i'm really proud of you for stopping, even though i don't know you.
Thank you!
I love this post for so many reasons! Never been a smoker myself, but we all have things we need to quit, should quit, have quit, that impact our social situations and in many cases literally change who we are simply from no longer participating in a single act. Quit drinking and come hang at the bar and everyone will treat you differently. Your smoke area example is spot on. Very interesting look at how petty some of our "relationships" really can be. You could have asked those same questions to the same people with a cigarette in your hand and had completely different answers.
So is that guilt on the part of the smoker? I sometimes wonder...
Glad you didn't do it, glad you don't stink, glad you're continuing with your promise to yourself and to your children.
Great post, I enjoyed it!
Thank you for your comment! I will be doing my best to stick to it. Glad you enjoyed the post :O)
The hardest ten days of my life was when I quit smoking. Like you, I remember the first time my mom-smoking nose smelled the stench pass my in the grocery store aisle. I nearly hurled in the cereal aisle. Well done, mate! You are thrown out of your gang because you leveled up!
Hehe cheers mate!
Congrats! This is so nice to see! Resteemed, so others with the same problem can see it and take inspiration!
Excellent, thank you very much :O)
I am so glad for you that you did not slip. I know every line you wrote as i have been there myself so many times. And i slipped recently. And now i will have to start all over again. And you are the man. Got a tap on the back from me and sorry for smelling so bad :)
Hehe, at least you are trying. I slipped many times before finally (hopefully) managing to stay on the wagon
Dude inspiring stuff. Im currently trying to quit as well. Im 26 years old and iv been smoking for almost 11 years! Thanks for sharing dude. Hopefully your story helps some one else beat the cancer sticks too.
It's the perfect time for you to quit mate. Give it a go!!
Nice story,
I also stopped smoking just before the birth of my second child, cold turkey.
I stopped for three years, and then had "one".
36 hours later I was back to a packet a day, until I came to my senses again after three months and re-quit.
It was so much harder the second time to quit.
Better stay stopped.
Good luck!
That has happened to me before. Just one then you dind yourself back on them. Its a slippery slope that is best not started! Cheers mate :O)
Very inspirational story. Good for you. Stick with it. I know from experience it never goes away but it does get easier to resist. You just have to focus on the negatives when you get the urge. The hangover's are definitely worse. The smell on your clothes and hands. The taste in your mouth in the morning. Having to worry about your breath when you're talking to people. They have all come in handy at different times to keep me from having "just one". Good job and good luck!
I notice the hangovers are way easier to deal with when not smoking. The smell is awful, that will be the main thing that keeps me on the straight and narrow I think. Cheers!
Smoking weed is still the best. Nicotine kills
i had to quit weed to quit smoking. I knew there was no way i could do one without the other. I've relapsed on weed haha, but not smoking.
It was that in my youth that got me started ;O)
Oh! I had better be careful then
Lol... One corner just for once... Smoker gang influence
you stop smoking
@adsactly a very inspiring story, I hope, boys can imitate your behavior.
good story.
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I went out with co-smokers when they smoke, but did not smoke. Had some disagreements, but did not smoke. Enjoyed alcohol without smoke. Visited all the places where I used to smoke but did not. In stress, the first thing that came to my mind was to smoke, but did not. I kept having winning encounters. I requested my close co-workers to co-operate regarding my attitude.
Generally week three is, when the physical urge reduces drastically. It feels better, stronger. I realized that, when we smoke, the mood swings are frequent. Immediately after smoke, it feels good but the mood swings towards a decline and one has to smoke to get it back to high. Now I am free of nicotine related mood swings. When I wake up I am not so annoyed.
I am out of the physical urge. I can sleep peacefully. Health is better. Food tastes better. I wake up fresher. Stamina has increased. I feel good about myself.
this is an instructive and interesting story, many people are faced with this, and not many are lucky as you, once and for all, at one point quit smoking) thanks for an interesting story from life
That's Good you stop smoking!!!
One thing that l don't hesitate doing is getting involved in anti smoking campaigns we always have the anti smoking campaign at church marching around distributing fliers on the streets and l'm syre its helping a lot of smokers out there.Keep it up and encourage others with yourtestimony
You are very strong man! Good decision!
I started smoking cigarettes again after many years, now it’s time to quit
I was curious if you started smoking again or not. You didn't. Good choise @adsactly. You are brave! Keep staying away from cigarettes. You can do it!
I have the determination!
Most people, who have quit smoking, have had at least one unsuccessful try in the past. It is not important how many times you try to quit. The only important thing is, that eventually you stay quit
Great post, well done for breaking the habit. I am a hypnotist and have helped many to stop, and it is ever easy!
Great man I love your story you are a real man
That's what's up.
Inspiring for many because smoking is such a hard habit to quit!!
Great story
You pulled through the struggle. I hope others battling with smoking will come out of it someday
nice story i see me in you!
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Smoking is an addiction !amy have tried to stop. Nice you were able to break up with the smoking habbit
Good story and nice presentation! Thanks for your writing!
I understand that feeling so much. I stopped smoking 2 years ago in August. Sometimes I want one, but then I smell a smoker and lose the desire of wanting one. I feel so bad that I use to subject people to that smell.
what a nice story.
Congratulations! I believe its really a great achievement though I just smoke for a while in my teen years and overcome it before it get into my system.
stop smoking and drinking alcohol before it's too late, do not you love your family ?.
my advice change your cigarette with chewing gum.
Ah but if you had read the post you would know that I had stopped
Hey man LOVED the post im gonna start following you if you don't mind could you follow me? :)
This only proves that you have a high self-control @adsactly ! That's a good sign cause if you can control smoking which is most of the time hard, you can definitely control other things. You just need to divert your attention, I know it helps. :)
I am happy for you @adsactly ! Resteemed!
great story. its sad that smoking is such a social thing. that when you quit smoking you are most likey going to lose a friend or two. But it is so worth it.
It takes a lot of self control and determination to quit on something. On my recent travel to Philippines, there is a picture of man skinny had breathing difficulties and a tiny baby on the packet of a cigarette and there is a warning that says cigarette is dangerous to your health. It can cause lung cancer or premature babies. There are more pictures, all depicting how cigarette is harmful for you.