The thought of getting lung cancer scared the **** out of me. I smoked for 10 years and was up to 2 packs a day for the last few years before I quit. It was starting to make me feel pretty crappy and I kept picturing myself at the stage of life I'm in now, stuck in a hospital bed hooked up to an iron lung. I knew I had to quit.
I had tried quitting several times before coming to that "I will do it" attitude. I will tell you, trying to cut back didn't work for me.
It was cold turkey. I believe that is the most effective way to stop smoking. Nicotine is completely out of your system in 3 days. After that, all your cravings are psychological.
I threw out every single piece of smoking paraphenalia I had. All cigarettes were thrown out. All the ashtrays, matches, and lighters were thrown out. All the trash cans were emptied so there was not a single remnant of smoking in the house. I bought hard candy and gum and started exercising. I won't lie to you. It was hell. It was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life and if I hadn't gotten rid of everything in the house I wouldn't have made it. I remember searching through the laundry room trash hoping to find a butt in there. No luck. And I refused to go out and buy more cigarettes.
Day by day it got better. Now here I am, 16 years later, studying martial arts and in great shape. I have a deep suspicion that if I hadn't quit when I did, my life today would be in a much sadder place.
There is a book that has come out since I quit that I have heard rave reviews from ex-smokers and wish it had been available when I quit. It's called "The Easy Way To Stop Smoking" by Allen Carr. Here is an overview:
Book Description
A new edition of the revolutionary bestseller, with four million copies in print. Allen Carr’s innovative Easyway method—which he discovered after his own 100-cigarette-a-day habit nearly drove him to despair—has helped millions kick smoking without feeling anxious and deprived. That’s because he helps smokers discover the psychological reasons behind their dependency, explains in detail how to handle the withdrawal symptoms, shows them how to avoid situations when temptation might become too strong, and enables them to stay smoke-free. Carr discusses such issues as nicotine addiction; the social “brainwashing” that encourages smoking; the false belief that a cigarette relieves stress; the role boredom plays in sabotaging efforts to stop; and the main reasons for failure. With this proven program, smokers will be throwing away their packs for good.
Find it
here.
I used to LOVE smoking. I only quit because I was becoming scared for my health. Trust me, if I can do it, anyone can do it. Good Luck. It's worth it and you can do it.
So cut away.
