This is the first time I've ever talked about my addiction on a real level. If you feel like this post is too long, by no means are you obligated to read it - I just want to share my experience in as much detail as possible so I can look back to it at a later date to see how far I've come. Let me give you a little information about who I am and my smoking history. No, I'm not a veteran-smoker. Although I do share the same downfall as one; I'm addicted. I'm 19 and have been smoking since October 2008. "Five years? That's nothing. Try smoking a pack and-a-half a day for twenty years!" Let me break it down to numbers - some very estimated, yet terrifying numbers. Assuming each cigarette takes 5 minutes off of your life, and assuming my smoking addiction increased a set percentage every year I've taken off 133900 minutes of my life thus far. That's 26780 cigarettes x 5 minutes, or 2231.7 hours, or 93 days. The more I enter into my adulthood, the more I realize that time is a valuable thing. Let alone my family-genetics are notorious for Cancers of all forms.
I started smoking when I was 14. My parents moved me from a big city to a small country town. How did I "get back at them"? By smoking. Isn't that great logic? "My mom smokes, she can't stop me!" Well, the joke's on me because this is the hardest thing I've ever had to deal with. Smoking was my stress relief, my coping mechanism, something to do when I was bored, it helped me think, it relaxed me, it was my reward for going an hour without a cigarette. Nowadays smoking is viewed as such a dirty thing. It's most definitely not the norm anymore. Out of a group of 12 friends, I was the only one who smoked.
I've tried to quit smoking before. I did want to quit, but I just didn't have a reason to. This time's different; my reason is now "why not?" What do I have to lose by quitting smoking? Not a DAMN thing. I guess the fear of change is what held me back the past attempts. I mean, it's become such a daily part of my life for so long. It's the one thing that's always been there for me. I don't like feeling controlled by a substance (I guess that's why they call it addiction). It got to the point where all I could think about was when I could have my next cigarette, would I have time to fit one in between point-A and point-B, and if not I'd take a detour just so I could. I felt trapped.
This is what has brought me to the conclusion that it is time to quit before it gets out of hand.
Day One - Overview
In all honesty, I thought today would have been a lot harder. Before I went home last night, I had my last cigarette and threw out the rest of my pack along with my lighters. I had the best sleep I've had in a while. When I woke up, I woke up with the determination that TODAY IS THE DAY. It's the start of the month so it's an easy date to remember.
I wore the NicoDerm 2mg patch all day. That was part of my reasoning for not smoking, "I can't have a cigarette today because I'm wearing the patch." The patch, coupled along with a pack of gum, straws and breathmints really got me through the day. Yes, I wanted a cigarette. I would have killed for a cigarette. I even forced myself to sit with someone while they had a cigarette - yes it was a big risk. I could have smoked. I was so proud of myself that it didn't even cross my mind.
I guess I'm just posing on here to share my experiences with others, but I do need support as well. Day 3 or 4 may not be as easy as Day 1. If you took the time to read my novel of a post, I sincerely thank-you. This is the first time I've talked about my addiction without defending it. Any advice or tips that you use(d) would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again for reading!
- Landon
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it dont matter how long you have been smoking once its got you hooked it will try and hang on for dear life
But you can beat it
there are some good reads in the help to quit section not only is it very helpful in educating us all its a great way to distract your mind when your craving
you sound determined to beat this and as long as you stay positive and use this place as much as you need you will win your freedom back
i look forward to reading your updates as you start your journey
Thank you for putting such a detailed post. It really does make us feel we know you so well already.
Congratulations on making it through day one.
where abouts roughly do you live as you mentioned you had got through day one but in the UK it is just about midday?
we have friends in this non-smoking forum community from Austrailia and America among others, it is nice to know (also, if that is the case, please don't get disheartened if you come on and there is no one replying quickly as it may be the middle of the night.)
wishing you all the best for day 2 and looking forward to following your progress.
Welcome and congratulations on making a seriously good decision, probably the best decision you will make in your life. You sound positive and clear in your reasons for quitting. I can only reiterate what has been said above.
Use this forum as a quit smoking aid it certainly helped me quit a 40 year habit.
Use whatever you can to stop yourself from having fags and use this forum too. The lovely people on this forum understand exactly what it's like stopping the fags. You can come here to ask questions or just have a general rant if need be....everyone understands! Read other peoples' experiences too....it really is helpful.
I have no reason to give myself to not quit - which is rare - so its kind of carpediem! My kids have grown and almost flown - I am still single - AND I BLAME THE CIGS!!! I was out in the city last week having a sneaky cig on the street, and a lady with a small child gave me such a wide berth (and the look on her face - I may as well have been injecting Heroin!)Oh the smelly shame inducing patheticness of it all. And I have to repaint the walls in my house every year... well ha! No more!
So I got my sugar free, nicotine full minty gum today - just dont know how thats going to work out with my coffee....
Wish my luck!
And good luck with your campaign - I am starting to realise this isnt just a battle - ITS ALL OUT WAR!
I've got a feeling that you are not the same person as dlandon, who started this thread! This is the place to be for 24 hour support, but maybe it would be even better if you had your very own thread and then it would be especially for you, rather than shared!
Can you find your way back in the forum to the Planning and Preparation thread? I willtake a bold leaf out of dear carol62's book and open you up a thread of your very own and then you can be sure that the support will all be tailored to you and dlandon can be sure that all the support on this thread is tailored to him/her!
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Day one nearly over!!
The end of \"sigh\" another day one. 
