What it took for me to stop and why.

[nsd_user663_63263]

I am not sure if the information i am sharing will help anyone,as its all subjective

For a 20 a day smoker,who played tennis and cycled to his job each day,smoking seemed like a vice I had earned."Balanced out" with the physical activity and work related issues.Perhaps you balance it out with the stress you endure,perhaps a permanent state of stress is perpetual and a cigarette helps you through it.What made me quit was not my health,it was not the money.It was a strange sense that I could have a better existence without being joined at the hip to these little white monsters,which if we are honest,do they make you feel that much better?

Cigarettes fill a void,a hole within ourselves, for whatever reason we smoke.If we look into ourselves we need them due to the nicotine,but for other reasons as well.Its not just nicotine,a cigarette is a friend on a cold rainy morning, or a comfortable arm round the shoulder at the end of a hard days work.If you replace the cigarette void with something else, you will reap the rewards and I guarantee you will feel better, but not isolated to a physical feeling of health, it will transcend into feeling mentally stronger,and knowing you don't have to fall back on a cigarette in a time of stress, or simple boredom.

On the flip side It turns out i cant stand milk with my new sense of taste which sucks! Dont have a "last ciggerette" simply means you still want them.Throw away that pack and start right now.

[nsd_user663_62023]

Welcome to the forum James, I too used to cancel out smoking by cycling! I still love milk though!

Always interesting to read other people's views on why they smoked and why they quit.

[nsd_user663_40405]

Welcome James

[nsd_user663_2681]

Hi James, great post and welcome to the forum xxx

[nsd_user663_60964]

Welcome from me too James, and thanks for sharing your (excellent) quitting reasons with us. When did you quit by the way?

Other than having noticed I was occasionally a little wheezy in the night I honestly didn't think smoking was effecting me much. It was therefore a total revelation when I quit. It's the small things that are so unexpected- hair, skin, teeth, nails- as well as suddenly having a whole heap of additional energy, sleeping more soundly, being able to run where previously I could only have walked, no longer getting out of breath when climbing hills....the list is endless.

Any would-be quitters reading this, I do hope you'll take inspiration from James's post (and the forum in general of course) and take the plunge. I promise you'll never have a moment's regret.

Looking forward to more of your posts James.

[nsd_user663_63263]

Many thanks for the kind words ,It has been 5 weeks to anyone asking.

james