Advice 10 months into quit

[Kissingbodia]

I joined here about 10 months ago and finally have decided to post. Hopefully my quit story can be useful to some, as so many here have been for me.

I'm 31, had been smoking since I was 16 and from 26 or so had tried weakly a few times to quit. I never did, but manged to cut down to 3 or 4 a day during the weeks. However I would binge smoke at weekends when drinking... Sometimes a whole pouch of tobacco in an evening. This was a stage of my life where I was living in London, single, with friends, had money. Some weekends were heavy sessions, all night ones with drinking (and other things). I'd chain smoke sometimes for 24 hours. This continued for a couple of years.

I then met my now finance. While she never forced me to quit she did encourage me to try. So I did. And for 2 months I succeed. But my heart was never in it - that all important metal aspect - so smoking started sneaking in.

'Only when drinking' etc etc.

I then stated smoking secretly. I’d stay later at work to have a couple of cigarettes, pop into pubs so I could smoke (smoking had always led drinking - 'shall we stop for a beer'...' great, I can have a cigarette') and my drinking started to increase… so I could smoke.

This is when my mentality changed. Did I want to quit, or was I doing it for someone else? Every quit before my attitude was that yes, I was not smoking, but I was depriving myself of something I enjoyed. That is addiction. Your mind convinces you that enjoy it

Eventually I realised the only person I was kidding was myself by hiding it. So I had a choice. Either smoke full time and openly, or not at all. So on the 19th Jan 2016 while having a few beers before football and chain smoking, I had my last. And haven't smoked since.

I have to say first, it has been hard but I managed it. But that is ONLY because I changed my mental attitude to giving up. The physical addiction was easy. The meant side is where I always failed. This is my advice to anyone struggling. Unless you change the mental attitude then it will be so, so hard. Read about addiction. Read about changing your attitude to smoking.

And never stop reading. If you've read it before, re-read it. I now never really think about smoking (although it still pops in my head occasionally) but still make sure I read this forum as I know compliancy is a path to failure in addiction

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[Hidden]

hi Kissingbodia

what a name 😊

yes you do have to be in the right place to stop.

routine and daily life patterns need to change.not easy. 😒

mentally its a hard battle,but with determination and a strong mind not to let me nicotine in 😈.

you have done excellent.keep fighting don't become to ?? sorry cant think of word.(too comphy and let guard down)

you will indeed help others 😁

you take care 😊

keep kicking 😎

[Kissingbodia 2 Years Smoke Free in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Thinlizzy54 Nice to meet you. And the word you were looking for is complacent

[Hidden in reply to Kissingbodia]

ha ha yes 😒

take care 😊

keep kicking 😎

[Nozmo Valued Contributor]

Well it may have taken ten months but it was worth waiting for!

Great post Kissingbodia and some very good advice.

[Kissingbodia 2 Years Smoke Free in reply to Nozmo]

Thanks Nozmo! Happy to have finally posted here and hope to contribute and help others if I can

[RoisinO1 Administrator 3 Years Smoke Free]

Wow Kissingbodia , what a great first post and very encouraging, inspirational and helpful especially our newbies here that I hope read.

The complacency trap is the secret weapon of Mr Nico alright and the nostalgic trap too - I am over 14 months quit and still get the nostalgic one, just for old times sake

Keep up the great work and thank you for sharing your story!

(PS Do you mind if I edit your post to 'My advice - 10 months into quit' and pin it to have there for our newbies and lurkers?)

[Kissingbodia 2 Years Smoke Free in reply to RoisinO1]

Hi RoisinO1 and thanks for the kind words. Of course, please pin it - I hope it will be useful! Well done on your quit. Keep it up!