A former smoker’s story

Judith Schwader tells her story in the hope that she can inspire others to give up.

Every time I attempted to quit smoking was a valuable rehearsal, and every method I tried brought me that much closer to finding what ultimately worked for me.

Remember this, and keep trying. You will find YOUR best way to quitting smoking. Every time you quit and start again is one time closer to the final quit. If that hardly seems like a pep- talk, well a non-smoker reading this really doesn’t get the picture anyway - they never can. And nothing about quitting is peppy to a smoker.

So here are some of your choices if you’re looking at quitting... again or for the first time.

1. Cold turkey. (Really, this is a turkey of an idea.)
Some people do it successfully, but it’s a set-up for most of us. You’re going to have physical withdrawal symptoms. But go ahead and use this strategy if you’re determined. Just consider this: why not set yourself up for some success instead?

2. Gradual reduction. You can accomplish this in different ways.
a. Get rid of one light-em-up trigger in your environment at a time. My first trigger to eliminate was to separate coffee and cigarettes by at least 15 minutes. I could have both of them, just not together.
Eventually, I stopped associating coffee with smoking.

b. Reduce the strength. This means going from a Camel straight - to a
filter - to a light - to a light 100 - and by that point, it’s almost a why bother?

3. Nicotine replacement therapy.
a. Patches. These allowed me to create some new behaviours without also experiencing the physical discomfort of nicotine withdrawal but they are expensive

b. Nicotine gum. Which you don’t chew, except just long enough to release the dose and then you ‘park’ it between your gum and cheek, where the thin tissues there allow it to be gradually absorbed into your system.

This worked pretty well for me when I was getting that tired feeling and unable to concentrate because of the lack of my
usual dose circulating in my blood. What the gum didn’t really help was the behavioural stuff.

4. Herbal remedies.
Well, I guess you could say tobacco is an herb. Still, there isn’t another ‘herb’ on the planet that even comes close to the versatility and pure compatibility with your system that makes smoking tobacco so addictive.

Ginger cigarettes. Calming herb teas. Herbal supplements for helping you eliminate the toxins. These might help your speed of recovery. Might make it easier to quit. Try them and see. Whatever quitting methods you’re using, drink lots and lots of water, as little alcohol, coffee and soda as possible.

5. Zyban.
My personal favourite, and the thing that finally worked long-term for me. Zyban has a generic name. Ask your doctor and the pharmacist. You still need a prescription for this one, and here’s what’s interesting - it wasn’t designed for smoking cessation. It was originally an anti-depressant, and researchers found that people who were on this medication lost their desire to smoke; it was actually repulsive to them. I followed the instructions. You take the medication for several days before quitting so that it has time to get into your system, and during those days I applied all the stuff I had already learned: eliminate the triggers, cut down on the intake, get some healthy food and some herb tea in the pantry.

It worked. I really didn’t want to smoke. I felt good. It was finally done!

One thing I read somewhere was the question, “How do you get to the point of enjoying life without smoking?” And the given answer was to go six months without smoking. “Very funny,” is what I thought at the time, but half a year is about how long before I really didn’t notice its absence in my life. I had smoked for 20 years. I grieved. Now it’s been two years, and I feel free. I won’t pretend it is easy, but I can say without hesitation that it is worth it.

story courtesy of www.end-smoking.co.uk

Benefits of quitting!!

More cash
If you smoke 20 a day, quitting will save you over £2,000 a year.

Better sex
Stopping smoking improves the body’s blood flow, heightening sensitivity. Men who quit may get better erections and women may find orgasms improved and become aroused more easily.

Improved fertility
Non-smokers find it easier to get pregnant.

Younger looking skin
Stopping smoking has been found to slow facial ageing and the appearance of wrinkles.

Whiter teeth
Giving up tobacco stops teeth becoming stained and means you’ll have fresher breath.

Better breathing
People breathe more easily and cough less when they give up smoking because their lung capacity improves by up to 10%
within nine months.

Longer life
Quitting not only adds years to life, it vastly improves the chance of a disease-free, mobile, happier old age.

Less stress
Scientific studies show that stress levels are lower after stopping smoking.

Improved senses
Kicking the smoking habit gives your senses of smell and taste a real boost as the body recovers from being dulled by the hundreds of toxic chemicals in cigarettes.

More energy
Within two to 12 weeks of stopping smoking, the circulation improves, making all physical activities, including walking and running, much easier. The boost to the immune system from quitting will make it easier to fight off colds and flu.

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