“I grew up as an Army child, eventually settling in Brecon. I had my first cigarette at 15, smoking occasionally whilst doing my ‘A’ levels at boarding school. My smoking habit started properly in my first job at the age of 19. Looking back I think that was to fit in with the other two women working in the office and to be honest I liked it. I did enjoy smoking. I liked the “me time it gave me” and the sense of camaraderie I got from standing outside in the freezing cold or pouring rain with all the other socially excluded smokers.
On the flip side, I used to lie awake at night or wake up in a cold sweat fearing the future I was giving to my children by smoking. I kept thinking that if I was to get cancer, or lose a leg or get COPD or whatever, how on earth would I explain to my children – that it was my own fault that I was in that way. And, if I was to die, what would happen to my children? What sort of mother did that make me?”
I have tried a number of ways of giving up in the past. Sometimes being successful for a few days or few weeks or once a number of months. I have tried the gum, the patches, cold turkey, tablets, microtabs you name it, but always reverted back to smoking again. Anyhow, finally, I was fed up with the guilt and decided that I WAS going to stop and that I would become a non-smoker.
I went to the GP and was prescribed “Champix”. They did make me feel very sick. I only managed to take them for a couple of weeks, but it did put me off smoking. A number of things helped me this time. I had a different mental attitude – I told myself that I was now a non-smoker. Also, after being so ill with the Champix and managing to give up, I had and have no desire to make it a waste of time by starting smoking again. Electronic cigarettes proved useful for the occasional nights out etc, or the times when I really could have given in. A puff or two and that was it. I also downloaded an app on my Smartphone called “Cessation Nation”. It gives you statistics on how much money you have saved, how long exactly since you gave up (April 28th for me, 144 days) and how you are doing in health benefits.
There are also a couple of games for you to play to distract you when you really fancy a cigarette. The app worked for me as I could actually see how much I was saving (£936.00 to date) and what the benefits to me were. I do still struggle sometimes, would still love to have a fag occasionally – but I’m not going to.
My advice to anyone thinking of giving up is try it, try it again and keep trying – you will succeed.
Life as a non-smoker is not bad and not to be feared. It’s actually quite liberating not worrying if you have fags, or the money to buy them, remembering them when you leave the house, not running out of breath running up the stairs, smelling nice……..having money! Which reminds me, really is worth putting your cigarette money in a pot. Save it and spend it on you. Otherwise it just gets swallowed up in everyday housekeeping money and you don’t see the benefits directly. Good luck.”
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