Off them since October 2005

Paddyo

Again another self congratulatroy thread.

After 25 years smoking I have finally beaten them. The best part is that my wife also gave up at the same time - October 2005.

Some gum, patches and will power did the trick - and maybe that my wife was told that she would end up with empazima. The next day - a thursday - we gave up.

It was really tough but I am now so so glad. Its funny, but one of the things that keeps me off them is the thought of having to give them up again - if that makes sense.

The smoking ban was also a great help.

No more smelly house, yellow walls and ceilings, smelly clothes and no more panicking when I am down to my last one and the shops are closed.


Anyway - for anyone who is trying to quit, good luck and dont let them beat you - you are in control!!

Paddyo

Kolodny

Paddyo wrote:

It was really tough but I am now so so glad. Its funny, but one of the things that keeps me off them is the thought of having to give them up again - if that makes sense.

I know exactly what you mean. It was so tough at the beginning, and you'd feel you had put yourself through all that for nothing.

Paddyo wrote:

no more panicking when I am down to my last one and the shops are closed.

That's something I really don't miss. I feel quite sorry for my smoking housemates when they're sitting there late at night trying to decide whether to walk half an hour to the nearest 24 hour shop or just go to bed. It's hard to believe now that I used to have that dilemma!

Well done paddyo, it's a huge achievement. It's great that you and your wife quit together too. When I quit, my partner at the time didn't and that was quite tough sometimes. He did make an effort not to smoke in front of me too much but I could always smell it on him (although in retrospect that probably spurred me on even more as it made me realise how I had smelled before quitting! )

massplanck

fair play paddy.

its great being in control of yourself again!

Supercell

You are not off them, you quit them (hopefully).

I quit three years ago and had the "off them" mentality for a year or so ..you are off something thats nice, the cigs are something you quit.

Do you still tell your mates that you are off the smokes two years?, or you quit them 2 years?..

You haven't beaten the addiction until you can say you quit them, or when someone asks you "do you smoke" if the answer is "im off them x time" then you are still a smoker in your mind..the correct answer is "I don't smoke" EOD.