Hello all.
I need some encouragement please. I hate everything about smoking, the smell,the price both health/cost and the shame I feel. I know many of you believe in one method or another to stop but my question is what turned the tide? I stop with every cigarette I put out, with every pack that is empty. I renew my comment to stop yet always have another. I am willing to try Chantix again but I need the mental strength required to make this my last attempt and succeed. What clicked in your mind?
My AHA! moment - realizing it was stressing me to smoke, because I hated being controlled by them, and I don't want to get (or increase my chances) of getting cancer or having a heart attack. I FINALLY realized that my actions do have consequences.
The chantix has been wonderful, and has worked better for me than the patches did.
You'll know when you are ready. You have to be prepared and you will be successful!
deb
motown,
This may not be the best testimonial, but at least it's truthful.
I did not want to quit smoking. I was at my doctor's office for a check up. He asked me if I wanted to quit smoking. I hated to tell him no, so I said sure. He told me about a new drug that was out. He said it had been out less than a month. Asked me if I wanted to try it. Again I hated to my doctor no, so I said okay. Well, he gave me my first month supply. The only reason I agreed was to satisfy him and my non smoking husband. I could then say "See, I tried THAT and it didn't work!!" Well, somewhere during the first week of taking the Chantix, I thought to myself, I may as well give this an honest try. See if it really works. That's what I did. And lo and behold I became a non smoker for the first time since high school!! (I'm having my 40th class reunion this year!). I never thought I would be able to do it. But I'm so proud of myself for giving this a try.
So if I can quit with the negative attitude I had, so can you!!
Mangojunky is right....I don't think anything out there, prescription or non prescription, hypnosis or ANYTHING will work until WE have finally decided for once and for all that we don't want to smoke again, no matter what....we have to have reached 100% determination and commitment.....believe me, I know, as I too quit and failed over and over again. (at least 10 x and 2 times I made it to the one year mark, only to go back to smoking--again!)
What convinced me...my a-ha moment...well, there were quite a few reasons I wanted to quit....socially didn't "fit in" any longer, (isn't that ironic, we all started smoking to "fit in", and we no longer fit in any more?), you are a social outcast in this state if you still smoke, so I was humiliated to smoke in public anymore, heck, I only smoked outside, and I started shutting my garage as I really didn't want my neighbors to see how much I really smoked! LOL Smoking is banned everywhere here anymore, so why even smoke? I live near Davis, (first US city to go smoke-free), and I love to go hang out up there, but you can't even smoke near a building there or you get a ticket!! grrrrr......it was TIME TO QUIT....I was really hating smoking anymore....it truly lost all of it's appeal and glamour and all of that other BS.
Also,.. age....at 48, it was time, I felt, do it soon or you're going to die of something as a result of it....3 family members died of an autoimmune lung disease, (that was probably the biggest reason right there, I was scared to death)....but also some other reasons,...I was just diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, (Hashimoto's thyroiditis-hypothyroid), and I was pretty sick ...I was sick and tired of spending good money on something so bad for me, sick of running to the store late at night, in the rain, etc., sick of sneaking out at work to hide and have a smoke,.....smoking in the cold weather, lookin' like a stupid idiot... tired of causing my kids and my family to worry about me, just too many hassles involved anymore,....it was no fun any longer, it just plain sucked and I had HAD ENOUGH OF IT!!!!! UGHHHHH!!! Another thing was, as I had just been diagnosed with the thyroid problem, it just seemed like once Dr's knew that I smoked, like it seemed like they really didn't want to bother with you! And I knew I needed their help, as I was so ill with the thyroid problems, very sick. Damn,.....I felt like the worlds biggest reject, at times! How can anything that's good make you feel that way???
Motown, I was really beginning to think that something was really wrong with me. I thought I was just TOO addicted to ever quit, and I would actually think, "I'm just more addicted than most people and I don't think I'll ever be able to quit, because I'm just not strong enough!" I would look at the posts on this board, and see all of these strong people that were beating this addiction, having success and think they were all stronger than me....that I was just hopeless. Well, I was wrong, and I proved that to myself in Sept. of '03. I just made up my mind, and I knew it wouldn't be easy, but I didn't care,...I thought, "no matter how hard this is, I'm going to make it work this time, no matter how lousy it feels". One thing I tried to keep in mind, motown, was that I always read that so many million people had quit since 19??,....so I'd think, if those millions of people could've done it, well then surely I can too, and I won't die from it....but I will die if I don't! Yi-KES!
I didn't want to die a young death, like my dear brother did at 46. He left behind his sweet 14 year old boy.....bless his sweet soul....I miss him so much.
For about a year, my life, my emotions went up and down, I felt crazy at times, happy at times, some days real bad, some days real good, all kinds of crazy feelings,...but today I feel great, w-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-l and I never have cravings any more, at all ! I absolutely hate smoking, and I am so grateful that God gave me the strength to do it...also grateful for NRT too.
Motown, I think once we decide we want something bad enough, we can do anything...I swear to this! I know this to be the truth.
Don't give up on yourself....dig deep and you will find the strength in yourself, Motown....I swear [I know] that you can do it! Be of strong mind Motown and just get tough...my mind had to get real tough [with myself] and just fight off a lot of negative thinking, and replace the neg. thoughts with positive ones. Everyone here has had to find their own way to do it, but I'll tell you this, I don't think it's ever easy for anyone...it's just that everyone reached their own breaking point....like they say in A.A., you hit your bottom...or you bottomed out...that's what happens. It was worth all the ups and downs of that 1st year to feel the great way that I feel today.
motown,
This may not be the best testimonial, but at least it's truthful.
I did not want to quit smoking. I was at my doctor's office for a check up. He asked me if I wanted to quit smoking. I hated to tell him no, so I said sure. He told me about a new drug that was out. He said it had been out less than a month. Asked me if I wanted to try it. Again I hated to my doctor no, so I said okay. Well, he gave me my first month supply. The only reason I agreed was to satisfy him and my non smoking husband. I could then say "See, I tried THAT and it didn't work!!" Well, somewhere during the first week of taking the Chantix, I thought to myself, I may as well give this an honest try. See if it really works. That's what I did. And lo and behold I became a non smoker for the first time since high school!! (I'm having my 40th class reunion this year!). I never thought I would be able to do it. But I'm so proud of myself for giving this a try.
So if I can quit with the negative attitude I had, so can you!!
Memaw
Hey Memaw....
Hi girl... This was so refreshing to hear....someone not really fixed on quitting and your mind changed while you were giving it a half hearted attempt, just to appease your Dr. .....see, anything can happen. It would be neat if we all could put our stories together and write a book. Aren't you glad now that your Dr. turned you on to something (like the Chantix) that would work so well for you? He turned out to be your angel.
Congrats--
Deda
PS~Have fun at your reunion... it will be nice to show everyone the new [non-smoking] you!
(I'm having my 40th class reunion this year!). I never thought I would be able to do it. But I'm so proud of myself for giving this a try.
Another thing was, as I had just been diagnosed with the thyroid problem, it just seemed like once Dr's knew that I smoked, like it seemed like they really didn't want to bother with you! And I knew I needed their help, as I was so ill with the thyroid problems, very sick. Damn,.....I felt like the worlds biggest reject, at times! How can anything that's good make you feel that way??? 
Yi-KES!
He left behind his sweet 14 year old boy.....bless his sweet soul....I miss him so much.
Re: What was your AHA! moment? 
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