Smoking Cessation

A great miracle has happened in my life which is I haven't had a smoke in two months and 18 days.  I didn't think I would get past the first day but I did.  I am using the a nicotine patch to help me with the withdrawal.  It is a great help with that aspect of me quitting but it is still very difficult.  Another part of quitting is the psychological part.  That is sometimes hard to deal with as well.

I am determined, come hell or high water to beat this problem in my life.  I am now a free man.  My slavery to the nicotine god has ended.  It's control over me has ended.  I no longer have to plan my day around my smoking habits.  I am able to do things for a long period of time without having to stop for a smoke break.  Health wise I feel much better than I did when I smoked.  The severe coughing jags are over.  I don't get out of breath so easily.  Also, food tastes better.  I am able to accomplish more things now.  Smoking took up a great deal of my time.  Another wonderful thing about quitting is all the extra money I have now.  Kim and I love travelling and we are able to do more of it since I quit.  I am able to buy things for myself once in a while.  I have purchased books, magazines, fishing tackle, and Kim and I get to eat out more often.  The blessings I have received from quitting are enormous and probably I couldn't count them all.

How did I do it?  Mostly by keeping busy.  When my mind and hands are occupied I don't have time to think about having a smoke.  When I get a real bad craving I tell myself just to put off having a smoke for the next hour.  By that time the craving has passed.  I also go find something to do to keep my mind off it.  Play the guitar, play a computer game, read a magazine or a book,  do some chores, do research online, and simply play around on my computer.  Of course I still fulfill my job responsibilities.  I can also accomplish more at work because I am not stopping all the time for smoke breaks.

Quitting smoking is a matter of mind over matter.  If a person believes they cannot quit they won't.  If a person believes they can they will.  There was a time when I believed that I couldn't quit and that's why all my previous attempts were unsuccessful.  I thought that because of my schizophrenia I couldn't quit because smoking really helps the mental state of someone with this disorder.  It simply helps people feel a lot better both physically and psychologically.  Nicotine has therapeutic qualities on people with psychiatric disorders.  For these reasons it is very difficult for consumers to quit smoking but it is still possible.  Now that I have actually quit the thing I have to focus on now is not to start up again.  Never take another puff because if I do that would start my active addiction all over again.  It would only take that one puff to get me smoking again on a regular basis.  After that one puff I would become a smoker again and probably smoke more then than I did when I quit.

I would like to end this success story by stating that "it truly is possible to quit smoking despite the obstacles that need to be overcome."  Recovery from nicotine addiction can be accomplished.