The first time I tried a cigarette I was 12. By 13 I had a job and was smoking about a pack a week. By 16 I was smoking a pack a day and continued to do so until I finally, eventually manage to quit at the age of 41. So cigarettes had been a part of my life in some sense for 29 years and heavily so for 25 by the time I finally managed to give it up, kick the habit for good.
Over the years I had quit many, many times a few times even for some longer stretches 3 months, 6 months, 9 months – finally a year, but I just couldn’t stay off the nicotine, I kept going right back to it until finally I met a really good doctor who helped me through it. Anyhow right now I have 10 good solid years without smoking behind me and my anniversary - 05/05/16 is right around the corner.
I’m not the best when it comes to helping people decide to quit or getting through the first few days of withdrawal but if someone has given up smoking, has been off nicotine for a while and is struggling with trying to stay smoke free, that I’m better about, and anyone in that boat, can PM me and I’ll do all I can to offer comfort, encouragement, strength and support. After all without that in my own life, people offering that to me way back when today I would not be where I am.
Even if you have smoked a really, really long time it is possible to quit. I’ve met people who’ve been quit for even longer than a decade, some 20, 30 years. I’ve met people who forget about a pack a day were up to 3-5 packs a day by the time they finally decided that’s it, they had enough and managed to give it up.
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