Smoking was an serious social and health issue for a long time. Here in singapore, smoking in certain location can cost you 500 to 1000 or even might end up in jail. Carrying illegal cigarettes also considered as commiting crime. So, the price of any brand of cigarettes ranged from 7/8S$ to 11/12S$ per package ( 20 sticks ). That amount of money was quite enough to eat two normal meal in almost any food courts.
But stills there's a lot of smokers out there. Who are smoking just outside of the office building, around the cornor of the elevator, staircases or near sidewalk. There's still a lot of cigarette butts in bus-stop's trash bin, train station's ash-tray. I'm one of the regular butts thrower to those bins.
Quitting is the special thought that I have a few years ago. I never urge anyone to stop/quit it and I don't think about quitting it too. I never envy any smoker who can successfully quit it. A few people request me quit, my ex-gf forced me to quit, my mom and dad are not happy when they found out that I'm a heavy smoker but they don't discuss about it with me, except requested me to reduce the frequency.
3 years ago, that was the duration when I think I reach the peak of my consuming limit, which is 3 packs for 2 days, sometime 2 packs per day. I feel like an ashtray, sometime chain-smoking ... and workaholic .. working 16 hrs a day, eating bullshit meals and don't make any personal/social contact except my co-workers and clients. My clients called me that I'm walking chimney.
But after finalizing hand-over process, I start reducing it to one pack per day. After most of the important exams .. I can reduce one pack per two day. Then when I start working in singapoare I can reduced until one pack per 4~5 days. That's not an easy process, it took me more than one year. Then .... that's the time to take further steps, expert's advice and medication.
Two of my doctor friends urge me to quit it. My current girl friend don't force me to quit but she will be glad if I quit it and so do my brother. Last month I can dertermine myself on this decision. I know everyone around me are glad with this decision. First I stop smoking in my bedroom for last few months. Last weekend, we get to phermancy and get those quit-smoking aids, nicotine feeders. Yes I have to stop inhaling those smokes first. Then I have to reduce the level of nicotine in my blood.
I found an article a few years ago ... What Happens to Your body if you stop smoking Right now? I don't believe all of them but I'm sure it gave me some motivation. But that's not the reason to quit smoking. I feel like I don't want to cause any harm to my beloved one anymore, who are staying around me, walking, talking, dining & hugging each other. That's the feeling .. I should be something better for them than a ash-smelly guy. And I should treat my body in better way by stopping this habit.
Yesterday is the First Day after 14+ years of smoking. Nobody teach me to smoke, and I don't get my smoking habit from my family or friends. Because when I start smoking there's no smoker in my entire family and I'm the first one who start smoking among my friends ... because it's only 7th grade and too young to start light up a cigarette.
I'm quite sure that I start smoking just because there's a lot of cigarettes in my home. Why ? Because of my hometown's tradition, whenever a wedding ceremony, or any religious ceremony, close friends and relatives are invited in special way to give service for that ceremony. For that service there was a special invitation process. The invitation include an invitation latter, one nice cloth and a cartoon of cigaretts ( yes 10 packs per cartoon. )
My dad is non-smoker, although he know how to smoke and I saw him smoke only once in my whole life. So, naturally there's a lot of supply in my home. Nobody bother to re-sell them. My mom & dad give those packs to whoever smoke .. but still .. there's quite number of cigs packs in multiple brands. So I simply light up one and try for each one of them. I don't remember any problem or difficulities at that time. But I don't do it often .. until I'm in 8th grade. At that time half of my friends know how to smoke but still ... I'm not a regular smoker until after 10th grade exams.
After that time ... I start my IT training and start working. Under certain tight schedule, circumstances and prolonged working hour ... I start smoking regularly to cope with my stressful situation. When I'm doin' for my 2nd diploma I was addicted both alcohol and nicotine. I managed to quit alcohol in early 2000 but never plan to quit smoking until last year.
Day 1
Yesterday is the first day I start trying to quit smoking. I use nicotine patch, and bought some nicotine feeding pills if I think I need some. I don't need to take any pills so far but for the first day, I had a lot of physical and mental stress, got a few conflicts in several conversation. Well this was expected but not on the first day. The urge was great, I expected this one and I had prepared for this, yes, in bad way. I saved 1 stick of cigarette for such kind of situation and I used it on the first day, just because of such pressure.
I'm not blaming anyone including me, there will be no good-time to quit. I believe "now" is the acceptable duration to do this. I think I might need something else to handle such situation. I feel a little bit dizziness in the morning, just because I start using the patch since I woke up and lost appitite for food. Apart from these thing, everything was normal until I remove the patch before I sleep.
Day 2
2nd patch on my right sholder, less dizziness, normal breakfast/lunch and nothing else. I believe this patch keep the level of nicotine in my blood. So far, no urge to light up at all. I have to wait and see until bed time. I will write a bit more before I sleep or maybe tomorrow morning if I have some spare time.
Kalvin
It must be a really hard process, that you're going through.
I've started smoking while I was 13 years old and nowadays I've been smoking about 1 pack in two days.
Although I had this urge to quit, I'm held back from it subconsciously.
I do really envy you..!
Keep it up!
Thanks for such comment and honesty.
At least you have some wish to quit it but something was helding you back.
Decide first and move to determination, then choose a time to start the quitting process. Every smoker know this is not just a mare decision. Take expert advice and medication.
I believe I can do this. And you can do this too.
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I would say that this is the right decision, and like mmhan said it would be very hard. keep it up , and wish u can do it for ur loved ones and urself.
Hi Kalvin
Well done Kalvin
I am Tony, a hypnotherapist who specialises in smoking cessation.
It may surprise you to know that Nicotine is just a small part of your challenge. In fact 48 hours after you smoke every tiny particle of nicotine has left your body. What remains is the memory or pattern of smoking in your subconcious mind. If you really want to give up find a welltrained hypnotherapist near you. That would really make it easy for you and it is at least 10 times more effective than patches. Omly 8% of people on patches are successful.
There is a great deal of helpful explaination on our site www.stopsmokingconsultants.com The private clinic treatment we have developed over 5 years and which has a very high success rate is available there as a download. If you write to us at info@stopsmokingconsultants.com we will send you our free report with lots of great tips and hints.
Much admiration
Tony
į¾maybe I'm in that 8% who are doing great with those patches only.