I am only young still, began smoking when I was 15, thinking it would make me cool in high school and cure my depressive thoughts and teenage hormones! I was wrong, very wrong, and nearly 5 years later, after quite a few attempts, I’ve been quit now for 9 days and counting. This time, it’s been a little different, I actually was, in most ways, ready to quit. The previous times was to please the family members who kept nagging me to do so, my own guilt, and so forth. However, without the consistent nagging of my loved ones, I wouldn’t be here smoke-free! My boyfriend and I both smoked; if you’ve got a significant other who also smokes I believe it makes getting up that hill ten times harder. We quit together and I’ve used the aid prescribed by my doctor of Zyban, he, nicotine replacements for now. We are both hopeful in staying quit, feeling the benefits of our health, a better balance in our bank account, and a happier family. I would love to smoke cigarettes forever, but I know I can’t. Seeing my grandmother have COPD and always constantly stuck with her oxygen tank really struck me. So, one thing to keep me motivated is always that, if my grandma smokes for 60+ years and she quit at 80, me smoking for 4.5 years and not “heavily” does not seem like such a challenge. Both my grandparents lived to ripe old ages into their nineties and smoked for 60+ years, my grandpa being the only of two not to have any issues caused by smoking, but they quit at 80. I could take the gamble and hope my genes do me well in missing the boat of all the nasty things cigarettes can do to you, but I’d rather stay safe on the shore. After all, what I learned to quitting is that it’s not always about the big impacts, it’s the little things I noticed. Like how I am able to get up those stairs a whole lot easier just 9 days later, or how I feel more energised to take on tasks during the day. Also, how my mind is not constantly having to squeeze cigarette breaks into my days, not having to worry when I can have my next one. I feel free, and I love it. I hope it can stay this way and I hope all of you reading, no matter what age or what story or how long you’ve smoked or how many, I hope that you all can quit and stay quit! It’s never too late.
Submitted by Unknown
