The Happy Quitter! Posts

Why don’t you give us a name? How can a group of 40 million people just here in the USA walk around with an addiction and not have a name? We are called “smoker,” but nothing bad about the name at all. No warning about what we really are, stinking smokers, some of us (and yes, I insist on it) are addicts and they deserve a better name!

Giving up smoking is hard…but Yoda helps!

We visited the Vatican when I was a child, and the thing that impressed me most was the staircase to the top of St. Peter’s Basilica. I was little, my legs were short, and those steps were high. I remember it so well, even after so many years. The building was cold, and the stairs seemed endless…until we hit the top; the view was breathtaking, even for me as a child. 

“Don’t fool yourself…you might die of smoke-related cancer anyway; the damage is done, you can’t reverse it.” That’s what a member of the support board wrote to me after I posted how fantastic I felt. It upset me so much. How cruel, how rude! What is wrong with this guy? I just quit smoking 3 weeks ago, and  I am so proud of myself; I feel fantastic. “How dare he?” I can do the math myself. Yes, I smoked for 35 years, so what are the odds? I thought about it some more…

How would you feel when a child smokes? Kids might be drawn to smoking and chewing tobacco for any number of reasons — to look cool, act older, lose weight, win cool merchandise, seem tough, or feel independent. Would we ignore it? Would we walk away and not care?

It’s going to be 2 weeks tomorrow ! Smoke-free since 14 days! I learn more and more about my addiction to Nicotine, some things I read are eye-opening, other articles raise more questions. If Nicotine is addictive, that makes me an addict? If I am an addict, can I stay smoke-free? This pill is hard to swallow. I always thought about myself as a smoker, I never looked at myself as being an addict. That’s makes me damaged good doesn’t it? What if I am damaged beyond repair?

I would like to give future ex-smokers some advice! When you quit smoking, don’t do it alone! Make sure people support you in your home and at work. Tell your friends about it; don’t just assume everybody will know how you feel. The internet is a blessing; read and research as much as you can. We are all different! What works for me might not work for somebody else and vice versa. Fighting an addiction like smoking is different for everybody!