Darlene,
What do you get from smoking? Do you feel energized or empowered? Do you feel that nicotine somehow helps you get through the day? Ask yourself why you smoke. Is it purely an addiction? Is it just a habit? Are you bored? There must be an an answer that supersedes all others as to the reason why you smoke.
Once you have figured out what it is that is so special about smoking you will have a better understanding how to conquer it once and for all.
Here is how I feel about it; QUIT...Simply take your cigarettes and give them to a friend, a stranger or just toss them in the bin and tell yourself that smoking is ridiculous, and that your a better person than someone with zero will power. I don't mean to sound harsh or critical. Not at all. I smoked a pack or more of Camel's for the better part of 30 years, so I am far from perfect.
I was at the KY Derby in May 2018 and I didn't have enough money to buy a soft-drink and cigarettes later on that day, so I decided that something to drink was more important. I gave the cigarettes away and I have not smoked one since. I went cold turkey and after 7 days the nicotine cravings were gone, a month later I stopped thinking about a cigarette every 5 minutes, 6 months later I stopped dreaming about them, and somewhere between 8 months later and a year I went a whole day without even thinking about a cigarette.
That's when I knew that I had beaten the most addicting drug on the planet is when I went an entire day without even thinking about a cigarette. Quitting cigarettes is going to be one of, if not the hardest thing that you will ever do. Once you have beaten it nobody can take that from you. You'll live longer, feel better, look better and the money that you will save really adds up fast, but the only way to quit is dedication.
There is no middle ground. You either want to quit, or you don't. Just say I'm done with this (kind of like a bad date) and never look back. Be strong and firm, and eventually you'll never even think about cigarettes. Sometimes when I'm with friends I will be the only person that doesn't smoke and it makes no difference to me. I quit, I'm happy and nothing makes me want to smoke ever again.
I hope you do it. People also respect you more when you quit, because it is so difficult. If you can stop smoking than you can accomplish most anything.
Best of luck to you. I'm pulling for you.
Robert C.
