This month I celebrate my 7th month of being smoke-free. I was a cigarette smoker of 22 years and never in those 22 years did I actually take a step towards quitting. I am so proud of myself (**patting myself on the back**)! Since then, I have also been going to the gym to fill in that "smoking" void. I can attest that It is true that when the human spirit affirms and takes action, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. If anyone would have told me that I would quit smoking in 2013, I would have laughed HARD in their face.
I have researched my options, my doctor had a talk with me about quitting, I've also talked with others who quit smoking and finally I made up my own mind as to what course I was going to take to quit smoking. I am sure there were other alternatives besides the main ones that appealed to me which were:
1. E-Cigarettes or Electronic Cigarettes (aka Vaping) where you would fill these electronic cigarettes with a certain amount of nicotine or other flavored liquids then afterwards, puff on the electronic cigarette, well, like a cigarette.
2. The Nicotine Patch whereby you would place the patch on your arm and depending on how long you leave the patch on, the patch releases a steady flow of nicotine for about 16-24 hours.
3. Varenicline (aka Chantix) where you take a pill as prescribed by the doctor.
In the end, I chose to quit cold turkey! It was a hard thing to do, no doubt, I cried for the first month after quitting and went through what appeared to be withdrawals: I was depressed, I fed my oral fixation with eating--I ate till I felt like I was going to burst and I was jumping out of my skin out of anxiety. Still, through it all, I continued to go to the gym to build up my strength, stamina and endurance; AND I meditated daily. 7 months later, I'm still here--stronger and better. From my experience, ALL OF IT was worth it, I felt/feel better about myself and my accomplishments. I also had a great support system whom continue to love and support me and I appreciate them always.
Well, that's my take and I hope what I shared with you helps in your own journey and goals. Till next time, I bid you all love, light and compassion.
~Maria
I have researched my options, my doctor had a talk with me about quitting, I've also talked with others who quit smoking and finally I made up my own mind as to what course I was going to take to quit smoking. I am sure there were other alternatives besides the main ones that appealed to me which were:
1. E-Cigarettes or Electronic Cigarettes (aka Vaping) where you would fill these electronic cigarettes with a certain amount of nicotine or other flavored liquids then afterwards, puff on the electronic cigarette, well, like a cigarette.
2. The Nicotine Patch whereby you would place the patch on your arm and depending on how long you leave the patch on, the patch releases a steady flow of nicotine for about 16-24 hours.
3. Varenicline (aka Chantix) where you take a pill as prescribed by the doctor.
In the end, I chose to quit cold turkey! It was a hard thing to do, no doubt, I cried for the first month after quitting and went through what appeared to be withdrawals: I was depressed, I fed my oral fixation with eating--I ate till I felt like I was going to burst and I was jumping out of my skin out of anxiety. Still, through it all, I continued to go to the gym to build up my strength, stamina and endurance; AND I meditated daily. 7 months later, I'm still here--stronger and better. From my experience, ALL OF IT was worth it, I felt/feel better about myself and my accomplishments. I also had a great support system whom continue to love and support me and I appreciate them always.
Well, that's my take and I hope what I shared with you helps in your own journey and goals. Till next time, I bid you all love, light and compassion.
~Maria
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