How to quit smoking? Well, there are many tips on how to quit smoking. You can find them in books and even in the internet. Any of them can be effective methods on how to get rid of this so called nicotine addiction.
But there is just one thing I want you to bear in mind. Whatever method you want to use will still be ineffective unless you really have that will to quit smoking.
Before going further, let me first share with you when I started smoking, then next is how I put an end to it.
It all began when I was 14. At first, it was not really that serious since I just did it with my friends. I remembered how we hid every time we lit a cigar so others won't see us. We were afraid our parents would know.
In school, I and my friends would go in the middle of the cornfield to smoke since it was not allowed in the campus. We also made holes in the ceiling of our rooms in the dormitory just for smoking.
When I turned 17, smoking had been a part of my life.
Then came a time when I could no longer get rid of it. In every day of my life, it seemed like I could not survive without puffing a stick. I was not a change smoker, but I could consume 2 packs a day, especially during drinking sessions.
You will know if you're already hooked to smoking because it's hard when you don't have a cigarette. You also easily feel irritated if you don't have money to buy even a single stick.
Smoking had affected my entire life. To the male smokers out there, I tell you, aside from the effects of nicotine on your lungs, smoking will also affect even your erection. This is true! I feel different now after I quit smoking.
Life was tough for me when I was still smoking. In my early 20's, I had to work for my three younger siblings. Because of that, I decided to stop all my vices, including smoking, just to make ends meet.
That was the first attempt. After a couple of weeks, I started to feel something unusual. I remembered my friends when they told me never to stop smoking and drinking instantly or else something would happen to me. It did come true. The doctor said my bile was affected. She asked me what I did in the past weeks. I told her that I immediately stopped smoking and drinking. She then said I should have stopped my vices in a gradual manner.
That's why to you my dear friends, never stop any of your vices in an instant. Just imagine a car running at full speed. You wouldn't want to step fully on the breaks if you wish it to stop, right? You know what will happen if you do it. Just like your body. It becomes accustomed to whatever you regularly do. So if you want to quit smoking or whatever vice you have, make sure to do it gradually. Your body needs time to adjust.
Anyway, that first attempt of mine to quit smoking, drinking and other stuffs did not really work at all. After two months, I again found myself hanging out with my friends and enjoying the things we usually did.
Years passed, my addiction to smoking continued. It even became worse. Then when I woke up one morning, I felt something unusual in my throat. It's as if something was blocking my throat. When I tried to get rid of it, something round went out of my mouth. It was dead blood that formed like a big marble! I was alarmed! My body felt cold.
Then everything I read about smoking and its effects flashed back on my mind. I remembered the pictures of lungs, throats, mouths and other body organs affected by smoking in the magazine "How to Stop Smoking." I tried to quit smoking again, but when I found out that I was well, I resumed.
In 2008, I worked as an English tutor to Korean students in Tagaytay City. That was the first time I could not smoke at all, especially during the day, because of my work.
The following year, I met my wife. Three months before our wedding, I was able to quit from smoking. Here's how it happened.
I was born a Seventh-Day Adventist. As you all know, we do not smoke nor drink. Anyway, I still did it. When I was about 24 or 25 years old. I promised to myself that I would quit smoking and all of my vices before getting married at the age of 30. Perhaps God remembered my promise. A year before my 30th birthday, I met my wife. We decided to get married in December of that year. She is also an Adventist, so of course, she wanted me to quit too.
It seemed so insurmountable, but you know what, the best method that I could share with you is prayer. In my first two attempts, I never prayed. Prayer my friends will make the difference. Second, you must be determined to quit smoking. If you do, start by reducing the number of sticks you regularly consume every day. For example, if you consume a pack per day, make it just 19 the following day. Third, make yourself busy. If you don't have a regular job, engage yourself in sports. Play basketball or any sport that could make you sweat. Fourth, eat fresh fruits and vegetables. This will help lessen the cravings for smoke. Fifth, try to avoid other smokers. They will be a big hindrance. Next, always clean yourself. Seventh, try to read about the effects of smoking. This will enlighten you more. You will also be encouraged to strive harder. Remember, you are not doing this for yourself alone.
Remember this, people who live with a smoker have a 15 per cent higher mortality rate than those in smoke-free households. Secondhand smoke at home raises the risk of lung cancer by 20 per cent. -UC Berkeley Wellness Letter
See, you are not only helping yourself, but also the people around you! My friend, just follow my simple tips on how to quit smoking. They may not be the best methods, but I tell you, whatever method you follow if God's intervention is not present and you are not that determined to stop, you will still find yourself puffing sticks afters sticks, just like the way you usually do.
So, what are you waiting for? Save yourself and the people around you from getting sick because of cigarette smoking.
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