How To Successfully Quit Smoking
Quit, the easiest way ever!
This is a true story. I lived it. I am 8 weeks since my last cigarette.
Like most smokers, I had kind of tried to quit before. But I drink. I drink outside and I smoke when I drink. I do this three nights, (give or take) a week. To quit smoking has meant I would have to quit drinking. And I spend a lot of time after work in the back yard. Well, the back yard is a trigger to drink, which is a trigger to smoke… so in the last few years trying to quit smoking has not gone so well….
Until, this year on my birthday, I broke my ankle in three places. I had to have surgery and was told it would be 12 weeks before I was full weight bearing and driving again. That devastating is besides the point…. sort of…. No, it is the point.
Getting home with a bottle full of pain meds and being extremely fatigued, I didn’t really move much or do much the first 3–5 days. I didn’t go outside once. I slept so much I never notice a craving or any withdraw systems at all. I read a lot on broken bones, healing and ankle fractures.I had read that smokers take up 50% longer to recover, and I wasn’t having that. With the urge to heal faster , plus all my new limitations, I just haven’t looked back. I haven’t replaced cigarettes with anything else. like vaping or gum. I just gave it up. Will power? Maybe. Being drugged, most likely aided without me even knowing it.
I guess the combination of not being mobile to go outside, 10days of being fairly medicated, mostly resting and the pure desire to walk, ASAP! (8 weeks and I’m 70% weight bearing meaning I use 1crutch, I’ll be full weight bearing next week, driving at 10 weeks). Eat it 12 week estimate!
It feels really good to say, “I am not a smoker” and truly mean it.
So my advice is, break something life changing and it should be fairly easy to give up smoking….
OK, I recognize that is lousy advice. Having a broken ankle has been the worst thing to ever happen. Sure, it may have been the ticket I needed to quit smoking but we are all different. My will to heal was a major driving force and the fact my husband and I already promised to quit by this fall… I am happy that we have staggered our quit times. As trying to quit together has always posed complications.
My real advise, is find the reasons you need to quit, because you need to quit. You read this thinking it would have a magical answer and help you quit. It’s doesn’t. It’s just my story. I was ready to quit, then something really bad happen and smoking was going to be a reason I wouldn’t heal correctly or fast enough. That was the final straw of bad shit that can and most likely WILL happen to smokers.
I am surprised how easy it is for me to be around smokers and have no temptations. I am proud of myself and happy to call myself a non smoker. I wish you all the very best in your journey to quit. It’s freedom and I know you can quit.
