Hi everybody, how are you all doing?

So I am 23 years old, I have been a smoker for just over 4 years now and boy do I regret falling into that vicious trap known as nicotine addiction.

I’m usually wary about announcing this so soon because I have tried so many times before (and failed) but as the title says, I’ve gone for three days without a cigarette and I feel better than I have in a while. For anybody who has quit/tried to quit before, you will know that the three-day milestone means all/most of the nicotine has left your body. And the first three days are the worst. But I haven’t felt bad during these past three days at all.

Believe me, I’ve tried to quit so many times and I was extremely miserable and angry at everyone and everything the last few attempts. I was an absolute nightmare for all of my friends, snapping at them in annoyance just over every minute little thing. I filled the void with junk food and sugary things (which made me even more miserable and fat) and I couldn’t go every evening without walking across town to the supermarket and buying cakes and chocolates and energy drinks. I could scoff entire jumbo-sized tubes of Smarties and entire tubs of Ben and Jerrys ice cream washed down with a 2 litre bottle of lemonade and I would devour all of this in one manic blow-out. Needless to say, I felt like crap afterwards (and I caved into cigarettes again anyway).

Manic junk food binges aside, there were times when I felt peaceful, especially when I was observing nature. I could just be filled with awe at looking at a sunset or even an overcast sky. It’s like I was seeing those things for the first time because you don’t really notice those things when you smoke (your mind is too preoccupied with inhaling poisonous chemicals.)

But yes, I’ve made it past the three-day threshold and I haven’t really had any bad withdrawal symptoms as such – okay, there are physical cravings but when you just observe them and not give into them, they are really not that intense. I’ve even been drinking coffee quite a lot (past experience has taught me coffee + nicotine withdrawal = insomnia + really bad irritability). and that hasn’t affected the cravings at all.

I have been reading a book I loaned from the library written by Allen Carr – he has written extensively on the subject on quitting and I think I have finally found a stop-smoking self-help guide that makes sense. The method is actually on his website if anybody is interested – http://allencarr.com/454/top-tips-on-how-to-stop-smoking-using-allen-carr-s-easyway-method

Like I said, the withdrawal hasn’t been that bad at all, more than anything else it’s been more like a slight constant itch. I would be lying if I said I’ve completely gotten over the psychological need to smoke, to fill time but when I do think about what it would be like to have another cigarette, I think to myself “Yeah, I used to do that but I don’t need that anymore. I’m free.” I’ve tried quitting on many attempts, only to cave in after the first day, third day, whatever. That one cigarette after a few days of going without makes me feel sick and nauseous, and afterwards I’m just tearing at myself with self-hatred. It’s a vicious spiral to fall into. I have to remember what it feels like having that cigarette days after the last. To give in would be throwing myself back onto the treadmill. To give in would be insane.

Carr suggests that we are led to believe that quitting means putting ourselves through such misery and unbearable torture but this is complete utter rubbish – it’s only unbearable because we think it is. I’ve been thinking to myself – this isn’t so bad. I’ve actually felt a lot calmer the past few days and not as anxious (I’ve not really been feeling that good the past few months) and I’m actually sleeping a lot better than I have been in a while.

I still wake up with bad chest pains when I breathe in but I hope I am on the road to healing and recovery after poisoning myself and trying to block out uncomfortable feelings. I just have to face whatever will come my way and deal with it. I know it’s only been three days but I already feel so much better.

Is anybody a smoker and have tried quitting? Has anybody been a smoker and successfully quit? What was your experience like?