Try to be Healthy & Quit Smoking, For Yourself and Those you Love

If you have been smoking for more than half your life, it can be a very difficult but very healthy decision for yourself and your family and friends. It is not easy but can be done, with great rewards

If you have smoked for many years it is quite the commitment to decide to quit.  It is definitely tougher for some than for others.  Most people that smoke have been doing so since they were a young teen (hopefully not sooner) and that could be quite a long time habit that you are not considering changing.

Speaking personally, I smoked for only a few years when I got married and started a family.  I heard too many horror stories and decided to quit when I started my family.  I quit cold turkey at that time and had no problem.  After all, I had one, then two, and eventually twin children and never gave it a second thought about smoking.

Silly me, later in life through a divorce and other stressful situations I picked up the habit again and am so disappointed in myself.  My biggest embarrassment was the fact that my poor kids had to live through it, especially while driving.  And the smell . . . how awful to put any of my friends and family through all of that.  The thing is, smokers do not realize what they are doing to those around them as they themselves are very immune to the smell, the smoke and all that goes with this unhealthy and very expensive habit.

I know how difficult it is, trust me, but if you do make the decision that you do want to quit, it can be done.  My girlfriend quit at the same time I did, which is going on 12 years on “smoke out” day and she has been smoking ever since she was 13.  She was almost 40 when she quit, more than half her life as a smoker.  Guess what, she pretty much quit cold turkey and I give her a lot of credit.  I use the prescription Welbutrin for a while and as her, substituted by chewing a lot of sugar free gum and straws, yes, plain drinking straws.  This was a secret we learned from her mom.  After all, smoking is mostly a habit when you get beyond the nicotine, and you just have to find a substitute for that habit; hence, chewing on and playing with a straw or other safe item to keep your hands and mouth pre-occupied from smoking.

Your hardest time will of course be the first few weeks.  Speak with your doctor for sure but the nicotine patch may be a help and I think the nicotine gum can be a great help as well.  Of course, you cannot plan on being on it forever but which ever you may choose, after a few weeks or a month start weaning yourself off it by using only half doses and with the gum, switch from the nicotine gum ½ doses to sugar free gum at that point.  The initial treatment that you choose to put yourself on will help to curb the nicotine habit and eventually you will need to actually work harder on the habit aspect of it.  After all, it is a part of you all these years and won’t go away over night.  You just have to want to do it . . . for yourself and your family.

Think about your family and friends who don’t smoke but love you and want to be around you.  Is it fair for them to share “your smoke”.  I am sure you are not aware of the odor as a smoker but you will be shocked once you quit and actually wonder how you could allow yourself, your car, your home and your children, even the poor pets to smell full of stale smoke all the time.  I am a dog groomer and the poor dogs, I can tell immediately tell which ones come from smoking owners.  Imagine how the children feel.

I think my girlfriend got the urge to quit when she witnessed her mom deteriorate and die from cancer that year that she did quit.  It was horrifying to watch as I was there the whole time and it really opens your eyes.

There are many more options out there so if you want to get on the road to a healthier you and also for your loved ones, you first need to make the commitment to really want to quit and then do our research.   Talk to your doctor to see what option might be best for you.  Think of all the money you could be saving for one and think of how much happier your loved ones will be to have you around for a very long time.