I Finally Quit Smoking After 15 Years
When I was a child, I promised myself I will never smoke. My father was an avid smoker. At one point in time, he was smoking up to three or even four packs a day, and cigarettes back then were cigarettes, not super slim and not filtered.
I couldn't understand:
Why is he doing himself so much damage? For what?
Smoking Is Not Just a Simple Habit
Smoking is one of the worst habits that you can have. Same with alcohol, but when you smoke, you actually let the smoke resulted from burning toxic compounds get into your lungs and then into your blood.
It's a way of life
You constantly crave another cigarette and another. You start living and planning your life around this aspect.
The only beneficial thing that you can have from a cigarette is the adrenaline shot that you get for each cigarette.
But is it really beneficial? Not exactly. It just gives you a good overall feeling that passes quickly and makes you crave adrenaline, even more, becoming a way of life…
I started smoking occasionally, in adolescence, just for the fun of it in conversations with friends and colleagues who were already smokers. It was just a teenager’s bravery. I didn’t think it would become an addiction, but it did shortly.
How Toxic Smoking Really Is?
Every day you get that flow of up to 250 toxic substances into your blood, and the lungs are black because of the smoke. If you would see them, surely you would think twice before smoking again.
The harsh, painful side of smoking
250 compounds…that’s a lot of toxicity, right? Just think about it, and how it can affect you after using cigarettes for decades. For me, it was “just” 15 years…
Facing the Reality
By the time I was 20, we were all smokers in the family: me, my father, my mother, and my sister. The first one to break the chain was my father. He was obese and the doctor told him that if he doesn’t quit smoking immediately, he will end up very soon with his legs amputated. He had very poor blood flow in his feet.
Realizing the addiction
He quitted that day, from four packs daily to no cigarettes at all. He was really depressed, but he didn’t give up. I admire him for being strong that day.
I didn’t quit, I just didn’t smoke in my father’s presence.
The addiction continued more or less and here I was: an adult over 30, still with the cigarette between my fingers, with every occasion. I used to tell myself that I do this because it’s a stressful period in my life. The truth is, there is always something to stress for, and a reason to smoke. It doesn’t mean you should and I’m not a hypocrite, I understand what it means to be addicted.
That's Enough!
I started to look realistically at my situation after 15 years and I realized that I actually don’t feel really good because of smoking. I am always tired, bored, I have an increased heart rate, I have headaches every few days, I cough a lot and I started to snore so bad that I awoke my girlfriend all the time.
Finally taking action
I told myself:
“I know smoking is not good for me, I always knew. Then, why do I continue yo make my body suffer? It’s enough!”
I ended up smoking just a few cigarettes a day because at least I wanted to not abuse the habit. The maximum I tried anyway in all these 15 years was one pack in a single day. I was not an avid smoker. Still…this was not good at all.
I wanted to break free for good and I said to myself:
“I am not such a smoker, I could quit easily, right? I just need to stop and never get them again. Period!”
From that moment until the present day, I never put a cigarette between my lips again. I am so proud of it! But, it was not easy.
The Joy of Feeling Healthy
Now It’s been a few years since I quit. I am experiencing such a good feeling to know that my body is regenerating, even if I know it will never be fully regenerated. At least I can recover some of the years of life I would be losing if I continued smoking and I can also avoid who knows what diseases.
To quit smoking doesn’t seem to be a big accomplishment to some people. For me, it’s one of the best decisions I took in my life…a decision that I will never regret!
