It is now twelve months to the day since I quit smoking. To mark the occasion
I thought I'd consign a few words to the ether, thus finally purging myself of the
evil weed.
Twenty years as a smoker, still more than half of my life. I reckon I've spent more
than £30,000 on cigarettes, a confirmed "20 a day man". Each one of that twenty
became my own little reward for completing even the smallest of tasks, "I'll just
feed the dog and then have a cigarette". They also became my instrument of
procrastination, "Think I'll have a smoke before I start on the washing up".
Each carcinogenic baton became essential to my daily routine: the early morning
one, the mid-morning coffee break, gotta fit in two at lunch.........etc,etc,etc.
And God alone knows the factor by which this was multiplied on social occasions.
And then nothing.
I awoke on the morning of 21st September 2005 and, having finished my cigarettes
the previous evening, immediately reached for my car keys. Then I thought "I wonder if.....". And so I didn't bother.
Having previously attempted to stop on more than one occasion, I didn't hold out
much hope for myself - I had never even got to the end of day 1 before - but
something felt different this time.
That first day was a heady mixture of Hell and Purgatory, as were most days for the
first two weeks. My moods changed in a split second, from mildly cranky, through
thoroughly grumpy, right up to homicidal rage. Well, perhaps not but you get the general
idea. I was not the easiest person to live with.
My outlook was not helped by the majority of those with whom I had shared my habit.
i.e. my fellow smokers. Their words of non-encouragement which ranged from: "I don't think you have the willpower", to the downright evil "I'll just put one there for you,
you can have it later", would have done for previous versions of me.
Suddenly though, where weak will and addiction had once ruled, determination and obstinacy
now prevailed. I stopped counting in days and started counting in weeks, and then in months.
I've had a mini celebration to myself on each monthly anniversary and felt I should share this
date, my first full year without a cigarette.
There are countless "Miracle Cures" out there, from patches and chewing gum, to acupuncture
and hypnotising. My chosen method was cold turkey and, while it is probably more painful in the
short term, it is the proven best bet for stopping long term.
This may read like a self congratulatory slap on the back. It is more a quiet word of
hope for all those, like me, who never quite managed to kick this nasty habit.
Here's to another twelve months
