I had a bad bicycle accident last year. When the radiologist was finished talking about the broken shoulder and broken ribs, he asked me "when did you smoke?" I told him I had stopped in 1977 (so nearly 40 years ago). He says "I can still see the scarring in your lungs". I smoked for 7 years at 40 a day and I have been stopped that long.
Now the important thing to know is there are two addictions. Your body will get over the physical addiction fast (7 to 15 days) and will eliminate the bad chemicals. The emotional addiction is the hard part
I spent quite some time year supporting a Stop Smoking group on Facebook run by Nancy Porano. Join this group and read the stories and read the advice and draw encouragement.
Here is what I used to write. I call it the 6 D's to quit smoking. Follow them one by one
- D - Desire - you have to have a strong reason to quit.
- D - Deliberate - a fancy word for think. Once you have the desire put together a solid plan to quit (the support group will help with a plan - nicotine replacement, snacks, exercise, change of habits, avoid the store, etc)
- D - Decide - once you have the plan in place make the decision and choose a day.
- D - Do - choose your day and Do it.
- D - Double - when you get to end of day 1, commit to get to the end of day 2, at the end of day 2, double it to day 4.
- D - Dream - once you have gone through a few Doublings you an now afford to Dream of a better life, of more time with you children and grandchildren, of a house free of the smell of smoke, of a holiday with the cash you have saved.
Good luck and here is the link to the dreaded Facebook place. This group will save your life - if you let them.
Thank you very much ! I join this group ! :)