| I quit smoking after working up to 2 packs+ a day for over 30 years. Acquiring the habit for me was almost instantaneous. I loved cigarettes almost immediately upon the first experiments in smoking at a young (foolish) age. I haven’t smoked for...well, I’ve forgotten now how long ago it’s been. I too tried many things to rid myself of the habit, including cold turkey, chewing gum, and all of the approved and marketed self-help products. Nothing worked.
What did work was a very lucky break that I wouldn’t want to revisit and that had nothing to do with smoking. I contracted legionnaires disease. This is a dangerous type of pneumonia that is contracted environmentally from contact with warm damp mildew areas. I ended up spending nearly 2 weeks in the hospital literally fighting for my life, but ultimately recovered fully. After being discharged from the hospital I was very weak and had lost a lot of weight. During this entire ordeal the idea of lighting up never occurred to me. It is, after all, the first 2 or so weeks that are the hardest in terms of giving up cigarettes and I had already accomplished that through the luck of an illness. It was very easy after that to fully abandon cigarettes.
Sorry to say it, but I have no magic bullets to offer. I wish I had better advice for those wanting to stop the habit. I would probably still be smoking if it weren’t for having the lucky break of a serious illness.
Larry |