A tweet from Hiten was an apt reminder that it has been over five years since I quit smoking. It is still the most difficult thing I have ever done. Five years later, not a day goes by when the craving doesn’t hit me. I need to summon all my resolve to fight the urge for a smoke. It is not chemical need. It is all mental as smoking’s true narcotic effect is behavioral. It will be a long time before I will be free from the devil’s weed. A lot of my friends are quitting or trying to quit and to them I say, soldier on. It is a long battle but worth it. I know I am better off not smoking.
5 thoughts on “Smoked”
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You’re doing a great job and one day you will wake up and realize you don’t crave it anymore. Keep strong Malik.
Keep it up, Om. You will never regret it. I was only 22 – and smoking 2&1/2 packs of cigarettes a day when I quit cold turkey. Thought I’d go crazy; but, it was the most sensible thing I’ve done my whole life.
I hope it gets easier with time, but you have clearly figured out a way to stay smoke free even if it is difficult. One hears that it is one of the more difficult addictions to deal with, so you have much to be proud of.
I struggle with keeping my weight where it should be – it is a much smaller problem than keeping smoke free, but difficulty is something I deal with daily. I can only imagine what you must deal with…
So add me to the list of those who respect what you are doing.
I have so much respect for you Om.
Like eideard above, I quit years ago when I was around 18-19 and smoking a pack a day. As you mention, Om, it’s not so much the chemical need, that flushes from your system easily. It’s the mental part of it. To this day (I just turned 30 in December) I have a toothpick in my mouth at all times – I sleep with it, shower with it, etc. The only times it’s not in my mouth is when I’m eating, really. I have a box of toothpicks in my truck and on my desk, and a handful on standby in my wallet, just in case.
I don’t even have it sticking out of my mouth like a redneck (not a slur, I’m from Texas) – I bite off a little bit at the end and it fits neatly along my gums, similar to where you would keep a dip (though I’ve never dipped). It’s out of site, but I know it’s there. It’s always there.