Quitting Smoking

1. When you had your first cigarette of the day, how did you feel?

That moment, when you take the first deep drag on a cigarette and the smoke hits the back of your throat, relief after a night of abstinence or the fleeting thought that there are other things you could be doing right now. Was the cigarette rushed, a few quick puffs because you were running late, or was it a slow draw and an indulgent moment of your day. Was it closely followed by another one. Did you give it limited thought and treated it as routine, is smoking a luxury or a need?

2. How did you feel one hour later?

Had you already had another cigarette, or two, did it take priority over other things you needed to do, or does it fit around your lifestyle easily. Or had you not had another one.

3. Do you enjoy smoking?

When you first started smoking, what was the motivation, were your social group smokers, were your family smokers, are they still. Think back to the day you very first had a cigarette, how did it feel was it a pleasure or was it uncomfortable, what makes smoking enjoyable?
When I very first had a cigarette I was 11 years old, it wasn't to be cool I just wanted to try one, my family smoked which was common in the seventies, secondary school was my first opportunity on my own, I'd tried smoking hair grips in front of the mirror it wasn't the same. I can still picture that moment, the strange taste different to anything I'd ever experienced, then panic set in and I dumped the pack of ten and bought some mints, smoking in adult years is different because nobody is in a position to tell you it is forbidden. So why do we make these choices as adults. For me at 17 I tried again, my friend smoked so although it wasn't an influencing factor curiosity did get the better of me. I can't say I enjoyed it so why did I have another one, well I think it was because I was sure it would get better, it did, I soon needed a fix of nicotine yet didn't actually see it that way. I did stop at 18, so an intermitent smoker. Yet at 24 I was back there and this time instead of the odd cigarette with friends or booze it was twenty a day puffing my way through and enjoying it, so how did the transition take place, I think because it was a difficult time for me a cigarette gave me refuge, when I was smoking I did not have to think about anything else. So of course I took pleasure in escape, so not the cigarette as such but the hiding place it provided. I gave up again 5 years later when life settled down and then took it up again during a rough time, but for me it is solace. Do I enjoy smoking - no, do I enjoy the distraction - when needed obviously I did.

4. Do you honestly want to quit?

So do you want to give up, if you do then it's not always as easy as throwing the packet in the bin, because that little devil on our shoulder says you can buy more if you really want to. Quitting is about more than willpower.
Step one - why do you smoke, and saying because you like smoking is a cop out, think more deeply.

I will move on to answering some of the questions I've been sent and dealing with step one soon.

My smoking clinic is on 27th October at 11am, details on my FB page. It's free for the first session.