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Smoke a Different Brand of Cigarettes: Find a Good Reason to Quit Smoking

by Karen

Cleveland, Ohio
United States

My method included changing from Menthol to NON-MENTHOL cigarettes. This decreased my cravings and gave me time to deal with the physical habit of just having a cigarette in my hand-mouth for the past 17 years. My menthol addiction was easy to overcome compared to my physical addiction. I have smoked through colds, flu and yes, strep throat...painful but possible. Anyway, I began to think how proud I was going to be when I quit smoking and continued to feed the desire to quit and PRAYED for God's assistance. I believe you have to mentally REALLY want to quit before you can physically quit. You have to be tired of smelling of smoke, embarrased of having to go outside during breaks, tired of asking people if they mind your stinky habit. You have to make a decision. I did not pick a specific date but decided the next time I was in a situation that I was not able to smoke for long periods (visits to my anti-smoking sister's home in the south), I would ATTEMPT to quit (no real pressure). My plan did NOT work the first 5-6 attemps...but about 1 1/2 year after changing to NON-Menthol cigarettes, I found that I had more control over the physical addiction: I was able to have a meal, talk on the telephone and ride in my car alone without HAVING to smoke. The next visit to my sister's anti-smoking part of the south..she would not let me out of her sight long enough to smoke...2 days, 3 days...The longest I had gone in forever without smoking, and I tried, oh how I tried! So, now I found myself faced with a big decision: Continue NOT smoking or look forward to the end of the trip when I could smoke again...much pressure! This time I took advantage of my advantage of having not smoked in 3 WHOLE days...and have not smoked again...it has been three years since that day...December 15, 1999...and there is only one thing that I am more proud of and that is having more healthy time to spend with my family. Corny, but true...find a reason, a good reason to quit and remind your self often of that reason, and PRAY. I can breath better, run faster, feel better and smell gooooood!...I dare anyone to succeed at quitting...there is nothing like it. OH, and I am not one of those ex-smokers that look down on smokers, but always tell them they don't have to quit today, but decide to quit one day and then work on choosing a day...everything else will fall into place...with Prayer...lots of prayer.