Since this is my first, obligatory post, I figured I'd take the opportunity to say thanks to all of you who have supported this forum through sharing your experiences, wealth of knowledge and inspiring thousands like me to make the switch. Without everything you all have shared, you could likely count me among the many who try and fail -- I never really wanted to quit smoking, but the burden I felt each day waking up, continuing to smoke as the years passed, was becoming exhausting. The last few years, I could, literally, feel it wearing away at my personality and my health, weighing heavily on my mind and conscience with each passing day. I'd tried once or twice before (several years ago, cold-turkey (both attempts)) and failed miserably, which (I'm sure, to those lucky enough to have tried and failed can attest) contributed to an overwhelming feeling of resentment for my habit and life in general.
Quitting was a change I wanted/needed to make, but didn't have an outlet for my habitual fixations which only added to my outward frustration and anger -- It began affecting me socially, changing my attitude and impacting the perceptions of those around me, of me, negatively, to a point where I felt that if I couldn't make the change, it was going to kill me -- and that made the perceived weight that much more heavy.
Next Sunday marks three months, analog-free, after 26 years of a 1-1.5 pack a day habit. I'm significantly happier due to the fact that I just feel healthier -- the anxiety of feeling like crap "every.single.day." is all but gone. My kids have acknowledged the change and fear me less (not sure if less fear is a good thing or not
) and have gone on record as saying they like me more these days. In addition, I've lost 20lbs in that time (haven't really done anything other than change my diet slightly -- weird, right? Quitting experiences are usually the opposite...) and the jagged edge of my angry, anti-social personality is starting to fade -- I feel like I'm starting to return to the social, agreeable, tolerant person I was in my younger days.
Quitting was a change I wanted/needed to make, but didn't have an outlet for my habitual fixations which only added to my outward frustration and anger -- It began affecting me socially, changing my attitude and impacting the perceptions of those around me, of me, negatively, to a point where I felt that if I couldn't make the change, it was going to kill me -- and that made the perceived weight that much more heavy.
Next Sunday marks three months, analog-free, after 26 years of a 1-1.5 pack a day habit. I'm significantly happier due to the fact that I just feel healthier -- the anxiety of feeling like crap "every.single.day." is all but gone. My kids have acknowledged the change and fear me less (not sure if less fear is a good thing or not
) and have gone on record as saying they like me more these days. In addition, I've lost 20lbs in that time (haven't really done anything other than change my diet slightly -- weird, right? Quitting experiences are usually the opposite...) and the jagged edge of my angry, anti-social personality is starting to fade -- I feel like I'm starting to return to the social, agreeable, tolerant person I was in my younger days.
