Hi everyone, mad englishman here with a few minutes.....
This is most of a post that I wrote many years ago and it helped to read it to myself as I embark on another journey to freedom from nicotine. I hope that it might help others, either contemplating the journey, just setting out down the road or perhaps with a few miles under their belts.
I wanted to share something about craves and withdrawal and fear and all the things that seem to make it so hard to stop and also share the secret of a foolproof and easy way to stop smoking.
There are three ways to stop smoking.
1. Die. It's very effective. You stop breathing, possibly as a result of an illness caused by smoking. It's guaranteed 100% effective, therefore you don't get the money back guarantee. The money involved by the way is about £100,000 over the life of a 2 pack a day 30 year smoker in the UK.
2. Revelation. The "normal" method of stopping. This is the position when the desire to stop smoking outweighs the desire to light up. It sometimes follows a series of failed quits or "slips". Somehow, with enough knowledge of the addiction, an understanding of what will happen when we stop, the junky thoughts etc, we manage to get through the awful hell week, heck week and blah weeks. Eventually we become ex-smokers. Then we guard against "smugness" and loss of memory. We forget how bad it was to stop and the desperate craves.
We understand that we are addicts and that we can never take another puff. As a side ramble, we occasionally get posts about cigars. "are they as bad?", "Maybe I'll smoke cigars to get me through stopping smoking". I find it sad that people have that little knowledge about smoking and still expect to succeed.
There will always be the exceptions, the people that I admire who simply wake up one morning and stop. They never look back and cannot understand the fuss, I'm married to one who stopped 13 years ago with her first pregnancy and genuinely does not understand that its the hardest thing that most of us will ever do.
Then we have the NRT or not NRT issue..........whatever works for you is OK by me.
One indisputable fact for me is the power of the support community here. I feel that I would have failed without the humour, knowledge and virtual hand holding that is available.
Oh, I nearly forgot...............probably the only reason you clicked on this post and read through all my rambling drivel! And the third way to stop smoking?.....................................
The foolproof way to an easy quit. This is a painless, no cost and guaranteed to work method. It is so stupidly simple that the tobacco companies would offer me millions to keep it quiet. It is absolutely guaranteed to work for everyone in seconds.....................................and I am prepared to share it with anyone who wants it!
All you have to do is send me a stamped addressed envelope and photographic or video proof that you have succeeded at a simple task. This will prove to me that you are taking me seriously and that you really really want to stop smoking the easy way.
And the task......................
Quite simple really....................................
Just successfully nail 4lbs of raspberry jelly to the ceiling.
