I remember smoking my first cigarette properly. It was on Outwood train station, and I was 14, before that I didn't inhale the smoke, a friend showed me how to do it properly, shortly after that day I was addicted to smoking.
I thought about that day a lot over the years. Wishing I'd never done it. Smoking is a full-blown addiction, it takes your money, it takes your health. It becomes a main priority in your life. When you budget your money smoking comes first. I should have been with my family, but I was outside having a cigarette. That time adds up.
I smoked for 34 years, I never intended on doing it that long. I'd always intended on giving up but life sort of got in the way and before I knew it I'd been smoking all that time.
I tried countless times to give up but never managed it. It was so hard I kind of give up giving up but knew deep down I had to. I just didn't know how I could do it, I honestly felt helpless.
Smoking started to affect my health, it destroyed my teeth, my fingers were constantly stained, I couldn't smell just how bad I smelled from smoking, my circulation got bad, my fingers and toes started to get numb. But I continued smoking, the desire to stop got stronger but I didn't know how.
My breathing started to get bad but then I started to get chest pains over time these got worse. This caused me massive anxiety. I didn't tell anyone about them for over a year hoping they would just go away. But they just got worse. I was terrified to go to the doctors in case they told me every smoker’s worse fear,
Eventually I had to go to the doctors and explained the situation. I was given blood tests and chest X-rays and surprisingly everything was fine. I explained to the doctor how I desperately wanted to stop smoking, but I couldn't. She told me about smoke free and asked if I would like her to refer me, and I said I'd give it a go.
The next day someone called me to arrange my first meeting with an advisor which would be the following Monday, this gave me the time to get my head around the fact I was going to stop smoking on that day.
The advisor was amazing, she was able to give me all the advice I needed on stopping smoking as well as the tools needed, she had many options, but I went for an inhalator and patches. We arranged another meeting the following week, this meant in the early stages I didn't look at it as stopping smoking for ever, I just needed to get to the next meeting a week away,
Over the weeks my advisor Carrie gave me very helpful advice on what was happening to me and useful coping mechanisms plus incentives to continue. But importantly support and accountability during the early days of stopping smoking.
I really couldn't have done it without my advisor and all her help and support, I've now reached the 1-year point on stopping smoking the best I've ever done,
The benefits of stopping smoking. Firstly, I don't smell, my car and my flat don't smell. My teeth have improved with the help of my dentist. Health wise my breathing and circulation has improved I've started going to the gym and managed to greatly improve my fitness. I have so much more time and focus not having to break off and nip for a cigarette all the time, I'm much more productive with my time, the big one financially I was in denial about how much I spent on cigarettes but I'm now feeling the benefits of stopping.
I still think back and think wow I did it, it is a very hard thing to do but worth it, and I couldn't have done it without smoke free. It's literally extended my life.
