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Kerri H Two Years Quit , 2019
2 years quit: “What advice do you offer a brand-new quitter?”
2 Years of freedom. 2 Years ago today, I woke up on the day I quit and could barely get myself ready for work without having a cigarette. I had no clue how I was going to make it through the morning let alone the day. Terrible attitude and I was only awake for 2 hours before I had my first (of many) tantrums. I got dropped off at work and my coffee spilled and it set me off (it’s obvious now I was just using that as an excuse) but I threw my coffee into the street slammed the car door and headed upstairs to my office. I was sure I would cave. I had arranged for my husband to drive me to and from work that week because I would have stopped and gotten cigarettes if I were alone. I knew I could not trust myself. This was my second attempt at quitting in 2 days. I cried so much that day. I was a mess. To be honest, the first month is a complete blur but the longer I went the more I wanted to keep it going.
Lots of mood swings. and crying. Lots and lots of crying. I was happy, sad, excited, one huge ball of emotions. And I slept through most of it if I wasn’t working or eating I was asleep.
Then something clicked. I realized I was walking around mourning my quit like as if it were a break up. It was! I broke up with smoking, BUT instead of crying over it like it was a bad thing, I had a change of heart. I was in fact breaking up with smoking ( and this logic helped me ) BUT it was a healthy thing to do. Like needing a relationship with an abusive partner. It was a good break up and a long time coming. I could no longer mourn quitting smoking. Smoking was killing me. Who would mourn leaving something that will eventually kill you? And that’s when my thinking turned around. I became so proud of my quit and it just kept getting easier and easier.
I wrote my cigarettes a break up letter. (It’s in my profile)
This site and all the members here educated me on my quit more than you’d think. More than I ever expected. I followed the elders and hung on their every word and I even learned what not to do from the relapsers.
Today I get to say I am smoke free for 2 years. 2 entire years!!! And the best part? Im not lying about it and hiding smoking this time. ( did that a lot ). I am free - from smoking and from hiding and from lying about it. I never want to have to reset my counter, so I keep close to this site and it helps me keep accountable. I never crave a cigarette. I don’t ever feel Im missing out on anything. I do feel bad for the ones still smoking who say they could never quit. Of course they can. We all did.
I am so proud of my quit I could talk for hours about it. I won’t do that to you. Lol I’ve said more than enough already. I am free, proud and ready to keep racking up the smoke free years. And I’ll always be on this site to help anyone who needs it as it was done for me. 3