I started smoking at age 19. I was 3rd year college then. I wouldn't say its peer pressure since I really wanted to learn at that time; to take off some pressure in my life I guess. I was in denial at first. I'd buy a few sticks and borrow a lighter from other smoker friends just to say that I'm not a "legal" smoker yet. But I grew tired of buying sticks every now and then, and borrowing for light is some sort of a hassle as well, so I decided to buy my very first pack along with my very first lighter.
Everything went fast, I didn't go as much as 2 packs a day but I did smoke a lot in one day! Whenever my college barkada would have a gathering and drink, bam! I'd smoke like a chimney. Then my whole family knew about it, which was not easy, but I got through all the questions and the comments and yes, I wasn't scolded. I was only told about its consequences, things like "what it can do to you and your health", I just agreed and smoked while listening to them.
I've tried sooo many times to quit. The longest time that I was able to stop was three days. But no matter how hard I try, I would still find myself lighting my next stick. I just realized that I got addicted to smoking when I was really looking for it one time I ran out of cigarettes and won't have any anytime soon. I kinda went gaga literally. Not a good experience. Then came the electronic cigarette or e-cig to many. I tried one but the e-cig is only an excuse for an individual to smoke cigarettes indoors. It won't really help you quit.
Six years after, I never knew I could do it. How? I really don't know. It just happened. Maybe its all about conditioning the mind.
People Around You
My other siblings smoke too, but one of them quit the other still smokes. I thought that if one of my siblings can do it, why can't I? He's on his 8 month now, I'm approaching my second. As for my other sibling, well, she's still thinking about it.
Exercise
Its hard to do exercise whenever you smoke since its hard to breathe properly while running or lifting those weights. I tried out Bikram yoga not too long ago. Whenever I do the breathing exercise, its kinda tough since deep breathing is required and without proper breathing, you'll just go sleepy and have a hard time finishing the poses; then I thought about quitting smoking.
Diet
There's this diet my family and I tried, its called the GM diet. Its a detox diet. This was the time that I stopped smoking. With what I eat during this diet? I don't think I'd have enough nutrients in my body to fight off the smoke.
Most people say its bad to stop smoking abruptly since you'll go cold turkey and feel a lot of nasty things but I say, stopping abruptly may make you feel ill but according to a certain article I read (try googling about quitting smoking, it'll show up), when a person stops smoking and feels ill, that just means that the body is healing itself. And what's best about this quitting thing is that the MMDA started the No Smoking campaign, making me worry less on where I should smoke. Plus, I save time now; meaning I add my smoking time to do other things. And my 80 pesos a week goes to other expenses now.
If you're a smoker and you're reading this, I'm not asking you to quit, that's your choice. What I'm saying is, if you'd want to quit someday, its possible.
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