I quit smoking for good this time! (stop smoking together)

Last year I chronicled an attempt to stop smoking. I didn't do very well - I crumbled at Day 5 I think.

I was really ashamed because I had enlisted the support of @DuncanBannatyne and a few friends for that attempt. I felt like I'd really let them down when I lit up again.

This time, I was ready for it. I had been weaning off them to a point where I could handle 6-8 a day without too much trouble and set my quit smoking date of 1st March 2010.

The difference this time was that I made an even bigger commitment to stop smoking together with lots of friends I had made online who were also stopping.

I've been a member of a rowing forum community for some time and have always been amazed at how supportive and positive that community is for each other. I thought I'd replicate some of the key principles and start a website dedicated purely to people who were going to stop smoking together at the same time.
I published the website, http://www.stop-smoking-together.com , on 8th March and very quickly it became popular with other recently stopped ex-smokers. We log on each day and record our progress, sharing experiences, thoughts and feelings. We read each others' reports and comment with positive support. It's amazing at how our community was born and how quickly it has grown!


I'm on Day 18 at the moment (updated below), since I quit smoking and I can honestly say I haven't once considered lighting up a cigarette. I've had cravings, of course. I've had sleep problems and a couple of nightmares, but it's all manageable. This time, I have control. My friend @hypnotistchris gave me some words to help me focus my thoughts which was pretty much:

"Don't deny yourself cigarettes. Choose not to smoke. Take control over them and don't let htem control you" - pretty simple eh? But very true and effective. I have 'given' myself the control back when I decided to stop, and that is what I remember when I get a craving.
I also lapsed last year after 7 weeks of not smoking last March (2009) with just one puff on my wife's cigarette - because I thought I had enough control to be able to have a puff or two and not smoke again.

How wrong I was - those things are so addictive - the moment you inhale you are handing back all that control, so if you are reading this and you have stopped, please learn from my lesson. It took almost a year for me to get back to the point where I was ready to take the control back and stop smoking for good.

Got a really nice supportive message from @DuncanBannatyne this morning (1st April - no joke!)



If you would like to know more about our community, and join for free, feel very welcome to visit us (as long as you are positive and friendly - two conditions of membership):

http://www.stop-smoking-together.com

(Now into Month 4, Free of Smoke and going strong - @ 17th June 2010)