One Amazing Smoke-Free Year - Penny"s Quit story
Updated September 05, 2014.
I'd like to introduce you to Penny. A moderator at the About.com Smoking Cessation support forum, Penny is always close at hand to let folks know that no matter how tough smoking cessation may be at times, it is doable and worth every bit of work it takes to achieve.
Most of us start the recovery process without much belief that we can quit smoking for good, and Penny was no different. Her story illustrates just how important good support and education are for long term success.
Congratulations Penny, and thanks for all of the heartfelt support you offer to the newly quit ex-smokers coming along behind you.
From Penny: I can’t believe that I really quit smoking. I wrote at one week and three weeks and so many times in this quit, that I kept 2 cartons of cigarettes in the refrigerator because I never thought that I could quit smoking. I hardly told anyone because I had failed so many times before.
What was I thinking when I found this forum that made me post? Well, I figured, at least it was safe and I could just slip away when I failed.
My beginning posts were pleas for help in the middle of the day and the middle of the night...
Someone always answered me – amazing!
Someone gave me advice that helped - amazing!
Someone seemed like they cared - amazing!
Someone understood what I was feeling - amazing!
Someone was feeling exactly like me - amazing!
Someone sent me an email to see where I was when I didn’t post for a bit - amazing!
Guess what? The support I received worked – amazing!
So here I am at ONE YEAR SMOKE FREE - AMAZING!
I can’t believe it.
I have written milestones and thanked everyone who helped and supported me in this quit. This message is for the new quitters and anyone having a hard time. Stay close to the forum and read and post and it will work for you too. It worked for me, a 40 year plus smoker who thought that she really liked smoking. I never really wanted to give it up either – until this time around.
Work your quit program one day at a time, and protect your quit because it is precious. Practice NOPE and the forum community will support you as you say,
I can’t believe it- it is AMAZING!
Have trust in the process!
Be aware that this is NOT just about quitting tobacco. It is about changing and saving our lives. As we beat nicotine addiction we learn so much about ourselves. We find the person who has been hidden behind a cloud of smoke and we face life. We deal with our feelings and see the whole world in a new light. It is an AMAZING world!
I can’t believe that I really did it...but I did... and so can you.
Keep The Gift, Treasure The Gift, Protect The Gift,
Penny
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Penny is right - recovery from nicotine addiction is a process, not an event. Use every resource available to you and take your quit program just one simple day at a time. Don't get ahead of yourself and start worrying about the future. Focus on the day you have in front of you, and when tomorrow comes, deal with it the same way.
We all have the ability to quit smoking. Tap into your inner strength and you can put this killer addiction behind you for good, just as Penny has.
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