A (Smoker's) Paradise Lost

For the second time in a little over 12 months, I have given up smoking. The first attempt went OK, however my girlfriend also smokes and seeing as I gave up out of the blue, I didn't really expect her to do it with me.

On top of that I was fairly relaxed about the whole thing, I thought I would smoke the odd one now and again, but the day-to-day smoking would stop.

So this time around I am going to make myself a little more accountable and document my progress and hopefully pass on some great tips for others trying to give up as well.

Type Of Smoke

Before we go on you have to realise that the type of smoke I'm talking about is cannabis sativa, otherwise known as hashish or marijuana, maryjane, solid, skunk (though I don't smoke that!), weed, pot, chocolate and a myriad of other names that it delights me to remember!

This is important because I don't smoke tobacco on its own, and thus I probably smoke less than somebody else who considers themselves a regular tobacco smoker.

Healthy Living

Funnily enough, my number one reason is not what it should be, HEALTH!!!

I am blessed/cursed with a metabolism and athletic prowess that I nurtured throughout my early years. I played competitive sports right up until my mid 30s (circa 10 years ago) and in the last couple of years I've started going to the gym again.

Ergo I am fitter than most of my peers, and look around 10-15 years younger than a lot of guys my age (and it's not all because of my full head of luscious hair!!), in fact I'm a lot fitter than guys much younger than me.

I even creamed an entire field of younger dads, at the dads' race at the last sports day.

Okay, so I'm saying all that not (just) to boast, but to illustrate that when it comes to health, I'm a ignore-it-till-it-happens-because-I'm-probably-fine kind of guy.

Day Zero

Yesterday was the first day, it apparently takes 72 hours for nicotine cravings to go away.

I'm ashamed to say I cheated, I saw a friend of mine after meeting up with another (non-smoking) pal. After leaving her I saw my mate and went back to his house, I then discovered a tiny blim of hash in my shorts pocket.

Uh-oh! Sure enough I wrapped up a little doobie, using the hash and a bit of my friend's weed.

The Deflation

I felt pretty low after that, I couldn't even manage 24 measly hours . . .

Oh well, prone to look on the bright side as I am, I realise that this is the perfect motivating tool. There is NO WAY on earth I am going to smoke today.

Techniques

Last night I decided to look at various techniques for giving up smoking. A part of me realises that I should have probably done this before attempting to give up, but hey, that's the kinda guy I am.

Nicotine Patches/Nicotine Gum

Well as I mentioned before, I choose to smoke hashish, however I'm not so naive as to think that just because I don't smoke 'straight' cigarettes, that I'm not addicted to nicotine.

However my addiction is probably not as bad as somebody who smokes a pack of ten everyday. Therefore the thought of introducing a slow-release nicotine mechanism into my own biological system, just doesn't seem right.

Hypnosis (Self or Otherwise)

I will look more into this, self-hypnosis really interests me, and in fact if you read my Incredible You! series, then you'll notice various techniques that fall under the banner of self-hypnosis.

Timing

This is the best advice I read, and I'm glad I followed it before reading!

Essentially you should earmark a specific time for when you are going to give up. So for me, I spent the eight or nine days before knowing that last Monday would be my final one as a smoker.

Cravings

Cravings are tough and whilst I don't really crave to be stoned anymore (except on a Sunday morning when I want to go back to sleep), I definitely get smoke more urges. I have found the best way to deal with these is to acknowledge them and to look at a clock.

This has the effect of quantifying your craving, usually down to a couple of minutes. Without this technique it would feel like I was constantly craving, and it would soon become unbearable.

Death Clock

According to the wonderfully titled Death Clock, I can add roughly another 6 years to my life by quitting smoking.

I personally see a lot of fun in the Death Clock, however if you are the sort of person to take these things seriously, then please steer clear of it, as it will only depress you.

By the way the clock says I'll be about 89.5 if I stop and 83 if I don't. However it doesn't take other things into account like diet, exercise, type of job, genetics, family history, etc. etc. Ergo I know that I will live
for at least another 30 years past that.

Yeah, yeah, I know, but I will OK, I've had two great-grandparents live past 100 and I intend to join them!

Summary

I may or may not write about this again, I just thought it would be a nice read for somebody going through a similar trial, or even thinking about it.

I'm off to the gym now, the craving that I've had for the last 2 minutes or so is wearing off and I'm raring to go!!

Big up the non-smoking Steemians!! (...heck, and the smokers too, I love you all!).

WHAT ABOUT YOU; HAVE YOU GONE THROUGH A SMOKING/NON-SMOKING TRIAL RECENTLY OR OTHERWISE? OR PERHAPS YOU'RE THINKING OF GIVING UP OR HAVE GIVEN UP UNSUCCESSFULLY IN THE PAST? AS EVER, LET ME KNOW BELOW!

Death Clock

Title image: Diana Ashe (no really, that's her name!) on Unsplash

Cryptogee