u/yunqp0tat0

Just wanted to post something in hopes to help someone who has recently quit smoking. On August 7th I’ll be 6 months cigarette free. To give a little background, I (31f) have smoked since I was about 16/17. Maybe a pack every 2 days or so. I’ve never tried to actually quit before I quit cold turkey this February. I was hungover and broke, last thing I wanted (or could afford) was another cigarette after chain smoking the night before, so I decided enough was enough. I was done. The last year of smoking drained me mentally, emotionally, financially. I wanted to quit so badly but never had the nerve. I knew one day I’d just stop and I finally did. If I can do it anyone can.

Here are some positives to hopefully give you fellow quitters a push in the right direction:

The biggest one, my anxiety is pretty much gone. I started to get awful panic attacks in my mid twenties. Not blaming cigarettes, it’s genetic. But smoking made it so much worse. I was scared to quit because I thought quitting would spike my anxiety. Wrong. I’m still a worrier by nature but I think I’ve had maybe one real panic attack since I quit. It used to be very frequent. I was always on edge and generally just didn’t enjoy life.

I smell better. I save money. I don’t subject my daughter to secondhand smoke anymore. I’m not constantly wondering when my next “break” will be. I can spend more time on self care instead of rushing through life craving my next cigarette. My family is proud of me. I’m proud of me. I can encourage others to quit and be proud of themselves. I can BREATHE. (I live in Georgia and it is HOT.) I used to be completely unable to tolerate it. My stomach issues have basically resolved. I truly could write a book. There’s too many pros to list.

I know how scary it is to quit. I know how much your brain can trick you into thinking you need one, or that the bad days will be worse without a cigarette. You’ve gone through a bad day without a cigarette before, you can do it again. Yes I still crave sometimes, but it is true that they do become easier to ignore after awhile. I remember during the first week I would scour this sub desperate for encouragement or for someone to tell me that it’ll be easier one day. I found a lot, and I hope this can provide some to someone else. I believe in you! 💟