I enjoy smoking – let me rephrase that. I enjoyed smoking. I quit over a week ago, and am still going strong, which is a huge thing for me! Anyone who knows me knows that I have tried quitting in the past – I tried everything from electronic cigarettes to the patch, but nothing worked. This time though, I am determined to put my habit to rest.
It kind of shocked me when I started thinking about just how long I had been smoking. I started when I was 16, and I am now 26. To me, 16 doesn’t seem that long ago, but when I say “I’ve been smoking for 10 years,” it really hits home.
One of the main reasons why I stopped smoking was because I just recently got married. My wife hated that I smoked, and I realized that I was now sharing my life with someone else. I don’t want to be that Dad who still smokes, or look like I’m 40 when I’m really 30. I want to have kids, and want to look my age. I also want to keep my body healthy, because I know that the internal effects of smoking are much more dangerous, and I can only imagine how much damage I have already done.
In the past, I had tried to quit, but never really made the effort. This time around, I tried a new plan of action – the 12 Steps. I know most people use the 12 Steps when they are going through addiction recovery, and most don’t ever think of using this process when trying to quit smoking. However, I realized that I was using cigarettes the same way I used to use alcohol and drugs. When I was stressed, I would have a smoke. When I was bored, I would light up a cigarette. Smoking was my crutch, and through the 12 Steps, I’ve put an end to that.
The 12 Steps are something that I think everyone should do at some point in their life, regardless of if they are an addict or not. I say this because one of the most important things The Steps have taught me is to be accountable for my own actions. Now, I look forward to holding myself accountable for my smoking the same way I did for my drinking and drugging. I hope to touch base with all of you again with the good news that I have stayed on this path and am smoke-free in the future!
