Or at least I hope so.

It is a dirty habit, it is not healthy and it stinks. I know all this but for years I was a smoker anyway. Why? Because I liked it. How could anyone like smoking? Well, it made me feel acceptable somehow. Maybe it was because of the defiance factor, or maybe something else, I would smoke even though I knew it was not to my benefit to do so.

Of course there is that nasty nicotine habit too. Once you are hooked the nicotine will drive you back to smoking if you are not careful. But here is the caveat folks, according to the American Cancer Society, if you are smoke and nicotine free for 3 days, the nicotine is out of your system and the cravings are purely psychological.

Now for me, if I know the craving is purely in my mind I can ignore it. I have to think about it, but I can ignore it. Once the craving for the smoke has passed I am then ok until some other stimulus comes along and tells me I want a smoke and once again I deal with the 3 to 5 minute cravings and continue living.

Making conscious decisions to not smoke when the urge hits then reduces the likelihood that the same stimulus will work it’s way to your conscious mind for the need of a cigarette. Lick that and keep doing it and you will be smoke free.

I am hardy one to talk though. My smoking history is thus… started smoking at age 19 and smoked through 36. Stopped for 3 years until I was broadsided in my car, my marriage collapsed, and started smoking again as the stress level ramped up. Let’s face it, nicotine is a stress relief, and I needed it and so started smoking. Finally, today is day one of quitting smoking again.

So what can I expect? Well the shakes for the next few days, craving that hit strong, coughing up a lung or two, hypersensitivity to smoke and a hard time sleeping until the nicotine is truly out of my system. Then I can count on months of my mind playing tricks on me and urging a cigarette into my hands.

Do, what method am I using? Call it a modified cold turkey method. The last few days I tapered down the smoking and today I stopped. No patch, no gum (other than regular Dentine to give my mouth something to do when cravings kick in), no lasers or even electro-shock, just a firm and committed mind set to end smoking. Worked for me before (for three years) so there is no reason to thank I can not do it again.

So, away with the Camels, and save about $100 a month in smokes.