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| Much
has been written about
quitting smoking and
the various suggestions
and requirements needed,
the opinions and approaches
as to how to go about
it. With advice on nicotine
substitutes, information
about the chemicals
and poisons our bodies
will be free of, general
health advice, hypnotherapy,
group therapy and so
on. However, when I
first considered it,
I felt I needed something
on a more personal level.
Unfortunately , I couldn't
find anything. There
didn't seem to be a
blow by blow account
of what exactly happens
to someone while quitting.
If there had been I'd
have snapped it up.
And, I know it would
have helped me immensely.
Just to read about someone
else's thoughts, fears,
experiences and pain.
To know what made someone
take the leap from blundering
smoker to potential
quitter, to read an
account of the events
that influenced the
decision and to read
about the true fears
and extreme anxieties
and how they were overcome.
Simply having the answers
to the many questions
of what I might experience
and when, and how I
could manage these feelings
and fears. Having someone's
actual account of it
would mean I would not
have my questions answered
by someone trying to
recall a distant memory.
It would not be marred
and misted by time. |
| So,
I decided to chronicle
my own experience. I
did this for two main
reasons. The first,
simply being because
I wanted a record of
it for myself to read
over with joy if I was
successful and to study,
and hopefully learn
from, should I fail.
Secondly, as an aid
to anyone contemplating
the same, certain that
one of the main concerns
will be not knowing
what to expect and when;
to give others what
I so wished had been
available to me. |
| This
book is that chronicled
account, and contains
a detailed diarised
outpouring of the day
to day experiences I
encountered. It also
contains my thoughts
and some accounts of
events before during
and after. I felt it
was important to write
the beginning of the
diary as it happened,
describing my feelings,
thoughts and fears in
the present tense. My
reasoning being, that
I wanted it to be a
true account, warts
and all, of exactly
how I felt and what
I went through and how
I perceived and coped
with all that was happening.
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| While
perhaps a little disjointed
in places, it does,
nevertheless, cover
the full spectrum of
emotions, the fears,
weaknesses, embarrassment,
unimaginable dread,
self doubt, irritation,
impatience, depression,
preoccupation, through
to a change in attitude,
a strengthening of belief,
the anticipation, the
pride, the joy and eventually
the utter elation and
self satisfaction of
having finally achieved
a dream come true. |
| Reading
this book should help
anyone contemplating
quitting smoking by
going some way in answering
the questions we would
all like the answers
to prior to taking that
first anxious step,
the extinguishing of
that final cigarette. |
| Some
of what you read in
this book may seem familiar
to you, and some of
it may appear a little
disturbing, but please
do not discount any
of it. I believe every
bit of it is relevant,
and much of it will
be encountered by anyone
who attempts to quit
smoking, be it for the
first time or the sixth. |
| Should
you decide to embark
on this journey. Good
Luck. |
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