Written By: Sameer Jha | Updated : December 15, 2014 8:13 PM IST
An ex-smoker shares his journey of quitting smoking.
I have quit smoking for the last 24 days. Now, the nicotine cravings are slowly wavering off but all that resistance has taken a toll on me. I am in a constant state of unease. Watching movies, listening to music, eating food - all seem empty and joyless. Sometimes, I feel that it's because of quitting smoking and want to return my world, where giving in to those cravings was so satisfying. But, I don't do it because I don't want all the hard work I've put in to get this far in my quitting smoking journey to come to nothing. Please tell me how do I address this problem.
After 24 days, if you smoke a cigarette, it will certainly not taste great. It may give you a strong head buzz, but that will not last. In a few hours, you'll start craving another one.
I had the same problem as you, and there were times when I felt so anxious that I felt finished. Surely, I didn't want to break down mentally in my bid to avoid lung cancer. But, trust me - cigarettes are not going to make you feel better. Instead, they will aggravate your feelings of failure.
It is important for you to stay strong through this phase, and treat it like an illness that your body will take care of with time. Personally, weight training helped me a lot to see me through this phase. Asking your loved ones for support too can help. Soon enough, you will fall back in love with life (a simple song can change things) and start enjoying the things you loved when you were a smoker with renewed vigour.
Remember, that as impossible as it may seem, time will do the healing. Stay strong and kick the butt!
Photo source: Getty images
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