| Often people ask about the side effects of giving up | | | | had - it means I could breathe again. |
| smoking - but they are so trivial that they are barely | | | | You'll struggle with stressful situations |
| worth much of a thought. However I know well that | | | | This was my favourite side effect/excuse because it |
| before you give up smoking any fact like this can | | | | is simply so untrue. We've all been there - we need a |
| seem less trivial and more a huge disincentive to stop | | | | cigarette just before/after a stressful situation. I had to |
| smoking. | | | | have a cigarette before a weekly meeting I used to |
| My New Year resolutions to give up smoking where | | | | host and when it was over I used to dash out and |
| becoming a bit of a joke - I remember at Christmas | | | | have another one. How would I have coped without a |
| 1999 - how I was determined to enter the 21st Century | | | | cigarette - well the amazing fact is actually much |
| a non-smoker. I'm afraid yet again it didn't happen - | | | | better - 95% of the stress was caused by the |
| what made it all the worse my attempts weren't even | | | | cigarette. Cigarettes make stressful situations much |
| real attempts - in fact they barely got past the | | | | worse because when you are not smoking you are in |
| announcement that I would try and quit. My friends | | | | a constant state of nicotine withdrawal - which is of |
| didn't believe I'd even try and frankly I knew I wouldn't - | | | | course why you keep smoking. |
| I'd always find an excuse not to attempt this most | | | | You'll put on loads of weight |
| arduous of tasks. | | | | This really depends on how you give up smoking - if |
| I guess my main justification was that I'd never really | | | | you give up smoking with the wrong approach - you'll |
| failed to give up smoking - I always found an excuse | | | | use substitutes such as nicotine patches, sweets, drink |
| to not even try. I convinced myself that when the time | | | | or all of them - then yes you will put on weight. But if |
| was right I would succeed just as I'd managed to | | | | you understand smoking and give up with the right |
| succeed in most things I had tried. Unfortunately the | | | | methods it is simply not true. |
| thought of trying to exist without cigarettes simply | | | | You'll be really grumpy |
| terrified me. | | | | Again this can be true if you stagger into your give up |
| Well I survived the experience and to this day I am | | | | phase with the wrong attitude. The body recovers |
| now a non-smoker of I think about 5 years (maybe 6 I | | | | from the mild physical addictive qualities of nicotine |
| gave up counting a long time ago). What I want to | | | | fairly quickly - the mental ones are much tougher if you |
| explain is some of the so-called side effects of giving | | | | don't understand them so can get you grumpy. With a |
| up smoking that we all may have heard of (and use | | | | positive attitude and the right methods you'll actually |
| as an excuse not to try). | | | | enjoy quitting smoking. |
| You'll get a really bad cough | | | | One day I'd like to see a world where nobody smokes |
| Well it's true early on in your quit you do get a bit of a | | | | - I spent most of my youth trying to escape and |
| cough. However the cough is caused because more | | | | dreading even trying but when I found a real method |
| oxygen is passing through your airwaves and the | | | | that worked it was one of the most positive things I |
| body is getting a chance to expel the toxins from your | | | | have ever done. Giving up smoking has side effects - |
| body. Frankly it is the most welcome cough I've ever | | | | you'll feel better, be happier and live longer! |