The Only Cure To That Addiction
Posted: Friday, March 27, 2009
by Michael Ramzy
delusionthread.com
Another great day in America and those who know best are starting their tax-and-spend ways. No
t that I blame them, of course, since we (as a country) have a lot of work to do to remain (or become, depending on how you look at things) the best country on this planet.
I bring up tax-and-spend since if you smoke, or know someone who does, you will have noticed the price of cigarettes has risen dramatically lately. April 1st they will go up yet again as the federal excise tax takes effect. Here in Austin, a pack that was $4.49 on March 1st will be $6.41 as of next week. That is a lot of money to pay for something that will kill you.
And yet, people will continue to smoke. Not as many, of course, since a pack-a-day smoker will now have to shell out almost $200 a month to light up. That's $2400 a year. Double that for heavy smokers. Even light smokers, or 'occasional' smokers, still have to fork over all of that money.
There is a solution, the only real solution to this problem. Many smokers have tried to quit by many methods: gum, lozenges, patches, etc. And most of them do not work (for most smokers). The smoker blames the gum, of course, not the lack of willpower. It's the patch, or the lozenge, not the fact the smoker just plain likes to smoke.
So. What is the cure? I know this cure and yet if you look online or ask your friends the best way to stop smoking, this cure is not out there. It is almost a dirty secret, and yet it is the only sure-fire way (other than taping your mouth shut) to stop smoking.
I know, the suspense is something, isn't it?
This cure works because I smoked for 27 years without thinking about the money, or wasted time,or damage I was (probably) doing to myself. I am fit, can still run, and yet I woke up one day last week and actually read the side of the box of cigarettes. It said, to paraphrase, this:
SMOKING WILL KILL YOU
So. I decided right then and there I was going to stop. I wasn't going to change one thing about myself, wasn't going to go to counseling, talk with friends who had quit, get involved in a stop-smoking program . . . none of that. It was as if I had been driving my truck off a cliff and was almost at the edge of that cliff and decided, then and there, enough. At that point, there is only one thing to do, and that is . . . stop.
I threw away my pack and my lighter, and have never thought about smoking since. Sure, it has only been a week, yet I do not have any craving whatsoever. I have not changed my habits, eat the same stuff, drink the same inordinate amount of coffee. Even now, writing about smoking, it is as if I am writing about someone else.
So. Forget about all of the other cures. The best cure is to read the warning label on the box. It's right there, you can't miss it. For those who try other methods to quit, I wish you the best of luck. Perhaps I was just lucky in that I literally scared myself into quitting.
I wish more can be as lucky.
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Top-level comments on this article: (3 total)I tried many times and ways to quit smoking. One day I resigned myself to the fact that I was powerless over smoking and could not quit. God moved in that area of my life and I have not had a cigarettes since. That was 10 years ago and if you would have known me you would have known it was a miracle. I said all that to say the way that I stayed quit along with prayer was that when I thought about smoking I would say yes I want to smoke but I don't want to be sick anymore. I hope this key might help you in your journey. I wish you well.I'm glad you stopped.One point, though: The fact many believe they are 'powerless' against their addiction is what prevents people from actually stopping that addiction. It's almost a self-fufilling failure: 'I know I can't stop so I won't try'. I never really thought about it before last week, never really thought I might not be able to do it or not. Yet when I decided to stop, I didn't think about it more that it deserves. I decided not to be controlled by my addiction and so far it's working. Many other ways of quitting work for others, I am sure, yet I think it really just takes the 'I'm just not going to do this anymore' mentality.As with many things, people object to it's simplicity. I mean, how can it be that simple? If you analyze it too much or make all of these changes to your life in order to stop an addiction, the addction is still running your life, isn't it?I don't know, but I do know that for me, just saying 'enough' works. Perhaps I am delusional in that way, yet so far so good.Thanks so much for reading and commenting.
I smoked since I was 13 years old. I quit 7 years ago almost 40 years of smoking before I quit. No one in my family though I would ever stop smoking. I smoked about 3 packs a day I feel a lot better today and never get the urge to smoke anymore. good articleThanks very much for stopping. And for stopping by.
Good for you, Michael. Bet it feels terrific. Bravo. Just one thing...LIVING will kill you too. Just ask anyone who's dead.One of the ways I justified smoking is to say, 'well, this might kill me, but I can also get run over by a bus'. This is especially true here in Austin, where the bus drivers are a little more . . . energetic. Not smoking can only help as I see no drawbacks.Thanks for stopping by.
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