For Now....

Heh,

For now I can be proudly saying that I haven't smoke a single stick for the whole day. I try a traditional method of chewing a chewing gum to forget the will of nicotine.

But, I was with my wife and kids for the whole day as I got MC leave for having a flu. I can say that it doesn't really count because I'm used to not smoking in front of my kids..but yet...it is still a progress isn't it?..But what making me proud is, usually when i go out with them, after having a meal...I would find some place far from my family to smoke at least a stick and today, I have the opportunity to smoke as I have to walk away from them to buy something for myself, but I refuse to buy that Little-Killing Devil; cigarettes.

The real challenge is tonight...Just now, my officemate called to have a drink and 'Lepak' at our usual place tonight. haaa....That will be the real challenge...even for every smokers I guess. The problem where the situation of nearby environment enforcing and seducing us to smoke.

Previously, I have tried quitting for about 4 months and it is quite an achievement. But then, I started working at a place where majority of the workers (and bosses!) are smokers. And they even smoke at office-workplace. You imagine how difficult for me even though its already 4 months quitting. It started with just a 'sip' and it grew up buying my own box and now here I am...still smoking....sigh!...See, what we learn when we were primary school are real. Influence from people and situation around you can really create who you are or change to who you will be.

Anyway....at this time

NO. OF CIGARETTES SMOKE TODAY (until 7:21pm) : NONE!

P/s: Wish me luck for tonite!

HHHmmmm....Willpower???

Hey,

Talking about willpower alone...huh!...its difficult to war against nicotine with just willpower alone.

You know, before I created this blog (yesterday...heh)...I still have a balance of 4 sticks of cigarettes left. I was thinking I might just crush the box andt throw away the balance. Unfortunately, on my way to sit for my final exam, i got messed up with not sleeping last nite trying to study, notes that i need to memorize and everything. You know what I did?...try to concentrate my self with cigarette...AGAIN!..I fail to fight the seduction of nicotine with my willpower. But you guys out there,smokers...yeah...to me too...Don't get screwed up easily just because you cannot fight it in the early stage. I read the pfizer article...its normal.

Here what they say, Nicotine addiction is believed to be the result of nicotine binding to acetylcholine receptors in the brain, causing a downstream release of dopamine. This release of dopamine causes feelings of well-being, improved mood, and better concentration..which reinforce smoking behaviors (ADDICTED). So non-smokers, stop blaming us a liar when we say we could concentrate more when we smoke. Better off giving us alternatives.

But for winning quitters...relax, put your chin up. The irritability and difficulty of concentrating without cigarettes will only last for few weeks. Motivational support can help us deal with these symptoms until they go away.

Hmm..I hope the feeling decreased as well as number of sticks I smoke.

NO. OF CIGARETTES SMOKE TODAY :4 STICKS

WINNING QUITTER CONQUEST

I'm creating this blog as meanly for me to keep track of my journey in QUIT SMOKING. I wanna be the Winning Quitter.

Actually, this is not the first time I tried to quit. I can't hardly remember how many times I've tried, and it end up starting at zero....where i start buying and smoke again!..huh!...You guys who smoke out there surely understand the feeling of how difficult to quit smoking.

This time I try to quit in more aggressive and motivating way. Yesterday, when I was at clinic (sore throat due to tonsil....guess what....it does relate to my smoking habits), I read an article which interest me. Actually it is an article for non-smokers especially doctors to help smokers to quit smoking.

The article is written by Pfizer, Malaysia titled "Let's Talk About Quitting Smoking".

It is an interesting article in which it doesn't blame on the smokers (as people always do!) because they cannot leave their habits behind. It touch more on how doctors may motivate by talking to the smokers.

They claimed in their writing, most physicians believe that a patients failure to quit smoking is primarily due to a failure of the smokers' willpower. Non-smokers do not understand that a smoker addicted to nicotine experiences craving and withdrawal symptoms that can be irresistibly strong. Actually, Willpower alone hardly brings you anywhere in quiting. MOTIVATION might drive the WILLPOWER to where they want to go.

Here are some fact...Only about 5% of smokers who try to quit using willpower alone are still abstinent after a year.

Based on the article mostly, they motivation is not something that need medication, Physiotherapy or anything, It just the matter of talking and talking and talking of what is important.

More fact....56% of smokers say that support from their doctor would positively impact their chances of quitting.

Here, in my blog....I want to try this method of motivating myself everytime i read my own blog. Its like talking to a digital doctor...which i will archive what ever information i might received regarding the step in quit smoking. And nevertheless...This will be my tracking record (as blog have date and time) for me to proud of my self in the future for being a WINNING QUITTER.

JOIN AND HELP ME OUT IN MY CONQUEST!...pLEASE!...WORKING TOGETHER FOR A HEALTHIER WORLD