Nicotine Patch

It's been 6 years since I lit up my first cigarette. I was 18 back then. Before that I used to be heavily against smoking, dissing my smoker friends who started puffing at very early ages. I didn't expect that I would turn out to be like them. It was pressure that made me joined the nicotine club. The sensation of inhaling the nicotine into my lungs, the nice soothing puff of smoke blowin out of my mouth, the warmth of the heat near my lips. All those things made me feel high enough to keep me at a relaxed state, despite being aware of the dangers and risks of smoking death sticks.

These recent days I've been experiencing a further decline in my energy and stamina. My breathing is crap, and I tend to be sleepy and tired in some occasions. Worst of all, I felt a strange pain in my chest one morning when I got up. It wasn't very pleasant. I got all cranky during breakfast, which only a nice cigarette on the highway could help lift my morning drive up again. To make things worse (or exciting), smoking is usually in session under the tree at the school car park during breaks, and that's when I join the nicotine club and enjoy a stimulating conversation with the rest of my smoker gangs. We're like a family under that tree. Its hard to imagine losing them if I decide to quit, but then again, its harder to imagine losing my life if I didn't.

Its time to make a bold move. Quit smoking! I know I've done this several times these past few years but I feel that giving up so easily is not an option for me. I just gotta keep trying until I can prove to the world that I can. I just finished my last pack two days ago, and today's been my 2nd day since I started quitting. I've had minor headaches yesterday, and expecting some pains in my body, probably in the process of healing my damaged and toxicated organs. This is gonna be one hellova ride!

I've been introduced with new friends over the course of my life, and these new faces have been helpful enough to encourage me to quit smoking. A bunch of em were actually ex-smokers! So its really good to know that I'm not alone in doing this. I appreciate all their encouragement and advice. In addition, I could also tell the difference between my healthy smoke-free friends and my cruddy heavy-smoking buddies (apologies to them for this bold statement).

My worst enemy right now is not the cigarette; It's the addiction. I must ensure my willpower is strong enough to counter-attack addiction. One thing's for sure, I gotta give my lungs and heart a break from all those toxics. And more importantly, I need my energy back. In the end, I wanna live long and have a healthly life without the need of smoking. Also, I don't want my family to suffer in the future from the deadly second-hand smoke.

So why did I kept smoking even though I quit once before 3 years ago? It really took off pretty well, but I ended up kicking back to my old habits before I even realize it. It must have been the pressure from my friends. Majority of the people around me are smokers. So I felt kinda left behind, knowing that I used to smoke before. Cool, I used to cough and wheez a lot too.

Hopefully this time I quit for good, before I turn into this: