We all have been through the vicious cycle of smoking, trying to quit and again ending up smoking, so there is really not much hope left for us. Most of us have already tried self-control and we know how well that went. We ended up smoking 2 hours soon after deciding to quit. 

 

Some of us are rich ones and may have tried nicotine replacement therapy using gums, patches, lozenges, inhalers etc. taking nicotine into the body through these. But then the doctor says that we also need counselling, support from self-help guides and what not to keep us going and it becomes too overwhelming! Some may have even tried herbal cigarettes. E-cigarettes are out of the question as it's not even allowed in India. Some went cold turkey and came back to smoking after a headache. 

 

Do you wonder what’s the reason behind this? We achieve great things in life with our determination but simultaneously why are we unable to simply quit? 

 

Actually it has a lot to do with your brain chemistry that is changed when you start smoking regularly. When you don’t smoke for some time, you get urges and cravings that are irresistible. When you smoke a cigarette, you get relief from these. You associate the feeling of relief from the cravings and the peace of mind it gives you, with lighting a cigarette. You don’t even like the taste. You no longer do it for fun or occasional stress relief. You no longer care that the tar used to build roads is going to be built in your own lungs. And before you know it, you are an addict. But, of course, you wont accept it. And that’s okay. This is the way all addictions work. As rude as it may sound, nicotine addiction blinds you.

 

But, if you have opened your eyes a little bit then you can see what smoking is doing to your health and your self-confidence. It is just the beginning. If you open your eyes a little more, you will realise that smoking controls almost every aspect of your life. How did you feel when you couldn’t smoke for a few days? Did you panic when the cigarettes were not available during lockdown?  What happened when you tried to quit last time? Did you control cigarettes or did cigarettes control you? 
 

Once you have understood and accepted that smoking controls your thoughts, it is time to take the control back. For this, we need to learn basic psychology around our triggers and patterns of smoking. Why do we feel like smoking in different situations? How to break our smoking patterns? Once we are aware of the enemy, we can simply defeat it. For all these, there is a simple approach you can take with the help of technology. You can try an app called QuitSure, claiming to have a 95% success rate for helping people quit smoking (and based on their online reviews, we are inclined to believe them). The app has a psychological program for 6-days. You can run it at your own pace. But most people are excited to quit and finish it within the given time. Moreover, It is priceless. I mean it. It comes free of cost. The only thing that they expect from you is that you give an hour daily to the app and do the mental exercises given to take control of your smoking. The formula is easy. Do the program and take control of your smoking.

 

Your happy independent self awaits you from here on. The title of this write-up is a question and your success story is an answer to that. If you are still worried, take one step at a time. And the first step towards your journey to freedom is to begin. Today! Right now!