Blunt Talk about Smoking: How I Just Quit

October 2008 -- You can’t turn on the television set or open up a magazine without eventually coming across an advertisement promising the next sure cure to smoking cigarettes. Every year there are new patches, pills or other gimmicks. How did I do it? To be blunt: I just quit.

I quit smoking on January 20, 2001. I had been sick for a week with a terrible cold and didn't smoke for four days. I remember feeling a little edgy by that fifth day. My boss had upset me at work, and I promised myself I would have a cigarette when I got home. I told myself I deserved it.

It was raining that day, and I only went inside my home to throw my purse on the bed, pick up my pack of cigarettes and a lighter and head for the door. My cats were waiting to be fed, but they would have to wait. I went outside and lit up a cigarette.

I had waited five days for this day. But the cigarette tasted terrible. I was getting dizzy since I hadn't smoked in several days. I decided to smoke it, anyway. As I took my third and fourth hit off my cigarette, I began to feel dizzier and then nauseous.

I looked down at my cigarette, half gone. I just couldn't smoke anymore. I almost took a drag, then stopped at the thought of becoming sicker and put it out I the little ashtray I kept outside by my door. Could this be my last cigarette?, I asked myself. No, I told myself, I would not be thinking about that tonight.

I woke up the next morning and felt a feeling of lightness. I went on with my day, took a walk on the beach and went shopping. I had quit smoking two packs a day, but I still enjoyed one cigarette late in the day and another right before bed. Bottom line: I still was smoking.

On this day, when I usually enjoyed my first cigarette of the evening, I decided that I would just act as if I already had smoked. When I was ready for bed, I forced negative thoughts from my head. For some reason, this worked. I repeated this routine for the next three days.

I didn't tell anyone for three months that I hadn't had a cigarette in quite a while. I thought it important to keep this to myself. I didn’t want any feedback from anyone. Even getting support from someone isn't what I needed.

After several months, I finally told others and myself that that I didn’t smoke anymore. I had smoked for 28 years, starting with two packs a day before getting it down to two a day. And then I stopped.

Every former smoker has a unique story about the day they finally quit. If you ask and listen, you will be surprised to learn how many smokers quit, just like that. What will your stop-smoking story be?

I never thought I'd enjoy the freedom from cigarettes so much. I always thought I'd miss it, but I don't. Cigarettes still smell good sometimes, but I’ll never pick one up again and smoke it.

About the author: Linda Joy Allan of Santa Barbara, Calif., is the author of the book, "I Quit! Cigarettes, Candy Bars & Booze," which has been described as a "courageous account, ultimately victorious," of Allan's personal journey to overcome three addictions. Dr. Laura Schlessinger, author of the book "Stop Whining, Start Living," has said Allan's book "will motivate and inspire."

For more information about the book, "I Quit! Cigarettes, Candy Bars & Booze," contact Linda Joy Allan at (805) 705-4784 or by e-mail at LindaJoyAllan@aol.com.