No Butts! (<back to article archive)

A confirmed smoker for almost 40 years, JILL CAMPBELL MACKAY is confident that she has finally kicked the habit.

From Cyprus Mail article Sept 18, 2005
SMOKING Kills writ large on cigarette packets never cut it with me. Neither did the idea of living longer if I stopped. In addition, like all smokers I couldn't get into this idea that we are helping to prematurely kill off others from the effects of passive smoking.

Smokers find it hard to believe that they are harming folk when they themselves are still very much alive and not kicking the habit.

For 38 years nicotine has for me been both a pleasure and a comfort. Smoking cigarettes has also stood in for various qualities I have desperately aspired to including coolness, rebelliousness, sophistication even sexiness. Enough. I have taken the decision to quit, which, after all these years, is a huge renunciation.

I have now been nicotine free for six weeks. It's been no easy ride, with many a faltering moment along the path to becoming a confirmed non smoker.

So what was the final motivation? I saw what had become of a close friend who was a two packs a day man for over four decades; after a stroke left him partially paralysed he was dependent on others to help with even the most basic aspects of taking care of himself. In the end it was the sad image of a strong man being treated like a small child plus constant nagging from my family that led me to seek professional help.

And it all happened rather fast. It took just over an hour and cost less than £40. I visited Sekhem therapist Lorna Firth for a hypnopsychotherapy. She started off by asking me all sorts of trigger questions about my smoking - When do I have my first ciggy? What makes me smoke more? In this way, she got a pattern of my habit. Then I lay down, closed my eyes, and although I was aware all the time that she was in the room talking to me I was very surprised to find that a whole hour had elapsed and I didn't have any recollection as to where it had gone.

I haven't touched a fag since I awoke from that rather restful dreamy experience and immediately handed my 12 remaining cigarettes to Lorna saying “I won't be needing them anymore”. This, for me, was a momentous moment. So how did I do?

Day one. Feel a bit edgy so eat pumpkin seeds and have terrific urge for sweet things.

Day two. Twitchy, feeling slightly nauseous. Night sweats.

Day Three. Can't sleep the whole night through, get up three four times legs keep twitching.

Day Four. Very grumpy, manage to offend a chum when she phones asking how am I.

Day Five. Ravenous urge for savoury stuff, cheese, salmon, and peaches.

Day Six. Breath smells like a rabid dogs, feel terribly tired want to sleep.

Day Seven. Temperature 102 sent to bed; sleep all day feel like hell.

Day Eight. Am unusually anxious as if something bad is going to happen, still constantly hungry. Now eating pumpkin seeds and raisins to curb urges.

Day Nine. Difficulty working, cannot concentrate, feel bloody awful, go back to bed.

Day Ten. The urge to hoover up the entire contents of the cheese counter have eased somewhat. Am trying hard to get my eating under control.

Day Eleven. Woke up with a killer headache, decided a long walk with the dog would be the answer, was ratty with the poor beast.

Day Twelve. Dog no longer speaking to me as I am the crab from hell. Although I think I want a fag I know I won't ever have one so it's like having a safety net there in place while I go through all this physical s..t.

Day Thirteen. Starting to feel a bit better but still not able to concentrate for long periods.

Day Fourteen. Invited to birthday party, smokers everywhere. I find I don't miss it even when drinking wine, that's my first big breakthrough moment when I realise that I can and will become a permanent non smoker.

Six weeks on and I still haven't smoked nor have I desired a cigarette. Well I have really, but not with all the dire consequences that go with having ‘just one puff'.

I know now that the ghastly symptoms I felt while going through this semi cold turkey experience would have been immediately relieved by lighting up one single cigarette. The deeply worrying thing is that the nicotine from that cigarette will merely replace the feeling produced by the withdrawal from the previous cigarette. More important is the reasoning which tells you that if you manage to go through a minimum of fourteen days being nicotine free and feel that bad, just think what has been stored up in your lungs and arteries over the past years of smoking.

And what of my new found wealth? The money I am saving from not buying cigarettes is going into a pot and will enjoy spending it on a planned trip to India.

l Lorna Firth is a highly qualified Reiki Master a Sekhem Practitioner, as well as a hypnopsychotherapist. Tel: 99 479426 or 26 934319. ifirth@cytanet.com.cy