Voices of Kwitters — Melissa's testimonial

« His mother would buy cigarettes for us. It was too easy.»

I had my first cigarette when I was 15 years old. I had one of the worst days of my life and I stole one from my father’s pack. By the time I was 16, I was regularly smoking. The boy I was dating also smoked and his mother would buy cigarettes for us. It was too easy.

« For some reason, it finally hit me just how bad it was for my body »

The first time I tried to quit smoking, I was 25 and smoking a pack a day. I had just started Nursing school and for some reason, it finally hit me just HOW bad it was for my body. One day, the elevator was out and I needed to take the stairs to the fourth floor – by the time I made it to class, I was so winded that I had to catch my breath.

I did not really prepare for this cessation. I told myself that the next morning I was done, I finished the rest of that day and then tore up and threw out the remaining pack that I had that night. Quitting mid-day seemed harder than starting from scratch the next morning.

« I started drinking water every time I wanted to smoke »

The first days without cigarettes, I expected all of the symptoms that I experienced. I was short-tempered, quick to anger, and had severe cravings for the first two weeks. I told the people around me that I was quitting and asked them to be patient with me while I went through this – for the most part, people were very understanding and respectful.

I’ve sometimes relapsed in the past. I would recommend not socializing with other smokers until you’re ready. For me 3 months was not enough and I figured that out the hard way.

To deal with my cravings, I started drinking water every time I wanted to smoke, it gave me something to do with my hands. I still get cravings today, but they are extremely different. I get a craving for the buzz of a first cigarette in the morning.

I also have a hard time drinking and not smoking, but not because I want a cigarette – because it was a routine that I had for 10 years and had always experienced one with the other.

Today, I know that one drag of a cigarette would taste terrible, despite how it felt, and that is enough to keep me from starting again.

My Kwitter experience

I was looking for a smoking cessation app and I discovered Kwit.

I love that it tracks the days and the number of cigarettes I haven’t smoked for me! I also love science, so learning how my body is reacting and recovering has helped me immensely.

When I can visualize how long it has been since I had my last cigarette and how far I’ve come, it gives me 3 more seconds of pause before going to the store for a pack. Those 3 seconds make all the difference for me.

My advice to Kwitters and future Kwitters

Quit! There is no perfect time to quit any bad habit or begin a new healthy one, stop waiting for your perfect moment.

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