What was your motivation to stop smoking?
It was the amount of asthma attacks I was having. While I was on holiday, I called the service to make an appointment for when I got back.
How was smoking impacting your day-to-day life?
I found myself smoking 24/7. There were no restrictions as I was working from home at the time — as soon as I put one cigarette out, I would light another. When I changed jobs, I really struggled. I had to wait for a break to smoke, and while I was waiting, I was distracted thinking about it.
What do you think is the most difficult thing about giving up smoking and how did our service support you to overcome it?
Being at home all the time by myself made it difficult. I couldn’t have done it without the support I had. Having someone to check in with every week and the ongoing encouragement made all the difference.
What benefits have you had from quitting?
My chest feels a lot better, my breathing has improved, and I’m not coughing anymore. I no longer smell of smoke, I’m able to concentrate better because I’m not constantly thinking about smoking, and I have more money left at the end of the month.
What was the best advice you were given during your quit?
The same advice my mum received — continuous encouragement, week after week, from my advisor. She gave little tips like: cravings usually last around 10 minutes, with the first 3–5 minutes being the hardest. She reminded me that it does get easier, and to always come back to the reasons why I wanted to quit. She was brilliant.
Do you have any advice you would like to share with other smokers who might be thinking about accessing our service?
Give it a go — the idea of quitting is scary, but once you start, you realise it’s not that bad.
What has given you the most satisfaction about quitting smoking?
Being able to say to my doctor that I’m a non-smoker. Seeing the changes in my health has motivated me to tackle my diet too — I’ve now signed up to the weight management programme.
Have there been any significant moments you would like to share?
Since quitting, I’ve encouraged some of my friends to give it a go too.
