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Home › Articles › Healthy Woman › Confessions of an Ex-smoker

Confessions of an Ex-smoker

Winning the Battle Against Nicotine

By Teri Brown

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"I felt great when I was able to make it around my quarter-mile block and not be out of breath," Dupie says. "I also liked that I was losing weight instead of gaining. I lost 25 pounds instead of putting on the smoker 25. The energy I feel after exercising lasts twice as long as any cigarette ever did."

Unlike myself, Dupie is still exercising faithfully, walking almostfive miles a day. After overcoming the initial obstacles, I exercise only sporadically, though I continue to be far more active than I was before I quit smoking. I breathe easily, I laugh without coughing and I smell like soap and perfume not an ashtray. Best of all is the feeling of strength and confidence that comes with overcoming a spirit-destroying addiction.

5Steps to Beat Your Addiction

John Fitzgerald, a psychiatry professor at Oregon Health and Sciences University and a licensed professional therapist specializing in the treatment of addictive disorders, has developed the following five steps to help people resolve any addiction, including smoking.

  1. Deciding to Change Most smokers are stuck in a state of ambivalence where they know they should stop, but continue to smoke. The first step to quitting is finding a personal reason something of intrinsic value that can motivate and sustain the change process (examples include health of self or children, goal of running a marathon, increased self-esteem, etc.).
  2. Changing Addictive Behavior Extensive research has shown that a combination of behavioral and pharmacological treatments for nicotine addiction works best when a person is ready to change. Behavioral therapies include learning new coping responses in place of smoking, monitoring smoking behavior, developing aversions to smoking, learning to avoid high-risk environments and developing a support network. Pharmacological therapies include nicotine replacement treatments such as Nicorette gum, the patch and nasal sprays and inhalers. All appear equally effective. There are many paths to changing addictive behavior, and there is no one right way for everyone.
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