Deborah Woehr

I think the hardest part of breaking any habit/addiction is to overcome the fears that keep you addicted. The old saying, “It’s all in your head.” is quite true. Quitting smoking is 95% psychological.

I started for psychological reasons. First it was peer pressure (which didn’t get me started right away). Boredom and my desire to keep my father off of me about my weight were the biggest factors of why I started. As a teenager in the 80’s, I had the pressure coming from him and from society.

Looking back, I was the thinnest I’d ever been in my adult life–5′5/115 lbs. He still thought that I was too fat. I took up smoking to replace eating. Eventually, I got down to 108 pounds. I hadn’t been that light since I was in the fifth grade. My hips jutted through my jeans, but I was so happy that I could fit into a Size 7.

Smoking seemed to be the perfect diet remedy. Two years later, I was smoking almost two packs a day and was 20 lbs overweight. Just like every diet fad, smoking failed to keep my weight under control.

Today, I’m down to under one pack per day. Having to smoke outside helps a great deal. Not having to commute to work everyday also helps.

Once I decide to go for this, I’ll need to exercise regularly, which is something I’ve neglected over the past 20 years. I won’t be just quitting smoking, but changing a lifestyle that hasn’t been good for me.