This is how Chris quit smoking with the support of loved ones and advice from ex-smokers.

Suffering from anxiety, his acne worsening and experiencing breathlessness, Chris from Hackney knew that smoking was harming his health and needed to make a change.

By using his upcoming wedding and love for his partner as the motivation to quit, Chris reversed 17 years of tobacco-related damage by calling upon the help of loved ones and using the support of ex-smokers who had successfully quit for good.

This is Chris’ story.

How did Chris begin smoking?

“I was in an amateur dramatic theatre show and the character I was portraying was scripted to smoke a cigarette as part of a scene. I decided that I would play the part ‘properly’ by becoming a method actor for the scene and smoked a cigarette.

“I was 19 years old at the time and planned to stop smoking once my acting duties had finished.  However, having smoked throughout the course of the show I became addicted and did not stop smoking for the next 17 years.”

Chris thought smoking calmed him

“I worked as a professional actor with a big touring company. With that comes stress and responsibility and I found that smoking cigarettes seemed to ‘relax’ me during intense moments.

“Looking back now, it’s clear to see that it was my first introduction to nicotine and the first signs of my body becoming addicted to that chemical.”

Dealing with smoking triggers became a struggle

“I was a habitual smoker. I couldn’t get out of bed until I had smoked my cigarette – no matter how early it was or how busy my day was looking. For me, mealtime had not finished until I smoked a cigarette after finishing eating.

“My smoking triggers seemed to stem from early morning cravings, as well as mealtimes and having an alcoholic drink when out with friends.

“Alcohol was a challenging trigger for me, I’d trick myself into having one or two cigarettes in the pub. I’d lose control, end up smoking way more and I’d wake up with a headache and a terrible craving for a cigarette – meaning I’d be shopping at a tobacconist first thing in the morning.”

Failed quit attempts didn’t discourage Chris from trying again

“I started becoming frustrated that I was a smoker once I had left university – around 5 years after I first started smoking. This was when I first began looking at ways to quit and I put a lot of effort into making a real go at stopping smoking during that  New Year.

“Although I tried to quit with very little support, I had good intentions, my motivation was high and then I would last 10 hours before I crumbled into the nicotine cravings and smoked a cigarette. It quickly dawned on me how hard it was going to be for me to quit.

“For a while, I would manage to stop smoking for a few weeks. I read a few self-help books and at the time, I shared a house with a few other smokers – we all tried to quit together and rely on each other for support, but none of these attempts lasted in the long run.

“These earlier failed attempts helped me in the end. It gave me experience of what to expect, different tips to try, how I might feel when nicotine cravings arrived, and it prepared me mentally for my next quit attempt.”

Chris‘ motivation to quit smoking came from a loved one

“I remember an evening when I felt really low, I had a terrible sore throat and I had run out of rolling tobacco. My then fiancé – now wife – had successfully given up smoking and it spurred me on to give quitting another go.

“I just wanted to do my bit to be the best version of myself for our relationship.

“We were getting married in September of 2002 and I didn’t want to be a smoker at my wedding.

“I wanted to give up smoking for my partner, I wanted to put that effort in for them.

“They were so supportive and didn’t place any pressure on me to quit which also really helped.

You can quit smoking with professional help

Trying to stop smoking can be hard and that’s why Stop Smoking London provide a number of professional services to support you.

Smokers can also access free stop smoking support from your local London borough.

You can receive free stop smoking support messages by visiting Stop Smoking London and signing up for the service here.

For Londoners, Stop Smoking London also offers a free, dedicated phone programme to help you quit for good.

Stop Smoking London also has a wide range of free resources, videos and guides by ex-smokers. Visit our website today to receive free expert support to help you quit smoking for good.