Man gives up smoking after 50 years
When Peter Bond took his first steps towards ending a 50-year smoking habit, his fingers were blue from poor circulation.
Three months after meeting smoking cessation coach Barbara Greene, the colour is returning.
‘‘I can breathe better, I can sleep better and my lungs don’t feel sore like they did before. I’ve had a big turnaround with my life, I don’t smell smoke on my clothes, I am walking a lot better.’’
Bond first began smoking at the age of 21.
His habit saw him smoking up to 40 cigarettes a day. Not only was it expensive, but his doctor told him his health was suffering.
Bond started smoking after he was admitted to a psychiatric hospital in the 60s. He said the nursing staff would give out tobacco and the habit remained with him ever since.
‘‘I got addicted really fast,’’ he said. ‘‘I was nervous and I was on heavy medication and drugs.’’
The smoking also affected his relationships with family members.
‘‘I was always trying to get money from my sister for smokes and that wasn’t good for our relationship.’’
But he had never tried to quit smoking before and wasn’t sure how to go about it.
He tried nicotine replacement therapy in the form of patches and lozenges which helped to cut down the number of cigarettes he had each day, but he still found try to quit very difficult.
Through face to face sessions with Greene, he learnt strategies to deal with the addiction, which included telling the ‘‘nicotine monster’’ where to get off.
Greene said it was important to identify how the addiction worked, as it differed for everyone, then implement strategies to deal with it.
The idea that cigarettes helped people to relax was ‘‘addiction talk’’.
‘‘The relaxation comes from the relief of the withdrawal symptoms from the last cigarette.
‘‘It masquerades as filling needs, but it is actually not.’’
Since quitting, Bond had watched his carbon monoxide levels drop and was thrilled to see the improvement.
He wanted to share his story as inspiration for others who wondered if they could give up.
‘‘I’m proud of myself,’’ Bond said.
‘‘I’m proud of you too,’’ Greene said.
"I can breathe better, I can sleep better and my lungs don't feel sore like they did before.''
Peter Bond