Quit Smoking

 

My name is Karen Daduryan. I am 39 now. I began smoking about 25 years ago, while in high school. Though I had not become a heavy smoker, I did smoke quite a lot through almost all these years. There were times when I enjoyed smoking and did not think of quitting. However, after I moved to New York I felt that smoking was taking a toll on my health. Yet, I did not really believe that I would be able to quit, as I could not imagine my day without having a cigarette after a meal or with coffee, or with a drink.

 

This went on until one day my good friend Viktoria offered to help me quit smoking with NLP techniques that she had been practicing as a Life Coach. Initially, I did not take it seriously, since I had convinced myself that I was not willing to quit. However, I agreed to try it out of fun and curiosity. Later I understood that I really wanted to quit but could not acknowledge it to myself due to lack of confidence that it would actually work.

 

I found Viktoria's session rather funny, and the hypnosis was very relaxing and refreshing. However, I was sure that I would light a cigarette after it, as usual. To my great surprise, I hardly reached half of the cigarette, when I realized that I did not want to continue. This situation repeated each time I lit a cigarette, and I felt that I actually could not take the smoke anymore. Though the thirst (craving) for nicotine or for the smoke was very strong for a while, I became determined to overcome it. One thing was very clear to me – I did not want and could not inhale the smoke anymore. It felt like inhaling poison. When the quench was too strong, I repeated Viktoria’s techniques as she had advised. This helped me stay on the course and fully get rid of smoking.

 

It has been two years since my last cigarette. Never ever since then did it occurr to me that I can light a cigarette again. The years of smoking seem to be from another life. I definitely feel better without it. It feels like freeing oneself from a prison or some sort of slavery - slavery to one's own habit. I have become a staunch advocate of non-smoking, since it takes someone to be on the other side to realize how much damage this silly habit may cause. Now I taste food and wine differently, I do not suffer of smell and cough, and I feel free - thanks to Viktoria, a wonderful professional and a good friend of mine…

 

(Mr.) Karen Daduryan, UN Senior Officer

New York, Bratislava

17 June 2009