What was your main reason for accessing service?
I wanted to stop to improve my health and also to save money. My kids have also been asking me to stop smoking so I wanted to make them proud.
I had tried stopping by myself in the past and felt I needed the extra support, I wanted to try some different medication this time that was recommended to me by my friend.
Did you believe you could achieve 4 weeks Smokefree?
I did yes, I was determined to do it and had selt myself a goal.
Have you used stop smoking medication to help you quit?
I used Champix tablets and my own personal e-cig in the beginning with 0% nicotine in it.
How helpful did you find it?
The Champix medication really helped me to stop and was just what I needed this time.
Apart from medication, what else helped you to quit and stay smokefree?
My kids have been a big help along this journey giving me encouragement and being proud of me. Also the support from the Barnsley stop smoking service with the telephone calls and SMS messages. I changed some of my routines around the times I would usually smoke and did something else instead so I wasn't triggered by an old habit / routine. I kept myself busy and on the go as I used to smoke out of boredom too.
Has your health improved since you quit and if so, in what ways?
I feel more energetic and feel better in myself. I am happy with my achievement of reaching my personal goal to stop smoking.
Other than health, have you achieved anything since quitting that you couldn't do whilst smoking?
No, nothing specific.
Has the current lockdown helped you with your quit or has this made quitting harder?
Lockdown made stopping harder, as with my line of work in the health sector seeing the things I saw and the stress, it made quitting a challenge.
What have you found helpful accessing the service via the Telephone?
Having weekly telephone calls from my friendly advisor has kept me motivated and on track. I have felt more confident and relaxed accessing the service via telephone compared to if I was to meet face to face. The telephone appointment access is more convenient. The daily motivational SMS messages have helped also.
I smoked out of boredom, keeping myself busy and changing my routines have helped along with the medication.
