Meet Daniel

Cyrenian House resident of a smoke free Therapeutic Community

I started smoking when I was in year 10 (15 years old) and I stopped smoking when I came in here. The longest I had probably quit before was about five or six months.

Was Cyrenian House’s smoke free status a factor in you coming here?

Yeah it was because I didn’t want to give up; though I knew I had to. I was smoking a packet of Winfield Red a day and in between that I was smoking a 50 gram pouch of Champion Ruby Red. It was a big bonus coming here because I was spending a lot of money on tobacco. I thought coming here would be good but the first week was hard. This is now my fifth week. The fact that you can’t smoke makes it easier.

If someone was in the same situation as you and they were trying to make a decision between different services to access would you recommend they come here?

I would recommend here because it’s an extra bonus to be able to give up the cigarettes because you can’t get them. I know people here do go out and smoke on the weekends, but I think that’s not helping you because next week is going to be even harder. I’m not going to do that. This is probably the main thing I was really looking forward to, to give up smoking, because it was costing so much money. I used to wake up for a cigarette during the night. So, I’ve never had a solid night’s sleep and this is the first time I have slept solid in ages.

Can you tell us how you quit?

I used patches and the inhaler. I’m on half a patch now. When I first came in I was going through three of those inhaler capsules a day but the one I’ve got now I’ve had for two days! I’ve been trying to cut down. Initially it was always in my mouth but now I leave it in my room, so in-between classes I might have a bit of a suck on it but that’s about it.

How do you feel now you have quit?

I feel a lot healthier and I think it’s mainly from the smoking. I was using drugs before I came in but it was mainly the cigarettes, so now I feel clearer and a lot healthier. I’m also not waking up so many times during the night; I used to wake up five to six times in the night for a cigarette.

Do you think it has affected your recovery in anyway?

The first week was hard - not being able to smoke. But, now I’m not smoking its making it a lot easier because I’m not getting stressed out. I felt like I was stressed before but I now realise it was the cigarettes making me stressed. I feel a lot more relaxed and calm, and not as agitated anymore. That’s a big bonus and will help with my recovery.

When you leave here are you hoping to remain smoke free?

Yeah I don’t want to smoke anymore! I think the sleeping was the biggest one for me because that’s when I was getting moody and using the other things because I was so tired.

If there was someone trying to quit smoking at the moment that might have an addiction is there any advice you would give them?

I don’t know because it’s hard to do out there. I’m still struggling when I go to meetings and I smell a cigarette because I still want one. There are still times when I feel like a cigarette when I get angry and frustrated. But I don’t crave it too much. The fact you can’t smoke here makes it easier.

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