A positive step towards a smokefree future – Diane’s story

For Diane, quitting smoking was driven by a desire to improve her health. After developing a persistent cough and undergoing a chest X-ray, Diane decided it was time to make a lasting change. Having successfully quit before but later returned to smoking, she was determined that this attempt would be different.

"My main motivation for quitting was my health. I had a cough that wouldn't go away and knew I needed to stop smoking to help improve it. When I went for a chest X-ray, I promised myself that if everything came back clear, I would do something about quitting smoking, and I did."

Leeds Stop Smoking Services provides free, personalised support to help people quit smoking for good. Through one-to-one coaching, practical advice and access to a range of stop smoking tools and treatments, the service helps people build confidence, manage cravings and stay on track with their quit journey.

"Contacting the service felt good because I knew I was taking a positive step towards quitting. I wanted to stop smoking completely and felt ready to commit to the process."

"The most helpful part of the support was meeting Adam face-to-face. The one-to-one sessions meant I could speak openly and receive personalised advice that was relevant to my situation. Having that support made a real difference."

"One of the biggest challenges was dealing with irritability while I was adjusting to life without cigarettes. I found my temper was easier to trigger, especially when things weren't going well, but I understood this was part of the withdrawal process."

"Whenever I felt tempted to smoke, I thought back to what I had learned from the Allen Carr book and the conversations I'd had with Adam. I reminded myself that smoking wouldn't solve the situation and that having one cigarette could undo the progress I'd worked hard to achieve."

"I've now been smoke-free for six weeks and I'm determined to keep going. My focus is on all the cigarettes I haven't smoked rather than the money I've saved, and I'm proud of the progress I've made so far."

"My next step is to continue doing what I'm doing now and revisit the book whenever I need some extra motivation. Quitting smoking has been a positive change for my health, and I'm committed to staying smokefree for the future."