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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsI did it! I am $2,860 richer because one year ago I quit smoking! (ETA: Thanks!)
Last edited Mon Apr 6, 2015, 02:06 AM - Edit history (1)
I can't believe I actually did it. This last year was a real mixed bag. There were some high points, including my finally being allowed to get married, but there were some real downers, including health issues all year and the death of my beloved cat, but I never smoked. Lord knows I was tempted; still am sometimes. The first month was HELL! I kept the last pack of cigarettes I bought, still unopened, on the table next to the door as a reminder.
I smoked since I was 16, though not heavily. By college, I was a heavy smoker, at least a pack a day and when I left college, I was up to 2 packs a day. There were times I smoked as much as 3 packs a day. For the majority of the time, I smoked 2.5 packs a day, until last year when I dropped to 1.5 packs. The price of cigarettes was about $5 a pack, $55 for a carton, which I bought weekly. I decided to quit when I got a chest X-ray and the doctor said my lungs were clear and it looked as if I had only been smoking for a few years. That was it! Talk about a "gift horse" and I had no intentions of looking it in the mouth. It took two weeks to wean myself off them, but I did it.
If you are thinking of quitting, make your plan and only share it with people who will be supportive and I don't mean they are just supportive of your quitting, but supportive of the process. If you slip, it is OK! Examine why you slipped and how you can conquer that challenge in the future. It takes strength and believe in yourself. Don't do it for anyone else, do it for YOU! You are worth it!
So, there it is...ONE YEAR...hopefully, I will have many more years more!
ETA: I wanted to say "thanks!" for all the comments, well wishes, and additional stories. I had no idea I would get this type of response, and because it was a weekend, I spent it with my husband with occasional computer breaks, but I was busy making dinner and watching documentaries. But, I wanted to express my thanks!
Warpy
(111,241 posts)I know it's not an easy thing to do.
Number23
(24,544 posts)That is just win/win all the way
Congratulations and great job!
Skittles
(153,142 posts)congrats!!
Behind the Aegis
(53,944 posts)It is nice not having to spend the money on something that does nothing but hurt me.
angstlessk
(11,862 posts)I am orally fixated...it ain't about nicotine...or any other addictive substance..I think I could do away completely with an adult pacifier??
I have gone from 28 mg of nicotine to .06 mg...quite a drop...yet I still want to puff on my 'pipe'
brett_jv
(1,245 posts)70+ years of smoking between the 5 of us ... and ALL of us now only vape, been that way for going on 2 years. I'm proud to say I talked three others to going to the 'vape' store on the first day that I went, and like I say ... all four of us (along w/another older gent who took it up on his own) put down cigs pretty much immediately upon getting our vaping gear.
I know it's not 'quitting' altogether but I cannot even tell you how much better I feel since I switched to vaping instead of actual tobacco. Cost is like $1/day instead of like $7, and that's just the start of the benefits.
Congrats to teh OP though for 'going all the way'. I'll get there someday, but I know in the meanwhile by vaping I'm not doing nearly the destruction to my lungs I was doing before.
tridim
(45,358 posts)0mg isn't far away.
I am so grateful that the vape pen was invented. It's a life saver.
Behind the Aegis
(53,944 posts)It helped in the transition for sure.
Demeter
(85,373 posts)Ya done good!
YOHABLO
(7,358 posts)I've been free from cigarettes for over 20 years. I went cold turkey.
I was in rehab for alcohol addiction and many of my fellow addicts smoked like a chimney. I just decided if I was going to kick alcohol, might as well get rid of the cigarettes. So glad and proud that I did it. CONGRATULATIONS ! You are going to be so happy you accomplished this. But the worst side of this: you will hate cigarettes and the smoke. Your smoking friends will become so annoying.
brett_jv
(1,245 posts)I cannot even imagine trying to kick nicotine at the same time I'z trying to kick another addictive drug like alcohol ... I say this as someone who's kicked drugs ... sadly, more than once. No way could I do what you did. Congrats, that really is an accomplishment
YOHABLO
(7,358 posts)Lunabell
(6,078 posts)I quit dozens of times before it finally "took" 6 years ago. Every time I quit before, I would still crave them even after a year and a half. This time, ugh! The thought of a cigarette makes me so naused. Even after drinking, I don't want one. Good job for you and your health!
bluesbassman
(19,370 posts)Behind the Aegis
(53,944 posts)F4lconF16
(3,747 posts)Congratulations!
Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)DesertFlower
(11,649 posts)actually makes me ill.
DesertFlower
(11,649 posts)years smoke free. it was one of the hardest things i ever did.
NJCher
(35,650 posts)On 2/14, it was 34 years of being smoke-free.
Hardest thing I've ever done, too.
Cher
Behind the Aegis
(53,944 posts)It really was/is a challenge.
byronius
(7,392 posts)Twenty years and counting for me. I would never play with that particular demon again, lemmetellya. One of the most difficult drugs to refrain from.
Congratulations.
LostOne4Ever
(9,288 posts)Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)1 Year. Good On Ya.
Behind the Aegis
(53,944 posts)It is really shocking how much money it was for just one year and that was after I had already cut back! But laughing really hard and not having a coughing fit, that has been so awesome!
Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)It's an astronomical figure.
anyway very proud of ya.
LeftishBrit
(41,205 posts)Canoe52
(2,948 posts)As a former smoker I know how hard it is to quit those damn things. 30 Years cig free here.
bemildred
(90,061 posts)raccoon
(31,110 posts)m-lekktor
(3,675 posts)anybody can. I loved my cigarettes and my excuse to take a break to smoke one and was the last person anybody expected to quit but i did cold turkey with no "aids". keep up it!
Sherman A1
(38,958 posts)This is indeed great news! A to you and I will share your advice with a friend who is trying to quit himself.
Crabby Appleton
(5,231 posts)Good on you!
George Beerlover
(23 posts)"Of course," said George smugly, "I never startied smoking to begin with." That's true, 'cause I had ALCOHOL!
Phentex
(16,334 posts)Seriously, this is quite a feat. Congratulations and much continued success!
RKP5637
(67,103 posts)bigwillq
(72,790 posts)underpants
(182,759 posts)madokie
(51,076 posts)I was smoking two packs a day. I'd said that when they made it to .50 cents a pack I'd quit but didn't make that milestone but when they went up to .60 cents a pack I did. Cold turkey, kept a pack with me just in case. At some point I did think that I really needed one but when I threw the pack out a year or so later it was still full albeit missing that corner of the packaging material. I pretty much used the same technique to quit drinking, Bought a bottle and put it on a shelf so I could see that I had some just in case I had to have a drink. After a while I guess my wife threw it out as I noticed one day that it was gone but by then so was the habit I had. And yes I do still have some of the money I've saved and if that isn't enough incentive to quit I don't know what is.
Congratulations on doing this BtA.
rurallib
(62,406 posts)just couldn't resist
InAbLuEsTaTe
(24,122 posts)99Forever
(14,524 posts)Quitting 9 years ago was one of the hardest things I've ever done, but as you point out, one of the most rewarding. That, for me is my main motivator to never start again. WTG.
Historic NY
(37,449 posts)its a good investment for your health.
KittyWampus
(55,894 posts)XOXOXO MWAH!
Behind the Aegis
(53,944 posts)Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)It can be done....
Behind the Aegis
(53,944 posts)It can be tough in our community too. It is amazing how many GLBT smoke.
marym625
(17,997 posts)I am seriously impressed. I smoke as much as you did, though I never went over 2 packs a day. Last year I finally cut down but somewhere in that year, I went back up to 2. It's been a very stressful year. Part of it due to health issues that I, more than likely, wouldn't have if I didn't smoke.
I am sorry if I am asking something you already answered, but did you go cold turkey? (Weird expression. I love cold turkey)
Congratulations to you! I want to be able to post the same thing next year. Maybe even the married part. But I have to find someone first
cbayer
(146,218 posts)marym625
(17,997 posts)Behind the Aegis
(53,944 posts)I worked my way down. I first tackled my "triggers" like talking on the phone, driving, after meals, and the like. Once I got a few of those out of the way, it was easier. I also used a vapor cig, which really helps. You can also try patches and the like. The gum didn't work for me at all! Start with your triggers.
As for having someone special, stop looking....let them find you!
marym625
(17,997 posts)Seems like everything is a trigger. But I will try to figure out what the biggest ones are.
I am not really looking. Not until I get my shit together. And smoking is high on the list.
Thanks again!
angstlessk
(11,862 posts)they helped me
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/
marym625
(17,997 posts)I have heard because it still has the nicotine, it doesn't work. But if it helped you, that obviously isn't true for everyone.
Thanks!
etherealtruth
(22,165 posts).... and congratulations to all others that have shared their accomplishment!
melm00se
(4,989 posts)52 hours in.....
roody
(10,849 posts)forthemiddle
(1,379 posts)I am going on 4 years! After having smoked for 30 years, also about 2 packs a day my quit date was 4th of July. I figured I would always remember it as my Freedom Day.
I used Chantix, and for me it was a miracle. I know it isn't for everyone, but for me it worked.
I also know, to this day, that if I EVER take smoke another cigarette, I will be right back where I started. No "one little puff" for me, I enjoyed it too much. There are still times when I crave them, but those days are fewer, and farther between.
Great job, and good luck on the next year! I will look forward to your post on April 5th, 2016!
Tuesday Afternoon
(56,912 posts)roguevalley
(40,656 posts)Nuclear Unicorn
(19,497 posts)A) The improved health
B) The reclaimed money
C) Being your own master
D) YES!
I'm still fighting to get my dad to completely stop after his heart attack. He's cut back quite a lot but not completely. I think I'll mention your story to him.
Behind the Aegis
(53,944 posts)It is mind boggling when I think how much I actually spent on this habit in 29 years! However, it is really nice to be able to laugh without coughing or sitting through a movie without a "smoker's cough."
I hope you dad can quit. It is really difficult. Just let him know you will support him on his journey.
Zorra
(27,670 posts)Marrah_G
(28,581 posts)I Vape now and have been continually cutting down the nicotine amount every time I buy more juice. I am so happy to be finally rid of the things.
Jesus Malverde
(10,274 posts)randome
(34,845 posts)Solidarity!
[hr][font color="blue"][center]All things in moderation, including moderation.[/center][/font][hr]
Liberal_in_LA
(44,397 posts)Will try to sabotage
SusanCalvin
(6,592 posts)And best wishes! (I know you longer than my post count indicates.)
valerief
(53,235 posts)you'll be rid of them forever.
Secondhand smoke is another issue.
How's your sense of smell? Do you feel like a bloodhound now?
JimDandy
(7,318 posts)cbayer
(146,218 posts)I used Alan Carr's book and it was like a miracle for me.
Whatever it takes, I support anyone who wants to quit.
The hardest times for me are when I am around groups of people that are smoking
. a lot. This happened to me just last month and it made me really miserable (and mean).
Anyway, keep up the good work. You owe it to yourself.
Faux pas
(14,659 posts)tartan2
(314 posts)As an ex-smoker myself, I commend you. I have been cigarette free for 3 years & 3 months today. When the 5th of the month comes around each month I pat myself on the back! Keep up the great work.
glinda
(14,807 posts)whistler162
(11,155 posts)or go out for a nice dinner.
congratulations.
MrMickeysMom
(20,453 posts)So, I'd like to know what worked for you the best to help you wean off and stay off entirely. You'll be helping more people through me, so thanks in advance!
Curmudgeoness
(18,219 posts)If you are on health insurance through the ACA marketplace, it costs 50% more if you smoke. I am still smoking, but have tried to quit several times in the past few months. Maybe one day.
stage left
(2,961 posts)Sometimes it takes a while to stick. I quit every other day for two months before I quit for good. I've kept it up for nearly six years now. A friend of mine from an online forum(about.com/smoking cessation had numerous relapses and is now four years smoke-free. Practice makes perfect.
Behind the Aegis
(53,944 posts)Ironically, this past year I have had more medical problems than I have ever had in my life, but it was unrelated to smoking. However, I am guessing if I were still smoking some things might have been worse.
Don't give up on yourself. Take it at your OWN pace. Start with the habits first; smoking after meals, while driving, talking on the phone, or whatever your habits happen to be. That's what really helped me. Then you can go on "the count", meaning you can count the number of cigs in a day and cut back that way. Breaking your habits will be the worst.
Curmudgeoness
(18,219 posts)I had started the counting, then did quit for a week. But I couldn't stick with it, this time. I will keep trying, and identifying my pressure points would be a good start. I have already put the pack in another room instead of right beside me, so that I don't just grab one without thinking. Baby steps.
I really have to focus on three things. 1) The cost of the cigarettes. 2) The 50% higher health insurance premium. 3) My sister had to quit before they would do a hip replacement, or any "elective" surgery, and I fear that this will become mainstream.
beam me up scottie
(57,349 posts)By making it a pain in the ass I used my procrastination skills for good.
It was weird, I'd start by thinking well, after the movie I'll go outside, and then it was after the dishes were done, and then after the 11 o'clock news, etc. Hours would go by before I realized it.
I also chewed on cinnamon sticks, they weren't bad for you like candy and you can twirl them around in between your fingers. Gained 20 lbs but lost all of them after 3 months of long walks after dinner.
Good luck!
Jack Rabbit
(45,984 posts)DawgHouse
(4,019 posts)I know how difficult this can be!
hopemountain
(3,919 posts)similar advice was given to me several years ago. it has been nearly 10 years. although i confess to still having momentary fantasy's of tasting tobacco, etc... i am so glad to be able to continue to resist the temptation
do it for you and no one else - and only share your plan with trusted persons who will be supportive.
noella17
(48 posts)When I saw $5 a pack I wondered why you live because in my neck of the woods it's double that. I quit long ago myself and had a pack a day habit but it was only $2 back then!
beam me up scottie
(57,349 posts)Good on you!
Of course you did it!
Years ago, a friend of mine took me to visit her father in the hospital, he was dying of emphysema. I had been half-heartedly considering quitting but the sight of that poor man gasping for each breath did it for me.
You usually can't choose how you exit the world but if you can prevent that kind of prolonged suffering, it's worth the struggle to quit.
For all the other smokers who have tried to stop and failed, keep trying.
BtA
eta: one thing that helped me was picturing my snotty brother saying to me "I knew you couldn't quit".
Honestly, whatever helps, do it.
Behind the Aegis
(53,944 posts)I think most people don't realize the quitting process really is an individual journey. Sure, there may be certain things that one shares with others, but it comes down to what motivates you as a person.
beam me up scottie
(57,349 posts)Except my doctor who prescribed Wellbutrin. I didn't need the pressure of having dozens of people asking for daily progress reports.
One thing that helped me was snapping a rubber band on my wrist whenever I had a craving.
Thanks! I had problems with my service and couldn't get on the internet for weeks. Talk about withdrawals!
joanbarnes
(1,722 posts)Cha
(297,126 posts)I was talking to someone Friday about how important for her health and what a good investment for the future it is..
I can't stand it when I smell cig smoke fouling up the air.
stage left
(2,961 posts)That's wonderful!
The Jungle 1
(4,552 posts)You are a very strong person. Nicotine is as strong an addictive drug as crack.
It is very hard to stop. No one except ex smokers understand the difficulty of quitting.
You got it don't turn back even once. NO you cannot have just one with a beer. Don't do it. Time is the cure.
Jackpine Radical
(45,274 posts)1) The first thing that happened, starting the morning after the night of my last cigarette, is that my hemoglobin started to clear itself of carbon monoxide, so my blood's oxygen carrying capacity increased by about 25% within a day or so. I took advantage of this energy rush by dramatically increasing my level of exercise. I was at a time & place in my life where I could devote some time to biking, hiking & canoeing, and did so. The exercise caused my body to increase production of endorphins, which helped to quell some of my cravings.
2) I discovered that I actually didn't have a grand "smoking habit." I had a thousand little smoking habits--the first cig in the morning; the cig I grabbed when I started a phone call; the cig I lit when I got in the car; the cig with coffee, etc., and I had to figure out a way to confront and break each one of them. It isn't enough to just suppress the urge to smoke; it really helps to have a substitute.
3) For the first year or 2, I found tobacco smoke alluring. At some point, this turned to revulsion.
4) I still have dreams about relapsing. I think, even more than is the case with alcohol or certain other drugs, once you are a smoker, you remain at high risk of relapse for the rest of your life. People tell me of having been off cigarettes for years, then smoking one (maybe for a social reason), and instantly finding themselves with their old nicotine urge back in full force.
5) Whatever I had to go through to get off the damn things, it was worth it. It's like a rebirth of sorts. My quality of life improved hugely when I got off tobacco.
Sissyk
(12,665 posts)You done good!
eridani
(51,907 posts)BumRushDaShow
(128,815 posts)4+ years for me now thanks to DU's rec of ecigs!
NYFlip
(324 posts)It feels good but I only smoked 5 cigarettes a day.
mountain grammy
(26,614 posts)I quit 10 years ago, and many times before that. One of the best and hardest things I ever did. The first year I put $20 a week in the jar and the next year we took off to Vegas with $1000.
I still smoke pot, I don't count that. My doc says not the same risk..
Good, good, good for you. You will not be sorry.
NYC_SKP
(68,644 posts)It took me three tries but I finally quit in 2010.
Gore1FL
(21,127 posts)Behind the Aegis
(53,944 posts)pacalo
(24,721 posts)(I'm in my third month of quitting -- it's not easy.)
Behind the Aegis
(53,944 posts)It isn't easy. It took me about 5 months before I stopped having the urges to punch people in the throat when I was stressed. Usually, I'd just have a smoke and that took care of that urge.
bhikkhu
(10,715 posts)and haven't had a smoke since. Actually I quit about five times - 2008 was just the last time. I can't imagine smoking again at this point.
I have had several high-stress wear-you-down-to-a-nub type jobs, and it always seemed like I never would be able to summon the consistent resolve to quit. At the time that I finally did it I had an easier job, I switched to the nicotine gum, and I took up cycling to keep myself active and on a different track. It worked very well. Currently I have another high-stress wear-you-down-to-a-nub job, and most of the guys I work with smoke. No time or energy left for cycling or exercise now. Its hard when you are so worn out and mentally beaten down, it would be easy to just relax back into smoking. I took up the gum again and have a vape to get me by, and its more than enough to take care of any relapse worries.
IrishEyes
(3,275 posts)Good fro you. I have never smoked but I can imagine that it must have been difficult. There are so many better things you can do with that money like save for retirement, go on vacation, go back to school, etc. You will also probably save a lot of money in medical bills when you get older.
3catwoman3
(23,971 posts)...on something fun and healthy!
Congratulations to you and everyone else here who has kicked the habit.
My mom smoked when I was little, and I thought it smelled so awful that I was never even tempted, so I cannot relate to the strength of the urge that so many of you have overcome.
DebJ
(7,699 posts)I'm still trying to 'start' to quit, and posts like this help. They are upbeat, hopeful.
I don't really have anyone I can tell for support. At any relapse, they will just treat me like trash. I have made some changes
in my smoking habits, just a bit, and instead of being supported or cheered on, I was just mocked.
ismnotwasm
(41,975 posts)Behind the Aegis
(53,944 posts)WheelWalker
(8,955 posts)It will be 12 years this May for me. After 35 years, all it took to motivate me was surviving a massive coronary. Welcome to the path. Blessings.
JayhawkSD
(3,163 posts)You've got a better shot of living life with a set of lungs that is fully functional. I did not stop smoking until I was diagnosed with "well advanced emphysema." That was 35 years ago, and the damage smoking does was not as well publicized as it is now. Some 45% of my left lung and 55% of my right lung are dead air space.
I've learned to make good use of what remains, and I am fully active without supplemental oxygen, but I had to work at it, and still do for that matter. And, when I get pneumonia which would merely be two weeks of antibiotic at home for most people, I'm in the hospital for two weeks and am laid up for more than two months. As has happened twice in the past fifteen months.
Good decision, and good work.
lexington filly
(239 posts)Arugula Latte
(50,566 posts)joeybee12
(56,177 posts)Stellar
(5,644 posts)and I told my mother. I figured she would be proud of me since I had been telling her that I would. By August of 2011she had passed. I felt I could never start back and I did not. It will be four years from end of this month for me.
eta: I still get urges.