Has anyone here successfully quit smoking cigarettes?

[EnfantTerrible]

I've been trying to quit since the birth of my daughter (she's one on Tuesday) but alas the flesh is weak...

If anyone has quit and stayed quit can you tell me what method you used?

and how good it feels and how you never miss it or crave it...


:smoke:

[Lovecrafty]

1. Many times! :)

[zapp]

2. I did

I quit on December 20, 2003.

I used the Patch for 4 weeks, then went off that.

I also found a mint that would discourage my desire to smoke, because mixing the two was nasty...and that helped to discourage smoking. I would be lying if I said I didn't get cravings, but I also ran the tape through- I don't cough now, and I walk three miles a day without getting winded.

Let em go- remember that the CONS are favorites of the tobacco companies!!


bb

[EnfantTerrible]

10. Welcome zapp

The political angle is good motivation, I know...

Congrats on getting out from under it.

Did the patch make you jittery or affect your sleeping? I've heard tell of intense dreams...

[theKnave]

3. I quit smoking as a bet...

... I went 6 months cold turkey to win my bet. After I collected my money, I started smoking again. Damn those drunken canoeing trips. :-(

[amber dog democrat]

4. I quit in the anniversary of my discharge from the Navy

7-7-73 at around 9:30 PM.

But I had been smoking since i was 13. Quit when i was 21.
I just decided i wanted controll over the habbit and it was just a decision.

How good does it feel? Well, when I stopped a pack used to be .50 cents.
How much is a pack of marlboros now ?
No I don't crave it.

[EnfantTerrible]

15. The financial aspect

is also excellent motivation. I live in NYC and a pack of cigs here runs $7.50 - $8.00!!!

It's insanity, I know, to pay so much money to kill oneself.

[amber dog democrat]

27. Holey Cow

I had no idea a pack was that expensive. That would buy my lunch for 2 days .

Yes, by all means consider the financial alternative. At that price I would go back to smoking pot if it did not make me so freaking paranoid.

[TheDebbieDee]

5. I quit sixteen months ago......................

on September 17th. I used hypnosis and it was pretty painless.

You should check out hypnosis the next time a hypnotist comes through your area.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

69. Um, not to be nitpicky or anything....

But Last september 17 was 12 months ago. :shrug:
Duckie

[TheDebbieDee]

83. I meant sixteen months as of September 17th of this year.

I quit on May 17th, 2003.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

84. Oh ok...sorry. It was ambiguous.

[RebelYell]

6. I quit

I traded cigarettes for nicotine gum.

My lungs are cleared up, my sinuses don't drain, and my house and care a alot cleaner.

The gum costs about as much as cigs, but they don't get the smoke nazis after ya.

[H2O Man]

7. Yep. I quit.

Several years ago. There are times I miss the pleasure of a good smoke. I quit "cold turkey." I was unpleasant to be around for about a week. My wife told me that if I ever started again, I need not worry about cancer -- she'd kill me herself.

[Cartooner]

8. I quit by telling myself they were poison... over and over

I quit many years ago the day after Thanksgiving... I like to joke and claim I quit COLD TURKEY.. which I did....

[silverlib]

9. Wish it was longer ago...

but I've been smoke free for two weeks. I quit once for two years and I know that if I ever smoke one, I'll be back on the things again. I did get a prescription for Welbutrin. I was hesitant, but I can tell you that after two weeks of taking it, it really did help with the craving. I bought patches, but haven't used them. Quitnet.org or .com (can't remember) has some good ideas, too. I also burn candles, use Glade plug-ins, etc. as aroma therapy seems to help me.

Hope whatever is takes that this works out for you. I'm not far enough along to know if mine is a sure thing, but I am certainly working hard at it.

[EnfantTerrible]

21. Good luck!!!

I haven't managed even that much time without crawling back to them and hating myself for it...

Thanks for the site info I'll check it out.

[ezee]

11. I quit after 30yrs

at 2or 3 packs a day. NO smokes since 2000. I used the drug Zyban, some use Wellbutrion, your doc can prescribe. The I used the patch for 5 weeks. Have not smoked since. Every now and then it smells good. But it isn't worth it. Stop if you can. the Doc says if I am lucky I have 5 more years leftto live. Iam only mid 50's.
good Luck

[smirkymonkey]

12. I feel so much better and I never crave anymore.

Quit 4 years ago (about 1 pack/day) I started to taper off - getting used to longer and longer periods w/ out one, i.e. wouldn't smoke during the work day. Then I set a quit date and stuck to it. Helps to have a quitting buddy for support, or if you live in a larger city there may be a Nicotine Anonymous meeting.

Chew gum or take up meditation to replace the urge to smoke. It's pretty intense for the 1st week and then lessens. Or everytime you want to smoke, deeply inhale and exhale a few times (this will actaully calm you down as well as remind you that it's important to keep your lungs clean.)

Also, you could try the patch or Zyban (prescription), but I actually think the psychological addiction is the most difficult thing. Go on line and try to find a non-smoking support group. Also, tell everyone you know so that you will think twice before lighting up in front of them.

I am so happy I don't smoke now. I know a few other smokers and it's amazing how much they smell like smoke all the time and generally look unhealthy. It can be done, just take it a day at a time! Good Luck!

[madaboutharry]

13. I quit 17 years ago.

I had only smoked for about 6 years, but I smoked one pack a day. I quit with Nicorette chewing gum. I never miss it. I can't be anywhere near smoke, it makes me sick. When you quit, you will feel unchained. You have to quit, children living in houses with a smoker have many more illnesses than children living in smoke free homes. Second hand smoke is very dangerous.

[EnfantTerrible]

23. I never smoke in the house

or in front of my girl... I'm so hyper aware of it now that I'm not really enjoying it any more and I've been smoking for 17 yrs...

[fknobbit]

14. I quit

While on the operating table having my heart artery's replaced. If you quit now you might save yourself that experience.

[EnfantTerrible]

28. There's a fucking reality check...

Thanks for sharing that. I really mean that.

[madmom]

16. I quit cold turkey about 15 years ago...

told myself I couldn't afford them. My husband quit about several years ago used the inhaler. worked for the need to have something in hand and in the mouth.He says food tastes much better, eating things he thought he didn't like before.

[SoDesuKa]

17. 10 Years and Counting

I quit smoking when cigarettes went to a dollar a pack. I didn't exactly quit cold turkey, because I'd made a study of my smoking habits. The National Cancer Society at the time was promoting a method whereby you divided your smoking into three categories, ranging from thoughtless smoking to absolutely gotta have a smoke.

Ultimately I had to bull my way through it, recognizing that smoking is so addictive the only way out of it is to undergo a personality change. It took about two weeks, and I had to endure cravings that were so intense they made me weep.

Eventually I realized that I could beat back cravings with relaxation techniques. That's when I knew I had it licked. I don't get cravings anymore - they're gone for good. Once in a while I get a feeling that a cigarette might be pleasant, but that feeling has no hold on me and is easily dismissed.

Do not think of yourself as weak. Recognize that you have become addicted and that it has taken hold of your personality. Give yourself permission to cry, to rage about, to stamp your feet and indulge yourself in pity jags. But don't give in.

[Cheswick2.0]

18. First I cut way down to two a day

then I quite cold turkey.

Do you know you can give your child alergies, asthma and all kinds of other nasty things by smoking and even just have it drift back into the house? You don't smoke in the house do you?

[EnfantTerrible]

26. See post #23

[rurallib]

19. Yes - 30 years ago after many tries

Heard a guy on the radio (before it went right wing haha). He said that what a smoker craves is not the nicotine but the deep breaths. The only time most smokers breathe deeplyis when they inhale. So when you want a cigarette take several deep breaths. About equal to what you'd take if you were smoking.
So about once an hour for the first week I'd stop what I was doing and breathe deeply. Slowly, my need to breathe deeply decreased as time went on to the point where I had almost no desire within about 4 weeks.
I had a problem when I went out drinking with some coworkers once, but a few deep breaths and I was fine. This has led to a life of execise though.

[EnfantTerrible]

29. Welcome rurallib

The deep breathing seems to be a recurring theme amongst some of the successful quits. I'll do it...

[FloridaPat]

20. Bronchitis. Couldn't breathe. Hard to smoke when you can't breathe.

Also in bed for a week and too sick to get out of bed.

I also quit dozens of times before, but always went back to smoking when I'd go drinking with the co-workers. Helped a lot to give up drinking.

[Bluzmann57]

22. Quit in 1985

and it wasn't easy. But there are a lot of mental things you can use in your favor, such as your child. Cold Turkey is the way I went, don't know you so can't really say what might be best for you. Just steel your mind against smoking, think about the positives, and have a support system in place, such as spouse, parents, siblings, whomever and whatever it takes. Take pride in the fact you are going to quit and tell people. One of my methods may not work for all. I flat out told people I was quitting and when they scoffed(and they will), I came back about a month later and stuck it in their rears. However, that may backfire on you as people don't like being reminded they are weak. Good luck to you and hope you make it.

[scarlet_owl]

24. It will be three years in December that I have been smoke-free.

Tobacco smoke, that is. I just gave up cigarettes one day. It wasn't easy, but I didn't have as hard a time as some folks have. Good luck.

[PoiBoy]

25. I promised my kids that I would quit for them...

..then it took me four years to finally get around to actually doing it..! I felt strongly about keeping my word to the kids, and I felt badly that I kept putting it off...

I had a two pack a day habit and this November will make eight years since I quit smoking cigarettes...

I went cold turkey.. chewed on toothpicks for a little over a week.. got to do something with your hands too... but whenever I had the craving, the kids got me past it with group hugs and encouragement...

Let your little girl be your greatest inspiration.. :hi:

[EnfantTerrible]

40. I'm holding her right now

[sam sarrha]

30. learned to meditate, and did a visual meditation with each craving...

I would see the craving as me on a surfboard and the craving the wave. I would ride the wave on to the beach and step off, the craving stops with the wave if you learn to relate the two.. it takes practice.. you can get really good basic meditation instruction at www.buddhanet.net and some audio instruction in their section called Buddhanet Audio.

Meditation has nothing to do with religion... it is simply a method used to train the mind not to control your life... you learn to sort out the rambling of the mind from what is really thought.. and you learn to not attach extreme emotions to words, concepts and objects...which is what Rush Limbaugh and the others condition people to do in order to control them.. you learn not to let your thoughts control you...

[miss_kitty]

31. i don't call it quit

I'll have successfully 'Quit' when i die. *On Edit I call it stopping.*

I haven't had a cigarette since February 1998. not a drag. and sometimes IT IS a drag. i had a list of reasons i wanted to stop-it took many tries, once i stopped for 4 years.

i have typed out long answers here in the past-I'll try to keep it shorter here-basically it was blind anger at the tobacco companies calling for people to nag their state AGs to settle the lawsuit and that pushed me over the edge. i swore to never give tobacco companies another cent-to that end i eat no Nabisco, Kraft or Boca products.

Know this. These assholes push a carcinogenic poison in a psychologically dependent delivery system. proceeds from the sales of tobacco products support the cheney-bush junta and its apparatchiks. Smoking makes you smell bad. If you smoke, chances are your daughter will grow up to be a smoker. smoking will age you. it keeps your blood from being fully oxygenated. it causes horrific breath-taking diseases, like lung cancer, emphysema, COPD. it can make you impotent. seriously.

you can get the patch and get hypnosis. many will suggest Zyban or wellbutrin-very heavy drugs i personally do not recommend. gum looks ugly. i did it cold turkey. i did not want to trade one delivery system for another. i am glad i stopped when i did. because when i got the cancer diagnosis-i did not have to stop then.

*On Edit-i see people saying to tell everyone you know you are quitting as added incentive. i kept it to myself because i felt i would beat myself up bad enough unstopping-i didn't need to get piled on if i failed*

[TA]

32. Yep 38 years ago so I would say it's be a success

I carried around a pack of Canadian brand Hunters. Most vile cigarettes I could find and when I absolutely had to have a smoke they were the only ones. A couple years later was the hardest because I would rationalize that because I quit once I could do it again if I started. Of course you will have to stay away from bars and avoid all sex because they make the urge to smoke stronger - just kidding.

[Amaya]

33. Quit eight years ago

Started up again about 10 months ago ... I quit 6 days ago. For good. Done. completely done.

By the way, I've only done it cold turkey. Cutting back or chewing gum would only prolong my misery.

Good luck.

[Buck Turgidson]

34. Hypnosis...

can be part of a successful program to quit smoking and you already have the motivation. Nicotine cravings can be just as powerful as alcohol or heroin addiction. Just like an alcoholic you can fall off the wagon with just one cigarette.

[EstimatedProphet]

35. Yes

3 1/2 years ago. I used the patch.
I think I was ready to quit, because I was literally coughing until I would choke 20 or more times a day. I was done with it. And, that does make a big difference-if you aren't ready to quit, it's much harder to succeed.

[radwriter0555]

36. I'm clean for 3 years now. For a long time I had switched to super ultra

low tar ciggies, and when I got SERIOUS, I used the patch during the day only. The idea was to get used to a much lower level of nictine in my system.

I ate a lot of carrots and just DID it, no slipping.

Instead of ciggies in the car, I chew gum.

Then I visualised how MY habit was making some fat old racist REPUBLICAN really really RICH.

THEN I added up how much $6 a day was really costing me.

[radwriter0555]

37. BTW, I STILL want one on occasion, I really do.. But I won't let myself

have even ONE. Because I know if I smoke ONE, I will again be an addict to cigarettes and I will never do that again.

Then the smoke starts making me COUGH again!

[dolo amber]

38. I can only assume it's the Wellbutrin

I quit for like a month or so in March, but started again. Then one day I ran out of cigs and was just like "Meh" and that was that. But as I said, I'm on 300mg Wellbutrin a day and since it's the exact same thing as Zyban (the anti-smoking meds) I have to think that's what's done it.

Best of luck to you! :hi:

[Magrittes Pipe]

74. I always assumed it was because you're as stubborn as a goddamn mule.

:shrug:

[dolo amber]

77. "I could've been wise as an owl

if I weren't stubborn as a mule..."

(Lyrics from a song on Prarie Home Companion...:D)

[Magrittes Pipe]

78. Yet another reason to hate Garrison Keillor.

:nuke:

[dolo amber]

79. It wasn't him, asshat

It was some plinky-plinky musical guest. :P

[Magrittes Pipe]

80. Plink yourself, knob.

;)

[ocean girl]

39. I quit over 10 years ago and the way I did it was

the same way I quit drinking - anonymous support group - Smoker's Anonymous, in this case. The 12 Steps work for any addiction and the support of others gave me the strength I didn't have alone.

Giving up cigarettes was MUCH harder than giving up alcohol, at least for me and I struggled for most of the first year, but it was worth it.

I'd say - just don't stop quitting - do whatever will work for you - try it all - and never stop trying.

Good luck to ya!

[Hobarticus]

41. Took me six times...

I would allow myself to buy a pack when I had the urge...but when I finshed my smoke, I threw the rest in the toilet.

When I got tired of paying three bucks and change for a cigarette, I was ready to quit!

[bogey18]

42. Quit 2 years ago after trying seriously 3 or 4 times

Did not believe I would ever be able to do it - smoked 1-2 packs per day from time I was 13 until I was 50.

Used the patch to get past the physical part of the addiction.

Used aversive conditioning to help retrain my thinking (snapped a rubber band on my wrist each time I though about a smoke - started to enjoy the pain)

Underwent hypnosis

Refused to smoke, no matter how bad the craving got

Still have cravings at least once a day, sometimes several times - but they are short.

Good luck to you - it is like anything, if you are trying to do it for someone other than yourself your chance of success is less

[Cookie wookie]

43. I've quit more times than I can count

and started back. Sometimes I go for years and years without smoking.

That's what really counts, the time when you're not smoking.

I hope the last time I quit was the last time for me. After all these years, they just don't taste good, feel good, or do anything good for me. And the kicker is, no matter how many you smoke, they always make you crave more.

I can't get noooo, satisfaction.

Good luck and don't ever give up. It does feel great to be quit.

[demosincebirth]

44. I quit cold turkey 15 years ago. It wasn't easy , it was well worth it!

[jonnyblitz]

45. 6 years so far. I could start tomorrow so I don't consider it "over"

ever. I just stopped when I ran out and didn't buy another pack. I have no idea why it worked.

[likesmountains 52]

46. I was on a camping trip for 3 days

far away from access to any cigarettes, and I used the gum...it was tough, but gets easier with each day you go without smoking. One of the things that helped me decide to quit was my then 2 year old son standing by me saying "burn another one" because he liked the look of the burning cigarette....not something I wanted him to enjoy!

[Endangered Specie]

47. Although I dont smoke... I know people who have (or tried)...

a few things they all have told me:

- Quitting is a lifelong thing, they say you will have cravings until the day you die, the only difference is that the longer you go w/o a cig, the cravings become fewer per x time and get less intense.

- Most suggest finding something to chew when you get a craving (gum, toothpicks, paper cups, anything).

- I believe all of them did it cold turkey.

- Those that are Dems/progressives are heavily influenced by the Tobacco company-right wing money connections. Unfortunately, others motivation came from watching a loved one die from them.

- One says that, for him, cigarettes were more addictive than pot.

- One cig and you will be back on 99.9% of the time, bc once youve smoked one, your cravings will go back to maximum strength and frequency.

Best of luck to you and your endevour, if you fail, remember, some people it can take a dozen tries to quit.

[EnfantTerrible]

48. Pot is noy physically addictive

unlike cigs, but the psycological need applies to both. Thanks for the suggestions and the encouragement.

[Spirochete]

49. I quit twice

The first time it was because i got pneumonia. I lasted about two years, and started again, like a dumb shit. I smoked 10 more years, then I quit again, cold turkey. That was over 10 years ago. Not sure how I did it. Only thing I coul suggest, is don't quit when you're totally out of cigarettes. That might bring on the OHMYGODI'MOUTOFSMOKES panic attack, and ruin it. I had a carton and a half on top of my refrigerator when I quit. After a while I ended up giving them away.

[WINEWOMAN7]

50. Quitting Cigarettes

I have had the cigarette monkey on my back for most of my life but I quit over 5 years ago.
I went to a group seminar which used hypnosis and aversion therapy five years ago and haven't smoked a cigarette since. I can't say the same for my husband. He lasted 2 weeks.
My husband died three years ago from cigarettes. He was 50 years old. He had smoked since he was in his early 20's and had emphysema. He died from an accident after he fell down a flight of stairs and his ribs broke into his lungs which were filled with emphysema which caused him a major heart attack and death. I found him at the bottom of our basement stairs the next morning.
To say that this was traumatic is to trivalize how I felt.
I know how hard it is to stop smoking and my husband just couldn't seem to stop. Anyone who wants to stop smoking must have the desire to stop smoking. If you don't have the desire you won't. All I can advise is that I am glad I'm not a slave to cigarettes any more. My whole life revolved around smoking. I quit for myself but mainly for my husband. He didn't want to quit and he died. Think about why you are smoking and if you really want to quit.

[lazarus]

51. I quite cold turkey 8 years ago

The key is to eliminate cigarettes and their traces from your life. Toss the ashtrays, the lighters, everything. Air out the house, wash all the clothes, shampoo the rug.

And don't tell yourself you're quitting, tell yourself you're a non-smoker. Quitting is negative. Being a non-smoker is positive.

[Barad Simith]

52. quit cold turkey, July 24, 1998

after smoking for 21 years

it took more than 2 years before the cravings were completely gone

[DemBones DemBones]

53. We quit in 1967 so we could afford to buy a car.

We figured out that the extra $20 a month we'd save by quitting our pack a day for each of us habit would give us enough to make a car payment each month. Our payments on a brand new car were only $59 back then but the $20 saved was an essential part of it.

No doubt you'll save even more today so figure out something you'd like to have and can afford with the new money you'll have.

We both took some over-the-counter pills (probably no longer made!) but it was mainly the motivation of needing a car that helped us do it.

Maybe it would work for you to do it for your daughter's health. Children of smokers often develop asthma, as I know all too well from being one of four asthmatic kids of a smoker-mother. We can often motivate ourselves to do things for our kids.

[JSJ]

54. i'm not a quitter nt

[UdoKier]

55. I quit from 1992 to 2000, then from New Years 2002 til now...

Since high school, I smoked about a pack a day, but decided to quit. I used "Cigarrest".

http://www.cigarrest.com/

It's a set of tapes you listen to to brainwash yourself into being a nonsmoker. Then you quit ccold turkey, though they have some herbal pills you can take to ease the jitters. It worked great.

For some reason, in 2000, I was out with friends and was tempted to have JUST ONE. So within a few weeks I was hooked again, but never got back to a pack a day. anywhere from 5 to 10 cigs a day. Finally on New Years off 2002, I decided that it was stupid and just quit again. No system, no drugs, nothing.

One key is to remember - there is no harm in quitting again. People have a tendency of feeling guilty of a relapse and letting make them feel like they "can't do it" Well, all through my "relapse"< I knew I had successfully quit for 8 years, so I knew I could do it again.

I may break down again someday and smoke, but I'm confident I will be able to quit.

Besides, if you quit for a year, then smoke for a year, then quit for 3 years, then smoke again for 6 months - IE a "serial quitter", that's STILL much better healthwise than if you had kept smoking all that time. Of course it's best to quit for good, but don't beat yourself up for not being perfect. Nicotine is a powerful drug. Smoking is a very pleasurable activity when you're addicted. (funny thing is, it's gross when you try one after being clean for a few weeks! Almost makes me wanna puke.)

[trigz]

56. I quit and haven't had any problems at all

Of course, I stopped smoking only to take up that Scandinavian delight, the Snus (little bags of tobacco that you stuff under your upper lip, making you look like an utter twat). But at least that's a LOT less dangerous, so I'm happy with it. My lungs feel completely new and life is sooo much better without the death sticks.

[Swamp Rat]

57. That's because it costs a ZILLION Krona in Norway for a pack of smokes.

The cool thing is all those foxy Norwegian girls can ROLL really damn good! :smoke:

[trigz]

65. Yeah, but the roll-ups taste like arse juice, though (nt)

[Swamp Rat]

67. Depends on what you roll up.

It takes less than an hour to fly into Schipol on KLM. :D


edit: LOL! arse juice!

[trigz]

71. True, true. (nt)

[saracat]

58. I just put them dowm.I had had bronchitis, and said, I don't want to do

this anymore.I smoked for twenty years and it was enough! And you know what? It really wasn't that awful! People make it much worse than it is.I ate baby carrots alot the first two weeks and then I didn't care. I had reached the point where I was annoyed at having to hunt for cigs and a lighter.I viewed it as an enfringement on my freedom. It has been six months and I am not remotely interested in smoking. I thought it would kill me to talk on the phone without smoking but it doesn't.Suprised the heck out of me.Deep breathing as though you are inhaling smoke also works, and remind yourself it is much cheaper than smoking.

[Rhiannon12866]

59. I have tried three times and failed

Filters, Smoke-Enders and hypnotism. I promise you, I know what it's like and I feel for you. But I never had such a powerful motivation as your beautiful little baby.:-)

[miss_kitty]

90. keep trying, Rhiannon12866

even if you stop for a little bit in an attempt, you are better off. The figure the American Lung Association gives is 8 tries on the average...one day, you'll decide it's time, and you'll stop for good.

[argyl]

60. I quit cold turkey twenty years ago.At the time it was the only way that

had any success.I understand that the gums and patches on the market now can be effective.
The cravings,while intense,do pass quickly.It's hard,but if I can do it anyone can,and the rewards are many.In the short term your lung capacity will improve dramatically.I won't go into the health hazards of smoking;I'm sure you are all too aware of them.

[Quahog]

61. Yes, after several unsuccessful attempts

Marrying a non-smoker who grew up with chain smokers helped. My wife has chronic respiratory problems because of that. So my smoking was confined to the car, outside the office, etc.

The day she called me and told me she was pregnant with our first, I crumpled up the pack of Marlboros and tossed 'em. Haven't looked back. Yes, the first few weeks were tough, there were cravings and irritability and so forth. But it was worth it for my baby.

I still enjoy a fine cigar in the back yard once in a while. But you will be so happy to be free of the expense, and the cough, and the reek in your mouth and airways that keeps you from really smelling or tasting anything.

Just do it, man. Screw this "flesh is weak" noise... the big BFEE-controlled tobacco companies LOVE for you to think you're not strong enough to do it. Fuck them. You are strong enough.

[ze_dscherman]

62. I quit at the birth of my son 11 years ago

Had cut down cigs to 3-5 a day before, and also had stopped smoking in our home. I also helped a lot that I didn't go out for quite some time after I became father - the craving for cigs was always worst on some parties or in pubs, after the first beer.

[LWolf]

63. No, but 2 family members did.

My mother, and my son.

Both quit cold turkey, with no particular method other than throwing them away and not looking back. It's been about 25 years for my mom, and 2 years for my son.

I don't know if they did anything special, other than using me, and other caring friends and family, for support. I got daily calls, usually at their most difficult moments, for some cheerleading, a listening ear, an opportunity to vent, and an opportunity to keep them occupied during the current wave of temptation. I got regular reports: "Two days without!" extending into "thirty days," and so on. We celebrated milestones. My son got in the habit of going for frequent walks instead of reaching for tobacco when the need was bad. My mother took baths and ate chocolate.

So, reading what I can remember, I would say that they gathered a good support system around them, and set up alternatives (walking, bathing, chocolate, gum, etc.) ahead of time.

Good luck!

[BiggJawn]

64. I did it. St. Paddy's Day, 2003 was my last smoke.

I used Zyban and mental imagery.

Think about how much money you're giving to the ReTHUGs down at your statehouse through obscenely high tobacco taxes. Want to know why they're so high, but booze is still cheap?

Because, as one state rep told me "You Smokers are stupid. you're addicted, and while you piss and moan about how you're gonna quit, you just keep lightin' up and paying. And nobody LIKES smokers. We can tax you as much as we want and say it's a 'Public Health Issue'..."

Keep smoking, keep financing people who have nothing but contempt for you. It's just that simple.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

66. How much would you be willing to suffer

to deprive rethuglicans of more $upport? Every cigarette is money in the pockets of fascists.

I quit smoking 18 years ago, cold turkey. I breathe better, I smell better, and I can better appreciate the taste of food and the perfume of flowers. But best of all, I know that I'm not giving a free-will donation to some phlegm wad like Santorum.

Every time you want a cigarette, close your eyes and picture taking another buck out of Dumbyass' billfold.

Good luck...I know it's hard. :hug:

[vi5]

68. 10 years this November and I still miss it....

I started when I was 13 and by the time I went to college at 18 was about a pack a day, and remained at that level until I was 24. Until the wheezing and the smelling and everything else just got to be too much. I just quit cold turkey.

I don't for a minute regret quitting or miss all of those other bad things. But sometimes when I walk past someone just lighting up, and get that first whiff of a freshly lit cigarette, I do get the pangs of longing.

[Mr.Green93]

70. if you can't quit for your daughter

you can't quit. Some are just too selfish and weak. It is nothing to be ashamed of.

[shimmergal]

72. I quit--oh jeez--in November 1989.

So it'll soon be 15 years! This after about 30 years of smoking.

I did it cold turkey. I'd reached the point where every time I got a cold, it'd turn into bronchitis which took 4-5 weeks to get over (and even longer without antibiotics). I discovered that fear and misery can be great motivators!

For times when I could hardly stand the craving, here's what I did.
Lit a cigarette WITHOUT putting it in my mouth, let it burn so I could smell the smoke, and took deep breaths of AIR at the same time. I probably inhaled a bit of second-hand smoke but I only did this in emergencies, and the illusion carried me through the screaming meemies. Yes, I found it very hard to quit and it was a good five years before I stopped wanting a cigarette in moments of great stress.

But I didn't have to use most of my other fallback strategies. My greatest fear was that I couldn't write without cigarettes. These strategies were: 1. More diet Coke 2. Bantron (probably no longer available) or 3. Booze. As it turned out I only upped my Diet Coke consumption temporarily and didn't have to do the others at all. Go figure!

If you have a one-year-old child, smoking is probably one of the few things you can do "just for you" without getting away from her. So maybe you'll need to find a substitute reward that you can use the same way.

On the "up" side, no, I don't miss it anymore and suspect if I'd kept smoking, I'd be dead by now. Or at least carrying around an oxygen tank like one of my S-I-Ls now has to do.


Good luck! Do whatever works for you.

[One_Life_To_Give]

73. Quit many times, but patches finally worked.

My best advice to you is to not give up quitting.

[redqueen]

75. Twice

The first time after I got sick. I was so sick smoking was out of the question, and when I got better I was back to the way it was when I first started smoking (coughing, not liking the taste), so that was easy.

The second time I quit I did it for money. I added up what I was spending on cigarettes and just quit cold turkey. It wasn't as easy, but I just thought about all the concert tickets and CDs and beer I could buy with the cig money and that was that.

The first time I quit I really didn't care if anyone else smoked, but after the second time, I really started to hate the smell. Now it just about makes me gag and I can smell it on smokers' kids... I think keeping the gross factor in mind might help, as might the wanting to be healthy enough to play with your grandkids, instead of just watching them play.

Best of luck to you! :hug:

[RandomKoolzip]

76. Yep. Two packs a day of Marlboro 100's for five years.

Then I started having panic attacks, and quit all the self-abuse I was committing: no more drugs, no alcohol, no cigarettes, no caffiene. It was pretty much overnight, too, although nicotene withdrawl was also pretty harsh, so I cut my intake down very gradually. All the others, I quit the night of my first big panic attack; the cigarettes took three weeks.

Haven't had another cigarette since September 1999.

[Emboldened Chimp]

81. Yes, I've done it...

It's been almost ten years. I used a self-hypnosis tape and surprisingly, it worked. I can't remember which one it was. The key, in my opinion, is to avoid all nicotine, including the patch and gum. Get it completely out of your system. Then find something to replace it, like exercise.

[japple]

82. I finally got it right 3 years ago

after several unsuccessful attempts. I did taper off gradually for a number of years, not smoking at work, then only smoking 8 to 10 each day. Then I used Nicoderm CQ which is supposed to have a mood equalizer or something like that in it that helps to fight the craving. I also used a product that I got at the health food store called Australian Chewing Sticks. They're like little toothpicks saturated with tea tree oil and cinnamon. They have quite a little burn to them, which served as a distraction and they also freshen your mouth.

Good luck, and remember, if at first you don't succeed....

[politicat]

85. Yes, I've successfully quit. Cravings diminish... but may never end.

1) You have to understand the neurochemistry that's going on in your brain: for years you put a dopamine mimic (nicotine) in your system. Dopamine makes you feel really good. (Dopamine is the runner's high endorphin, it's the component in opiates that leads to addiction, and is released when you're in pain or in orgasm.) We like having a lot of dopamine in our systems for obvious reasons.

2) Because you've had this artificial dopamine, you're used to artificially inflated levels of dopamine in your blood and brain. When you don't have the nicotine anymore, you're going to feel snappy, down and possibly physically achy and tired.

3) Replace this dopamine. You have several options, and as a psychologist, I recommend a combination of all of them. The first one is chemical replacement. Welbutrin at 150 mg/day or Zyban at same works well for most people who are not depressed. (If you're also depressed, you need a higher dosage. Consult your physician.) The standard Zyban scrip is 150 mg/day, extended release. If your insurance won't cover Zyban (because preventative medicine is not cost effective! *sigh*) see if your doc will cover you for a Welbutrin scrip. Second, get the stroller out and take your child for a walk or jog a couple times a day. Get the physical high rolling. Third, make time for sex or masturbation. Again, try for twice a day. Fourth, watch your diet and try not to spike your sweets or carbs since an uneven insulin level can cause dopamine drops.

4) Every time you want a cigarette, do something else. Period. Take your daughter for a walk, chew on carrots or celery (for the oral fixation) knit (this is what Molly Ivins did, though she picked a really bad time - the Impeachment hearings - and ended up with Carpal-Tunnel out of it!!), masturbate, fold toilet paper origami - something. Don't fixate on the desire. Make sure whatever you choose to do is physically and mentally engrossing.

5) Avoid bad habit spots. If you smoked outside, don't go there. If you want to be on the porch, rearrange the furniture. Get rid of the ash trays. Don't go to bars or restaurants that allow smoking.

6) Call yourself a non-smoker. Not an ex-smoker, not a former smoker, a non-smoker.

7) as much as this may hurt, don't hang out with your smoking friends. it's too easy to bum from them. You can do the phone and email thing, but while you're quitting, you can't be around them. However, once you're stable - usually 2 weeks or so, you can hang with them, though you mightn't want to. (Your nose will get sharp.) Don't harangue them to quit, but realize they may not like you for quitting or may feel you are judging them.... just be aware of that. Smoker-friends will rarely be supportive of your new non-smoking status.

8) Remind your significant others that you are reshaping your brain chemistry and doing so is difficult. (I do not use the word "addiction" to indicate disease. If it is, it's the only self-selected disease out there.) Remind them that you need encouragement and praise for kicking one of the most mind-altering chemicals there are.

9) Set goals. If you make a week, you can spend half the money you would have spent on cigarettes on something for yourself (I bought a garnet necklace from a local artisan) and put the other half in the bank. Do the same thing at the month, quarter, half year and year marks.

10) Be proud of yourself. You're making the best decision you can for yourself and your family.

Now, the bad news. The cravings don't diminish easily. They will get rarer over time, but even years later, the scent of a fresh cigarette ( a clove will do this to me, or a menthol) will key your memory and dopamine receptors and the craving will come up strongly. Just ride it out - it's rarely more than a 5 minute passing fancy. Remember, the first 3 days are the worst, when your dopamine levels are low and you still have nicotine in smaller and smaller amounts in your blood. After 3 days, you'll start to feel better. You can hurry that along with hibiscus tea or Jamaica (a mexican agua fresca made with hibiscus flowers) for the diuretic to "wash" your system. Nicotine is water soluable, not fat soluable, so it metabolizes out easily. However, hurry is relative - you may be looking at 48 hours instead of 72... or it may be useless for you. (But then again, getting a drink of hibiscus tea when you're craving may not be a bad substitute, and hibiscus tea is a NICE tea.)

Hope this helps, and I'll be glad to be your cheering section!!

Pcat

[Joe Chi Minh]

86. ....

The only way I could do it was by telling myself I wasn't stopping; just putting off the next smoke for ten minutes or so. And I kept on doing it. Technically I haven't stopped, though effectively I stopped 30 years ago. It was so much easier to do, as I immediately relaxed. It was my decision, and only for a short while, till the next urge to light up... I think it helps to be an idiot and think no further ahead than the next moment or two. People who can stop conclusively right away, just by will-power, are a matter of great wonderment to me.

[Merrick]

87. I quit for a year - overdose yourself the night before

then fell off the wagon again... but still don't smoke too too much (about two packs a week)

what i did to help was start quitting the morning after a night of drinking / smoking a crapload. The physical addiction of nicotine only lasts a couple days and this'll make that first day (at least) a freebie since nothing will seem more repulsive than a cigarette at that point. after that its just the mental.

[Xithras]

88. Yep, here's how I did it

The trick with quitting smoking is that it's a two part addiction. You have the physical addiction, and the habit addiction. Quitting is never easy, but seperating the addictions is what's important.

Personally, I used the patch. I picked up the most powerful patch I could find (which happened to be the first step to one of the three step programs) and wore it for nearly two months. The purpose of it was simple...I eliminated the habit portion of the addiction without screwing with the addiction part. Once I no longer felt the need to light up after meals, or in the car, or when I woke up in the morning, I stopped using the patch cold turkey. The physical withdrawals lasted about three days, and haven't occured since.

And yes, I would never go back to smoking. I still light up a cigar now and then (perhaps a few times a year), but I haven't smoked a cigarrette in nearly four years now. I breathe better, I have more energy, I don't smell, I have a lot more money every month, and I've taken up hiking and other outdoor activities that I'd abandoned years ago. Smoking ruins your life in so many ways that it is worth ANY effort to quit. It's not easy, but if you quit you'll never regret it.

[doc03]

89. I quit on November 19,1981. After having a bout with Bronchitis

and returning from the ER I threw the cigarettes I had away and haven't smoked since. I look at cigarette prices today and can't imagine how anyone could still smoke. I still crave a cigarette after
22 years when I smell smoke outdoors.