Any one quit smoking successfully?...help!

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  • ambitious01
    ambitious01 Posts: 209 Member
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    I smoked for 25 years. I quit smoking 3 years ago (almost 4 now). I was tired of paying the extra taxes and losing rights. Regardless, I had to go into the hospital to have my thyroid removed and was in there for 2 days. That was a head start and I ran with it. Gum was my crutch for a long time.
  • sarahsaur
    sarahsaur Posts: 18 Member
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    I smoked for 10 years and I quit cold turkey 4 1/2 years ago. I quit because my mom was diagnosed with COPD and I couldn't imagine seeing myself in her position, struggling for breath and hooked up to oxygen constantly. It was definitely a wake-up call. She was prescribed Chantix which helped her quit. I still have dreams that I smoke, but I always wake up and think, "I have beat this for almost five years, I can't ever go back." One thing that really helped me quit was completely cleaning my house and washing all my clothes. If you smoke inside, you never really realize how much it smells until after you quit. I can't even stand the smell of cigarettes now and I hate when people smoke around me. It's so disgusting. Just take it one day at a time and pretty soon 1 day will turn into 1 year! You can totally do it!
  • grkpetalouda
    grkpetalouda Posts: 24
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    when i was younger, i was totally against smoking of any kinds. after a really bad break up (my first relationship), i picked up smoking. i haven't smoked in a month and a half so far. i feel better, i'm able to breathe easier and i've saved some money too! (woo hoo!) honestly, it's hard, especially on days like outings to a bar or something (i was more of a social smoker than a loner smoker). but honestly, i remind myself of the benefits of NOT smoking and that helps kick the habit easier.. hope i helped ya out a little.
  • suemar74
    suemar74 Posts: 447 Member
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    I smoked for almost twenty years. Tried to quit a number of times for various reasons, and I couldn't. Tried to quit using various methods, and I couldn't...until three years ago. That's when I read "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking".

    To be honest, I don't know why it worked, but it did. I quit cold turkey and I refuse to ever let the addiction get the best of me again.

    Yes, I gained weight. But to be honest, I was already overweight when I quit. The difference is now I have a greater lung capacity and I can push myself harder when I run and workout...and I WILL lose the weight.

    If I quit smoking, I can do anything :)
  • jojo52610
    jojo52610 Posts: 692 Member
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    I smoked for 28 years I started when I was 13 - I haven't smoked since Jan 2006 I read Alan Carr The Easy Way to Quit Smoking (twice) and I used the patch (which the book said don't do) and I don't miss it one single bit. To me it's a relief I will never need to worry if I have enough Cigs or how I'm going to be able smoke when I travel for business.

    If I can do it anyone can. I didn't even gain any weight from smoking

    Last month I went for a routine Cat Scan and they said I have the beginning stages of Emphysema in the top part of my lungs - so thank goodness I quit when I did.

    Good Luck!
  • BrewerFan2
    BrewerFan2 Posts: 53
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    I smoked for over 20 years as well. I quit a little over 2 years ago. I wasn't my first time quitting, it was my last time quitting smoking though. I tried everything, including Chantix which I found out I was allergic too. It seems that Chantix has the Sulfa drug in it that I'm highly allergic too that my doctor at the time didn't catch. Anyway, I was really sick at the time and couldn't hardly breath and decided to just not smoke for a few days to give my body a rest and it just kind of started from there. After a few days it kind of turned into a game to see how long I could go and after a week I gave my cig making stuff to my hubby and had him hide it. I was cranky for a couple of weeks and almost gave up a few times, but I also started walking within a couple of weeks also and started feeling pretty good both mentally and physically too. The best part is I didn't gain any weight when I quit smoking, the bad part is is that I also couldn't drink coffee for about 6 months either. But, eventually coffee did start tasting good about 7 months later. yay!!
    I'm not going to lie, it's not easy, but it's worth it in the long run.
  • PammyJay91
    PammyJay91 Posts: 25
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    I'm also trying to quit.....again. The only thing I have ever had any luck with is Chantix. It was wonderful! I quit for 5 months, had no cravings, hated the smell of smoke, and felt amazing, BUT as soon as I finished the Chantix I went right back to smoking like I had never quit. That was my 3rd round of Chantix and I have the same result every time.

    I'm getting desperate, my son is almost 3 and is starting to ask questions about my cigarettes and my smoking and telling me I'm stinky when I come back in from having one. I REALLY want to quit, but my cravings get the best of me every time :cry:

    This sounds like me! I have quit before, and next thing I know, I start back up like I never stopped to begin with.
    It's definitely a long journey, but it is also a journey that is worth it. The benefits outweigh the negatives. We can do this! You are welcome to friend me so we can support each other.
  • DBiddle69
    DBiddle69 Posts: 682 Member
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    I smoked off and for about 21 years...more on the last 10 years....the problem was I was 26 when I quit cold turnkey. Yes, my brother and I stole cigarettes and lighters when we were really little and would sneak off and smoke them.

    I stopped cold turkey 22 years ago and have not looked back. I tried a few times before but nothing helped. My biggest vice was the car....every time I got into the car I would light up…the other thing is my wife still smokes. The weekend I quit we had to travel 10 hours…with her smoking in the car. However, it did not bother me. So, I am one of the lucky ones and was able to do it cold turkey.

    The bad part of it is this is when I started my weight gain. Everything in the cupboard had to be in my hands and eating it!

    My wife tried hypnosis once…I don’t recall how long it helped but she was good for a while. I think her returning to smoking was peer pressure because everyone at work smoked and kept begging her to join them instead of encouraging her to quit.

    The day I quit was on New Year’s Day 1990...I woke up late because we were out the night before. I started to watch college football games...next thing I knew it was six hours later and I had not even picked up a smoke...so I decided to see just how long I could go without one. A week later I decided to see what it was about smoking I liked so I light one up....took two hits off of it and got sicker than a dog and have never touched another since!
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    I smoked a pack a day for almost twenty years. Watching my mother dying from lung cancer (she'd smoked all her life) at 65 was all it took to get me to quit cold turkey a little over 20 years ago. I know I'm going to die of something sometime but smoking related illnesses/premature deaths are, by and large, preventable.
  • PammyJay91
    PammyJay91 Posts: 25
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    I smoked for over 20 years as well. I quit a little over 2 years ago. I wasn't my first time quitting, it was my last time quitting smoking though. I tried everything, including Chantix which I found out I was allergic too. It seems that Chantix has the Sulfa drug in it that I'm highly allergic too that my doctor at the time didn't catch. Anyway, I was really sick at the time and couldn't hardly breath and decided to just not smoke for a few days to give my body a rest and it just kind of started from there. After a few days it kind of turned into a game to see how long I could go and after a week I gave my cig making stuff to my hubby and had him hide it. I was cranky for a couple of weeks and almost gave up a few times, but I also started walking within a couple of weeks also and started feeling pretty good both mentally and physically too. The best part is I didn't gain any weight when I quit smoking, the bad part is is that I also couldn't drink coffee for about 6 months either. But, eventually coffee did start tasting good about 7 months later. yay!!
    I'm not going to lie, it's not easy, but it's worth it in the long run.

    eek.. I love me some coffee. I'm not a big drinker, so it won't be hard for me to stay away from that. But i adore coffee, and i know that in order to quit I would also have to give that up for quite some time. It will be well worth it in the end though, just like you said. Thank you for sharing your story!:)
  • ruthiejewell
    ruthiejewell Posts: 134 Member
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    I smoked from age 13 to 33. I had about 5 failed attempts over the years at giving up. I knew I needed support and the main support I needed was nicotine while losing the habit parts. So I swear by nicotine gum or alternatives . . not patches for me as that gave a slow release, but something that gives the sudden rush of nicotine a cig gives. I limited the gum as much as I could, I didn't just have it when I wanted it. But just when I was desperate that rush felt fantastic and allowed me to wean myself off the habit. ( I didn't have any cigs during this period and it took a year to change gradually to ordinary gum then none. One other comforting thing I did was wrap my last pack of cigs (with about 5 in it) in masses of sellotape/sticky tape in case of emergency! I never attempted to unwrap them but if they hadn't been wrapped I may have weakened once or twice which would've started me smoking again! Wish I'd kept that packet, just as a memory of a very proud acheivement! I feel so so so free since I gave up! No more dreading time on a plane/ in an exam/interview etc. You'll feel so proud, good luck!!!
  • Kasya007
    Kasya007 Posts: 165 Member
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    It's all in how you look at smoking. A change of attitude is the key to quitting, and it's easier than any smoker believes it to be.

    ~ ~ ~

    I smoked from the ages of 13-28, worked my way up to a pack a day habit, and proudly quit 2.5 years ago. Since then I have become an avid runner (training for my first half marathon this fall). I also never gained a pound and have never looked or felt better. No patches, no gum, no pills, no tricks, Lord knows I wasted enough $ on them over the years.

    My secret? I simply read a short book (ok, half of it), recommended by a friend who quit several years prior & I have never craved since. Quite the opposite, I am disgusted by them! I read the Easy Way to Stop Smoking by Alan Carr and he really puts everything into perspective in a different way. He does it so well, that your preconceived attitudes & beliefs regarding smoking change almost instantly.

    Quitting is easy, when you believe that you can quit. It's just changing your beliefs from "I need it!" to "Pssshaw, I don't need that sh$%, all it does is hold me back!"

    I wish you luck, you can do it, you just don't believe it yet. Learn to trust yourself. :smile:
  • PammyJay91
    PammyJay91 Posts: 25
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    I smoked off and for about 21 years...more on the last 10 years....the problem was I was 26 when I quit cold turnkey. Yes, my brother and I stole cigarettes and lighters when we were really little and would sneak off and smoke them.

    I stopped cold turkey 22 years ago and have not looked back. I tried a few times before but nothing helped. My biggest vice was the car....every time I got into the car I would light up…the other thing is my wife still smokes. The weekend I quit we had to travel 10 hours…with her smoking in the car. However, it did not bother me. So, I am one of the lucky ones and was able to do it cold turkey.

    The bad part of it is this is when I started my weight gain. Everything in the cupboard had to be in my hands and eating it!
    My wife tried hypnosis once…I don’t recall how long it helped but she was good for a while. I think her returning to smoking was peer pressure because everyone at work smoked and kept begging her to join them instead of encouraging her to quit.

    Good for you! I really think cold turkey is the only way, because nicotine substitutes just keep you addicted anyway. I am concerned about peer pressure. It's not what people think, but i AM a social smoker for sure. I go to a community college, and every break all of us go out and have a smoke. I have had a friend who quit, and i think i was one of the only ones who encouraged her instead of begging her to come out, which i have seen others do.
  • WendyA1119
    WendyA1119 Posts: 53
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    You have to want to quit. It took me many times of saying I would but of course didnt. It wasn't really until my kids and my new Boyfriend at the time insisted. I didn't want to be a disappointment to them so New Years Eve of 2010 (of course I chained smoked that whole day long) was the last time I smoked. Its tough but definitely can be done.

    Good Luck!
  • PammyJay91
    PammyJay91 Posts: 25
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    It's all in how you look at smoking. A change of attitude is the key to quitting, and it's easier than any smoker believes it to be.

    ~ ~ ~

    I smoked from the ages of 13-28, worked my way up to a pack a day habit, and proudly quit 2.5 years ago. Since then I have become an avid runner (training for my first half marathon this fall). I also never gained a pound and have never looked or felt better. No patches, no gum, no pills, no tricks, Lord knows I wasted enough $ on them over the years.

    My secret? I simply read a short book (ok, half of it), recommended by a friend who quit several years prior & I have never craved since. Quite the opposite, I am disgusted by them! I read the Easy Way to Stop Smoking by Alan Carr and he really puts everything into perspective in a different way. He does it so well, that your preconceived attitudes & beliefs regarding smoking change almost instantly.

    Quitting is easy, when you believe that you can quit. It's just changing your beliefs from "I need it!" to "Pssshaw, I don't need that sh$%, all it does is hold me back!"

    I wish you luck, you can do it, you just don't believe it yet. Learn to trust yourself. :smile:


    Thank you <3 . I will look into reading that one for sure, maybe it will be that one thing i needed.
    By the way, I noticed your icon is a WoW character. I am guilty of spending a little too much time on that ahahah. If you still play send me a friend ID request. Ichleibemusik91@hotmail.com.
    thank you for your story! :)
  • marnijojo
    marnijojo Posts: 235 Member
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    I haven't 'quit', but I haven't had a cigarette in nearly 3 years....so my best advice is to just not have 'the next one'. To think of never having another cigarette was too overwhelming, so I just conquered one craving at a time.

    This little physcological game that I play with myself has worked out pretty well so far. And I like to tell myself that if I live to be 90, I am going to break down and finally have just one! haha

    Good luck! You will be amazed at how good you feel.
  • ReneeCK
    ReneeCK Posts: 63 Member
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    I haven't had a cigarette in like two weeks and although I really dont want one...... I have seriously seen an dramatic increase in my cravings for sweets... :-(

    This is because when a smoker quits, your blood sugar drops! I didn't know this and it's not really common knowledge but from a medical standpoint I researched this and found it out! I was floored! Who knew?? It's your body's way of keeping that glucose up at a normal level! Also, when you quit smoking you become more sensitive to caffeine O.o
  • mdelcott
    mdelcott Posts: 529 Member
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    I will be 1 YEAR YAY on tuesday...I love being smoke free.. I read Allen Carrs Easy Way to Stop Smoking and signed up to Quitnet.com Which was a HUGE help in the begining.. I smokes for 20 years.. I stay quit by reminding myself that I am only a puff away from a pack a day.. Really I feel FREE, like a was a slave to the addiction. You have to really WANT to quit and you have to be ready, Seriously its all about your frame of mind, your not depriving yourself of something you are freeing yourself.. I enjoy everything more now as a non smoker, best thing I ever did
  • motherbetty
    motherbetty Posts: 170 Member
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    I smoked for 30 years. Quit cold turkey when I was in the hospital for an unrelated issue. When I came home from the hospital, I wanted to smoke but didn't have the strength to go outside to light up. So I didn't. That was in 2009.

    I miss it but it gets a little easier every day. It's best to avoid your triggers which for me was a cold bottle of beer. I've reached the point where I can have an occasional beer without needing a cigarette, yet it does still trigger the urge. It's just more controllable now.

    Truth be told, I did gain weight but only about 10 pounds or so. I'm working on losing that by changing eating and exercise habits. Slow and steady wins that race for sure. I also don't feel tons better but I think I was one of the rare ones who hadn't experienced any noticeable negative physical signs - yet. I consider myself lucky.

    Look at it this way: imagine how much money you will save when you quit!
  • sdpursley
    sdpursley Posts: 63
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    i tried the gum, patches, welbutrin, and chantix...none of those really did it for me. i would go for 2-3 month periods smoke free, then dive right back into it. it was always caused by allowing myself a vulnerability to certain triggers. my biggest trigger was either golf, or that smoke first thing on a chilly morning with a hot cup of coffee, or being around my army buddies who smoke.

    I was never pressured by my family to quit. BUT, i just got up one day and decided enough was enough. nicotine lozenges ended up being the answer for me. that and the fact that i finally accepted that there was no way i could smoke only 2 a day and stop with that. the lozenges only lasted about two weeks, and i've now been smoke free for almost 25 months.

    when you're absolutely ready to quit, you will! you just have to avoid the triggers and temptations that are specific to you! i do wish you the best of encouragement on this journey! you CAN DO IT!

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