Quitting smoking? Welcome to the support group!

I'll be honest and say I enjoy smoking. I like the action, I like inhaling. But I have never been a fan of the smell, and the fact that I am prone to lung problems and emphysema thanks to genetics. I have never had cravings and at one point just stopped for 2 years. But I took it up again when my life went to pot lol. I recently discovered e-cigs are actually awesome, and can now get my behavioural fix without the need for the smell, the heavy chest, the suffering after smoking too much on a night out. Plus, I have an e-shish that's bubblegum flavour, so I get a sweetie fix as well, win win!

So no, I didn't make the choice to quit smoking, I still consider myself a smoker - but I no longer smoke cigarettes lol

I quit smoking year and a half ago. It was my first attempt to quit. like to say that I quit because I was too lazy to keep doing it, but there were really many small reasons. I have 30 years of smoking record, so I did it all: ripped part of the lip when cigarette stuck on, lit up and wrong side and inhaled filter fumes, looked through ashtray for cigarette that is not all the way done, burned fingers and lip number of times, stood out in -20C smoking .... The thing that bothered me the most is when I realized that my entire life, every minute of it, revolves around smoking - before you can do anything else in a morning you have to have a smoke. That is priority. Sometimes that means going out to tobacco store before having shower of coffee or brushing teeth, then coming back, having a cigarette and then "starting" a day. When going out to restaurant, the choice depends on "smoking options". When doing ANYTHING at all, the first though is always smoking. That excluded bunch of activities that I might otherwise enjoy.

Anyway, after I realized I want to quit, I started "googling" on that topic. I was finding bunch of aids and tools you can buy that were supposedly helpful. Much more rare, I was also stumbling on posts saying that all those tools are just a scam. Initially I ignored such articles, but at some point I gave in. What I learned was, and this is no big secret, that nicotine is what creates addiction to smoking. The most of nicotine clears out of you body in about two days. Some traces remain much longer, but far below anything that can affect person in any significant way. So that would mean that after I stop smoking I was to expect about 4 days to a week of cravings as nicotine levels drop and body will keep asking for it. That did not seem very long time so I decided to give it a shot. I read many stories of people quitting and then starting again and I did not want to be one of those. I wanted to quit and be done with it. To do this, I wanted to make sure I remember all the reasons I quit forever so that if ever I consider smoking again I have them to stop me from it.

I started quitting by smoking .. and keeping smoking diary. Before I would light up, I would enter the date and time when I did. When i would finish the smoke, I would enter exact date and time too. I did not use any app, just pen and paper, so there was some effort involved into doing it. It was not major effort, but it did let me focus on how much of my time smoking steals. At the end of the day, when I was sure I will not smoke any more, I would sum all the time up. One day that meant that I could not have sex after as that would lead to smoking and I already "closed" that day. That event and every other when something less than pleasant and related to smoking would happen I would store it in my mind - the event itself and all the feelings around it - for an example putting out cigarette and burning the finger a little bit, putting the finger in my mouth to stop the pain, tasting the ash and yuck from the ashtray, wiping the finger on the white pants where it left grey and brown smelly stain. Over one week smoker paying attention, and I was paying attention, can accumulate huge number of these unpleasant memories and store them for later. As I type this I shudder as they bobble up.

After that week was over, the time was to actually stop smoking. At that time I was ready. I was fully aware of my habit, what it does and how much it takes away from me and I was looking at quitting not as an effort, but rather as one thing less I have to do and deal with. To not-have a cigarette is not something you have to do - it is something where you have to do absolutely nothing. That is where my jab about quitting due to laziness comes from. Anyway, I stopped smoking. I did not throw any of my smoking gear - it is still all here in my desk drawer. The first day I almost lit up few times by accident - just because of the force of habit. But, over the previous week I formed another habit forcing me to track my smoking and that would remind me that I no longer smoke. The worst craving was not need for nicotine, that cleared away in one day (that is right - ONE DAY). Next morning I had no "need" to smoke. What i did have was "glee", for the lack of better word. I knew that life without smoking will be different and I was looking forward to try it. I love new experiences, new food, new places, new people. Quitting gave me all that the very next day. Coffee tasted different, not better or worse but different (eventually I did realize I do not like drip coffee and now i drink espresso). Every food tested a tiny bit different just because there was no fresh burn on my tongue. As the time went by and my tongue healed, things tested different all the time. All new foods and drinks because new almost every day. I was in a foodie heaven (which eventually brought me to this site but that is another story still being written). I get to do places I avoided before due to lack of smoking opportunities, I get to talk to people who do not leave restaurant after the meal to light up, and all this required me to do nothing extra, no effort of any kind. The worst, or actually the only real craving was in my fingers and my lips. I tried bunch of things I did learn that if you eat too many baby carrots your palms get yellow and orange and luckily that eventually clears. Eventually, over the next couple weeks that was all behind me.

Last week, I had a cigar. It was special cigar and special occasion and I had few puffs and it made me feel a little bit dizzy and tiny bit sick and that is it. I could not finish it. I have no desire to do it again - ever. I am non-smoker for life.

Everyone trying to quit has a right to know that IT IS EASY. It is not the easiest thing I ever did, but it is miles away from hard. You do not need any pills, gums, supplements - all that industry is created to keep you addicted and buying. Nicotine addiction will be gone in, at most, couple of days. Anyone saying differently in uninformed or wants to sell you something that will "help with nicotine addiction". There is no more "social" aspect to smoking - just the opposite. Quitting is gift that keeps giving, in a good way, for very long time. I am ashamed to admit that every time I see a smoker I get a small evil grin and my first thought is "sucker!" but then I remember that was me just a year and a half ago and I want to share what I learned and that is that quitting smoking is just super easy thing to do.


Edit: I typed all that in a few minutes and when I started I did not know how much stuff is about to pour out. I do notice bunch of words missing here and there so please feel free to insert "a"s, "and"s, "is"s ... and so on where appropriate as I have some work to do

hello. my name is john and i joined this site today too. i have been smoking since i was 13. i am trying to quit for my children i want to be around as long as possible. i have tried quitting cold turkey multiple times but have failed each time. it is my goal to be cigarette free in 6 months