Previous Smokers .... I just quit and I'm miserable - any SUCCESS Stories ?

Hang in there. You can do it!

I don't smoke but My coworker smokes. All day I listen to her coughs. She goes out for a smoke and when she returns she smells awful. She never has any money. I am about ready to choke her but because it's an addiction I have to tread lightly.

I talked to my brother about this since he quit smoking a few years ago. He said that he was unaware of how awful he used to smell. His chest/lungs feel so much better and food is so much tastier than it used to.

Although this is very very hard the payback will be worth it! Best of luck!

I had tried to quit twice before and went without for a few months but fell back onto the smoke wagon. I even tried the slowly cut down approach - but that didn't go anywhere at all. Third time was my charm and have been smoke free since Aug. 29, 2012.

I had been smoking for almost well over a decade before I quit and was working up to almost a pack a day. When I finally did quit, it was very hard. The first 2 weeks I thought I would go nuts. I was beyond irritable and my mood swings were all over the place. The 3rd and 4th week were a bit better, but not by much. But by the 2nd month - everything leveled out and it was easier to get over the cravings. Not to mention I was feeling a lot better for not smoking by then.

Something that helped was the Livestrong Stop Smoking app. It wasn't anything "miraculous" but smashing the crave button several times a day versus lighting up really did help me. Don't know why but it did.

For me, going cold turkey without any smoke aids was the way for me. It might not be your way and that's okay. Just like with getting healthy weight wise - you need to find what works for you. All that matters is you get there.

Congrats to all the former smokers out there!!!!!

@CallMeRu So sorry to hear! Hope your battle is a winnable one and you are a victor! Positive vibes going out to you!

I myself "quit" numerous times. Then restarted. Was a pack a day, day 1/2. Had to go through all the classes at work to qualify for insurance. Quit again. Started again. Quit for my kids, family. Started again. On May 7th, 2013, I lit up my last cigarette on my way home from my 1st run. Got a little more than 1/2 way though it & though "wow, I really don't wanna do this any more! I really don't wanna smoke any more". Crushed out that last cigarette, and never lit up another one. Cold turkey. When I started feeling "antsy", I went for a run, or deep breath, told myself 15 mins. I think the difference was this time I did it because *I* wanted to. To this day, I STILL have my last pack with the last single unlit cigarette still in the box. I felt if I could quit cold turkey, with all the cravings with that still there on the table, unlit, I was good to go. No, it hasn't been easy. I've moved, both sons hit adulthood, 1 moved out of state, I went though a divorce, my father died.....all within about a year 1/2, but I keep reminding myself how far better I am off without having to rely on an over priced paper rolled up around a plant sold by companies who don't care about our health.

Just remind yourself of the reason(s) WHY you wanted to quit. You are past the initial rough patch now, like others have said, the physical cravings are over. Your body doesn't "need" it anymore. Just have to retrain your brain. The fact that you have taken that step & made it this far shows you are strong...keep it going, you got this!

The best advice I can give is that you have to be really mentally ready to quit.

Quitting smoking is still one of the hardest things I ever did, but I found that it helped to make a few temporary changes. I quit hanging out with friends who smoked. At least for a month or two. I stopped drinking for a few months bc I found that insanely triggering. I stopped going out to eat, because when I smoked, you could light up in bars and it was SO EASY. Another thing that helped was I spent a little time with my friends who didn't smoke. When others dont do it, somehow it's less appealing. Try to find a new way to deal with stress. And every day I had to reaffirm that this was something I needed, and wanted, and I was ready to make a change.

And I still had a cigarette or two a year, afterwards, when I Was drinking, when I thought I missed it. I woke up miserable the next day, stinking like hell. And now, just walking past someone on the street who's smoking is completely nauseating.

Smoked for 10 years, quit once for a year because my ex didn't like it, then I found I didn't like him so I started again. I knew it wasn't a good habits - lost everyone on my mother's side to lung cancer and they smoked like chimneys - but that didn't stop me. I'd smoke when I was bored, I'd smoke after eating or drinking, I'd smoke when I was manic and when I was depressed. It's especially hard to stop when you're using it as a crutch for mental health...I still get craving, especially when I'm low, but it's been 3 years and I haven't smoked since. I still longingly stare at every cigarette I see so I can't promise you won't want it, but it really does get easier to not do it the longer you don't smoke. Bonus - those steps really are easier to get up now. I will promise that.

I think what finally made me quit was when I found out I wanted to someday have kids. I never did before, but when I hit my late 20s I discovered that was really important to me, and I didn't want to smoke while pregnant. I quit for me and for my potential future, and I did it cold turkey because I'm crazy and also I have a personality where I can't "just have one", but that doesn't work for everyone. Side benefits to quiting was my boyfriend, now husband, was really proud and I didn't have to lie and hide my habit from my mother. That guilt was the worst. Also, I've saved so much money, which helped pay for wedding and student loans. Quitting is one of the biggest accomplishments I've done, it's what I point to when I face adversity ("I quit smoking, that was hard AF, this is not as hard so I can do this too!").

I think ultimately what's important is that you make the choice to quit because it's something you want to do. Can't do it for someone else. It's harder to quit for someone else and personally it gives you an out if you need it. Also, if you can't do cold turkey, be proud that you can cut the number per day/week. It's like losing weight - you can't loose 50lbs in a week, it takes time, work and patience. Above all else, be kind to yourself while you do this. Be forgiving if/when you slip then get back on the wagon. It's hard work, hardest thing I've done yet, but worth it all. Good luck!!!

I have tried many times to quit smoking and am now on my third attempt longest I managed was three months. The hardest thing for me was resisting the craving whilst having a drink or bring around friends that smoke.
I found it too miserable to just stop cold turkey so I usually nicotine lozenges that dissolve after thirty mins, takes away the craving pretty fast.
Good luck!!

Well done!

Holly_Wood_888 wrote: »

aeloine wrote: »

I.... recently relapsed. I chewed nicotine gum but 12 weeks turned into 6 months. I even bought a vape to try to wean myself off. When I saw this post... it inspired me. Thank you so much for posting it. I've been checking back every day, just to see how you and everyone else is doing. I just ordered the Allen Carr book, and will be quitting on January 31st.

Again, thank you for posting this. I really needed the reminder.

You can do it Girlfriend !! Today is Day 23 for me. I still think about smoking off and on throughout the day but I posted gross cigarette pack photos on my bathroom mirror and a pic of a cigarette that lists all that is in it. Its really helped. I cant see whats going on inside so I'm focusing on the outside... watching my teeth become whiter, enjoying not smelling like smoke, and thinking of the health benefits of quitting (especially if we want to try to have a child one day.) First two weeks were the hardest, now I'm just staying focused on all GOOD THINGS. Let us know how you are doing when you do it !

You are doing great! It's such a great thing to be able to get past the really hard part and start really being able to see the good things that happen in your life when you quit. I quit in September 2016. I tried to quit so many times on my own and just kept failing. I ended up taking Chantix to quit, and it was the best decision I ever made. I don't even get cravings when I drink. My life has changed for the better in ways I would not have imagined when I first quit. Now, the smell of cigarette smoke is so gross to me, much worse than it ever was before I even started smoking. I no longer have to carry around hand sanitizer and mini perfumes to use after smoking in an attempt to cover it up. In fact, most of the time I don't even carry a purse anymore because I don't need to carry anything but my phone and a few cards. I don't have to pretend to need to use the phone in order to step outside for a smoke.

Keep it up!!

I'll be celebrating my 2 year anniversary at the end of the month and have never been happier. It IS hard, especially at first. It gets less and less difficult as time goes by. Time is both your enemy and your friend. Find what's important to you and hang on to it for dear life. What I can say is that the day will come, if you stick with it, that you will never look back. The day will come when you can have a cocktail and not want to smoke. The day will come when you feel badly for your friends that still smoke. There will be a day when you wonder why you didn't quit sooner. My day came around the 9 month-year mark. Good luck with your journey.

Bump.
Today is day #3. Hella cranky.