How did you quit smoking?

4406bbl

I quit smoking in the car first, then just quit, first week sucked, then it was easy.

Jeb85

I quit smoking cold turkey after 6 years of smoking(I know thats in no comparison), been quit for 2 and a half years. it was hard for the first 2 weeks at least but every 2 weeks i rewarded myself with something that was the same price as what i would have spent on smokes. And gradually increased to now, i have a new car financed with the amount i would have spent and a new stereo! i don't ever think about starting again, and when i do think about smoking i think about all that i wouldn't have and the cravings go away... and yes even though its been 2 and a half years i get some very slight cravings.

SBrown712

I smoked over a pack a day for 40 years. I had been thinking about quitting and when I decided to have back surgery I was pretty much told to quit.
Make the decision and get Chantix. It actually made quitting pretty easy. I still miss smoking, it's been 6 months, but I don't have to smoke.
I had no thoughts of suicide, depression or anything like that. All I can tell you is it worked for me.

timlitton

I smoked for 19 years. Most of that time was a pack a day, part of it after high school was 2 packs a day, and for the last year or so 7 or 8 ciggs a day.

I never REALLY tried to quit. I tried to slow down or cut back. Even once when I tried the patch, I had it in the back of my head I'd never stop. It sucked when I tried to wean myself. I'd spend most of my time debating on when I could have the next smoke.

Because the truth was, I LIKED smoking. It had been an old friend for more than half of my life. Every milestone I'd had since 15 was followed shortly by a cigarette. I liked the feeling, the taste, the habit. And that's what it finally boiled down to... a habit.

This last year when I smoked less than a pack a day, the few I smoked were ALWAYS during "trigger times". In the car, on the phone, after a meal, and the always popular... "I think I can fit one in so I will whether I REALLY want one or not."

My lungs quietly started to get worse and worse. It crept up on me until it hurt to take that first deep breath in the morning. I started feeling winded far too easily. I never hacked up junk, but my breathing got shallower and shallower.

Finally, on Valentines Day, I had smoked too much while drinking and my lungs were feeling it. That sunday, I never lit up. That monday, I decided I'd done so well why not give my lungs a few day "rest". I was dismayed when a week hadn't fixed my lungs so I decided "that's it."

It been 2 and a half weeks now. I don't have the urge to go out and smoke and I'm really pretty stunned how easy it is- after the years of convincing myself it would be excruciating. Once I REALLY decided to stop, it made all the difference in the world. If you don't really want to stop, you won't.

Wish me luck. I haven't licked it yet, but I'm sure hoping to. If it stays this easy, I just might be an EX-smoker.

devani

cold turkey is the only way....smoking lighter version will not help....

patches weren't available when most people quit including me IMO, it's all in your head.....do yourself and everyone around you a favor....and imagine yourself helping others about quitting smoking in the future

bobman1235

Like a lot of people said, you really have to want it. I only smoked for 5 years and accept that it's much more difficult for those of you who have smoked 20 or 30, but still - I tried quitting a bunch of times out of some obligation or just knowing it was bad for me, but I still liked it and wanted it. One day I was walking up the back stairs to my work, and caught myself wheezing and out of breath. One flight of stairs. THat did it for me. Quit cold turkey that day, and aside from a few drunken parties haven't touched the things since.

apc

Smoked for over 25 years. Quit cold turkey in July 1998. Haven't had one since. Toughest couple of weeks of my life. Almost lost a job. Almost caused a divorce. If you get through the first several weeks, you've got it made. You'll come to hate the smell of people that smoke. It turns my stomach now.

xj4094dg

I finally quit after about 25 years. It was making me sick. I haven't smoked in about two years but my lungs are not well (bronchitis is a ****).

I like to think of myself as a fairly strong individual and when I finally faced up to the fact that smoking is basically a weakness, I quit just to spite it.

Smoking is some weak-****-s#!t and does not own me anymore.

If I did it, you can do it!

JUST DO IT.

Shizelbs

I'm telling you guys, Chantix is amazing.

tonyb

I didn't....and if your on my bad side,I'll throw my butts on your lawn.
Good for you guys that have quit though.Bottom line is you have to want to quit,otherwise nothing will work.

carpenter

hearingimpared wrote: »

I smoked for 40 years. I tried quiting for two and one-half years after that one day I just quit (with a lot of prayers). I quit for three years then like a real **** I started smoking again three weeks ago and the addiction is twice as bad as when I originally quit.

Oh man, this post really surprised me.
But then I remembered that once someone gets addicted to smoking , its for life!
once addicted you're either a smoker or an ex-smoker,and ex-smokers must always stay on their toes. one year, three years, or even ten after quitting, people asswipingly (as eloquently put by HI ) light up, and by the third puff, find themselves right at the beginning.

HI,
I'm not trying to bum you out, because I'm positive you'll quit again.

Mozart,
I quit cold turkey. I do not recommend it.
this:

Shizelbs wrote: »

I'm telling you guys, Chantix is amazing.

Is a much better way to go. a close friend of mine failed numerous times, until he gave Chantix a chance.

sda2mike

cold turkey....14 years ago...superbowl sunday!:eek: it was hard for me for like 2 months. being in the car alot back then. i hit ben & jerry's hard. they hit back:p. i'm 14 yrs older and i could stand to lose 35lbs. but, i've run 3 marathons! so, i'm healthier now;)

ND13

Cold Turkey!!! Sucked for about 2 weeks, and I don't enjoy beer as much, but sacrifices have to happen.

MikeC78

Nicotine patch and more cigarettes until I got sick and couldn't look at them anymore.

I believe it's mostly mentally and your desire/willpower to give it up. Cold Turkey would be best following excerise to keep your mind off it.

Vette C6.r

that med Chantix got me to stop- i also wanted to

metal83

I've been smoking for about 14 years or so now. Not nearly as long as some of you, but still long enough. A few years back i switched from Marlboro Reds to Marlboro lights in a lame attempt to cut back and eventually quit. Unfortunately, this did not work as expected seeing as how i just ended up smoking more. I'm currently still smoking the lights, and i've cut back a decent amount since the switch. Regardless though i'm smoking about a pack, to a pack and a half a day, and i never hear the end of it from my fiancee (non smoker). Not that i blame her, she just want's me to live longer, she can't stand the smell, and she doesn't appreciate second hand smoke.

I think a lot of you guys are right, you really have to "want" to quit in order to make it happen. I need to do it for myself and for my fiancee, it's just not an easy thing to do (when you're not ready). I'll miss those morning ciggs, the after eating ciggs, the driving ciggs, the sitting here reading away on Club Polk ciggs, and especially the ciggs while drinking my beer!

Man do i love a good cigg, yet hate them at the same time. One of these days i'll kick the habit, hopefully i can get myself to do it sooner than later.

Congratulations to all of you who have quit, and remain smoke free!

SBrown712

Geez, just reading this again makes me want to go smoke. I never smoked in the house. It stinks the place up too much. I spent many a cold few minutes outside in the winter. Hot or cold weather never stopped me though. I am so happy I was told about Chantix. I don't think I could have quit without it.

shack

Funny, I don't recall ever MISSING smoking. I never tried to quit because I liked smoking. Even when I did stop it just sort of happened because it was not my intent to quit at the time. I just put them down and never smoked again. Best thing I ever did .

4406bbl

Lots of funny stuff happens after you quit, I reached for my left pocket for a cig for at least a year after quitting, also always had a nagging feeling I was forgetting something at work while doing my normal routine, drove me nuts, it was the habit so ingrained it set the timing of my work. I was lucky and never had the cravings, but to this day want a cig anytime I smell gasoline, I cannot be around anyone who smokes, I hate the smell that much, never thought I would say that when I smoked. If you are around anyone who smokes good luck quitting, and if you do my hats off to you.

metal83

4406bbl wrote: »

Lots of funny stuff happens after you quit, I reached for my left pocket for a cig for at least a year after quitting, also always had a nagging feeling I was forgetting something at work while doing my normal routine, drove me nuts, it was the habit so ingrained it set the timing of my work. I was lucky and never had the cravings, but to this day want a cig anytime I smell gasoline, I cannot be around anyone who smokes, I hate the smell that much, never thought I would say that when I smoked. If you are around anyone who smokes good luck quitting, and if you do my hats off to you.

That will be a problem for me.
"Almost" everyone i know smokes, with the exception of a few non smokers and a few who are in the process of quiting. Given that, i know it can still be done if wanted bad enough, but it won't be easy (for me).

metal83

Keiko wrote: »

Quit making excuses and just STOP smoking young man!

LOL....Yes sir!

petrym

Cold turkey. Just do it. 'nuff said.

Motzart

I'm gonna hafta see a Doc about a script for Chantix.
Cold Turkey just won't work for me......the crave kicks my **** everytime!

BlueFox

Motzart wrote: »

I'm gonna hafta see a Doc about a script for Chantix.
Cold Turkey just won't work for me......the crave kicks my **** everytime!

That's what makes it so hard. Even though it has been 25 years since I quit I still remember the cravings. Every cell in my body would scream for nicotine all day, and it was even worse in situations complemented by smoking; drinking beer, drinking coffee, stress, etc.

Whether this is true or not I do not know, but I have read a few times where heroin addicts have said it was harder to quit smoking than heroin. However, I have no desire to verify for myself the validity of that statement.

Also, I love it when people call smoking a "habit". Cracking your knuckles is a habit, smoking tobacco is an addiction.

doggie750

smoking is habitual and almost impossible to quit but if replace the cigarette stick with a toothpick and do as you were smoking you should be able to quit like i did.

hockeyboy

Cold turkey. First 3 days were tough but the key was not to have any smokes at all. Not one- or even second hand smoke. I switched to gobbling sunflower seeds for about a week and have never looked back after 2 packs a day for 7 years. Smoke an occasional cigar now.

del44

Like what most have said. Quit cold turkey. I smoked 2 packs of Kools a day for about 25 years. And I had never tried to quit before. The first week is the worst, but it gets better. Just gotta tough it out. Chewing gum helped me. Good luck.

metal83

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think my time to quit may be coming sooner than later. I spend about $38 a week on a carton of cigarettes, which is expensive enough as it is. Well, i went to go buy a carton yesterday, and it was $51. I drove to a few other stores and couldn't find them for under $50. It's going to cost me about $200 a month now just to smoke, so roughly $2,400 a year...:eek::eek::eek:

Motzart

metal83 wrote: »

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think my time to quit may be coming sooner than later. I spend about $38 a week on a carton of cigarettes, which is expensive enough as it is. Well, i went to go buy a carton yesterday, and it was $51. I drove to a few other stores and couldn't find them for under $50. It's going to cost me about $200 a month now just to smoke, so roughly $2,400 a year...:eek::eek::eek:

If I smoke I'm killing myself......someone gets drunk DWI they take others lives.
Sure smoking isn't good for you but what about alcoholics?
So why not go tax the **** out of alcohol?
Trust me once they do it with smokes they will do it with other things they deem "not good for you"!

Gov't taking away more of our rights.
What are they gonna do once a majority quit smoking....where will they get their extra $$$ then?
NY is talking about a FAT tax.....where will it end?

timlitton

All this talk on taxes got me wondering. Here's some interesting statistics on how much your state taxes sales, cigarettes, alcohol and gas.

http://www.taxfoundation.org/taxdata/show/245.html

I also found this:

The national average cumulative tax is 30 cents per can of beer, 32 cents per glass of wine, and 35 cents per shot. Many states have much higher rates:


* The highest tax for beer is 93 cents a can is in Tennessee (13 cents per gallon excise tax, 6 percent state sales tax, and a 17 percent wholesale beer tax)

* The highest tax for wine is 89 cents per glass, in Oklahoma (72 cents per gallon excise tax, 4.5 percent state sales tax, and on-premise tax of $1 per bottle and 12 percent of the sales price);

* The highest tax per mixed drink is 87 cents per drink, again, in Tennessee, ($4 per gallon excise tax, 6 percent sales tax, 15 cents per case and a 15 percent on-premise tax)