has anyone quit smoking?

cpdad, i smoked for 30 years and built up to over two packs a day. i didn't think i'd ever be able to quit. no will power at all. but, one day, i decided to really give it a go....i started to diet and exercise, lost some weight and then did the patch. after 6 weeks i had a bad reaction to the patch and thought all hope was lost, but i continued to be smoke free. it's going on 6 years now and i feel like such a fool for smoking as long as i did.

i also found a lot of support here:

www.quitnet.com

it helps to share your feelings and cravings with other folks going through it.

try it, it's hard but not impossible. if i could do it anyone can.

good luck....

KD

July 24th will be a year for me after 35 years of the nasty habit. I was ready to quit too but found that zyban helped kill the craving completely. I just stopped one day and haven't picked another one up. I've quit and started before but just hated smelling like an old ashtray. My dad quit many years ago before there was anything to help. He used those little tart lemon drops, whenever he had the urge to pick one up, he'd pop in a lemon drop. The tartness took the craving away immediately. Good luck Kevin, I wish my hubby would quit.

Good luck cpdad. I really hope you kick the nasty habit. I smoked, but I can't say that I was ever addicted since I was just a kid and decided to stop one day. My hubby has the habit and I've asked, begged and pleaded, but nothing works. He promised on so many things (pregancy, birth of our son, etc...), and I think like everyone else here says, you know when you are ready. It sounds like you are ready!! Try Cher's dads' idea. Those lemon drops are pretty powerful. I may have to suggest it to my hubby too! I'll say a prayer for you!

well...looks like saturday is not the day...my wife seems to know me pretty well....she said she knows part of the problem...im spoiled ;D...she said smoke the rest of that carton...and thats it...i always have anything i need when i get home from work...and i despise going to the store...not sure why...i just hate it .

she told me she isnt buying anymore for me...ill just have go and get them myself...when they are gone...so that will help a ton...so im going to smoke until they are gone (4 packs)...then im going back on the meds ;D...at least she didnt say she wouldnt bring home beer ;D

About 20yrs ago, perhaps a little more, I went to an hypnotist. It worked, and worked really well. I went without cravings for over a week. I just put them down. I started feeling a lot of energy, and went into the gym. Well, mostly it was to get away from my now exwife. I went to the gym six days a week, six hours a day after work. I started gaining size, and weight. I attracted the attention of some ectomorphic monkey men and they started working out with me. They also introduced me to "Miracle grow". I loved the stuff. I started putting on serious weight. I had been 185lbs when I entered the gym, three years later I weighed 365lbs. At 6'6", 365lbs I was getting kinda big. I also met my future exwife there. She was an ectomorphic monkey lady. 6% body fat, totally ripped, huge veins, 13" biceps, etc....
My first future ex divorced me, my second ex invited me to stay with her, and everybody told me if I did not get off the juice I would die.
I had a serious automobile accident, I broke my neck in two places. C1, C3. C3 is still 80% missing. I spent 22 months in a body cast, 14 months in an HALO. One day, I just picked up a cigarette. Why I still do not know. After all that, why smoke? I still do today.
I can only sleep with my head facing to the right, my head dislocates all by itself and I have to get it popped back on. I do not go anywhere without my pack, and backup pack handy.
I wish I was now smoke free. It is just getting miserable to go anywhere. Non smoking outdoor areas, indoor areas, resteraunts, in some areas, you cannot smoke in your home, or property!
My point. I hope anyone who is able to give up smoking can read the progression of my physical development, and the sudden resumption of smoking. I was told, one of the medications I was given for my neck induced a lateral craving. After years of not smoking, I reached out and was at the races again. I still do not know why.
For those who choose to quit smoking, I salute you. Just never forget it was more than just an habit. The intake became a lifestyle, and years later, it wants to come back. Perhaps if I just knew more of the dynamics of addiction, I myself could have taken those steps.
I have no real plans to quit at this moment, although I do think about it often.
Hyptnotism, for me, worked once, not twice. I did try it again back then. I believe, once the door is open, it is really only open once without much effort.
The first is a gift, the second you have to work for. If you get that gift, definately accept it, and never forget it is a gift, the second takes much more effort.

LOL @ stoner...thats usually how my quiting goes ;D...thanks every one for the posts.

Story: A few years ago, both a friend and my brother in law smoked like crazy. He wanted to get married, so he wanted to stop smoking first.
He went to a hypnotist, and when he met the guy, the guy was huge, obese. He told BIL the fee for the sessions--and BIL replied 'why should I pay you that kind of money--you can't help me, hell, look at you--you can't even control yourself!=
So the hypnotist dropped his fee (!), BIL had 3 sessions, and after the first session, he never ever smoked again.
So--my friend was impressed with this story, so she too went to the same hypnotist. She smoked a few on the way home from the sessiohn, and continues to smoke to this day.
I have no idea what accounts for these totally different experiences, but I guess anyone who wants to quit needs to try EVERYTHING that is out there to help quit, and see what will work for them.
Smoking killed Mom, and it recently killed Dad. It is an ugly, ugly death. So stop if you can!!!

I am also going to quit smoking and have set a day to try.
I say try because, I have quit several times in the past and the longest being 4 months. I hope to do it for good this time and have made me a list that I have printed out and put all around my house for me to see all the time. Here is the list if anyone would want to do the same for motivation:

Why I WANT
TO QUIT
SMOKING
Reasons to quit:
1. I can save a lot of money!
2. I could breathe a lot easier!
3. I could walk without breathing hard!
4. I could walk faster and longer!
5. I could climb stairs and feel good at the top!
6. I could climb stairs!
7. My clothes would smell better!
8. My house would smell better!
9. I would smell better!
10. I would live longer!
11. I could ride longer and faster!
12. I could workout longer and easier!
13. I could burn more calories!
14. I could eat more!
15. Food would taste better!
16. I would have fresher breath!
17. My fingers and teeth would not be brown!
18. I wouldn’t have to carry a lighter anymore!
19. I would not be a prisoner to tobacco!
20. I would be happier and have more energy!

The biggest boost to my stopping was when my Dad died of lung cancer. What a rotten way to go. He was missing a big chunk of his lungs already and had little ennergy left on his last visit to New Zealand I think it was in 1980. Within a year we bought our first farm but my Dad never saw that . At least he knew about it!! Which was very important to me as we had achieved our goal of owning our own bit of dirt.

I had stopped smoking as a student , before migrating from Holland to New Zealand. Sadly my wife kept smoking , never heavy , but I took one of her cigs once and was hooked again after a year clean. @#$#@$$#%$#@ no , this was not bad language , just frustration and kicking myself.
I did try quitting several times since as our family grew.
Why burn cigarettes when it is healthier to just burn the banknotes I told myself.
If we were meant to smoke we would all be walking around with an inbuilt chimney!?!

After attending classes to further my career in farming , I threw away a pipe ( brandnew from my youngest sister) and the matches and tobacco...over half a pack.


I lasted 2 days

But once my Dad died, I became very strongminded , threw away whatever tobacco I had left and QUIT.
I have tried since 1981 on 3 occasions one of my wife's cigarettes. The last time must be over 10 years ago and that last one tasted as foul as my very first experience with smoking. That was one of my Dad's cigars hahaha, I was 11 I think.
I had a bad smoker's cough, stained lips and fingers. I was warned once by a dentist not to keep my cigarette on my lips as it might cause cancer!!!!. There was a clear patch showing where I had my cigarette all the time. Thinking back, it was hard to give up , but Oh am I happy not to smoke anymore. I feel free FREE from the shackles of tobacco..nicotine. And also FREE from that dreaded morning cough. I used to feel my chestpocket for many months after quitting ....feeling for my tobacco packet , such a habit that smoking.

You realy have to get yourself in the right mental condition to be able to quit I think.

Good luck to all those who try.
One last item I tell you....I warned my kids to keep out of my way for a while until I got over the worst haha. It sure helped, they did!!
You need sheer determination or call it willpower if you like

Jack