25 years next month since I quit. It was considerably easy when I threw a pack in the trash and never smoked again. I used to puff 2 packs a day for about 10 years. My mother also stopped cold. I never understood the "addiction" per se since we both had no trouble stopping, but when I tried to get rid of sugar and couldn't, I realized how addiction affect people in different ways. Nicotine was easy for me to quit, not for my sisters. Sugar was very easy for my sisters to quit. Not for me.
I really admire those who had trouble and still quit. And I hope those who are trying find the strength to do so just as I hope someday I'll be able to let go of sugar...

As a person who's given up refined sugars amongst other things (caffeine, alcohol, drugs, nicotine and the smoking habit), I can truthfully say the only way I've found that works for me is applying the 12 step programme, 'one day at a time'.
We can do anything for just one day. I'm not saying it's easy but it's possible with the right mental attitude and coping strategies in place.

If one day is too much then break it down to manageable chunks; one hour, half hour, 10minutes if necessary.

Not having the first one of any of our addictions saves us from the second, third, ad infinitum.

One is too many and a thousand never enough right!?

Good luck all of you who are quitting whatever you're quitting. It's not easy but it IS possible

Keep riding that dragon until you tame it, you'll be so proud of yourself for doing something proactively positive for your own well-being.

:tinfoil:

And best of luck to you, my friend, though I don't think you need luck with a plan like this.

:clover:

That should help you a great deal Ms. Redsunflower and I wish you luck in doing so!!!

Day 15 and I'm still a non-smoker. :clap:

I had a brand new challenge today. I went to visit a mate who is a proper smoking buddy. She smokes in her house and everything (as does her partner). I didn't have much of a strategy for coping other than just to go and see how it went.

Well, I didn't smoke, she congratulated me on my quit the whole time I was there and I think I now need to wash my jumper but apart from that it was all good.

I can do this. In fact, I am doing it.

Well chuffed. :cool:

Rxx

Day 19 and still doing it.

Yaaaasss!!!!!!!!!!!

CBS News on Smoking
 

Smoking is the lead story in this newscast 1/17/14. It's an excellent piece on new findings on the affects of smoking and diseases, percentages of youth smoking and the fight against smoking. If you haven't seen this, please do...very informative.

http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/1-17-s...fter-26-years/

___________________________________

I quit over seven years ago using patches. It took three weeks, and I've never wanted to smoke since. Best thing I ever did. I smoked roughly a pack and a half per day for 34 years before quitting.

Now, I can't stand smoking or to be around it at all. What amazes is how many people still smoke; I don't even know how people afford a pack.

There have been studies done that indicate it takes 21 days to change a habit, it is a milestone for changing any behavior. The hardest part is over, continue to quit, one day at a time. You will be glad you did!

Well, I'm just finishing day 22 so I guess it should be getting easier.

Trouble is, I don't think it is. :|

I'm in such a foul mood that even the title of this thread is driving me mad. Habit?? This is a drug addiction.

Maybe it will all look better tomorrow and just for today, I won't be smoking.

Rxx

Checking in...
 

I'll have 3 years in April. It's been a struggle but I'm so glad I did. Quitting drinking was nothing compared to quitting smoking. For all of you just starting on your Quit Journey: Congratulations!!!


My philosophy on quitting is rooted in the harm reduction model. It doesn't matter how you quit, or what works best for you versus someone else. It only matters that you DO quit. So find your strategy for achievement and don't get distracted.

I'm celebrating one month nicotine free today.

Woo hoo!!!

:clap:

I'm now celebrating 1 month and 6 days nicotine free.

:cheesy:

And thanks to my sponsor who has been a massive help indeed.

:bowdown:

Yippie
 

Trust me I will never get overly confident because I know my weaknesses.


Today I celebrate http://gifs.gifmania.co.il/Animated-...n-number-2.gif Years smoke free.

And to be tottally honest, during times I felt the need to smoke again due to stresses such as health issues, I have used a e gig here and there. My doc told me to do so verses messing up.
I know alot of you don't believe this is being smoke free if you occassionally or all the time use one. But I am here to say in my world it has stopped me from smoking during some really hard times.

I am amazed and very happy with me...smiles

For those of you quitting or trying to begin the process, my hats off to you all. Keep it up.
If I can quit you surely can.

40,320 CIGS NOT SMOKED 2,016 PACKS NOT SMOKED within this 2 years.

Well done Lady Pamela. ;)

Two years is a good long time and you're doing it!

I'm struggling again this week, trying to remind myself of a day at a time, but just really wanted to smoke last night.

I was so happy to realise when I woke this morning that I didn't smoke; I'd be kicking myself right now.

Just for today, I won't be smoking.

But you didn't smoke, go you!

1 month, 3 weeks, 5 days, who knew it was possible????!!????

:cheerleader::cheerleader::cheerleader:

Congrats! Keep it going! :hangloose:

It's 3 months today and I'm still going strong.

:cheesy:

I'm trying not to get complacent. Every time I have a non-smoking anniversary I want to have a ciggie to celebrate!

Here's to the next 3 months.

I have been smoke free for seven months now. Its one of the best things I have ever done. Do I still want a smoke? God yes! But I wont as I am really proud in stopping my over 15 year habit. And I have a lot more money to spend on shoes and makeup!

First off, go Queenie and Redsunflower! Excellent job.

I've gone over a year cigarette/smoke free (last smoke was sometime in February 2013).

To tell you the truth, I haven't promoted my smoke-free time because of the flack for doing this with e-cigs. I still use my e-cigs too. Virtually all of my liquids are nicotine free. I do have 1 low nicotine liquid that's been sitting untouched for a few months now.

This is the longest I've gone without that terrible craving that makes me either smoke or want to commit a felony (or both) and I'm pretty darned happy about that.

Congrats!

I think it is crazy that I don't know the exact day both myself and TF quit smoking in October 2009. It was like the 19th, 20th or something. I think it was October? You would think this is something I would remember!

It's been 2 years for me now!!!

I don't even miss it anymore.

You got me thinking Dapper, I can't remember the exact date of my very last cigarette. For a couple of years I didn't smoke unless I went out to a club or dance. I don't drink or smoke weed so I needed a little something to fortify my courage, swagger. I think the last cigarette I may have had was the night I met Julie at a B-F dance. That was back in December of 2008.

Hell, I miss it every day. You're lucky.

Hi, Pam. Doing well. How is your health?

YES!!!!
 

I too have smoked since I was 12!! I try to quit several times a year and also have tried everything but e-cigarette. That's up next! Cancer, in all it's ugly forms, has taken from me many friends and it runs heavily in my family, including myself (skin cancer twice) so I really am quite the idiot for smoking. Problem is, while everyone is really good at lecturing me that I should quit, the same people get super irritated at me when the bitchiness & mood swings of withdrawal hits!! So I have a distinct lack of support... I had quite the little drug habit years ago but I can honestly say quitting doing dope was easier than stopping smoking!!!
Any tips, pointers, suggestions for success would be greatly appreciated!!

I'm now approaching 7 months nicotine free.
I'm so delighted with myself I could happy dance all over the place.
Maybe this will do...

:party:

Congrats to everyone else still going strong. We are the greatest.

Sigh. I must admit that I have been smoking since I was 15. It's been a very long battle, and not one that I easily put down. However, I have attempted quitting 3 or 4 times. The longest I ever quit was 8 months. I made a huge mistake for picking the habit back up. The saying that nicotine is addictive, couldn't be further from the truth. I'm ready to quit for good. (yeah, said that before too) Im just tired of it. And ready to move on in life, better my health over all and not have that constant need for nicotine. Now, I realize different things work for different people. Obviously what I tried didn't work long enough, and the willpower didn't last either. Being strong and ending this addiction isn't easy by a long shot. Hoping that I will find some common ground and put that shit to the dirt once and for all. Wishing everyone a super great success in keeping themselves clean and nicotine free! It's a struggle. For sure.

It's tough, can't lie about that, but a hard job is somehow more satisfying in the end.
It takes more than just will-power. It requires an inner job. Work on changing your mind set, on breaking physical and mental habits.

35yr smoker. Just over 4yrs smoking quit.

On this thread you'll find like minded souls who'll be endless supportive as long as you put the effort in.

I suggest you start before you actually quit. Consult with your GP about any NRT or pharmaceutical help you can get. I chose the Chantix route. There are warnings about certain folks taking Chantix and I'm one of those folks but I took the risk after discussion with my respiratory nurse and the GP.
It worked for me...I wanted it to work and worked hard at making it work.

I chose to be positive about quitting even when I didn't want to be and refused to listen to the little addict devil :seesaw: on my shoulder telling me "It'll be too hard" "folks will hate me when I get moody" "I don't have willpower" "what will I do with my hands" "I'll put on weight". If you believe that voice you're setting yourself up for failure before you've even started. Don't do it!

Major aspect for me was breaking the hand to mouth action and one I worked really hard on. I really didn't want to replace cigs with food. I'm glad that I didn't have ecigs available to me 4 and half years ago. I think it would have kept me a slave to having to put something in my lungs to make me feel 'better' or 'different' in some way. If stuff doesn't make us feel better in some way why would we do it? The mindset/motivation and action of using of an ecig is the same as smoking a cig even if the chemicals aren't the same. That's just my opinion.

Fear worked wonderfully for me, having just survived the most serious chest infection I'd had to date, my then gf was watching me asphyxiate in front of her. I strongly suggest you don't allow yourself to get to the imminently life threatening stage as I did. :|

Learning to deal with the moodies and the swings is a trial and error affair. I spent a lot of time walking or cycling on my own. Or washing dishes. Vacuuming the stairs. You get my drift. Keep busy, do positive things for yourself. Keeping busy also helps mitigate against the inevitable weight gain. Even wee, skinny me gained 20-25lbs. 4yrs later I'd lost it all. My housemate also lost all her smoking weight gain around 4yrs too. You have a choices in limiting the gain.

Make yourself accountable, post here or some other place. A daily check in with folks who are also giving up, or have done and are willing to be part of the cheerleading team really makes you think about caving and picking up the next ciggie. Remember it's the first one that does the damage...one is too many and a thousand never enough.
Ask your friends to be as supportive as they can find it in their hearts to be...even when you're being irritable and/or irritating. I got lucky, everyone was really supportive for me, despite times of deep irritability and being deeply irritating.
Make it your mission to break the habitual actions. Make yourself aware of your danger times when you might crave a cig more than at other times. Be prepared for hard cravings to creep up on you by surprise.
I had one of those plastic inhalator things...generally without the nicotine cartridge for a few weeks at the start just for the worst cravings, empty hands and something to chew on times.

You'll be so proud of yourselves when you succeed.
Your mission, should you accept it, is to start your personal positive self talk this week.
My quit self talk was based around knowing that I was powerless over nicotine when I actively had it. I only had any power over it when I wasn't having it. I knew it would mean being kind to myself and not giving myself a hard time because I'd been snippy with someone or overreacted in some situation or other. You get the idea. Relentlessly positive.

There's never a good or right time to quit. Why not set yourself a date in a month and start doing the mental prep now? Double dare ya! :cheesy:

Freakin' awesome you!

Might I might make so bold as to say...a day at a time...

I told ya so! :raspberry:

No Smoke