[BVR421]

I knew Id never quit until I actually was ready. That day was a long time coming
Finally I just got tired of it, expense, smell etc didnt mean as much as not enjoying them anymore. The cost/pleasure balance had finally swung over to the negative side.
It aint easy, you dont get over it you just deal with it. We have all had much worse traumas of some kind in our lives. If we can deal with those, why should smoking be any more difficult?

[Mike S]

I have a freind that smokes along with his wife. She lost her job and money is tight for them. We use to go out to dinner every weekend. Now they don't have the money to go out but continue to smoke. My 2 kids struggle to make the rent but both smoke. It is amazing how intense the ciggerette addiction is. Where poeple sacrifice comforts in life to smoke. I am hopeing that my kids see that I can quit after 30 years and at least try. My friend and his wife said after the super bowl.
I have so much extra money now. My turning point was when I went to a new doctor and was told I am in perfect health. He then asked if i smoke and told him yes. How much? 2 packs. How many years? 30. His reply was I will garantee nothing good is going to happen to your health unless I can quit. he scared me. He gave me the presciption for chantex and I stopped smoking the following week. No long turn quit date just stopped. I have been one miserable son of a bitch. But refuse to pick up a ciggerett. If I do I will never quit. It is all or nothing at this point. Hoppfully at 47 my body can heal from 30 years of damage.

[kate`s67gto]

Yep that is good ole nicotine controlling those peoples lives and bank accounts. It will be six years this March 14 cigarette smoke free. I pity all smokers who won"t quit, the large tobacco companies have control their lives and money and will continue to do so till they are in their graves. Sad

[grandville455]

I haven't smoked now for as long as i quit drinking too, And thats been since may 23rd of 97 ,and I started when i was like 10-12! Honestly for me it was easy!! I just stopped no gums, no nothing. You have to be ready to quit and it is just like anything else it becomes habit, Your mind is the most powerful tool around, If u genuinely want to stop forever it will be easy, if its hard my opinion is your not ready yet! FWIW

[Cliff R]

"My 2 kids struggle to make the rent but both smoke. It is amazing how intense the ciggerette addiction is."

My son hasn't got a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of, but he continues shoving Marlboro's in his face the vast majority of the time he's awake.

His wife left him, the Air Force booted him out, he can't keep a job much longer than it took me to type this, his car is on it's last leg, credit is completely trashed, and his overdraft charges exceed his income.....but, 24/7 he has either a Cell Phone or a Marlboro in his face, and their's not a damned thing Deb and I can do about it!

We let him live in our spare room downstairs, which is completely TRASHED all the time, as is his car, makes you want to vomit to stick your nose into either one. I bought him Chantix, tried to get him to work in my business (complete waste of time/funds) but about all he wants to do is run with a bunch of loosers, text, talk on a cell phone and smoke Marlboro's.....sad, very sad.....Cliff

[PunchT37]

Originally Posted by Cliff R

"My 2 kids struggle to make the rent but both smoke. It is amazing how intense the ciggerette addiction is."

My son hasn't got a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of, but he continues shoving Marlboro's in his face the vast majority of the time he's awake.

His wife left him, the Air Force booted him out, he can't keep a job much longer than it took me to type this, his car is on it's last leg, credit is completely trashed, and his overdraft charges exceed his income.....but, 24/7 he has either a Cell Phone or a Marlboro in his face, and their's not a damned thing Deb and I can do about it!

We let him live in our spare room downstairs, which is completely TRASHED all the time, as is his car, makes you want to vomit to stick your nose into either one. I bought him Chantix, tried to get him to work in my business (complete waste of time/funds) but about all he wants to do is run with a bunch of loosers, text, talk on a cell phone and smoke Marlboro's.....sad, very sad.....Cliff

Damn. Sure that`s not my brother?

[Cliff R]

That scenario actually describes a LOT of people that I know. Unfortunately my son is among them.

He's been living with us now coming up on two years since the Air Force put him out. He has a small disability pension from them, about $1000 the first of each month, and it's gone in less time than it took me to type this.

We just can't figure it out, smoking is one of the common denominators I see with folks in my sons situation, and as it relates to this thread, it is also one of the most difficult habits to quit. It is said that beating a meth habit is easier!......Cliff

[gregsgtos2]

I quit all the time-until I smoke the next one.

[77 TRASHCAN]

Mike,
I've heard from a lot of other folks, that they don't feel any better after they quit...
You body WILL heal greatly from your decision to quit!!!

KEEP up the GREAT effort, I will pray for you, to stay smokefree!!!

I've read a lot about the health hazards,my whole life, my folks smoked, both have quit, my dad, because of health concerns, I buried my mom in July 2006, that was the only way that she would quit........... I am an anti smoking fanatic (LOL). The slightest hint of that smell sends me another direction.

The biggest benefit to quitting is the quality of life you (hopefully, remember life is not fair)will have, especially when you get older. When you get to be 57, 67, 77, those will be the times, you'll be thankful you quit.

My mom would still be alive, if she had quit, and stayed quit, the very few times she did quit, the last time was 1998, after quad bypass, one valve replacement, and an aneorism about 10 times bigger the the surgeon had ever seen before (yes, all in one surgery). She started smoking again, the complete denial line of crap. One of my brother's job is in the operating room, when you get an angeoplasty. The Dr's told him that she had to quit......oh no, listen to a doctor, especially that your son works with and trusts....HELL NO...

I am so thankful, Oklahoma has strict anti smoking laws for eatery's. The essential law is NO SMOKING, NONE. I lke it!!!

The old law, was an eatery had to provide smoking and non smoking areas, that doesn't work, at all. My ex's 2 little girls both had asthma, I was on a constant state of alert, when we were in the public, making sure we didn't end up somewhere that smokers were (one had asthma severely, it would break my heart when she had an attack)

A couple of years ago, myself and a couple of other Pontiac-a-holics were in Kansas for an event. We walked in a cafe, the first thing I said, "Why do I smell smoke???" My buddies reminded me the the Oklahoma law, isn't applied likewise everywhere else.....

I think of the TV commercial, it has a young woman in it, she quit, talked about how, everything in her life revolved around the next smoke, and how glad she was, that NOW it did NOT...

My parents both smoked when I grew up. We had luxury items like food to eat, a decent home, decent clothes, good upbringing. I think back about how much money could have been saved, even back then.
They could have spoiled myself and my 3 brothers.
Maybe We'd have all turned out differently.
Maybe I'd be in Washington D.C. working for President B.O..........NOT!!!

My mom would be 76 years old one week from today, IF........

Elvis would be 76 also, he had other problems

Mike, please don't give up!!!!

[Engine-Ear]

Very interesting thread...I agree that the main thing is wanting to be done.

Hang in there, don't give up but don't feel like a heel if you fall off the wagon.

[ERIC AULL]

Cancer sticks are $10 a pack in N.Y. so.....if you smoke 1 pack a day that is $300 a month to destroy every cell in your body!!!!!!! Just trying to help, I have friends and relatives who can't quit!!!!!!!

[Qball]

Originally Posted by Simple Man

One of the best smells in the world to me, is when someone lights a Marlboro, with a Zippo type lighter, and pulls that first drag. The combination of the smoke, the lighter fluid, the flame burning the paper.....
After that it stinks!

That's funny that you say that, as I was thinking the EXACT same thing just before i read your post. I quit smoking 23 years ago. One of the best things I ever did. I quit on a bet and I keep winning. I was pretty grumpy for a few months.

Hang in there. Don't beat yourself up too badly if you have a weak moment. Just stay the course and stay committed. It my help to change your routine to break the automatic triggers that tell you to smoke.

[77 TRASHCAN]

Originally Posted by ERIC AULL

Cancer sticks are $10 a pack in N.Y. so.....if you smoke 1 pack a day that is $300 a month to destroy every cell in your body!!!!!!! Just trying to help, I have friends and relatives who can't quit!!!!!!!

Smokey Yunick called them "coffin nails" in his bok, I like that description

[lust4speed]

I recognize myself in many of the above posts. I quit 31 years ago after I had built up to three packs a day. ONLY reason I never went back to smoking is I knew that I could never go through quitting again. Oh yea, I did get fired the second week after I stopped smoking. Quitting does give you a really, really bad attitude.

Several things I've found out:

Smoking is comprised of many small habits such as smoking when drinking, when on the telephone, when driving, after sex, and the list goes on. It helps to be aware that you might have a stronger urge to smoke when doing different things. Even many years later, if I had a close call while driving I would find myself reaching towards the shirt pocket for a smoke. Which made me feel rather stupid since I not only didn't have any cigarettes, but many times didn't even have a shirt pocket.

Your body will revolt from the lack of nicotine. I never had smokers cough until a month after quitting, and then I started hacking away. Other bizarre symptoms appeared, but eventually all went away.

For a long time, I found myself following a smoker down the street. Then one day I really detested being around smoke. I really hated the smell, but guess what - I still had the desire to light up. Talk about creating some tension in one's life.

It was one thing to smoke back-in-the-day when very little was known about the health consequences, and the cigs were cheap. Military commissary price for a carton (10 packs) was $1.20 with no tax in the mid 1960's. I really can't understand how anyone could smoke today just based on the current price of the addiction.

I had a heart attack 8 years ago. The heart specialist said that my early smoking contributed to it, but my stopping over 20 years ago was the only reason I survived it. Definitely something to think about.

[Stuckinda60s]

I quit cold turkey, knowing full well that I could never again take "just one". Got to the point, within about 2-years, where the smell would almost nauseate me. Even so, I would sometimes get a desire for one for 2 or 3-years afterward.

Some advice, as I had "quit" many times before. Don't schedule a time to quit or a condition where you'll do it, just do it. Remember, if you take one you're still smoking. Don't quit with a group, they do it that way because they need support and don't really want to stop. Someone always starts up, again, and that's a chink in everyone else's armor as they feel they're suffering and envy their weaker friend enjoying those cigarettes. Some of the weaker ones who haven't started up again, yet, will then fail because they really weren't committed, either. Plus, the failures will want to see you start, again, because they don't look as bad if you do.

When I drank, I was always disturbed by how a lot of drinkers would try their darndest to get a non-drinker to imbibe. I came to the conclusion that they were not feeling the best about themselves and were convicted by someone who had the strength to not drink. That was proven to me after I stopped when I saw old drinking "friends" who became highly insulted when I wouldn't drink anything other than soda with them. I wasn't passing judgment on them in any way, other than by not drinking. Smoking, for some, generates similar emotions.

[71ModelJ]

I Quit two months ago this past monday. I started with the patches full first two weeks then cut them in half for two more weeks. Now I'm off them. It's a struggle everyday. Temptation is unreal but I'm using the willpower that got me through some tough times in the army. Friggen cigs are evil though aren't they.

[JLHarper]

Just dont give in....keep thinking about wasting your time and money on patches, and starting it all over again.

It will get easier.

I worked with a lady in DC who played with a clothes pin for 20 some years after she quit! Had it with her all the time to sastisfy the hand to mouth habit.

[79firebird_99TA]

I quit smoking 23 years ago one month before I quit drinking. I had smoked for 10 years. I tried to quit several years blowing out "that last puff" as the clock struck midnight on Jan 1. One year, however, I told several people at work that I was going to quit. I didn't make it. I never smoked around them again. We were allowed to smoke at work back in the day. I noticed that I was not even craving a cigarette until after quitting time. What does that tell you? It was mostly mental for me. I could actually do without it from 7am until like 5:30pm when the craving would hit me hard. I feel so good now at 50. I've actually been doing p90x for a year now and am in the best shape of my life!!

[Old Bird]

My wife and I smoked for years. She quit cold turkey as soon as she new she was pregnant and has never had another. It took me alot longer to quit cigs and when I did it was cold turkey too. Then took up chewing tobacco. Did that for several years and quit about a year ago. Chew was much harder to stop using than the cigs. I'm one chew or cig from being addicted again. So as long as I never have that first I will never have to quit again. I watched my father die a miserable death from smoking. Then watched my wifes mom fight throat cancer and smoke cigs through a hole they cut in her throat to feed herself with before she died too. That should have been enough to make anyone quit. The day my wife cried as she told me she needs me to be around for her and the family was what really hit home and I was done shortly after. If I can quit Mike anyone can.

[Ken K]

I thought I quit a few times before it stuck. Now I know don't ever lite one up ever again. I was starting to hack before I quit. 2 weeks after I quit the hacking went away. I have not smoked in almost 20 years now. Smoking will kill you, the sooner you quit the more time you will have left.