I need support for quitting smoking...

You've got my support! It took me a few years to finally quit but I did it. Lots of false stops and starts but am finally done with the smokes. I'm impressed with your 5 years of sobriety. If you beat that, you can do this.

I am proof that quitting is possible. I was so addicted and quit 10 years ago. I did find myself an online quit smoking support group and that is what helped me quit. Find yourself some good quit buddies and then batten down the hatches, Good luck.

Make up your mind you are quitting and stick to it. Drink plenty of water and engage in physical activity to endure cravings. The nicotine is out of your system after 72 hours so after that it's behavioral training. It's harder to subtract a behavior than it is to add one so keep busy and try and distract yourself with pleasant things. It's boring to think of cigarettes all day. To be honest, I smoked pot and walked a lot in order to help me quit. It was actually far easier than I thought it would be because I began to feel better physically almost immediately not having all of that junk in my system. Godspeed, OP! XO

Thanks so much guys. I mean that.

10 year smoker but after NUMEROUS, frustrating tries, I found a way that worked for me. Went camping for two full weeks with a bf up in the Sierra Mountains (CA). We hiked into the woods with food no ciggies. A bit extreme but with no access to a store, and after 5 days of withdrawal, it became easier and easier as time went on. BEST THING I EVER DID! My best to you.

OMG, R5. Can I get his number???

It took me numerous tries but I finally did it. I smoked for 20 years (from the time I was 15) and am now in my 50s. I can't imagine smoking now or why I ever started. You beat booze, you can beat this. I'm not one for joining support groups so I had to find something to fill the void. I took up exercising, nothing big, just going for a walk when the craving hit me. That turned into jogging which turned into running. Unfortunately, I stopped running so am now an overweight cow but that's another story. R5 is right. It's great if you can get away from your normal environment.

Your post reminded me that I'm just about to hit my 10-year anniversary of quitting. I'd quit one time before but started back up during a major life upheaval.

Both times, it just boiled down to my own resolve, and the fact that I truly wanted to quit. That's three-fourths of the battle in my experience. You have to really want to.

Here was the method that worked for me:

1. On Quit day, wake up and shove a 4MG Nicorette gum in your piehole. Chew 4MG Nicorette for about a week. 2. Switch to 2MG Nicorette after about a week. Stay on it as long as you need to. For me, it was a year. 3. Switch from 2MG Nicorette gum to 2MG Nicorette losenges. Stay on them as long as you need to. It was about six months for me. 4. Alternate between mint tic-tacs and losenges at a certain point, "tricking" your brain into thinking its the same. 5. Finally give up the losenges all together.

It took me about 2 years to get off nicotine completely. It was expensive, but this method kept me from losing my shit and killing people, and I've not had a cigarette in 10 years! Yay.

Eight months smoke free after 37 years daily smoking.

Chantix, OP! Chantix!

Also, I had to pay attention to all my triggers: Every time I answered the phone, I lit up. After I ate. Boredom. Had to have one with a cup of coffee. It helps if you're aware of your triggers. The old trope about using carrots or celery as a prop really helped. I didn't like doing it but it helped. I also had to stay away from bars because drinking prompted my smoking. When I finally felt confident enough to go back to bars, I'd find myself rolling the little bar napkins into tiny squares just so I'd have something to do with my hands! Hey, it all worked for me. You'll find what you need to get through this.

There are some subreddits and discussion forums dedicated to stopping smoking. You might want to join those if you mind connecting with others doing the same thing to be motivating.

Good luck! And don't let a set back be a derailment.

I stopped on May 1 after 26 years by switching to Juul. I vape much less than I smoked but it's there when I need it. My lungs feel much better.

I love u guys.

I was a 24 year smoker I quit many, many times. Here are the things that helped me: I quit coffee and alcohol for the first few months quitting smoking, I quit for me not because people kept pestering me. You have to quit because YOU want to quit! This book by Alan Carr helped immensely. I have been off cigarettes now for 11 years.

I was very tired, lethargic, and depressed for at least two months after I quit. I wanted to nap quite often and I did. But I stuck it out. You may experience constipation so be aware of that and eat more fiber & drink water. Try to replace the smoking habit with a good habit such as exercise and not eating. Weight gain is real and you have to keep it in check. Keep telling yourself you can do it and you will!

Good luck!

I 2nd the Allen Carr Easy Way book. Having attempted quitting many times I was very skeptical of the book. It really works and I can't recommend it enough. Get the book, as it tells you, keep smoking while you read it and then enjoy being smoke free.

You're not quitting you are stopping, you are sacrificing nothing and gaining so much.

Good luck

I second what R5 mentioned in what worked for me was a total change from routine schedule, but for me it was working from home due to COVID. I had always suspected that in order for me to quit I would need time off work, but with the limited vacation time it always seemed like an impossibility. As soon as COVID happened I knew this was an opportunity to do it, so many triggers were removed automatically. I wasn’t seeing friends (have a cig) grabbing coffee (ditto), driving home from work (ditto) etc etc. I stopped two days into lockdown and haven’t had one since. I had tried before but my problem was always my lack of discipline when in certain situations. Removing those situations meant it was much easier. The cravings I didn’t find so difficult to deal with altho I was extremely short tempered for a couple of weeks. It’s been almost 6 months now, I feel good. It’s a slow repair though. I’ve been having an occasionally couple of drinks at home to train my body into being able to have alcohol without feeling like nicotine should be part of the same action. My family are delighted. I wish you the best and have full confidence in you.

Those of you, who have quit... did you gain weight, if not how did you not gain?

Did I gain weight? Oh my God. I hate looking at myself in the mirror. I was 168 the day I quit and have ate my way up to 236 10 years later. I did make a mistake telling myself I could eat whatever I wanted when I first stopped. Basically I just traded one compulsive behavior for another. Now that was me. You can do it better OP.

i'm a bad guide for you OP, as i quit one day on the spot. true story. i was in the middle of a smoke, said to myself "what am i doing?" and put it out. not one cigarette in the 23 years since.

so perhaps try to visualize what's happening to your lungs every time you inhale. that may help.

my GP, whom i trust, has told me that there's o need of a lung x-ray now, as i've been off them long enough that any damage is mostly repaired. so think of that too.

R17 I’ve gained maybe 10lbs altho it could be quarantine related rather than just not smoking, or a combo. I like how the extra weight looks on me. In combination with better skin from not smoking / sleeping better and more control over the quality of things I’ve been eating due to WFH I think I look much better now than before small weight gain included. Have gone up to a 32 waist so said goodbye to a few pairs of jeans but also goodbye to the dread of developing COPD so it’s an okay transaction.

Yeah, I’m ordering an indoor soul cycle bike to help with my depression and to not gain much weight.

Last time I quit I gained 7-10 Lbs., max, and I went to the gym daily like a BEAST. I ended up with the arse I had in high school and a flat tummy. I ate completely clean and was militant about my food.

No way am I getting fat for stopping smoking, however, I’d rather gain 10 lbs. on the outset, than to continue smoking.

I’m very vain about the way I look when I have my shit together, so I’m not going to focus on the weight just now. I’m focusing on the goal: no more nails for the coffin.

OP How old are you? I ask this relating to weight gain. I quit at age 40 so my metabolism was going down anyway. I had a weight problem before I quit smoking. I still struggle with my weight.

Another thing that help me quit was putting aside the money I would save every week by quitting smoking. When I quit my brand of cigarettes was six dollars a pack. I would put $42 a week into a savings account automatically every week. You should’ve seen how big that savings account grew! After I had quit for 10 months I said screw it I’m gonna treat myself and buy a plasma TV and I did!

Another mental trick - if I found myself wavering I would put on some of the very wrenching testimonials on YouTube of smokers on their deathbeds voicing their sense of regret for ruining their health and shortening their lives. It's a form of shock therapy but it worked for me.

Dax Shepphard is a former smoker and has mentioned loving some form of oral Nicotine spray.

Any instagram accounts the OP could follow? I don’t smoke so I can’t help him here, but I often find certain IG accounts inspirational or motivational.

R24 I have quit using different methods over 10 times and I have found cold turkey from nicotine is the only way. Do not get started with nicotine replacement therapies! You must get nicotine out of your body for good!

Agree with R22 on buying yourself something nice with the savings. I got myself a stool by an Italian furniture designer I’ve always loved a month of so back. Is helpful to have a visual monolithic reminder of how well you’ve done.

Get a Chantix prescription. After a month you’ll have forgotten that you ever were a smoker.

I used the EasyWay method as well! I officially quit about 18 months ago. I second giving up coffee for a while. I switched to tea for the first month, something I’d rarely drink, so the association with nicotine wasn’t there. Good luck OP!

[R25] I wholly agree. Nicotine "therapy" just extends your dependence on the addictive substance and prolongs your agony. Packaging nicotine in other forms for smokers struggling to quit is a big industry and revolves around bogus marketing. Just make up your mind that you're going to be in for several difficult days - that's much easier (and less expensive) than trying to buy your way into a "pain free" quit. As awful and addictive as it is, nicotine isn't heroin and you're not going to go into convulsions or die in the course of freeing yourself from dependence. It's stiff-upper-lip time.

Here's something different for you - sincerely pray to a Higher Power, God, or whatever your concept of God is, and ask that you be given help to quit smoking. And keep praying until you get there. You might just get a miracle. Seen it happen.

Take that leap - and Trust God.

You can do it, OP!!! If I can quit, anybody can quit. Nobody loves cigarettes as much as I do. And I'm coming up on a year smoke-free!

I agree about the nicotine therapies prolonging the addiction. Thanks to all of you who suggested it, 🙏🏽 but I’m doing it cold turkey.

R33 it’s totally doable, I honestly think you’re better placing your energies into avoiding situations (when possible) where you would typically smoke rather than taking up a nicotine replacement therapy habit. As someone upthread mentioned, you’re just developing a new secondary nicotine habit by doing that anyway. Best of luck OP!

“I need support for quitting smoking...“

Just wear a t-shirt that demands: “Men, keep your poles zipped up!”

Op, you have to accept that it’s an addiction. That is step one. You’re not doing it because you “like it”. If you were, you would have been hooked after the first puff or first cig. It’s not an acquired taste. It’s an acquired addiction. And it takes time to get it out therefore you will want to do it when you stop i.e. you will have cravings.

Smokers minds think cravings are insufferable and insurmountable because that’s what the mind is telling you because it’s desperate for the chemical fix but in actual fact, when you understand that, that it’s a natural part of stopping the addiction and you should accept them and be cool with them, they are pretty bearable. Once you know that and accept that, cravings aren’t that bad, they are a part of your body’s healing process and they generally don’t last that long...I think less than a minute if I remember correctly. You just feel it and go oh that’s a craving, and move on.

And after 3 days, the cravings will be gone then you’ll have to work on psychological/behavior re-conditioning like someone above said...the memories that come up. Truth is, all those were illusions of a drug...and you need to re-adjust to going through life at a normal steady level without manipulating your mind with a drug for dopamine elevations.

Lastly remember that cigarettes are a form of slavery, it’s like banging your head on a wall all day and stopping a few times a day to get relief because you always crave them as long as you’re doing it. It’s a drug that was very well marketed, it’s not your friend. You’re a junkie now who will soon be free.

Once again, don’t mind or fear the junkie thoughts on the way out (cravings), don’t suffer trying to fight them nor dwell on them, they’re normal and will be gone in 3 days..keep moving forward. Soon you will enjoy the higher energy levels, lack of lethargy, better tasting food, healthy lungs and heart, etc...enjoy!

And when you feel like you miss it, always remember, you were under the influence of a drug, that’s all. And if you find yourself liking the smell of someone’s cigarette in the air, that’s ok too, they do smell quite gorgeous..the cocoa burning (as long as you move away to avoid the second hand smoke), but that doesn’t mean you need to put that in your body just because it smells good, you don’t ingest perfume do you?

Stop and never have another puff, ever.

Here’s my advice:

1. Don’t tell anyone you’re quitting. They’ll just ask you about it and try to weaken your resolve. When people ask you if you quit, simply say, “I’m just not smoking right now.” That way, if you do fall off the wagon, they can’t say, “I thought you said you quit?!”

2. You may fall off the wagon and that’s okay. Remember: smoking one cigarette in 6 - 7 months is a lot better than smoking two packs a day. It is not a failure. You probably won’t even finish that cigarette, it’ll taste so disgusting.

3. Prepare to change other habits: if you smoke two cigarettes over your first cup of coffee in the morning, guess what? You’re not going to keep drinking coffee in the morning. Try herbal green tea. Nobody EVER craved a cigarette drinking herbal tea. Same if Diet Coke and cigarettes are your thing - give up the Diet Coke. Drink herbal tea.

4. Getting back to not telling anybody: why? Because then you get into counting days and people say “how many days has it been,” as if that’s meaningful and all it does is KEEP IT ALIVE. It keeps you thinking about cigarettes and smoking and when you broke up and it’s like it’s everybody’s business - when it’s not. So shut up about it. Forget about it. Let it go. Put your attention elsewhere.

5. Start meditating. Meditation is great for everything. It’s so relaxing and grounding. It’s a great practice to develop and it’ll probably take your mind off of smoking and put your attention and awareness on your core self (instead of your ego that thinks you need to smoke and that you’re not good enough, etc.) Meditation never harmed anybody.

6. Believe. Your beliefs matter. Especially what you believe about yourself.

Good luck, OP!

since you aren't quitting for a while do this. Don't smoke in your home, only outside. Don't smoke in your car. By doing this you are eliminating some of your triggers. I used Chantix too and only used it for about 2½ weeks.

Take lots of vitamin C, like 5-10k/mg a day. It’ll help with stress hormones elevating.

This thread is the best of us DLers.

I really do love u guys and am so grateful to have you. 😘

Definitely what R36 said! If after quitting for a year or so later you may find yourself saying I’ll just have one puff. Do not do it! One puff leads to two leads to a cigarette, then 5 cigarettes etc..... NOT ONE PUFF EVER!! You will undo all the hard work and suffering. Do not give in!

OP, I smoked from age 14 to 29. Yes, I gained weight when I quit, but I accepted that as a tradeoff. I have since lost the weight.

I also calculated how much $$$ I was saving by not smoking cigarettes and, after having quit for a year, bought myself something in ~ that amount.

Not everybody can tolerate Chantix / Wellbutrin.

OP -- think about it from a looks perspective. Look at long-time smokers, the vertical lines around their mouths. Your skin, etc., will be so much more beautiful if you don't smoke.

Op.. I smoked for 20 years,,, quite 23 years ago. I loved to smoke.. up to 2 packs a day. If I could do it, anyone can. as recommended,, drink plenty of water.. I would avoid caffeine as well. After 3 days, the chemical part of the addiction wains. I started running to keep,from gaining weight, and ended up,in the best shape of my life.. You can never touch another cigarette... it is not possible to smoke casually if you were a heavy addicted smoker.. I hate that I ever started.. and can’t stand the smell now. Good luck!!!

I have quit smoking 2 times. The first time was around 1980, and my job was about to implement no smoking on the production floor ( remember those days??? Lol). They set up a quit smoking 'class' through the American Heart Association. We met every Wednesday. I worked hard at it, and followed the information, especially the triggers, and just moving past the moments of urge, until the next moment of urge that needed to be passed. I increased exercising, jogging at the park, and taking in all the gay activity in the parks bathrooms! Then off to the beach and swimming. Somehow, I made it. About a year later, I had a girlfriend who smoked. She says, hey see if you can smoked a cigarette, and not go back. Well I went and bought a pack of cigs that day, and smoked for the next 17 years. No more than a pack a day. Finally, got married and when my first daughter was born, I vowed to quit smoking again. Again I joined an American Heart Association class, but this one met everyday for the a week. Just enough to get past the nicotine addiction, and you are just left with the psychological triggers. The 2nd time quitting was so much worse then the 1st time. But I made it through, and remain smoke free for now 30 years. I can be in a closet, with 5 smokers, and it doesn't bother me. However, I chant in my head, I am a addict and can NEVER inhale a cigarette AGAIN! I missed getting high, and wanted to try it again, but was worried inhaling would lead me down the path. Gratefully, I was able to get high (the weed is so much stronger, better these days) and no urges at all to smoke. My partner smokes, wheezes, and can barely walk 3 blocks without losing his breathe. I have tears in my eyes, wanting him to quit SO BAD. He just got his doctor to write a Wellbutrin prescription, and he's going to give it a try. I am going to follow one of the suggestions above to buy 4mg Nicole Gum, then in about 2 weeks step to 2mg. He can not manage the trigger situations, especially stress moments at work. The struggle is real.

R44 again. The 2nd American Heart Association class showed two impactful videos. One was a hand x-ray like image. Before smoking, the hand shows normal vessels, and normal blood flow. Immediately upon smoking, the vessels constrict, to almost tiny corpuscles. That's why if you have night blindness, smoking can make it even worse. The 2nd video was a fetal monitor hooked to a very pregnant woman. Of course, the fetal heartbeat was robust, and normal rhythmic. Immediately upon smoking, the heartbeat grew faint, and very irregular. The smoking mother started crying, and so did we. I wish I could find those videos. They haunt me, and give me the motivation to stay smoke free.

OP, I can't add anything new to the previous posts. Have you discussed this with your health care provider? Talk to him/her about Chantix. It is not for everyone, but it does work for many, me included. I've been smoke-free for 10 years thanks to Chantix.

I also had a positive experience 25 years ago with m.d-administered acupuncture. That lasted 8 months, but during a weed dry spell in Texas that stressed me out, I fell off the acupuncture wagon, so I blame myself--not the acupuncture. If you smoke weed, that will help a lot (in my opinion).

Don't forget the support groups available online as well as 800# help lines. Good luck to you.

Some Chris Rock comedy for you this morning - talking about cigarettes! (and dropping some truth)

Thanks, R47. Love that show in particular and have watched at least 5 times.

That said, yep. Cigarettes are the most dangerous product out there, and that’s why I’m quitting. Besides, it’s so ugly to be seen smoking and to smoke. I’m not into it anymore and for sure I deserve to take better care of myself.

It’s time. It came at MY time, however, I knew the authentic desire would be showing up real soon, and two weeks ago, I started obsessing on quitting until yesterday, when I said to myself, September 1st 2020, or sooner.

So here I am. It’ll be a little ugly for the first two weeks, but by 30 days I’m feeling way better and by 60 days, I’m usually solid. This is based on my experience when quitting for many years, last time, and I trust myself with my patterns. I know.

Anyhow, thanks again for the encouragement and a good belly laugh this afternoon.

Thanks for starting this thread OP. I quit in my early-30s with great success and I lasted several years. However, I recently started up again due to boredom during COVID and because my normal healthy daily routine was completely dashed. Although the smoking is much more inconsistent in that I'm not smoking everyday, or even every week, I still find the cravings creep up and smack me over the head. This thread has really given me an impetus to get back on the non-smoking wagon.

A couple things I would add that helped me quit the first time: I will second the "classes" that one poster mentioned above. Just simply talking about it with someone really helps and adds motivation. Find a local hotline or an online group.

Another helpful hint, and this is a tough one, is that I realized there are people in my life who really stress me out and act as a trigger with their drama. Just like situations that trigger a craving (e.g. coffee or driving), there are people who make us want to smoke. And they may not even be smokers. For me, these are people who simply stress me out. You have to stay away from these people, at least until you can implement healthy habits. For me, my mother was the person who stressed me out and sent me to the gas station to buy a pack. It sucks.

R48, I TOTALLY relate (mom’s a nutter), LOL!

I’m also taking lots of long naps right now and giving myself the opportunity to start easing off on my nicotine intake.

For anyone else who’s here and wants to quit, try this. You will sleep a lot and smoke less and your body starts cutting back and it helps SO MUCH with cravings.

Watch out for those long naps, too, though. I get depressed when I sleep too much, or it could be that when I’m depressed, I sleep too much.

Thank you, R52. 😘❤️😘

I never smoked, so I don’t know how hard it is to quit. But I was a heavy drinker, and I had to quit because of health problems. I was totally surprised at how easy it was for me to give it up. The hardest thing I ever gave up was drinking diet soda. I finally was able to quit, but it took a a long time.

I never smoked, so I don’t know how hard it is to quit. But I was a heavy drinker, and I had to quit because of health problems. I was totally surprised at how easy it was for me to give it up. The hardest thing I ever gave up was drinking diet soda. I finally was able to quit, but it took a a long time.

I smoked but not necessarily heavily for years. I bought a home where all the curtains were white. When I left my bare apartment I saw how yellow it was from all the cigarette smoke. I came to the conclusion that my new home and the white curtains would all eventually be as yellow as my old apartment if I continued to smoke. And just like THIS I stopped smoking. Had a pile of cigarette packages in the cupboard but never touched them. All because I didn't want the white curtains turning yellow - hey, it worked for me!

If your curtains were turning yellow, imagine your lungs. But like you said, whatever works. (I smoked for ~ 15 years, 1 pack per day.)

I wonder if the DL can help me with my smoking issue, too. My situation is a little different. I've been smoking about two cigarettes a day for almost 10 years now, and I don't have the motivation to quit, which may sound silly. Smoking just one cigarette a day increases your risk of cardiovascular disease as much as smoking a pack a day. But I keep telling myself it isn't a big deal.

Simultaneously, I keep telling myself, every time I cough, that I've probably given myself lung cancer already, so it's too late anyway if the damage is done. COVID-19 hasn't made any difference to my habit; it's hard enough keeping myself amused in isolation. There's also a good dose of nihilism mixed into my psychological makeup. I hope someone out there can understand what's going on with me and can offer advice.

Just vape!

I just came back inside from leisurely smoking a Parliament 100 and it tasted heavenly. Parliaments are delicious smokes.

R58, what's your personality type? Are you an all-or-nothing person (well, obviously not so much if you can smoke 2 cigs per day) or a moderation / gradual person?

I'm an all-or-nothing person, so I'd just set a date that I wanted to quit (I quit smoking right before my 30th birthday), have certain things in place (chewing gum, snacks, whatever it takes!), and then tough it out.

You can switch to a lower nicotine brand or you can bump down to one (1) cigarette per day.

Have a reward planned for yourself.

One of my siblings and, also, a friend used to smoke 1-2 cigs per day. My sibling stopped. My friend, I don't know. Both used to store their pack in the freezer.

I just need help with ceasing to say the word "CUNT!" I NEVER said "CUNT!" before coming to the DL, and now I'm ashamed to admit that I use this word. I called my dog "CUNT!" the other day, and he just dropped his rope toy with his mouth wide open and did that tilted head thing at me. I.Need.Help. DL, please help me stop saying "CUNT!"

A friend of mine quit smoking by switching to menthols.

R61, thank you v. much for responding. It's totally a habit and psychological phenomenon. I wouldn't even say it's an addiction, as I can go days without smoking while never feeling a mental urge to do it. It's just a question of motivation. I can't work up the motivation to quit, and as people say, that's a good two-thirds of the battle. Even more so for me, who isn't addicted to nicotine.

Am I an all or nothing person? No, as you guessed. I'm a no-willpower guy. I know what's good and bad for me, but that's never reason enough to do it or not do it. I keep moderately good habits. Do I type fat? Because I should...

P.S. I already smoke the lightest cigarettes I can find, and I smoke the kind with no additives. I'm thinking maybe a gradual approach would work for me. One thing I've experimented with is lighting up but letting it burn down by itself more than I drag on it. Kind of like smoking half a cigarette, but over a longer time. That way I have the physical crutch but less inhaling. I think it makes me more mindful of whether I'm actually enjoying it or just doing it out of habit (or self-destructiveness).

R64 / R65, a huge part of my motivation to quit smoking at age 29 was that I simply did not want to be a "smoker" in my 30s and beyond. I felt that if I were still smoking in my 30s, then I had given in and that it was all downhill from there.

It's different with you because you don't smoke that much.

When I see people smoking, I admit sometimes I'm envious. But, for the most part, I know that there's a price, literally & figuratively. It's really bad for your skin, so there's that.

I like Melanie Griffith, but when I see her smoking (looks like it's an addiction, not a pleasure), I am so glad I don't smoke.

My god, what happened to Melanie’s hand? Are those bruises from filler and Botox?

[quote] I already smoke the lightest cigarettes I can find, and I smoke the kind with no additives. I'm thinking maybe a gradual approach would work for me.

Try smoking the strongest cigs, like unfiltered Camel or Pall Mall. They're so strong you'll only smoke three or four a day.

LOL, R68.

After thirty years of a pack a day (at least) of Marlboro Reds, I quit.

I had one unopened pack, and one left in the open pack. I drove to a vape shop after work, asked the owner what he thought I would need, and bought a box-mod and some high nicotine juices. I smoked the last cigarette on my way home. I stashed away the unopened pack in my car, where it has been for five years and two months.

Thing is, I LOVED smoking. I had tried gum and patched before, but the physical action of inhaling was missing.

After five years of the vape, I am down from 24mg of nicotine juices to 3mg. By this time next year, I imagine I will be done forever.

I no longer wheeze. I can sprint up a few flights of stairs. I won't stink, nor do my clothes or my car. I did not gain weight. My taste and smell returned. And I have saved a ton of money.

Don’t minimize what you are going thru. It’s damn hard. Those cravings will catch you off guard. They do pass faster and faster with time. Remember you can always start Smoking at anytime, again, but to quit you’ve got to be stronger than the next craving. Just find a new distraction when the urge comes up. I chewed sugar free gum.

The cost of a pack of cigs is ridiculous today. If I had known how expensive cigs would get way back when I started smoking, I never would've taken up the habit.

You can do it OP. I'm 48, I quit 22 years ago. I was 26, always going out to clubs and bars where people were still allowed to smoke. I was always surrounded by smoke and had tried over and over to quit. Always failed. I had reoccurring chest colds and infections. My doctor told me I'd be on oxygen in my 40's. Maybe that was a scare tactic, who knows. One thing that always scared the hell out of me was old smokers who had throat cancer and had to speak with that scary voice box. That pushed me to stop. But OP, my mom who watched me struggle, when I told her I was going to quit, her words of encouragement were "you can do it". And I did. Her words worked. So OP, my words of encouragement to you are "you can do it".

YOU CAN DO IT.

Don’t listen to anyone saying that cold turkey is the only way to quit. Do whatever it takes. I tried to quit cold turkey, Chantix, Nicorette, Alan Carr, whyquit.com..everything. What finally worked for me was the patch, the boring old school patch. Most people try to quit a bunch of times before it sticks, so keep trying and try everything.

Please Quit Become a forever former smoker

It'll kill you

Keep in mid OP, lung cancer is a horrific thing to have. My dad died from it. My equally bad is other cancers, such as brain cancer. People only think of lung cancer, but it's fact that all the toxins from cigarettes are in your spit that you swallow, giving the toxins pathway to every part of you body. Such as your brain. Stomach. Pancreas. Colon. You increase the likelihood of all these awful deadly cancers when you smoke.

My grandfather was a heavy smoker of unfiltered cigarettes and lived to his eighties.

And I have a great aunt who smoked two packs of Marlboro reds every day and lived to be 92 or something. Still not a good reason to smoke.

They're the exceptions and certainly not the rule

Unless you are emotionally ready to quit, you never will. I smoked for 30+ years, 2 packs a day, quit 4 times, the longest for 6 years. I finally got to the stage where it was either smoke or remain physically active. I chose to remain physically active, knew emotionally that I will never smoke again. I quit cold turkey, no drugs, gum, patches, zippo. That was 10 years, 4 months 16 days ago.

R82, agree 100%.

R58 If I could only have two a day, I, personally, would be ok with smoking. And yeah, I have heard that one a day is jut as bad as fifty, blah blah, but really, the amount you smoke does matter. Your second paragraph is a little silly; you likely aren't going to develop any serious ailments that quickly, especially off two a day (although I am sure it COULD happen). So, not quitting because of thinking you already have some issues is not a very good reason. Further, even if you did happen to have some serious ailment, quitting is still majorly beneficial to your health and your health can still improve by quitting.

One reason I initially quit (I'm R49) was because of the after-scent. Granted, smoking outside does alleviate that some. But it still gets in your hair and on your clothes, and there's always that godforsaken stinky hotspot between your fingers where the cigarette sits. It drove me nuts. And to be clear, it wasn't just an issue with the scent for me. I truly felt filthy afterwards, like the ash was all over me (think Mommie Dearest). And then I'd go through some ridiculous and sorta-lengthy cleansing ritual to get myself smelling normally again. It was a big pain. You may be accustomed to it by now after ten years, but I would challenge you to become aware, or even more aware, of just how nasally repugnant the activity is.

Also, the health effects scare was never really enough for me to quit. Everything ages us, even exercise starts to give us aches and pains, we all die, etc. So for me, some scare of possible lung cancer or whatever was never really compelling for me. For m, it was really a cost benefit issue. Was the high I was getting from a cigarette worth the money, time spent, the cleaning ritual, enduring the lingering smoke smell. Plus I do like to be active and cigarettes totally fuck with my lung capacity (even just one). I came to the conclusion the high just simply wasn't worth that much effort and resources. Also I am something of a control freak and I didn't like the idea of my day being structured by tobacco wrapped in paper.

For the people that have quit after smoking for a significant period (let’s say 10+ years) especially for the elders, have there been any health implications that have happened down the line because of prior smoking? Is there an existential cancer destiny complex? Has anyone developed smoking related cancer? If so how long did you smoke for and had you quit by the time it developed?

R85, I quit 10+ years ago (was 29 when I quit). No permanent damage that I know of. I do deep-breathing exercises (I made up these exercises) just because it feels good and is relaxing.

Beware, though. My mom had quit smoking maybe in her 40s (not sure when she started). Got lung cancer in her 60s and died from lung cancer. Two of her sisters continued to smoke after my mom died. Still alive.

R85 and R86, it's also important to mention that, while there is a definite and undeniable link between lung cancer and smoke inhalation, lung cancer can develop randomly in healthy people, even those who don't smoke. I actually know of three non-smokers who developed it (one worked in factory for years in her youth and they think the inhalation of work-related chemicals brought it on, another the doctors truly cannot figure out how she developed it; also only one of the three is no longer with us). Funny enough, I actually don't know of any smokers, still smoking or who quit, who have developed lung cancer. It's so strange. I think it's interesting how we make such a big deal out of the cancer/smoking link, but we don't really address other forms of lung-ingested pollutions that also bring diseases about. Obviously it's important to avoid smoke inhalation, but it would be nice if we made more of an effort to discern what actually constitutes truly clean air the lung can breath without complication. I swear, the pollution in most large cities has to have some effect on people.

My mothers closest friend developed brain cancer. She was a smoker and was told it's linked to smoking cigarettes. All the toxins get absorbed by your saliva and travel throughout your body. A Forty or fifty year habit and you're looking up at the ceiling in a hospital room dying of brain cancer. Not a pretty or kind death to her or her family. I thank God every day of my life for giving me the strength to help me quit 22 years ago.

What’s the word OP? Are you nicotine free?

Chantix. Drama free. Fast. Highly effective.

I quit with one month's supply of Chantix over eight months ago after smoking for 37 years. It works!

If you were (or are) a smoker and you’ve quit within the past 15 years, please ask your doctor about lung screening. Lung cancer is such a killer because it’s usually detected after it’s spread. Early detection is key. I get screened annually. So far, so good.

R92 our of interest (and if any of my biz) how old are you and how long did you smoke for? And how long since you quit?

Here’s a video of the risks and benefits of lung cancer screening.

Suggestions above seem valuable, but it's also a mental struggle. Alan Watts said something that really helped me, and I'll paraphrase. "Don't set up a struggle within yourself, because both of your desires (to stop and to smoke) are YOU, and thus equally strong. Instead, when you feel like you must smoke, try to bypass that thought with the gentle thought, "Oh, I don't smoke," and move on. " Don't struggle with yourself, just project yourself into a future time when it simply isn't an issue--you're a non-smoker.

That said, I ate a lot of hard candy and gained 10 lbs. But I stopped.

R43 and r44 here again. Since my last post, my partner has surprised me and has quit smoking!!! So proud. He's going into his third week. He is using Chantix. His taste buds have returned, and significant less wheezing. And his BO is better. It the old adage; until they are ready. He is 67.

Getting smober was one of the hardest things I have ever done. But when I did, I used every tools available;

The patch

Weekly Nicotine Anonymous , where there was sometimes only the two of us. Start one yourself!

If you find yourself feeling bothered, get up, get a glass of water, drink it, and by the time you get back to what you were doing, you may find that you are no longer bothered.

Take showers if you’re feeling bothered.

Go to bed early if you’re still bothered.

Apply the 12-step method.

Everyone is different, but in my case, withdrawal lasted about a year. You should prioritize quitting over everything else. If you snap at someone, apologize, and remove yourself. You can fix that relationship later. That’s what always made relapse before, being mean to people who didn’t deserve it. But you can let that make you relapse. Expect anger jags.

Keep a journal with how you feel. This will help you remember, at a later date, you are more rational than at an earlier date,

You can be sure that it will be difficult, but as long as you don’t smoke, each day will be easier. You won’t detect the daily progress, buy you’ll know from months looking back, that you’re feeling better. If you try to just have an occasional cigarette, you’ll trap yourself in a prolonged withdrawal state, the worse place to be. Quitting means quitting, period.

It is the most important thing in your life right now, but life will return;to normal in, maybe, a year. After a year, I lost interest in smoking. I’m 15 years smober now., and never think of cigarettes.