How and when did you quit smoking?

[ndelaware]

I smoked for 25 years, 1 to 2 packs a day. I quit cold turkey 9 years ago because I got tired of smoking in the garage. I founds strong mints really helped with the cravings which I think lasted about 2 weeks.

The biggest thing I noticed is how bad smokers smell. I couldn't smell it when I smoked but shortly afterward I could and it was shocking. And I am not talking about bad breath, smokers really reek.

 

[mjkacmom]

I smoked a pack a day for 15 years before quitting (the first time). Then I got to the point where I was smoking 2 - 3 per day. When I became pregnant with #1, I quit totally, went back to 1 cigarette per day in between pregnancies, and then, this winter, gave that up.

Quitting (from a full time smoker) was the hardest thing I've ever done. I sympathize with smokers, and I'm grateful to have gotten through it. I'm grateful I don't ever have to go through quitting again.

 

[DVC Sadie]

Thanks for the laugh. I remember that movie.

 

[legalsea]

I quit in April 2009 using the electronic cigarettes. True, I still am inhaling nicotine, but I view it not unlike nicotine gum.

 

[DVC Sadie]

Wow! I am in awe of all of you who have quit before me.

I'll save this thread so I can re-read it when the going gets really hard (which I know it will) because some of these posts are so very inspiring.

 

[Bren's Mom]

You can do it!!! You can, REALLY!!!

The first time I quit with Chantix, that was almost too easy. I couldn't believe it. But dh was still smoking and the minute I came off the Chantix I just could not control myself when he'd go outside...I'd want to follow right behind him. So I was back to smoking again. Then, about 9 weeks ago, my dh who NEVER talked about quitting went on Chantix all on his own and quit smoking 6 weeks ago! I am on a medication now that doesn't allow me to take Chantix right now but I quit again, cold turkey. I've cheated a few times, 6 or 7 cigarettes, but when I see my siggy and how many I have NOT had I'm re-encouraged to keep it up and remind myself how well I HAVE done, rather than beating myself up about what I haven't done. I had virtually no bad physical side effects from quitting. Honestly. It's just been the habit, the certain times when I really want to have one, but no headaches or anything like that.

 

[KAMKIM]

You can do it!!! You can, REALLY!!!

The first time I quit with Chantix, that was almost too easy. I couldn't believe it. But dh was still smoking and the minute I came off the Chantix I just could not control myself when he'd go outside...I'd want to follow right behind him. So I was back to smoking again. Then, about 9 weeks ago, my dh who NEVER talked about quitting went on Chantix all on his own and quit smoking 6 weeks ago! I am on a medication now that doesn't allow me to take Chantix right now but I quit again, cold turkey. I've cheated a few times, 6 or 7 cigarettes, but when I see my siggy and how many I have NOT had I'm re-encouraged to keep it up and remind myself how well I HAVE done, rather than beating myself up about what I haven't done. I had virtually no bad physical side effects from quitting. Honestly. It's just been the habit, the certain times when I really want to have one, but no headaches or anything like that.

I LOVE your siggy

 

[dizzy203]

I smoked a pack a day for 15 years. I quit cold turkey Feb 1993 (except for 1 slip) when I found out I was pregnant. I wasn't trying to get pregnant or else I would have stopped earlier,it was a surprise pregnancy. It was easy to not smoke because I had a good reason. But I would still crave a cigarette all the time. One night in 1999 I went out with my sister,brother in-law, brother and sister in-law to a bar for a celebration. I had a few cigarettes and when I left my BIL gave me one for the ride home. I lit it and started to smoke it and I thought to myself "what the he-- am I doing?" I threw out the cigarette and I've never craved another one since.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

Wow! I am in awe of all of you who have quit before me.

I'll save this thread so I can re-read it when the going gets really hard (which I know it will) because some of these posts are so very inspiring.

You could also stop by here whenever you need encouragement.

I also had a sort of a mantra I would use, both out loud and in my mind. "I don't smoke anymore, I don't smoke anymore." It really helped reinforce my resolve. Of course, some people thought I was nuts and would say, okay, fine you don't smoke anymore.

 

[zippitydoo]

I probably smoked for about 7 yrs. I quit cold turkey about 3.5 yrs ago. My BF and I quit together, I don't think it would of worked if we did not quit together.

 

[DVC Sadie]

You could also stop by here whenever you need encouragement.

I also had a sort of a mantra I would use, both out loud and in my mind. "I don't smoke anymore, I don't smoke anymore." It really helped reinforce my resolve. Of course, some people thought I was nuts and would say, okay, fine you don't smoke anymore.

Thanks, I may need that support from time to time.

One of the hardest things for me to deal with is that I am the only person in my whole subdivision who smokes and it is downright embarrassing. I don't smoke in my house because I do know it stinks and I won't subject my DH to the stink so I go outside and lo and behold someone sees me.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

Thanks, I may need that support from time to time.

One of the hardest things for me to deal with is that I am the only person in my whole subdivision who smokes and it is downright embarrassing. I don't smoke in my house because I do know it stinks and I won't subject my DH to the stink so I go outside and lo and behold someone sees me.

Don't let it get to you and don't let it hold you back. Let it strengthen your resolve to show them that you can and will do this. Make them have to find something else to talk about.

 

[cruisnfamily]

Other thread made me curious about this - if you use to smoke how much did you smoke then, and how did you quit? How long has it been and how do you feel today?

DH and I quit mid January 2009. He smoked maybe 3/4 pack per day, I smoked about 1 1/2 packs per day. We both had smoked about 20 years. We did it cold turkey. We'd never tried to quit before. We had a friend undergoing testing for what we all thought was going to be lung cancer and it just scared the hell out of us both and we're getting older and we just aren't ready to die. It really took that, a true and sincere fear of death, to convince us to quit. I mean you always know it's not good for you, etc, etc...But once we were good and truly scared, we picked a day(we were gonna do new years eve but we jsut weren't ready) and went for it.

It was very hard, I think for me it was the habit more than the actual physical craving. So I would go ahead and get a big glass of water and go sit in my smoking chair on my lanai and talk on the phone with my friends just like I always did when I smoked. This and lifesavers for the car are what worked for me. I also went online and read obsessively all the things that happened to your body in the first minutes, hours and days after you quit smoking. That really helped! For my husband, I don't think he could even stand to be out on the lanai for at least a month because just being out there made him want to smoke. It's so different for everybody!

I didn't sleep well for a couple of months after we quit...just kept waking up and waking up. That finally settled down. After about 3 months I kinda stopped thinking about it. And now here I am at 9 months and the last 2 weeks or so, I really want to smoke again. Weird, I know...wish it would go away!

As far as how I feel physically, I feel exactly the same and I'm actually disappointed. I really wanted to feel BETTER, if you know what i mean.

DH on the other hand feels much, much better. He had a chronic cough thing going which has completely disappeared and also says that apparently he had a "heavy" kind of feeling in chest before which is now gone. Breathing is easier for him.

So, the whole quitting thing sucks, but we're doing it, we're fatter(and we weren't skinny to start with) but we're healthier. So Yay us!

 

[TheBigBadWolf]

I quit smoking on Nov. 20, 2003, on Cold Turkey Day. I had smoked for over 20 years, two packs a day. I suffered for five months, using nicotine gum and lozenges to fight the cravings. I never smoked again, but I craved cigarettes and was still terribly addicted to nicotine. Finally on April 13, DH and I went to see a hypnotist, and we both gave up nicotine for good that day. Quitting was extremely easy with hypnosis. I never suffered another minute after being hypnotized. I highly recommend hypnosis to anyone suffering while trying to quit smoking.