Regarding Not Smoking (For the Smoker)

[MilkManX]

I smoked for over 10 years and have been smoke free for 5 months or so now. I honestly don't even think about it anymore. The thing that people miss is that YOU CAN ONLY QUIT IF YOU WANT TO. I simply did it cold turkey, no patches, no gum , etc...... It is all in your mind that you need one. That is what it all boils down to. It is not a chemical addiction , it is a mental addiction. Just liek having a cup of coffee in the morning, or if you get up and jog 2 miles every morning and can't break the habit. LOL It is all about changing your routine. If the first thing you do in the morning is have a coffee and a smoke , then wait until you get to work to have the coffee and have it at your desk. That way you can't smoke while you drink it. You need to change your patterns. If you have a g/f or wife that smokes, then get them to quit too!!! Friends that smoke ? Just politely ask them to not smoke around you until you can break your habit.

Just remember , you have to want it. Otherwise any other reason you come up with is just a excuse.

Yup.
I wanted to quit. So I did. It sucked but what also helped was thinking of how much money I saved and how I could use it to buy more training gear!

 

[Loomie]

I smoked from 13-27 years. I quit almost 3 years ago. I read a book called The easy way to stop smoking. I wasn't serious about quitting but the book made me feel like I could really do it. So I quit on a Saturday afternoon and didn't smoke again till Oct of 2007. I tried one and couldn't do more than 2 drags. Had a moment of clarity and didn't finish it. I can tell you that stress is a trigger for me. The night before my surgery I REALLY wanted a smoke even though it had been quite a while since I had one. Didn't give in. My hubby quit around the same time but he's been smoking off and on the whole time. I catch him sometimes or smell it on his clothes. I remind myself I had to really work to enjoy smoking. It was nasty in the beginning. That and really caring about what my Masters' would think if I started again help me stay quit. My Dad passed away last year and smoking did contribute to his death. So many reasons for me not to smoke and I agree sometimes it can be challenging. So if you don't get it the first time, keep trying!
BTW another friend of Bill W for the last nine years

 

[Steve]

I smoked about a pack and a half a day for 14 years from age 14 to age 28. I finally quit for good after I saw my three year old son pretending to smoke a straw.

I gained about 40 lbs overall, but I can guarantee that I was healthier at 220 lbs and a non-smoker than at 180 and a smoker.

Fortunatetly, in the last few years, I've managed to lose that weight and get a lot healthier... and remain a non-smoker. It's been... wow... about 10 years now since I've puffed on a cigarette. Glad I did it.

 

[astrobiologist]

I began smoking at age 13. I smoked for 8 years; usually 1-2 packs a day.

It took the better part of three years to quit. I failed 6 times. Smoking is an addiction. Everytime I would try to quit, the addiction would beat the crap out of me. The first time I tried, I made it three days, then the urge got bad and I fell. The feeling was horrible. I felt like a failure. I felt weak. The drug was better than me. It's a horrible feeling. It took a long time to get the courage to try again. I tried again, lasted a few days longer than before and then failed again. Each time was bad, but each time I would go a little longer without smoking and I would smoke less when I started again.

The last and final time I smoked a cigarette... I was driving a work truck with my friend, Mike, who quit about ten years ago when he was in his late twenties. That last cigarette... I was driving along talking to Mike about how he managed to quit. I put that last cigarette out and we chatted for about an hour about smoking. I started feeling strong. Feeling like I could do it. Feeling like it was time.

Days started passing by. Then weeks. After about a month, the urge was getting bad. I realised I had to avoid drinking alcohol to help with the urges. Also, avoiding smelling smoke or seeing smokers in action helped. I realised that television shows and movies which featured peaople smoking made it hard as well. I was still at York College then. I started writing myself messages in my notebooks during classes. I would draw a cigarette with a circle and bar over it or write things like "I Am Strong" and "I Am Doing This". Friends and family were very helpful with their support.

Those months passed by... It turned to a year... Then two... I quit smoking about 3.5 years ago and my life has been soooo much better since. This coming month, Pennsylvania is banning smoking in all restaurants. Hopefully the bars will come next.

 

[Loomie]

Banning smoking in bars and eateries has helped me. I live in Washington and when they passed that law it was kinda funny watching all the bowlers go outside to smoke. There will be a lot more states following suit.