I've never smoked, but I want to wish you good luck. I
hope you can quit if you want to.

I was a 2 pack a day smoker for about 14 years. I smoked first thing in the morning until last thing before I went to sleep. I tried to quit many times and one time I made it. This was in the mid 80's before the gum and patch was out.

The cravings do go away, I don't crave them anymore. I go days without even thinking about them.

It was hard the first few days but it does get better. Have you tried the gum or patch? Smoking killed both my parents and I am so glad I was able to quit.

I wish you well, it will be the best thing you have ever done for yourself.

I quit a 3 pack a day habit about 25 years ago. I used the rubber band on the wrist method. Every time I wanted a cigarette, I snapped that rubber band. By the end of the first day, my wrist was raw, but I hadn't had one single cigarette! I didn't really intend to QUIT, I just wanted to see if I could go a whole day without smoking. I tried it for just one more day and here I am 25 years later...smoke free, no cravings, no regrets.

I think everyone has to find their own way, what works for some won't work for others. It's been so long and I'm old and forgetful, but I think I probably did have mints or maybe chewing gum. I just tried not to think about it and for me it worked out.

I really hope you are successful, you will feel SO much better.

Smoking is a hard habit to quit. I quit 10 years ago and thank God everyday that I did. I would walk every morning and recite..no ciggies...no ciggies...and deep breathing helped a lot. I kept my hands busy by quilting, crocheting and needlepoint. Mostly crocheting doilies and tablecloths but you said hobbies just didn't help..LOL

My Mother has severe COPD with Emphysema. She won't quit smoking and it kills me...just totally breaks my heart that she won't quit. Nothing in this world will make her quit. Just today I had to take her to the Dr. I don't know how much longer I will have her here...I love her so.

But with determination, lots of deep breathing...you can quit smoking too. I know how hard it is and I did it totally cold turkey. I cried for 2 solid weeks. But it got easier, I could walk farther without losing my wind.

I'm so happy to hear you are going to quit. You can do it!!! I just know you can!!!

Deb

If you do 2 packs a day, I suggest you get on the patch. Maybe Welbutrin along with it. Welbutrin helps control cravings. Nicotine is very addictive. And to quit cold turkey is why you probably get sick. Also, if you always have a cigarette in your hand, try keeping a pencil or a straw in your hand. Even stick it in your mouth and chew on it if you have to. I did it this way. I'm between cigarettes now. I had my last one a day or two after Christmas. I don't know when I'll have my next one. Maybe I won't.
Leslie

I smoked for 20 years. I chewed a lot of straws, cried a lot when I quit. Last year (my 10th year of NOT smoking) I went through a rough patch with my thyroid and I almost started back up smoking... I REALLY wanted a cigarette. I bought some herbal ones (called Smokin Joes on eBay) which have no nicotine/tobacco. They still have tar, so they are not healthy... but they are better than tobacco. Not addictive at all. My DH and I still have one now and then.

You'd still crave the nicotine, but they would help with the 'habit' part.

Good luck if you decide to quit.

the gum i just cant do om gosh its worse than chewing a dirty cig butt, that i cant do. ive only tried a few times seriously before..i guess you have to be in the right frame of mind, the other day i was lol had enough then guess what conviction/addiction out the window. lol. lolliepops just arent working and i hate chewing gum, although thats what i did the first time when i went from 2 packs to just 5 a day. now that im not working and not being able to be outside i have nothing to do...so that makes me smoke more lol. anyway thanks for the suggestions i really appreciate them.

I smoked 3 packs a day for years.
Quit cold turkey one morning...never smoked another cigarette. That was almost 20 years ago.

First...I tossed all the cigarettes out.
Second....When I did think about buying a pack - I didn't.
Third...I told everyone I knew that I had quit.

I quit smoking January 2, 2009. So this is all new to me. I went cold Turkey and did really well for 3 days. I got scared and got the prescription for Chantix. That helped immensely. Then after the RX for the first month was done, I went back to cold Turkey. It is much harder without the Chantix.

I have been sucking on Sunflower Seeds for the last few days, but the Salt is not good for me. I have to really keep busy. Spring is here and lots of work to do in the Garden. Plus, Spring Cleaning. Wash everything in the house that is washable to get the "stink" out.

I will tell you how I became a Non Smoker. I didn't quit anything. I made a choice not to smoke.
I quit many times, only to start again because I missed it so much.
February 11th 2009 will be my 2 year anniversary choosing not to smoke.
It has to be something you want. If not, you will start again. To be very honest, I still had cravings up until about 6 months ago. Lately I notice, that I don't think about it unless something or someone brings it up in conversation. The habit has been erased and I no longer wish to smoke. Not to mention the price of a pack would now be enough to keep me from running to the corner store.
It is hard but it can be done if you really want it.
I used the patch to stop. It helped me very much in the beginning to deal with the cravings.
Smoking as much as you do, I would look into something that will help you get over the first two or three months. Talk to your Doctor and find the one that you like the best.
My DH is now into his 6th month smoke free. I am proud of both of us for making this choice. As difficult as it was, it is well worth it!
Don't be a quitter. Make a Choice to Live your Life Smoke Free!

I wish you luck! I know you can do it if you set your mind to it. I'm a smoker, I love them, I know it is a very nasty dangerous habit but I also know/believe in order to quit them you must want to do it for yourself and nobody else.
I myself panic thinking about quitting... but then again, if I'm thinking... perhaps??? It might be the first step in wanting to. I have never tried to quit, I hope one day, I too will get serious about quitting.
Good luck in what ever you decide to do!

February 11th 2009 will be my 2 year anniversary choosing not to smoke.

Hey Mush! That is my 11th anniversary of not smoking!

loggerbaby, check out this site (Become an Ex). They had commercials on TV a lot last year. It is a self-help program, for the most part. You "do" the program and all the self-help steps, and there are many, many people (ex-smokers) there to help you along the way via forums/discussions. It has helped a LOT of people quit smoking and is a VERY helpful site for many that are trying to quit. There is a tremendous amount of help, groups/forums, tips on this site to help you along the way.
I wish you well. It is the GREATEST gift you can give yourself. It is a tough thing to overcome. I remember a cousin many, many years ago that was addicted to drugs and alcohol. He said that quitting smoking, which he did many years AFTER quitting drugs and alcohol, was the hardest thing he had ever done in his life.

Here is a link that might be useful: Become an Ex

Smoking is not a habit. It is an addiction...a legal one. I was addicted for 20+ years off and on. One day, I realized how bad I smelled. I realized that how much money I spent on cigarettes. I realized how bad our vehicle smelled. Our garage, because that is where I smoked at home, smelled like a tavern.

I quit 6 years ago. I used the patch for 2 days. It irritated my skin. I have not smoked since. I wanted one when my mom died...on the trip from Nevada to South Dakota. When I walked into her house and there sat her cigarettes, next to her oxygen tank, I was glad I fought that want.

You have to want to quit. For a couple of days, put all the clothes you have been wearing and smoking in, into a plastic trash bag. Let them sit for a couple of days. Try not to smoke for an hour or two. Take a shower. Brush your teeth. Go outside...take some really deep breaths of fresh air. Now...get that bag of clothes, open it up and take some really deep breaths of the smell inside that bag. That is what you smell like to a non smoker. Keep a shirt or two in that bag.

When you feel the urge to smoke, brush your teeth. Smell the clothes in that bag. Keep yourself busy getting rid of the smell in your home, if you smoked inside.

I wish you all the luck in the world. It is a tough row to hoe, but you CAN do it!!!

I quit using the patch.
The cravings don't go away but you will learn they, the cravings, aren't going to kill you. You will not die if you don't have a cigarette. You will go days, weeks and months without thinking of smoking then something will trigger the craving and in a few seconds, the craving is gone.

Good luck!

Lori

I quit with the gum 8 years ago. The mint isnt that bad, just a light mint flavor, not real sweet. I also didnt follow the directions. They want you to take a piece of gum every 1/2 hour or so. Instead, I just chewed a piece of the gum when I wanted a cigarette. It was easy to quit because you are getting the nicotine without the carcinogens. It stopped the craving, cut the edge, it really was quite easy and I smoked for 20 years. It was a way to gradually ween myself off. It helps break the physical habit first,(having something in your hand), then the actual addiction next. I dont crave cigarettes anymore, in fact, I can't stand the smell of them. Good Luck. Cold Turkey is very hard to do and no reason to put yourself thru that misery. There is help out there now that wasnt there years ago.

I was incredibly addicted, and giving up cigarettes was the hardest thing I had ever done. I used a patch for one week, then Nicotrol Inhalers. The inhalers are great because you get a tiny bit of nicotine and the motions of smoking. I cried for two weeks when I quit, and I still crave them. My last ciggie was 4 years and 7 days ago.

I have heard that Chantix is great. You might also try the new electronic cigarettes. They give you a tiny bit of nicotine, the motions of smoking, including exhaling "smoke" (which is really water vapor).

Good Luck!! If you don't quit the first try, try again.

like mush, i didn't quit, I made a choice not to smoke. It was time too, because i believed everything in me was slowly shutting down.

i had quit many times in the past only to start again. there was always some "excuse" why i started up again, but this last time, i was just done. i rationed out my cigs to finish throughout the evening and woke up the next day free and clear and haven't gone back since. the smell that i started to notice once i quit was sickening and remains that way. i couldn't believe i smelled like that for years. how do you kiss someone with that breath?

i craved the action of smoking, not the smoking itself, so i had a pretend cig and i made it through. strange how it all worked this last time and i don't regret a minute of it.

i can't imagine ever putting another cig to my lips.

i wish you luck, it is a hard habit to quit but if you are mentally prepared and ready, it works. i am not a believer in the gimmicks and no one should ever badger or guilt you into quitting - that never works either.

good luck!
maryanne

For each person it's different I guess but as most everyone has said, you need to realize it's a habit. I learned that when I made a test. I put my cigs in the other shirt pocket. How many times I felt my hand in the "cig" pocket! Then I knew it wasn't that I "needed" a cigarette, it was simply a habit. I get in the car, I light up. I go in the garage, I light up. I go to work, I light up. But when I got home and relaxed, I didn't need to smoke. That's where I first cut down, then decided to quit when I knew I was going to quit my job and couldn't afford them anymore. That was about 15 years ago.

I will tell you one thing. You will NOT quit smoking until you decide you WANT to quit. You can take all the inhalers, patches, gum, needles in your ears and anything else, but you will not quit until YOU decide you WANT to quit. Nagging you won't work. At one point I was over 5 packs a day. I was a chain smoker. And I seldom had them burn out in the ashtray, and I smoked them to the filter.

Many want the comfort of thinking it's an "addiction" Fine, whatever floats your boat. If you need that to comfort you fine. For the real world in reality, it's a habit and easy to break when you want to, but difficult if you don't want to, and impossible if you don't acknowledge it.

Don't think of it as quitting. Don't put the pressure on yourself. Don't set yourself up for failure. When you decide you don't want to smoke, don't smoke for one day. Then when you see the habit, go for a second day. Have your cigarette if you must, or go for the third, fourth and fifth day. You didn't quit. You're just not smoking. I'm sure you have lots of things to do. And better things to do with the money. What motivates you? If it's the money, plan what you'll do with it. Pay bills? Go out to a movie? Take a trip?

With me, I just plain liked, and to this day like the taste of a good menthol cigarette. There's been a few times I went and got a pack and enjoyed them. And didn't buy more. The "treat" isn't as much to me. I'd like one right now but I now dislike the smell of the smoke around so that offsets the benefit of the taste. Again, each person is different.

Anyone can when they want to. It's making sure that you actually want to. Good luck in whatever you choose. I'm rooting for you!

Here I am at 4:33 am, wanting a cig since quitting on Jan. 2. But, reading these posts helps me.

I wish you all the best strength you can find. It
is hard.

However - my motivation was watching my sister-in-law
die of lung cancer caused by her smoking from the
age of 15!

The cravings were there, of course, but they indeed
go away, and now cigarette smoke irritates me big time!

Wishing you all the best - I have lost 3 people to
smoking related illnesses - and I don't wish that
on anyone.

Nicotine, like alcohol, is an addictive drug --- for those who are prone to addiction.
Numerous recovering alcoholics have said that it was easier to quit drinking than to quit smoking.
If you MUST have that cigarette, if the craving keeps you awake...than it's not a habit, and you have to use addiction recovery methods in order to successively stop smoking.

I used the Nicorette gum 23 years ago to quit, and it was not too bad. This was at the time when the workplaces were starting to shut down their day rooms, etc., so there was no place to smoke. I also had a friend that announced to the world that I had quit!! The Nicorette really helped, but I think the main thing was that I was ready...I had been widowed the year before so there were not two of us filling the air with smoke. I had smoked for 40 years!

I smoked 3 packs a day. I quit in 1999. The Nicotrol inhaler worked for me. I could go through the motions and at first, I used the nicotine cartridges.
I carried it in my purse for at least a year, then tossed it.
Good luck!
JoanMN/FL

Got stuck at home without transportation, a driving November rain and car, umbrella and raingear together with my husband 500 miles away. After 12 hours of that I noticed that I was not dangling from the ceiling, but did not know what to do with my hands. I cut a plastic straw in about cigarette length, had it in my hand and even occasionally took a drag. When my husband returned 3 days later and it was still raining, I decided since I had not gone bonkers, I could quit. That was cold turkey after 50 years of smoking. 10 years later I still have not had a cigarette, but sometimes, when things are tense, I reach for the straw that sits in my papercup.
9 years after I had quit, during a thorough physical includig x-rays and a PET scan, the doctor commented on the fact that I never had smoked!
A doctor involved with a drug rehab clinic once explained that there are people who are addicted to whatever, could be anything from sports highs to alcohol, smoking and drugs. With other the same things are a habit and those are the ones who have a much easier time to quit.
Talk to your doctor and get some help for the withdrawal problems, it takes the fear of "what if" out of the process. Good luck.

I gave up cigarettes in 1982. I was a "scheduled" smoker - 1 in the car on the way to work, 1 at work, 1 during recess, 2 at lunch time, 1 in the car on the way home, 1 with a cup of tea when I got home, 1 after dinner, and 1 throughout the evening.

The best thing was when they prohibited smoking in the schools. I certainly wasn't going out in the cold and smoke with the kids around so there went 3 cigarettes a day.

Also I found I was spending lots of money to buy a pack. I never carried cash and I wouldn't write a cheque for $1.52 for a pack so I bought lots of magazines, chips, etc. just to get the total up to a point where writing a cheque was "sensible" LOL!

The final straw was when someone dared me to give them up for Lent because they were going to do it. So I accepted their challenge and butted out there and then for 40 days and 40 nights. And I haven't smoked since. But guess who is still smoking!

I found that I had to keep my mind and hands busy during my scheduled times to smoke, especially at home. So I did tons of crossword puzzles and such, lots of house work, went for lots of walks (it's very "unladylike" to smoke on the street, I think). You do what you think will help.

I wish you every success with giving it up. It isn't easy by any means and, like every other challenge you strive to overcome, it all depends on how badly you want to do it. All the best!

The cravings DO go away. It takes time, though.

I was a reluctant quitter with a two-pack-a-day habit 35 years ago. My DH had quit, and insisted I do the same. I wasn't thrilled with the idea.

I accompanied him on a business trip to Wisconsin, leaving my cigarettes behind. I recommend this method because it removes you from all your smoking places and smoking people. Plus my DH was my jailer. I was the most wretched companion you could imagine. But at the end of the week I knew I'd never smoke again because I never ever wanted to go through that again.

Yes, I craved. I craved for a long time--I forget how long, but it wasn't years. I did dream about cigarettes for years, though. Seventeen years. See what a strong hold nicotine has on us?

Quitting smoking was one of the best things I've ever done. The only thing that tops it was having children.

You'll never regret quitting. You might regret it terribly if you don't.

Susan

I quit a little over 2 yrs ago. I smoked about 2 packs a day for 40 yrs. I didn't intend to quit but I was coughing so much and had so much mucus it was killing me. That went on for many years, I couldn't even sleep for coughing. I decided to give it "another try" of quitting, I quit 100's of times, which makes it harder to do. What I did was ....I had about 5 cigs day 1, 2 or 3 the next day, then 2-3 the next day then none after that. I realized after the 2nd day I wasn't hardly coughing, and the 3 day was even less. so I just stopped it. Oh, was it ever hard too, right at the holidays! I chew gum all the time (a habit I started many years ago, again when trying to quit) I also use hard candy but not very much since it gives me tongue sores. I would not recommend the nicotine gum since its so expensive & also addicting, so just buy the regular gum and get hook on it instead. You may add a few pounds, I'm fighting that battle now, and still craving everyday. I have also heard it doesn't go away. It just something you learn to live with. It gets easier as time passes, and you won't want to go back to that nasty habit and start quitting all over again. Its too painful. Let me know if I can help in anyway. If I can do it anyone can. I think I lived to smoke, and I miss it like a old friend.

Good luck to you. If nothing else, your house and car will look and smell a lot better. And at the cost of today's cigs, maybe saving the money can be incentive. It's an addiction meant by the cigarette companies to addict you so they can make tons of money legally off your addiction, all the while ruining your health! Try getting mad at them for doing that to you!

I, too, quit reluctantly when my hub did 35 years ago. Until then we each smoked a pack and a half a day.

I washed the windows and walls, cleaned the drapes, and decided I would not, not, not put all that yellow gunk on my walls or in my lungs again. I wrote down everything I ate as a substitution for cigarettes, put the dollar-a-day we spent on cigs in a jar, and one day realized I didn't smoke anymore. Thirty-five years later I'm glad I quit, but I still love the smell of a fresh cigarette.

Sherry

I forgot to mention. I never knew how bad we smelled when smoking. My DGS stinks so bad just from being in the same house with his smoking Mom. I can't stand the smell of stale smokey clothes!

My MIL was a smoker for nearly 40 years. She tried cold turkey, the gum, and the patch. Each worked for a little bit, then she went back to it. She finally tried a prescription drug, I think Chantix. She said she would be working and a few hours would go by without her even thinking of taking a smoke break. She was amazed at how her cravings went down! Now it's been 2.5 years!! I know the drug has some down sides, but ask your doctor about it!

Good Luck!!

P.S. We also had a family friend that was hypnotized and that worked pretty well for her.

I quit on June 2, 1985 after an awful case of bronchitis. I was sick to death of coughing.

I threw them all away except for a pack I kept in the freezer.

That winter, we had an terrible snow storm. A neighbor came over and begged me for cigarettes....I gave her that emergency pack from the freezer and remember how sorry I felt for her and her addiction.

Never missed that emergency pack.

Keeping cigarettes out of your life is the best thing you can do for yourself and your family.

Good Luck!
We've all done it; you can too!

I wish I had time to describe to you all that a Lung Cancer patient has to go through to just try and get to live one more day and perhaps you would see that really what you are doing is choosing between good health and disaster.

Hi loggerbaby,

You have LOTS of great responses, & I want to chime in too. After smoking for some 54 years (started when I was 14), about 40 years non-filters, & 2 packs a day for the last few years, I wound up in the hospital for six days last May with a very bad asthma bronchial attack - my first. I had two nicotine patches while there. The doctor said when releasing me that by that time the nicotine was out of my body (I've read that it's gone in 3-4 days).

When I got home I knew I could not smoke again - I had been too sick. (Though I LIKED smoking, really resisted quitting & resented having to.) I didn't use anything, but did deep breathing, lots of breathing in & out through my lips, licked my lips a lot, drank lots of water, ate a sack of lemon drops (those help) & got up & did something each time I wanted a cigarette. All of these physical actions helped at the moment. I tried not to think ahead - just took it a day at a time.

I'm still not smoking, I'm still firm on not wanting to (in fact, just last week gave away the two cartons of cigarettes that I had when I got sick), but at times still want a cigarette. I've found the desire is pyschological - I'm not wanting the tobacco; it's the action of inhaling or having one with activities: when I'm waiting for something to finish cooking, or when I get in the car, for example.

I've also found it is wonderful not to be tied to cigarettes, not to cough & have people remark on it, not to feel like a leper because I smoke, not to have to go outside (especially in the wet or cold) when at friends, not to have to take my DH's scorn & "stuff" he would heap on me. (Funny, though; after 10 years of him not smoking, he started again last October. He sneaks - hasn't admitted he is smoking, but I & others sure can smell it.)

Try to realize that the physical feelings will last about a week & that the longer you go without smoking the better you will feel. Physical activities such as walking and/or exercise will help you feel better too.

I wish you all the best, loggerbaby, & I KNOW you will be happier & feel better when you stop smoking. BTW, if you want someone to talk with, I'll be glad to call or email you.

Kathleen