Quit After 30+ Years

[tommiei]

I have smoked for over 40 years and have quit once about 10 yr ago for 6 weeks. I am so ready to stop this bad habit.  I hate the smell that it leaves in my clothes. So much so that I will not smoke if I am going out to a store or to eat. I am a little embarrased to even say I have smoked for so many years but it is what it is.   Now I have 20 days before my quit date and I will start today using the things I have learned on this site so far.  I hope to get the patch but if not then I will be doing this cold turkey.

[brian123]

I have smoked for almost exactly 30 years being 44 and started at 14.  If I could go back and undo one thing in my life it would be starting smoking.  What a  jerk kid I was.

I stopped cold turkey age 40 for almost ten months.  It was hell the first three weeks but I managed.   Anorexia as food smelled and tasted awful, sleepiness, and I slept 12 to 20 hours a day, low blood sugar, anger, depression, constipation, and just feeling almost dead.  But I did it and was a complete fool to light up again ten months later.

I am currently smoking but not as much as I wouuld like being as moderate as I can.  I don't have a set date yet and probably won't set a date as this doesn't work for me.  I would just move the date!

Last time I just told myself when this pack is gone I will buy no more.  That pack lasted me three days and for ten months I bought no more. 

I have three packs in the freezer and about half a pack out.  So my quit date will be in 6 to 10 days.

But this time around I'm using 4 mg nicotine gum spearmint flavor.   I was told I can cut the gum in half if I ever want and  I know how to use it properly with the gentle little bite and park, re park, wait for tingly to go away, gently little bite and park and tingly and that it will take a few minutes for my body to get the nicotine fix.

I wish us all well in our struggle.

[beesnees59]

Hello to all of you, I have smoked many years, tried to stop, then what ever reason, I would light up again...could be happy occasion, sad or being blue....but usually as I have learned I was filing the nicotene void. I quit smoking yesterday,  I bought the patches and I feel like such a smarty pants.  I read and took notes from the Alan Carr's book,  It was so insightful.  I will keep reading when I feel the need or refer to my notes and I will definetly stay in touch.  Good luck to us all....WE CAN MAKE IT 

[tommiei]

16 days to my quit date, which is plenty of time for me to be prepared and have all the tools I will need to be successful.  Water, veggies to snack on , gum, worry stone, make sure all my clothes are washed.  

[spbesh]

Hi everyone, I have smoked over 40 years. I started when I was 14. I quit when I was 24 and started again at 28 and have been ever since, quitting here and there for a month or two but that's it. I will be 59 this year. I have numerous health issues, not all caused by smoking, but smoking probably didn't help the situations. I hate the fact that cigs control me. I quit on 26th of Feb. but cheated but back to quitting again. It is sooo hard. I am taking chantix and it is helpful. I want to get Allen Carr's book when I get the money. I heard it is good. I like this awesome website. I could still use some encouragement if anyone has any. Thank you. I don't want to be a failure again.

[beesnees59]

So far, I am getting by, yesterday was hard for some reason,but when I smoked I did it almost like I was unconscious....just did it automatically.  I had my Quit date THIS time and (final time) on the 13th of this month.  So, good luck to us all.  It is a day by day thing and we always need to be aware that One Puff does it! 

[joy41]

I started smoking when I was 18.  I quit one time for 1 day and one time for 8 days.  I'm now on day 62 of freedom from smoking.  I'm 57 years old.  I think we all have our time to wake up and realize that we really want to stop smoking. 

The websites whyquit.com and quitsmokingonline.com really helped me.  Allen Carr's book can be downloaded for free.  Doing the reading really does help you understand what happens to your body when you smoke and what happens to your body when you stop giving it nicotine.  That way, you can learn to make your quit so much easier, by watching your blood sugar levels and distracting yourself, drinking lots of water, eating small amounts every couple of hours, etc.  There are many good ideas on how to make the change from a smoker to a nonsmoker easier on the blogs on this site.  If you have a craving problem, just blog help and many will come to your rescue. 

I believe going cold turkey is the best way because you aren't prolonging your withdrawal symptoms by still giving your body nicotine.  The nicotine is out of your system in 3 days.  Everyone I know who quit and stayed quit were the ones who went cold turkey.  Hope this helps. 

If I can do this, anyone can.  I found it hard to believe that I would be able to do this, but I am doing it.

[spbesh]

Well guys, it's me again. I am not doing good. Started smoking again a week ago when I had to stay at my daughter's house to get grandson off to school because my 6 year old granddaughter was in Boston Shriner's hospital having surgery. Stress does it to me every time.I am now home, got me a chest cold, and I am still smoking.! Well, I made tomorrow my next quit day. I was going to do it today, but no not April fool's day, with my history of luck or unluck, I would be jinxed for sure. I feel like such a failure.

[patwilbert]

I have smoked for decades and need to stop because I am sometimes having trouble breathing easily.  I set a quit day and that makes me very nervous.  I quit once years ago for 9 months and went back to smoking after waking up in the middle of the night every night dreaming about smoking.  This was after I wasover smoking completely (I thought).  Later I read that this was normal.  If this happens to anyone, just wait it out.  I'm told it goes away.  Has anyone tried hypnosis? 

[cderrick13]

Hey pat, I have done that before too. I have gone back after 13 months of a quit.  I am more prepared now than I was years ago.  The more people quit, the more info we have and thats good. I'm about 3 months into this quit and so far so good.  I have to practice alot of thought control. now working on just replacements. keeping good things in front of me doesn't leave room for the stuff I dont want. Its work, but very worth it.

[chuckd]

Hi I'm Chuck from Oswego Ill. I'm 51 years old been smoking for 30 years. I quit 28 days ago. Been hard to do. But I am feeling better. So that's a plus. I think most people like me  who have been smoking for 30 plus years really enjoyed it. I did. I don't want to lie, I will miss this part of me. But truth is it comes down to life or death. " I enjoyed Smoking but I love living more."  the thing I'm learning now is that I really didn't enjoy smoking I was addicted all those years. I think accepting the knowledge that your addicted is the first step in quitting. I just want to stay quit and help as many others learn the truth and quit as well.