This is a thread for discussion on quitting smoking. This will be for the people who want to quit smoking or for the people who have quit smoking and who may be able to give guidance to those who want to.

Yes, I have quit-15 months ago. I did it by using Chantix. This is the second time I quit. The first time was WAY back in the dark ages. I quit for 2 and half years and got drunk one night. It took me over 20 years to try to quit again. Hopefully this will be my last time to quit.

I also go to the quit net every now and again. www.quitnet.com  (It is also called the Q net-to go with the Q tips?  ;) )

And please, no making anyone feel bad because they smoke. All of us who have EVER smoked knows that it is very addicting and very hard to kick the habit. Some people have to quit several times before it finally takes-and sometimes it doesn't take.


And yes, I STILL want one after all this time.


Cat

Good idea for a thread, Cat!

As I mentioned in another thread I quit smoking 6 months ago and I too would be happy to offer any advice or support to anyone who wants to quit.


And please, no making anyone feel bad because they smoke. All of us who have EVER smoked knows that it is very addicting and very hard to kick the habit. Some people have to quit several times before it finally takes-and sometimes it doesn't take.


This is a huge peeve of mine. Even though I am no longer a smoker, I still am a hardcore anti-anti-smoker. Nothing tees me off more than some self-righteous jerk who thinks that just because you smoke then you're a bad person and that gives them the right to act rude and condescending towards you. Really, people like that only made it harder for me to quit, because I didn't want them to feel like they won or somehow converted me. These a-holes only made me want to smoke more, and it was only when I decided that I wanted to quit for ME and no one else that I was able to find the determination to succeed.

Rant ended.

This is a huge peeve of mine. Even though I am no longer a smoker, I still am a hardcore anti-anti-smoker. Nothing tees me off more than some self-righteous jerk who thinks that just because you smoke then you're a bad person and that gives them the right to act rude and condescending towards you. Really, people like that only made it harder for me to quit, because I didn't want them to feel like they won or somehow converted me. These a-holes only made me want to smoke more, and it was only when I decided that I wanted to quit for ME and no one else that I was able to find the determination to succeed.

Rant ended.


I'm anti-smoking for the sole reason I'd rather not have you get cancer or whatever other fun diseases go along with smoking.  It has nothing to do with me being self-righteous.  Trust. :)  That said, I'm not going to bitch at you about it.  Ain't my place.  Just don't blow the smoke on me because I do have asthma and that sort of aggravates it.  That's why I tend to avoid restaurants that still allow smoking, although we did run across a few of them on the way out to California and back.

I know how hard it is to quit.  I've been watching my mom struggle with it for years.  She said she quit over ten years ago, but it's a public secret that she goes off and smokes and tries to hide it.  Hell, at this point, I wish she'd just own up to it and stop driving to get "gas" or go to the "store" for some reason. :-\\

Regarding people feeling the need to overspeak their opinions to you about smoking...

I was standing FAR away from the sidewalk, well in excess of the 200' rule when an older woman, with pursed lips and disgust in her eyes & demeaner, went out of her way to come up to me saying "It's such a shame.  A pretty young woman like you not only looking like trash, but smelling like an ashtray too.  Tsk Tsk, what a shame and shame on you!"

I just stood there with my jaw on the sidewalk, trying BAD to hold my tongue since I tend to be very defensive when attacked for no reason.  The only thing that made me stop from giving her a good piece of adivse on her appearance myself - besides it's petty - is that my Mother taught me to respect my elders, no matter what.  They have more life experience and if for no other reason - they are someone's daughter, mother or grandmother and I would hate for someone to do that to mine!

The only other one that comes to mind of any significants was an older gentleman who sat beside me speaking kindly with compassion yet a slight sadness as he told me of his wife of 65 years that he took complete care of the last 2 years of her life (she died slow of emphysema/COPD and ultimately pnemonia leading to a fatal heart attack).  Looking down at my wedding ring he said with a sincere and hopeful look in his eyes to think of having only one more day with those I love and not having to apologize for leaving them so soon at my own doing.

It hit hard and those words I am drawing on today.  I may have worded it strange and not exact, but I can still see his smiling blue eyes and knew he wasn't one that judged me for my vice - just one who cared enough to share such a personal part of his life.

After surviving 2 bad medication reactions and what should have been a fatal crash when I cartwheeled my truck that threw me headfirst out the passenger window - how ascinine it would be to die of smoking.  Thankfully no one was with me and no one else was involved in that wreck.  I actually heard the patrolman that found me to have the coroner on hand just in case.  The doctor just was astonished and told me there is no reason on Earth I should be alive, much less talking and walking!  He told my family and they told me that I must have a very significant reason for making it  Two months later I found out I was just over a month pregnant.  NOT when I had my crash, but shortly afterwards is when my miracle came to be!  Wow...it still haunts me today and will for life.  I 've told my daughter over and over that she alone is the reason I'm here.  And I'll tell her that everyday of our lives.

Thanks for listening...just taking advantage of the caring people here that said I could talk and/or vent to help me through this.  So forgive my rambling, but it's helping ME just relaying this and the ability to look at it over & over during these first tough days.

You're all great people & I feel lucky to have found this site.  I just reinforces my belief that everything happens for a reason - within reason, which is something I'm careful what I say as to not offend anyone.  I understand the Karma thing here, literally.

Be Well & Warm fuzzies to you all. :)

Regarding people feeling the need to overspeak their opinions to you about smoking...

I was standing FAR away from the sidewalk, well in excess of the 200' rule when an older woman, with pursed lips and disgust in her eyes & demeaner, went out of her way to come up to me saying "It's such a shame.  A pretty young woman like you not only looking like trash, but smelling like an ashtray too.  Tsk Tsk, what a shame and shame on you!"

I grew up with the "respect your elders" thing, too, but if an elder had told me something like that when I wasn't even doing ANYTHING to aggravate them....well, she'd be a dead elder now.  Or a comatose one. :D

Like I said, I hate it when people blow smoke in my face, but in this case, I would have said it was warranted.  Or I would have told her, "It's such a shame.  A person that doesn't know how to mind her own damned business" and then given her the stink eye.

Smoker here.

Do I want to quit? As of right now, no.
But I do want to some day.

I have tried quitting before, used the cold turkey method, as well as the gum and patch. Obviously, both failed. And to be honest, I think they failed because I wanted them to. I didn't really want to quit at the time, I was just doing it because I thought it was the right thing to do at the time.

Of course, I do know that it is the right thing to do, but what can I say? I enjoy it too much right now.

I am though, an very unselfish smoker. Nasty doesn't smoke, and I don't want The Son breathing in what I choose to put in my lungs, so I smoke outside. Yep, even here in the dead of winter - I bundle up and trundle my little arse out in the cold to have a smoke. Pathetic I know, but my house doesn't smell bad. Because of that, I now cannot eat in a smoking section of a restaurant, I can't go out to a pub without coming home and showering and washing all of my clothes. The smell is absolutely disgusting! These should be signs for me to quit... but I still like it too much.

Perhaps one day soon I will. The sad thing is that I am worried about gaining weight when I do quit. Kind of shallow, I know, but I don't want to balloon up because I no longer have my vice. (Maybe I should be worrying about my lungs instead of my weight huh?) :-\\

Smoker here.

Do I want to quit? As of right now, no.
But I do want to some day.

I have tried quitting before, used the cold turkey method, as well as the gum and patch. Obviously, both failed. And to be honest, I think they failed because I wanted them to. I didn't really want to quit at the time, I was just doing it because I thought it was the right thing to do at the time.

Of course, I do know that it is the right thing to do, but what can I say? I enjoy it too much right now.

I am though, an very unselfish smoker. Nasty doesn't smoke, and I don't want The Son breathing in what I choose to put in my lungs, so I smoke outside. Yep, even here in the dead of winter - I bundle up and trundle my little arse out in the cold to have a smoke. Pathetic I know, but my house doesn't smell bad. Because of that, I now cannot eat in a smoking section of a restaurant, I can't go out to a pub without coming home and showering and washing all of my clothes. The smell is absolutely disgusting! These should be signs for me to quit... but I still like it too much.

Perhaps one day soon I will. The sad thing is that I am worried about gaining weight when I do quit. Kind of shallow, I know, but I don't want to balloon up because I no longer have my vice. (Maybe I should be worrying about my lungs instead of my weight huh?) :-\\


Someday, someone should teach me how to just use a couple of lines or specific lines in a post I want to reply to so I don't have to take up an entire page!

Want to know something really bad about my smoking?  I hated everything about it, and didn't start until I was 26!  Long story short, I broke my nose doing laundry (whole other topic that could become an interesting thread of the strangest ways one got hurt), anyways the Dr. I saw wanted me to take pain pills until I got surgery.  Which after I found out there was peeling and chiseling invovled - I said HECK NO!  Anyhow I didn't want pain pills - so, and believe this is the TRUTH, he told me to smoke clove cigarrettes.  I told him with huge eyes in surprise that I didn't smoke ever and why would I start now, and why clove cigs?  I've used whole cloves to help toothaches and all so that was his basis - the smoke would come through my nose, thus helping the pain!  I kid you not!!  So stupid me, started w/the clove smokes, which all my friends gagged along with the entire bar or restaurant I was at.  So I switched to Menthols and TaDaaaaaa,
here I am at 39 and smoking up (not now and hopefully won't)!  True story, still shocking.  My Dad was a smoker for a little over 50 years.  The day I had my twin boys, he had his last smoke on the way to the hospital I was at 120 miles away from home, threw the pack out the window and has had NONE since!  The smell makes him sick now!  The only time after I started smoking that it bothered me was other people's smoke - but if I lit one up too, the bother went away!  Weird.  Ok then, just wanted to say another hello before I have my kids take a nap, which is code for Mom needs a nap!

Until later, and I'm still fighting the urge - but managing one minute at a time...

Smoker here.

Do I want to quit? As of right now, no.
But I do want to some day.

I have tried quitting before, used the cold turkey method, as well as the gum and patch. Obviously, both failed. And to be honest, I think they failed because I wanted them to. I didn't really want to quit at the time, I was just doing it because I thought it was the right thing to do at the time.

Of course, I do know that it is the right thing to do, but what can I say? I enjoy it too much right now.

I am though, an very unselfish smoker. Nasty doesn't smoke, and I don't want The Son breathing in what I choose to put in my lungs, so I smoke outside. Yep, even here in the dead of winter - I bundle up and trundle my little arse out in the cold to have a smoke. Pathetic I know, but my house doesn't smell bad. Because of that, I now cannot eat in a smoking section of a restaurant, I can't go out to a pub without coming home and showering and washing all of my clothes. The smell is absolutely disgusting! These should be signs for me to quit... but I still like it too much.

Perhaps one day soon I will. The sad thing is that I am worried about gaining weight when I do quit. Kind of shallow, I know, but I don't want to balloon up because I no longer have my vice. (Maybe I should be worrying about my lungs instead of my weight huh?) :-\\



The thing is with me, I didn't want to quit. I LOVED smoking and strange as it may seem, I still love the smell. Carlos is still smoking a pipe and I can smell it on him and I am like, "Mmmm, that smells good.". The reason why I quit because I felt like I HAD to. I always knew that smoking wasn't going to give me cancer but it was going to give me heart problems. Heart problems run in my family-both my parents have had heart attacks (and both are here to talk about it-and neither one smoked-maybe one or two cigs in their entire lives but never picked up the habit). My grandfather died of a heart attack, my niece has a pacemaker, and it is possible that my sister died from heart problems (the results from autopsy is not back yet)-and she never really smoked either.


I hear ya about gaining weight. I have gained 30 lbs. I'm almost tempted to pick up the cigs again just to lose that weight.

Whenever I see someone having a cigarette now, I look at them with envy and say, "Enjoy it for me."



Cat

I may have shared this story before, but here goes:

9 1/2 years ago, my father was diagnosed with lung cancer and asked me to quit.  I threw out all of my cigarettes right then, after 15 years, never thinking I could stay the course, but day after awful day, I lit inscence and candles to just have something burning.  One month later (and fatter) I squeezed myself into my wedding dress and walked myself down the aisle (Dad started chemo that very day)!  When I came home from my honeymoon he was in the hospital and he never came out.  I still don't know how I didn't start again, especially since I LOVED smoking!

I will say, that my mother had been hypnotized to stop smoking and it worked for a while until my grandfather had brain surgery.  I don't have to tell ANY smoker that cigarettes are wonderful during a tragedy!  She went back to the same seminar (for free) and has been smoke-free for about 16 years!!

To all who have posted, or will post, I know how awful a thing it is to quit, but it gets so much easier when cigarettes haven't had any part in your daily life for a while.

Good luck to you all 8)

Smoker here.

Do I want to quit? As of right now, no.
But I do want to some day.

I have tried quitting before, used the cold turkey method, as well as the gum and patch. Obviously, both failed. And to be honest, I think they failed because I wanted them to. I didn't really want to quit at the time, I was just doing it because I thought it was the right thing to do at the time.

Of course, I do know that it is the right thing to do, but what can I say? I enjoy it too much right now.

I am though, an very unselfish smoker. Nasty doesn't smoke, and I don't want The Son breathing in what I choose to put in my lungs, so I smoke outside. Yep, even here in the dead of winter - I bundle up and trundle my little arse out in the cold to have a smoke. Pathetic I know, but my house doesn't smell bad. Because of that, I now cannot eat in a smoking section of a restaurant, I can't go out to a pub without coming home and showering and washing all of my clothes. The smell is absolutely disgusting! These should be signs for me to quit... but I still like it too much.

Perhaps one day soon I will. The sad thing is that I am worried about gaining weight when I do quit. Kind of shallow, I know, but I don't want to balloon up because I no longer have my vice. (Maybe I should be worrying about my lungs instead of my weight huh?) :-\\



You'll never be able to quit until you're ready, and one of these days, you'll be ready.  You really will.  You'll see.


I smoked for 9 years and quit about 5 years ago.  Actually, I started back up for a couple of months after my mom died, but then quit again.  Anyway, I TOTALLY gained weight after I quit and it sucked.  So I can understand where you're coming from.  It's a very normal worry.  But I'm still really happy that I quit.  I don't wake up coughing in the middle of the night...or hack every morning when I wake up.  And I don't have to go outside and freeze my butt off in the winter.  Two of my sisters still smoke, and they are always having to go outside.  It's such a pain in the butt.  I miss it sometimes, but at the end of the day, my life is a million times easier now that I don't smoke.


I also have to agree with some of the other posters that talked about people who judge other people for smoking.  I HATE that.  Unless you've been in someone elses shoes, you have no idea what something is like.  I always tell people if it was easy to quit smoking, nobody would smoke.  Just like if it was easy to lose weight, there would be no fat people.  People are such judgmental asses.  But then, I guess if it was easy to be nice, there would be no judgemental asses.  So there you go. 

The thing is with me, I didn't want to quit. I LOVED smoking and strange as it may seem, I still love the smell. Carlos is still smoking a pipe and I can smell it on him and I am like, "Mmmm, that smells good.". The reason why I quit because I felt like I HAD to. I always knew that smoking wasn't going to give me cancer but it was going to give me heart problems. Heart problems run in my family-both my parents have had heart attacks (and both are here to talk about it-and neither one smoked-maybe one or two cigs in their entire lives but never picked up the habit). My grandfather died of a heart attack, my niece has a pacemaker, and it is possible that my sister died from heart problems (the results from autopsy is not back yet)-and she never really smoked either.


I hear ya about gaining weight. I have gained 30 lbs. I'm almost tempted to pick up the cigs again just to lose that weight.

Whenever I see someone having a cigarette now, I look at them with envy and say, "Enjoy it for me."



Cat


Yeah, I've packed on about 30 lbs myself since I quit.  :-\\

My high school best friend's mother was a chain smoker. There was always several cartons of Virginia Slims in their kitchen. Her mother has tried so many times to quit since we graduated....she was on the patch the last time I saw her but my friend told me over the holidays that she has started smoking again.  :(

Sending positive thoughts to everyone trying to quit.  :)

16 months today.  ;D




Cat

16 months today.  ;D


Splendid!  :)

16 months today.  ;D




Cat


Great.  Keep up the good work

Yay, Cat and Carlos!  Keep up the good work. :)

I smoked from the age of 15 up to 21. I quit by going onto 'lights' and also cutting back a few ciggies a day, until I was only smoking 3 a day and then I stopped. I also gained a sack load of weight which took about 2 years to shift!

I HATE smelling of smoke, but then I always did, even when I was the one creating the smell! That's the one consolation of the smoking ban in the U.K. I no longer reek of smoke after a night out, the down side is you can now smell 'people' and at a gig that ain't a good smell believe me.  ;D

A gave up almost two and a half years ago after 22 years - I'm slowly  starting to feel better  ::) :-[ :P

I use to be a "social" smoker in my late teens and early 20s, which basically means that I would light up at parties, have a drag off somebody else's, and basically could smoke half a pack in one night but could go for months without a cigarette!

I decided to give up cigarettes all together because I didn't really like it and I was fortunate enough never really being addicted to it.

Unforutnately, I've got a very stressful job and sometimes I think about having one cigarette to let out some steam. But then I think about the costs plus my looks (yes I am quite vain) and not to mention that there are sooo many areas now that ban smoking including my own apartment. I don't know about you but usually a coffee satisfies me when I'm under stress.

Keep up the good work CatWoman!

I don't smoke and never have, but back in the 80's I had a girlfriend who smoked. She tried to quit "about 50 times" but started up again and again over the late 70's and 80's.

One time she just told herself "that's enough, I have to do this for my health", and she quit.
Over 10 years later she is still smoke free. Honestly I never thought she could quit, but she did, because she made it the number 1 priority in her life.

Good luck to all those who try to quit, keep trying!

Today is my 20th month anniversary.


(Ok, so I am bragging.)



Cat

Today is my 20th month anniversary.


(Ok, so I am bragging.)



Cat


http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/01/1blue1.gif Congratulations!

http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/01/1blue1.gif Congratulations!



Thanks.


Cat

Today is my 20th month anniversary.


(Ok, so I am bragging.)



Cat
Congratulations Cat - I day at a time, and soon you will be at the 2 year point (YEAH  http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/15/wav.gif)

Congrats, Cat! :)

Today is my 20th month anniversary.


(Ok, so I am bragging.)



Cat
WTG!

I'm up to almost a year myself.  :)

WTG!

I'm up to almost a year myself.  :)

Hey, good for you too, Al  :)

WTG!

I'm up to almost a year myself.  :)



YAY!!!! Keep it up.



Cat

Today is my 20th month anniversary.


(Ok, so I am bragging.)



Cat


Brag away!  That's awesome!




WTG!

I'm up to almost a year myself.  :)


Good for you Al!

Well done both.

http://images2.cafepress.com/product/194378152v3_350x350_Front_Color-White.jpg





WOO-HOO!!!

http://images2.cafepress.com/product/194378152v3_350x350_Front_Color-White.jpg





WOO-HOO!!!




YAY, You!!!!


21 months for me.  ;D ;D ;D



Cat

YAY, You!!!!


21 months for me.  ;D ;D ;D



Cat

YAY!

Keep going!

I've been smoke free for 32 years :D

I've been smoke free for 32 years :D


Cheater!  ;D ;D ;D

Well done Al - keep up the good work.

I've been smoke free for 32 years :D

I've been smoke free for 46 years!  :D

Today is day one of my attempt to quit smoking. So far, so good. Using Nicorette, 2mg.

I threw away all the ashtrays, and aired out the house.

Great work, Al-B and Catwoman!

Ant

Today is day one of my attempt to quit smoking. So far, so good. Using Nicorette, 2mg.

I threw away all the ashtrays, and aired out the house.

Great work, Al-B and Catwoman!

Ant




Good luck with this.

Today is day one of my attempt to quit smoking. So far, so good. Using Nicorette, 2mg.

I threw away all the ashtrays, and aired out the house.

Great work, Al-B and Catwoman!

Ant



Don't attempt - do it!  Be positive that you're going to do it and you absolutely will!  Good luck to you  :)

Today is day one of my attempt to quit smoking. So far, so good. Using Nicorette, 2mg.

I threw away all the ashtrays, and aired out the house.

Great work, Al-B and Catwoman!

Ant





If I can do it, so can you.



Cat

Today is day one of my attempt to quit smoking. So far, so good. Using Nicorette, 2mg.

I threw away all the ashtrays, and aired out the house.

Great work, Al-B and Catwoman!

Ant




So how's it been going so far?

So how's it been going so far?


Not good really, though I've managed to cut way back and we're still not smoking in the house - cleaning every square inch of it from smoke is taking forever!

I've got to go to the pharmacy tomorrow. While I'm there I'm going to pick up some more Nicorette.

Wish me luck - again.

Ant

Not good really, though I've managed to cut way back and we're still not smoking in the house - cleaning every square inch of it from smoke is taking forever!

I've got to go to the pharmacy tomorrow. While I'm there I'm going to pick up some more Nicorette.

Wish me luck - again.

Ant


Here's the deal: Cutting back doesn't work, trust me, I know.

If you really want to quit then you must understand that quitting means you can never again have a cigarette for the rest of your life. I once quit for 8 months and then I thought, "What the hell, I'll just try one just to see what it was like," and that was all it took. Just like that I was back up to a pack a day again.

Keep trying. It sucks but it's worth it. Just remember that it all depends on how determined you are, because I think Cat would agree that it takes some FIERCE F**KING DETERMINATION to quit smoking.

Here's the deal: Cutting back doesn't work, trust me, I know.

If you really want to quit then you must understand that quitting means you can never again have a cigarette for the rest of your life. I once quit for 8 months and then I thought, "What the hell, I'll just try one just to see what it was like," and that was all it took. Just like that I was back up to a pack a day again.

Keep trying. It sucks but it's worth it. Just remember that it all depends on how determined you are, because I think Cat would agree that it takes some FIERCE F**KING DETERMINATION to quit smoking.


Good advice, Al-B. Some drugs are very hard to quit cold turkey, others not as much. The physical addiction to nicotine is short lived and rates about a 1 on my scale of "drugs that suck to get off of". The psycological component is much more pervasive, and many say it exceeds the difficulty of getting off of hardcore street drugs. Odd since cigarettes are really such a crappy drug, but totally true.

The last six weeks have been especially hard on me, trying to get a job, trying to collect payment from my previous job, detoxing from xanax (completed - slow reduction over time worked great), quit alcohol altogether, changing sleeping meds and other meds as well being bp. My determination has been more oriented in putting up with all these changes and failures without choking the living daylights out of someone than trying to achieve perfection in any one category ("progress, not perfection" is one of the few slogans that AA uses that is actually good advice).

Props to you and Catwoman though. I know one day I will be a non-smoker again, just not today. I know I can do it - I'm almost 5 years free of some of the nastiest addictions to have.

One question though: how do I do this with my wife still smoking? I think that ramps up the difficulty of quitting a bit, which is why we ditched the ashtrays and only smoke outside. Once I do quit, I know I won't want to be around it.

Ant

Here's the deal: Cutting back doesn't work, trust me, I know.

If you really want to quit then you must understand that quitting means you can never again have a cigarette for the rest of your life. I once quit for 8 months and then I thought, "What the hell, I'll just try one just to see what it was like," and that was all it took. Just like that I was back up to a pack a day again.

Keep trying. It sucks but it's worth it. Just remember that it all depends on how determined you are, because I think Cat would agree that it takes some FIERCE F**KING DETERMINATION to quit smoking.



I quit for 2 and half years the first time I quit-then got drunk one night. I had 2 cigs that night and didn't have another one...until the NEXT time I drank. And then didn't have another one...until the NEXT time I drank.  Well, you get the picture. This is only my second attempt at it. I think if I ever go back, I will not be strong enough to try a third time. As it is, I am STILL having a hard time with it and it is coming up on the 2 year mark. I can't tell you how many times I would LOVE to have a cig. When I walk by people who are smoking, man, it smells so good to me. But, I know I CAN'T give in-not after all this time. Been there, done that. And it took me over 20 years to try again.



Good advice, Al-B. Some drugs are very hard to quit cold turkey, others not as much. The physical addiction to nicotine is short lived and rates about a 1 on my scale of "drugs that suck to get off of". The psycological component is much more pervasive, and many say it exceeds the difficulty of getting off of hardcore street drugs. Odd since cigarettes are really such a crappy drug, but totally true.

The last six weeks have been especially hard on me, trying to get a job, trying to collect payment from my previous job, detoxing from xanax (completed - slow reduction over time worked great), quit alcohol altogether, changing sleeping meds and other meds as well being bp. My determination has been more oriented in putting up with all these changes and failures without choking the living daylights out of someone than trying to achieve perfection in any one category ("progress, not perfection" is one of the few slogans that AA uses that is actually good advice).

Props to you and Catwoman though. I know one day I will be a non-smoker again, just not today. I know I can do it - I'm almost 5 years free of some of the nastiest addictions to have.

One question though: how do I do this with my wife still smoking? I think that ramps up the difficulty of quitting a bit, which is why we ditched the ashtrays and only smoke outside. Once I do quit, I know I won't want to be around it.

Ant



I hear ya. I also know about trying to quit when your partner is still smoking. Carlos & I knew that if we were to quit, it would have to be together. However, he quit smoking cigs but still smokes a pipe-and yes, he smokes it at night in our bedroom.  :-\\  The thing is, I still LOVE the smell of tobacco that it usually doesn't bother me (but sometimes it does-and I will tell him when it does). I have said that if I can quit-anyone can. I'm not going to kid ya, it is hard-VERY hard to quit. Like I said, I'm STILL struggling with it. I just have learned to get my "fix" with second hand smoke.  :D ;D ;D ;D



Cat

Today it has been 2 years!  :o :o :o  I can't believe that. I still want one but haven't given in-yet.  :-\\




Cat

Congratulations on two years smoke free Cat.

Today it has been 2 years!  :o :o :o  I can't believe that. I still want one but haven't given in-yet.  :-\\




Cat
^5  :)

Today it has been 2 years!  :o :o :o  I can't believe that. I still want one but haven't given in-yet.  :-\\




Cat


Karma for ya.

I never started myself, but I kinda wanted to post in here, mainly because my mom did up until late September.

This is a relief both financially(I was the one paying for them since she lives with me at the moment) and health wise.

My mom started taking Chantix(I think that's how it's spelled) and I stopped buying them on the 9/23 I think.

Although she did ask me to buy a pack a few days later.(which I flat out refused) She did get a cigarette off my sister a few times after that.(It doesn't happen at all now)

Good luck to your mum Step

Today it has been 2 years!  :o :o :o  I can't believe that. I still want one but haven't given in-yet.  :-\\




Cat



Way to go, Cat! :)

Good luck to your mum Step


Thanks. :)

I never started myself, but I kinda wanted to post in here, mainly because my mom did up until late September.

This is a relief both financially(I was the one paying for them since she lives with me at the moment) and health wise.

My mom started taking Chantix(I think that's how it's spelled) and I stopped buying them on the 9/23 I think.

Although she did ask me to buy a pack a few days later.(which I flat out refused) She did get a cigarette off my sister a few times after that.(It doesn't happen at all now)



Both Carlos & I used Chantix. We both had side effects (but different side effects for each of us). Even though neither one of us could finish the entire program, we both feel that we couldn't have quit if it wasn't for the Chantix because it gave us the help we needed for the initial stop (which is the hardest).

Anyway, I wish your mother a lot of luck. I know that quitting is not easy. After two years, I still struggle with it.



Cat

Well done everyone! 8)  Just gone 4 years here and don't miss it one bit  8-P

Way to go, Moo!

Well done everyone! 8)  Just gone 4 years here and don't miss it one bit  8-P



Way to go. I wish I could say the same.



Cat

Both Carlos & I used Chantix. We both had side effects (but different side effects for each of us). Even though neither one of us could finish the entire program, we both feel that we couldn't have quit if it wasn't for the Chantix because it gave us the help we needed for the initial stop (which is the hardest).

Anyway, I wish your mother a lot of luck. I know that quitting is not easy. After two years, I still struggle with it.



Cat


With my mom, it was minimal. A vivid dream or two and early on she often felt drowzy. Now her body's tolerance for the stuff has boosted, so she's fine now on it. She probably won't have to stay on it for too much longer.

I went to the Quit Net which I do from time to time only to discover that today is 900 days.  :o :o :o  It is hard to believe.



Cat

O0

That's WONDERFUL, Cat!  Has Carlos been smoke-free all this time as well?

That's WONDERFUL, Cat!  Has Carlos been smoke-free all this time as well?



Um...not exactly. Ok, no he hasn't. He quit cigarettes but he has been smoking a pipe.



Cat

Um...not exactly. Ok, no he hasn't. He quit cigarettes but he has been smoking a pipe.



Cat


Is he smoking the pipe less than he would cigarettes?  A pipe seems like trouble to smoke.  Maybe he's cut down his nicotine intake  :-\\ 

At any rate, it's still awesome that you have quit - especially if your husband is still smoking; that's no easy feat!

Is he smoking the pipe less than he would cigarettes?  A pipe seems like trouble to smoke.  Maybe he's cut down his nicotine intake  :-\\ 

At any rate, it's still awesome that you have quit - especially if your husband is still smoking; that's no easy feat!



I don't know if he is smoking any less but he says he is not inhaling. Even though he is not conscientiously inhaling, he is still getting some in his lungs.  :-\\


And yeah, having to smell the smoke all the time is really starting to get to me-especially when he smokes in the bedroom.  :o :o :o  I have been waking up coughing and I keep telling him that it is starting to bother me. The pipe has WAY more smoke than cigarettes do. Part of me kind of wishes if he insists on smoking to go back to cigarettes.



Cat

Rut, roh.

I'm starting to get rather fond of cigars.  :o :o :o

Rut, roh.

I'm starting to get rather fond of cigars.  :o :o :o



Cigars are  8-P . Actually, there is something else that I am rather fond of.  ;)



Cat

Cigars are  8-P . Actually, there is something else that I am rather fond of.  ;)



Cat


I dunno. Is smoking one, maybe 2 cigars a week considered falling off the wagon? I don't inhale them and have absolutely zero desire to start smoking cigarettes again.

But my job can be really demanding and I find that a good cigar really helps me unwind.  :)

I dunno. Is smoking one, maybe 2 cigars a week considered falling off the wagon? I don't inhale them and have absolutely zero desire to start smoking cigarettes again.

But my job can be really demanding and I find that a good cigar really helps me unwind.  :)



Yeah, that is a tough call. Carlos quit cigs but still smokes a pipe (and a cigar once in a while). You quit cigs but still smokes cigars. I quit cigs but still... :-X




Cat

Yeah, that is a tough call. Carlos quit cigs but still smokes a pipe (and a cigar once in a while). You quit cigs but still smokes cigars. I quit cigs but still... :-X




Cat


It's funny though, I've found that cigars relax me more than  :-X ever did.

;)

2 years smoke free!

Congrats, Al!

2 years smoke free!



YAY-and karma.


It has been over 1000 days for me.  ;D ;D ;D



Cat

Hey Cat and Al-B --

Congratulations on your quits!  I was 10 months quit on August 9.  I too tried MANY times to quit, and what finally took was the morning of last October 9, after a night of smoking cigarette after cigarette in front of Facebook, ending up doubled over the bowl worse than any alcohol hangover I'd ever had.  I decided then and there to quit cold turkey and haven't had one since.

Hey Cat and Al-B --

Congratulations on your quits!  I was 10 months quit on August 9.  I too tried MANY times to quit, and what finally took was the morning of last October 9, after a night of smoking cigarette after cigarette in front of Facebook, ending up doubled over the bowl worse than any alcohol hangover I'd ever had.  I decided then and there to quit cold turkey and haven't had one since.



Congrats. It's not easy. Keep up the good work. My anniversary date is Oct. 5.



Cat

Hey Cat and Al-B --

Congratulations on your quits!  I was 10 months quit on August 9.  I too tried MANY times to quit, and what finally took was the morning of last October 9, after a night of smoking cigarette after cigarette in front of Facebook, ending up doubled over the bowl worse than any alcohol hangover I'd ever had.  I decided then and there to quit cold turkey and haven't had one since.


Right on!  :) :) :)

That's more or less how I quit too.

I started smoking again.  :-[

I started smoking again.   :-[


Awww, stress will do it to ya.  I quit for about a year and stupidly I started again.  I got to work on quitting again. 

I started smoking again.   :-[



Awwww. The first time I quit, I quit for 2 & a half years and got drunk one night.  :-[  It took me over 20 years to quit again. I do understand but hopefully, it won't take you as long as it did me to quit again.



Cat

It's totally stress.  That, and my roommate smokes.  She quit when she got pregnant with her son, and started up again when she started going through her breakup too.  The worst part is that we love to sit out on her deck and smoke and talk, so it's a bad habit for both of us.  Ugh.  I've quit before, I can do it again.  I figure it's either this, or gain back all the weight I've lost plus some. 

It's totally stress.  That, and my roommate smokes.  She quit when she got pregnant with her son, and started up again when she started going through her breakup too.  The worst part is that we love to sit out on her deck and smoke and talk, so it's a bad habit for both of us.  Ugh.  I've quit before, I can do it again.  I figure it's either this, or gain back all the weight I've lost plus some. 



I totally hear ya. I STILL miss it.  :-[



Cat

THREE YEARS TODAY!!!!!!!!!




Cat

THREE YEARS TODAY!!!!!!!!!




Cat


Karma!  You go girl!!

THREE YEARS TODAY!!!!!!!!!




Cat


http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s78/AL-B_photos/applause.gif

(I still smoke cigars.)  :o

(I still smoke cigars.)  :o





Well, I still smoke... :-X




Cat

38 Months.

Your Quit Date is:  10/5/2007 7:00:00 PM
Time Smoke-Free: 1156 days, 16 hours, 34 minutes and 32 seconds
Cigarettes NOT smoked: 34701
Lifetime Saved: 8 months, 25 days, 1 hour
Money Saved: $11,280.75




Cat

38 Months.

Your Quit Date is:  10/5/2007 7:00:00 PM
Time Smoke-Free: 1156 days, 16 hours, 34 minutes and 32 seconds
Cigarettes NOT smoked: 34701
Lifetime Saved: 8 months, 25 days, 1 hour
Money Saved: $11,280.75




Cat


Karma!  One day, you will not even count how many days you have not smoked.  You will count it by years and just consider yourself a non-smoker.  Continued good luck to you!

Karma!  One day, you will not even count how many days you have not smoked.  You will count it by years and just consider yourself a non-smoker.  Continued good luck to you!



Karma right back at ya.


I don't count-the QuitNet does. In fact, I totally forgot that today is my anniversary until I checked my email. QuitNet always sends me an email on my quit-date anniversary (the 5th of every month).




Cat

38 Months.

Your Quit Date is:  10/5/2007 7:00:00 PM
Time Smoke-Free: 1156 days, 16 hours, 34 minutes and 32 seconds
Cigarettes NOT smoked: 34701
Lifetime Saved: 8 months, 25 days, 1 hour
Money Saved: $11,280.75




Cat


Way to go, Cat. :)

38 Months.

Your Quit Date is:  10/5/2007 7:00:00 PM
Time Smoke-Free: 1156 days, 16 hours, 34 minutes and 32 seconds
Cigarettes NOT smoked: 34701
Lifetime Saved: 8 months, 25 days, 1 hour
Money Saved: $11,280.75




Cat
Much deserved Congratulations is due!  And with the money you've saved you should take a cruise!  Love ya

Way to go, Cat. :)



Thanks.



Much deserved Congratulations is due!  And with the money you've saved you should take a cruise!  Love ya



The $$$$$ saved went into a house in Puerto Rico & a house in Vermont-not to mention airline tickets to go to said house in PR.




Cat

Thanks.



The $$$$$ saved went into a house in Puerto Rico & a house in Vermont-not to mention airline tickets to go to said house in PR.




Cat
OK. Fair enough!  As long as you treat yourself!

People smoke thread?  Do you get hooked?  Cough cough!
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/02/buck.gif

People smoke thread?  Do you get hooked?  Cough cough!
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/02/buck.gif


Don't Do thread.  ;D

45 months today:


Your Quit Date is: 10/5/2007 7:00:00 PM
Time Smoke-Free: 1368 days, 16 hours, 33 minutes and 41 seconds
Cigarettes NOT smoked: 41061
Lifetime Saved:  10 months, 13 days, 15 hours
Money Saved: $13,347.75



Cat

Congrats! 

45 months today:


Your Quit Date is: 10/5/2007 7:00:00 PM
Time Smoke-Free: 1368 days, 16 hours, 33 minutes and 41 seconds
Cigarettes NOT smoked: 41061
Lifetime Saved:  10 months, 13 days, 15 hours
Money Saved: $13,347.75



Cat


Awesome!  Karma!

45 months today:


Your Quit Date is: 10/5/2007 7:00:00 PM
Time Smoke-Free: 1368 days, 16 hours, 33 minutes and 41 seconds
Cigarettes NOT smoked: 41061
Lifetime Saved:  10 months, 13 days, 15 hours
Money Saved: $13,347.75



Cat


Congrats.