I quit smoking 8 years ago, at the age of 55. It was easy, once I really made up - not my MIND, but my HEART. The real decision was what folks call “heart-felt”. It’s not enough to just “think”, that you want to quit, or that you “should” quit.

I realized quite simply, “I don’t want to smoke anymore”. The key for me was, my son was 15 years old, and I felt he needed me around for awhile yet. I knew I could die anytime because of my age, a sedentary lifestyle, and that I had been smoking since I was a kid myself - for over 40 years in fact.

Yet I was able to quit with no problems, no withdrawal, no ill effects at all.

Most of the articles I read, talk about how “addictive” nicotine is, how hard it is to quit, how there are withdrawal symptoms, etc etc.

BS. None of that needs to happen, if you truly resolve that you don’t smoke anymore. There are good aids available that can help a person make this “heartfelt” decision.

Try some of them. Quitting can be a whole lot easier than the nicotine lobby wants you to think.

Elliott

I think that I wouldn’t be hurting anyone else, and no one else has to know. I realize that this kind of thinkingSie brauchen nirgends hin zu fahren, um Online Poker http://www.suche-poker.de zu können. is ridiculous, but in that moment it seems to make sense to me because that’s how bad I want to smoke.

It’s best to keep busy at that time when I feel no resolve for my mission. A lot of times I journal, or call a friend, anything to keep my mind off of smoking. Sometimes it’s hard to imagine that this desire to smoke will ever truly go away, but I’ve been told that it will leave, so I press onward.

I suppose the thing that keeps me the most motivated is my family. My daughter has begun to ask me if I will die from smoking. This really stung me to my core. I’m doing this mostly for her. I want to be a good example and I don’t want her to constantly be worrying that her mother is going to die.

We are not just talking about the weak-willed here either. This is really hard to do.

Studies have shown nicotine is as addictive as cocaine, and other highly addictive drugs. I am not surprised by this study. I suppose the only true difference is that smoking and chewing is socially acceptable and even then, it is becoming less and less acceptable in this current society.

Many places are banning smoking altogether, if smoking is allowed, it is in only designated areas and it would not be unlikely to get a dirty look from someone who happened to pass by through a cloud of smoke on their way to the restroom.

Smoking bans are another issue altogether. In several states across the United States you could be fined in for smoking in the car with a child. The law would actually be protecting that child from the dangers of second-hand smoke.

The smoking population is certainly dwindling. Those of us that are left are having a harder time be militant in the face of reality. Reality being that there is really nothing positive about smoking. Not to the smoker or to those around the smoker.

I think it really is a losing battle and maybe we should not be sore losers about the matter.

I totally agree that former smokers (even those of us who have successfully stopped and remain smoke free) should consider ourselves addicts in the sense that we are unable to control our smoking, and need to completely abstain from smoking altogether. Very few people are able to “smoke one every now and then”; most of us end up smoking one right after the other.

However, this young lady made the comment that “there is a difference between an addict and somebody who is dependant”.

Her reasoning was this:

Anyone’s body can become dependant on a substance after prolonged use. But an addict is somebody who will stop at nothing to get their fix, and is not interested in getting help with their condition.

So if you know you have a problem, and are actually putting a strong effort into correcting this issue, you should pat yourself on the back and acknowledge the fact that you are not just giving in and accepting your addiction.

Give it some thought. You can do this!

“Smoking has bothered me for a long time, at least since I got pregnant. I always think about my child and husband and about what I’m doing to myself. Sometimes I feel good, there is no more guilt about what I do to myself. There’s nothing I’d rather be doing than sitting on my front porch smoking and reading. I wanted to quit so that I wouldn’t be tied down to an addiction, but I still feel that I am. I count the days. If you told me I could smoke one now with no consequences, I would in a heart beat.”

This is something that everyone goes through when quitting smoking. One of the definitions of an addict is to occupy (oneself) with or involve (oneself) in something habitually or compulsively.

It is important to understand what you’re up against when quitting and extremly important to seek support while quitting. Afterall, anyone with a true addiction can rarely do it by themselves. Quitting smoking is just as pivotal to your long-term health as quitting a hard drug is to your short-term health.

As an addict, smokers should treat themselves as addicts and seek the help that they need while quitting smoking.

Later that evening, I reflected on what a huge accomplishment that evenings dessert was for me. I had reached a new stage in the quitting process where smoking was no longer part of my daily thoughts. The cravings have lessened, even with my slip up a couple of weeks ago.

I know that there may be moments when I am tempted still, but they won’t be the mundane everyday kind of things that will trigger me. The times that I should be more aware of in the future are the times when I am angry, sad or hurt. Those will be the times when I need to be soothed by a cigarette. While this thought is somewhat depressing, I am thankful that I’ve graduated to the next stage of the process.

I’ve been rather jittery lately and I can’t have a cigarette and I can’t eat. My skin was crawling because I was so restless as what to do with myself.

Then it occurred to me, I felt like running around the block. That only lasted a few minutes before I was gasping for air.

So I’ve started out slowly by taking my dog for walks. However, we seem to be doing a lot more sniffing than we are walking (the dog I mean).

I have checked out several local gyms and I have to say that I am getting excited about joining. I reasoned with myself that the money I will pay going to the gym doesn’t even compare to all of the money that I use to spend on cigarettes, so I know that I will not suffer financially because of my new membership.

I am rather proud of myself because by joining a gym and deciding to exercise, I am making even more of a commitment to myself to remain smoke-free and healthy.

–BETH

From now on, I will not put myself in positions where I am likely to be tempted until I’ve been smoke-free for at least three months.

To give me even more resolve, I recently had a few of my non-smoker friends telling me how much my smoking habit annoyed them. I asked them why they never mentioned this to me before and of course they responded that they didn’t want to hurt my feelings or make me mad at them. Honestly, I probably would have been offended.

They mentioned that they didn’t like that we all had to sit in the smoking section, even if I was the only smoker. They didn’t like having smoke around them when they were eating. I felt bad. They also mentioned that no one liked to ride with me because I smoked and my car stunk. Okay, so that really hurt.

Yet surprisingly, these comments have only given me additional fuel in my fight against smoking. I don’t want to be that friend that my other friends just put up with the smoking because they love me. I want the time that they spend around me to be completely enjoyable to them, and now it is and I love that.

–BETH

Smoking calmed me down. If I felt stressed, I would roll up a cigarette & light it. I made sure to have a cigarette handy for when I had breaks at school or just to have something in my hand. First thing in the morning, I would have a cigarette with my coffee. I had to have that first cigarette to start my day or I wouldn’t be able to function. That’s what it felt like anyways. I would always have to have a cigarette every hour. I would look at the clock & tell myself it’s time to have another cigarette. It was like a ritual I had to go through.

Now that I think back in those days, I wanted to quit smoking. It wouldn’t bother me. That’s what I thought. Wrong! The more I think of quitting smoking, the more I need a cigarette! How could have that happened? Now, I have got to get help for my addictive habit! It’s like drinking or smoking pot. You need that one drink or that puff. People go to AA or NA for help. Is there a meeting for smokers? Well, I found a Support Group called QuitNet. I just started, so I have a long journey ahead of me.

I got a scare of having cancer & smoking wasn’t healthy at all. I found out I spend like $950/year supplying my smoking habit. I smoked for at least 9 years, so that would add up to $8550 give or take a few dollars. That money could have went to better use, like saving up for a vehicle or even a mortgage on a house. The way the taxes are going up every year on tobacco, I wouldn’t be able to afford to smoke anymore, so why fight the inevitable?

I know there are people who are willing to help. They are out there. You just need the resources.

There is a toll-free helpline, support groups on the web, nicotine replacement therapy (nicotine patches, nicotine gum), acupuncture, hypnosis, and medication.

I checked out a stop smoking lens that I highly recommend.

http://www.squidoo.com/smokefreereality

I was out with my girlfriends. I was feeling a little cocky because I went out to a bar last week and I was able to stay strong. This time though, I thought that I was above it and that I had it under control. I know now that this is where I really screwed up. I let my guard down.

So anyway as the night wears on, I can feel myself getting weaker and weaker and my resolve softening. I was thinking to myself that just one wouldn’t hurt anything. I could just pick it back up tomorrow and besides, I’m still smoking a lot less than before. That was the rational that was circling through my mind at the exact moment that my friend Shelly asked me if I wanted a cigarette (she received a kick in the shin at the same time from my other friend Janice). “Yes, I do want one, just one,” I replied very composed. There were some shouts of protest, but I insisted that I knew what I was doing. That cigarette tasted incredible. I immediately felt guilty and wanted another as soon as if was over, instead, I just went home because I could feel myself going downhill fast.

I still have my resolve though. I’ve disappointed myself for sure, but I’m not ready to give up.