For those who QUIT SMOKING?

Question

I am particulary looking for answers from those who smoked for decades. After you quit, did you ever get to the point where you went a whole day or even a few days or a week without thinking about smoking? How long did you smoke and how long after you quit did it take you to get to a level where it was not on your mind?

Answer 1

I smoked for 25 years, stopped 18 years ago. First five weeks were awful: tears, overeating, almost gave way. About 6 months later I really wasn't thinking that much about it, by 12 months, the idea of a cigarette was mildly repulsive, and now I'd rather lick a mangy dog.

I tried SO MANY times to stop, but the time I succeeded was when I made a plan and stuck to it. If you want to know how, please email and I will give details - don't want to spend ages writing it all out unless you're interested.

Take Care - it IS possible

Answer 2

I smoked for 10 years, from 14 y/o to 24 y/o. The last six years I smoked 2 and 1/2 packs of non- filter tips a day. For the first couple of months It was very difficult. I put a stick of gum in my mouth every time I had an urge to smoke and went through 20 to 30 sticks a day.

The urges diminished gradually but it took a year before I was free from urges. After that, I generally did not think about smoking but would have thoughts from time to time that I had proved that I could quit and therefore could return to smoking whenever I wanted.

Obviously those thoughts were produced by the nicotine addiction and thankfully I was able to keep from acting on the thoughts. After 5 years I no longer had any thoughts to smoke.

Some time after that (I don't remember how long), even the thought of smoking was disgusting and the smell of cigarette smoke became obnoxious.

The decision to quite smoking was one of the best decisions I ever made. Now, not smoking is much more enjoyable than smoking ever was.

Answer 3

Well my husband who is not 34, quit smoking his almost 2 pack of Marlboro Mediums, over 4 years ago. Our son who was then 5, suffers from allergies and asthmatic symptoms. And the doctor told my husband that even though he smokes out side he is still bringing in the smoke/allergans off of him and his clothes, and that still passes on through our son. So he soon quit just for the health of our son. It was pretty hard ar first for him, but cold turkey was his only way he could do it. He tried some kind of thing he got from the flea market that he put on the end of his cigarette, that was suppose to help him quit, but it didn't. So his only method was purely just WILL POWER. After abour 6 months to a year he couldn't even stand the smell of a cigarette. He works with a guy who smokes daily, and it doesn't bother him at all and he is not tempted. Good Question!

Answer 4

I smoked for over a decade.
It took me about 6 months to stop feeling like I was missing out on something. The thing that helped me most was going to a gym and realising how little 'puff' and how unfit smoking had made me. Now I like the challenge of attempting to rebuild!
I truly believe, that like alcoholics, once you have been a smoker, you will always be a smoker. Just a recovering one.
The days WILL come when you dont think about it. Mostly because you will eventually have so much more energy and get-up-and-go that you wont have time to think about it. And believe me the time will come when someone lights up near you and the smell annoys you! It just takes time.
I still struggle during summer. For me there was nothing nicer than sitting outside on a warm summer day and smoking. But my kids would kill me if I did it now!!! And that stops me!

Answer 5

I smoked about 60 cigarettes a day from 1972 to 1995. My wife smokes, so it is something I encounter every day, but I no longer have the craving for a cigarette. It gradually gets less, starting with every minute, then every hour, every day and now rarely, if ever. If you smoke and are giving up, good luck, but don't believe the rubbish about patches, potions and dummy cigarettes. There is only one way to permanently stop smoking and that is simply not to light up any more of them.

Answer 6

I smoked for a little over 10 years. It takes a couple of weeks before you stop thinking about it constently. I found the first 3-4 days the hardest. I quit 3 years ago... even today I sometimes smell a ciggarette and want one, but not enough to start up again.

Answer 7

I smoked for 14 yrs and have stopped now for 28 yrs. I don't think about it at all but sometimes when someone lights up a cigarette my mouth waters. I will never smoke again but it makes me realize how fast I could get hooked again. Start chewing gum and drinking a lot of water that helped me a lot. Good luck.
jw

Answer 8

I quit after about 16 -20 years of smoking 3 packs a day. I had mouth surgery for "pre-cancer". I walked out and threw them in the trash. For about 5 years I would dream about having a cig. but lately (after 6 almost 7 years) I don't think about them much at all. That is not to say that on very stressful nights I haven't thought about "oh just one", but I know that would not work for me! I would be right back to 3 packs a day. I found that setting a date in advance and sticking to it to quit is what worked best. Good luck.

Answer 9

i started when i was 18 (pear presure). but i was only on 10 a day
then about 22 met with my now wife i tried a few times to quit but i just could not stop
moved to spain and realy started to smoke heaverly (fags are cheaper here).
then one day work all most stoped no money coming in so i stopped buying the fags
have stopped for a year now!
oh and work is fine now
i dont remember actually missing them, all i know now is getting into my clients cars and feeling sick (the clients who smoke that is) and i hate it when in a bar and i am eating the a ss hole who is smoking on the next table!

Answer 10

I smoked about 400 a week, and 28 yrs ago stopped.
I was fine at first, but about 16 months after I stopped I had a bad day craving for one, but since then I have been fine
I have put on a bit of weight, but that is because I can taste things now.