Quitting smoking....

[nemelek]

I have quit 10 times in my life. Sometimes for years. It is that one poker party or campout where I have just 1 that I start again. After 3 days without smoking I lose the desire until a special event happens.

[tomato]

Originally Posted by nemelek

I have quit 10 times in my life. Sometimes for years. It is that one poker party or campout where I have just 1 that I start again. After 3 days without smoking I lose the desire until a special event happens.

I quit 3 times. 3rd time's the charm ;) I can't remember if the last time I quit was in 1999 or 2000 now, but it was around that time. I didn't "pick" a date or anything. Just quit. I had box of patches at home and they were approaching the expiration date, so one time I just put one on when I got up, didn't buy cigarettes that day, and went to work as usual. It was a Tuesday, I remember that. The rest of the week was pretty horrible. I didn't tell anyone for a few days because I was sure I was gonna fail again, but I didn't.

I think what "saved" me this time was the realization that I *loved* cigarettes and the only way to ever get rid of the habit was to never pick one up again, regardless of how much I wanted to. Once you accept that something has more power over you and you have to be careful of it, then you can fight it better, IMO. The first two times I quit, I was arrogant about it "oh, it wasn't that bad, I can quit anytime" and tried to smoke cigarettes casually. Unfortunately, I just can't (most of us can't because they put highly addictive sh..t in the cigarettes).

Like I said, best of luck to you, and once you get started and want some feedback, techniques, support, will be happy to be there for ya :)

PS. I can tolerate smokers, cigarettes around me or whatever. Doesn't bother me *at all* (except indoors maybe when there is too much smoke) but outside next to me, I don't care, because I remember why I quit.