Joan Rosemary

Hi an interesting subject that may help others. If you have successfully stopped smoking, how did you do it.
I smoked for nion 50 years (tried to stop several times before) I have finally done it.
I did it by seeing a counsellor and taking up knitting. Can't smoke while your hands are busy, I never smoked indoors I always went outside away from everyone. So every time I got an urge for a ciggarette I would pick up my knitting.
What did you do? and how many attemps did you have. I had a total of 20 ranging from a few hours to 8 months.

litacats

I gave up after my third attempt, I was moveing house and I said to god if you want me in your organization I need help to give up smoking, ( I didn't meet a smoker for 3 weeks and my new best friend had given up smoking just before she met me so we were able to help each other, that was 26 years ago I haven't had a ciggie since, tho sad to say she started again a few years later.

quilter on the eastern edge

I gave it up for Lent 30 years ago and haven't smoked since. I just never bothered to pick up a cigarette after the 40 days were up. And I was amazed at how much $$$ I was saving - cigs were only $1.52/pack then. I hardly ever carried cash so had to write a cheque. Now you can't write a cheque for $1.52, right?......so I'd buy chips, a magazine or two, chocolate bars, etc.. to make up a decent amount to write a cheque for. Those $1.52/pack cigarettes were costing me a fortune!

I found that my mind needed to be busy as well as my hands so I did crossword puzzles, jumble words, ...any kind of puzzles that I had to concentrate on.

A friend of mine quit and put the $$$$ that he would have spent on cigs in a bank account. In a year or so, he had saved enough for he and his wife to go on a cruise!

marthahelen

My husband and I decided to stop smoking after more than 30 years. Bob read up on the subject and found that if you substitute sweets it will help. However, being weight conscious, he bought sugarless candy and every time he wanted a cigarette, he had a piece of candy. It was a ritual, unwrapping the candy, etc. Wish you the best.

KathyAire

I didn't smoke. My husband, Keith, smoked for 40 years and quit about seven years ago. His hobby is collecting knifes. He only buys knifes made in the USA. Most of them are very expensive. When he buys a high dollar knife, he tells me that he is spending the cigarette money his is saving. I tell him that since I never smoked, I have a lot of catching up to do.

Keith tried to quit several times and always went back. The last time, he said one night he coughed so much through the night, he thought he would die. Said he prayed and told God if HE would like him live, he would not smoke again. I've seen him try to quilt so many times and he was miserable. The last time, it seemed like it wasn't much of an effort at all. He said the times before, he didn't really want to quit, he enjoyed smoking. I guess that, plus the fact that he called out to God, is what made the difference

quilter on the eastern edge

DH had a heart attack in August. He was a smoker of 40 years. The dr. told him he could smoke or he could live - those were his choices. DH hasn't touched one since. Hallelujah!!!

sew_lulu

I picked up smoking while in college. I tried quiting many times but I've never succeeded until the day my doctor told me "you'll never get pregnant if you don't quit". That was all it took. I've never picked it up again and that was 5 years ago. Although, there were times, I feel like having a cigarette. Then I thought to myself, it took me forever to quit why would I start again.

Hang in there, it does get easier. Hugs.

CarrieAnne

I started smoking as a kid. 14!!!!!!! Isnt that horrible? Come from a LONG line of smokers, so no one really saw a problem with it in our family. Til, they all started havin heart attack so YOUNG. I stopped when I was 17, got pregnant. I wasnt a good teenager, was I? But anyhow, luckily, I had morning sickness SO bad, I couldnt smoke anyhow. Even the smell made me ill, so I guess I go lucky that way. Never picked them up again.
My Parents, Grandparents, and just recently my Sister have given it up. Sh used Chantrex, I think its called?
BF gave it up 9 years ago, after being hypnotised. It took 4 times, and it really worked!

CarrieAnne

Forgot to say CONGRATS on the quiting!!!!!!

Nancy S.

Great Job Joan!! I smoked for 37 years and now I am on my 15th month of not smoking. Not sure why I quit-it was just time. I used Chantex and THAT is a wonder drug. I sure like not smelling like a dirty ole ashtray. The grand kids don't say what's that smell grandma? My kids & hubby sure are proud of me and so am I. I have gained weight but I am still healthier now then smoking. It is still a struggle and I think it always will be, it just gets easier every day that goes by. Now my son-in-law is going to try it.