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Smoking & How to Quit

Share Your Story

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Have a helpful hint or motivating thought to share? Tell us your story. Encourage others. Share strategies for quitting smoking. This area is for you.

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I have been trying to quit smoking since last year, cutting down cigarette after cigarette, only for me to use the excuse that I really need that one because something was going on. I get so tired of listening to my children telling me to stop killing myself. I love my family, but I hate what cigarettes have done to my body more. I enjoy fresh air, family and good food. These are things that I can continue to enjoy without those nasty killers. I am 37 years old and have smoked for 16 years. I have tried at least twice and have succeeded but only briefly before going back to cigars or light cigarettes. But then I realized that I will smoke them and die and the people who I care about will be left alone wondering why I chose cigarettes over life. So I choose life without cigarettes. I hope that my husband chooses this also. I am using a medication my doctor prescribed and the urges are there only when I think it’s OK to smoke. But it’s not an option for me. My husband is using the gum and this is his first time quitting. We hope to succeed!

Tamala from Missouri

Hi all! Just wanted to add a comment to the others here since they have been helping me to remain focused and strong with quitting. I'm a 34 year old male and have smoked since I was 18. I never thought that I would be smoking for so long. Recently, I started to feel really anxious, depressed, and suffer from neck strain because of worrying about dying from smoking! My worrying caused me to grind my teeth in my sleep, which led to a condition known as TMJ. This led to the neck strain and, of course, I began to fear I had developed throat cancer. My doctor told me that I was 'only' suffering from stress due to my worrying and that I really needed to give up. ENOUGH! Two days have passed since my last cigarette and I already feel better. I have stopped having panic attacks, heart palpitations, and feeling jaded or exhausted. Cigarettes are bad news. I hope that everyone here can take some solace and comfort in their battle to give up, from reading the comments posted here, as I have. Thank you and good luck to all with quitting!

Robert from Ireland

I stopped smoking cold turkey 4 days ago. I am amazed how I didn’t realize that this is a chemical dependency. So I made the decision not to ever smoke again and that's it! I have smoked a lot in the past 18 years and now I am feeling the physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms of nicotine. You will experience a lot of symptoms, but once that is over, it's over. You will be FREE! I am tired of being a drug addict to nicotine, of being chronically sick, and of killing myself! To everyone out there, you can do it. Educate yourself. Good Luck

Judy from Arkansas

To quit smoking, you can do the following things:

Write down the reasons why you smoke.
Know in which situations you like to smoke best.

This is my opinion. Thanks.

Anna Paola Malinconico from Indiana

I stopped smoking on January 15th of 2009. It has been almost one month. I did not pick a specific date, time, or was even aware that I was smoking my last cigarette...It just happened. I went cold turkey. I picked up the nasty habit in high school and was never able to give it up. I smoked for 20 years. For the past couple of years I battled a sore neck, spine, and some soreness in my arms. I thought it was arthritis setting in at an early age. After two days of not smoking all of that pain was gone! Each day gets easier. I was not the type of person who tried to quit multiple times prior. In all honesty, I was afraid that I was dying from all of my neck and back pain...I thought I had cancer. All of my depression is stored in smoking. I used it as a crutch. I am still trying to figure that out. However, my friends and family thought I would smoke my entire life. I am proof that anyone can kick this nasty habit. Good luck to everyone.

Pamela from Iowa

My mother quit smoking after 35 years when my baby sister kicked her hand that was holding a cigarette and it burned my mother’s foot. My siblings and I used to beg her to stop, we'd have literature sent to her all the time about the dangers and side effects, and we'd complain that we couldn't breathe. She never seemed to mind that it affected her, or that we had to scrub the walls and even the ceiling to get the yellow sticky tar off. When she realized it affected us, however, she felt terrible and decided to quit. She prayed for strength when quitting. My brothers and I also wrote numerous encouraging letters, and I wrote one poem she really enjoyed. I'll share it with you here, in hopes it helps you too!

Inhale My Poison

Inhale my poison deeply
Let my smoke fill your lungs
Taste the nicotine addiction
Deaden buds atop your tongue

Accept your sentence willingly
Play right into my hand
Ignore the Surgeon General
He just doesn't understand

Don't bother to read the warning
Note the illusion of Glamour instead
Smokey satin fingers your nostrils
And clouds the judgment in your head

Yes, darling, inhale my poison deeply
Let my smoke cancer your lungs
Absorb the tarry substance
Taste death upon your tongue

by Mary Ball Feutz
copyright 10-13-2008

Mary Ball Feutz from Michigan

I stopped smoking January 1st 2009. To be honest, it was the best thing I have ever done after 22 years of smoking 20-30 cigarettes a day. The main focus of my commitment to give up smoking is my kids and the fact that I want to see them grow up (and maybe see some grandchildren someday!). It's all about positive thinking and having a focal point - as long as you have this you will succeed.

Nathan from AF Afric/Can/Euro/Mideast (AE)

I quit smoking 10 months ago after having a massive myocardial infarction (heart attack). But I still want to smoke! Food does not taste better and at this point I do not feel better. However, I know that for my health, I can never smoke again. I miss it, but I know this is helping me live a longer and better life.

Anonymous from Alabama

Just thought I would add my comment here since I have used so many of your stories to get me through my cravings. I am 26 years old and I have just reached 6 months of being smoke free! I had smoked since I was 16. That's 10 years and I can't believe how fast it went by! The first 3 months of quitting were a little uncomfortable at times, but I'm surprised at how if you put your mind to something you can overcome it. I really wanted to quit this time and had been cutting down for months. I was chronically losing my voice and had become so paranoid about mouth cancer that I just knew it was time. I was having crazy dreams for months, always about me giving in to smoking but now I don't even think about it at all! My best advice is to stop cold turkey as it was a clean break from the nicotine. Don't ever take even 1 puff!. Also, not smelling like a ashtray is a great incentive. I cant believe how bad I smelled all those years. Yuck! Good luck everyone!

jess from AF Afric/Can/Euro/Mideast (AE)

I quit smoking when I was 27 years old. I am 50 years old now. It's one of the best things I ever did. I can't stand it now. I don't want to be around the smell of smoke at all and I never get cravings anymore. What made me want to quit was that I had gotten a flute, tried to play it, and I couldn't get a sound out of it! I was also getting a lot of gunk in the morning in my chest. Those 2 things made me really concerned. I began to cut down until it just didn't bother me anymore. I never thought I could quit but I know that realizing that I have only one body – I didn't want to damage myself anymore. Turns out the flute needed to be repaired and it wasn't my lungs after all! But I am so thankful today that I got that instrument for a gift. You can quit. Ask for help and take it one day at a time. It's not as hard as you think.

Margaret from Pennsylvania

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Content last updated March 3, 2009.

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