If anyone is working on stopping smoking & needs help or encouragement, pls. come here & talk to me!

Jan. 24 (last week) was my one year aniversary of being off of cigarettes after smoking for 41 yrs. (I'm only 52). No drugs, no patches, no hypo, no nothin'.

I'm also out of work for 15 months now & I have not allowed the stress of all of this to get me smoking again (tho' yesterday, I sure did want to)!

Anyone needing help w/ this -- I'm your girl!!

(PG) Karen

My great aunt smoked for close to 60 years and just decided one day that she didn't want to anymore, and she quit cold turkey.

I always said that if she could do it, anyone could (who really wants to).

Al

Larry

This is an AWESOME Step. I know I'm late to the party, but this type of celebration is timeless and can always stand recognition!!!

At one time I was a three-pack-a-day girl... I found pickign up or putting down was extraordinaly easy for me. I've been nicotine free for 15 years. The cost alone prevents me from 'experimentation'!!!

Congratulations, you've moved to a new level completely!!!!

Kudos! Your SoCal Friend, Cena

Nice to see you here. A belated thanks for the congrats to Al, Larry, Tisha & others who both wished me well & sent congratulations.

Am happy to say I remain tobacco free (in Jan. 'it'll be 2 yrs. already -- wow).

Also happy to say I went back to work in June, different (lesser) job, far less money, but a good steady job w/ bennies & for decent people who appreciate my efforts & treat me w/ respect. A change & most refreshing after working for a sadistic bully for 2.5 yrs.

Feels like a lifetime ago, that I smoked, like a different person & a different life. I'm so glad I stopped.

To those considering the patch, pls. be careful.

Our ENTIRE body of knowledge on smoking & its effects/ hazards has to do w/ inhaled tobacco. We know little if anything about transdermal absorption (through the skin).

I'm tired of the all FDA approved items which are subsequently withdrawn due to being UNSAFE. Better safe than sorry on this one.

To those considering stopping cigarettes: set yourself an end date, that's recommended by a number of stop smoking groups. Personally, I blew past my end date, but then 6-7 months later, I just decided to see what happened if I STOPPED BUYING CIGRARETTES (that's what did it for me).

An acquaintance who'd stopped before me told me something that was very helpful, liberating actually. When I told her I'd blown past my targetted quit date, she said relax; you'll quit when you're ready. I was a bit surprised, but it seemed enough that I was even thinking about it.

(more to follow)

So one January night, I was gabbing on the phone w/ a friend & ran out of cigarettes. I was about to leave a warm, toasty bed & change from nightclothes to street clothes, all to go get cigarettes, when suddenly, the thought struck me -- what if you don't buy more cigarettes tonight? Can't smoke what you haven't got.

So the next day, I went out on some medical appointments & would normally have stopped first thing to get cigarettes before continuing on w/ my day. Well I just didn't buy any cigarettes & though it was strange & I thought about it periodically, before I realized it, it was 24 hrs. later & I hadn't had a cigarette, hadn't keeled over dead & hadn't immediately lost my mind.

So I thought hum, what happens if I still don't buy any cigarettes & that was it. I literally took it one day at a time.

Carol, if you're still following this thread I'll be happy to share my experiences with you.

It's a very tough addiction, but all the more rewarding to live without it

db