Mum was a passionate smoker for 40 years.
Diagnosed & dead within 8 months, small cell lung cancer. She was very stoic throughout, but when she was first given a time frame she cried and apologised saying that it was her fault for smoking.
I started smoking at 17, turn 30 next month and I’m quitting so I don’t end up like Mum. What a horrible way to die, and for what.
Have had a few false starts since she died, but currently on day 8 no smoking and feeling pretty good about this attempt.

100 Days!!! Celebrating these milestones here are my new drug.

I still use a nicotine-free vape when I go out on weekends. I think it's time to focus on that issue.

See you in the fourth month! 🎂🎈🎉😍❤️

I’m six months without cigarettes now, and honestly, quitting was fairly easy compared with what I’d imagined. The biggest difference was changing how I thought about smoking. But still, I feel very very proud of myself for the achievement!

A few things that helped:

1. I stopped seeing cigarettes as something I was missing.

Whenever I saw someone smoking, I consciously changed my reaction. Instead of thinking “I wish I could have one,” I reminded myself that I didn’t want to need cigarettes anymore.

I started feeling sorry that they were still stuck with that need. I knew the feeling myself. At first, I had to keep reminding myself; eventually, it became how I actually felt. Smoking stopped looking appealing.

2. When I felt down, I learned more.

Watching videos and reading about smoking, addiction and recovery helped me remember why I wanted to quit. Having something useful to watch or read gave me somewhere to turn when my motivation dipped.

3. I kept taking breaks.

You can still go outside, take a walk, sit quietly or have five minutes to yourself. Giving up smoking doesn’t mean giving up the time you used to take for yourself. Keep the break; change what you do during it.

4. I kept my progress somewhere I could see it.

Try any app that tracks your days without smoking. Seeing what you’ve already achieved can help when your confidence drops.

There are tons out there, find the one you like. I used RespiraLibre because I liked seeing the lung recovery milestones as the days added up, along with the health rings and alarm button for difficult moments. I also have Smoke Free downloaded. Try a few, having more than one can be useful when you need a boost.

5. I treated myself.

Have small things to look forward to. Enjoy a treat, give yourself some downtime and celebrate the milestones. Quitting doesn’t have to feel like a punishment.

6. Think about the person I wanted to be

We all have different dreams to achieve in live. For me it was the perfect time to think about the person I wanted to be. I pictured that person, and obviously it was a none smoker. And I repeted the persion I wanted to be often.

For me, repeatedly changing how I saw cigarettes made the biggest difference. Over time, I stopped feeling like I was giving something up.

What helps you when you need a reminder to keep going?

I just did something really stressful and was just full of anxiety. My partner is home, so I snuck a cigarette and a lighter and said I was going for a walk. I turned the corner and got it out and stood there for a long time without lighting it. It was really hard, but I ended up tossing it in the trash and coming home, without taking even a puff. I'm still stressed and anxious, and still want that smoke, but I'm trying to hang tough.

Here’s to another 24. Wish me luck guys

25F, been smoking for 3 years now. Gave a good look at myself in the mirror and was heartbroken.

My skin is dry, rough and looks weird, almost gray?

All my clothes smell like smoke, no matter how much perfume I use.

My teeth have a subtle, almost yellow tint, that was not there before I started smoking.

I've not been smoking for long, but I can already see so many changes. I decided to throw my pack in the trashcan, buy a shit ton of gum, and stop this nonsense. Wish me strength!

40y male , smoking since 18 , smoking 30 cigarettes aday , finally cold turkey quit last year thanks to Reddit and success stories and motivation i took the step and keep go forward and never look back, to be honest alot of depression and hard sleep and lack of dopamine, but i choose to think about to keep going

Now after one year , i have better breathing and saved money and the most important aroll modle to my kids not to see me smoking and know that smoking is very bad happit need to stay away,

For the last couple of weeks have that bad feeling to smoke again, its very strong its mental fight not just craving , i know with this one cigarette the beast will take the control back and feal guilty,

Wonder if any one have the same experience and could help with the advise it will be appreciated and thanks in advance.

I am at an inpatient program for recovering addicts where I cannot vape. I can smoke cigarettes and they do provide you with cigarettes here but I am 20 weeks pregnant so that's a no go and I wanted to stop smoking altogether eventually anyways.

They can provide patches (which doesn't do shit for me) or 10 nicotine gums daily... But I find myself popping 2-3 in at one time throughout the day. Yes it works, and I don't even think about touching a cigarette when I do this, but that's 8-12mg nicotine at one given time all day.

My question is - is this WORSE than smoking a few cigarettes daily? what is better for baby's health?

I do feel like it will be much easier cutting down on gum than it would be cigarettes and I haven't smoked cigs in years anyways.... It's just the only option here at the facility besides gum or patches which is ass backwards imo, especially cuz this is a program FOR pregnant females and women with children.

Tough as fuck today. Cant deny it

I just weened myself down from 12 mg pouches for a few years to 3 mg pouches and as of today I'm just not using them at all. I don't know if I'm supposed to feeling okay or suffering even the tiniest but of withdrawal but I think I'm fine?

Ive realy struggled today with not smoking. No reason that I could put a finger on. Just the strong desire for a cigarette multiple times in my day. I thought i was past the worst of my cravings but it seems not. Just here to vent, without a cigarette .

Hey all!

I finally made the conscious decision to quit smoking cold turkey but after reading the Allan Carr book. The book really helped me after 16 years of smoking 1+ pack a day but it's definately not an 'easy way'. In these 9 days i smoked three cigs from a friend which is better than the 180 i would have smoked otherwise and i don't kick myself for smoking those.

I've had the smokers flu, or actual flu but that would be a big coincidence and occasional cravings but those are quite easy to handle because i now know what harm smoking brings. What is crazy though is the depression! I am feeling SO dark and down, i feel like i want to just jump of a rooftop and i feel an immense sense of grief like my parents have just died. Sometimes random memories of my past come back which didn't happen when smoking.

Is this my brain rewiring because of all the constant little dopamine hits? What other psychological effects could i expect in the future? I'd love to see some experiences and anecdotes from you fellow quitters :)

I’ve been smoking for almost 5 years, and lately, I’ve been feeling really unhealthy. I wake up struggling to breathe, I’ve lost a lot of weight, and I barely eat once a day.

There was a time when I used to go running, play guitar, and work out regularly. Now I don’t feel motivated to do any of those things anymore.
Something has to change. Today, I smoked my last cigarette and threw away the pack.

I’m also starting my PhD tomorrow, and I don’t want to spend this new chapter of my life putting things off anymore. I want to get back to feeling like myself again, to being active, and most importantly, to being able to breathe freely.

If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading. I’d really appreciate any tips, advice, or personal experiences that might help me get through this. ❤️

It’s been about 1.5years no vape. You guys have been super helpful! Hopefully, i stay vape free. If I can survive current events without vaping, hopefully, it never appeals to me again!
Thanks for the support!
Hugs!!!

I recently asked my doctor for resources to help me quit smoking. I've been a smoker for nearly 30 years now and it's way past time to quit. I have gum, patches, and chantix arriving today.

This feels impossible but I know it's not. 😬

I smoked about a pack a day for 18 years and decided to quit this week. I last smoked 2 days ago and put on a 21mg patch for the first time today about 5 hours ago. I sucked on a 4mg lozenge twice today. I feel waves of jitters and get warm/sweaty here and there. I work a labor intensive job outside in Florida.. I'm mostly curious how many days the symptoms last because I'm nervous my heart rate will spike at work.. I'm able to calm down the anxiety if I sit and collect my thoughts, but I really want to not feel this way anymore 🥹

I quit smoking on April 1st & I still get a lot more urges than I thought I would. But, last night, for the first time I had vivid dreams that I was smoking. This morning I woke up with such an urge for a cigarette. I feel like I am going backwards.

Anybody preparing for competitive exams and feel quittin smoking will hamper your productivity

My last time (2024) i relapsed because my productivity was being hampered after like 2 months due to sudden emptiness I felt in my daily schedule

So need advise from lads here how they dealt with it

Thanks

I’m 27 and after 13 years of smoking last thursday i just decided to stop. i’ve never tried to quit before and was getting through 30g of tobacco every 4 days. I started vaping slightly and have been listening to the easy way. last night while out having some drinks my vape died and I had one cigarette. Didn’t really enjoy it that much and don’t really feel like I need to beat myself up over it. Is this something people would consider a failure, or is this an understandable slip up to have in a longer process to quitting?

Hey guys 😊
I was mainly what they call a “social smoker” I only used to smoke with friends or in parties. Unfortunately, I had a burnout and started smoking because it felt the only moment that I could really breathe and be calm. I’m struggling a lot to quit because I have a lot of alone time, and for my husband smoking is also a great deal breaker.

Any tips?

Thank you!

First off, I do a Benzo taper. Last time I tried I got consumed by thought loops at 8pm, 2 hours before work finished, maybe in 6 months, maybe in a month, maybe in a week, sure one right now won't hurt. And I could not fight me way through even on the benzo taper.

My benzo regime is here attached.

For the first 3 days I also take a 1mg Xanax at 8pm (2 hours before work finishes) and bed time with my bed time diazepam. This takes the edge of the gigantic cravings that come from "working/busy all day" to "now what the fuck to do I do for 5 hours before bed".

But the single best thing I did was write a note for myself two weeks ago, two of them actually, that completeley cut out those thought loops.

The first short one, I needed to read it twice yesterday before the first valium kicked in and before my 8pm xanax kicked in.

STUPID NICOTINE MONKEY
Don't answer it.
There is nothing to decide.

Stand up.
Change rooms / change activity.
Drink water.
Have a shower.
Make proper food if hungry.
Do something else for 45 minutes.

No nicotine decisions while craving.

And the second one, for if a craving REALLY kicks in:

THERE IS NOTHING TO DECIDE

Not today.
Not with a drink.
Not in a month.
Not in six months.
Not ever.

I want healthy lungs and a capable body — not emphysema progressing toward oxygen tanks and disability.

I want calm. Nicotine creates the discomfort that makes me reach for more nicotine.

I want freedom when I travel. I don't want flights, airports or anywhere else dictated by when I can next vape.

I want my money spent on things I actually value.

I want <DAUGHTERS NAME> to grow up with a healthy father who does not need nicotine to function.

Nicotine is not helping me function. Needing nicotine is the handicap.

When my brain says:
“Maybe later.”
“Maybe in a few weeks.”
“Maybe just tonight.”

That is the addiction negotiating. I do not answer it.

No “just today, try again tomorrow.”

Conversation over. Change activity.

These two short pieces of paper. PLUS changing my routiune. I have asked me wife and nanny to leave all washing dishes me for me to do after work. I went for an hour walk with absolutely 0 access to money via app, card or otherwise, I played a video game for 40 minutes and then I went to bed.

Guys, nothing can stop me this time. The Nicotine Money literally has nothing to say, no standing in court, no information that could possibly be debated. That is the key to a successfuly quit where you do not give that stupid monkey the space it needs to trick you into thinkin one more one won't hurt.

I (18M) have been smoking cigarettes regularly for abt 2 years. I really want to get off it. Im doing a thing where i only smoke on the weekends and not more than 3 a day. Is this okay or what more could I be doing? pls help.

I started on August 31 with nicotine patches. I was on 21mg patches, and went down to 14mg this week. I'm following the regimen, and it's working well. I feel like a fraud though, because I haven't really fully quit, still getting my nicotine fix with the patches.

I'm confident I won't relapse because I now only associate cigarettes with a sore throat, feeling shame every time I bought a pack, sleeping like crap, and not being able to afford the things I do want. But still, it doesn't feel like I've "earned" it because of the patches.

Just venting.