Omg you sound just like me. My teeth aren't horrible but they are yellow-ish and I hate it. I quit when I was preggo but started up again after. My singing is f-ed too now and I too started at 12 but am almost 27.

I know someone asked to have this forum made, so we'll try and get more people here and figure out a good support system.

Jess

I tell myself all kinds of things about smoking. Sometimes I think, "how would I ever be able to enjoy a meal again if I couldn't have a cigarette afterward?"

and other times I think, "do people really think i'm disgusting?"

smoking is a constant battle for me. Some days, I want so badly to be "clean." other days, I just don't care. It's like I know I need to; there's no question about that.....But I don't know how to get the motivation (and sustain it) to quit permanently.

*sigh* sorry, I know y'all were looking more for i-quit-and-didn't-look-back-and-this-is-ho w-i-did-it stories. Just thought I would share, though.

I too wish to quit smoking....And willpower is 100% of the battle! If your missing that 10% that's when you slip and go back to it. One little stress...A bad day a work, an argument at home or an added financial stress. Any excuse...We've told ourselves for years that....We enjoy smoking, it's a stress reliever etc ....Now it's time to unbrainwash ourselves and start putting more positive messages in our heads.

Why do we want to quit? Add yours:
i don't want to have a heart attack.
I don't want to die of cancer.
I don't want to pollute the air around my loved ones.
I don't want to waste much needed money.
I don't want to be a slave to a nasty habit.
I don't want my breath to smell like an ashtray.
I don't want to lose all my teeth.
I don't want those extra lines on my face.

I do want to see my children and possible grandchildren grow up.

I'm all for setting up a support system...If anyone else is interested. :)

I don't want to find out I have lung cancer.
I don't want to breathe through a tube in my throat.
I don't want to walk a block and feel like I just walked 50.
I don't want my voice to get raspy.

Those are some of my "don't wants." a support system is desparately needed for me to quit, I think, and I think this forum is going to be the start of a wonderful thing.

I've started smoking almost from my childhood... I've braked up successfully for few years but i've started again now :evil: :evil:
i was thinking that this is only a game because my experience gave me confidence... But yesterday I suddenly understood that I was too self confident and i've find myself in a cage...
So I came here to share my experience, to give and to have a support...

On line...

I think you have a great idea there spirit, and I know exactly what you mean nathalie. I feel the exact same way, I don't really feel I need to smoke, moreso than I want to smoke. It's almost become a normalcy for me...Kinda like becomming instatutionalized...Which makes a lot of sense being a prisoner to a habit.

But lately...Man. I used to be in such great shape, now I constantly feel sick, one thing or another, and no doc has a bloody clue what's wrong with me. I know it's probably not directly related to smoking, but I do know that if I can drop the cigs, and get back inot my old workout routine, I can at least feel that much better in the meantime.

But yeah spirit, i'm all up for helping out in whatever way I can, or to listen and implement ideas. Just drop me a line here...If you can? Or if not, then i'll hook you up with my email addy.

Sorry you feel so poorly songwriter, perhaps if you list your symptoms and try to be as specific as possible someone can help. It's one thing to quit this habit and quite another to bring our bodies up to par again. We've all gotten older and with age the body starts to degenerate, even if your only 25 you've spent many years abusing your body. Or if your like me you'll drink a beer/coffee, smoke, eat junkfood and then try to balance it off with the occasional salad or carrot stick..........I know it's not good enough so we all gotta do more to help our bodies and minds, otherwise we may not see our kids grow up never mind our grandkids.
I hate this stuff and I .W.I.L.L give it up!!! :)

I quit smoking easily. Just have to change the way you think about smoking.

Pm me if you want to know how I did.

Ps this is not a sales pitch. I get nothing out of this, only the enjoyment I have helped people escape nicotene.

Again, I get not benefit from doing this in any way.

I will give you a hint, I just read a book. A simple book. It was like a magic button.

Hi Songwriter,

I'm not sure if you have quit smoking yet or not, but maybe I can help give you some advice that may help you to quit.

Using willpower is not the way to go. As much as it seems like that's what you need to do, it is actually counterproductive. Using willpower means that you are fighting yourself. You are literally trying to battle something that is not tangible. Your craves. This will only wear you down and make you feel exhausted quitting smoking.


Don't fuel the crave with fear. Fear only intensifies the crave and this is where the willpower method doesn't work. When you try to fight off the crave, you are inadvertantly putting your body in the same mode as the crave does. You are putting yourself into a fight or flight mode.

This is basically what a crave is. When nicotine metabolizes, the chemical interaction creates a fight or flight feeling. The edginess. The heightened anxiety. When you try to fend off your crave, you are only intensifying the feeling that the crave is causing. This is making it worse.

The trick is to not trying to be stronger than addiction, but to be smarter than it. Instead of trying to go toe to toe with your craves and try to fight it off. Try to calmly acknowledge it. Embrace it and feel it for what it really is. It is only an uncomfortable feeling. It won't hurt you. It won't make you bleed. It will most likely just annoy you.

The crave will pass whether you smoke or not.

Also, let me quote you here: " I don't really feel I need to smoke, moreso than I want to smoke. It's almost become a normalcy for me...Kinda like becomming instatutionalized...Which makes a lot of sense being a prisoner to a habit. "

The truth is, it isn't that you want to smoke. It is you have to smoke. If it was about wanting to smoke, then you would be able to do it whenever you wanted and you wouldn't be on this forum. Correct?

Also and this is so important to quitting smoking. Smoking is not a habit. It is an addiction. An addiction to nicotine. This is why it is so tied into your life. This has brainwashed you into thinking on some level that smoking does something for you. Please don't take offense to this statement, because I was also brainwashed. All smokers are.

Educate yourself about this addiction. It will set you free.

Understand contrary to popular belief, especially on a lot of quit smoking boards, that quitting is not forever. What makes quitting feel like a life long process for a lot of people is the fact that they still believe on some level that smoking does something for them. Smoking does nothing for anyone. It only does to them.

The physical part of quitting actually plays a small part in quitting. It is the association triggers and brainwashing that plays the biggest role.

Craves do not last forever. The only people who have craves forever are people that don't quit smoking.

Good luck,

Eric

I too have been smoking from a young age. I started when I was 15 and I love being social and hanging out with people but -everybody- I know is a smoker. I am 22 now and smoke half a pack a day. A lot of it is during work (I am a nurse aide) because it is so stressful, but I also smoke a lot just to relax or when I'm with friends. When I go out to the bars on the weekend I can literally smell the nicotine on my clothes and I hate it, but it just feels so good, and so right, every time I light up. It puts a smile on my face to feel the cig in my lungs and I don't know what to do about it. Its like I hate doing it but I also love it so much.

As I said all of my friends are smokers so even trying to go without for a little while I have people literally shoving smokes in my mouth and I'm all too happy to take them.

It disgusts me and makes me sick that putting this poison inside of me has become a normal and acceptable social habit that all of my friends are happy to keep me doing, it feels so useless to try and fight it and the frustration of not being able to quit just makes me want to smoke more..

Kira

Hi, My name is CJ. I have been smoking for 15 years, I smoke about a pack a day. I have tried quitting so many times, I am getting so frustrated!!!! I want to do this, I don't know why I keep going back. I am a closet smoker and as far as my family knows I quit smoking on January 7th. I want to be around to watch my children grow up............I would really appreciate any help that I could get!!!!

CJ

Hi guys. Well I've smoked for 15 years. And I've decided to make it my new years resolution to quit. So has of today. Jan 1st, 08. 8:38pm, I have not had a smoke! Pretty proud of myself for making it all day. I know i still have a long way to go. But it does'nt seem so bad right now. I'm not taking anything... I'm doing this cold Turkey!!! And yes.. I've done Cold Turkey before.. made it for 9 months... Let's hope I can go further and stay off of em for good...
Take care guys...
Robyn

iv been smoking latley, and im 13. it is more a pier presure really i havent been smoking in about 2 weeks. but every time my friend comes over i smoke im trying realy hard to stop

Its when smoking starts young that it seems to do the most damage. I know somone who was raped and then started smoking because it made her feel better and now she's addicted. I have a couple of suggestions - I hope that they can help. Firstly, to reward yourself with something for every day or regular period of time that you go without a ciggy. Just to clarify, DON"T reward yourself with another ciggy. Secondly, have somebody accountable for you - organize to tell them at the end of the day how many you've had, hopefully this can help you feel guilty. Two are stronger than one. You could also call this person when you get the craving. Thirdly, know you can do it, as most smokers who successfully quit smoking fail several times before success. A good rescource is: "http://www.anti-smoking.org/quitting.htm" .