I quit smoking 3 years ago. Tell me not to smoke tonight. I really want to.

[applegrove]

[one_voice]

1. Don't smoke! Drink some water...

go for a walk, anything but don't smoke. I quite last Sept. since I quit, my husband had a heart attack, my 16 year old nephew died, and today my granny died. I didn't smoke, and I was around my sister who does smoke. You can get through/past whatever kicked up this craving!

Stay strong.

[applegrove]

3. Thank you. Yes my problems are big today. I can get through this without giving up my quit.

Thanks.

[struggle4progress]

2. Don't do it. You can't handle a smoke. One puff and you'll suddenly be at a pack a day.

Face it: you're a cigarette addict. It's a lot like being an alcoholic. Have a nice piece of chocolate, maybe a few sips of OJ, and enjoy breathing the fresh air

[applegrove]

4. You are so right. I'll be smoking a pack a day if I have one. Thank you.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

12. Years ago, after I'd quit smoking for ten years, I had "one."

Within short order I was up to two packs a day.

In June 2002, I quit cold turkey. I didn't have a ceremonial "last cigarette"...whichever one was my last one, I didn't know it at the time. My mom had just died and I knew I was either going to quit or double the number of cigarettes I was already smoking. I figured I was in so much pain from her passing that I wouldn't notice the monkey clawing at my back.

The last two years of my life have been so fucking terrible I can't even put it into words. A few people on DU know what I've been through...most do not. If I had a passing thought about having a cigarette once in the last two years, I've had a passing thought 1000 times.

But pass they did, and I haven't had a cigarette since 2002. I did it, you can do it. Trust me, it won;t make the pain go away. It will just give you a new source of pain.

Vibes headed your way as we speak.

:hug:

[applegrove]

13. Thanks for your sage advice.

[krispos42]

5. Think of the children!

Hey, it works in "The Simpsons"....



but don't smoke. Really. Each time you light up, God kills a puppy.



A really cute puppy with big brown eyes and a waggly tail and a wet nose. SO DON'T DO IT!
















You're thinking about it, aren't you?










DON'T SMOKE!!!

[applegrove]

7. Thank you. That puppy is a great help. Made me LOL!

[krispos42]

10. Ah, the power of chocolate-drop eyes...

[bigwillq]

6. Eat carrot sticks

or stalks of celery. Exercise. Don't smoke!

Wish I could take my own advice.

Good luck. :hug:

[applegrove]

8. Thanks. I appreciate your input.

[PotatoChip]

9. No, no, no!

Try treating yourself to something you love but rarely do for yourself. Or go for a walk like one of the other posters suggested. Anything but a smoke.

Good luck. I've been there and know how much those cravings suck. You've done great! 3 years is something to be proud of! Don't let a weak moment bring you down. Easier said then done (I know) but you can do it. I'm sure everyone here is rooting for you. I certainly am! :hi:

[applegrove]

11. Thank you.

[sparklebunny]

14. Wow do I know that feeling

I quit a little over 2 years ago. No matter what happens, you can deal with it better without smoke and, no matter what happens, smoke isn't going to make anything better ever ever ever.

That's my mantra and I'm stickin' to it. Hope it helps. Hang tough, you can do it!

[applegrove]

15. Thanks.

[Skittles]

16. do you really want to reset that quit clock, applegrove?

I WILL KICK YOUR SMOKING ASS

[applegrove]

17. That is sweet. You are all helping me so much.

[nolabear]

18. Tell you what, Bud. You don't smoke and I won't eat.

Pact? It would help me a lot too.

[applegrove]

20. Thank you. You got a pact!

[marzipanni]

19. Don't do it!

Your lungs are so pretty in pink!

[applegrove]

21. Yes they are. Thank you so much.

[RSillsbee]

37. When I was in nursing school

some one brought in two pairs of pig lungs one clean of smoke and one that they put about 20 pack years on. They looked very similar to your photos above.

The thing that really stuck w/ me was the dumb ass that did the demo had emphysema and stillsmoked.

That sais , when I worked in the ER at Evans Hospital as a medic we'd have your occasional CPOD Pt present and sometimes diein our ER. I always remember after the code all the smokers (including me) would run out to the smoke hole and puff one down all the while bitching that we were going to end up just like that GOMER if we didn't quit

[marzipanni]

38. Yeah, I've been hearing about the new cigarette pack photos

I'm pretty sure no scare tactics can change minds, once the person is addicted.
But my mom smoked when I was a kid and I hated it, and when I was ten my class went to the science museum where I saw models of lungs like the ones in the photo I posted-those two things affected me. When I was about sixteen a friend was cajoling me to try an 'English Oval' in the backseat of a car. Just to get him off my back I took a puff, said "YUCK- No thanks!" and never puffed on anything but a bit of mj after that.

Interesting 'Fresh Air' I just listened to this a.m., about addiction to anything
http://www.npr.org/2011/06/23/137348338/compass-of-pleasure-why-some-things-feel-so-good

[rurallib]

22. Did you give in?????

I am betting you didn't!

Take about ten deep breaths and the craving will go away.

[applegrove]

25. Thank you.

[SCantiGOP]

23. I'll hit three years this August

Feel much better. Don't have to cough up some disgusting crap every morning. But, still want one. If I find out the end-of-the-world asteroid is heading this way I'll run to the nearest store and buy me a carton of Marlboros.
Other big advantage: SC is one of the lowest cigarette taxed states, but they are still $5 a pack here. Someone recently told me they were over $10 a pack in NYC.

[marzipanni]

28. I think ex-smokers should have a ciggy bank

$5.00 divided by 20 = .25¢ so each time you think of a cig- drop a quarter in the bank.

A former pack-a day'er would have saved $35.00/week or $1820.00/year;
in New York a former pack-a-day'er would have saved $70.00/week or $3640.00/year.

I'd plan a nice trip with that kind of money!

[AngryAmish]

24. One little cigarette can't possibly hurt...

[rurallib]

33. SKITTLES!!!! TROUBLEMAKER!!!!

[Tikki]

26. The old column A/ column B...list why you quit...

Why it was important to quit and then write why it is important to smoke again.


Most who smoke a cigarette again will smoke more.

My wish for you; a stress free day.


Tikki

[BlueIris]

27. I have no respect for smokers anymore.

None.

[LynneSin]

29. If you smoke you help elect republicans

http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/indus.php?ind=A02

[Habibi]

30. Hope you made it.

Now go get yourself a nice massage or pedicure as a reward!

[Manifestor_of_Light]

31. Chew gum. Take up knitting and crocheting.

[Arkansas Granny]

39. Funny you should say that. I quit in January and I've been crocheting like a mad woman.

[Taverner]

32. If you crave the drug, get either the patch or the gum

That has helped me many times.

If you crave the act of smoking, take a Bic Biro, put in some vicks vapor rub on the end, and suck out the front.

[astral]

34. Don't do it !! Do something else for yourself instead...

Get some malted milk balls or some chocolate covered raisins . . . . or some pistachios . . . . take a candlight bath with Epsom Salts and some essential oils....

Lay down and watch some stand-up comedy .... buy yourself some pretty flowers (that smell nice) ....

Any time I relapsed on quitting smoking it was after less than a year without cigarettes. And I always broke down and just went back to smoking, putting off my 'next quit date' over and over and over again ...... aaargh!!!

Now I've made it past a year in fact I'm close to ten ... and I still once in a while kind of wish I could have a smoke! But I know some other kind of diversion okay, even if it involves burning gasoline and ingesting caffeine, will help take that edge off.

[Aristus]

35. Don't smoke! Just think: you're paying a billion-dollar multinational corporation

for the privilege of poisoning you to death.


Surely, you have better things to do with the money...

[RSillsbee]

36. As hard as it was to quit 3 years ago was as easy as it's ever going to be for you

I quit 16 years ago it can be done

[Stuart G]

40. Congratulations on 3 years...please don't start again..please..

very hard addiction to beat, and starting again..will hurt you...

Yea, you want it..so? what else is new..I got 11 months of sugar free days..
no chocolate, ice cream, candy, cookies etc. It is hell. I want..
so...fuck it, lots of thinks I want and i don't get,.

Have a chocolate bar for me. Have some icecream for me, have a pound of candy for me.
don't start smoking for you.