I waited for the desire to quit smoking to come to me. I had tried to stop ten years ago but without any real conviction. Then one morning about a year and a half ago, I was outside smoking the last cigarette in my packet and it was so cold it was snowing. I realized that part of my actions were dictated by tobacco, and that made me want to stand up to it. I decided to free myself and I quit. I'd been smoking for 20 years, and the desire to quit only came to me once in all that time. I didn't want to miss the boat. Tobacco left my life just like that, and I didn't miss it, because I defied it. I also defied all the people who told me I'd only last a month, and then 2 months, then 6 months, then a year My defiance allowed me to never let down my guard.

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I quit about 5 months ago and after many several attempts to stop smoking and this is the first time I have felt confident that I will not smoke again, because this is the first time I have realised that I don't want to smoke, I don't like to smoke, and that I really never did. Once I understood that there's a lot of misinformation about smoking I felt free from the trap. After that it was actually easy. The benefits of not smoking far out-weigh any desire to have a cigarette ever again.

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Hi, everyone. Cigarettes and I, we had a great love affair. I smoked for 22 years and I tried to quit lots of times (at least 6), and failed every time. I stopped smoking for two years but still thought that one or two cigarettes a day couldn't do me any harm. That's how I started again every time I didn't want to give up the enjoyment of smoking a cig with my friends on a night out or at work. Unfortunately, that just meant that I lapsed back into being a smoker. You smoke one, and then two and before you know it, you're smoking 10 a day. Now I no longer smoke at all and I've learnt the hard way that the most important thing if you want to quit for good is never to touch another cigarette, even months or years after quitting. Thanks.

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I wrote a testimony for this site in 2003, when I was 42 years old and struggling to quit smoking. I quit on and off in the years following, and when I was 50, learned that I had cancer which had started in my airway and grown into my left lung. Although not technically a "lung cancer", I'm sure all those years of smoking didn't help. Also breathing in hair dye, because I was a hairstylist. I had to have my left lung removed, which is major surgery. Luckily I survived. I have never smoked again. I sometimes wistfully think about the (psychological) relaxing effect of smoking a cigarette, but I know it's not real, and all the pain and suffering it causes is not worth it. I'm 60 now and living my best life. But having one lung is a constant reminder of my poor choices in regards to smoking.

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After smoking for 33 years knew I wanted to give up 10 years ago and have several attempts. About 2 months ago I decided I had to try again. I brought a box of Nicotine patches which I have found kills the craving and my usual amount of tobacco. I started with the patches and a promise to myself not to buy any more tobacco and for the next couple of weeks only smoked a couple a day, almost always at night. Knowing the tobacco was running out I approached the day of reckoning without knowing if I could hold out and resist the temptation to buy more. I was still using patches but something would trigger it and the thought of having a smoke would invade my brain. I did the distraction thing a few times, got drunk more often than I should and ate snack food. I thought about reneging on my promise or recycling tobacco scraps (butts). Today is 6 weeks since I "gave up", 4 weeks since I smoked a cigarette and 2 weeks since I used a patch. I tell myself I've taken up "not smoking" . I know I'll feel bad for couple of month as my body starts to repair, I never want to smoke again so I'll just have the cope. Thanks for all the great stories everyone, it helps.

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Dear Readers, I have been smoking for 37 years and this is my third serious attempt and it will be the final one. I will never smoke again, ever. I know this because I will not fall into the traps which caused me to start again. Always an excuse, the fact that I felt amazing, what could one cigarette do, I would just have one, etc... Once you quit, its forever, you can never have one again. I suffer from asthma and recently had trouble breathing, especially at night, coughing and wheezing was keeping me awake. A month ago, I woke up and thought to myself, if I don't stop and listen to my body, this smoking will kill me. I ordered a high-end running machine, and started a beginners training. Its been over three weeks now. At first I could hardly breathe and now I run every day, fragmented walk and run, building it up. I am so proud that I can actually run for 2 x 15 minutes with a 2 minute walk in between and am progressing daily. It has kept my weight off, and I am feeling fitter than ever before. I sleep really well, my skin looks great. I still think of smoking often, but still have acid-reflux sometimes, which will go, but is there to keep me in check... our bodies are amazing and forgiving, I have learnt to listen and trust it. Learn to live and quit

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Its been almost 7 months since i quit smoking but i am still facing constipation, acid reflux, belching, flatulence , allergies & heart palpitations and i am seriously worried, i have been to so many health stops but none of them seems to help , i have long changed my diet to try and alleviate the symptoms but it's just keep complicating things for me, ever since i quit i never held a cigarette nor a beer for about 5 months, Guys i need your help on how to deal with these sufferings !

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I started smoking in my teens. I have consistently smoked 3/4 of a pack a day for at least 20 years. The last 10 years I have had a chronic cough and some wheezing. I seriously tried to quit about 3 times. I never made it past a month without falling for the old "I can have just ONE, I've been so GOOD" bullshit. This time I am using patches and gum. I've been "ex-smoker" for 5 weeks now. The patches have made a big difference. Other than missing my smokes a couple times a day, I am doing just fine. I think about it less every day. I know this time that I cannot ever have even ONE cigarette. The thought depresses me but I am committed. I do not want to die young from a smoking related illness. I do not want my (nonsmoking) husband to have to watch me die, or help me lug around an oxygen tank. I started a fitness regime about a year ago, and I think that being physically fit has also helped me this time around. Its nice to breathe easier during workouts. I also enjoy laying next to my husband without worrying about wheezing or coughing. I think the time was finally right for me to quit. Still, it is the hardest thing I have ever done.

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