Shared Stories
Benefit of Quitting
``I recently celebrated my 2-year anniversary of quitting smoking. Well, of finally quitting. Like most smokers, I had tried to quit smoking many times and failed. But this quit attempt stuck, and I'd like to share the top 10 things that made this quit successfully when the others failed.``
Member stories
``I realized that my previous attempts at quitting had failed because I had never really thought about my smoking as drug addiction. I realized that I needed a more thoughtful plan than, “I’m just not going to smoke” and that to free myself from this addiction I could benefit a lot from the help and support of others and by learning more about smoking and about addiction.``
Barb's story
``The best part about quitting is that you are creating a new life for yourself. I've said before that I think we become completely different people when we quit smoking. We have to learn to deal with our new emotions - ones that were suppressed or medicated before.``
Readers' stories of how they quit smoking
Stinky Grandma
I'm so lucky to have two wonderful grandchildren, but because I smoked, I was missing exciting milestones. Can you believe that I missed being there for Sophia's first word because I stepped out to smoke? It hurt to miss those precious moments.
Glad I Quit
I got divorced about 15 years ago and started smoking. It felt good to go out to the bar and blow off steam. Soon I was up to a pack a day. My friend asked me if I would ever consider quitting. At first, I wasn't sure I could, so I decided to slowly cut down on the number of cigarettes I smoked and see how I did. After five months, I was down to a half-a-pack per week. Feeling bolder, I set my quit date.
Lost Husband
I lost my husband a few years ago to cancer. I felt lost and lonely after he passed. He'd been my constant companion for over 50 years! I wasn't about to give up my independence and move in with my children, or an assisted living.
Couldn't Move
I couldn't climb a flight of stairs or play fetch with the dogs without being short of breath. Even a short walk with the dogs could make me wheeze. I'd always been afraid that if I quit smoking I'd gain weight, but I couldn't live like this anymore. I'd tried to quit three times in 45 years, but I'd always had moments of weakness and gone back to smoking.
Become a Facilitator
You are not alone. You can learn a lot about quitting from others who have quit smoking. As you build your quit plan, think about the ways these former smokers were able to stop smoking and stay smokefree.
Look at Family
I knew the health risks, but I never worried about my health. I thought that as long as I stayed active, I'd be fine. The day before my youngest son's 20th birthday, I had serious chest pains that landed me in the hospital. When I woke up, I was told that I had suffered a heart attack and needed two stents. I felt 90 at 64.