Quit Smoking Stories

Quit Smoking Stories

All former smokers have very personal stories about their quit experience. Many
stories are filled with frustration. The frustration of relapsing or difficult withdrawal
cravings. Some are brought on by a challenging diagnosis at a physician's office.
Perhaps lung or heart disease is what finally brings smokers to the realization that
it's time to quit.

But whatever the reason, the end is the same...victory over nicotine. When trying to
quit smoking, it is important to draw from other people's quit experience. I will often
tell my patients to read as many smoking cessation experiences as they can to gain
insight or inspiration; anything that will help them learn how to stop smoking.

They say wisdom is learning from someone else's mistakes or experiences. This is
what makes support groups so helpful. People are able to share their stories with
others about what worked for them and what didn't. Being able to identify with other
people who are struggling just like you can be the difference between a successful
quit attempt or a relapse.

So we want to hear your story. We would like to publish them on this website. Don't
worry, we will "change" your name to protect your identity. But your quit story could be
the one missing piece for someone else. Or their story could help you as you
navigate through your own quit experience.

So use the link below and tell us of your experience. Who knows, we may just
publish it here for other people to gain inspiration. Here are a couple of great tales
of how people just like you decided to finally put down the cigarettes.

Smoking Stories

"Phil" had never tried to quit smoking, although he had thought about it many times.
Finally, when his youngest kid graduated college, he decided on the drive home to
throw the cigarettes, match and monogrammed lighter out the window. I guess he
supposed the lack of stress brought on by kids no longer living in his house, was a
good enough reason to quit.

Prior to that fateful drive back home, he was smoking anywhere from one half to one
pack of cigarettes per day. He had smoked for over 45 years. His turning point was
actually throwing out his lighter, given to him as a gift by his family, some 10 or so
years earlier. Once the lighter was gone, he figured he wouldn't look back on his
decision.

"Mike" had tried chewing nicotine gum, wearing patches and just about every other
nicotine replacement there was. Despite these earlier relapses, he still wanted to
quit. The problem was, his life was a disaster. He drank a lot, went out a lot and
wasn't much fun for other people to be around. Finally, he decided to clean up. He
stopped drinking so much, cleaned up his house and truck. Made a commitment to
be a better husband and dad.

As a very small-town mechanic, he couldn't really afford to keep smoking and
drinking anyway. But he knew he couldn't do this by himself. So he called up his
doctor and the two of them talked about what didn't work in his previous quit
attempts, which weren't real quit attempts, as he describes. They were just shams to
keep his family from jumping all over him. Anyway, he was prescribed Chantix and
warned to use it correctly.

He's been smoke-free ever since. He didn't have any of the crazy dreams or weird
thoughts that others have reported when taking Chantix. So he felt pretty good about
the process. He tells us the key to his quitting was hitting rock bottom. His wife was
about to leave him and he was going to lose his job if something "drastic" didn't
happen. That was over 5 years ago. He used to smoke 2 packs per day and was 50
years old.