Best of luck to all of you trying to beat this awful habit. I quit March 13, 2000 after smoking for 17 years. I found out a month earlier that I was pregnant with my daughter and though I did not quit (but cut down) when I was pregnant with my son, I thought that this would be the time to make it final. I tried to gradually cut down for a month and it didn't work. I ran out of cigarettes when at work and I had no money on me. I would have had to go to the bank to take money out to buy them and I thought--this is ridiculous, taking money out of the bank. I didn't go to the bank that day and the rest is history.
The way I got through it was like this. Take it one minute at a time, then 10 minutes at a time, then a half hour at a time, then an hour, then a few hours, then a day, then a week, then a month, get the picture? When I got cravings, I would tell myself, 'I got through the last minute, I can make it one more minute.' And I would continue this until the craving went away. If you can go an hour without a cigarette, you can go the next hour without a cigarette. Set small goals, they are less difficult. Picture yourself 10 minutes from now or an hour from now rather than a year from now.
I still get cravings from certain triggers but they go away as quickly as they come. I still need a "fixation" when I do certain things. Like I need coffee or water when I drive. My mother quit after 40 years of smoking 2 packs a day. She's been smoke-free for over 10 years now and uses tic-tacs for her fixation. If she can do it, anyone can!!!
I give anyone who's tried and succeeded as well as anyone who's tried and not succeeded a lot of credit. I hope you all succeed.
