you have not failed , you are still trying to give up, i took a cig the other day , and started to give up again the next day, just dont stop trying to give up, FACT, Most people try many many times to give up before they do it. it takes 3 months for lung funtion to improve. the third day is the hardest it peaks and stays that way for up 3 months. take one day at a time. try patches there good .gosh it is so bloody hard, i punch my pillow in the mornings sometimes and i scream in it when my breath alows me to.i never carry money just enough for i want at the shops , so none spare to buy fags, when i get to the shop. try straws when you want one. 12 hours all nicotine leaves the body, 24 hours your lungs start to kick out all that crap. 3 days what fags put in the body has gone,you will smell nicer. your ego will be so big after giving up you will love yourself. you can do this. 20 days is fantastic , you did so well.

Zenna gave you good advice, and I will add my bit. For me, I think of myself as an addict, only I am addicted to nicotine rather than alcohol or a myriad of other drugs. When an alcoholic ceases to drink, the very first thing for him/her to remember is never have that first drink...it usually leads to many others.

I found this to be true for me when the second time I quit smoking. It took me many tries before I was able to quit that time. The first time was a breeze in comparison. Now I know I cannnot take that first puff. I still get cravings, but with God's help, I don't smoke. (I eat lots of pistachios instead!)

And when I am too stressed, angry or sad, I keep saying the Lord's prayer over and over again...it really does help me.

You can do it, I know you can because you are worth
it!

P.S. If I threaten to come kick you in the butt if you don't quit, will that help? ;o) LOL

yeah, I have to say I am still a bad girl.I just keep putting it off till tomorrow.when I decide i,m gonna quit,is usuallly when someone brings me a pack of cigarettes.thats whats really bad about me.I don,t even go anywhere to get them.difinitely can,t afford them but I do it any way.has any one taken the chandix.was it goo?.I figure with what i put out for cigareetes I ought to be able to afford that stuff.sorry i,m no help.come beat me to breathe easy.

My dad has been suffering from COPD for about 5 years now. He has been in ICU three times, on a ventilator. Each time, his doctor tells him that he can't believe how good his lungs sound. If you are a doctor and you are reading this....that is THE worst thing you can tell a smoker, it simply is justification to continue to smoke.

I smoked until four months ago. My mother-in-law was diagnosed with COPD & lung cancer at the same time. We lost her 3 months later.

I quit in support of my dad and my mohter-in-law. How can I expect them to quit smoking when I do? When you are trying to quit, you need all the support you can get.

However, I do have to say that I was taking Wellbutrin for other reasons and that helped ALOT. Also, I've tried quitting before and I'm sure you've heard that quitting takes practice. One day, you will quit.

Don't be hard on yourself. You'll wake up one morning and realize..."TODAY IS THE DAY". Will keep you in my prayers.

I quit for a year and a half and started again. I'm determined to give it another try and quit for good now.

When I guit the first time, I was on Zyban. What really helped me was telling myself that I could go for 5 mins. without a smoke and if I couldn't then I could have a ciggy. After the five mins. was up and I hadn't smoked, I'd ask myself if I could go for another 10 mins. without one. This went on until I reached 24 hours. That quit worked for me.

Stress is what we quitters have to control. It's what started me up again.

Mark Twain once said,"quitting smoking is easy, I've done it a thousand times!"

You are never out of the race until you quit trying.Your'e sos letter could have been written by me!!So far i have a week in.Zenna is right,most people quit a lot before they Do it.Hey,you had made it for 20 days!I try to think to myself that i won't smoke,just for today,just for this hour.If i think forever...it makes it more difficult on myself.
i feel the same feelings you do too.Know you aren't alone in this struggle.
I want to pass this along,i got it from some one dear on "DS".
"God our Father,walk through my house and take away all my worries and illnesses;in Jesus' name".
Amen

"Happy Thanksgiving"

Hang in there,i'm with ya.

P.S. I only have a week in this time.I did have 28 days in a few months ago.It being the holidays makes it hard on me.Heck,who am i kidding?getting up in the morning makes it hard on me.:-)

Dearest Purple, I know how much of a struggle it is to be smoking when you know you have COPD. When I was diagnosed, aged 35, I actually smoked MORE. That's how afraid I was! I tried quitting cold turkey, which didn't work. Then I got on to nicotine gum, which did work! I have often said to friends of mine who are in the same boat, if you want to smoke, enjoy it, but please, never feel guilty about it. Cigarettes were my best and seemingly only friend for almost 30 years, so stopping them was the hardest thing I ever did. I still don't know how I managed to do it, but the upshot of my message is, you are doing your best and that is all that's necessary. If doing your best just isn't enough for you, then I ask you, dear friend, to see and read what your other friends, here on DS, have to say from their own experiences, and know how much I/we understand. Don't beat yourself up about smoking, please. It is the single most addictive drug of all the drugs available out there. It's a scientific fact. You are so special and always there for everybody else you've met here. I only hope you are as kind and understanding to yourself as you are to me. Please take care. Perhaps try the nicotine gum or patches - anything - as you are so down with yourself about not being able to quit. There are many ways you can do it, but as I said earlier, never feel guilty if you do have a cigarette or two. If you do, then it really isn't worth it. You will do what you need to do when you need to do it and only you can say when that time is. Please, no more beating yourself up, okay? Lots of love to you.

Oh, Purple! I have walked in your shoes, too! I smoked for 30 years, even when I was choking with asthma and many, many bronchitis episodes. It is soooo hard to quit, as many have stated here. And, as Ziglet said, Don't beat yourself up because you are smoking again. The guilt will only cause you to smoke more. It sure did for me.
My mother died at 66 from lung cancer, 6 years after she quit smoking. She'd smoked for 40 years. Six months prior, my son's dad died of lung cancer. He smoked up until the last! Before my mom died, she made me promise to quit before my next birthday, which was a couple months away at the time. I did. I got patches but was allergic to the glue. My doc finally gave me a low dose blood pressure medication, which helped me sleep at night. I had a heck of a time sleeping before that. But, it worked and I haven't picked up a cigarette in over 15 years! But, that was after many, many tries. I think my mom got to me and I was finally able to put them down for good. But, that's my story.
Everyone is different and your time is coming, when you will be able to put them down and say you are free of them!
I wish you all the luck in the world. Take it one day at a time and say you won't smoke today each day!
Again, all the luck to you and I will be thinking of you.
If you need a shoulder, please write!!!
Kris

Hi Purp, Your story is mine too. I found "smoking" a cinnimon stick can ease the craving. Don't light it of course, just take a "drag" once in awhile and you can even pretend to drop the ashes in an ash tray. They can be bought at any grocery store. Just go to the Herb and Spice section and there they are. One stick will last all day. Hope this helps. Hang in there
Blessings Jane

I have not quit yet either and am still making excuses to myself

and when you're "smoking" janeinva's cigs...have an altoid in your mouth to get that cool rush while you're doing it! well, that's if you were a menthol smoker it helps feel good. good luck.

OK, now. I think I may be an older and hopefully, a wiser woman. I'm 76 now. I quit smoking (after 25 years of smoking) in 1982--25 years ago. I was diagnosed with COPD 3-1/2 years ago. It was the HARDEST thing I ever did. I was addicted to the nicotine. I've heard it said the nicotine is more addictive than heroin. I think I believe it. I gained weight. Almost lost my job because I was so nasty to be around (but everyone was very patient so I didn't get fired. I still wonder how that was. My family was ready to beg me to start smoking again. It was that bad and it took a LOOOONG time. So, don't be too hard on yourself. Try and treat yourself well. Eat very healthy food. Get yourself a new top or some new nail polish or lipstick or a new something each week. You'll have something to look forward to AND think of all that money you'll save. My aunt died at 51 of COPD and mother died in 1988 from COPD. I don't have a very good heritage. I asked my dr how come I got it 20 years after I'd quit smoking. He said I'd probably had it before I quit and it took another 20 years for it to finally manifest itself. I'm very glad I quit. I think I might not be here if I hadn't quit when I did. You can do it. But, hope no one thinks it's easy. It isn't.
Blessings!

I'm in the same boat you are, Purple. I'm taking Chantix and it is helping some. I can only take a half dose because of my liver problems. I have not yet been able to go for a single day without smoking. I am smoking much less. The weird thing is, when I go to my Mom's, I don't smoke and don't miss it. As soon as I get in my truck to go home, I smoke as much as I did before.

The cinnamon stick is funny to me. My Dad had to quit smoking back in the 80's. He used the cinnamon stick trick and would chew the end slightly for the flavor. My Dad loved cinnamon. Before he died, I was with him and Mom was at me about smoking, he told me that it took ten years before he could have cinnamon without wanting a cigarette!

Tell you what, if I figure it out, I'll tell you and if you figure it out you tell me. Okay?