Hi bun113

So sorry you have started smoking again.

As you say.....

After you quit smoking you were able to shop and get out and go to the store. You started smoking again and you could not do this.

That is a very big incentive to stop smoking again.

For me I decided if I wanted to preserve my lungs and improve my ability to breathe, I had to choose not to continue smoking.

If I wanted a better quality of life and improve my ability to do more of the things I enjoy, I had to choose not to smoke and remain smoke free.

My choice.... I wanted to slow down the progress of lung damage and COPD, I wanted to prevent further lung damage, I wanted to breathe easier, to walk out, to have a conversation without too much breathlessness, to be able to enjoy as much as I could (as before I had lung damage), to have a reasonably good quality of life. To achieve all of that, there were several things I could do to help me achieve it.

I opted to choose, to stop smoking, to stay smoke free, not smoke or passive smoke, to get the nutrients my body needed through a good healthy diet, drink plenty of water, take regular exercise, generally take responsibility for looking after my health in the best way I know how.

I would make a list of all the toxins and harmful pollutants in one cigarette and consider each time I smoked I would cause further damage to my lungs, health and lifestyle generally. I would make another list of all the positive things to be gained by not smoking and staying smoke free.

At the time of stopping smoking I would choose each day and with each craving to remain smoke free, it was my choice and I was doing it to preserve my lungs and my health.

I drank lots of water, ate a lot of oranges and sucked a lot of peppermints, I also went out for lots of walks during this process, all these things helped me stay smoke free.

You have succeeded in staying smoke free before, there is no reason why you cannot succeed to stop smoking and stay smoke free again, its just a choice to can make to help preserve your lungs and health and enjoy a better quality of life.

Wishing you every success, I know you can do it.

Don't forget the smoke free support group here on DS, I know many have said that it helped them tremendously.

Good wishes

I know it is hard to quit, it was hard for me and most of us here on the site.
You got some very good responses here.

It really is amazing how much better you feel when you are finished with the smoking.

Don't beat your self over picking it up again, it is hard, but do try again to quit, you can do it, I know you can.

Love,

Holly

I want to thank all for the positive input. I know I can quit because I did it for a year. I truly love you all

As long as we continue to believe smoking offers something positive -- that it relieves stress or boredom, that it makes parties more fun, blah, blah, blah -- our quits will be in jeopardy regardless of how long we've been quit. The key is to change the way you think about smoking.

I suggest you take the free online course at www.quitsmokingonline.com. This course can help you see smoking for what it really is and help you develop a positive attitude about quitting. The course promotes cold turkey quitting, but people using nicotine replacement treatments (patch or gum) or quit medications (zyban or chantix) can benefit.

I also recommend you check out www.quitnet.com. Quitnet is a smoking cessation support forum.

As you know, copd is a progressive disease. By quitting smoking you can slow down the progression. Quitting smoking is the #1 best thing you can do for your health and for copd especially.

Best wishes,
Susan

I've quit smoking several times but as soon as I'm under stress, I start right back up again. I've cut back on the amount that I smoke per day because I'm on oxygen now. I've taken every medical pill (prscrip and not) but nothing helps.

I wish that there was a sure way to quit. It's killing me.

SusieJD

Great input Boldprint

Hi Susie I am so sorry you are also struggling with this, a friend of mine has been trying to give up for years, now she smokes only the E cigarettes which you can buy just about anywhere now and quite cheaply too I think.

Here is a forum providing information on E cigarettes and you can discuss with other users if you wish to find out more:

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/

Hope this helps

Here is some success stories from that forum:

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/e-cigarette-success-stories/

Susie and bun113, there is a sure way to quit. I discovered the answer almost 4 years ago.

First, let me tell you why I smoked. I liked it!!!!! I enjoyed sitting down with a cup of coffee and having a peaceful quiet time. I enjoyed a long smoke after a delicious meal. Damn, I was the perfect commercial for the tobacco companies. And I enjoyed every minute.

Even when my breathing became noticeable different. I still enjoyed my cigarette. I thought a couple of times when they reached 4-6 $ a pack, that I should quit because of the cost and what I could save for retirement so I could travel and do the things that I always planned for that day when there was no " 8 to 5".

I retired and everything was going just as planned, I was still enjoying my cigarettes and thinking, "I know I should quit and I will think about it tomorrow".

About 8 PM on a beautiful Monday evening, I suddenly started breathing really strange and I was somewhat concerned. I even smoked a cigarette, thinking it would help!!!! It contiuned to worsen and I decided to go to the emergency room. Within the time it took me to get downstairs to the car, I knew I would not make it and it escalated to an emergency call to the paramedics. They started IV's, put an oxygen mask on and got me on the gurney.

By the time they got me to the hospital (may 15 minutes total) I was unconcious. I remember nothing else until I awoke around midnight still in the ER. I was in the hospital for 7 days and had constant drips and medications.

What I learned that night was there was no pleasure worth what I just went thru and all because I enjoyed a smoke.

I never touched another cigarette and yes, I still think about them and remember that I really liked them but the weird part is that I can smell cigarette smoke a mile away and it doesn't reall smell so good anymore.

The answer I found is "Life Trumps Smoking".

I wish you both success.

This is such a great post" bun" as I can't seem to give up the smokes completely. I have COPD and still smoke. I'm going to try mrsbabble' request to God to help me, I've hear others tried it and it worked, but so far it hasn't for me.
There is a smoking forum here, you should join, they will help you tremendously.
Hope to see you there.
Jazz