I quit smoking for good in 1980. I moved back to Michigan from Tennessee to live with my grandmother, who didn't allow smoking in her house and I didn't want to sit outside in below-freezing weather just to smoke, so I quit. Unfortunately, I gained quite a bit of weight and it's been a battle ever since!

For about 20-25 years after I quit, I would occasionally dream that I started smoking again, but I was hiding it from everyone and right before I woke up, I would think "I can't believe I went back to smoking after all these years!" It would take me a few minutes after I woke up to realize that it was just a dream and I hadn't gone back to smoking. I haven't had that dream in a long time.

My mother quit smoking after over 50 years. She used that patch. She only used it once because she didn't want to pay $60.00 for another one. But she did stick with it and was cigarette-free for the last 16 years of her life.

Anyway, good for you!

It's been there since Bill Clinton was president. My desire for a smoke is long, long gone but, it's there for me to
light up if I'm weak enough to go back. Not going to happen. ...and you won't either.

she was ? 31.

My sister thank goodness quit in her early 20s.
I never started bc I hated the smell! The girls' bathroom in the HS cafeteria was hell! #cough,gak,cough#

One day In my 20’s I lit a cigarette. I inhaled but could not breathe for a few seconds. Never had another cigarette.

Now -lots of people are using nicotine patches not to stop smoking but to feel better - ups your dopamine. Lots of long covid people on forums feeling better with patches.

I researched this and also found
out we have nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and nicotine can improve how these receptors work.

So it’s the smoke, pesticides, chemicals going into your lungs that are bad but many on social media long Covid forums feel the nicotine patches have improved their lives. Who knows - I don’t have long covid but I bought some patches !

dopamine.
If it helps people w long covid effects - good!

You'll get this.
My uncle took me to a event for Hubert Humphrey some Dems convincing other Dems to vote for him. I was 15.

Anyway, there was sooo much smoking going on; woah, did I leave with a headache!

Best of luck here. I have two wishes for you!

1) You remain cigarette free!
2) You remain cancer free!

This is going to be a downer. My own father gave up cigarettes after my mom passed from complications of lung cancer (cigarettes). However, he developed lung cancer 9 years later. The damage was too great. He passed a little over 20 years ago.

Please, this is from the bottom of my heart. I am grateful you are stopping. It's the best decision for your life.

L-

I never smoked, even though it was EVERYWHERE when I was growing up. I once stopped dating a terrific woman because she was so addicted to smoking.

And not just me; my brother and 2 sisters never smoked, either.

All four of us have had serious bouts with cancer. So you never know.

Every year, see your doctor - and get checked.

And, like you, I consider it the best thing I ever did for myself.

The "rebirth" of your lungs!

Congrats!

I did it by chewing Copenhagen and eventually gave that up by chewing spearmint gum.

Now, I quit smoking tobacco about twenty-five years ago. (With the rare lapse for a really good cigar.)

Back in 1992, I was sitting with a few friends at my place. We were talking about doing another of our comedy recordings (what we did for fun), and one of them mentioned that he wanted to step outside for a smoke first. There were a few others, (myself included) who said they would join him. That friend then turned to my very good friend (who we will call Ben), and asked about his quitting smoking. Ben replied that it had been six years since he had stopped. We all applauded his resolve and his success. Then, another friend asked him if he ever wanted one.

Ben grabbed the table edges, stood up and leaned into my other friend and said through clenched teeth, "EVERY FUCKING DAY."

For some, it is very tough to stop. I am glad I only went through about a year of that.

Of course, as I said, I only quit tobacco.

Still on nicotine gum, though.