Karen, Welcome to the SSC! The best approach is the one that suits you best. We strongly encourage you to begin working through our online quit program and start taking note of where, when and why you smoke.Even though NRT' help with craves, you'll still need to do the work to keep your quit. Danielle, Bilingual Support Specialist

Karen, you sound scared! That's perfectly normal, smoking has been as you say "with you" for 25 years. I smoked for 25 years too and I was petrified to even try to stop. It helped me to just take one day (sometimes even one minute) at a time - just to focus on the small picture so to speak. The thought of years and years of not smoking sent my brain into a spin. So, one day at a time, I have cobbled together a quit of six weeks and I know that I will never smoke again. Somewhere inside me, I have found a well of calmness I never knew existed - I work for a Court lawyer so my job is stressful too but that well of peacefulness is there whenever I need it. You reach it by closing your eyes for a few seconds and taking some really deep breaths ... you can actually take proper breaths when you stop smoking. Like everyone says here, knowledge is power. Google addiction and read up everything. Visit quitting sites. Do the programme here and figure out what your triggers are. HAVE A PLAN! You can do it ... believe you can do it. Yes, it may be unpleasant for the first few days but once that nicotine's gone, it all gets so much better. Remember, it doesn't actually hurt to stop, it isn't physically painful, just a bit of a mindfest and you can overcome that with knowledge and skills. Like most smokers, you will have been self-medicating for the last 25 years. You have used smokes to mask your emotions - if you were angry or stressed, you smoked to calm down. If you were sad, you smoked to cheer up. If you were tired, a smoke would perk you up. Realise that when you stop you will have to face those emotions head on ... it really is quite a ride. The first few days are really like a roller coaster - just go with the flow, it all gets better. Good luck, everyone on this site wants you to succeed and know in your heart that if you truly want to stop smoking, you can do it - the "old timers" on here are testament to that. It can be done. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]9/23/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 42 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,050 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $504.00 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 3 [B]Hrs:[/B] 22 [B]Mins:[/B] 49 [B]Seconds:[/B] 53

Hi Karen, Everyone's quit is differnt, you will know this quit is special and that you are going to make it. My job is very stressfull too, and somedays are very hard, when I take that break, and I don't go outside. But, I have learned to take the stairs to the break room, instead of elevator or outside, and sitting down and relaxing in a nice comfy warm room for my break. By the time I go back to work, I feel good. Work the program here, it helps and there are a ton of great people here ready to help. Use them, they don't mind and they actually know what you are going through. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]10/13/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 22 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 440 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $193.60 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 3 [B]Hrs:[/B] 15 [B]Mins:[/B] 11 [B]Seconds:[/B] 30

Karen, start with the program here, it's an excellent foundation for your final quit. Stay positive, celebrate the wonderful thing you're doing & know that it can be done. Good luck to you. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]5/13/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 175 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 3,500 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1,925.00 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 17 [B]Hrs:[/B] 13 [B]Mins:[/B] 29 [B]Seconds:[/B] 37

Hi Karen, When I decided to quit, I mean really decided as in set a date, I found this site (and others) and worked this program. I surfed as much info as I could find about this addiction and the effects of smoking, why it's addictive, etc. I think it was the education I gave myself, along with the tools this site gave me, that made it really doable for me. Even today, reading John W's post to you, I did the math on his stats and found he smoked the same number of cigarettes a day as I did. 30. I smoked the same number of years as you. That means I probably smoked somewhere around 1.3 million cigarettes total. That's a very sobering thought. My point is, the more I know, the easier it is for me to remember I don't want to smoke. The more I know, the less likely it is I will want to go back. At this point, I know it's something I have to be cautious of...the junkie thoughts and such, but, I believe I know too much to ever get tricked into smoking again...that is as long as I keep remembering what I know. One last thing...you mentioned stress. There will always be stress in your life. There will always be a "better time" to quit. Unfortunately, the ulitmate time when it will be 'easy' will never arrive. If you want to quit, do it now. The best time to quit is when you know for certain that it is without a doubt what you want to do. Good luck! I will be looking forward to reading more from you. :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]8/25/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 71 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 2,130 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $415.35 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 6 [B]Hrs:[/B] 9 [B]Mins:[/B] 17 [B]Seconds:[/B] 23

Hello Karen, They say and ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, I came along before Chantix came out, But its not like You have to take it the rest of Your life, just for a couple months, Sue can probally tell You more about that, but I think its like # 1 on the market, But Friend, when I first quit those cancer sticks, I gave up one addiction, but I found another, It's called Excercising and eating Healthy Foods, and make that Your Full Time Job, just like getting out of bed in the mornings, And it's such a Good Stress reliever, I try to walk 2 miles every day, Take a peak at my Stats, This Website Does Work for You, I'm living Proof, YES, I was addicted 40 plus years, Smokless In Oklahoma :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]3/10/2003 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 1700 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 51,000 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $7,276.00 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 397 [B]Hrs:[/B] 13 [B]Mins:[/B] 17 [B]Seconds:[/B] 16

Karen If you want to do the program here it will help. And actually, in the version you're probably using, everything is up top. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]3/22/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 227 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 9,080 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1,543.60 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 31 [B]Hrs:[/B] 16 [B]Mins:[/B] 52 [B]Seconds:[/B] 48

Karen, I had been a smoker for 35 years, before. What I did, is, just pretend that the doctor said that I'am very sick. I have to be hospitalized. For that first day as a sick person, I stay in bed for the whole day with not any cigarette smoke, but still feel grateful that I stay home instead of in hospital. With those gratefull feeling, getting better every day as a non smoker. Good Luck Karen [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]8/8/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 88 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 2,816 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $187.55 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 10 [B]Hrs:[/B] 8 [B]Mins:[/B] 57 [B]Seconds:[/B] 31

Good luck to you! Just be strong, committed, and positive - with these three ingredieats, you will do fine. It is not easy, but you CAN do it! [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]1/8/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 300 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 4,500 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1,260.00 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 27 [B]Hrs:[/B] 19 [B]Mins:[/B] 3 [B]Seconds:[/B] 33

Hey Karen, I quit in May after 25 years. I didn't think at the time that I really wanted to do it, my husband came home with Chantix and I decided to check with my Dr and see if I could take it also. We both quit together. By the end of my first week I no longer wanted to smoke. These days I almost never have cravings. I spent alot of time reading here, searching posts (top left there is a search utility), and asking questions. The people here are awesome, best support on the internet. Make sure you reward yourself. My reward for 7 days smoke free was a new purse that I had never smoked with - all my other purses had had cigs in them. There is a online program on the left, whey don't you start with that? Sue [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]5/3/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 185 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,850 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $323.75 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 17 [B]Hrs:[/B] 14 [B]Mins:[/B] 8 [B]Seconds:[/B] 35