I started trying to quit at about age 30 after watching a close uncle suffer for several years and die a miserable death from emphysema. After many aborted attempts I finally smoked my last when I was 36 having been helped to quit by a two week bout of Strep throat that would send me into painful coughing convulsions with one puff.
Here's the interesting part. I never had any breathing problems until a couple of years after I quit smoking. Then I became allergic to everything and eventually was diagnosed with allergy induced asthma for which I still take two medications daily and I have to have a standby inhaler nearby at all times. When I asked the doctor why I suddenly, in my late 30's, developed all these allergies and asthma he told me it was because I quit smoking. He said the tars and nicotine from smoking had paralysed the sensors in my lungs so that they did not recognize when an irritant was there. After a couple of years of not smoking my lungs cleared and these sensors came back to life and started doing their job. So... I've had asthma and allergy problems ever since!
My brain is like an Internet browser; 12 tabs are open and 5 of them are not responding, there's a GIF playing in an endless loop,... and where is that annoying music coming from?
Let's revive this tread! I'm now into my 3rd. week cold turkey quit smoking! I just decided that I need to quit this stupid life threatening habit. What has helped me a lot is to read the book "Never take another puff" by Joe Spitzer. If you, or someone you know are considering quit smoking, I recommend reading this book. Here is the link to the book, and it's a free book:
Its so hard for us non-smokers to understand but I have seen so many struggle with it I have a feeling how hard it is. Smokers in the giving-up period say that one small thing is finding some thing to do with your hands, perhaps the damned smartphones can help.
Keep at it, you can do it.
Quit in 2012 March.
No regrets, best thing I've ever done for myself.
My only warning to those who want to quit is that quitting is like overcoming a disease, there will be suffering. But the end will come and it is much better after it's over.
