I used to smoke due to my ex and his family, major stress and working in a bar at a restaurant during my college years, so I was pretty saturated in it. Eventually, I started smoking, but when I kicked the ex to the curb 6 yrs later and moved out on my own, I started to cut back. Then the laws in my state changed so that all public places were smoke free, which included restaurants and bars (no more smoking areas inside... all outside) and I eventually moved on to other 'real' jobs. By the time I met my DH, I had quit, but found myself still occasionally craving during those social gatherings.

Today, when the stress is high, like now, I don't really crave the cigs anymore, but I totally crave sweet foods... of course chocolate! LOL. As far as dreams, I never dream about smoking, just drowning... think I'm under a lot of stress? LOL.

Oh, hey, can someone send me a chocolate syrup IV... I really mess Christmas! LOL

StepMom

Man has the intelligence to change his life,
Sometimes, he just fails to use it...

But both of my maternal grandparents were. My grandfather started when he was around ten or twelve (this was back in the 1930's) and my grandmother started in high school. My grandfather smoked for twenty-five years, quit cold turkey and never lit up again. My grandmother smoked her last cigarette the day she died of inoperable brain cancer. Sigh. I was six, my sister was three and my ten cousins were not even born yet. She missed so much... she was only 46 years old, ten years older than I am now. I am the only one of twelve grandchildren who remembers her. I named my daughter after her. She always smoked those Eve cigarettes, the ones that had the pretty flowers printed on them. Anyway, I digress... my grandfather smoked for twenty-five years before he quit, but he lived for another fifty years after that and to the day he died, he still had moments when he wanted to light up, especially after a good meal. Fifty years after quitting, he still got the urge.

Anyway, here's my advice... DON'T SMOKE! Have sex instead!

~ Anne ~

Ladies and gentlemen, take my advice: Pull down your pants and slide on the ice! -M*A*S*H (Sidney Freedman to the OR staff on dealing with stress)

Hi. I am a recovering nicotine addict who quit in 1989 by attending Nicotine Anonymous meetings. (Admit you are powerless over nicotine...that our lives had become unmanageable...etc.) I never have a Physical urge anymore...just emotional ones...but gosh I hope I never go back. I truly was a slave to my cigarettes. I have lots of funny (and not so funny) war stories. So, I only am quit one day at a time. (If I think of it as staying off forever, that would be too overwhelming.) I think I'll adopt the TWelve STeps of AA for stepparenting. If I felt like things were going to be like this forever...I couldn't do it..but just for today...Yeah. I can handle that.

i`m a smoker and so is my bf. i really need to quit i even have a persription by my bed side but just too whimpy to do it yet. been alittle stressed and don't feel like i can quit now and not go insane. but being diabetic i really need to.

seriously, go to the nicotine anonymous website and download all the pamphlets...and if anyone needs a "sponsor" to help, please don't hestitate to email me.

In all honesty I have also fantasized about picking up recently. I need to smoke away all these awful feelings and just bury them so I don't feel them but that's not healthy, physically and mentally. And, like you Nymph, my dh would be furious as well. That was a non-negotiable for him with me.

I've smoked since a teen. I've quit a few times but it never stuck. I wish I could be like my best friend. She can not smoke for weeks, when she drinks, she can smoke up a storm, then not smoke again for a while.
Bf smokes too. I'm at a point where I know I really want to stop. But for me quitting is so F&%)#ing hard. I get so sick. Sleepy, crabby, headaches, chest pains, I can't shit for nothing.

Not to mention everytime I quit, something happens. A death in the family happened twice. My personal favorite was when I quit and 3 days later there was a school shooting at my Daughter's high school!
I left work, bought a pack and drove to the school.

Fact is, I really thing I'm ready. I'm scared. Nice timing on bringing it up Nymh. Don't you dare pick them up again. Please don't.

For the record, the kid text messaged a friend minutes before he pulled out the shot gun. The friend had just enough of time to get help. The kid started shooting, was taken down by a very brave assistant principle and one teacher was shot and lived.

Yeah, I still smoke, and I'm just not ready to quit yet. However, there is a wonderful new medication called Chantix. It tricks your brain into thinking that the nicotine receptors are satisfied. While this is happening, your brain actually stops making cells with nicotine receptors. It has a 60% (although it may be higher than that, now) clinical success rate (as compared to 3% for Zyban, if you remember the hooplah over that). It is not covered on most insurance plans (a whole other conversation all together), but it is only around $100 for the perscription. The heaviest smokers take it for about 3-6 months. Definitely worth the money, as everyone I know that has taken it has quit. Talk to your doctors about it if you are interested.

I too still crave cigarettes occasionally, and have to remind myself that I can NEVER have even one puff. I quit for three years 22 years ago, and then started back, and it was nearly impossible to quit! I tried and tried. Finally I signed up for a 3 day kayak course with non-smoking lodging and dining. I took Welbutrin for 2 weeks before I quit and then the day I quit, put on a nicotine patch and used them for about 6 weeks. I spent all day those first three days on the water, and wet, and had my hands busy, then was exhausted, so it really helped me to succeed. Keep trying...keep trying...keep trying. You'll eventually find the right combination and will to conquer this horrible addiction.

I quit when I found out I was pregnant with my son..... He is 19 months old = 9 months pregnancy... Stopped 2 1/2 years ago. It was the best thing I ever did