I quit 7 years ago. I had tried several times previous with no evail. Finally, on my sons tenth birthday, he snuck a picture of himself swinging a bat into the plastic lining of my cigarettes. The light came on! (I still keep this picture on my office desk)
Until then, I hadn't really wanted to quit. I gave it up and haven't looked back. Sounds easy, eh.? In actuallity, I purchased a package of nicotine gum and had the understanding that it was only for the "rough " times and when it was gone it was gone. It lasted about a week. Then, because I needed an activity so to speak, I switched to chewing sunflower seeds. So Great! Now I could die of high blood pressure due to the high salt content! Ber careful though...They are addicting also IMO. But it was better than cancer I thought.
After a couple of months, I got bored with the sunflower seeds and just put them away and to this date I am nicotine free.
I found that, during the toughest times, telling myself over and over again that I never would put myself through this withdrawal process again, and that I couldn't believe how I had myself to get caught up in this addiction, and I had already made it through x days, etc. anything to give myself encouragement seemed to help. Little by little, I started to feel the effects a little less. Now, I don't wake in the morning looking for my cigs, matches or lighter. Don't need to stop at the store to make sure I have enough butts for the day, don't look at the clock waiting for the break so I can suck one or two down , don't smell like an ashtray, don't have a cough, etc.
My life is not centered around the cigarettes!
On the other hand, I do: exercise more and have more energy, have a whole lot more money to set aside for scuba stuff(great that you are setting aside the money you would have spent into a jar/fund, do feel great about the fact that I beat the monster, do feel that I will probably have a longer life for having quit.
Best of luck with this....contrary to what you may believe as you begin this process...it can be done...IF YOU WANT IT!
By the way, I found that giving up one addiction was replaced by another...Diving
Bob
and from time to time I will "bum" a smoke and have a couple of drags but once it is gone no problem or desire to light up another.
