These stories have been submitted by people who have had some experiences that they want to share with other smokers. If you want to include your story here, click here.

Title Don't wait until you have a scare Author Gaye My husband and I stopped smoking last year. My last official puff was 11o'clock on the 11 november (11/11/11) a memorable date for me.Have gone through 3 stages of Nicorette patches and one session with a clinical hypnotherapist ($100 well spent in my opinion. My husband - a serious smoker for many years was found to have suffered an PE (pulmonary embolism) resulting from a blood clot travelling from his leg into his lung. A week in hospital, onto patches, one session at hypnotherapist, bags and bags of low sugar lollies and he has not smoked for over 100 days. I just have a weight issue that maybe someone has experienced. I have maintained my weight at 55kg all my adult life (the big 50 this year). In the past few weeks I have gained 4 - 5 kgs. My diet has not changed since giving up in fact I have been very careful not to overindulge. I feel bloated and fat and wonder if all these years the nicotine has been a major factor in my metabolism pace and now that it's gone I have to starve myself to keep at my normal weight. Can anyone help. don't let this put you off giving up. If we can do it you can too!!!!! (Editor's comment: Hi Gaye, just a note that on average weight gain is about 2k's in about the first year and that then eases off. Part of the reason for weight gain is the oral gratification of cigarettes. Putting something in your mouth makes you feel better. Also cigarettes help us deal with anxiety and so when we take them away we can have a little trouble adjusting to experiencing our anxiety rather than repressing it. In both cases, food gives us something to put in our mouths and can help ease the anxiety. What you need is healthier means of dealing with these aspects of giving up smoking. Keeping busy is a good one, as far as possible never sit down on a craving, and when you are sitting try to do something with your hands. You and hubby can take up knitting. Whatever you do, just hang in there, it does get better.) Anne.

Title First attempt and going well update.

Title First attempt and going well. Author michelle

Im 34 and have smoked for about 20 years.At first i smoked up to 40 ciggs a day depending on my mood.I have never gone one day without a smoke and have even had major surgery and had someone carry me outside so i could light up.I loved smoking but i wanted to give up.I realy gave up as a personal challange.I realy didnt do it for any reason like health or financial i just wanted to to pick my hardest possible challange and give it a go.I havent had a smoke for 8 weeks now and i cant believe it.My friends and family are all in shock because they thought i would never give up.If i can get this far anyone can.I do miss smoking a lot and i think about it all the time.I decided to put 110% into this but it is very hard but i have to keep going.I will update you all soon.Lets all keep going.

Will I ever be free? by Merle

Hi, I was born on a tobacco farm in Zimbabwe. I had my first cigarette at the age of about six,but that was stopped when my parents caught us rolling the tobacco scraps in newspaper and lighting the "cigarette" on the boiler! I started smoking commercial cigarettes when I was 18 and left school. Even then it was a strain comming up with the cost every day throughout uni. years and my first years working. At one stage of my life I was smoking 80 cigarettes a day and my health was diabolical. I quit once for 5 years and recently for 18 months, and now I am back again. I definitely cannot afford it and I KNOW it is NOT doing me any good. The one "benefit" from smoking is that it keeps my weight under control. As soon as I stop smoking I become an addictive eater! So far, that is my story. I would love to be able to stop, AND not to compensate with too much food. I certainly feel better when I am not smoking!

My story by Anne Hi. I started smoking when I was about 15 years old and smoked for over 20 years. I remember promising myself that I'd never pay more than $1 for a packet of cigarettes! I tried to stop a number of times. I had two ocassions when I had over a year without a cigarette and started again. The last time I stopped was different. It was as if I had tested every option, tried every trick in the book to see if I could smoke just a little, and I finally knew that for me it was one or none. I absolutely knew that I had to stop. For the first time ever, stopping was a breeze. On previous ocassions every minute had seemed like agony. On this time I really didn't look back. Hardly had any withdrawal symptoms to talk about, made no fuss about it, didn't even tell anyone. Just stopped. It's been over five years now since I stopped and there's no way I would go back to it. Has no attraction whatsoever. I am so so glad that I don't need to smoke any more.

Title: Desperate by Robert Hi. I've been smoking for over 20 years. I didn't think I had a problem until I started to try to stop a year ago! Since then I don't know how many times I've stopped for a couple of days and then started again. The most I've stopped for is 4 days. I have tried Nicorette and that Zyban which made me feel stoned. The thing is I don't think I really want to stop, anyone got any hints?

Title: My story.by Stella I'm a nurse and work with people who've got lung cancer, and people who have tracheostomies, and I really should know better. I feel like such a dud when I stand on the steps outside of places where you can't smoke dragging in as much nicotine as possible before I go in. Today I haven't had a smoke for 11 days. I've stopped before, sometimes for a few months, so I want to make sure that I don't lose the momentum this time. I've got three children and I don't want them to be visiting me in hospital one day. I'm going to write my story every week. So I get to feel how good it is to be able to say 18 days next time.

Title: Quitting.by Brooke Hi. It's great to read these stories. Hang in there Robert, it does get easier. It's like in the info section of web remedies they said first you've got to stop, then you've got to stay stopped, then you will want to stop. I liked that. I'm 17 days stopped now, I'm using Nicabate so it's not really a big deal. Like Stella said, it'd just a case of keeping up the momentum. I've stopped too heaps of times and I don't want to muck around any more. Good to hear you guys are out there.

Title: My Story. by Stella

Hi, I didn't make it. Bust yesterday. I was going really well, I must have got cocky because I went out for dinner with some friends at a restaurant that has a smoking section and when it came to it, after the first course, when everyone lit up, I just took a cigarette from one of the packets and lit up too. It was as easy as that. I can't believe I did it. I can remember thinking that one wouldn't hurt. I know that thinking, I know I can't just have one. I've done it too many times before. Damn. But I'm not going to give up on myself. This time I'm going to avoid all risky situations until I'm well into staying stopped.

Title: My story. by Stella It's me again. I wish other people would write their stories, I keep coming back here hoping to hear from other people. I did give up giving up so to speak, but here I am again. I watched a man with a tracheostomy smoking the other day and then, in my break, I had a cigarette. Enough already, more than enough already. One day at a time, Zyban, and web remedies. So please, if you are reading this story, please write yours. Ta.

Title: Looking to chat. by Linda

I have been a smoker for over 25 years & have really been struggling to give-up for most of this year. I have been able to manage other addictions in my life through abstinence, but haven't yet made that leap (even though I know its really just a step) with tobacco. This year I had 3 days "up" that was my best, when there was someone in the chat-room. I am planning for another quit day, & want to arrange support through the chat-room with other members. I am going to email Web Remedies with the times I can access the chat-room & if others can do the same, we may be able to support each other better through "the struggle" & out the other side. Ciao for now. Linda NOTE: If anyone wants to link up with Linda please contact Web Remedies.

Update no. 1 by Linda

Mon 7-5-01: I have set my quit day for next Mon 14-5-01. I can relate to Robert, it's something I've used to undermine myself; I say I want to be a nonsmoker & my actions aren't compatable with that, so I must not really want to quit & I need to really want to. Yes there is part of me that doesn't want to stop, I believe & my experience has shown me that this is how I behave in active addiction with substances. I can choose to use this as a strength or a weakness. During this week I will use my history as a tool to prepare for my life as a nonsmoker.-From contemplation into action, I'll keep you guys "posted".-Stella how are you going? Ciao for now. Linda

Update no. 2 by Linda

Well it's the evening before my Quit Day. During this week I have put into practice; having a mint instead of a cigarette when I 1st wake-up, putting a little more distance between eachsmoke (except for today), becoming aware of my sense of self when I reach for each smoke, checking in to Web Remedies every day to keep my goal in my consciousness, started writing a daily journal & set in place supports (like arranging to see a counsellor at the Health Centre each week). I think that about covers it. Ciao Linda.