I stopped completely just over 4 years ago, and yes it's hard at first, but believe me if you can persevere and stop you will be thankful that you did. Good luck. :-)

I have never been a smoker but I wish to congratulate and encourage you to keep up the great job. It is probably quite normal to feel like you do. The cigarette was your constant companion and you kept it very close to you at all times. Furthermore, all those smoking breaks outside with the other smokers has ceased. You may slip up and have a cigarette in the days and weeks ahead but that is not an indication that you have failed, it just means that you are human and breaking free from a strong chemical and social addition is hard stuff. There are so many benefits to being a non-smoker. You don't have to pay a lot of money for those smokes, your breath and teeth are cleaner, you don't have to stand outside of many public places to feed the need for nicotine, you probably have a keener sense of taste and smell. You have become more marketable to potential love interests who insist on dating a person who is smoke free. Just dwell on the positive aspects and you will be fine.

I dont smoke but your post made me sad so I send you a hug and Im proud of you for kickin the butts. <<<HUGS>>>

When you stop smoking, you are denying the brain of chemicals, especially nicotine, that it was enjoying. The brain is smart...and it may react negatively and violently at your decision to deprive it. Contact your doctor and tell him what you are experiencing. He may be able to prescribe a supplement through patch that will put a smile back on your brain's face. At least it won't be going through your lungs, which are not as smart that amazing computer in your head.

Withdrawal of ANY chemical substance - nicotine, caffeine, artificial sweeteners - can have all sorts of effects over a body. As no two people are a like, no two people will have the same exact effect from nicotine withdrawal. I'd be inclined to agree that your loss and loneliness may be due to nicotine withdrawal, but you might want to see a physician or doctor for a check up. Isn't it funny how the government imposed such high taxes on cigarettes once it had been disclosed that nicotine was considered to be an addictive substance? By freeing yourself of the addiction, you're freeing yourself from the bonds of state-imposed economic enslavement. And by fighting through the affects of withdrawal, you'll become an inspiration to others who fight to quit. "Without pain - without sacrifice - we would have nothing." Tyler Durden Fight Club

Yes. I enjoyed smoking probably as much as eating. Like you I had feelings of loss while kicking the habit. I didn't think it would ever end but I'm happy to report it did. Good luck. Hope you can stick with it. Noone could tell me anything for years. I only quit when my lungs forced the issue. Just sorry I didn't do it before I hurt them.

I did, but then again my grandmother died within a month of me quitting. :(

Yes, sometimes you get feelings of depression after you quit smoking. I quit 6 months ago and have had that experience too. I think it's the knowledge that you can never ever ever have another cigarette. That is like a death, I agree. Those feelings faded for me after a couple of months. When I did get them I usually took a Commit lozenge, which contains nicotine, and that relaxed me so that I could ignore the depression. I'm not getting those feelings now at all, if that's a comfort. HANG IN THERE! And congratulations!

well done for quitting!!!!

I got the same feeling when I quit. Well, I suppose we have lost a friend, though not a good one.

That's the kind of friend that moves into your house, eats your food, steals your money, never pays any rent, and tries to kill you. Not what I would call a friend. You just miss the ah because he was around all the time but after a while you realize you are glad the sob moved out. Oh, yeah. And, you wish he would die so that he doesn't move into someone else's home and try to kill them!

Kind of...I managed to keep them in check by increasing the aerobic part of my exercise routine.From a 20 minute walk to 45 to an hour a day.I kept the weight lifting the same-6 days a week.The nice thing about walking is that you will notice the improvement in lung capacity and there is nothing like the feeling of breathing deep breaths of clean air.It's been 5 years for my husband and I.I don't miss it.After awhile,you won't either.Congratulations and good luck :))

I get extremely depressed when I do not get my nicotine dose. This can recur for at least 20 years after you quit smoking, so brace yourself. Times of stress can help you suddenly restart smoking again.

Yes. I think the best advice is just to take it one day at a time. Don't allow yourself to think "I'll never be able to have one again" - that is what causes the sense of loss... one baby step at a time and you'll be fine. Best of luck.

Ive just quite recently. . . so i sure hope so! You're an inspiration! :)

Yes! Well, except I'm not an ex-smoker. I've tried to quit before, failed, and I'm going to try again after finishing my last pack. Of course you feel like that -- when you smoke, you rely on cigarettes to calm you down, you look forward to smoking one, etc., it's like a friend. But after your brain chemicals stabilize (nicotine ups your dopamine levels, which is what makes you happy), this should pass, at least mostly.

Is all well? Hope you managed to keep off the cigarettes!

you have to want to quit, sounds to me that you quit way before you should have. I quit 5 days ago today, SMOKED FOR 12 years) and have never felt better. YOU STILL WANT TO SMOKE, if after 3 weeks your still thinking about it, you quit to soon.

Its my 24th day of quitting too. Each day, i google for the specific day's quitting benefits, and on day 24 i reached this forum. I smoked my last on 27/5/2009 02:45 a.m. pst. After quitting I have started jogging, and bought home the dumbbells. Some exercise makes me happy, and rids off the feeling of urge for smoking.

look into electronic cigarrets, thats whats saved me and my gf(i was heavy smoker for 12years and went through patches and gums with no success). Not sure if can post links to other forums here but if you google "electronic cigarette forum" the very 1st link is the best place to get all the info about them. I am using DSE900 and my GF using M-class e-ciggs. My nick is the same there as it is here - if you need additional help. Here is how it works short version: Your e-cig is actually a vaporiser so instead of smoke you inhaling harmless steam(imagine tea cattle). You can still adjust the amount of nicotine in the liquid(called nicotine liquid) yourself(nicotine is the stuff that makes you addicted to ciggs but suprisingly not what kills you) so your system is getting what it really needs out of regular cigs - nicotine(same as patch/gum does), but you avoid carbon monoxide and over 100 other chemicals that are the real killers(including formaldehyde - the stuff they pump into corpses to make them look livelier(think about that next time you light up)). The vapor looks exactly like smoke and its the same exact action - puff-inhale-blow out smoke:). Besides beign able to adjust amount of nicotine ,you can also add different flavors to it(i prefer marlboro cofee, my gf is more of the cheesecake-bublegum). I was the heavy smoker for over 12 years - and dissmised all that tried to get me to quit. Then started noticing small changes that did not like at all and got me pretty scared. Nicotine pathes/gums/therapy even hypnosis didnt do a thing for me, then i found e-ciggs. Sure it takes a bit of adjusting but i've been smoke free for over 4 month now and notice more energy, no more black coughs in the morning and even my attitude seem to have gone from super grouchy to still grouchy but at least you'l live after looking at me funny. try it - i am not selling them and make no money from this - just my own experience