I'm just a newbie myself but I disagree... in my book, WHATEVER it takes to quit is valid, as long as it works for the individual in question. "Have to" is just as valid as "want to," if it works. "Pissed off at tobacco companies" is valid, too, if it works. If it's keeping you quit, go for it. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/1/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 28 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 865 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $84 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 2 [B]Hrs:[/B] 23 [B]Mins:[/B] 11 [B]Seconds:[/B] 30

[quote]It usually doesn't hold...[/quote] My point (though I'm apparently not a "smart cookie" yet) is that it doesn't seem very supportive nor encouraging to devalue whatever it is that is keeping a 2-day quit QUIT. In response to the information that tryagain was sharing, you said, "It really doesn't matter what they add or don't add to tobacco..." Again, your words devalued and dismissed the information that was shared (information which I found quite interesting, by the way). Had I received that kind of response on the 2nd day of my quit from a person with 1,851 smoke-free days under their belt, I would have turned tail and ran. But that's me. I do not disagree with the statement, "Ya gotta wanna," in fact, I agree with it wholeheartedly. I've seen your posts all over the place and 99% of the time your words are supportive and caring and encouraging. I just did not agree with devaluing whatever thought processes one individual is utilizing to stay quit, that's all. Tryagain, best wishes on your quit. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/1/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 28 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 869 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $84 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 2 [B]Hrs:[/B] 23 [B]Mins:[/B] 32 [B]Seconds:[/B] 8

Tryagain What a thread.!!!!!! My two pennorth! Smoking is stupid so lets stay stopped OK!!! We can debate it forever and a day it won't change anything..honest... Phil [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 8/8/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 176 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 3,700 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] �924 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 35 [B]Hrs:[/B] 5 [B]Mins:[/B] 48 [B]Seconds:[/B] 5

There are many ironies to smoking... like how polititians have ardently supported tobacco companies, giving no consideration to the general public, while they are supposed to be advocates of the people! They're supposed to PROTECT the people... not try to kill them! I blame polititians just as much as I blame the tobacco companies for all of the health problems we see due to smoking related illnesses! I'm so terribly sorry about all of the problems you are having due to smoking, but I sincerely hope that quitting will lessen these things over time. Crave the Quit! Pam [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 10/28/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 458 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 11,469 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1891.54 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 32 [B]Hrs:[/B] 15 [B]Mins:[/B] 42 [B]Seconds:[/B] 11

I see both sides of the argument here. I think where Katy is coming from is that if you don't have a deep seeded DESIRE to quit, then you won't STAY quit. Especially if some (or all) of the breathing and coughing problems go away after a few months, it would be VERY easy to go back to smoking if you don't have the DESIRE to stay quit. I'm sorry, but you're not out of the woods after a few months of being quit. I think that for me, I could have gone back to smoking at any time in the first year and a half of this quitting process. Now, I can't even imagine it, but I've known others who didn't have a single slip and then a year, 18 months, 2 years into the quit, they suddenly get the urge to go back to smoking... perhaps the "reason" that they had to quit isn't there anymore... maybe they quit because health issues that are went away after quitting... perhaps they had a significant other who didn't smoke who wanted them to quit and isn't in their lives anymore. The fact is that if you don't have a DESIRE to quit for yourself that supercedes any other reason for quitting, then it's all too easy to go back to the addiction. For me, I've had many health problems due to smoking and still have them (and I just turned 30 this week), but I've slipped a few times and have had a horrible time quitting because when I first started this process, I didn't really want to quit... I was going to quit for 3 weeks to clear up the cough I had and then go back to smoking... but I found the SSC and that didn't happen. But nonetheless, I've had an extremely hard time quitting because I didn't really want it... and it took a long time for me to start to want it. But, on the other hand, playing the devil's advocate here, I see where Sammi is coming from as well. Fear is a great motivator and definitely works to help people quit smoking. I don't think many of us would have quit at all if there wasn't serious health risks associated with smoking. The fear of getting sick causes a lot of people to quit smoking, and the desire builds from there. But on the whole, I have to agree with Katy. You have to want it. Not only that, you have to want to quit more than you want to smoke. I believe that EVERY smoker wants to quit to some degree... but until they want to quit

I respectfully disagree. I "want" to quit. Sure, I "want" to quit for financial reasons. I "want" to quit to be a positive role model to the children I will teach as soon as I finish my teaching certification. I "want" to quit for many other reasons as well. But the fact is, nobody, and I mean nobody, HAS to quit. I've seen people smoke through holes in their throats while hooked on oxygen. Everybody CAN smoke... that's why it's important to WANT to quit. Nobody "has" to do it. If you don't want it, no matter how severe your medical condition is, you may still go back to smoking if you don't "want" to quit. Therefore, it's important to find other reasons for quitting besides health. Health is a good reason, but it's not the best reason... and there are TONS of awesome reasons to quit. So if health is your only reason, I challenge you to find other positives that will come from quitting that you can benefit from. Perhaps your reason is that you like the camaraderie you get from this site and want to keep that going. Or perhaps you have developed a sense of pride in your quit meter and don't want to tarnish it or lose it by smoking. And then of course, there are the normal, but equally valid reasons of wanting to save money and enjoy the rewards that come with using the money you save on things other than cigarettes, not smelling like an ashtray, being able to smell and taste food better, being a positive role model for children in your life, not being a social pariah. There are tons of good reasons for quitting... figure out which ones are important to you and hold them close so that your only reason isn't health issues. Health is important, but it can't be your only reason for quitting because nobody "has" to quit. Crave the Quit! Pam [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 10/28/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 459 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 11,493 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1895.67 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 32 [B]Hrs:[/B] 17 [B]Mins:[/B] 20 [B]Seconds:[/B] 21

Tryagain, Wow! Thank you for sharing this with us. Let this strengthen your resolve. Danielle _____________________ The SSC Support Team

Members, Please remember we are here to support not judge. Every member has their own motivations for quitting. As their quit progresses this list only grows and serves as additional empowerment to keep their quit. Every quitter is different and different methods work for different people. It doesn't matter how or why, what matters is that you quit. A lot of great advice and opinions have been respectfully shared throughout this thread. As we've always said around here: take what you need and leave the rest. Danielle _______________________ The SSC Support Team

tryagain, sure hope you know you dont HAVE to quit. You are CHOOSING to quit. I had a choice to quit again (yep made it over 215+ days and blew it) when I found out I have cancer. I was told IF I would quit thta minute then I would have a huge chance of beating it than if I CHOSE to smoke. Still a choice. The doctor gave me my options. I would love for you to see it as a choice, not a "have to". That was my mistake the first time. Have to get that out of your mind in order to enjoy life to the fullest. I hope to see you many days down the road with your status just climbing higher and higher. Hugs Kim "Life is not measured by your victories, but by your recovery from failures" [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/10/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 20 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 522 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $85 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 1 [B]Hrs:[/B] 20 [B]Mins:[/B] 14 [B]Seconds:[/B] 2

I guess I'm coming from a different direction. I have to quit smoking. Whether or not I want to. For months I'd smoke, cough terribly, put the cigarette out, and in five minutes light the same one again. I didn't want to quit. I wanted to feel good while I smoked! I STILL want to smoke and feel good when I smoked, the same way I used to five or ten years ago. For months I'd stop smoking until I felt better then go right back to it. The cycle would start all over again. I'd make a safe bet that I have not been able to smoke a whole cigarette for six months or better. There are few of us who just want to quit. Almost everyone has a reason, a child or a family or they just want to feel better. Few of us want to quit just because we want to do it. Now I have information that I didn't have before. This information makes me not only want to quit, but know how necessary it is. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/27/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 3 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 104 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $30 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 10 [B]Mins:[/B] 57 [B]Seconds:[/B] 3