December 31, 2011 at 9:30 PM was my 1 year anniversary of quitting my 32 year pack-a-day dependency. I am so happy I finally was able to break the destructive cycle of puff..cough..puff..cough. I was on my way to an early grave. Thanks to Whyquit I was able to get the encouragement I needed to keep me from having "just one." I am free again.

Daphne - Michigan, USA

On February 10, 2012 my wife and I will be quit for 7 years. By the grace of God we have not poisoned ourselves with 127,750 death sticks, 50 death sticks per day x 365 days per year for 7 years = 127,750. I encourage you to stay quit; they are just not worth dying for. I can not imagine ever going back to smoking again. Stay strong!!

NTAP

Danny C.

I quit smoking 10-10-09 5:10 A.M. after well over a decade of pack a day smoking.

The info on your site made it possible, especially the one puff files and the cancer stories. Before visiting your site I always made the mistake of just having the 1 cig for old times sake on my previous attempts and you know how that turns out.

Some weird reason I decided to shoot you a email after 2 plus years. Thank you and rest assured I will never let my guard down and become a statistic in the 1 puff files category.

Peace.

David

I last contacted you in 2006 when I had been quit 1 year. Thank you and your group for an additional 5 years this coming March!! Not a cold or sniffle for almost 6 years!!! Thanks again!

Bill Wooldridge
Colorado

My name is Cecelia. After smoking for over 10 years, I quit in February 2004 with the help of your website. I will celebrate 8 years smoke-free next month. I honestly couldn't have done it without your website. I was still young enough to think smoking was "cool"-- although reading through the articles on your website helped me to see otherwise and to commit to quitting. At the end of the every day, in those first weeks, I would get on your site because it was my "support".

Thanks. It's possible you saved my life...!

Eternally grateful,

Cecelia

Thanks to WhyQuit.com I am now quit 7 years as of Jan. 2, 2005 at 11:30 p.m. I found you by typing "How to quit smoking". I smoked over 20 years and would go out into a blizzard at 3 a.m. if I ran out.

I still find it hard to believe that I have not had a smoke in all that time. And I don't want one. It just is not a part of life anymore.

I dreamt I smoked a cigarette 3 times early on, and even in my dream I was disgusted with myself for doing that. I was so happy to wake up and realize those were dreams.

One of the best things on your site that helped me, was your reminding us that the urge only lasts a few seconds, and that it would go away until the next one. Anyone can wait a couple seconds. And just as you said, the urges became farther apart. It wasn't bad at all.

Thank you so much. What you do here is lifesaving. Since I quit, 2 family members have died from smoking.

Sincerely,

Paula Mazur

5 years 18:02 hours smoke-free, 40,186 cigarettes not smoked, $12,055.80 saved, 4 months 2 weeks 4 days spent doing something other than poisoning myself.

40,186 not smoked - - oh my! Where did it all begin? With the very first cigarette skipped - Yup, that very first one snowballed into over 40k. I was scared and nervous but reading/learning and watching Joel's videos truly made the difference. As they say, Education is the key. It afforded me the ability to take back my life and thereby my Freedom to live life as it was meant to be.

This is one New Year's resolution that lasted and hope all those new comers take advantage of the opportunity that lays before them - - this is it - this is your shot - take full advantage of it. Apply what you learn and believe in yourself.

To that special group of people who helped encourage me along the way - - you have forever changed my path, and my health, for the better. You helped me focus on the positives of quitting which in turn made me feel a sense of accomplishment with each passing moment. Long Long ago... comfort without nicotine happened just as you promised it would. I love this place and will forever hold it sacred.

Shane

1 year ago I quit smoking and it was because of you and your book as I call it. Thank you so much . I smoked for 20 years! You saved my life!!! Thank you!!!! What a genius you are!!!

Julie Noss

Five years now. Must be scary, I must be an alien for you newbies lurking day and night here just like me in the beginning.

Don't worry, I was once where you are now, looking up to all these people who had quit for 1,2,5,7 and so on years. This lurking, absorbing information, getting support from all people here with the same focus has brought me where I am now.

Five years clean and no thoughts, no desire, no dreams, nothing that makes me remember of my smoking past. It hasn't been easy, but it's a lot easier than recovering from a lung-removal operation. Thank you all; and for you struggling in your first weeks: it will get better every day, just NTAP

Frits - 5 years clean.

Dear John and all the helping hands and minds involved with the great work you do. This is, so far, a success story that lasts, as of today, for 805 consecutive days. It started after having been a nicotine addict for over 6,570 days before I stumbled across your website.

The simple explanation about how nicotine affects the dopamine level and the 'wisdom' that only my intelligence can 'beat my brain' or shall I say keep it under control, was enough to make me stop there and then. I ripped up the fags (that's how we call them in Scotland), threw away the lighter and broke the ashtray into bits and pieces.

I was angry that I hadn't found your page before; I wasn't even looking or searching for it to be honest, thinking that I could do it myself, alone with 'willpower.' And it worked, once for 6 weeks, 3 months then another time 3 months but it didn't last. My brain tricked me, told me how good it felt with smoking, how exhilarated it would feel if I just had another puff and so I did.

I started puffing again and again. It felt wrong though, the last time I had started feeding my 'nicotine receptors' again lasted only a few days. I felt so guilty about what I was doing to my body and mind that I just had to do something about it, once and for all!

Finding the answers to questions never asked felt liberating. Finally I knew why it was so damn hard to stop. Although the will was there, the knowledge about 'the way it all works' had been missing.

I cannot look into the future, but I am confident that I am not going to be taking another puff. I thank you very much for enlightening me, without your help I would not be able to write this, I am sure..

All the best to all of you....

Marc Lubke
Scotland

Hello my fellow quitters. Today I realized that my 4 year anniversary had passed on Saturday. Quitting smoking is the best thing I have done for myself, and Whyquit was instrumental in my success, especially early on. If you are just beginning your journey, welcome, it does get so much easier. The best advice I can give is to seriously take it one day at a time, and sometimes one crave at a time if necessary. The days blur into weeks, into months, into years, and soon you never even think about a cigarette. It will happen, be patient!

Greg

Day 1465

3:30am on 11/26/11 passed with zero fanfare. Exactly one year earlier I had been forcing myself to stay awake and keep smoking, knowing that when I finally went to bed, I would wake up to a world (I hoped) without cigarettes. I had no plan beyond that. I had no education regarding why it was that I smoked (I thought I liked it and that it calmed me), no idea what I needed to do to stop (I was still considering just tapering off, or quitting gradually), I had no idea what WhyQuit.com was, or that it even existed.

When I woke up, it was all I could do to keep from running to the corner and buying a pack. I was frantic. I searched the internet for help, stumbled on WhyQuit.com, found Freedom by poking around on WhyQuit, did some reading, and suddenly had a plan. I was going to battle for 72 hours, then apply for membership. I was going to SAVOR the withdrawal, because I never intended to go through it again. I was going to time my craves, and focus on getting through minute-to-minute when necessary. I was going to go to sleep at night with a smile on my face, and wake up in the morning with a promise to myself, and repeat as necessary. I was going to live my life in the short term actively seeking out my triggers, and conquering them. Some were daily triggers--waking up, after meals, walking out of the courthouse--while others (some of the most difficult and intimidating ones) such as trying my first jury trial without smoking before my closing argument, I would have to wait weeks or months to confront.

Through it all, I tried to keep in mind two very important things: 1) That the 175,000 plus times that I had replenished the nicotine in my system had conditioned me to associate the relieving of withdrawal with pleasure, much in the way I might associate someone taking their foot off of my neck as pleasure. This was a lie. It was not pleasure, but the absence of a type of pain that I was experiencing. And seeing it as such made it easier to deal with, in a way. Because after all of the nicotine was out of my bloodstream, I was no longer in physical withdrawal, and the ghostly memory of relieving my withdrawal symptoms by smoking was all that was left. No cigarette on earth could relieve my withdrawal symptoms at this point. They didn't exist anymore.

Which leads to 2) That the itch I had such fond memories of scratching was only a phantom itch. My poor rational self could hardly be blamed for thinking that a smoke would result in the "ahhh" that it had in the past, but there was no longer any blood-nicotine level to replenish. Instead, my rational self tried to tell me that the cigarette still held something pleasureable for me. It constantly took my back to one particular cigarette that I distinctly remember smoking back in 1995, on a hillside in Wooster Ohio, with the sun setting and a beautiful woman smoking next to me, with They Might be Giants warming up for a concert that night about 200 feet from us, and the clouds curling like purple-red smoke above our heads.

I find it much easier to not fixate on that "perfect cigarette" now that I know that it was not at all responsible for that beautiful moment, nor were cigarettes responsible for any of the beautiful moments I had been fortunate enough to experience during my life as a smoker. The cigarette was present, true, but only because cigarettes were ever-present. Cigarettes were there within 30 minutes (before and/or after) of every single moment of beauty I experienced as an actively-feeding addict because I made sure they were there—because not having them there would have meant being in withdrawal. Cigarettes were not responsible for those beautiful moments. And while they were not responsible for many of my ugly moments either, they were, at least, responsible for SOME of them. But they cannot claim credit for any of the beauty I have been fortunate enough to experience in spite of my addiction.

John and Joel and everyone, thank you for everything you have written here. It is an education that exceeds anything college or law school ever offered me. Best to all. Keep climbing the rope. The effort required truly dwindles, and the rewards magnify magnificently.

Ben (Strat) - Quit since 11.26.10

It's hard to believe another year has gone by already! Last Tuesday (11-22-11) was my 9th anniversary of being free from smoking, so I'm stopping by to toot my horn and to give a shout out of encouragement to everyone who is on this journey or thinking about starting this journey~

It's possible to be free and it's a beautiful feeling!

Thank you once again to Bryan Curtis and his family for posting his story, as it was his story that gave me the courage to say enough. His picture is now tucked in a drawer, a bit tattered after all these years, but just as precious to me now as it was that first day I put it in my purse where my cigarettes used to live.

Breathe Deep and Live Long!

Fondly,

Laurey - 9 Years Free

I have been nicotine free for 6 years. Remaining so has been very difficult at times. On November 11, 2006 I decided I was done abusing myself by smoking. I decided to quit and I was guided by the wisdom of WhyQuit. It was the hardest day of my life.

I believe that I was addicted to nicotine before I was born, my mother smoked when she was pregnant with me. I felt addicted to cigarettes within a week of starting. I started smoking when I was 14, attempted to quit when I was 29 and succeeded when I was 35.

I thought I smoked because I liked to. I didn’t think I was a drug addict. I felt superior to people that were addicted to other substances. I was one of those smokers that other smokers called a “committed” smoker. I smoked anywhere the law allowed and I felt it was my right to do so. I smoked when the man I was living with struggled to quit smoking. I smoked through yearly boughts with bronchitis, strep throat and common colds that lasted for weeks. Every time I went to the dentist my gums would bleed and the hygienist would tell me that I would probably lose my teeth if I continued to smoke. I dated men that tired of my smoking and decided that they couldn’t date me and my addiction. My addiction took precedent over my health, my finances and my relationships. In my recovery, I have come to realize that I lied to myself and denied I was an addict in order to protect myself from the truth of my nicotine addiction. I felt very emotionally freed when I faced the truth and committed to quitting smoking.

Today, one day short of six years nicotine free, I look out the window of my office and it is sunny and clear outside. My view is no longer obstructed by the cloud of smoke that surrounded me for 20 years. I am free and there are no words to accurately describe how I feel. The closest I come to is abundantly joyful :)

If you are struggling with your quit; I promise it gets better, so much better! Nurture your quit and Never take another Puff. Your quit is doable and so worth it!

Whyquit.com is a lifeline for my quit. Thank you to everyone who posts their stories and to the counselors of WhyQuit.com. The support, empathy and honesty provided by this site is invaluable. I am eternally grateful to you all!

Lisa

I've been 2 years 6 month's free from nicotine addiction thanks to Whyquit.com :) .... I never crave nicotine now and I believe that I have conquered my addiction :) I never miss the drug and have the Law of Addiction and the teachings from WhyQuit.com embedded in my brain. Thanks again WhyQuit :)

Daniel Byron

My hubby and I have both made it to gold today, 1 year and nearly 9 hours. If you are struggling, here's some more proof, again, that this is entirely doable and you just never take another puff.

Paula

I opened my quit counter tonight and I discovered that I quit nicotine more than 7 years ago. I often think of all who helped me to find my way free from my addiction. I am truly free. I am no stronger; I have no more willpower - It is what I learned that has given me my freedom.

I will be forever grateful to you and Joel and all of the friends that I made when I became a member of Freedom. For it is the fact that my 7th anniversary passed without my being aware that makes it so special. In the beginning I counted and celebrated every minute because every minute was a victory but over time I came to realize that the greatest victory is forgetting to count, forgetting to celebrate. I'm doing a little dance in my chair right now knowing that 7 years have passed but I think you understand what I'm saying.

The day I searched the internet and found WhyQ uit.com it was my time to quit. Thank you for allowing me to join the forum, for allowing me to participate as a manager but most of all for sharing the truth about nicotine addiction. You gave me all the tools I needed to never take another puff.

Joseph Savastano

Today, October 22, 2011, marks five years since I quit smoking. I visit this site from time to time and hope everyone is keeping happy & healthy.

Free from nicotine for five years, 21,908 cigarettes not smoked, saving me almost $9,000.00 and I've taken back control of my life.

Thank you WHYQUIT!

Michele

Two years ago today, I quit smoking cold turkey. I did this primarily thanks to Whyquit. I had discovered it randomly (someone at this forum I'm on which has nothing to do with smoking, happened to mention it/provide a link) -- at a time where I had no interest whatsoever in actually quitting or even trying to quit. After 3 past failures during my 30 years of smoking, I had "quit quitting." Go figure, huh?

Well, I clicked this person's link (www.whyquit.com) from inexplicable curiosity and got so "sucked in" I spent all my waking hours reading it for 3-4 days, stopping only long enough to eat, sleep, potty and shower! Sure, I knew "smoking is bad for you," and my first attempt at quitting had also taught me I was a nicotine addict, but never the HOW and WHY like I learned it from this site. That 3rd/4th day was my last day as a smoker: I went out and bought "quit supplies" -- acidic juice (orange: sorry but I hate cranberry) plus fruit and veggie snacks. The next day I was smoke free and I never took another puff -- watching Joel's daily quit lessons each day too, not to mention all the continued reading and re-reading (including both Joel's and John's free e-books).

Quitting was still very hard for me even with all this help, but yes, the "quit supplies" helped A LOT. My first attempt to quit (25 years prior) had been cold turkey, but I was climbing out of my crawling skin screaming after less than a full day and immediately started smoking again (for years) after that. OK, Hell Week was still definitely not Heaven, only this time I was able to get through it, and beyond, smoke free -- with constant reading and re-reading here at Whyquit for brain retraining and reinforcement, plus posting at this other forum for support with other quitters who turned out to suit me slightly better than Freedom's otherwise excellent forum because they are much freer in terms of how we can express ourselves. So I DID it! I quit, and STAYED quit! Took me about 8 1/2 months or so of hell battling my nicotine addiction to truly FEEL free of smoking, but once I reached that point, WOW! It was so AMAZING!

I am so glad I quit, even though I had nothing to gain from it healthwise (I was already terminally ill with metastatic breast cancer and in fact that had been one of my "anti-quitting rationalizations" from the time I was diagnosed until several months later when I finally decided to quit). So while I had no health left to "improve," I did still get ALL the PSYCHOLOGICAL freedoms of quitting and it was definitely WORTH all that effort! It is SO GOOD to not have "nic fits" anymore and just be able to deal directly with my emotions and handle stressful incidents, of which I have too many. It is SO GOOD to be able to have uninterrupted indoor conversations in the homes of nonsmokers, and completely WONDERFUL not to have to go stand outside in crummy weather to smoke anymore.

So in spite of how hard it was and having no "real" (health) reason to do it, I'm THRILLED that I quit. If this gets posted on the site: to all of you reading this who are young and/or still healthy enough to be able to gain the health benefits of quitting in addition to the psychological freedoms: QUIT NOW! NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PUFF! And let's not describe it as "giving up" smoking, either. Smoking is not something good we give up, but rather it's something bad we get RID of!

Joel and John, I can't thank you enough for the Whyquit SITE -- all your teaching materials and the hardline no-nonsense approach to quitting and not coddling relapsers. I especially love your "the only way out is through" approach -- that is, don't avoid regular activities when you first quit; do them same as usual except with no cigarettes, as a way for a quitter to to teach him/herself firsthand that yes it's really true: not only is there life after smoking, but "Anything you can do as a smoker, you can do just as well or better as a nonsmoker!"

Take care all. GTQ, KTQ, ETQ!

Yersinia

Playing around with my computer this evening, I was checking my calendar for my appointments later today, when I looked at the date and did a double-take. It's October 1st! Time to do my yearly happy dance (think Snoopy) that I found Freedom seven years ago. Seven years ago, I was a stinking nervous wreck with bad breath, a nasty hacking cough, and yellow teeth. And that's just the physical stuff!

On some level, emotionally, psychologically, you know you're not treating yourself with the love and care you deserve. Well, I'm here to say you DO deserve that love and that care. You CAN get free of the prison of nicotine addiction, and all the help you need is right here. All you have to do is take the first step of putting down that cigarette, that chew, that pipe. Yes, THAT one! You don't need to prepare, you don't need drugs, programs, or hypnosis. It's amazingly simple, and this site is right here 24/7 to help. You can do it. I did.

Bernadette
Free for seven years, thousands of dollars saved, more life in my years - PRICELESS

I just want to thank you for your excellent resource. I visited this a little more than 5 years ago, desperate and suffering from gum disease, fearful of life, the cost of smoking had spiralled and I seemed unable to do anything to stop. I have been extremely lucky so far, and I have been smoke free, since February 2006. Every day is a day I have been gifted, and am extremely grateful for both the candid nature of your website, and the "methods" of becoming smoke free. Knowing what to expect for the first 72 hours was extremely helpful.

I was particularly moved by the story of Brian Lee Curtis and the photo of Brian lying in a hospital bed with his wife and daughter by his bed side. If there is any way to let the family know that their own tragedy helped me that would be one way to share my gratitude, hoping that this knowledge will also help them in return.

If there is anything I can do to help you or contribute to your website, please let me know.

In gratitude

Volker

[Editor's Note: I can't think of a more meaningful contribution than reaching out and sharing your victory with all still in bondage. Thanks for becoming part of the team!]

It is 10 years today. Thanks again to "Nicodemon's Lies." I read through this and it made sense to me. I printed it out and stuck it on my fridge and re-read it whenever I felt like a smoke.

Ten years ago, I also wanted to spend my money on something else, and I realised how much of my money was being wasted on cigarettes. It was a powerful motivating factor to quit and doing so was the best decision I ever made.

Regards,

Ieva

I won't be able to send this info off this evening when I really hit 12 months but I would say this is close enough!

"You have stopped nicotine for 11 months, 29 days, 16 hours, 4 minutes and 57 seconds (364 days). You have not smoked 7293 cigarettes, and saved $3,553.83. You have saved 25 days, 7 hours and 47 minutes of your life."

Smoking sure does suck! Amazing that I did it for a decade. Some days, I can't remember that I did it at all. I'm looking forward to a comfortable smokefree year!

Jeremy Z.

Three years today! When I was actively involved in quitting for my first year or so, I never had a problem articulating my thoughts about smoking and quitting. After making 3 nicotine-free trips around the sun I just don't think about it anymore. I can't even vaguely remember the last time I wanted to smoke. I also can't remember the details of the first year journey without rereading my old journal entries.

For newer quitters who are struggling, I can tell you that your struggles WILL end if you just stick with it. I can also tell you that the long term rewards more than make up for the initial inconveniences of quitting.

For me, nicotine addiction education (whyquit.com) and a great support group (community.becomeanex.org) were instrumental to my success. I wish all of you the same success that I have enjoyed.

Never Take Another Puff!!!

Chuck
Southern California

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. I first read through this website many, many years ago. I kept coming back. This is the second time I visited this site in two years. Why? It is the second year I have gone without a cigarette.

THANK YOU.

God willing, I will write to you again next year.

John M. Holt

I am writing you today to express my thanks and gratitude for the Why Quit website. As of today I am smoke free 5 years 9 months and 4 days, and your website was influential tool that help me be successful to quit smoking and never look back.

I started smoking at the age of thirteen and smoked every day until the age 36 back in 2005 when I awoke on the morning of November 23, 2005 coughing, hacking and struggling to catch my breath as I reached for my pack of Marlboros to light up and start my day. That morning as I took the first drag of my cigarette I felt the chemicals alter my body, I felt the immediate drain of my energy, I felt the nauseating feeling of the poisons entering my body, an at that moment I ask myself why am I doing this to myself.

I immediately extinguished the cigarette and I said, no more. I collected all of my cigarette packs, cartons, ash trays and lighters placed them in a bag and threw them out for good.

I then turned to the internet for help, searching for the "quit smoking" cure alls that would help me get through the tough days ahead battling the addiction and withdrawal of the nicotine. I came across all of the money making cure alls for hypnosis, nicotine gums, patches etc. etc, then I came across the Why Quit site and I never looked back.

After reading the Bryan Lee Curtis story I felt an attachment to the Why Quit site and Bryan's story after losing my cousin at the young age of 36 to cancer as a result of smoking. My cousin Scott also had a young wife of 4 years and a young 2 year old son when he passed from lung cancer that spread through his body and took his life in less than 6 months. He was a smoker of 20 years and he was taking from us way to young.

Your site was my inspiration, my knowledge and my strength to get me through the tough battle of quitting smoking and using Joel's methods of going cold turkey not using other nicotine products as a crutch that would reduce my chances of success instead of increase them. I used your site on a daily basis, sometimes several times a day to give me the education and knowledge I needed to quit smoking and stay quit for good. I was religiously using the time line section of your website to give me a goal to look forward to and the next milestone to accomplish. I remember I was so proud to reach that 1 month mark and using the time line to see what effects and healing my body was experiencing at that time. It was a tremendous help and was one of the many tools I was able to use from your site to ensure my success.

I just wanted to thank you personally for helping me accomplish the goal of quitting smoking, I still have my quit keeper timer running and although I do not look at it daily like I use to keep motivated, I do check it from time-to-time to see how far I have come. 5 years 9 moths 4 days, 73,648 cigarettes not smoked and $15,000 not spent. And a new lifestyle of good health, running 3 times a week, free from smoking and feeling good mentally and physically that I will be forever grateful for.

Thank you again for you site and all you do to help people like me overcome the struggles and addiction of smoking.

Warmest Regards,

Eric Jud

I am on my 3 year anniversary that I quit smoking with the help of your website. Just wanted to say thank you ... your site was much needed support. I haven't had a puff in 3 years. I was thinking about it today because my sister has a quit date and I'm trying to help her with all the resources I can. Everyone has a different path but yours helped me so much. Thanks for what you do and the time you spend on it.

Cari Morrison-Bear

John / Joel, I just wanted to drop a line and thank you both for the resources you continue to provide around nicotine addiction education, and the cessation resources provided by your websites. Funny, I thought I was 10 years nicotine free, but I was wrong. I stumbled across whyquit.com just over 9 years ago while in the middle of the first few crazy days of my cold-turkey quit. To this day, I still realize that there is no going back, and the information I read on both whyquit.com and the freedom message boards still ring true with me. I was not a huge poster on the message boards, but I can tell you that they helped me so much. That and the mounds of information and encouragement in Joel's writing.

I just wanted to say thank you to the both of you, and to let you know that I appreciate the work that you do, and that it has had, and continues to have, an enormous impact on my (now longer) life.

Regards,

Lee

It's now over two years since I have had any nicotine in my body and I feel great. I never in my life thought I could one day quit smoking. I started smoking when I was 14 years old and I never once tried to quit. I saw my friends and coworkers start some sort of NRT, fail a few weeks later, and smoke again. I thought no way can I go through that.

When I stumbled across WhyQuit.com I learned everything I thought I knew about quitting smoking was wrong. I took the plunge and I quit right then and there. No last cigarette, I threw them all in the trash. I was so scared the first few weeks as I had never gone without smoking. I was afraid my whole life was going to change. I thought about how everything I do I did with a cigarette.

I battled the intense craves by reading WhyQuit.com articles over and over. I read every word of the free ebooks five times. Gradually, the craves went away and I realized Joel was right the whole time, it really does get easier. I also learned that my fears of my whole life changing because I quit smoking was totally unfounded. My life, for better or worse, is pretty much the same as before I quit smoking. However, now I do all the activities I enjoyed before, without being a constant slave to tobacco.

If anyone is reading this that is thinking about quitting my advice is quit this second. You have it in you to not have nicotine for the next hour. When you make it an hour pat yourself on the back the next hour won't be any harder. After two hours down you can't go back you have already started. I PROMISE you it will get easier as long as you hold up your end of the bargain, don't take another puff. Don't think about not taking a puff for a week or a month. Only think about not taking another puff for another hour. All great accomplishments are done one step at a time. Also, read all of WhyQuit.com. The multitude of tips are extremely helpful in managing the withdrawal.

Thank You to everyone at WhyQuit.com for saving my life,

Dan

HOOORAY!! I wanted to say that today I am ONE YEAR QUIT COLD TURKEY!!!! 8/5/2010 at 9:43 a.m. (I wrote the time down lol)

I can not believe it has been a whole year. On that first day, I put out that last cancerette at 9:43. I left two packs beside me at work. I think I was showing defiance towards the smokes. I left them there for several days. That first night I went to the beach so that I was out of the house and in a different setting. I wanted to feel and hear the ocean breeze and the waves, signifying freedom. I picked a seashell that night and wrote the date on it. I have it on my desk at home and will keep it always. That first night I had withdrawals like crazy, but I was determined that I would not smoke NO MATTER WHAT. I was even told by a doctor that the worst was yet to come and that I should just go ahead and take two well known quitting medications. I refused both of them and I refuse to give the tobacco companies another damn penny of my money!! From then, I took a first drink of alcohol and started to socialize more and so on. It has been a journey well worth every step.

It has been quite a journey over the last year. There were the emotional highs and lows, the cravings, making friends mad at me sometimes lol etc., but it was all worth it. I even worked at a job where they smoked inside all day everyday for the first 4 or 5 months of my quit, but I got through it. (They don't do that anymore btw)

I owe much of my success to WhyQuit, John, Joel and all of the staff and Freedom. It was whyquit that made the difference! The education is something I never had before and it was an accidental stumbling upon whyquit that dropped the notion in my head to quit. I read the story of Brian Lee Curtis first and then Noni Glykos. I didn't quit right away, but it was soon after. The image of Brian was burned into my mind from the day I first saw it and it inspired me to quit. RIP and condolences still - to the family. You shared your heart breaking stories and saved many lives, including mine.

I can not say enough about WhyQuit. The fact that a site like this exists that is free, doesn't advertise and doesn't "want" anything from anyone, except to help them save their own life in these times is AMAZING!

Once in a while I am a little nervous because I know the journey is not over. I know I must remain on guard forever and never become complacent again. I do remind myself though - One day at a time NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PUFF! Anytime I need reassurance, the place that pops into my head is whyquit.

I know that you all take a "hard core" approach to quitting and that it's not popular with everyone, but it IS popular with me. This is what I needed! I do belong to one other group that does have a special place in my heart as well, but the serious stance of whyquit is what works - it worked for me! The truth is tough, but necessary in order to beat this addiction. There is no reason to sugar coat the facts. We are all fighting for our lives - THIS IS A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH AND IT IS SERIOUS BUSINESS! I have a journal that I started at the beginning to remind myself should I ever forget how far I've come. I may post some excerpts from that later on, but for now I want to say THANK YOU to WHYQUIT from the bottom of my heart. Thank You to John and Joel and all of the staff (sorry I do not know your names as well) for all that you do here! You don't have to keep this site up, but you do and god bless you for that., truly!

I can honestly say that WhyQuit helped me to save my life! I can't express enough the gratitude I feel. I tell everyone that will listen about whyquit because what you do here is sooo very important, so life changing and so un-selfish. I will give myself some credit too for sheer determination, being stubborn and refusing to fail (insert pat on the back :) ), but the education from whyquit made the difference! Joel Spitzer - you lived in my living room the first couple of weeks and months! I watched your videos and it was like you were right there, helping me. Joel and John: you will never know how many lives you have touched, though I'm sure you hear it often. It is probably way more than you ever imagined.

To all the newbies or not yet quit: Don't be afraid. You can do this! It is soooo worth it! You will NEVER regret it. Trust me when I tell you it is worth it. Quit today and hang in there. You will be so glad that you did. You will feel better than you have in years.

I am off now to celebrate being one year FREE from the ball and chain that is smoking!!! :-)

Never Take Another Puff!

My deepest appreciation and thank you to all of you here,

toosara / Sarah

I began smoking at 13. Smoked a-pack-day until I had enough at 26 years old. Today is my 2 year anniversary tobacco-free! It feels amazing., fantastic, wonderful, like a dream come true! I tried buying expensive nicotine gums and patches only to continue to be addicted to nicotine. It is not the way out.

Thank you to this amazing website! Cold turkey is the only way out! Thanks to the support from this website I am finally free from the terrible addiction!

-Nick

To all you wonderful people who have made the WhyQuit site what it is, I thank you from the bottom of my soul. I took up my first cigarette as a teen, and thus began 31 years of enslavement. I tried so many times to quit, and succumbed to the lie of "just one" again and again and again. 5.5 years ago on another quit, I came across your site. The education and the anger that your site gave me fueled me to success. I say anger because I now fully understand that these companies took my money and used it to find better ways to poison me.

I did not have the time to post to the boards the way your site requested of members, but I would read everything. Every now and again, I still stop by the boards to refresh my memory of why I hate cigarette manufacturers so much.

To John, to Joel, this is the quit I waited my entire adult life for and it is precious to me. My only regret is that I didn't find you sooner. With every breath I am able to take, I thank you for helping me break through the bondage.

Celebrating 5.5 smoke free trips around the sun,

Kim

I wanted to say thanks for everything. I'm still smoke free for over 2 years now and I owe it to Bryan Lee Curtis and Deborah Scott and whyquit.com for bringing their stories to me. I hope their families know that in their loved ones death, they have saved many, many lives.

The picture of Bryan Lee Curtis holding his son, and then the picture of Mr. Curtis on his death bed holding that same picture only a few months later, is what helped me through the first day/week/month/year/forever without nicotine the most. My son was 4 and my daughter was 1 year old at the time and I couldn't imagine leaving them and my wife alone while so young.

I must also add that Deborah Scott's story was very touching to me. Her last written update was on 5/5/09. My quit date is 11:59PM 5/25/09. I read her whole story while at work the following day after my quit date and actually sent an email to her. I continued to check every day for updates via email and WhyQuit.com (sometimes 5-10 times a day). I was devastated to finally find out that she had passed just over 2 weeks after my quit date.

Today, over 2 years after my quit date, I continue to visit whyquit.com every week or so to check for updates and to help me remember why I did quit.

As I write this, my daughter, age 3, asked me to help her put a dress on a Barbie doll, and when I finished she kissed my arm and said, "Thank you daddy!" Twenty minutes later, my son, age six, walked in from playing with the neighborhood kids and gave me a hug and said, "I love you daddy". What more motivation did I really need to help me quit?

Thanks again to whyquit.com. You've saved 1 more life!

Tony

Crossed my mind that I should let you know that I am still a non-smoker, that I never had an urge or a craving, never wanted another one, and that it is now (on July 2nd) 16 months since I quit. I feel better, my voice has returned to a normal octave, and not gravel-rocks, and it is just great to be in control of a really horrible thing that used to control me. My constant cough is gone and my nervousness of not having that silly little stick in my fingers and mouth is a thing of the past and not even a memory. I simply do not miss it, and feel as though I have never smoked in my life. Hope my lungs are as forgetful!

No need to respond... just wanted to let you know that I have never looked back and am extremely proud of myself for so doing.

Love and all the best to you.

xx Audrey-Mae

Joel,

I celebrated my 7 year milestone on June 9,2011 and just want to say thank you for giving me the ammunition to quit. An educated quit is a quit that stands a better chance of success. When I first came to WhyQuit I started reading everything on it to improve my chances of continued cessation and did it work,it helped royally. Thanks to you I was able to fully understand what I was up against and how to combat it.

I've found every section educational, especially the relapse section because I never want to ever relapse. EVER! You've given the knowledge on how to arrest this filthy addiction and you've helped me hate tobacco and nicotine. Generally hate is not a good thing but in this case it is a lifesaver. Again thank you, Joel and keep up the good work.

Scott, unofficial WhyQuit graduate.

Hello everyone. It's been a long while since I visited, but wanted to do so today, 5 years since the day Joel Spitzer and Freedom gave me the keys to help me unshackle myself from the 24 years of nicotine slavery I had voluntarily and stupidly shackled myself to. 5 years since the day I took my life back from myself. 5 years since the day I said 'enough is enough'.

Life does move on and I guess that is the central theme of Freedom and Why Quit - that life can go on, and go on richer in every literal and figurative sense of the word. I cannot even remember what it was like to hold a cigarette in my hand and take in all those toxins. That part of my life is over, cleaned so thoroughly from my DNA that it now seems like some other life and some other person.

To those taking their first steps on this Freedom trail, I wish you all continued success and best wishes as you take back your own lives back from this addiction. There is no journey as satisfying, and no 'victory' so sweet as the ones that you will soon achieve so long as you stay with the programme, and use all the resources that are so abundantly available here.

To my fellow travellers from the Class of 2006 - hey there! I hope this message finds you in the midst of the best of everything.

Robin - 5 years.

Dear Mr. Spitzer,

Today is a very important day in my life. I quit smoking on June 7, 2010. And on the first anniversary of my quit, I am writing this letter to you.

I must confess that I have wanted to write to you earlier. But I am always vigilant about getting a little complacent about this war against nicotine; and a quit that lasts a year was my initial benchmark, for life without a crave.

My letter to you is as much an attempt to thank you for your extraordinary powers of coaching, as it is a self congratulatory pat on my back for staying the course.

Thank you Mr. Spitzer!!! You changed my life!!!

I wish I could meet you today to tell you in person that you have changed my life and what it means for me. I live in India, in Mumbai and though this email will hopefully reach you, I wish I could pump your hand in person, give you a bear hug and throw you a 'Thank You' party and tell you that your influence has given me the freedom from nicotine. It is an awesome feeling.

A year ago, I reached your website www.WhyQuit.com by chance. It was the first day of my quit and I desperately needed help. I think everyone who has tried a quit or quit, knows that sinking feeling. The slow but inevitable feeling that 'I cant Quit'....and traitor feet that are itching to go for a walk to the nearest cigarette vendor.

In desperation, I went to google and somehow, miraculously, reached you. In fact I reached your short videos on how to deal with the first day of the quit. You and your video's are amazing. Now that I think back, after a year, I am filled with gratitude....I was so close to losing the battle.

I listened you, your simple examples, the insightful details, the little tricks, the facts, and the key message - 'Never take another puff'. You gave me immense strength. I went back to work on my quit. And I have stayed the course. You helped me in finding my inner strength to deal with my addiction to Nicotine. Today, I am not sure if I am cured but I am so strong that there is no way that I will relapse. I still get the occasional crave. But I live by your mantra 'Never take another Puff'....and I never will.

I wish there was a way to conduct your cessation program in India. We have so many smokers and such a high percentage of smokers who are desperate to quit, but do not know how to. I have shared the information about your website with my friends but I think the world deserves to know that your process of attempting a quit is so powerful. We need help in India.

If you are ever in this part of the world, it would be an honour to meet you. You have, in me, another fan for life! Thank you once again!

Basav

Basav Mukherjee
Mumbai, India

Dear Mr. Spitzer,

Today is a very important day in my life. I quit smoking on June 7, 2010. And on the first anniversary of my quit, I am writing this letter to you.

I must confess that I have wanted to write to you earlier. But I am always vigilant about getting a little complacent about this war against nicotine; and a quit that lasts a year was my initial benchmark, for life without a crave.

My letter to you is as much an attempt to thank you for your extraordinary powers of coaching, as it is a self congratulatory pat on my back for staying the course. Thank you Mr. Spitzer!!! You changed my life!!!

I wish I could meet you today to tell you in person that you have changed my life and what it means for me. I live in India, in Mumbai and though this email will hopefully reach you, I wish I could pump your hand in person, give you a bear hug and throw you a 'Thank You' party and tell you that your influence has given me the freedom from nicotine. It is an awesome feeling.

A year ago, I reached your website www.whyquit.com by chance. It was the first day of my quit and I desperately needed help. I think everyone who has tried a quit or quit, knows that sinking feeling. The slow but inevitable feeling that 'I cant Quit'....and traitor feet that are itching to go for a walk to the nearest cigarette vendor.

In desperation, I went to google and somehow, miraculously, reached you. In fact I reached your short videos on how to deal with the first day of the quit. You and your video's are amazing. Now that I think back, after a year, I am filled with gratitude....I was so close to losing the battle.

I listened you, your simple examples, the insightful details, the little tricks, the facts, and the key message - 'Never take another puff'. You gave me immense strength. I went back to work on my quit. And I have stayed the course. You helped me in finding my inner strength to deal with my addiction to Nicotine. Today, I am not sure if I am cured but I am so strong that there is no way that I will relapse. I still get the occasional crave. But I live by your mantra 'Never take another Puff'....and I never will.

I wish there was a way to conduct your cessation program in India. We have so many smokers and such a high percentage of smokers who are desperate to quit, but do not know how to. I have shared the information about your website with my friends but I think the world deserves to know that your process of attempting a quit is so powerful. We need help in India.

If you are ever in this part of the world, it would be an honour to meet you. You have, in me, another fan for life! Thank you once again!

Basav

Basav Mukherjee
Mumbai, India

I can hardly believe that my last puff was June 3, 2000 after smoking a pack a day for 36 years. Where has the time gone? How many years ago did I stop thinking about cigarettes, except in a negative way? The actual transition, for me, began somewhere between six months and twelve. I wanted to come by and visit today, if just to encourage one person out there who is, at this moment, considering taking just one puff. Don't do it! Don't give up your quit, ever.

Guard it with all your might. It is your most prized possession. It is your life. Hang in there, because things will get much easier, soon. Your quit is the greatest gift you will ever give yourself.

I always regretted not going to college 40 years ago. Three years ago, I became a college student. I wonder today if my life would have been much different had I not quit when I did. I may have waited too long, became sick, or even died. Instead, I am still a very healthy 56 year old, enjoying school like I probably never would have when I was younger. Age does not give us the benefit of taking time for granted. The older I get, the more I enjoy the things that I do.

Thank you Joel, for your library, which is still available for all that care to read and learn. Knowledge will always be power, and you have shared your knowledge with many. Funny, I just thought how early in my quit, I would dream that I smoked, and would wake up actually thinking I had broken my quit. Of course, I always knew it wasn't so, as there were never any smokes around:) Occasionally, I still have smoking dreams, but they no longer frighten me. I have long since committed to never, ever, ever taking another puff...the cost of addiction is way too high.

Joy (Zarefah)

I was addict for more than 34 years, smoking 2 packs a day and always smelling bad. Now I am 51 and free from smoking for more than a year. I decided to quit smoking on April 8th, 2010. I'd like to share how I decided to quit cold turkey.

On the night of April 7th, 2010 I went to sleep as usual smoking my last cigarette of that day just minutes before going to sleep. Then I was invaded with nigthmares about cigarrete related illnesses. I mean, I saw me in my dreams my lips dark and rotten. I awoke tremendously scared, running to look in the mirror to be sure it wasn't true. In that moment I refused to light a cigarette as was usual every morning with my coffee. Later, in getting ready to drive to work that morning, I grabbed the new two packages of cigarettes I bought the previous day then threw them away, and the ligther too. Since then I have never taken another puff. Of course, it wasn't an easy task, but it gave me a lot of confidence and a healtier life.

I was lucky enough to find this site where I found a lot of support and encouragement to keep free.

Thank you,

Sergio

I just celebrated my 6th year nicotine free. It was back in April 2005 when I stumbled upon your site and learned enough info to quit smoking cold turkey.

I have no urges or desire to ever smoke again but still regret for the years I lost to smoking. Keep doing what you're doing, it's making a difference.

Many thanks for saving me,

Steve
Alberta, Canada

I have followed your site all these years! I am STILL smoke free!!!! 1,972 days! I quit on December 2, 2005 and this December will be 6 years!

My father is still alive and well. He never picked up a cigarette or cigar after his left lung was removed. He did, however, cheat with chewing tobacco and my brother and I put an end to that.

My brother is smoke free and my boyfriend just quit last November and still is smoke free. A co-worker of mine had quit a while back and has also found this website to be most positive.

Quitting was the best thing I ever did, not only for me but for my son, who of course has experimented at the young age of 17. When I found out, I quickly reminded him how it affected our family, especially when he was so young and angry at me for smoking back in the day. He has since stopped. I just pray it's a phase and a bit of peer pressure.

I work out every day, I eat healthy (well, most of the time). Our family loves to be outside and enjoy the outdoors, we love to do all the things we always wanted to do without having to stop every couple of hours and smoke! Seriously, what a nasty, repulsive and dangerous dependency that was!

Anyway, my father and mother are grandparents again. They just celebrated their 42nd anniversary and I am an auntie. My brother and his new wife have welcomed another beautiful child into this world and I am thankful we are alive and well to witness this amazing event.

I want all you smokers to know that they can do it, you can be stronger and healthier, you can enjoy life without destroying it, and can have the freedom to never take another puff!

Best wishes to all and God Bless! And as you said before .... Breathe deep, hug hard, live long!

Thankful,

Maria

I quit smoking 1.5 years ago & quit chewing tobacco over a year ago. Today my 'lovely wife' is on her third day of being a non-smoker and I love her dearly. Life is what you make of it!

Most smokers started because someone else in their family was a smoker; which means that there were options for the young impressionable mind to pursue. Pursuing these type of options as a adolescent mind is foolish, nicotine is a very additive drug that is often miss judged.

If you can do it for yourself, do it for the children who look up to you in this world!

Chad Baker

Today, 17th April, marks my second year free from the tobacco plant's natural pesticide, nicotine, and hardly a day goes by without my being thankful for finding this amazing website.

An exercise I found helpful, was to imagine my last years on this planet, both as a smoker, and then as a non-smoker. It really helps to focus the mind to picture these alternatives.

Anyway, one of the things I most often hear from smokers about quitting is, "I really don't know how you do it!". The thing I hear most from ex-smokers like me is, "If I can do it, anyone can do it!"

And anyone really can, so, if you're thinking of making the best leap of your life, read as much as you can on this site, because knowledge is power!

All the very best,

Adrian

Thanks for all the information and support you give to all the smokers around the world for free. I'm an Italian man aging 40 years who smoked for more than 20 years and 1 year ago I quit cold turkey. I can say without any doubt that quitting is absolutley doable and even the best thing a smoker can do. Now I'm more happy, calm and in good health than ever!

A great boost to all the smokers starting this journey in this period!

Ciao,

Edgardo Viglielmo