After 14 years, I quit smoking the morning of January 6, 1996.

It's the hardest thing I have ever done...and continue to do! This is coming from a woman who gave birth to two children.

Funny..I distinctly remember that last smoke just before I went for acupuncture treatment.

I think I even enjoyed it.

Why did I quit if I enjoyed smoking so much? Well I became pregnant and I wanted to give my unborn child the best start possible.

I tried cold turkey at first. That my friends .... was a nightmare that lasted two days. I'm very lucky that my family loves me as I was inches away from having my head rotate off my shoulders while spewing green soup. Then I tried cutting down from a pack to six cigarettes a day. The withdraw, in my mind was more difficult than going cold turkey because my body did not know when it was going to receive it's next "hit" so to speak. I finally tried acupuncture and this is what worked for me. I think the fact that I was pregnant gave me the additional incentive to quit. Steve was prepared and loving participant in my "quitting". My partner has been through the receiving end of withdraw symptoms with several loved ones over the years and knew what to expect.

I have not had a smoke since that cool winter morning, but that's not to say I have not had the "mental cravings" reappear. I have and in a big way.

Since I gave birth to my son, the urge to smoke has been great...but I have held out telling myself that the first cigarette I have will probably taste like crap and make me throw-up. It would take an additional 5 cigarettes to give me that "high" or "stress relief".

Not worth it.

Knowing how difficult it is to kick the habit; I have complied links that are actually useful to people who, like myself find the process of quitting and then staying there a challenging one.

Smoke Enders Online
The Quit Net
Quitting smoking is hard, but dying is harder - a medical article