I tried a lot of different ways to quit smoking, but alas no joy. Well a couple weeks before Christmas I ended up in the Hospital. I spent three days in ICU and three more days in a regular room. You would not believe how much they frown on smoking when you are in ICU. I don't know how or why it happened but I lost all urge for the drug part of smoking and it has never returned. I still have to fight the urge to smoke because, I always have a smoke while doing a particular activity. That doesn't even happen every day. Yea! What landed me in the hospital, I wouldn't wish on an enemy, but losing the desire to smoke after 50 years is an interesting side effect.
Rod

I wish it hadn't taken a trip to the ICU but congrats on quitting.

I had a similar experience. Caught the flu, spent 4 days in bed, and haven’t smoked since. I’ve been 3 1/2 years smoke free from a 2-3 pack a day habit. No patches, gum,or vape.

Yeah breaking the rituals associated with smoking wss my hardest thing.
Cup of coffee, starting the truck, after a meal.
I hung in and soon those went away also.

I hope you can use this as motivation to quit for good.

A similar thing kinda happened to me with Tequila.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 1s1k,

sig sailor,
Your experience is not unique. I was admitted in the wee hours of Easter Sunday 2006 with a heart attack. Scared the everloving crap out of me such that from that moment I went cold turkey. Haven't had any urge to touch pipes, cigars, or cigarettes since.

Well, I'm glad that you all survived those experiences, and that there was at least one benefit from them.

flashguy

Who knew that landing in ICU could be the best thing to happen to you — nice work!

I’m almost two years free from nicotine (can a day of Copenhagen for 15+ years) and it’s extremely freeing and rewarding.

A bad lung infection has a way of cutting the smoking urge. Especially as you get older and your body wants more time to heal.

I visited a dying chain-smoker in 2017. An asthmatic reaction to the 30-hour visit had my lungs tight for several days. Sort of hard to rationalize lighting up, since it takes so long to get back to feeling "normal".

I had a heart attack last year and spent 5 days in the hospital.... the only decent channel on the TV was Turner Classic Movies... I swear every damn movie on while I was there had guys smoking cigars... just about drove me crazy.... but I went dry for 3 months and then I did cut back from one a day to one a week....

It was getting to the point that I knew smoking was slowly killing me, but I couldn't stop. Now I have stopped and I think I'm better off health wise than I've been in years. My wife says that she has to come find me in the house now instead of just listening for my cough.
Rod

A guy I know says he was able to quit by a simple change in mental attitude. He would say both to others and himself "I am quitting smoking. I am no longer a smoker effective today." Then he would give into the desire and have a cigarette. He would then say to himself "I failed. I can't quit." He mentally was giving himself permission to continue smoking.

The change he made was this. He continued to say, "I am a smoker." He would just say "I am not smoking right now. I will not have a cigarette this afternoon" (or evening) whatever.
He continued to say he was a smoker, even when he would go days without a cigarette. If he succumbed to temptation, he would start right back after that one cigarette saying "I am not smoking this morning" etc. He would not give himself permission to resume smoking by labeling himself as a failure who couldn't quit. He hasn't had a cigarette in over 10 years now, but he says he is still reluctant to say he is a non-smoker. This mental trick worked for him.

My wife had a tumor that was wrapping around her spinal cord, had to have it removed, I quit cold turkey because I figured that she needed me more than I needed cigarettes. Still free after 10 years. Now if someone is smoking and I smell the smoke I get a urge to go buy a pack, but it is much easier to not do it now.