How can I stop smoking after 50 years of it?

I read all of the articles you suggested. They were very helpful..Believe it or not, I am craving a cigarette just talking about quitting. Am I a hard nut to crack, or what?

Hi again, Grlloyd - I hear you, and you are not alone! Although I have never been a smoker, I have worked with patients for many years who, like you, were smoking aficionados!
As I've read here from other community members, you will be able to stop smoking when YOU are ready to give up cigarettes. Keep at it, you will get there!
If there is anything we can do to assist you, please let me or any other moderator / team member know.
Good luck!
Leon (site moderator COPD.net)

I was in the same boat when I finally quit. I began smoking at age 11. Drinking at age 12. I was an alcoholic at 14, an addict by high school. Smoked through it all. I survived an abusive father who broke my bones, a perforated ulcer from drinking at 18, and on and on the story goes. I smoked through it all. My parents smoked. Heck, in those days everyone smoked. Non-smokers were very rare. Anyway, in 2017 I was forced into retirement (at 66) because I could no longer pass a DOT physical due to COPD, after a lifetime of truck driving. I took care of my mom, who had COPD, until she passed in 1999. Did I quit then? Nope. Did I quit in 2017 when I had to retire? Nope. I had tried everything, an endless number of times over the years. Then one day I was doing some housework and didn't feel too good, and I had a coughing fit. I could not breathe. At all. My brother came in from work and found me leaning on my dresser, unable to move or even hardly speak. I had just remembered I had been given a rescue inhaler (albuterol) with my last previous respiratory infection, that I had never used. It was in my nightstand drawer, still sealed in the box, three feet away, but I could not get it myself. He got it for me, and I hit it twice. Within a minute or so I was able to catch my breath. That's when I threw the smokes and the Zippo in the trash can and never smoked another one. Of course, it was too late. By then I was in bad shape. I called my insurance co, and got a referral to a doctor, called and got an appointment for a couple days later. I was not feeling well at all. My brother took me to the hospital (where the doc's office was) for the appt. Once there, I passed out, right then. So, they immediately took me (in a wheelchair) down to the ED. When I woke up, I had been there for a couple of hours. I was told that I had pneumonia and might not make it. They jammed hoses and needles and such into my arms and put me back to sleep. When I woke up later that night I was in a room, where I stayed for 5 days. Then I went to rehab for a couple of weeks, then home. I'd been gone from home for almost a month! I had a walker and was barely able to use it. I had a plethora of meds and still do. COPD rules my life now. I can no longer drive or even hardly go outside. I have had to learn how to fight this disease and have fought it hard. I'm still kicking, but life is very limited now. My brother dies of cancer a few months ago, and I am totally isolated now. I have a few friends left still alive, But I sit in my house alone for 99% of the time, because when you become unable to operate at the speed of life, no one has time for you anymore.
Sound like fun? Do yourself a solid right now. Throw the smokes and the lighter in the trash right now. Just do it. Most likely it is already too late. But better late than never. I promise you - you will soon find yourself wishing you had quit sooner. So do it NOW! You really need to start fighting for your life NOW! If you are not already afraid, you soon will be. There is no fear like being unable to breathe. None. Please. Don't wait another minute. Trust me. I know what I'm talking about. Keep us posted on how it goes. Hang around here. Ask questions. Learn all you can. You will need to know all you can soon enough. The sooner you start fighting, the better off you will be. And if you don't, you will get exactly what you have coming. I will put you in my prayers. Be a survivor! We will help all we can.

Hi Rosie, and thanks for lending your own support and encouragement here. I do want to congratulate you on being smoke-free now since the end of 2022. That is a true accomplishment - one you can genuinely be proud of! And look - now you are feeling better, walking further with a brighter smile! That is an excellent trade-off, from my perspective.
Keep up the good work!
All the best,
Leon (site moderator COPD.net)

Thank you so much for the info and care.

Thank you so much for sharing your journey @CommunityMember15c637!! We are so glad you are a part of our community. Jill, COPD.net, team member