Cold turkey here, too, after 15 years of smoking. I had tried gum, patches, and a combination of the two. I always wound up smoking again.

Like a lot of other people, I just woke up one day and decided I was done. I gave my cigarette and tobacco stockpile to my brother. Before, I had tried to pick out quit days or told myself that I would quit as soon as I finished this pack.

It was hard. It's been almost five years and I still stay away from smokers as much as possible. I found that not thinking about it was the best for me, staying away from support groups and message boards. I asked my friends and coworkers not to talk about the fact that I was quitting.

I think you just have to keep trying to quit. I read something like it takes an average of four attempts before it sticks. For me, the withdrawal using nicotine gum and patches was WAY worse than just going cold turkey.