i've smoked on and off since i was 15, i am 40 now. it was a long time. i quit constantly and started up again constantly. mostly, i think, this was because i wasn't managing my bipolar for all of these years. it was always worse if i was alone, i would smoke and drink and get stoned to help sooth myself and keep me from facing myself when i was alone.

i started to manage BP better through exercise and diet (had to change diet because i'm pre-diabetic, it also runs in my family...) and take my meds, etc, and then i noticed if i smoked and drank like i used to it would either make me manic or make me more depressed, causing my meds to not work at stabilizing me. so i quit for good, i put an X on the calendar and set up a reminder to tell me every year when it's that X date. i feel a lot better now, and a lot more stable. i am happy i quit. smoking is really gross after you have left it behind, and what a waste of $$$.