Yep it took me a few tries as well. It didn’t help that at the time I worked with some bitter people who liked to disparage at every turn: “you never quit, you just stop for a while”. That kind of nonsense.

My doctor was a real motivator, and yet never laid a guilt trip.

Ultimately, taking some time off and feeling as terrible as I needed for few days really made a difference. Not everyone can make that time. I will say that after the first week it was mainly habits and the waning cravings but the best part is that:

It gets easier and easier and easier and then you forget you ever did.

That is why one of my favorite quitting smoking jokes is: "Quitting smoking is easy! I've done it 5 times."

- 7 years without a stoge.

Same. I'm almost at 3 years quit, but I've quit for 3 years in the past and then restarted.