). 
I commend you all that are kicking the habit! I am a Respiratory Care Practitioner, and have been in this field about 13 years. I have seen it all! From the radical throat and neck surgery from throat cancer...to the ol' lunger smoking Camels from the tracheostomy hole in his neck. This is indeed a WICKED habit... a socially accepted death certificate. If anyone would like to know what lung disease feels like, try this. Run in place as fast as you can for 120 seconds. Pinch your nose. Now take a drinking straw and place it in your mouth. Close your lips around it firmly....and breathe through it. Now imagine breathing like that, for say, 5 - 10 years...until you finally suffocate to death. Not fun.
I personally feel that smoking is 99.99% a psychological habit. The actual "withdrawal pangs" aren't much to write home about. It's what your mind does when you try to quit that makes it hard.One word... ZYBAN
The withdrawal pains were pretty crappy but it was always the mental aspect for me as well. I was about three packs a day for about eight years and I quit last Jan. 21st after a two week supply of Zyban. If you know a doctor he will probably just let you have the little sample packs for free. I'm telling you all that once insurance companies decide to cover this drug (which of course they never will
). I just knew if I could get by the first three days I could quit. I still miss it and somebody once said that life without smoking is fine, but its never as fun. That to some degree is true, hell, its a drug. Every time I want a smoke now I just now think would the joy of lighting up again be worth the joy of lying in bed at night hating myself for not being able to quit. I don't really miss how it made me feel, its more like losing a friend, as shallow as that seems. I smoked so often for so long it was just like loneliness the first few days. So after 6 months, I rarely have moments where I want to have a smoke, but I still miss it on a companion type level since for the last 8 years it was always with me. I am sure that will go away in time but I can 100 percent guarantee I will never go back to smoking again, its just not worth the small level of satisfaction it supplied. I wouldn't give up Rain but I will honestly give you this piece of advice if you go the Zyban route (you start taking it a week in advance before you quit smoking) is truly enjoy the last week of smoking. You will seriously miss it, so just remember everything you like about it and puff away with a smile, it makes the separation process much more amicable. 
