This qualitative study describes the experience of individuals who were attempting to quit smoking. Ten respondents participated in the semistructured interactive interviews. Five themes emerged from the data analysis: the intensity of the struggle, the personification of the cigarette, planning to quit, replacement of an old habit with a new habit, and perception of this quit experience as different from previous attempts. Particularly poignant were the participants' descriptions of the very real anguish they felt during their struggle to quit. Feelings of both elation and defeat were expressed over just getting through the day without a cigarette, or the failure to do so. Understanding the depth of the struggle, as well as the other components of the quit experience, should help health care professionals to be more empathetic and supportive to persons struggling to quit. It should also provide guidance in developing realistic strategies helpful to the quitting process.
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