Hi Scotchpie,
I also gave up smoking 8 year ago, and I tried many times before that and failed. Then one year I had an awful chest infection and couldn't breath, but instead of giving up then straight away, I gave myself a date when I was going to stop. I too have an addictive personality so for me I needed help. I went to the Drs and they put me on a 10 week course of nicotine patches, but before this, like someone else said, it has to be in your head to want to stop, you can't give in to cravings as you won't be truly ready. You won't want to smoke if your head tells you not too. So the month before my "stop date" I forced myself to read all the bad things about smoking, like lung cancer (which my father died of through smoking) amputations through blocked arteries etc. Heart disease and the list goes on. I also put every stubbed cigarette end out in a jar, and I would sniff it every day before and after having a ciggy, and believe you me you will soon feel sick at the smell of stale smoke and tobacco. I went to the Drs a week or so before my "stop date" to get the patches. On the "stop date" my head was in the righ place so I put my patch on and done the 10 weeks course. You have to make regular visits to the cessation classes and they will know if you've smoked, as you have to blow into a tube to measure your carbon monoxide level. I was given an extra two weeks supply of patches as when I came to the end of my course as I worried I would suddenly give in, but you won't if your head is abosolutely sure you don't want to. Ive not looked back from that day and have never given into the "rare" craving I did have. Now I can't stand the smell of smoke (I'm not one of those preaching ex smokers) but go out of my way to avoid it. I can also smell smokers a mile off, like I used to smell. My husband has never smoked and used to say I smelled like an old ashtray, well, keep sniffing your "jar of dumps" and you'll know how that smells.
Good Luck