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Myself and my fellow Quit Train Buddies are in our Decade Year We have a few who have more years smoke free . So i am throwing a Big Party for us all... Oldies come and tell you how you are doing ..would love to hear from you Doreensfree xx

Me too?

It just doesn't seem real that I am coming up on 10 years quit! To all who are considering quitting...you CAN do it...and it is so worth the discomfort (and yes, some times misery) you have to go through. I smoked for 40 years, and I know if I can quit, anyone can!! Happy 10th to us!!

To all the newbies who are active or lurking, I can tell you that quitting smoking is definitely something you can do and it is worth the early struggles. I quit after roughly 20 years as a smoker, and the last few years of my smoking life was spent struggling with short quits, trying to cut down, relapsing, etc. What helped me was joining a site like this and reaching out for support and reading about others' experiences in their quits. I also tried to take it one week, day, hour, minute at a time.....whatever it took. Don't worry about craves that might happen a day or two from now. Just focus on pushing through and defeating any craves that you may be currently experiencing.. Each crave you fight through makes your quit stronger. Quitting smoking is very doable and I encourage anyone who wants to quit to take the leap. It is worth it.

Congratulations Nancy .. For those who have followed us . Nancy was the member who took me by the hand when i arrived at the forum I will always be grateful...

Six years of freedom!! How the time flies... I remember being a smoker. Just me in disguise. A cloak of darkness, spreading lies. One day you will realize, In the end... You are the prize. Congratulations to all the quitters!!

Great to see you Bakon .. Have you any wise words for our Newbies .

Thank you, Doreen! Also, I am planning my wedding! Getting married on 10/7! I’ve never had a fancy wedding, so this time I am doing it up! Planning is a PITA, but My Matron of Honor is sharing the load. Today, I have my first gown fitting. Exciting stuff. Of course, I am marrying the guy I met on Christmas Day, 2018. John is a keeper. The whole thing seems meant to be. I decided I did not want to meet my Maker, having been living in sin for the last part of my life, so I told John that, and he proposed on Valentine’s Day. Kat

This is it @overcome, your last month as a newbie! Congratulations my friend See you on the lido deck

My how time flies. There was a time when I thought I would never quit and now here I am at 7 years quit. Counting my years prior to starting, I’m at about 40% of my life as a non-smoker!

NOPE

Thank you my friends! I have a vision of what it will be like:

G’day NOPE .....Not One Puff Ever.... (replace Ever with Min,Hour, Day as required).

Thanks @johnny5 for starting this thread for me. And thank you all for the kind words and congratulations. It made my day These years go by so quickly and it gives me purpose to be able to assure someone just starting their quit that they can do it. As they say, it takes a village and in our case it takes a train full to raise a quitter. There is no better group to help a person quit smoking than a group of people who have done it and know what you are going through because chances are they went through it too. Thanks again you guys, you're the best!

Yaaaa.... Massive Congratulations to our Lovely Bunny Jillar . 7 years Smoke Free.. Thank you for being by my side to keep me on the straight and narrow Lol. Big Hugs xx

Hi, Sandi. I am sorry that the cravings are agonizing. I can relate. I white-knuckled it through the early days of my quit, too. Some days were ok, others super sucked. It goes in waves. But if you stick with it, the cravings do diminish. I promise. In the meantime, notice the addiction at work in this idea, “I need some sort of pill, medical thing, etc.” As smokers, our entire lives revolved around getting our next fix. So it’s natural that you’re longing for a chemical solution to your discomfort. That’s your addiction kicking up a fuss. Grinding through those feelings is an important part of breaking away from the bondage of smoking. After 40 years of smoking, it takes a while to find other ways of coping. But you will find them. The most powerful healing antidote you can give yourself is time. Freedom and relief lie ahead. Hold tight to your quit and things will get better by degrees. You may feel like a hot mess, but you’re actually doing great! Like @Gus said, every crave conquered is making you stronger.

Congratulations, Jillar!!!! Lucky number 7!! You deserve all the rabbit treats today!

Happy Friday everyone! I like this one

You are doing so great, @Slow progress! I love that you're being real about the cravings and ups and downs, but have taken smoking totally off the table as a response to them. That's the foundation of a really strong quit. @Boo once said, "There are a million things you CAN do in response to a craving, and just one you can't - stick something in your mouth and set it on fire." Good on you for embracing all the other possibilities!

Well, I think today is the day that I don't smoke those 2 cigs. I'm gonna give it my best shot! I'm scared, but I'm gonna do it!!

Day 11. Feel like I’m doing ok - no real dangerous times- I do have bad spells but it’s like I’ve taken smoking off the table as even an option…. still going to bed early and not being much fun but have loads more energy and love love love not smoking! the support of ppl on here has made so much difference .

Day 6 already - doing garbage collection and planting at a community garden this morning, so defo no time to smoke! yesterday was pretty easy - can’t believe I made it to day6. Transferred money saved into savings account - should pay for a holiday next year! hope everyone is doing well especially you Brioski

All of us have been helped by others. Giving good advice and sharing our experiences is our way of paying it forward. In a few months, you will tell other new quitters how you preserved and were the example that helped your husband to quit.

Walked the dog on 2 long walks today and was loads easier than even a week ago- despite that, I am really craving a cigarette - I can almost taste it! Won’t have one as I don’t have a spare 70k, but god I do miss them just now. Gonna walk for 10 minutes then make dinner

Once upon a time @jillar said something I will never forget… she said, “I love the smell of my shampoo but that doesn’t mean I’m going to drink it. Part of me can love the smell of tobacco but that doesn’t mean I am going to smoke it.” That really helped me! Glad to have you back, @Slow progress. You CAN do this. Everyone has different styles… sleeping a lot, exercising, snacking, shouting, crying. I did all of the above, I became sort of a ninja of self distraction. (Cleaned house a lot, LOL.) Whatever it takes to not light up today! Take it one day at a time, learn all you can about addiction (like @Brioski said), and lean on your support here. Your freedom is worth the fight!

Love that answer - I know what you mean about the smell - so disgusting yet so nice at the same time! I have so not got this yet - but I am reading and cheering you all and hoping to cling onto your journey and energy and somehow make it through. my chest is bad so I think I’m literally at the point where I physically can’t smoke - what other options do I have but to carry on? Bummer

G’day NOPE .....Not One Puff Ever.... (replace Ever with Min,Hour, Day as required).

Washing my hair

Can I have a taste of that? I brought my own spoon.....

G’day pressure cooker ……. Done

Congratulations on 7 years smoke free, @jillar Thank you for all you do to continue to pay it forward helping others with their quits. I hope you celebrate big!

NOPE

NOPE!

Welcome, Robin! So glad you found us. This is definitely the right place to come to get insights and support. I love what you shared in your post about feelings of grief, boredom and anger. Those are all valid and natural feelings to have. I think coming to terms with them is an important part of building a quit that sticks. So kudos to you for acknowledging those experiences. I, too, lost a long quit (7 years). My story at the time was that my father in law had died and that I smoked because of the stress. But looking back on it now, I think it more accurate to say that I lost that quit because I never came to terms with being an addict. I thought I could smoke just one smoke, or just one pack… just at the funeral… just on special occasions. I was wrong. I was back to a pack a day in a flash. When I quit again last Feb, I felt the grief and loss you describe. It was wrenching to lose my one pleasure… my friend… my solace and part of my identity, having been a smoker for 40+ years. I had terrible grief about quitting, and also struggled to cope with other feelings I had tried to suppress or keep at bay thru smoking. It was not pretty! A good part of that despair is a distortion. It is the addiction trying to regain control. Fight back with these truths: true “friends” don’t imprison us and hold us in chemical bondage. They don’t feed us poison in the guise of comfort. True friends don’t fill our heads with falsehoods and shame while slowly killing us. Lean on some new friends here on the Train, instead! You are doing such a powerful thing by quitting, Robin. Those feelings of loss and “something being missing” do ease. After a while, your brain chemistry and emotions recalibrate. Life starts to get better. You begin to enjoy other things. Freedom normalizes and recovery (physical and emotional) starts to take root. In the meantime, hold tight to your beautiful new quit. It needs you to cherish, nourish and protect it. Stand up for it. Soothe and distract yourself as best you can. Stay busy and read everything you can on this forum. Ask questions. Knowledge is power. And keep us posted on how you are doing… We want to know, and we want to help!

N O P E

Congratulations to the spectacular Doreen and all members of the class of 2013 who have stayed the course and will be celebrating their first smoke-free decade this year!!! I'm a couple of years behind and happy to say I'll never catch up because there's no way any of these folks are turning back. Thanks for showing us that one minute, one hour, one day at a time will eventually add up to the celebration of the decade!!! Now, it's time to party like a penguin!

Thanks! It was hell on a few of those days. On to better days ahead!

Congratulations johnny5. You are always supportive to all members . Good solid advice ...Thank you x

Congratulations! You are an inspiration, truly. (Photo courtesy of Casey Horner on Unsplash)

Those are GREAT reasons to quit, @Sandi149! So glad that you came here and are giving yourself the gifts of freedom and better health. I found traveling (long walks and especially long plane rides) to get a lot easier after quitting. Big congrats on making it through those first few days - what an achievement!!

I'm still hanging in there!!! Haven't had a cig since after dinner Monday night!! So tonight will be 48 hours!!! I'm amazed, but this is so hard!!!

Congratulations @Brioski on your third month quit! I love watching you get stronger as your quit progresses all while offering awesome support to all. I hope you treat yourself special today because you've earned it!

You are doing SO GREAT, @Brioski!! You have really pulled through some tough spots and are making it through to the other side. Congrats, and so glad to have you with us!!

Hilarious Gus! I’ve been singing in the shower a lot - which has been noted. I’m not pressuring him but I also can’t let him hold me back - I hope he will see it can be done - it’s not easy but it definitely can be done - look at all the people on here - still helping others do it!

NOPE

@Slow progress I absolutely do find it easier now….and that’s coming from me who literally days ago was cursing everything out, saying eff it I’ll just go back to normal….for a while there I didn’t know who I was. I was friggin angry, crying crying crying, I couldn’t breathe, my joints ached, and I was like wtf I thought shit’s supposed to get better after stopping. But I’m on day 79 and u know what, I’ve had hours (not full days yet lol) that I don’t think abt them. So to me that’s progress, and I’m almost thinking like ok what’s 3 months have for me? 5 months? To see if I’ll actually not think of smoking, bc damn I still do. I smelled someone smoking a cig yest at the shop and I’m sorry but it smelled good lol. But I just enjoyed smelling that I didn’t feel the agonizing need to go buy them. Idk. You got this girl I believe in u

Still working from home

G’day Pea and smoked ham hock soup

NOPE…