Leaderboard

Happy Sunday everybody! Get this: For only the second time since I quit, I had a dream last night that I was smoking. It was a crazy dream where I was trying to drive to meet a friend in southern India but I found myself in upstate New York and only then did I realize I wouldn't be able to drive to India. I was sitting on a bench trying to figure out what to do and I was suddely shocked to see a cigarette in my hand and I was SMOKING! It was so real... What a dismal feeling of dread I had in those first moments of waking up. I can't even tell you how completely relieved I was when I realized I hadn't really smoked! it's pretty interesting to me that something that was such a big part of life when you were a smoker, and certainly the quit itself is a huge adjustment related to smoking, and during all that time smoking has only showed up in dreams twice in all this time (getting close to 8 months!). Does anyone else dream about smoking? Sheesh, if you do, don't worry about it! It's such a gift when you realize it was only a dream!

I will not smoke a cigarette today, or ever again. Nope. I quit. Never using nicotine ever again.

Thanks to these materials and the video on "getting locked up to quit smoking" I feel like I'm ready to go back to the normal routine. I am going to have to conquer the cue induced cravings no matter what. This is recovery. There is no free ride. For anyone. I accept that. Now that the worst of this process is over I am able to stay concious and present, and beat a crave. Joel, if it wasn't for your smoking cessation materials and the support of this board I would never have been able to quit. I don't know if you saw my original post, but nicotine was really ruining life for me. Thank you guys.

I never dreamed about smoking, but yeah, do it awake would turn into a BIG dissapointment! Never again!

I too never had a dream about smoking that I can remember anyway. Then again, I don't remember dreams 99% of the time anyway so maybe that's a blessing for me? Anyway, glad you just Dreamed it

Hello Jon: Up to this point I didn't know your name was Jon. Thought you were just going by Berkshiredrifter. It seems that your first post was done a few days before I joined up. I was scanning the board a bit back then but not thoroughly and missed your first post there. Yes nicotine had really complicated your life in many ways, from the loss of your parents from smoking as well as the psychological and physical toll that maintaining your own addiction was taking on you. It's crucial that you remember what happened in those previous 90 day quits so as not to ever have to repeat it again. I am not sure if I referred this to you yet but check out the page http://whyquit.com/joels-videos/the-advantage-of-having-a-difficult-time-when-quitting-smoking/. Also the page http://whyquit.com/joels-videos/the-power-of-nicotine-addiction/ is important to help understand what happened before and to do all that you can to insure that it never happens again. The pages http://whyquit.com/joels-videos/come-share-your-strength-come-recognize-your-vulnerabilities/ and http://whyquit.com/joels-videos/ill-come-for-reinforcement-when-i-need-it/ explain the value of continuing to reinforce your personal resolve and to take advantage of the resources that you have here at the site. Just know now that this quit will really be the last one you will ever have to go through as long as you now have made and will continue to stick to a personal commitment to never take another puff. Joel

Being aware of potential challenges is half the battle. You have already developed effective strategies for outsmarting the nicodemon. Just have to make sure to drawn upon them if/when needed

Latoya, thanks for the heads up. I am formulating a plan for ambush cravings.

I am not amused ..........

CHEATERS ...... FAKE SCORE!!!

Yes, yes. I'm almost ready ..................... I'll be there shortly.

http://whyquit.com/joels-videos/dreams-of-smoking/ Smoking dreams are common if not universal among ex-smokers. It is especially common when a person is off a short time period, and if it occurs within days or weeks of a quit, it is likely to be extremely disturbing and very realistic. Realistic enough in fact that the ex-smoker will wake up smelling and tasting a cigarette, convinced that he or she has actually smoked. I have had numerous clients search the house for the butt, it was that realistic of a sensation. Let me explain first why the physical sensation is so pronounced. When first quitting, one of the early physical repairs that start up is cilia production. Cilia are tiny hair-like projections that line your trachea and bronchus, constantly sweeping particulate matter out of your lungs. When you smoked, you first slowed down, then paralyzed and would eventually destroy cilia. This is why smokers often have more colds and flues, they wipe out the first line of defense against the incoming microbes causing these illnesses. When a person stops smoking, usually within 72 hours or so, cilia starts to regenerate. The ex-smoker may start cleaning out the lung in a matter of days. One of the early symptoms first encountered is coughing and spitting out, this is mucous and trapped matter that was never being cleaned out efficiently while smoking but now has an escape route and mechanism to start sweeping it. Ugly but good, you are starting to clean out a lot of garbage in your lung. Much of the garbage is tobacco tar–tobacco tars that have a very distinct taste and smell. Let’s say you are dreaming now, maybe a totally innocuous dream having nothing to do with smoking. While sleeping, cilia are sweeping, tobacco tars get brought up, reach sensory nerves for taste and smell and low and behold, you create a dream sequence involving a cigarette. But not only are you now dreaming, physical sensations of taste and smell persist upon awakening. This then becomes a real smoking sensation. This gives a plausible explanation of why the dream occurred and why it was so vivid. But that is not the end of the significance of the dream. The dream can be interpreted in one of two ways upon awakening, and quit often, the ex-smoker takes it as a sign that they actually want to smoke. After all, they had been off smoking and just dreamt about it, that means they want to smoke, right? I used to get calls in the middle of the night for clinic participants panicked by the dream. They would start off saying, “They can’t believe it, off all this time and they still want to smoke.” They knew they wanted to smoke because they dreamt about it. I would then ask them to describe the dream. They would tell about the vividness and realism, and they would almost always say it started to take on a nightmarish proportion. They would wake up in a sweat, often crying, thinking that they just smoked and blew the whole thing, that they were now back to square one. That all that time off smoking was wasted. As soon as they would finish describing their feelings, I pointed out one very obvious fact. They just dreamt they smoked and assumed that meant that they wanted to smoke. They woke up and upon further clarification, they describe the dream was a nightmare. This is not the dream of someone who wants to smoke; it is the dream of someone who is afraid of smoking. This is a legitimate fear considering the ex-smoker is fighting a powerful and deadly addiction. Hence, it is a legitimate dream too. It kinds of gives you a sense of how bad you would feel if you actually do go back to smoking. Not physically speaking but psychologically. If the dream is a nightmare it makes you realize how bad this feeling is without having to actually have smoked and fallen into the grasp of nicotine addiction again. It can give you some perspective about how important not smoking is to your mental health. The dangerous dream is when you smoke a whole pack in it, hack and cough, get socially ostracized, develop some horrible illness, end up on your death bed about to let out your final live breath-and all of a sudden wake up with a smile on your face and say, “that was great, wish I could do that when I am awake.” As long as that is not the dream you were having, I wouldn’t let myself get to discouraged by it. If that is the dream, then we may need to talk more. In regards to smoking, no matter what you do in your dreams, you will be OK as long as you remember in your waking state to Never Take Another Puff! Joel

I was one of the fortunate ones ..who never did have a smoking dream... But plenty here have...and they all say ..what a relief it was ,when you finally reolize it was only a dream.. I would have been devastated I know... Well done PT...you have a great quit ...

NOPE!!!

NOPE!!!! I will not smoke today

Nope!!

Thanks Joel, I know I always have to remain cautious, I guess what I was trying to say is that as of today I never feel like smoking again, and i am confident i never will, which to me is an awesome feeling. Someone once wrote a story on here about romancing the cigarette, which was very true, about the fantasy and the appeal of the cigarette. When I smoked I always said I loved smoking, iin fact i now now i never loved smoking. Julian

NOPE not today!!

Today you are needed in the game

45 minutes kickboxing this morning- after sleeping in till almost 10! How’s everyone else doing?

-1

LMAO....that's hilerious....

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaa..... Nice work Nance....hard luck piggy!!!!....I can sleep soundly now !!!

-16

NOPE! No time for smoking ..... I've been invited to a BBQ

It definitely helps reading and sharing our transitions as a non smoker. B you are doing a good job. Stay strong when you go back to your normal routine. I want to share, two weeks after my quit for about two days cravings came back but not strong. I didn't want to smoke but i missed smoking tremendously. I thought i was over the urges and got a little discouraged. Someone from here broke down the math on how long my mind and body would need,to be used to not smoking.( It's under missing them). So i have been taking it one day at a time, coming here daily and thanking God that i am finally smoke free! We are in this together

They have to smoke B !!!....you don't have too...your a fabulous non smoker ... I'm proud of you ...

Hello Berkshiredrifter: Here are a few resource pages to help you face encountering smokers again: http://whyquit.com/joels-videos/watching-others-smoke/ http://whyquit.com/joels-videos/videos-related-to-facing-or-avoiding-triggers/ http://whyquit.com/joels-videos/going-to-places-where-you-cant-smoke-when-first-quitting-smoking/ http://whyquit.com/joels-videos/can-second-hand-smoke-cause-relapse/

Hello Julian: Congratulations on 53 days. I want to caution you though on one thing. Once a person had established an addiction to nicotine--that relationship is never over. Former smokers who were "once addicted" to nicotine are in fact still addicted to nicotine. It is just that once they get far enough into their quit that addiction becomes asymptomatic. There is basically no outwardly signs of that addiction and the former smoker may begin to think that as you say their relationship is over. Again though, their addiction is still there and if given any opportunity can take the person down in an instant. Check out the video and resources on this page: http://whyquit.com/joels-videos/i-know-too-much-about-smoking-to-ever-be-able-to-relapse/ While it was titled "I know too much about smoking to ever be able to relapse" it could have easily have been titled, "I hate smoking so much to ever be able to relapse." Another page worth looking at on this topic is http://whyquit.com/joels-videos/what-should-i-call-myself/ One last page that ties well into this topic is http://whyquit.com/joels-videos/can-taking-a-break-from-smoking-help-you-get-rid-of-nicotine-tolerance/ While your physiological dependence with nicotine is not over, your chance of ever being an active smoker again will be over as long as you make and stick to a personal commitment to never take another puff. Joel

High Five Newbies.. Freedom is there...waiting for you.... All you need is determination... The desire..to want it bad enough to succeed... I smoked for 52 years...I'm here to tell you it's doable....and it's the best feeling in the world to finally be free... I wouldn't change it for anything...I was a newbie too....remember ...we all have been were you are.... A massive pat on the back...

-14 go to bed Jen...it's WAY to early (or late) for you to be up!

I am 53 days now and after years of being a heavy smoker this is the best thing i have ever done. I really will never go back. When i am around smokers it horrible and makes me feel sick, i no way does it make me miss smoking. I think everyone has a "Magic" day after quitting when that craving just goes completely and you know smoking is a thing of the past. Mine last week when i went out a few times with friends, had lots of drinks but never even once had any cravings. That was the moment i realised my relationship with smoking is completely over and forgotten

96 hours. No headache and no aches or pains so far tonight. Going back home tomorrow and returning to my normal routine. Its going to be really weird. Everyone downtown smokes, and I don't have to anymore. I mean EVERYONE downtown smokes or dips or vapes. Not me, not ever again. Considering taking a pair of filter masks and putting charcoal between them. Then gluing them together. Keep the smell of secondhand out of my face.

I’ve been telling myself for several years now that I’m going to quit one day soon. I got sick and didn’t/couldn’t smoke much so figured, why can’t I do this I’m not sick? I wanted to quit on my terms, not while lying in a hospital bed with tubes coming out of my chest. It just seemed like the right time.

I feel mentally and emotionally better than I did as a smoker. My problems have not vanished, but life is a lot less bleak. Tobacco addiction was like an invisible prison. Not even technically at day four yet. Still I feel better. This is the best thing I could have done for myself. Smoking really makes mental health issues a lot worse, nicotine is a really nasty mind/mood altering substance that I am never using again.

Day 8. I feel really good today. The cravings aren’t constant. I think I felt so bad that even brief moments with no cravings mean a lot. But I don’t want to get too cocky. Never know what the next hour or hours may bring.

Yep. If you’re anything like me, alone time is tough on me. My wife and I work almost different shifts so I spend a lot of time alone. 11 days is something to celebrate. Keep going…

72 hours. Detox should be over. The first few days of my new life as a non smoker have been awesome. I NEVER thought I would be free.

I can only agree. My daily like is very routine and I thought I knew how much my life revolved around cigarettes, boy was I wrong -- my life almost completely centered around them and that is changing and now that I can see that -- helps with the motivation

I too noticed that too. Not sure about you buy I'm a huge routine freak so by not smoking isn't the only thing that changed in my life. It blows me away how much of my daily life revolved around that next cigarette. Lets keep it going..

Thanks for the support Octain, I like the mantra it is so true. Looks like we are very close as to the start date, we have this,.

Hi Jerry. A lot of good support here. A lot of good folks with only one priority, quitting. Keep up the good work. Something that works for me, I repeat this to myself several times a day. They have nothing to offer us. They take away our time, money and health.

So the official start of the Quit. Just make sure you do not have any tobacco readily available. At least then when you want to give in (oh yeah, temptation is strong in beginning) it would mean going to fetch cigs, giving you a chance to have second thoughts of starting back up.

The fact that you want to quit smoking is a very positive move forward, the fact that you are seeking help with your PTSD is another step forward in the right direction, you really have to be your own advocate, mental health awareness has a lot to be desired both in UK and USA, I strongly suggest you get in touch with veteran charities who will understand your mind set better, staying with your buddy if you can seems a good idea, even if you cant stay maybe he can help you find a charity. You were a soldier that means you ARE a soldier that never leaves you! you are a fighter and YOU matter, so one step at at a time, go get better, there is no magic pill or wand that will take away the pain but seeking help is the first step, good luck. we are here when you are ready!

You're welcome.

Chicks needed !!!!

If we don't admit it, it didn't happen.....

Cheats