Leaderboard

babs609 Posted February 13, 2015 Quitting smoking is often referred to a roller coaster ride, and with good reason. While one minute you are feeling confident and strong that you finally "beat" that sucker. Thinking.."Yes! I'm doing it..I'm gonna make it"..only to be followed by feelings of doubt, fear, anger, frustration, sadness, lonliness..and these feelings can change within just moments. This is the part that would beat me down in prior attempts. I just was tired of the ups and downs. I think having the "ups" was actually a deterrent to my quit because it would set me up...when I would feel restless...it would piss me off because I thought I was done with all that. Please please please...keep in mind...these thoughts that just pop up out of nowhere are not YOU. Any thoughts that pop in our heads are not actually us. We aren't controlling them...we are just going about our business and them BAM! there's a thought. Now....you have a decision to make. If you are someone who normally runs with their thoughts...this could be trouble for you. You actually may believe these thoughts to be true without question. You give these thoughts power by believing they are true when in fact.....they are a complete lie all made up in your head. Being an ex-smoker in the early days or weeks of quitting without truly grasping the reality that your thoughts are not true...then you may be not only heading for relapse but are in danger of becoming a chronic relapser until you change your thought patterns. No matter what...don't believe you are a weak person. This kind of thinking re-enforces to your subconcious that other quitters are stronger and you are weaker and therefore....quitting is harder or even impossible for you. That's total BULL$HIT. That just gives the addiction more power. It's already powerful...more powerful than you. Otherwise..you would have quit long ago or maybe not even started. Although the addiction is stronger than you....it's not smarter. "Keep your friends close and your enemy's closer"....that saying couldn't be further from the truth when referring to the addiction. Learn all you can about the addiction. Don't just read....absorb it...live it...taste it....feel it...and most of all...believe it. Learn all the tricks it will try to play on you...learn what fellow quitters have done when faced with these challenges. Believe with your whole heart that you are no different than anyone else. You are not weaker than us...your addiction is not stronger than ours... Until you understand that...you will either struggle and continue this fight and give up quitting altogether until illness or death forces you to quit....OR..you will struggle and fight and relapse after relapse after relapse until you either finally absorb the teachings of fellow quitters...wasting months or years in the meantime and just making it harder for yourself than it really has to be. I wish this could be a post where a lightbulb goes off in your head and you say "aha! I got it!!! I finally got it" But that lightbulb moment is different for everyone and that's why I just ask everyone lurking and reading and contemplating quitting...to just keep coming back here...keep reading...keep reading...keep reading. Lots of posts and video's to help you "undo the brainwashing" that has been planted in your head from the years of being a smoker. It takes time......it takes patience..it takes re-enforcement... In short, it takes work...but it is sooooooo worth it. When you finally are ready...and you put down your final cigarette... Keep your arms and legs in at all times...put your buckle on...and enjoy the ride. You might as well because even though we enjoy when we feel good...it's the hard times that strengthens you. ONE DAY AT A TIME>>>ONE MOMENT AT A TIME Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/4460-the-roller-coaster-ride/

Colleen Quit Date: 6/2/13 Posted June 13, 2015 I was scared too. Thought I had this super addictive personality and all those who had successfully quit before me weren't really addicted to smoking. Shortly after you quit, you are going to figure it out, but I'll let you in on the secret now...it's a bunch of baloney. Nobody is more addicted to smoking than anyone else. It's the monster otherwise known as nicotine playing tricks on you, kick his ass to the curb because once you let go of that illusion everything seems to fall into place. Remember sticking your toe in the pool and thinking it's much too cold to swim in? Do you also remember once you jumped in (or were pushed in) you realized it wasn't that bad at all? That is exactly what quitting smoking is like. It's 10 times more easier than you thought it was. Okay, so it's not always rainbows and unicorns, but it's nowhere as bad as you think it is. Trust me, this is coming from someone that couldn't go 3 hours without a cigarette. Or trust my ticker, it doesn't lie Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/5481-are-you-scared-to-quit-smoking/

cpk Quit Date: 02/04/2015 Posted July 1, 2015 I don't know if month 5 is like going around a big bend towards magical month 6, but the promise that "it gets better" is not just empty words. I still have anxiety, but not as much. There are actually some days when I don't think about smoking at all. When I go through rough patches of anxiety or a crummy day I remind myself, "Everything isn't always about quitting smoking." This is a really exciting journey. It has been hard, but SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO worth the effort. This post is for newbies, in the early days and weeks of quitting. It can be hard. But it gets easier. Sometimes it's hard to get through the hours. Then suddenly a whole day, or days go by in utter freedom. HANG ON. The promise is real. It DOES GET BETTER Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/5573-the-promise-is-real-wow/

Soberjulie Posted April 23, 2014 Sometimes it takes every last bit of you to keep your balance and not do something self destructive. I'm not talking about willpower, I'm talking about something else. I'm not sure how to describe it. It's like the part of you that wants to live, the part of you that is committed to not smoking, is connected by only the most slender of threads to the part of you driving the car, making the decisions. Sometimes you just hang in there, a minute at a time. You ask for help, but you know if you choose to you can turn away from that pretty easily, or even accidentally on purpose. Sometimes not sliding backwards counts as moving forwards. Sometimes not actively trying to die is living large. Sometimes holding your ground is a fragile miracle. Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/926-hey-my-fellow-newbies-hold-your-ground/

Nancy Quit Date: 07/07/2013 Posted April 7, 2014 · IP Bonnie, I looked and it did not originate there, so here it is... THE SMALL DARK ROOM; an analogy of a quit (Reposted from Laurap414 from The QuitNet ) Once, my existence was confined to a small, dark room. In the room was a button. When I pressed the button the room was filled with light. It was a warm, sunny light, which filled every crevice of the room with its brilliance. The light made me happy, and made me feel safe. The problem was, after a few minutes, the light would begin to fade. Soon the room would be completely dark again and I would have to press the button again. My life consisted of always getting to that button when the darkness began to fall. The darkness was scary. It was tiring getting to that button hour after hour. And in this life, it was always, always night. I heard people say that if you could endure one night in the dark, without pushing that button, you could experience Day. In Day, the button would not be needed. It would always be light, and there would be no dark to be afraid of. People said that when it was Day, you could actually leave the room. The button was still there, but you would not be reliant on it anymore. I remembered my life before the button, and looked at my friends who lived in the Day. And I knew that was what I wanted, more than anything. I hated it always being night; even though I had my button to light the world it was still depressing living from brightness to darkness, never being free, and never seeing the sun. And so one day I decided to stop pushing the button, to try and be free. At first, the darkness was a little uncomfortable. I could not see a thing, but then again the light had only been out for a short while. I knew what was in the room, no monsters there, right? Just the dark. But then, as the night progressed, scary things began to happen. I heard strange noises in the dark. Sometimes ghosts and apparitions would appear to me. And each time, no matter how much I wanted to be brave, something scared me so bad that I would reach for that button again. I never made it for more than a few hours in the dark. I would run screaming for the button, and give it a good smack. Thank God!!! The light would be warmer and more lovely than it had ever been. But then, as always, the light would begin to fade. And I would realize to my horror that it was midnight again. And I was even more afraid of the encroaching dark than ever. One day I heard of a group of people who had made it through to Day. I wanted to get out of my terrible night, and so I asked them how they made it to dawn, and then to sunrise and Day. And they told me some secrets. They told me how to deal with the ghosts who would appear in the dark, how the room would change and how all sorts of horrible things would happen. They warned me that it would be worse than a nightmare at times, but that I could do it. Best of all, they said they would help me make it through the night. This is the story of how it happened, one minute at a time. 11:59 pm. I push the button for the Very Last Time. I am very afraid.. 12:00 midnight. The room is dark. Not so bad. I can do this. 12:15 am Hearing scary noises. Scared, but Im ready for this. I can do it. 12:30 am A man appears out of nowhere. "Push the button!!!!" he screams. "Arent you afraid of the monsters? Arent you scared of the demons? Push the button! It will be light again!!!! Just do it!!!!". He is scaring me. I look at him fiercely. He goes away. He comes back many times during the night. 1:00 am The floor has turned to snakes. I am horrified. I can hear them slithering around. I want to turn on the light. I need to see them. I need them to go away. I ask my friends and they say this is normal, that it will get better. 1:30 am I can hear moans in the dark. The snakes are still here. I think this room is haunted. I am so scared of the dark. I want to push the button so the light will make the ghosts go away. I keep telling myself I am headed towards the dawn. 1:45 am Something cold and dead brushes my face. I scream. I reach for the button. My friends tell me Im doing a great job. They tell me the noises are just phantom noises. They tell me to think of the coming dawn. The snakes are still around my legs. I think the floor is getting wet and sticky, I cant tell. The noises are getting stranger. I am shivering with fear and revulsion. 2:00 am If it werent for my friends I would have gone insane or hit the button hours ago. I begin to think that the floor is wet and sticky with the blood of people who have killed themselves in here. My friends tell me its just my own sweat. I know that if I hit the button it will all go away. The noises are unbearable. My only comfort is knowing I have made it this far. I tell myself I can make it a little longer. I break down in tears from exhaustion. 2:15 am Its getting a little better now. The dark is still filled with bizarre monsters and strange sounds. 2:30 am I look out the window to see if the sun is coming up yet. It is still pitch dark. I cannot see a thing. 2:45 am The scariest part of night. I sense that I am surrounded by ghouls. I am trying to be strong even though I am beside myself with fright. Suddenly a woman appears in the room. She is holding a candle. She looks like a very competent lawyer or something, and looks very kind. I am so relieved to see her, and I invite her to sit down. She explains that she has contacted the owners of the room and that they have agreed to make an exception for me. Since I am experiencing so much fear, they will let me push the button once without setting the clock back to midnight (right back where I started). She said that they have been watching me, and since Ive been so brave, they will allow me a little bit of light to "get me through the night". "I thought that once I hit the button, I go right back to where I started no mater what", I say. "No, no, we have made a special exception in your case," she says, smiling. She looks so caring and professional. I begin to believe her. She seems completely trustworthy. I look over the contract she has brought. It all looks very legal and above-board. I get to push the button once, and the clock is not set back to midnight. It sounds extremely sensible. I am listening to the noises in the dark. There is a big bump from the darkest corner. "What was that?" I say. "That was a ghoul," she says pleasantly. "It will rip your throat out and kill you if it gets you. So not to rush things, but perhaps you want to sign the contract right NOW". I look into her eyes. I want to believe her. I reach for the pen. And then I see behind her smile, this evil green glimmer. And I smell death on her clothes. With horror, I realize that she has been sent by the Nicodemon. She is pure evil. She leans in closer, and hands me the pen. I pull back. "Get away!" I scream. "Get out of here at once!!!!". "Oh no, sweetie" she says in her pleasant voice of death. "You asked me to sit down. You read my contract. Im going to stay a while". I know she is in league with the Demon but I cant seem to move or scream. I am transfixed with her voice, her glinting eyes, her tempting smile. "Why dont we sit and chat awhile my dear?" she smiles sweetly. It seems like two hours pass. I cannot move. I have never been so scared. Crazily, I still think about signing the contract she is holding. I think of how hitting the button would make her go away. Finally I summon all of my strength, and with great effort I am able to make myself realize that she is evil and full of lies. Finally, when I admit this to myself, she stands up to leave . "Ill be back for you!!!!!!" she shrieks as she leaves. I smell her horrible stench after she goes and I want to vomit. I am shaking with the effort and terrified, but I realize I have won a battle. I am slightly proud. 3:00 am Still afraid but hanging in there. Telling myself Ive made it this far. Trying to ignore the snakes and ghouls. When I ignore them they are not so bad. 3:15 am The man keeps coming back. He is not as scary anymore. 4:00 am I think I can finally see the dawn rising in the far distance. I am completely exhausted. But I think , this is it! I have made it to Day! I am very excited. 4:15 am A little old lady appears. She is very sweet looking and gentle. "Hi honey!" she says. "Hi there" I say, glad for some company. "Rough night, huh?" she says. "Ill say", I agree. I feel relaxed, relieved, happy, so proud of myself. "And youve done such a great job," she says. I thank her for the compliment. "Such a great job, " she says, "that you deserve to hit that button one more time. Just to see it once before its gone. It was such a lovely light wasnt it?" she says sweetly. "It was a lovely light," I say. I look fondly at the button, and then look outside to the greying sky, which is filling with a dirty pale light. I think of my brilliant warm light and how it used to cheer me up instantly. "You do deserve it," she says. We chat for some time about what a great job Ive done getting through the night. She is a very sweet and understanding lady. We stroll around the room for a while, and then I look down. When I do, I realize my hand is on the button. I look into the nice ladys eyes, and suddenly I see the glint of evil green grinning back at me. "Why dont you push the button now?" she growls, in a voice that sounds like the grave. "AARGH!" I yell. I jerk my hand off the button. The lady vanishes in a puff of noxious fumes. But her words were powerful poison and it is a while before I can walk away from the button. I am terrified by the close call. 4:15 am Its getting brighter now. 5:00 am Things are going OK. I have survived a few more close calls. The old lady came back, and so did the lawyer lady, but I fought them off. The snakes and ghouls I realize were only in my head. Things are looking normal. I can see again! 6:00 am Sunrise! I never thought I would see it. Its only a matter of time before I get to see the Day. I realize I will never need my horrible button again. I am so relieved I could just cry. I am full of gratitude and thanks. I am so proud of myself, so humble. Ive come so far. And then I hear the voice. It is icy cold and gravelly, and sounds like a thousand monsters whispering together. It comes from everywhere and nowhere, it echoes through my brain. "There are monsters everywhere, my friend," it says. "There are monsters which can attack you in the grey light of dawn, monsters under the bed at sunrise, and monsters which will haunt you invisibly during the Day. These monsters can only be conquered by pressing that magic button. Did you think that daylight would protect you? Oh no. Never forget that the monsters are ALL AROUND, my friend. And the button is the only thing that will keep them away FOREVER. So watch out where you step, and listen wherever you go". I am chilled. I am terrified. I look to make sure the button is not far away. It is still there, and I am slightly comforted by this. The sunrise is not as safe as it seemed. 6:15 am I look around for day-monsters. Sometimes I can see them lurking under the bed. I had no idea that I would be afraid after sunrise. I miss my brilliant warm light. Just waiting for Day to come. 7:00 am. Sun keeps rising. Doing much better now. Monsters are less frightening. Really beginning to feel positive. 7:15 am Getting very bright. Feeling great. Knock at the door. Its the neighbour. "Hey lady," he says. "Howya doing in here? Listen, I dropped off because I noticed your light wasnt on. I just wanted to let you know that if you push that button over there, you can see a whole lot better!" "Yeah I know", I say, "but when you push the button, it stays night. The longer I leave it off, the brighter it gets, and eventually itll be as bright as Day." "Well, I hate to tell you this," he says, "but you know, it never really gets as bright in the Daytime as that light was. I mean, I tried that whole Day thing and it aint what its cracked up to be. Sure, the light gets kind of bright during the Day, but then there are cloudy days, and whatnot. And you can never really read a book with the same amount of clarity as you get with that button". "Really?" I say. "I did not know this. Because you know, I am a big reader". "Oh, yeah, that Day light, its never the same! You cant read by Day light!!! Not the way you can with this baby you got right here. I tell you what -if you want, I can jimmy this light so that it doesnt get dark at all! That way, itll be on all the time, and youll NEVER know its night outside. What do you think?" "You can do that?" I say. "I mean, I tried that before. I tried a LOT of different things to make it not seem so bad. But I still knew it was night. That light still kept going out." "No, no, no -- that was last time. I guarantee you I can fix it so that you will never feel scared that its night, and that light will always be on. Believe me, it beats the hell out of Day. I promise you. I mean look at this crappy light", he said, jerking his thumb towards the weak sunrise. "Well, OK" I said. "What do I have to do?" "Just push the button once, so I can get it going, then youll be all set," he said. "And if you dont like it, you can always try this Day thing another time, right?" He grinned pleasantly, and gave me a friendly wink. I looked him over to size him up. He was really a good-looking guy, so friendly and polite. It was obvious he knew what he was talking about, and he had a very honest face. Perhaps, I thought, my friends were wrong about this Day thing? I mean, here was a guy who could just rig up my button to fix it up just like that. And it sounded like he knew from experience that the button light was better and brighter than Day. Plus he had promised that it would work. Why would this guy lie to me? He was still standing there, smiling at me. "OK" I said, "What the heck". And I reached to shake his hand. "Excellent" he grinned. But as he smiled I got a glimpse of what was between his lips, and saw that his mouth was full of maggots. Suddenly I realized that he reeked of rotting corpses and death, and when I touched his hand, it felt like cold icy death. I looked into his eyes and saw that I was staring face-to-face with none other than the Nicodemon. "Nicodemon!!!" I shrieked. "Yes, my dear" he growled, and as he grinned at me, moving his face closer to mine, his breath smelled like ashes and cancer. "Just push that button and Ill fix that little button for you RIGHT AWAY". The maggots were still spilling out of his mouth, and to my horror I realized that his body was made up of decaying flesh. Every surface of his body was covered with sores, and from the sores leaked pus and phlegm. I looked down and saw that I was still clutching his rotting, deadened hand. "Argh!" I yelled. "You are a LIAR!!!!!! That stuff is not true! What you say is never true!!! You cant fix that button! If I push it Ill be back in the night! The button will not make the monsters go away! It never did! All it did was keep me in eternal night!!!!! NOW GO AWAY AND GET OUT OF HERE!!!!!! YOU BASTARD!!!!!" And I kicked him right in the balls. "AAAAAUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!" shrieked the Nicodemon. With a cloud of poisonous fumes and toxic gases he began to melt into a puddle of phlegm, until nothing was left of him except a small pile of ash. "Ha". I said. I swept up the ash and put it outside. I had won this battle, and I deserved to be proud. I had outwitted the most clever villain of all. And I had done it all by myself (with a little help from my friends). But I knew he would be back. Epilogue Sometime Around High Noon Well the sun has finally come up and its Day. Its everything my friends promised it would be. The sun is out, the birds are singing, and its simply glorious. Eventually, I even walked out of that small dark room, and left the button behind. The best part about it is, the sun never goes down here. It just stays high noon all day long, and the sun is shining almost all the time. My friends are here with me, and we never have to go back into that horrible night. The Demon came back a few more times, in a few more disguises. He almost fooled me that night that I went through the dark, and he might fool me again. But Ive got my friends behind me and they tell me about the different tricks he likes to use. He is a crafty, conniving, horrible, evil spirit, and I know that he will always do everything in his power to try and get me back. But I will be ready, and waiting. And God willing, Ill keep outwitting that son-of-a-bitch. Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/343-the-dark-room/

NADA Members Posted October 25, 2017 When I was thirteen years old this new kid, Nick, moved into my neighborhood. At first I didn’t like him at all. In fact, you could even say he made me sick. But after a few weeks he started to grow on me and before you knew it we were hanging out daily. Nick seemed like the coolest kid on the planet…so much more mature than my childish peers. And hanging out with him made me feel cool too. Before long I found that I couldn’t stand being away from Nick. Even for an hour. My other friends were not impressed by Nick in the least. They avoided me like the plague whenever he was around. Likewise, I found myself rejecting offers to do things with my friends because I didn’t want to be away from Nick for any extended period of time. I just got too agitated and anxious. As the years went by, I lived my life on Nick’s terms. Whatever he wanted to do we did. I no longer had any input. Nick always put me in extremely dangerous situations, but I felt powerless to contradict him. This twisted relationship went on for decades. I was allowing Nick to slowly, but inevitably, drag me to the precipice. One day I woke up hacking and coughing so violently I thought I was going to die. Nick stood by my side with a blank smirk on his face. I knew right then and there that he wasn’t going to help me. He would let me wither away without a second thought. Only I could help myself. So, on November 22, 2015 I kicked my friend Nick O. Demon to the curb and vowed never to hang out with him again. My life, health, relationships and sense of well being have shot through the roof since I dumped that “friend”. I do not miss him even one tiny bit. Good riddance! Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/9243-my-friend-nick/

Jonny5 Quit Date: 2011-12-21 Posted April 28, 2014 We are all on board the quit train, chugging away to our destination, but where is that destination, when will you have arrived? the secret for me is that the train is very much like a child's train set, it has elaborate bridges, tunnels, stations etc, but ultimately the train is on a continuous loop. there are many stations where we pick up passengers, there's Cold Turkey Park, Patch Junction, E-cig Crossing, Grand Gum Central, and loads more that I've run out of names for but you get the point, we all start our journeys in different places. We all bring various amounts of baggage with us, sometimes our baggage takes up more room on the train than we do ourselves. this is often the case for a new passenger. The other occupants of the carriage are a little more experienced, and they soon help the new rider to pack away the baggage neatly, and in many cases the new rider realises that they have packed a whole load of junk that is weighing them down, so they toss it out the window, bit by bit. sometimes it's harder for folk to let go of certain belongings, items that they have held on to for years, often these false idols weigh down the passenger more than they can comprehend, but life without these false idols feels kind of raw, naked if you like, it can feel like you are loosing your very identity, until of course that you realise that your identity was one of addiction, not of choice. Along the journey, we pass through many seasons and triggers, some of us for the first time, and some of us for the hundredth time. they are frightening first time around, but we soon get used to them, and our companions comfort us and prepare us, and they warn us in advance. We soon get used to them. We pass through Cliche Canyon, here we stop for a while to stretch our legs, and to reaffirm the things we have learned along the way. we make up songs and rhymes, and acronyms for the newbies to sing, so that they remember that One Equals All, so that they know to Never Take Another Puff, and that Not One Puff Ever will keep them safe. The most treacherous part of the journey is Relapse Ravine, it lays just beyond Memory Lane, somewhere after passing through No man's Land. This can be the most lonely part of the journey, A passenger can be sitting in one of the quiet carriages, the newbie coach has gotten a bit too noisy for them, they sit and stare out of the window, gazing down memory lane, dreams of a long lost romance can fill their hearts and minds, and can drive them crazy. some of these passengers will go and chat to the newbies, they understand that they may need to be reminded of the early struggles, some of them ask the olde phartes what to do. But some unfortunately climb on the roof, bypassing the SOS safety rail, and throw themselves into relapse ravine, looking for their lost love. It is important to remember that when we are smokers, that was our comfort zone, It is not the zone that we have to live in if we wish to break free. Some of you won't like the way others will try to pull you out of that comfort zone, some of you will flourish upon it. some will take offence. There are many methods, and all of us are teachers and students when it comes to learning about how to get through to someone. However in the field of smoking cessation, and specifically of learning to be a happy non smoker, well it's like learning to read. you just do it, and then you know it, it doesn't take effort to remember how to do it, and no more learning will be needed to stop you from forgetting it. You just can, or you can not. My ability to read is not something I feel complacent about, it's something I feel confident about. there are some people on the train, who are really just riding it because they know that the train is run by volunteers, and they volunteer their time, and experience, to pay for the free ticket that was once passed to them by a friendly face many years before. Sometimes they challenge the distorted logic of the junkie, out of love and compassion for the person trapped inside, the person that reminds them of themselves, sometimes they get hugged, and sometimes they get shouted at. they know the risks of engaging the junkie, they were once the junkie too, they mostly say the things that are now so obvious to them, but once were not. They have ridden the train so much, that they know every single inch of track, they know it inside out. and they knew the moment they reached their destination. It was the same destination for all of them. it was the place where they found inner peace, no junkie chatter, no doubt, no desire or need to smoke, and no way on earth to return to smoking, without making a deliberate decision to sign up for slow suicide. I believe that is the destination that we are all trying to reach, regardless of where we boarded the train, and regardless of how rough or smooth, or long, or short our journey was. I sincerely look forward to welcoming you there, each and every last one of you. Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/1045-where-does-the-train-go/

intoxicated yoda 31 Posted yesterday at 07:35 PM honestly...even tho i've been quit for a few weeks, the cigs are still in control. I'm still an abstaining smoker. Most of my thoughts are dominated by the quit but that's okay. it has to be this way. my quit is a garden and right now it's full of weeds so it's going to take all my focus and effort to get all the weeds pulled. then once all the weeds are pulled it's going to take daily monitoring for new sprouts of weeds so i can dig down and find the roots. later it will take weekly monitoring for more weed sprouts so i can dig down further and get the rest of the roots. and then when i've gotten all the roots out and all the weeds are gone and there are only beautiful blooming flowers in my quit garden i still have to be vigilant in monitoring for weeds cause seeds will blow in on the wind from who knows where and they will pop up when and where i least expect them. but that is life. the garden, whatever it is be it quitting smoking or playing piano, must be tended. to do otherwise is to stop living. Link to original blog entry: Who's in Charge? https://www.quittrain.com/blogs/entry/1050-whos-in-charge/

Markus Members 644 Quit Date: 02-19-2008 Posted April 13, 2014 · IP Want to quit smoking? Good. That takes some nerve and that alone is enough to get it done. You don't have to be smart, you just need to use the courage and will that you have, in the right way, and get that brain of yours aligned to make it happen. Just quit. Do it now. There, you just quit. It's that easy. Now you are craving a smoke of course. It gets better, just as soon as you set your mind to being a non smoker and you free yourself from yourself, and from how you choose to live your life. This place cannot help you quit, it can't give you a quit, and it can't keep you quit. Only you can do that, and it's a choice. Either smoke. Or quit. The only thing that can happen to you here is to get encouragement and support. All that people here can do for you is to tell you how and to promise you that it can be done. You are absolutely going to have to hold yourself accountable and commit to staying quit, all on your own. This place can be effective in teaching you how to start walking after you've been crawling (quit) on your own, if you use it the right way. Understand that you are an addict first, and that's why you smoke because smoking is your answer to everything. If you are quitting you should realize that smoking is the answer to nothing. This also includes the journey ahead of you. A cigarette will never be the answer to anything you need. Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/589-want-to-quit-smoking-consider-this/

Sirius Quit Date: May 27, 2014 Posted July 12, 2016 The following was some of the more weird things I did while going through the stress of decompress. Sharpen knifes. Oh Vay! scrape, scrape, scrape.... Take your time with it. Focus on getting the sharpest edge. All my knifes are very sharp. Emptied out my ashtray into a glass jar (with lid). Added a bit of water to the mix. When I feel the need I take a good long look at this stuff. If I still feel the need I unscrew the lid and take a long deep whiff. Really brings back the whole smoking experience - to include the gagging, retching, and full body coughing. If the time and place allows for it; a good stiff drink. One shot only! Purely for medicinal purposes. Bonus points for Barcardi 151. A personal favorite. Chopping Wood. Nothing like swinging an axe to work out the aggression and utter unfairness that constant denial piles onto my little psyche. Plus, I'm doing something constructive! Hold your breath until the desire to breath meets and exceeds the desire to smoke. While holding your breath contemplate how each cigarette you consume brings you closer to holding your breath involuntarily. Breathing is far more satisfying then smoking. Enjoy a fresh Jalapeño. Pop the whole thing in your mouth and chew slowly. mmmmmm... Bonus points for not having water near at hand. Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/7287-the-weird-things-i-did-to-quit-smoking/

Aine Quit Date: 2-26-2014 Posted May 4, 2019 The Law of Addiction Most quitting literature suggests that it normally takes multiple failed quitting attempts before the user self-discovers the key to success. What they fail to tell you is the lesson eventually learned, or that it can be learned and mastered during the very first try. Successful recovery isn't about strength or weakness. It's about a mental disorder where by chance our dopamine pathway receptors have eight times greater attraction to a nicotine molecule than to the receptor's own neurotransmitter. We call it the "Law of Addiction" and it states: "Administration of a drug to an addict will cause re-establishment of chemical dependence upon the addictive substance." Roughly half of relapsing quitters report thinking that they thought they could get away with using just once. The benefit of fully accepting that we have a true chemical dependency and permanent priorities disorder can't be overstated. It greatly simplifies recovery's rules while helping protect against relapse. Key to arresting our illness is obedience to one simple concept, that "one is too many and a thousand never enough." There was always only one rule, no nicotine just one hour, challenge and day at a time. Navigating Withdrawal and Reclaiming Hijacked Dopamine Pathways Like clockwork, constantly falling nicotine reserves soon had hostage dopamine pathways generating wanting for more. Sensing that "want" thousands of times per year, how could we not expect to equate quitting to starving ourselves to death? Again, the essence of drug addiction is about dependency quickly burying all memory of our pre-dependency self. Thus, the first step in coming home and again meeting the real us is emptying the body of nicotine. It's amazingly fast too. Cut by half every two hours, our mind and body become 100% nicotine-free within 72 hours of ending all use. Extraction complete, peak withdrawal now behind you, true healing can begin. While receptor sensitivities are quickly restored, down-regulation of the number of receptors to levels seen in never-users may take up to 21 days. But within two to three weeks your now arrested dependency is no longer doing the talking. Quitting fears and dread are gradually thawing and melting into "like" or even "love." You're beginning to sense the truth about where you've been. It's critical during early withdrawal to not skip meals, especially breakfast. Attempting to do so will likely cause blood sugar levels to plummet, making recovery far more challenging than need be. Why? A stimulant, nicotine activates the body's fight or flight response, feeding the addict instant energy by pumping stored fats and sugars into the bloodstream. It allowed us to skip breakfast and/or lunch without experiencing low blood sugar symptoms such as feeling nervous or jittery, trembling, irritability, anxiousness, anger, confusion, difficulty thinking or an inability to concentrate. Minimize or avoid those symptoms. Eat little, healthy and often. If your diet and health permit, drink some form of natural fruit juice for the first three days. Cranberry juice is excellent. It will aid in stabilizing blood sugar while accelerating removal of the alkaloid nicotine from your bloodstream. Also, heavy caffeine users need to know that (as strange as this sounds), nicotine doubles the rate by which the liver eliminates caffeine from the bloodstream. One cup of coffee, tea or one cola may now feel like two. While most caffeine users can handle a doubling of intake, consider a modest reduction of up to one-half if feeling anxious, irritable or unable to sleep following caffeine use. One caution. While we need not give-up any activity except nicotine use, use extreme caution with early alcohol use as it is associated with roughly 50% of all relapses. The above is an excerpt from John Polito's article, "Nicotine Addiction 101". It explains the science behind why it is so darn difficult to quit nicotine and to stay quit. The full article is here: https://whyquit.com/whyquit/LinksAAddiction.html Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/12338-the-true-nature-of-nicotine-addiction/

Hello darling Nicotine Free creatures, I forgot about a 10-year anniversary. Earlier this summer, remembered in a conversation with Joel Spitzer and an email from our marvelous Doreen and then forgotten completely. Now a compelling reminder... Must never get blasé about my quit as memory of smoking recedes into the past. I ignore my struggle and success at my peril. There are far too many stories of carelessness leading to a resumption of the addiction after a substantial amount of time. No matter how strong my repugnance of tobacco is and my triggers and body memory in remission I remain an addict albeit nicotine free. Not One Puff. Never Ever. That is my anniversary lesson.

El Bandito Quit Date: 27/01/2014 Posted November 5, 2014 Now then, let's be perfectly clear My only expertise is a little experience in smoking and quitting smoking. I have watched some videos, read some books and shared with some fellow quitters. I have zero medical experience or expertise, in fact I look away when they show operations on medical dramas. No knowledge whatsoever of brain chemistry. There is some true expertise knocking around on the forum - and a lot of it is pinned to the top of the boards - this however is just me shooting the breeze, sharing some experience and some observations. People choose to quit smoking for a variety of reasons. Some of them are deeply tragic personal experiences. The loss or debilitation of a loved one for example. Some are scared into it. Some just make a rational decision. Some people quit Cold Turkey. Some use NRT. Some use acupuncture, hypnosis. Some use Vaping. Some read books. I believe that it matters not a jot why someone chooses to quit or how they quit. Allen Carr, Joel, all sort of people have said this many many times - I am amazed at how long it has taken me to truly understand it. (Quite a thick head :rolleyes: ) One thing matters. Understanding the con. Every single one of us believed that we enjoyed smoking, that smoking gave us a benefit of some kind. Allen Carr covers this in depth - he calls it the key. We spent years convincing ourselves that we liked stinking, liked poisoning ourselves and those around us, liked impoverishing ourselves, liked being slaves to a drug addiction. Even when we stop - we yearn for the 'carefree' cigarette. BOLLOCKS! The moment that one realises that smoking does not give us any benefit and NEVER did, that it was all an elaborate con trick, then the Quit is done. It sticks. The con has worked for decades. People have made millions, no billions, of Dollars - and they continue to do so in the developing world. Perhaps the strongest testament to the power of the con - is that they are doing it again - and new generations of people are falling for it. "Here, take a strange looking pen shaped object, suck it and enjoy some vapour. Yes! Vapour. It's cool. Look you can have coffee flavoured vapour! To make the vapour even better, we have added a special ingredient called nicotine - this nicotine is brilliant as an insecticide, at fooling receptors in your brain and here is the real kicker.....nicotine is an absolute superstar at addicting you - guaranteeing that you personally will pay US a fortune for the rest of your life. 10% off if you buy an extra pack!" People are queuing up to suck this stuff in. I see them interviewed on TV "why are you vaping?" "it's kinda cool yaknow? Relaxes me innit. I enjoy it" Really? Sucking a pen is cool? You enjoy it? What the flavour? The coffee flavour? Here's an idea - HAVE A COFFEE! A quit fails because a little part of us clings onto the idea (an idea being pushed all around us) that smoking was enjoyable. It wasn't. It is a con. Understand this, really understand it and come to rely on it when you feel the siren call of a cigarette - and whether your quit started a year ago, a month ago, yesterday, today or even tomorrow - your quit will stick. Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/3345-why-a-quit-sticks/

I started smoking when I was in my early teens and continued off and on for the next 28 years. During that period there were a couple of quits which lasted several years. My last major attempt at quitting smoking was in 2005 in which I was able to stay smoke-free for just under 6 years. In 2011, I made the decision to throw my quit away one evening when I was in a stressful situation and decided that smoking a cigarette would relax me. When I took my first puff that evening I felt like I was home. I wondered why I had even quit smoking at all in the first place. I thought I enjoyed it and even thought to myself that smoking was the greatest thing on earth. I had no regrets, only satisfaction. I didn’t know a single thing about nicotine addiction and ignorantly believed all the lies. I was a junkie. No, not some junkie out on the street begging and stealing to feed my addiction but rather a well dressed professional with a wife and three wonderful children. But make no mistake about it, I was a junkie just the same in need of a fix of nicotine to make everything better. This one cigarette woke up my nicotine addiction and I continued to smoke for ~2 years. In early December 2012 I went to see my Dr. about something unrelated and before I left I decided to mention that I wanted to quit smoking but enjoyed it too much. I told him that I could quit if I really wanted to, I just didn’t want to. I told him that I wanted to quit smoking for my family because they meant everything to me and I knew that the cigarettes would eventually catch up with me if I didn’t quit for good. In a nutshell, he told me I was full of shit. He told me that my family wasn’t the most important thing in my life, cigarettes were. He also went on to tell me that I was an addict to which I laughed and said “you’re telling me that I’m an addict because I’m smoking tobacco? It’s not like I’m shooting heroin or snorting cocaine.” He chuckled to himself and said “you’re the exact definition of an addict and the only reason why you’re not out on the streets stealing to feed your addiction is because cigarettes are legal.” I was mad as I sat there. How could this man say these things to me? I really do enjoy smoking. I sat and I listened. He gave me a prescription for Wellbutrin XL to help me quit smoking. I told him that I didn’t need any medication to quit smoking and he informed me that I had been smoking for nearly 28 years with several failed attempts at quitting and whatever I was doing was not working. After about 5 days the medication started to work to the point that after 2 or 3 pulls on a cigarette, I would get sick to my stomach and be on the verge of puking. Still, I lit one cigarette after another hoping that the nausea would not last, but it did and finally on December 17, 2012, I decided that I had enough and quit. This time I stayed nicotine free for 9 months and was sure I would never smoke again. I spent hour after hour, day after day reading everything I could about nicotine addiction. I watched the documentaries about the evil tobacco companies (which are on this website and very good I might add), joined a support group online and was sure I had all the answers to staying quit for good. But as things go, I relapsed again in September 2013 because of one reason; I still believed that the cigarette had something to offer me. After all of the reading and learning about nicotine addiction, none of it mattered because somewhere in the back of my mind I still believed in the cigarette. Thankfully, my relapse was short-lived and lasted only 1 week and 1 pack of cigarettes. What a shame it was to light the first of some 20 odd cigarettes after being smoke-free for ~9 months. Those 9 months prior that I speak of, although smoke-free, I was still believing somewhere in the back of my mind that cigarettes could offer me something because of my triumphant reunion with them nearly two years prior. It was all a big lie perpetuated by me. When I bought that pack in October I thought it would help. After reading Allen Carr’s book several times and being proactive for so many months, who was I kidding? The only thing I got from it was emptiness. It was at this moment and 19 cigarettes later that I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that cigarettes could not do a damn thing for me. It took a one week relapse for me to 100% believe that no matter what happens in life, no matter how crappy I feel, cigarettes will not do anything. With each and every cigarette I analyzed how I felt. From the very first pull on that cigarette I was ultra aware of how I was feeling. I remembered Allen Carr. I remembered the lies. I remembered all the former smokers in the support group. I recalled all I had read about this addiction. I was still waiting for the enjoyment because I thought it really existed. Not only did I not get one bit of enjoyment from any of it, but I also found out the hard way that there isn’t a single thing enjoyable about smoking. It wasn’t until I truly understood that I got nothing from smoking that I willingly put the cigarettes down without any medication and without a second thought. However, close to the end of that week of smoking I could feel the addiction coming on strong. Had I not chosen to quit smoking on October 7th, 2013, I feel that I would have fallen back into a full blown nicotine addiction and smoking 30-40 cigarettes per day as that was my usual routine. I was probably just a few cigarettes away from this happening and it was scary to relive those feelings of being physically and mentally addicted to smoking constantly needing to feed the throngs of nicotine withdrawal. This is not a place that I ever want to revisit. If you think that you enjoy smoking or that is somehow relaxes you, then you still think that smoking cigarettes can still offer you something of benefit. This is romanticizing the cigarette, also known as junkie thinking, whether you want to believe it or not. Leaving this door open is dangerous because something will happen along the way that will allow the addiction to creep in and when you least expect it, you’ve relapsed. If you think that you enjoyed anything about smoking it means that you’re depriving yourself or giving up something that you enjoy when you quit smoking. The worst case scenario is a relapse and the next worse thing is a constant battle. Someone once used drugs and sex was as an analogy to quitting smoking. This is false and cannot be compared because sex and drugs such as heroin, are enjoyable the first time they are tried. The first time many heroin users shoot up they loved it. How many of us loved our first cigarette? None. Smoking is not enjoyable and so long as you believe that it is or was, you’re only making staying quit much harder than it needs to be. Actually, quitting smoking can be enjoyable if you’re able to focus on your body and how it’s repairing itself. Your lungs. Your skin. Your teeth. The newly learned discipline that you’ve used because you never thought you could quit smoking, much less even wanted to quit. Lastly, a relapse doesn’t happen without first romancing or allowing junkie thinking to creep in. No situation, as bad as it may be, will force you to smoke unless you’re still believing that you can get something from the cigarette. Quitting smoking takes no action, only non-action. Don’t ever take another puff. Remember “N.O.P.E.” each and every day and make it a priority over life and all of it’s ups and downs. Never smoke again. Not one puff, ever (N.O.P.E.). Copied from MarylandQuitters About Me

JimHannoonen Quit Date: Feb. 9 2017 Posted June 9, 2017 You've made a choice to not smoke anymore and that's awesome, but remember this. No matter what you do, no matter how many patches you put on your body, how many pills you take or wads of nicotine gum you shove in your mouth, none of these things are going to be a cigarette and none are going to make you feel ok. You're gong to go through some gnarly sh*t over the next few months and you know what? That's ok. You're going to be walking down a dark and dismal road for a while and you're going to be scared and angry. You're going to feel alone and miserable. This is going to really, really suck for you at some point. Anyone here can tell you that. This may be one of the hardest things you've ever done and you're likely going to question why you're putting yourself through it. But with all that said, you will deal with the cravings. You'll take those deep, cleansing breaths and get past them, just like so many others here have. You'll have some of the worst days you've ever had. But you'll work through them. You're going to find that you're a lot stronger than you thought you were. That you're capable of dealing with a lot more than you thought possible You'll post insane rants that seem like they don't make any sense to anyone, but they will. They'll make sense to everyone here that reads them, because we've all been there. Then you'll have a good day. And then another. Before you know it, most of your days are good and you find you're not thinking about smoking 24/7. You take a deep breath and notice just how much deeper it is compared to before. Sure, every once in a while, you may have a bad day, but just like when you started this journey, you'll take your deep, cleansing breaths and work your way through it and you'll smile when you think about all the friends you've made on this forum and the relationships you know are going to be with you for a long, long time. You'll do all these things because that day you decided you weren't going to smoke anymore, you make a promise to yourself and you must keep that promise no matter what. Link to original post:https://www.quittrain.com/topic/8658-my-little-trick/

Still winning Quit Date: 12th March 2014 Posted October 29, 2015 It's been a while since I did a post as I don't ever want to take away from newer quits but I see a lot of triggers going around and some jumping off's. My way of speaking (writing) is to explain my experience and hopefully people can relate, or not and that's good if they can share their experience instead. Makes it much broader. I also have no intention of saying in one paragraph what can be said in 20, I ramble . So a trigger is simply your brain remembering "hey, we used to smoke now". I recently bumped a post called the Executive assistant, it's a great read! That's such a powerful realization to know that it is simply a thought and in reality, we have many thoughts within a day, some good some not. So the fact that I and others ran scared of quitting or staying quit (relapse queens take a bow!) was mainly due to the fear that I would always feel that I was missing something - once I found this support I quickly realized the thoughts would fade and it was worth holding on for the peace of mind later. So yes, at times it was uncomfortable mentally, but I never physically hurt, on the contrary, I actually physically started healing, we all do. I still love the stats about recovery times. Only 72 hours to get nicotine out is so fabulous really when you think of it, simply years of stuffing it in there and all gone in 3 days! I digress though. It often took me by surprise when a smoking thought would take a hold of my brain, what we refer to as romancing the smoke. I did quickly learn that I could distract my brain quite easily though. if the trigger was simply a thought, another thought could replace it. If the trigger was simply remembering we would smoke here, then a new and healthier habit would soon get rid of the trigger or I could simply answer the thought with "we don't do that anymore". I heard it described as a tool box and I like that analogy. A toolbox of ways to outwit our own thoughts. In any other scenario this might sound like we have a screw loose (Jury's out on some of us!) but actually it's quite sane. Get a plan of what you will do when you have your triggers and moving past it becomes easier. We berate ourselves when we're past the initial couple of weeks for still getting triggers. I wonder why we anticipate we should be over it so quickly? I've read powerful lines like quitting is a journey not an event, that makes sense. A change of season trigger is not nearly the same as week 1 unless you give it lots of head space, so don't do that. If you're finding yourself romancing, talk/post/pm someone, smoking is a lie and it never was the answer to any of life's problems. Reading up and educating yourself on how addiction works means you start to realize it's all a choice. That's where the answer is on triggers for me. If I "choose" to throw myself off the quit train, I will only have to start again, today or years later with more damage, may as well "get er done" today. I see others who continue to smoke and kid themselves. I've seen that journey on family ahead of me and trust me, it doesn't bear thinking about and I choose not to dwell on others who can't get real about this. So if ever a smoking thought flits through my mind now, it's easy to bat it away, like swatting a fly out of your face really. No it's nothing like the early thoughts. Actually I'll say that used to really worry me when 5 year veteran quitters said they still thought about smoking! Those people are abstaining, not quitting, there is a strong difference! The reason I think is I embraced every trigger (holiday/seasonal/milestones) and faced it down. It wasn't always an elegant face down. I still feel like I missed a trick not buying shares in a tissue company! But the triggers do all get faced if you want to be free and it's perfectly reasonable to feel mentally on edge sometimes, non smokers get that! Non smokers have stress without smoking. They go drinking without smoking too, if they choose too. "Choice"...isn't life all about choices. Quitting smoking is a good choice. Talking about struggling is another great choice, use the support here. We're here by choice, to help those who want it. So probably this whole post could have just been - Triggers are just thoughts of we could smoke here. but we don't smoke, so nope. However my inane drivel is far more fun and has filled your day with love and light I'm sure :wub: . Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/6195-thoughts-on-triggers/

Jenny Quit Date: 05/24/2012 Posted May 7, 2017 I went on a trip to Texas recently for work and brought a co-worker with me. She smokes. We agreed to meet at a local mall and then drive together to the airport. When I got there to pick her up she was pacing back and forth outside the vehicle, in the rain, getting those last puffs in. At the airport she tried to find a time to smoke but things moved too quickly and she was not able to before we boarded. Everywhere we went the next few days were HELL for her because she couldn't smoke. Meanwhile, I had a great time! It still amazes me when I travel how easy it is now. No stressing to find a place to smoke. No withdrawl...just a relaxing time. Life after quitting is so much better. For anyone on the fence or in the early days of your quit keep going! It gets so much easier. Don't live your life desperately searching for the smoking area. There's nothing for you there. Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/8458-traveling-as-a-smoker/

c9jane29 Posted May 14 Thank you guys so much!! 5 years already?! I love it!! I look back on the last 5 years with so much joy in my heart... I'm glad I saw my quit as a celebration, it has always felt that way...never negative. It changed my life, my kids lives. I volunteer as a Girl Scout Troop Leader...before I would have never done anything like that. I had convinced myself I had too much anxiety or too introverted but all of that was my addiction getting me to fall out so I'd always have time to feed it. I still have my original "why I want to quit" list and my terrible Bob Ross paintings all around the house because my quit will always be a part of me. My husband quit a little after me and he finally had the courage to quit a kitchen job he had been at for 10 years for an accountant position and now he's the supervisor. Believe me when I saw anything is possible! Thanks Quittrain for always being here to celebrate with me... I'll even bring the balloons ❤ Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/calendar/event/729-c9jane29-anniversary/?do=findComment&comment=225

El Bandito Posted April 14, 2014 Firstly - my apologies for a massive long post - but I kind of need to get this off my chest. I posted it in my blog - but then thought maybe it might be of use to someone here... Yesterday, my sister in law and her two sons came to visit. The plan is that the sister in law will stay with us for a couple of weeks - while the boys just came for the day. This is the first time that we have had houseguests since the house was refurbished before Christmas. It's quite exciting in a way. The day dawned warm and sunny - inspiring me to take the dog for a long walk and to venture into the garden for the first time this year. Lunch was eaten and wine was taken. A post prandial stroll somehow got diverted to the pub - where beer was drunk. Afternoon became evening with the help of several brandies. Long story short - I awoke this morning with a cracking hangover. Probably my first one since quitting smoking at the end of January. Conventional wisdom will tell you that hangovers are marginally better without the chemicals contained in cigarettes. I think perhaps that I am not convinced by conventional wisdom. This hangover feels pretty much the same as any other hangover that I recall. What has come as a complete surprise is that the hangover has triggered a massive craving for a cigarette. I have been awake for five and a half hours as I write this; and for every minute of those three hundred and thirty, I have been craving a cigarette. Now - I am not going to have one - I don't smoke. It is an obvious truth that non-smokers do not smoke - but it is a truth which I am having to remind myself of today. A lot. I have re-read many inspirational posts on the Quit Train.com and on Why Quit.com - determined to remove this illogical desire that I am harbouring for a cigarette. I am writing this blog post in an effort to reaffirm my determination to be a non-smoker. I can only suppose that for 30 years, I would have fought through any hangovers with the help of 'my little friend' the cigarette and that waking with a hangover this morning has re-triggered an old reaction. It does seem illogical - as if any condition illustrated how horrible it was to be a smoker - then the hangover was it. Hungover- I am always anxious, paranoid even. Two feelings that amplify the self-loathing that is never far away in any addict...but illogical or not - I cannot deny that all day today, I have wanted a cigarette. It could be that I am entering 'No Mans Land' which is how some people characterise a period where an addict moves from the "I'm quitting" period to the "Bored now". The logic is that family, friends and colleagues have become accustomed to the fact that the addict doesn't smoke anymore. Where in the early days everybody was a spectator, paying close attention to the addict and their struggle, now, it's old news. Never-smokers have no comprehension of the addiction, and smokers have conclusively decided that the addict was either never a 'proper' smoker or is miserable without their cigarettes. This last point is critical (I have just discovered!) because right now, I agree with the smoker. I am miserable. Right now - I can actually hear myself saying: "Yes, quitting smoking is tough, but it is doable. I quit for 77 days. But - at the end of the day, I enjoy it. Give me a cigarette please. I'll give you one back when I buy some in a minute. When I stop enjoying it - I'll quit again." I kid you not - I can actually hear myself saying that. I can picture myself reaching for the cigarette. I know which colleague I am asking for the cigarette... Here is the thing. I can picture myself doing it, I can hear myself doing it, but I am NOT doing it. Why am I not doing it? Really - why not? Well - there are several reasons. 1. I posted on a website that I visit this morning. I posted - NOPE. (So there must be something to this pledging :) ...) 2. I promised some people that I came to know is cyber space - that before smoking another cigarette I would post a SOS first. and I haven't. 3. If I did smoke - a lot of these people in Cyber space would be annoyed that I smoked, hurt that I did not post SOS and might even use my relapse as support for a relapse of their own. And while I know I can quit again - maybe that person couldn't. 4. Deep down - I know full well that I am hungover now. If I have a cigarette, I will still be hungover. And I will be incredibly annoyed with myself. So - I won't smoke. All of you - I am not naming names, because I would forget someone - but ALL of YOU saved my quit today. Thank you. Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/611-cigarette-anyone/

jillar Quit Date: May 29, 2016 Posted May 28 As many of you know I was officially diagnosed with severe emphysema and COPD after I had respiratory failure in January of 2020. Most of you also know that for years I was struggling with breathing issues that I was told was asthma. In the two years leading up to my respiratory failure I went from 110 pounds on a 5'5" frame to just 79 when I was admitted into the ICU. My prognosis at that time was pretty grim, get better or go home on hospice. But either way I was also going home on oxygen. Since then I have put most of the weight back on and continue to feel myself get stronger each day. So then what's the point of this post you may be asking and its this.... I found a great group for people with COPD on Facebook which is ironic because I never used Facebook pre pandemic but the group is awesome. So many people that can relate and answer the many questions those of us newly diagnosed have. Much like our community does. Here's the sad part, I read post after post from members of that group still smoking. Some are on oxygen and still smoke! I of course pass our site on to them and I hope they find their way here. Its just really sad to see. There's even a few who's Drs have refused certain procedures because they're smoking. Life saving procedures too I might add. COPD is a progressive disease with no known cure. It can be slowed with proper medications and quitting smoking. Sadly we can have it for years and not even know it until we get an exacerbation. Mine was thought to be asthma. My day consists of trying to keep my 50' oxygen tubing out of the walkways and from getting caught in the doors. I'm embarrassed to go anywhere because people will be whispering things like "that's what happens when you smoke" etc. My poor dog and cat also have to dodge it while I'm walking down the hall to feed them. Its no way to live. I'm not looking for any sympathy I just want to put a brutal face to this terrible addiction in the hopes it helps someone quit or keep their quit..... Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/15648-copd-and-smoking/

cpk Quit Date: 02/04/2015 Posted March 3, 2015 I've been doing some research online - various sites - and one thing I've noticed is that all those into new quits are extremely impatient, including me. All the newbies are asking, "When will this fatigue get better?" "I feel like crap...when will it go away? "My sleep is all off..." and I won't even go into the weight thing. The general sense I have is newly quits are a pretty impatient lot. I think part of it is what I'll call the "freak out" --- There are so many changes going on, good and bad. It's almost like being a teenager. It's just a general freak out, at not having a handle on what's going on with the body, the mind, the emotions, one's responses and reactions to the outside world. As well, teens have more social pressures, increasing responsibilities, heavier workloads... When my son was a teen he'd open the refrigerator door and just stand there... I'd say, what are you doing?, if you want something, get it and close the door...why are you standing there...? He'd act like he was just waking up, would say, I don't know what I want...and he'd close the door, but would be back 20 minutes later and do the same thing all over again. That about sums up this experience for me. I'm like a teenager. I don't know what I want. I think patience would help me see this isn't a bad thing. I'm freaked out because it's all new. I'm uncomfortable a lot. Like a teenager. But hey, being teenager-like at my age is okay for now. Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/4664-patiencei/

Peter_is_in Quit Date: 11/22/2003 Posted January 26, 2019 For me personally and what I have seen, I reflect on the word "Struggle" . . . To watch a loved one die from cancer while all you can see is the whites of their eyes. The pain and frustration only shows in the wrinkles of their face, because they cannot talk . .. that's a struggle. That cannot be undone To hear about a roadside bomb hitting a convoy of peace keepers in Afghanistan . . . and your child may be in that convoy . . . communications are automatically cut for several days . .. that's a struggle. You have no control To give up on planning yearly fishing trips with your best buddy, because cancer just stole him away from you. . . that's a struggle. That cannot be forgotten To hear the last words of your sister in moans and groans because the pain before dying of cancer is so much. . . that's a struggle. That cannot be erased To see a family member taken off life support. . . that's a struggle. That cannot be erased To learn about others who have no food to eat tomorrow, and likely will die . . . that's a struggle. That cannot be ignored To have a strong crave to smoke a cigarette . . . that's not a struggle . . . That's an inconvenience. That can be undone That can be controlled That can be forgotten That can be erased That can be ignored You can do it! Peter: Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/11825-i-reflect-on-the-word-struggle/

jillar Posted November 30 *A lifetime of freedom from nicotine. *Worldwide support from members in all phases of quitting and who know and can relate to what you may go through at any given time in your quit. *Tons of educational material about our addiction to nicotine. Be it by reading, watching videos or asking other members. We have it all So what do you have to lose by becoming a member? ACT NOW and you can go into the New Year COMPLETELY SMOKE FREE! You heard that right folks. No more burn holes everywhere No more stale smoke stink on you and all your stuff AND we already told you about all the extra CASH All this and there's STILL MORE! Yep, we've saved the best for last. Quit now and enjoy better health and less colds. Better circulation, pinker gums, the list goes on and on... So give yourself the ultimate gift this holiday season. You won't regret it Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/14789-free-to-all-new-members-who-register/

Nancy Quit Date: 07/07/2013 Posted September 18, 2014 I have to have a cigarette, RIGHT NOW By tahoehal on November 26 2008 Picture yourself a second or two after you stub out that quit-breaking cigarette. The one that you just had to have because the craving was so strong you couldn't hold out any longer, when that voice inside you was saying.. "Go on, life sucks, you may as well smoke a cig.. y'know for your nerves.." or the other one.. "you've got this beat now.. you are in control.. you can have one just now and again.. go on have one for old time's sake.." So you bum a cigarette, and smoke it and in 2 and 1/2 minutes, you stub it out. Now what. Your mouth feels like crap. Your lungs are tightening up. You managed to stifle the coughs .. but barely. You began to squint again because the smoke hurt your eyes. and your fingers and clothes smell again. You either want to throw up, grab some mouthwash, take a shower, or have another.. maybe buy a pack. But then you realize what you've just done. After all those times when you said you were going to quit, and then when you finally did, and your family and friends were so happy for you - but not exactly over the moon, because after all they've been hopeful before only to see you relapse - all that enthusiasm is now smashed to pieces on the floor. And all the pressure that drove you to grab that cigarette in the first place - it's all still there. Nothing has changed, except now you've added one more problem: you just blew it. And then you realize what you've really done. You had invested days, maybe weeks and months, in this quit. You had made a great decision, one of the few things you really and truly felt proud of in your life, and you just blew it. You just blew the quit that you swore to yourself was the last one. You were so positive, so motivated, and encouraged, you were really on top of it, ahead of the game for once, you had taken control of your life and it felt like a whole new beginning.. and you just blew it. You look at that stub in the ashtray. The grey ash and the brown edge to the burnt paper, and the tar stain on the end of filter. You remember the thousands of cigarettes you have stubbed out and think about the tar that came into your lungs as smoke. And you think if smoking that one cigarette was worth it. Nothing's better. You feel a little dizzy now as the nicotine hits your body, even a little nauseous - certainly don't feel the pleasure that you remember the adverts and billboards were promoting during your early years as a smoker. In fact it's hard to remember any time when you felt that pleasure.. just another tobacco company lie.. They helped you to become an addict the first time, but when you smoked that cigarette after you quit.. well that was a whole new decision. You made that one all by yourself - there's no pointing fingers now, you know that cigarettes kill, so when you lit that one cigarette, the choice to smoke was all yours - no-one else to blame. And you just blew it. It wasn't worth it.. time after time the slippers' and relapsers' lament how they feel like crap, how ashamed they are, how they have lost confidence and hope, how they hate themselves, how much it hurts, how depressed and they cry and hide and cry some more. And now you are one of them.. the quit losers. Lost in the wilderness, not quite a smoker.. yet and not sure you are a quitter, searching for some dignity, some self-respect out of this. All because of that one cigarette. Because you blew it. WITH JUST ONE One Puff One Cigarette One Pack One Carton One Oxygen tank One Lung One Chemotherapy One Funeral One less. Hal 08-20-2004 A puff is too much, a thousand cartons are not enough. Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/2719-think-you-need-just-one/ *Edited to remove broken link to outside source

Jenny Quit Date: 05/24/2012 Posted November 9, 2014 Cravings are the most feared in a quit and we all know they can be uncomfortable. It's this fear that keeps many of us from even attempting to quit smoking. The fear of being uncomfortable. We feel this way even though we know that smoking related disease is probably not terribly comfortable either.....addiction is so not rational.... The addiction wants to manipulate you into believing that there is no way you could ever survive quitting. No way you could ever get through a minute, hour or day feeling like you want to smoke and not give in. Seriously.....Pffft. We're tougher than that. It's all just hype designed to keep you smoking. A crave is not a command to smoke. Just because you feel it, does not mean you need to act on it. Acknowledge it and move on. As time goes on, those craves will fade away and in it's place will be a person who stood up and took control of their life. There is no greater feeling than that. No greater feeling. Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/3385-fearing-the-crave/

MarylandQuitter Quit Date: 10/07/2013 Posted October 4, 2014 is that you may not ever quit again. This is a very realistic outcome if you choose to smoke again. We've all heard that smoking doesn't make anything better when in fact it makes it worse. It's doesn't calm you down, solve your problems and instead costs a small fortune and kills you. If you've started again, quit and right the ship. If you're thinking about smoking again, quickly get that thought under control and make a decision based on facts, not emotion. Emotion is what has always caused me to relapse. I was pissed off, stressed or in some funk. Here are a couple of videos to give you some things to think about work through this. Just hang on, before you know it these rough times will pass. Stay positive and stick around here. With the nuts we have here (I'm the lead nut, thank you very much) you can't help but stay at least a little bit positive. The Power Of Nicotine Addiction Video explains the full power of the grip that nicotine can take on an individual and the consequences that can be faced if a person does not quit smoking. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpYRrZG5l8A Who Wants To Go Back To Smoking? This video discusses how former smokers at times think they want to go back to smoking, but if they really remind themselves of the package deal that goes along with being a smoker, it will be easy for them to stick to their quit. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DG9qGjf2hd8&list=PL76365B6CE2DA076B Are You Stronger Than Your Cigarettes? This video discusses the importance of understanding that you won't be able to quit smoking and stay free by becoming stronger than cigarettes but rather by becoming smarter than nicotine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxLxDuTOCT0 "It's Inevitable, Some Smokers Are Going To Relapse" If you are a member of any quit smoking support group, whether it be online or a live program, it is likely that some members of your group are going to fail. You should not interpret this fact to mean that it is likely or inevitable that you are going to fail. Video spells out the major difference between people who relapse and those who don't. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ego_dpPmfOk Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/2942-the-thing-about-relapse-or-considering-it/

Soberjulie Posted November 7, 2015 I dunno if Sarge still posts here but some of his no nonsense, shoot from the hip, tell it like it is words helped me immensely in my first days...weeks...months. The best: Embrace The Suck. You'll have moments, many moments, where quitting just plain sucks. If you're anything like me, you'll think of throwing the towel in....because...."the way I feel sucks!" Embrace the suck. Accept it. Head down and power through it! Wherever you are Sarge.....thank you. I've earned them stripes! I'm coming up on 2 years.......and I never ever have to 'embrace the suck' in regards to nicotine anymore. But Embrace The Suck has been instrumental in many areas of my life Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/6233-wise-wordsembrace-the-suck/

babs609 Quit Date: 07/13/2012 Posted February 6, 2015 That's the word I used during the acute phase of my quit. If I called it a "craving" I felt like it had power over me......as if the only thing that will ease that craving is the very thing that caused it and nothing will ever feel normal again..I will never feel relaxed or content again. To me..the word "craving" went parrallel with "feed the craving" But when I changed the wording to "restless", it took a whole new meaning for me. Restlessness occurred because my body is going back to the state it was in before I became a smoker. Just because I'm restless..is it really my body telling me I need a smoke? Or is it my junkie brain that's telling me that. There are all kinds of emotions and feelings that cause us to be restless...hunger, thirst, fatigue, anger, lonliness...and these emotions are exacerbated when we quit smoking. I knew that the restless feeling was a good thing...it reminded me I was winning the battle every single day. I knew every day I was able to co-exist along with this restlessness...that it would make me stronger and that much closer to a relaxed place where I felt content and satisfied. This newfound attitude is what got me through it.....one day at a time. Committing to NOPE. No matter what.. It also spilled over into helping me stay strong and take charge of my health in regards to my diet and regular exercise. Just because I'm restless doesn't mean I'm hungry. If I'm restless..then maybe I'm just thirsty...maybe I need to go for a run or a walk. Maybe I need to call a friend and vent, maybe I'm horny, maybe I'm bored or tired.... It helped me to be more in tune with my body and recognize exactly what I'm feeling so I am able to address the proper issue..and not try to "guess" what the problem is. Feeling restless?? Find out why....chances are..it's not a "craving" for nicotine. (especially true after Hell week) Non smokers get restless too....as a matter of fact, today I feel very restless and still haven't figured out why...one thing I am SURE of..is that I'm not craving a cigarette. Now....on to figure out what exactly is it that has me feeling uneasy and aggravated....not sure yet but I will figure it out. I have more oxygen in my brain these days so, things come to light much quicker for me now Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/4389-restless/

NOPEster Quit Date: February 4, 2017 Posted July 30, 2018 Here I am visiting my sister in Norway for the first time as a non smoker. FYI my quit date was 2/5/17. I’ve never had such an easy time being a guest. My overseas flight over was enjoyable and stress free. I no longer constantly sneak off from the family for a cig. I can hike with the best of them. And I do not reek of smoke nor cough persistently. I love my new independent life free from the nico-demon. Best thing I ever did for myself. And I must remain ever so vigilant to keep and hold onto my precious quit. I’ve seen others in tourist areas here smoking and, just for a moment I’d like to have one too. But I say NOPE and think of the super folks on this forum and put that demon urge out of my mind. If someone is reading this who is considering quitting, I truly hope you can go forward with your goal. It seemed such an impossible feat at first for me to quit but now I can look back on my hard work and see it wasn’t so bad because of ALL the great wonderful things I can do now. It’s so amazing how my new life as a non smoker is. Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/10792-so-amazing/

Many if not all smokers believe that smoking relieves stress. It doesn't and in fact causes it. Nicotine causes your heart rate to increase, your blood pressure to rise and sends adrenaline pulsing through your veins. This happens each time you smoke a cigarette. It's an illusion that smoking relieves stress because as smokers, we've conditioned ourselves to believe this. Look at it this way. After we put out a cigarette, the average smoker starts to experience mild withdrawal after approximately twenty minutes. Most smokers don't even realize that they're in withdrawal but start to crave another cigarette to relieve the discomforts of withdrawal. The cravings are a result of being in mild nicotine withdrawal which causes us some discomfort, makes us feel edgy, irritable etc., so when we light up another cigarette, we relieve those withdrawal symptoms and we feel better, for around 20 minutes or so. Then once the dose of nicotine wears off, the withdrawal process starts all over again and we continue to feed the addiction and keep the cycle going. So it's only natural for us to add 2+2 and come up with 7 because we've believed the lie that smoking relieves stress when in fact all it does is relieve the withdrawal symptoms (which are stressful) caused by smoking in the first place. We're using the same drug to try and fix the problem that started this whole process when we became nicotine addicts. So when things in life upset us, we automatically think that smoking will calm us down or help us cope with whatever it is that we're dealing with because that's the illusion smoking provides. The truth is that smoking causes stress. It's impossible that it can calm us down because of the effects it has on our heart rate, blood pressure and the release of adrenaline, which by the way is produced whenever we're experiencing a stressful situation or a period of extreme excitement. Nicotine is causing all of this when we smoke. Stress is a normal part of life and so is feeling extremely stressed or excited. Imagine that feeling of fight or flight (caused by the release of adrenaline which causes your blood pressure to increase, heart rate to increase etc.) as your body readies itself for whatever it is that's in front of you. Now imagine smoking a cigarette at this time. It can only further elevate your heart rate, blood pressure etc. It has the opposite effect of something that can calm you or relieve stress. Adrenaline is awesome. It's what makes us survive and thrive at certain things. But relieve stress or calm us down? Impossible. Once we stop smoking we're better equipped to deal with life and all the joys, pleasures, boredom and stress that it brings. Smoking actually ruins our peaceful moments in life by causing our adrenal glands to prepare us for "fight or flight" and escalates the stressful times by doing the same. When we smoke, are we ever really experiencing all that life has to offer us? Are we even capable of living in the "Now" and protecting our much needed down time to recharge? Are we able to meditate or stop the chatter or chaos that so often fills our minds and consumes our thoughts? Can we experience the calming effects of a still mind and body? The other evening it was around 4°F with a wind chill of -10°F. The moon was giving off just enough light that I could see the trees and sky through my windows. I was laying on the couch in front of the windows and was completely relaxed. It was quiet and as I released all of the stresses, to-do-lists and thoughts of what tomorrow might bring; my mind was still and quiet. The chatter was gone as there would be time for all that later. But for those 30 minutes, my mind was still and all the stressful thoughts were gone. This allowed my body to relax and just enjoy "The Now" for there will never, ever be another moment exactly the same. I want to experience all of those "Now" moments that I can. Smoking and constant withdrawal would have never allowed me to experience this inner state of peace and quiet. Never again will smoking take away these much needed quiet times that allow me to grow and be the best that I can be for myself and my daughter for without her, I cannot experience all that life has for me, just for Now. I Smoke Because I Like Smoking This video discusses how people who often say the smoke because they like smoking can come to realize that they really smoke because they don't like not smoking. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCkt_ajgTQE Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/4504-is-smoking-stopping-you-from-experiencing-all-that-life-has-to-offer-marylandquitter/

reciprocity Posted June 30, 2017 Over the next week we have Canada Day on July 1st and Independence Day in the U.S., July 4th. That means lots of parties with friends and relatives. Time to celebrate summer and rightly so! Just have a plan in advance for how you will handle these get together occasions if they are your first since quitting. You deserve to have a good time but you need to think about what the dangers might be to you so you can avoid them. There will be drinking and some people will be smoking so just give it some thought before hand so you know what you need to do to maintain your quit. Myself; I look forward to these occasions so I can tactfully work into conversation that I have quit smoking. I'm proud of what I've done and I know some smokers will envy what I've been able to do because they haven't taken the first step yet like we have. A few beers doesn't effect me negatively but it does for some. You have to know what YOUR triggers are and plan around them. There's been more than a few quits lost due to alcohol and smokers unexpectedly offering up a cigarette. Just think about it in advance and have a plan on what YOU need to do to maintain your quit. I sincerely hope you all enjoy your smokeless holidays!!. Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/8791-summers-here-have-a-plan/

Sunnyside Quit Date: 02/01/22 Posted August 24, 2015 I thought I would put my thoughts out here today, my pointers that may help someone out there. If it helps at least one person then I will be happy. When I started out on this quit journey I had no confidence at all that I could pull this off. That this quit would probably go the same as all the others did, a DISASTER I always felt that smoking was apart of who I was. That is how people know me! I couldn't change surely. I went for it anyway because I knew deep down that I should. I was never a 100% about it and for a long time I thought it was a temporary thing, it was more a question of how long I would last? Than would I make it. The years of trying just kept knocking my confidence more and more. I join a forum which I had never done before, not even for anything else. I'm not the sort of person that would ever do a group session, I was the one in school that would sit in the corner all quiet. The support helped immensely and each day I would get up and say to myself I WILL NOT SMOKE TODAY Then keep ticking off the days. The days started turning into weeks, then months, then a year. Gradually things started to get easier BUT also something was gradually changing inside me too. I was starting to look at things differently. I had changed from someone that wasn't sure weather she wanted to quit to someone that no longer wanted to smoke. Someone that really doesn't see want all the fuss is anymore, that can see this addiction for what it really is. Let me just say that their is nothing special about me. I have hardly any will power at all! so if I can do it then anybody can. I know that is a cliché but you all have it in you to do this. Well I have gone on for long enough here is my list of tips. HALT - Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired Before reaching for a cigarette think is it a crave or is it something else prompting that trigger. Because our brain rewire their selves as you keep smoking to suit with the addiction when you stop it is very hard to tell the difference. So maybe you are hungry or thirsty, need a nap, stressed. STOP For a minute a think is it something else. IT DOES GET EASIER The withdrawals do not last for ever! The physical side of the addiction last about 3 weeks. If you suffer from anxiety is seems to take a bit longer, but know matter how your quit goes it gets better for everyone eventually. No one could beat off the early withdrawal forever and their are more and more people quitting. It can be done. ROMANCING A CIGARETTE This is the what can only be described as false memories. You will go through triggers throughout the year. The sunshine, going out drinking even sitting down in the morning having a cup of tea. There are times for all of us were we have trained our brains to think that not only did we enjoy a cigarette when being/doing those events but we can not cope with doing these thing without smoking or we would be miserable without one, that we are depriving our selves of something pleasurable. REMEMBER THAT STATMENT How can that be right?!? DEEP BREATHES Instead of reaching for a cigarette when the craving are bad or when you are stress, take yourself some where quiet and take some deep breathes in for a couple of minutes. A craving only lasts for about 3 mins, so if you can take yourself away and just breathe deep for those 3 mins it will pass. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER Read as much information as possible, know your enemy and educate yourself. The information here is priceless but their is also such a wealth of information at your finger tips these days, so use it. If you can change your mind set in to the illusion of smoking it will help you understand what is happening. CELEBRATE YOUR MILESTONES This really worked for me and gave me my new goal everytime I completed one. It also gave me somewhere to share how proud I was with me self. Early in your quit it is a good idea to reward yourself it doesn't have to be expensive just something to focus on. HAVE NO FEAR One of the biggest reasons people don't quit is FEAR The fear that you are going to be miserable all the time that as you watch others smoke that you will always feel like you are missing out. Don't be scared! This will change on it's own eventually, there is a better life out there. The sense of freedom really is worth it. Now I can life my life how I want to, not scurrying around try to fit in a cigarette wherever I go, I'm no longer stress because I am in a place where I can not smoking and I am dying for one. I don't feel self conscious when I am out because I can see the sly looks people are giving me. I'M FREEEEEE!!!!! I hope this will help someone in their plight to be fag free. Their is a saying around these parts ONWARDS AND UPWARDS Just keep putting one foot forward and you will make your goal. Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/5873-for-anyone-that-is-struggling/

Sunnyside Quit Date: 02/01/22 Posted July 6, 2016 I found this article on another website and thought it may help someone here. By Terry Martin "I quit smoking seven months ago. I do feel better, and I don't struggle all of the time now, but I still have days when I find myself missing my cigarettes. I sometimes wish I could have just one now and then. At times, the urge to smoke is so intense. I wonder if I'll ever be free of this habit? Will I miss smoking forever?" Think for a moment of your life as a tightly woven piece of fabric. Each thread represents your life events and experiences, and running alongside the many "life" threads are threads of a finer gauge. They are so fine in fact, they're impossible to see with the naked eye. Those threads are your smoking habit, and they've become so thoroughly interwoven in the fabric of your life, you find you can't do anything without thinking about how smoking will fit into it. The associations that we build up over time between the activities in our lives and smoking are closely knit. Once you quit smoking, the job becomes one of unraveling those smoking threads, or associations, one by one. How does that happen? And how long does it take? Recovery from nicotine addiction is a process of gradual release over time. Practice Makes Perfect Every smoke-free day you complete is teaching you how to live your life without cigarettes. Bit by bit, you're reprogramming your responses to the daily events that trigger the urge to smoke. The more practice you get, the less cravings will plague you. Over the course of your first smoke-free year, you'll encounter and have a chance to clear most of the events and situations in your daily life that you associate with smoking. Seasonal Smoking Triggers Some smoking triggers are seasonal in nature and can create strong smoking urges months into your quit program. For instance, if you quit smoking during the winter and you're an avid gardener, you could find yourself craving a smoke break the first time you're out digging in the dirt the following spring. Thoughts of smoking related to the seasons may hit you with an intensity you haven't felt in months. Don't worry. Once you make your way through the trigger smoke-free, it will let go and you can move on. The first year is all about firsts...experiencing the many daily events in your life smoke free for the first time. And it's all about practice. You built your smoking habit through years of practice. Now, build the nonsmoking you the same way. Practice is a necessary part of recovery from nicotine addiction, so try to relax and let time help you. The more of it you put between yourself and that last cigarette you smoked, the stronger you'll become. Work on Your Attitude There's another step in finding permanent freedom from nicotine addiction that is just as important as practice and time. It involves your attitude. I'm sure you've heard about people who still struggle years and years after quitting. They're the ones who say they "still miss smoking" 20 years down the road. That's a frightening thing to hear, but don't let it throw you. The reason they are in that position has to do with the fact that they never did the work to change what cigarettes meant to them. Along with using patience and time to help you reprogram your associations with smoking, you must also alter the way you think about your cigarettes. The path to permanent freedom has to do with changing the relationship you have to smoking, and the way to make that mental shift is through education. As the saying goes... Knowledge is Power... ...and it's the truth when it comes to recovering from nicotine addiction. Educate yourself by reading everything you can find about how tobacco harms us from head to toe. It will open your eyes, but more importantly, it will help you start to change the meaning that cigarettes have for you. Once you do that, the mental chains of this addiction will begin to break down for good. You'll truly be free, and believe me, it's a great place to be. Be patient with yourself and allow for as much time as you need to heal from this addiction. There is no set formula for recovery; we're all unique in how we move through the process. Read about nicotine addiction and do the work to change the way you perceive cigarettes. They are instruments of death. They deserve nothing more than your disdain. Don't look at quitting tobacco as a sacrifice. You're not giving up anything of value. Your quit program is a gift. Change your attitude and you'll find your freedom. Cessation is doable, and your precious life is worth the work it takes to achieve. If You Want to Change Your Life, Change Your Mind. Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/7257-will-i-always-miss-smoking/

Doreensfree Quit Date: 7 /8/2013 Posted August 14, 2017 I'm here to tell you exactly what it's like to live with C.O.P.D/emphysema.. It starts with a cough..that get alot worse and persistent.. People put it down to a smokers cough..the time scale can differ, as were all different...all of a sudden it gets herder to do the things you could do easy..take the stairs,walk to the local shop,shower,ect... You get help with inhalers,clinic,s ,rehab,but nothing stops it's on slaught... Very slowly.. You are robbed of your life and depend on your spouse to tend to your needs.. Giving time..depression sets in..then you have to deal with a double whammy.. Panic attacks and anxiety start because all this is scarey stuff to deal with.. This is how you will spend the rest of your life...and it could be years... Fighting for your every breath..panic and anxiety...on oxygen tanks... You owe it to yourself and your spouse to avoid this at all costs... I am that spouse and we deal with this on a daily basis.... Quit..the risk of smoking is too high..x Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/8969-if-you-still-need-that-nudge-to-quitread-on/

babs609 Quit Date: 07/13/2012 Posted March 29, 2014 Quitting tobacco is a process. It doesn't happen overnight, but compared to the amount of time most of us spent smoking, recovery from nicotine addiction is relatively short. Years of smoking taught us to react to literally everything by lighting a cigarette. When we were happy, we'd celebrate by lighting up. When we got angry, smoking would calm us down, or so we thought. Tired? Smoke a cigarette to stay awake. Hungry? Feed yourself a smoke. This list goes on and on. Between the physical addiction to nicotine and the mental associations that tie what seems like all of our activities to cigarettes, it can feel as though we're chained to the habit with links of steel. Successful recovery includes learning how to hear the message behind the urge to smoke and respond with more appropriate choices, such as a nap or a meal, for instance. Have patience with yourself. This skill takes some time to hone, but you'll get better at it. Eventually, cigarettes will fade as a fix for physical and emotional needs, and you'll make choices that actually address the signal your body is sending without thinking twice about it. When the Urge to Smoke Hits, Think H.A.L.T. H.A.L.T. (Hungry,Angry,Lonely,Tired) is a powerful checklist to help you decode the urges to smoke that you experience. Nine times out of ten, a craving can be traced to one of these four things: Hungry Have a snack or a meal. If you are hungry, food is the answer, not a cigarette. If you're concerned about weight gain, try drinking water before you eat a snack to help control the amount you eat. Keep healthy snacks on hand. Celery sticks, raw baby carrots and frozen grapes make good low calorie snacks. Normal weight gain due to quitting smoking is 5-8 pounds. Metabolism does slow a bit initially, so some daily exercise is a good idea. Things will balance out and that quit-related weight will drop off within a couple of months as long as you're eating the same as you were before you stopped smoking. Don't be too hard on yourself. Try to eat in moderation, but until you get your quit program under solid control, don't fret if you gain a few pounds. Quitting tobacco must be in the top slot of your priority list for as long as it takes. Weight can always be lost later. Angry Anger is a big trigger for most of us. Find healthy outlets for your feelings of frustration. If at all possible, deal with the situation that is bothering you head on and be done with it. Talk to friends and family about your feelings or write in your journal. The important thing is not to let anger simmer and get the upper hand. Reaching for a cigarette can seem like a quick fix, but it is a false fix. We may not always be able to choose the events that happen around us, but we do have control over how we let external situations affect us emotionally. Come up with a few ideas of things you can do to help you shift negative energy that bubbles up before it has the chance to do any damage. That way, when a situation arises, you're prepared. It will help you maintain control and get through it without smoking. Remind yourself that no one has the power to affect your emotions without your approval. You control your inner environment, for better or worse. Take responsibility for how you feel and it will empower you to control difficult emotions smoke-free. Lonely For most ex-smokers, loneliness is more accurately described as boredom. Smoking was such a constant companion it was an activity in and of itself. Early on in cessation, distraction is a useful tool that can help you manage feelings of boredom. Get out for a walk, watch a movie, or work on a hobby. Come up with a list of things you enjoy doing and do some of them. Make them fun and they will help you over the hump of this type of smoking trigger. Depression also falls under this category. People quitting tobacco are especially susceptible to the blues, at least early on. Leaving cigarettes behind can feel like the loss of a friend, albeit a destructive, life-stealing friend. After years of smoking, most of us feel the loss of smoking in this way to some extent. If you feel yourself slipping into a funk, take action. Change your environment(internal, external, or both) and it will help you change your attitude. It's ok to mourn the death of your smoking habit, but don't glorify it as something it was not. It was out to KILL you, remember that! Tired Fatigue can be a big trigger for the newly quit. Instead of lighting up when you're tired, give yourself permission to slow down and relax a little, take a nap, or go to bed early if you need to. Sounds so simple, yet people often push themselves too far with all of the demands of life these days. Be aware and take care. Don't let yourself get run down. A tired you is going to be more susceptible to junkie thinking and the threat of relapse. Protect your quit by protecting your health, both physically and mentally. It may feel like you'll never be free of cigarettes and thoughts of smoking will always plague you, but have some faith in yourself and the process, and please be patient. We taught ourselves to smoke, and we can teach ourselves to live comfortably without smokes too. Soon enough, you'll get to a place where smoking cessation is no longer a daily effort. You may even wonder why you didn't quit sooner, because life without cigarettes has become natural and easy. In the meantime, keep H.A.L.T. in your arsenal of quit tools and use it to decipher those urges as they come, one by one. great article by Terry Martin Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/9-halt/

Jonny5 Quit Date: 2011-12-21 Posted April 14, 2014 If you could, you already would be. There are some who can really genuinely take it or leave it. I read once that 90% of nicotine users become addicted. the others don't persue a smoking career so to speak, or smoke occasionally with no withdrawals. That is not you. You are a nicotine addict, that is why you are reading this, and that is why you can't just have the occasional smoke. we are all or nothing, The law of addiction states that reintroduction of the addictive substance to the addict will reawaken the addiction and start the withdrawal process over again. it can not be any other way for us. Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/637-we-can-not-be-casual-smokers/

Paul723 Quit Date: July 23, 2013 Posted June 2, 2017 That was the sign on the shop in the middle of a non-descript strip mall. My first thought was it is empty for me. Then I started to think about the word need. This need is not like air or water or food; this is the need of an addict. Nicotine only creates the need for more nicotine. Deny this need and the withdrawal cravings cannot kill the addict (though his brain may try to convince him otherwise). The need is artificial and self-inflicted. I started to think that I should open up a shop right next store with a sign that said “For All Your Non-Smoking Wants”. Grab a cart and come shopping with me. Better Health, add that to the cart. More Time with Your Friends and Loved Ones, add that. Lower Chance of Heart and Lung Disease, throw that in. Clean Smell as well. How about some Freedom and a Sense of Changing Your Life for the Better – let’s have a big load of that. Time to check out – and you get the thousands of dollars you would have wasted at the store next door. That’s right, you get paid at the “Non-Smoking Wants” store. Isn’t that a great place to shop? Link go original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/8630-for-all-your-tobacco-needs/

PixelSketch Posted May 4, 2017 I've been pretty much craving-free since about the third-ish week. I still get a quick smoking thought once in a blue moon, but I laugh at it, and 'poof', it's gone. Just like that. Which, honestly, still shocks me. I never thought I would ever be able to quit. And if by some miracle I did, I was pretty sure I'd be tortured and miserable. I'm thankful every day for this quit, and for this board. So things are good. But the other day I had a really strong and very persistent thought of smoking that I just couldn't shake. I knew I wouldn't smoke anyway. I'm strong in my quit, and I refuse to give it up. There are far too many benefits to being smoke-free that I'm loving so much. I've no desire to go back. But it really annoyed me that I couldn't get rid of this. All day, the thought of smoking just danced around and around my head. Grrrrr! I finally had some time at the end of the day and I sat down with a cup of tea and went back over my day to see if I could find the trigger. Well, it turns out, I didn't just associate smokes with the beginning or end of a task, as a sort of reward, or treat. I didn't smoke just when I was stressed or bored. I also reached for one when I was REALLY happy or excited about something. Ahhhh....click click click. It all fell into place. I had had a really good day. In the middle of a super crazy project, I unexpectedly had a few personal and professional things just work out in a way I never saw coming. And the sense of excitement, future possibilities as a result, and celebration produced some strong positive feelings. And it turned out I coped with strong intense feelings, even happy ones, by deadening them with a smoke. So, once I realized this, I needed to test the theory out. So I just gave in to my feelings. I cranked some music and danced my excitement out. And I let myself really, truly feel those feelings. To let myself be really happy. To not worry that something would go wrong or it wouldn't last. Just feel it. And guess what? The day-long craving finally went away. And another trigger busted. I don't need The 'Happy' Smoke, or The 'Reward' Smoke, or The 'Stress' Smoke, or The 'I Just Ate Too Much Pizza' Smoke. I just need to let myself experience whatever it is I'm feeling or experiencing. I need to own my feelings. I'm responsible for them. Not some rolled up plant in a piece of paper. Link to original post:https://www.quittrain.com/topic/8436-the-happy-smoke/

Tink Quit Date: 22/11/2013 Posted April 12, 2014 YOU - thats who! no one else no situation you find yourself in however difficult its all down to YOU sometimes you just have to bring your big bad ass self to the surface and say "I am in charge here" - "This is my quit, my life" and nothing and no-one is going to bring me down! (I am not a creative writer, I say it how it is for me - the above statement has saved my quit - I hope it reaches someone else) Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/565-who-is-in-charge-of-this-quit/

Sazerac Quit Date: October 23, 2013, A Good Day to be Free. Posted May 4, 2018 Surviving The Great NicotineFree Fog Some people experience a mental fog soon after they quit smoking or using nicotine, others don't. It can last from a few hours to a few weeks or longer. My fog wasn't consistent, showing up unannounced and somewhat dismaying. Who am I kidding ? It was disarming and seemed impenetrable. I couldn't have made thoughtful decisions and was glad they weren't necessary. My fog lasted over a month and lingered far too long. Not what you want to hear, I know, but remember, this was only my experience. Everyone's quit is unique, much has to do with attitude, general wellness, behavior/lifestyle, nutrition... Keep some tricks in your tool box to help you, just in case, and keep your blood sugar up. Antidotes ? forced walks, cold air, intentional breathing, too much coffee, 'embracing the suck', attention to my blood sugar, alerting people that might be affected, not stressing out about it...understanding that it will pass. Duration and Density ? On a scale, (10) drastically impaired to (0) normal. -For three days, with OTC help and Whisky, I flirted with informal catatonia (10) -For two weeks, I had little concentration, I wasn't making executive decisions or problem solving (7) -At four weeks, I slowly wakened to lethargy (3) and indolence (2.5) -It tapered off so s l o w l y, it was hard to mark but, that could have been my inattentiveness. pfftt. Have you experienced The Great Smoke Free Fog ? What helped you ? How dense was it ? When did it clear ? Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/10324-the-great-nicotine-free-mental-fog/

Abby Quit Date: June 30 2011 Posted July 2, 2016 Having to push the restart button over and over was so exhausting , so discouraging and so defeating . I felt hopeless that "I" may one day be quit. I learned that to keep a quit I had to make a firm committment to MYSELF that I could not continue to do what I had always done. Some craves can be really tough but everyone we get through has less power the next time. I remember how exhausting it was, battling craves and battling my mind, battling craves; battling my mind ; until one day miraculously I totally and completely understood that smoking was not an option anymore ; for ANY REASON ! That mean’t my cigs were NOT on the TABLE , NOT on the CHAIR , NOT ANYWHERE ! They were NOT on the counter , NOT at the store ! Letting go of the romance I was giving to cigarettes brought relief . Only then did I REST in PEACE knowing what my goal WAS and what MY job was : FOCUSING on the journey to SUCCEED . Why be our worst enemy ? Thats what I was : my own worst enemy ! Don’t look at success being distant and far away , look at success as being now : today. One crave beaten is success / one day beaten is success ; its One day at a time--- NO LIE ! Because we have been prey to addiction, it takes some hard work to retrain our thinking to physically and emotionally recover , but hard work does pay off , and we will never have to deal with Day 1 again . I learned after many months quit that what we feed ourselves determines EVERY DECISION we make ; and our decisions will determine the FINAL OUTCOME . We must not let anything --- how we feel---- our circumstances ------ or how hard it is, snatch our quit from under our nose. Be good to yourself — work through every day …there is a big payday coming .Sherri L. Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/7233-over-and-over-again/

Nancy Quit Date: 07/07/2013 Posted March 25, 2016 From the American Cancer Society... Why is it so hard to quit smoking? Mark Twain said, “Quitting smoking is easy. I’ve done it a thousand times.” Maybe you’ve tried to quit, too. Why is quitting and staying quit hard for so many people? The answer is mainly nicotine. Nicotine Nicotine is a drug found naturally in tobacco, which is as addictive as heroin or cocaine. Over time, a person becomes physically dependent on and emotionally addicted to nicotine. This physical dependence causes unpleasant withdrawal symptoms when you try to quit. The emotional and mental dependence (addiction) make it hard to stay away from nicotine after you quit. Studies have shown that to quit and stay quit, smokers must deal with both the physical and mental dependence. How nicotine gets in, where it goes, and how long it stays When you inhale smoke, nicotine is carried deep into your lungs. There it’s quickly absorbed into the bloodstream and carried, along with the carbon monoxide and other toxins, to every part of your body. In fact, nicotine inhaled in cigarette smoke reaches the brain faster than drugs that enter the body through a vein (intravenously or IV). Nicotine affects many parts of your body, including your heart and blood vessels, your hormones, the way your body uses food (your metabolism), and your brain. Nicotine can be found in breast milk and even in the cervical mucus of female smokers. During pregnancy, nicotine crosses the placenta and has been found in amniotic fluid and the umbilical cord blood of newborn infants. Different factors affect how long it takes the body to remove nicotine and its by-products. In most cases, regular smokers will still have nicotine and/or its by-products, such as cotinine, in their bodies for about 3 to 4 days after stopping. How nicotine hooks smokers Nicotine causes pleasant feelings and distracts the smoker from unpleasant feelings. This makes the smoker want to smoke again. Nicotine also acts as a kind of depressant by interfering with the flow of information between nerve cells. Smokers tend to smoke more cigarettes as the nervous system adapts to nicotine. This, in turn, increases the amount of nicotine in the smoker’s blood. Over time, the smoker develops a tolerance to nicotine. Tolerance means that it takes more nicotine to get the same effect that the smoker used to get from smaller amounts. This leads to an increase in smoking. At some point, the smoker reaches a certain nicotine level and then keeps smoking to keep the level of nicotine within a comfortable range. When a person finishes a cigarette, the nicotine level in the body starts to drop, going lower and lower. The pleasant feelings wear off, and the smoker notices wanting a smoke. If smoking is postponed, the smoker may start to feel irritated and edgy. Usually it doesn’t reach the point of serious withdrawal symptoms, but the smoker gets more uncomfortable over time. When the person smokes a cigarette, the unpleasant feelings fade, and the cycle continues. Nicotine withdrawal symptoms can lead quitters back to smoking When smokers try to cut back or quit, the lack of nicotine leads to withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal is both physical and mental. Physically, the body reacts to the absence of nicotine. Mentally, the smoker is faced with giving up a habit, which calls for a major change in behavior. Emotionally, the smoker may feel like they’ve lost their best friend. All of these factors must be addressed for the quitting process to work. Those who have smoked regularly for a few weeks or longer will have withdrawal symptoms if they suddenly stop using tobacco or greatly reduce the amount they smoke. Symptoms usually start within a few hours of the last cigarette and peak about 2 to 3 days later when most of the nicotine and its by-products are out of the body. Withdrawal symptoms can last for a few days to up to several weeks. They will get better every day that you stay smoke-free. Withdrawal symptoms can include any of the following: Dizziness (which may last 1 to 2 days after quitting) Depression Feelings of frustration, impatience, and anger Anxiety Irritability Sleep disturbances, including having trouble falling asleep and staying asleep, and having bad dreams or even nightmares Trouble concentrating Restlessness or boredom Headaches Tiredness Increased appetite Weight gain Constipation and gas Cough, dry mouth, sore throat, and nasal drip Chest tightness Slower heart rate These symptoms can make the smoker start smoking again to boost blood levels of nicotine until the symptoms go away. (For information on coping with withdrawal, see the section called “Dealing with smoking withdrawal.”) Other substances in cigarette smoke There is some evidence that other chemicals in cigarette smoke may act with nicotine to make it harder to quit smoking. The effects of smoking on monoamine oxidase (a brain chemical) is still being studied. For some people, withdrawing from smoking causes more severe mood problems, which can result in worse cravings and more trouble staying quit. Smoking affects other medicines Smoking also makes your body get rid of some drugs faster than usual. When you quit smoking, it may change the levels of these drugs. Though it’s not truly withdrawal, this change can cause problems and add to the discomfort of quitting. Ask your doctor if any medicines you take need to be checked or changed after you quit. Last Medical Review: 02/06/2014 Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/6836-why-is-it-so-hard-to-quit-smoking/

babs609 Quit Date: 07/13/2012 Posted September 20, 2016 · IP Life is really so simple...WE are the ones who make it complicated Because the truth is....if you BELIEVE the cigarette will give you any kind of comfort or joy...then you will suffer a great deal. Not just in the early part of your quit, but for YEARS after...if you can stay quit that long. This is where the education part comes in. If there is something you want that you believe will make you feel good...most people don't have the willpower to refrain from. Those that do...are miserable and live their life miserably always thinking they are being deprived. They aren't. It's all in their head. All about their belief system. I remember a show that was on...not sure if it still is but it was called 'My Strange Addiction. The people on that show had some of the strangest addictions I had ever heard of. I only watched 1 episode and on this episode..there was a couple who became addicted to coffee enemas. Their addiction became so bad that they took turns taking care of their kids so the other parent could spend 8 hours in the bathroom giving themselves an enema. That sounds crazy to you, right? Of course! But to them...it relieved them of their suffering. Well folks.....that is how non smokers look at smokers. With good reason....because after the initial physical withdrawal that only lasts a short while....that is exactly how it is. All in your head! You believe in it. Because you believe in it...you obsess over it. Because you obsess over it...you drive yourself crazy trying to convince yourself maybe this was a bad time to quit...maybe just one puff...maybe i'll just be a social smoker...maybe this..maybe that. There is no maybe. YOU STILL BELIEVE--and until you de-program your brain with constant reading, videos, repeating NOPE, mantras like 'there is no such thing as 1 cigarette" or just constantly remind yourself that you are a non smoker, that smoking a cigarette DOES NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING for you..until you reverse the programming that has been in your head for so long...you will always suffer, you will always be a minute away from relapse...you will always struggle. Even though there are thousands of "excuses" why people relapse or smoke...here are the most common BS lies. 1. Boredom--what's more boring than putting something in your mouth and lighting it on fire...really? I can think of a thousand more things to do with my time. 2. Anxiety--smoking increases your heart rate thus..increasing the anxiety (the only time smoking relieves you of any symptoms are when you are in the withdrawal period and it only gives you relief because you are feeding the addiction) 3. Help you concentrate--Really? again...an illusion (after the first few days) Smoking adds thousands of chemicals to the bloodstream and ultimately decreasing the oxygen to the brain. How does that really help?? We need oxygen to THINK...not jet fuel. 4. " I'm under too much stress right now" This is life, you will always have stress. The smoking trap was designed to hook you for life. The only 'good time to quit' is NOW. 5. ANY OTHER LAME EXCUSE ENTER HERE...cause that is what it is. Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/7522-are-you-a-believer/

beacon Posted June 11, 2014 Saw this some where else, not sure if it has bern posted here or who wrote it... Ten Steps to Relapse 1. "Try" to quit. 2. Idealize life without smoking. 3. Associate your daily problems and disappointments with the fact that you're not smoking. 4. Begin to buy into the idea that you are more miserable now than before you quit. 5. Start responding to your problems with, "If this keeps up, I am going to smoke" then add "anyhow" then add "so why suffer anymore?". (Alternate 3-5) 3. Associate your success with the idea that you have licked the nicotine habit. 4. Begin to buy into the idea that you could smoke without getting hooked again. 5. Follow-up this idea with, "I have not smoked in ___ days/weeks/months/years" then add "I have not had any cravings" then add "I could have just one"). 6. Buy, borrow or steal a cigarette. 7. Find a quiet, secluded place where you can be alone with the substance to which you have attributed all power and promise for fulfillment of your needs. 8. Feel yourself calming down even before you light up, which is actually the Nicodemon ceasing to scratch at your insides as you prepare to feed the addiction. 9. Light-up and suck in all the poison you can get in that first drag, while beginning the battle against being disappointed in yourself, noticing that this fight is not half as ferocious as it was to get the nicotine. 10. Within a few hits, feel dizzy, cough a little, smell the stink, and realize you are not going to stop smoking that cigarette, you will keep smoking despite the bad feelings, and wish you had not given in. Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/1631-10-steps-to-relapse/

Boo Quit Date: March 9, 2016 Posted August 26, 2017 · "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." I'm not one to nitpick over semantics, but I've heard that old cliche twice today. How many phrases do we mindlessly repeat without ever really thinking about them. Maybe I'm overthinking the phrase. Or perhaps when you begin making a conscious effort to make positive changes, you're a bit more sensitive to the kind of self-defeating limitations we place on ourselves. Self-fulfilling prophecies can be your greatest strength or a damning weakness. Smoking was an ingrained part of our lives to an extent that it became a part of our identity. We committed to a new way and put that behind us. In the wake of quitting smoking, many of us delved into health and fitness. Steady forward momentum now has us doing things we might have believed impossible just a few short years ago. As I tune in to people making changes in their life, I'm genuinely encouraged by how much success people can have with a solid commitment and a bit of grit. Where you came from is not nearly as important as where you're going. An old dog resigned to the fact that he can't learn new tricks will stagnate and wither away. However, an old dog that blocks out that negative noise and bravely ventures forward is capable of great things. Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/9006-old-dogs-and-new-tricks/

ChristaC Quit Date: June 18, 2013 Posted May 30, 2014 First of all, congratulations to all of you. As I'm sitting here reading some of the posts of some of the struggles quitters go through, especially those with fairly recent quits, I remember my own battles in the early days, and I get the chills.... How did I ever get to this point of being wonderfully free from this nasty, deadly addiction? I smoked for over 50 years... I did EVERYTHING with a cigarette in my hand... work, relax, drive, talk on the phone, read a book, drink coffee... when I went shopping, I'd light up as soon as I hit the front door of the store.... when I went out to dinner, I stood outside between the salad and the main course for a 'quick one', and scarfed down my food so that I could run back out and smoke that 'dessert'... when one of the kids had a school concert or something, I was impatient for it to be over because I was craving for a cigarette... I remember how, when somebody would ask me to go somewhere with them, my first thought was "can I smoke there?", or actually making excuses why I can't go... because it was a 'non-smoking' event... good God, how awful is that? Besides the obvious health concerns, knowing I'm killing myself, trying to excuse my non-stop cough and throat-clearing (it's allergies, I'm getting a cold, I've got something stuck in my throat etc... ), pitiful, false, trying-to-fool myself and everyone else 'smoke screens' (pun intended) for my oncoming emphysema and/or COPD... besides all of that (as if that wasn't enough), just the social aspects alone should turn everyone away from nicodemon's siren call. Life is so limiting when you're addicted to cigarettes (or anything, really) that it RULES your behavior all day long, and actually COMMANDS you to live your days a certain way. As a non smoker, you can do what YOU want, when and where you want. As a smoker, you're at the beck and call of your addiction... you're a prisoner who must follow his jailer's orders. Plus, my hair smells like coconut shampoo. Never, ever again. N.O.P.E. Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/1489-to-all-of-you-quitters-new-and-not-so-new/

Posted 30 March 2015 - 09:14 AM by hermine (qsmb) Quitting smoking leaves us with a terrible emptiness that, for a while, we don't know exactly how to handle. And we may even ask ourselves if we will ever be able to fill these voids with anything. What helped me to get over this was eventually understanding that the source of the problem wasn't the absence of cigarettes, but the mere existence of those terrible feelings I was dealing with. They were there all along, but I was trying to cover them all up with smoke... The moment I stopped smoking, I started to realize and acknowledge all those things that were wrong in my life and I've been trying to get rid of by hiding behind a curtain of cigarette smoke. But they didn't disappear, they have been watching me silently and now, as the smoke cleared, we are starting to make eye contact again. Should I light a cigarette so I become blind again? Or should I finally tackle the beasts? The answer is clear. I will attack. So ask yourself, as you are ripped by this feeling of emptiness: is it ok that a small piece of paper filled with tobacco has become such an important part of my life? Is it ok that I have become emotionally attached to a small piece of paper filled with tobacco?! Don't hide behind the curtain of smoke again. Don't choose to run again. Make the most of the fact that you are finally capable to see your life as it really is and you finally have the chance to fill those voids. Fill your short and precious life with people, places, hobbies and knowledge. Put things that actually matter inside those voids, because blowing smoke inside them will never, ever, make them disappear. Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/10482-filling-the-voids-repost-by-hermine/

Sazerac Posted July 3, 2019 I think that as you gain confidence in your successful quit you will find that the skills used in quitting can be applied to other aspects in your life. For example, the notion of H.A.L.T. are you Hungry, Angry (which can be switched to emotional), Lonesome, Tired. To this day, I turn to this technique for a variety of reasons and situations. While it may not solve the underlying issue, it certainly alleviates compounding any distress by addressing these issues and I am better able to solve the problem if I am, at least, fed and well rested. Another example of using a quitting skill is deep breathing ! an excellent technique to calm myself and think more clearly. A conscious flow of Oxygen is a panacea, the handiest of magic elixirs ! Just knowing that we have the ability to change, and acknowledging the proof that we Have Changed, (we quit smoking!) gives us encouragement to change other things in our life. I know many of us have changed other aspects in our lives with 'quit smoking' skills. The self-confidence acquired in quitting, especially, encouraged me in any endeavor. What skills have you learned in quitting smoking and how have you applied them to your fabulous nicotine free life ? Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/12686-transferable-quit-skills/

Still winning Location: Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England Quit Date: 12th March 2014 Posted August 2, 2014 Hi Abby, I think if we don't understand it can be too daunting to quit. I, like many others, knew that times when we couldn't smoke were hard (train journey, plane, car etc). We were pretty desperate by the time we could smoke again. That's because after 20 minutes or so, the nicotine in a cig starts to come out of your blood stream - it creates a lack which grows and hey presto, you think about smoking and do so the next time you can. Hope this makes sense so far To not smoke is actually easier, really, I'm being straight with you. Yes initially, you get those cravings, but they are only thoughts and can only control us if we let them. After that you actually don't start to crave every 20 minutes or so, it just gets less and less. Hoping this still makes sense and trying to take you the science type route. Emotionally it's a journey. However there are literally millions of ex smokers, look at it logically, if it were that hard millions wouldn't be able todo it Allen Carr book called easy way to stop smoking works great for some folks. You can still smoke while you read it. Whyquit.com worked better for me as did reading all the info on this site that's pinned at the top of each forum. People say education is key and it's true. When we can start to change our mindset from we need to smoke to be ok it gets easier. And that's where the self education comes in, you basically read and get info that appeals to your personality but the end result is the same. We know smoking is bad for us, we choose to ignore it. Educating means we can stop ignoring it and realize some uncomfortable times and some fabulous times (honest there is both!!) mean nothing in the face of the freedom we all now feel. Better health, better finances but also self worth. Keep talking as something you say may trigger something in you that makes your mind start to work against the addiction and read up, it honestly does help. Worst case, it can't hurt to do some reading and some talking right. xx Link to original thread: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/8-posting-an-sos/

Jonny5 Quit Date: 2011-12-21 Posted April 10, 2014 I'm not afraid of relapse one single bit. It ain't ever gonna happen. Some of you are. And there's one huge reason for that.... You have not closed the doors on your smoking past and evolved into a never again smoker, you have a lingering belief that smoking does give you some benefits and are abstaining through many methods. Abstainance looks like my quit but it is fundamentally different. There is no reason I would smoke ever and I hate smoke being anywhere near me. I am repulsed by the poisonous stench. Abstainance is going without what you want. You can abstain all your life, but it will never be the same as the true desire to never smoke again, and by definition it is never going to be as comfortable. You must discect your quitting mindset and remove any weaknesses to make it relapse proof. Seriously you have to remove all justifications. Including death of a child. Murder of a spouse. Terrible awful situations that you may face, and you must know that you would not find smoking to be a comfort. Then, like me, you will be forever free. This is the power and strength behind NOPE...it is not just a bashing word from the hardcore ex smoking police, it is the source of their quit strength. Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/490-removing-the-fear-of-relapse/