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Nope, Nope, Nope, Nope, Nope, Nope!

Nope!

NOPE…

Nope

Nope!

NOPE

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

I am GREAT Doreensfree thank you! So far I have been holding the big monster (Allen Carrs description), back to more of a little monster. I do wish I would have had time to read Allens whole book but it arrived late. So when I have time I am trying to get through it. I feel SO EXCITED, I am not a failure, I can do this with what I have learned while reading on the train and you all's support. Physically, breathing has improved, taste is a little different, feeling a little stressed but nothing terrible. My mind is on alert constantly for the little and sometimes big zingers from the addiction monster. which is taxing but only last a minute or three ( I have been timing them). Thank you all again!

N O P E

NOPE!

There are some tough battles along the way; no question but. anyone can make it through those times with a strong commitment to be free from nicotine's control. You are not only battling addiction withdrawal but more significantly over the longer term you are restructuring your entire daily life to exclude cigarettes. That's what takes the longest time - finding and becoming comfortable with your 'new lifestyle' that doesn't include smoking!

This is great news O..... The easy way is a book you can keep going back too...dipping in and out of it .... It's all in the attitude ....Your giving up nothing .....your a wonderful Non Smoker ... Feel very proud ....Give yourself a pat on the back

How's it going Overcome ????

Sometimes the universe puts you in the same situation, just to see if you're still a dumb-ass!

NOPE

NOPE!

NOPE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is me right now! My wife mentioned rewarding myself along the way of my quitting smoking, for now ill have a piece of chocolate.

Welcome aboard Overcome. Congratulations on quitting smoking. Once you realize that the monster has as much or as little power as you give him, he looks far less scary...more pest than monster. Face him down. See the monster for what he actually is. Then, give him a swift kick in the ass and send him on his way. Ride on! You only pick up more wins along the way.

NOPE

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

I took the vaccine and booster. I did not think it allowed me to eat hot dogs and McChickens, I have a lot of catching up to do.. Hope it covers the Big Mac,. LOL

But you MUST admit that overall sticks have won many, many more games since this game began; right?

So basically what I'm figuring out is that cigarettes and nicotine are big fat liars. For all those years they kept me at their beck and call by making me afraid. I was afraid to quit because I thought I wouldn't be able to have fun without a cig. LIE. I was afraid to quit because I thought it would be too hard. LIE. I was afraid to quit because I thought every day would be like day 1. LIE. I was afraid to quit because I wouldn't be "me" without my smokes. LIE!! I am telling you, I feel more joy at social situations than I ever have!! Why? Because I can concentrate on having fun instead of worrying when I can sneak outside for a cigarette. I physically feel soooo much better already. And I'm also really proud of myself. But I have to be honest and say I'm a little pissed that I was duped for so long. Anyway, I'm so happy to be a non smoker. Thanks for being here for me!

Thank you to everyone for all the information on this site, I have been reading/learning since early this am. Preparing to quit Monday the 4th, taken the week off work to work through what I see as the toughest part (withdrawal's). I have quit various times in the past but never made it for more than a couple years, so am still hooked after 35years. My Son gave me some words of encouragement when talking about quitting with him last week, he text me "yep, think of all the stuff you've overcome ... quitting smoking wont seem as bad after" so that is my user name (overcome). Ordered Allen Carr's book so will read that tomorrow. Again thanks to all for the info and support.

Went to play golf today. Needed to fine tune my swing as I've started shanking the ball more often than I should. The idea was to play by myself so I don't have any distractions and can hit a particular shot a few times if needed to dial in that contact. As it turned out I was invited to play with a threesome waiting on the 2nd tee box. All three of them smoked...a lot. Fortunately I was in my own cart so I wasn't getting choked out by being right next to someone smoking. 313 days ago I was any of those three guys. taking that lit cigarette out of my mouth and throwing it on the ground, never even giving a thought about the fertilizer, deer doo doo and squirrel piss it might be landing in. And then pick it back up after I hit my shot and gleefully put it back in my mouth and suck on it like a toddler on a titty. Part of me wanted to join them in a smoke and the other part of me just had sympathy for them. Any reasonable person would ask..."yoda, why do you go play golf when you know your going to be around smokers?" The answer is that I do enjoy the game. It was my distraction in the early part of my quit. It was the activity that I learned to enjoy without having to smoke. It kept me distracted from the hell I was experiencing during the worst part of my quit. And now, it's the repetitive stress of abstaining around other addicts that keeps me humble and on my toes lest I forget what I went through to get to where I am. So tonight I celebrate 313 days of no smoking. 313 days of NOPE. 313 days closer to freedom and most of all, one prayer that was answered. Thank you God for a wonderful day and beautiful gift.

What a great bunch you are, I am so grateful that I found my way to the train. This quit would be totally different without you all. I'll be heading to bed here in a few, looks like I will make it to day # three .......... Woohoohoo! Thanks everyone

Nope!

this is truth right here.

Nicotine stimulates the reward path in our brain and by replenishing ourselves with nicotine, we were rewarded with Dopamine. Many times a day we went from the panic of, 'I've gotta have a smoke' to 'Ahhh', the brief relief of satisfying addiction. We were jerking our own chain every twenty minutes or so....for years. When quitting nicotine, that dance of our reward system shuts down. It's a shock and we miss the consistent rewarding rush of dopamine. Our brain doesn't understand where all the feel good stuff went so, it is essential to amplify rewards, to jump start our natural pathways for the release of Dopamine. The physical act of rewarding ourselves is crucial for the brain to access Dopamine. It took me a moment to wrap my head around this, The Physical Act of Rewarding Ourselves, Is Crucial For The Brain To Access Dopamine. Our friend, bakon, is a big advocate of rewards, quite rightly, too. Celebrate your first moments, days...your first weeks and months. The first year, the next... This can take the form of exotic holidays, paid with the ducats you were giving to Big Tobacco, to simple gifts to yourself, a new book, a magazine, a film... ooh ! plenty of excellent chocolate passed these lips (dark chocolate, apple, almond, banana, strawberry, salmon, beet, watermelon and pumpkin seeds also stimulate Dopamine). Choose activities that make you feel pampered like the perfect bath, an afternoon nap in freshly laundered sheets, a candle lit dinner. Getting through difficulties and experiencing your triumphs are all opportunities to reward yourself. Keep in mind, you are not spoiling yourself, you are re-training your brain to deliver dopamine as an honest reward. Like quenching your thirst with a long tall cool glass of water. Celebrate as the hours go by, while the body adjusts to the new normal. A normal of being rewarded with dopamine but, naturally, of course, the way it was before we allowed nicotine to control our reward system. I remember the first day that I forgot to think about smoking or not smoking, wow ! this is what being nicotine free feels like ! I was so happy and celebrated by purchasing a small tree, a Sweet Viburnum full of blossoms, a living reminder of my freedom. My continuing reward is the luscious freedom I appreciate every single day. I am in better health and free-er in spirit... Tell me what your rewards have been, my nicotine free friends, what are your rewards now ? S p.s. Along with Dopamine, we can hack into our other happy chemicals to improve the quality of our lives, in addition to aid in quitting smoking/nicotine. All are accessible simply through Meditation; taking time for slow, measured breathing letting thoughts slip away. Exercise and laughter induce the release of Endorphins, Oxytocin flows with orgasm, giving/receiving gifts. Serotonin gets you high when sitting in the sun, hanging with friends and by reflecting on your accomplishments. I would also like to add a link from our friend, Joel Spitzer Using Cigarettes As Rewards

A piece of chocolate sounds yummy for your reward @overcome. Nice ticker too, look at all the money saved and cigarettes not smoked already! I loved watching mine that first year quit. It was so inspiring and also showed me all the work I would lose if I caved to a crave! You're doing great

What -ya-talking - about ....??????......

Oh yeah, been there done that!

So you’ve been eating hot dogs and McChickens all your life, but you won’t take the vaccine because you don’t know what’s in it?

Back to our NAIDOC Week broadcasting and I present the always wonderful Pigram Brothers...

Welcome aboard and stick close. Keep busy and realize there will be stressful times but believe in yourself that you can handle this. No special gifts here for those of us that have made it. Just tired of the addiction and realize it for what it is. I smoked for a long time also and after the first few weeks was surprised that it was not as difficult as I imagined. Believe in yourself that you can handle this because you can if you really want it. Stay close and reach out if need be. Best wishes.

And now for something from this century... Happy 4th of July all you Yankee doodles and what nots.

Apart from reading this board, another thing that really helped me get through the first few weeks was to stay busy. Lots of physical activity. Tasks to keep my hands occupied. Mindless stuff listed out in advance (because the brainfog really clobbered me). Just constant motion. Not only did that help me power through the cravings, it helped me manage the cauldron of feelings that surfaced, as well. (“Dunno what to do with that emotion… oh well I guess I’ll just wash the car windows.”) Glad you have nicotine lozenges in your quit kit. I found the fruit minis to be very helpful in a pinch. I, too, lost a multi-year quit once. Thought I could be a casual/occasional smoker. But that was a delusion… within a month of my “just for tonight” choice I was back to more than a pack a day, with nicotine controlling me. It took me decades to quit again. This QuitTrain group is a big part of my quitting commitment this time… it’s helpful to have such a wonderful group of supportive people and accountability buddies who understand what quitting is like. Good luck with your count-down today!

Welcome Overcome, you are truly making the best decision of your life. Just grab a seat on the train and start your journey to a happier and healthier life. Look at all the many articles and videos that are available here because knowledge is power. Plus, lean on us because we will be here to support you the whole way. You can do this just Believe in yourself and have faith.

Welcome aboard @overcome! You have come to an amazing place for support in your quit! I could not have quit without this site. There is an amazing group of quitters on here that are committed to helping others do the same. What helped me the most during my initial quit was reading all of the threads I came across on this site and they helped even more than the videos and the book, but arming yourself with knowledge about your enemy and yourself is the key to victory! I look forward to following your quit!

G'day mate and welcome aboard. In the first few weeks I had an app on my phone to help chart my quit. So the two best things I got from the app were the random sms messages I'd get that would say...1 hour smoke free and then a little medical fact about what that had done for my body. The other thing I loved as a little memory game to help get through craves...it was just a turn over the cards and find the match, it was timed forc3 minutes...just enough time to beat the craves. I used nrt chewies (gum) and that worked for me. So onto the pointy bit of this post... I am another who had a long quit and lost it...sure there were circumstances that contributed to me smoking again but in retrospect I chose to put something in my mouth, light it and smoke it. What I learnt is that for me I am only 1 puff away from a pack a day. I don't constantly crave a smoke anymore but the knowledge that for me, even though I will never smoke again, I'm like an alcoholic and I will always be a smoker, I just choose not to smoke. Kinda like a dormant volcano, I'm a dormant smoker. I don't want one anymore, plenty of stresses have pushed my buttons and I've not even been tempted but I'm always ready incase they do. I have a plan for if that urge comes and of got a train load of mates to talk ne off a ledge. Best advice anyone gave me during my quit.... you only need to quit fir one day ...... those days just add up to forever. You wake up and say to yourself, I will not smoke today and then repeat it. Once you've done it once, you know you can...I mean come on, it's inly 1 day.

Hi, @overcome - great to meet you, and welcome to the Train. There are a lot of good people and posts here that have helped me pull through difficulties of quitting. We’ve all been through hard times, ourselves, and we’re standing by to help other newcomers. +1 to what you and @johnny5 said about reflecting on where former quits came unraveled. Coming to terms with our triggers and rewiring how we react to them (without nicotine) is a big part of the recovery process. But worth it to get free! You can do it!

Hello and welcome .... We will help you reach Freedom .....and stay Quit .... We have alot of great information here ...take your time to read all you can ... Never get complacent...even after all the years I have been quit ....I know it would only take one cigarette to get me hooked again .... Quitting with support has helped me make this my sticky quit ... Join in ..helping each other makes your quit stronger ... You can do it .... I also read Allen Carr....that book really helped me ....I hope it helps you too .

Welcome @overcome, you've come to the right place for your forever quit. Maybe all you need to stay quit once and for all is a group of people to talk you down off the ledge when you feel like you might cave to a crave. There's almost always someone here 24/7 and it doesn't matter how long you've been quit. If you need extra support, we're here to give it. Just post in the SOS forum and we'll do our best to help you through it

Thank you @Kris. I quit 14 May and am just a silent lurker. I love checking in every few days to see the support

Starting a four-day weekend. That's even better than a three-day weekend! Happy Fourth of July!

Seems like a good time for a follow up post. Jerry the Cat is doing great. The vet put him on a diet, he was getting too fat for his own good, but beyond that Jerry is living the dream. Even bigger news for Wade: he found out yesterday that he is going to be a daddy. I was congratulating him and in a candid moment he looked at me and said: "I don't know anything about raising a baby!" I'm only two years removed from having the exact same thoughts. I assured him they'll figure it all out and things will be fine. I don't think anybody really knows exactly what they're doing when that first baby is born, but we learn on the fly. The fact that I'm being asked for parenting advice feels like a real change of seasons. Congratulations to Wade and Sarah. They will be great parents, they just don't know it yet.

Rewards are not replacing dopamine, they are activating dopamine. Replacing Nicotine with a 'feel good' activity encourages the release of Dopamine. I only recently learned this and remembered how you always accentuate rewards, now there's even more reason. As far as 'feet apart'...I like soles together behind a neck or waist. To be filed under 'Tantric Rewards'. :D Pleasure is more pleasurable nicotine free, for sure.

My biggest reward..me and my two feet are still together..and I might add.. Enjoying the new smoke free life..I'm doing more ,than I did 10 years ago...