MarylandQuitter

It's actually quite normal! When I smoked I always say cigarettes as my friend, an escape or "my time". When you hear a smoker or former smoker say "cigarettes are my friend" or "I thought cigarettes were my friend", it's no joke. Feeling empty when you first quit is also normal. The good news is that once you see smoking for what it truly is, you quickly realize that they were never your friend. It was the addiction talking and early in your quit it's so important that you dive head first into reading about this addiction because we beat it by being smarter than it, not stronger. My Cigarette, My Friend http://whyquit.com/whyquit/joelcigfriend.html How do you feel about a friend who has to go everywhere with you? Not only does he tag along all the time, but since he is so offensive and vulgar, you become unwelcome when with him. He has a peculiar odor that sticks to you wherever you go. Others think both of you stink. He controls you totally. When he says jump, you jump. Sometimes in the middle of a blizzard or storm, he wants you to come to the store and pick him up. You would give your spouse hell if he or she did that to you all the time, but you can't argue with your friend. Sometimes, when you are out at a movie or play he says he wants you to go stand in the lobby with him and miss important scenes. Since he calls all the shots in your life, you go. Your friend doesn't like your choice of clothing either. Instead of politely telling you that you have lousy taste, he burns little holes in these items so you will want to throw them out. Sometimes, he tires of the furniture and gets rid of it too. Occasionally, he gets really nasty and decides the whole house must go. He gets pretty expensive to support. Not only is his knack of property destruction costly, but you must pay to keep him with you. In fact, he will cost you thousands of dollars over your lifetime. And you can count on one thing, he will never pay you a penny in return. Often at picnics you watch others playing vigorous activities and having lots of fun doing them. But your friend won't let you. He doesn't believe in physical activity. In his opinion, you are too old to have that kind of fun. So he kind of sits on your chest and makes it difficult for you to breathe. Now you don't want to go off and play with other people when you can't breathe, do you? Your friend does not believe in being healthy. He is really repulsed by the thought of you living a long and productive life. So every chance he gets he makes you sick. He helps you catch colds and flu. Not just by running out in the middle of the lousy weather to pick him up at the store. He is more creative than that. He carries thousands of poisons with him which he constantly blows in your face. When you inhale some of them, they wipe out cilia in your lungs which would have helped you prevent these diseases. But colds and flu are just his form of child's play. He especially likes diseases that slowly cripple you - like emphysema. He considers this disease great. Once he gets you to have this, you will give up all your other friends, family, career goals, activities - everything. You will just sit home and caress him, telling him what a great friend he is while you desperately gasp for air. But eventually your friend tires of you. He decides he no longer wishes to have your company. Instead of letting you go your separate ways, he decides to kill you. He has a wonderful arsenal of weapons behind him. In fact, he has been plotting your death since the day you met him. He picked all the top killers in society and did everything in his power to ensure you would get one of them. He overworked your heart and lungs. He clogged up the arteries to your heart, brain, and every other part of your body. In case you were too strong to succumb to this, he constantly exposed you to cancer causing agents. He knew he would get you sooner or later. Well, this is the story of your "friend," your cigarette. No real friend would do all this to you. Cigarettes are the worst possible enemies you ever had. They are expensive, addictive, socially unacceptable, and deadly. Consider all this and NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PUFF! Joel

Good know all is well, Paul. Thanks for stopping by. :)

Remember, you can only read one "beta" book at a time because if you read them together, they'll fight and one will die. :good3:

N to the O to the P to the E!

Fixed. ;)

Oh crap. Can you extend it a couple of days? :read:

How about "In The Heart Of The Sea: The Tragedy Of The Whaleship Essex" by Nathaniel Philbrick. In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex is a book by American writer Nathaniel Philbrick about the loss of the Whaleship Essex in the Pacific Ocean in 1820. https://books.google.com/books?id=roXy5kT34j4C&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

When I look back at all that has happened since I quit smoking I can see so clearly how cigarettes truly never helped us deal with life. Life as it happens was just an excuse to smoke. The fact that I'm still smoke-free, without a single puff, proves to me that no matter what life brings, smoking isn't going to change anything, calm us down or much less help us "get through the tough times".

Congratulations, Gemzee! :)

So how is day 2 going? Let us know if you need anything and no matter what, remember that smoking doesn't help you cope with stress and not one true claim can be made that it does anything positive for us. :)

Welcome, Kendra! Congratulations on your decision to take your freedom back. :)

Welcome, superduperhooper! Glad you found us and even more glad that you've decided to quit smoking...for good. How long did you smoke for? Not sure what all you've learned about this addiction, but knowledge is how we beat it, not by strong-arming it. A good place to start learning is to watch the videos in Joel's Library, specifically videos addressing issues early in your quit. Please know that in order to succeed, we must keep our quits separate from misgivings, celebrations, hurts and the many other excuses that we used to use to perpetuate the lie that smoking calms us, helps us cope with stress and was even some kind of sick reward to celebrate some positive event or accomplishment. As you go forward, please stay active within the community and never, ever get complacent in your quit because the day you do could be the day junkie thinking starts to enter your mind and before you know it, the cigarettes have found the open door and we all know too well what happens from there. Welcome aboard and let us know each day (or as often as possible) how your quit is going and if you're having any issues. Above all, remember to take the "The Daily NOPE! Pledge" each day. (not one puff, ever). :) Come Share Your Strengths, Come Share Your Vulnerabilities Video talks about how helping others who are in the midst of quitting can help you to secure your own quit over the long-term. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIloKURIIic&index=44&list=PL4F05C03D0F9B86DB There Is No Legitimate Reason To Relapse Video explains how that under any conditions, even those of catastrophic stress or loss, there is no real legitimate reason to take a cigarette. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCm_5b144XE&index=37&list=PL4F05C03D0F9B86DB

I relapsed after 9 months. Expect it to be rough at times. Time quit is not a measuring stick nor are other people. We're all different. You are wasting nobody's time, least of all mine. This is where you need to be. Period.

I bet you're enjoying summer in NE Ohio with all your grandbabies. :) Happy birthday. :party:

NOPE!!

Must be extremely boring in those parts. :read:

NOPE!

Well said. :)

What a heartwarming story. What a blessing you received. :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0ceuUQ8A5k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZzSvDNIG_o

NOPE!!!!!! Despite it ALL, good and bad, cigarettes don't ease pain and they are certainly not a reward for anything. Here's to keeping our quits locked and secure. :good3:

My doctor warned of this last year and just recently reminded me to stay away from them. She said that when you take even as prescribed, it raises your blood pressure, often times to high risk levels. I know firsthand from family members that this is in fact true. My doc during a recent physical told me to just avoid them altogether and my blood pressure, heart etc. are all great. I rarely take anything for pain, but Advil was what I would take if I was that uncomfortable. Tylenol isn't good for your liver but when you need something for pain, what to take now?

It's been handled.

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