Reciprocity

Congratulations KT for arriving on the Lido Deck today! 1 full year smoke free is something to really celebrate. Hope your day is filled with happiness and pride

We sticks have to get what we can, when we can +1

On the BLINK you say? +1

Jo asked me to post for her but since I'm a Stick ....... I have to add one I think? +1

Tickers make me nervous

OO

You have conditioned yourself for how many years to go to the gas station and buy cigs? It takes a while to break free from those old established thought processes. Be patient and just go with the flow until you don't even think about those old, long established thoughts. It's the addiction still talking to you. Don't listen to it because you are now smoke-free!

OO That was easy! Nice job Sticks!!

19 ............

17

Nope! Keep slogging along Newbies. The end result is well worth it!

Get mad at your addiction Kdad! Commit to beating the shite out of it That's the best thing you can do to get even because the addiction thinks it can control YOU! We all know .... that's NOT the case. That has been going on way too long - right?

fore-ten

MB - 11 Me -12

Happy Birthday MQ Hope you enjoy your day. Have an extra cup or two!

6

Ate

5 Yay .... another stick to help us out here

I didn't use patches so can't give you direct experience with using them but what I can tell you is that breaking the mental associations your have made during a lifetime of smoking takes the longest time to break down and rebuild new thought processes. Freeing your body of Nicotine only takes around 3 days, or so I have heard. To me, using any form of NRT allows you to work on developing new associations in your day to day life that don't involve smoking - retraining your thought process. Then, once you have at least started that, you are perhaps better equipped to deal with the physical addiction issue and the withdrawal you will go through once you stop introducing nicotine into your body. As others have said, whatever way works best for you is the right way. You will know when you are ready to stop the NRT whether that be patches, or whatever. It will come to you naturally as you progress through the quitting process.

+1

^^^ Nice one TobacNo!! See, you are giving back already to others looking for inspiration to quit and you know what? That will actually help solidify your own quit too - you'll see

Welcome Sean and we all understand your passion for wanting to quit smoking. Not only is it a big negative for your health and pocket book but, smoking actually makes you a slave to nicotine! That's right .... nicotine is running your life right now. Tells you when it needs to be fed and you have to figure out when and how to do that many times a day. Wouldn't you just love to be able to go to a family function and not have to sneak away every hour or so to feed your addiction? It's all possible if you really want it! You will have to do the heavy lifting but that applies to all of us and everyone here has had to do the same so make that unwavering commitment to yourself and let's get this done This place has a wealth of information and support for you once you commit to the quit!

Congrats MwB for getting past that 1st month! You seen the worst of it now and have collected all the tools you'll need to craft yourself a lifelong quit. Great Job!!

I would say around 6 weeks for me to understand that I would actually be able to return to normal one day. The brain fog was the thing that bothered me most and that was getting better by then. I will say though that I was probably not absolutely confident that I would make it all the way to a life long quit until somewhere between month 6 and month 7 of my quit. Even at 1 year, I have still been making some progress. I rarely even think about smoking these days unless I'm on this forum taking about it.