Reciprocity

Just a reminder, especially for Newbies. Use the SOS page please if you are feeling overwhelmed at some point in your quit. That's why it's there and there's always someone around to throw you a life-line It's not an imposition. On the contrary. It's an opportunity for one or more of us to lend you some timely support. It not only helps you but it will help the people lending support too. I review the celebration list every day and see people silently slipping away from us far too often, which is why I'm posting this message. Today alone I saw three people on my list who have not even logged on in over a month. Saddens me to think they have just silently slipped off the train without giving themselves and all of us a chance to save their quit. I hope they have kept their quit and just decided they no longer wanted to participate here but logic would suggest that's probably not the case. Remember too, there's even a "Pre Respond to You Own SOS" thread on the SOS page where you can write a meaningful note to yourself to be read by you in a moment of crisis. Check it out. Posting doesn't cost you anything but a little time and it might just be the most important post you ever make! I get it that some may just want to go back to smoking for whatever reason and they don't want to be "talked off the ledge" but just think about it for a moment. What if YOU had say a month or two quit going when some life event happens and suddenly you feel overwhelmed with a desire to go buy a pack and light one up but before you did that, you posted an SOS. A few people here post up and their words are enough to convince you it just isn't worth throwing away all that hard work you've already put in. Your quit is saved!!! Hey, it happens. It happens as long as you give us and even more importantly yourself a chance to take a step back and reconsider . Some of us are reluctant to call out for help when we're struggling because we think others may see it as a sign of weakness. Nothing could be further from the truth. It takes guts to reach out and it shows you are committed to this process. There's no weakness in doing that. Weakness is just giving up without even trying to save your quit. Please don't slip away without giving yourself a chance at letting others who care help you save your quit! I don't want to see YOUR name on my celebrations list and wonder; "What the heck happened to them?

Feels great to be a non-smoker now right? You have shown you can control the addiction instead of the addiction controlling you. That's the best part - freedom from that damned addiction!! Be proud of what you have accomplished

^^^ That's it! Years of conditioning as a smoker so now it' reconditioning as a non-smoker Just takes time is all.

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3-3 in the 2nd now. It should be a tight one!

Oh ............. that's what they're called. I see ...................

And why would you need those pages laminated?

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You're doing the right thing by repeating these positive things to yourself because .... it's all true! Smoking doesn't do 1 damn thing good for you. It only compels you to keep feeding it's horrible addictive self every waking hour of each day and you don't need that anymore. You're way better off without it! Yes, it's a battle to get there but it will be so worth your time and effort Keep going because that's what it takes. It's more of an endurance event than a sprint. The intensity of what you are going through right now will fade soon enough but the work will continue to make sure you have the strongest quit possible. One that will last a lifetime. Enjoy the experience because it will be like no other and hopefully, you will never have to repeat it.

Three (I think?)

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Seven

Up ...up ..... See BOO go UP!!

That's how it goes Sunny. It really does take a long time to reprogram our brains to function without smoking. As you said, it's so ingrained in us that we just automatically fall back to what we have trained ourselves to do. Now, you need to think about all that stuff which is exactly how we retrain our brains. It's a slow process but it does happen.

Yeah, I remember being exactly there Rusty so you are not alone in what you are feeling. It's early days and you are in the thick of those initial battles with your addiction. You just need to buckle down and get through these days. They won't last long. Distract yourself in whatever way you can so you don't focus on those cravings. Deep breathing exercises work great to calm yourself. Remember, every battle you do against those cravings, they will get weaker and you will actually get stronger. Just don't smoke anything because YOU are now a non-smoker

I just knew either YOU or BOO would go there Another thread in the gutter

Education about this addiction is really the key to truly understanding that smoking does nothing good for us - nothing!! We only satisfy an unending loop of addictive behavior every time we light one up. That's it! Every other result of that action is bad. Bad health, less money, slavery to an addiction, social awkwardness. It's all bad - nothing good there.

Congrats Gordo on reaching that second milestone in your journey to life long freedom from this addiction. Every month you stay smoke free early on is a huge accomplishment so be sure to celebrate your hard work today. Well done Gordo!!

Way to go on reaching 10 months smoke free Huntressd! Double digits means you are now in the home stretch for reaching that Lido Deck. That's exciting so be sure to mark the occasion in some special way

Huge congrats to you GITW!!! A half year smoke free is HUGE! Be sure to celebrate all that hard work you've put in because you deserve something special to mark the occasion! Well done my friend

I've been trying to get through this one for months now. The plot's a little thin but the characters are awesome

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