Still winning

6054 unsmoked cigarettes when I just posted something. That's just a save on so many levels!! There are a lot of new quitters I'm reading and some great advice being given. Wish I had of followed any of it haha. Claw through quitter, take a bow :) Many a mental moment, throwing my hands skywards and saying for Milly and I. The nope shuffle, switch from foot to foot literally saying nope nope nope. Should of taken shares in cough sweets and nobbys nut for sure...utter miss in planning :) I read that some people struggled at 6 months, I mean not like the early days but just more thoughts than 4/5 months sorta thing. Not my experience thank goodness. Feeling together and powerful. 5 months was utter pants for me on a personal level which of course upped my thoughts then - maybe I got it out the way? Happy and content with my quit. Peaceful again, secure, utterly delighted to not have smoked another 6000+ cigs. I look at who I am today and it's so different. I love to exercise. I love to do things with my kids, out and about and I can, because I have more money! My confidence is such that I can say no in a non aggressive way and it just is no. I was a slave for 23 years to nicotine and in honesty, I never realized how totally it controlled me. How it controlled my life, the movements of my life, the money in my life...every part of who I was had become tied to when I could smoke. I do love me a bit of freedom, especially when I never even realized that would come!! Less then a month to taking Milly and Bella on the holiday of a lifetime to Florida. 5 day disney tickets booked and paid. 2 day universal tickets booked and paid. rocket launch at kennedy space centre booked and paid....because we don't smoke anymore, because we are free of the tie and chose NOPE as many times as it took. Bring on any thoughts or craves, I have enough amo now that I can bat you back out of my brain within seconds. I breath, I live, I have money, I have self worth...life is pretty freakin good!!

Delighted for you Sam, doing fabulous!! One month free, you're probably still too hungover to check :) Massive congrats chick. x

Good job Laura. I want to add this battle is so rare now for me, only 6 months in and smoked for over 20 a day, 30-40 per day. The thoughts are not powerful, stress doesn't trigger the thought, an argument doesn't trigger the thought...just odd situations that I would have smoked in before. I was nothing special, my quit was nothing special. I didn't "get it" lol, I just held on and didn't smoke. Kept reading and learning and no smoking still equals a great quit. You are doing so great and you got the choice, it's always a choice to say - hey this bit sucks, let's get through it no matter what and not do this bit again. x

It was always the stress of the kids that sent me back - different age - same junkie thinking. Change your scenery, good idea. If the kids get on your nerves go for a quick walk say, Nope nope nope with every step. About 3/4 minutes and I usually had a hold of myself again. Shopping could work too. You just keep plodding through it and day by day you take control back! Excellent SOS post. xx

No idea how to change my Av :) You all look very lovely though. xx

I have a toilet in the cupboard under my stairs :) What I do has some weird name which I can't remember, so it comes as thoughts, rather then me seeing. My most awful things are going to funerals as I can feel emotions too. So my version of a ghost story is always a little different. Back in May I went to my Chris's, step sisters wedding. She's a step sister as her Dad was married to my fella's Mum, sadly he passed on 3 years back. He was a lovely guy apparently and greatly missed. He came through pretty clearly as the speeches started, pissed as ya like at how lame they were and how stupid his ex wife was lol. I now have a running commentary going on head and am struggling to look anything but odd trying to listen in two places haha, Chris noticed and covered me thank goodness. We talked it through after and it was strange because I was able to ask why I kept seeing cream roses that were being called cream not white and it transpired they had planted a rose garden for him. I'm sure if I push on they would remember a conversation about the colour of them but I choose not to let people know I do this for the most part so only told Chris. The one thing I do like about spirits coming through is how loving they still are to those here. They still see them and care. But they feel very relaxed and there's no "pace" to anything, it's all very peaceful for them. On the whole I don't choose to work with this and block it a lot but it still comes to me sometimes. So I've not done the haunted house stuff, not sure I would like the experience. Quite happy with my nan pep talking me and the odd spirit coming around now that I've managed to calm it all down :)

NOPE from me.

That is exactly how it's done. No over thinking, just take it day by day right down to minute by minute when we need to. Our body never NEEDED nicotine to survive, it was ADDICTED to it. Big difference. You are doing great. x

I feel you!! Anger is not fixed by smoking, nor is stress, nor is sadness, nothing is changed, it always was an excuse... AND YOU SAW THAT AND MOVED PAST IT really reat job. Sorry for you that someone got right on your nerves (abridged to not swear on main board) but no one can take your freedom from you unless you let them. You did great. x

Nearly nicotine free my friend. Let the freedom and good times roll on in. x

Great work my friend, great journey to share. Congrats on 8 months free. xx

Awww, love babies you can give back, they're the best kind :) Hit: Have managed to eat well all week, including two fish meals, very proud of my changing eating habits. Miss: This cold and dumb people have affected my sleeping this week and I'm really tired.

nope

Good on you Laura!! Do you normally go thieving for nights out though lol. Now you've proved you can do it without smoking, the next time will be a bit easier. It's the victories that give us the strength to carry the quit forward. x

Aww sweetie. Bath and a glass of that wine can't do any harm. Oh and tea. I'm not above a medicinal swig of scotch or brandy for pain management. Feel better soon chicky. xx

Brilliant work wendy, way to go!!! Massive congrats on 1 month. xx

lol, that'd be enough to need a cocktail.

Level 1 day something, no idea any more Pilates with weights 25 mins

Wow, that sounds like a pants dentist, no recommedations? This website seems to list a lot of the potentials for allergic reactions, maybe use it to compare and find a toothpaste that doesn't have these? http://allergysymptomsx.com/toothpaste-allergy.php Unless you tried that already?

Hi again I'm 6 months, wouldn't ever pick up a cigarette again. I don't know about your friend, maybe she needs some support?? I wouldn't be able to live like that and I don't. This is what happens to me... I get in the car and think, oh I used to smoke here...but I don't smoke now.. and I start the car and drive off. It's literally a fleeting thought. Week one and two I could have pulled off the car door handle! TOTALLY different types of thought. The only way out is through, but you can really help yourself by reading up. The more knowledge and reasons you have for not wanting to smoke (ie health, financial, fear any reason at all) the easier it will be to mentally bat those thoughts away. Hope that helps you to know and maybe tell your friend about this site or to find one that works for her as wow, that sounds tough. x

See ya on the other side I'll be sunbathing on the boat......with some hot guy ...with a big....glass....bringing me cocktails :)

Ouch! can't the doc give you something for them, or maybe over the counter at the pharmacy?

I'm reading all of these thinking oh yeah, that too lol. And we didn't add in the side effects from chantix that I used too. I still get the frog in the throat thing too, even 6 months on, after testing to rule out nasties I've been told it may take a year and it's my lungs clearing out, yuk, but again, totally my fault! I sat and thought on it last night, it seems a lot to go through but it was kinda mostly one at a time and 6 months on I really am not that phased at all. A lot of things scared me at the beginning, my worst fear was weight gain, rather then side effects and I put on some pounds and shifted them again, and then put them on again haha. Not in the least bothered, yet thought I would be. I hope your toungue and you heal quickly Wendy :)

Mornin' NOPE for me too.

Really pleased for you. I know you've kept the journey real and I want to say thank you because your journey made mine more believable. Massive congrats to you on 7 months free of nicotine. Absolutely delighted for you. Hope all is well for you and calmer for now. xx