Lust4Life

Now, the Gulf of Mexico has something to say...

That mantra- One Day At a Time- is how I stayed quit. I’d wake up, pledge my daily “Yep to NOPE” on the NOPE thread (at QSMB) and go about my day. Waves of craves crashed upon me throughout the day. I didn’t sink. I’d go to bed smiling and elated. Another nonsmoking day in the books. Wake up , do it again. Over & over until one day the waves stop crashing. They hit every so often. Months of tranquility separate them. Spot on post @Sazerac

What a handsome fella! Congratulations Joe! Glad mom & baby Drew are doing well.

How’s it going Parsley? These craves can be brutal. Distract yourself-post & read here, walk, scream, eat...most anything but smoke.

Well done, MLMR! Enjoy your tea. Enjoy tasting it’s great flavor as a nonsmoker -Cheers!

P.S. please don’t feel scared or ashamed to post SOS! It is a tool that works when people use it- and the people that use it want to protect their quit.

Quitting can be a vicious cycle. You are the one in control of the brakes to stop it. Go go back and read your older posts. Previous SOS. Think back and remember how god awful the first few hours were. Dont go go back to day 1. That place sucks. Stay here, in YOUR quit & fight.

Congratulations on #3 cbdave!

Belts

@pottanramu Clear out a junk drawer. Take a nap. Do a crossword puzzle. Head over to the games section and play a few—they really helped distract me in my early quit. Read some older, pinned posts on this site. They offer great motivation. Read up on addiction; what it does to the brain. If able, run around your house screaming expletives, waving clasped fists in the air ?. The angst will fade. It will eventually go away-as long as you don’t smoke. Please post SOS if you’re about to smoke. If you smoke, you’re back to the very beginning and that’s a crappy place to land.

Hi there newbies and lurkers! This is Lust4Life (aka L4L, Lust, Lusty, Lusty One ...) coming at you live from the SE USA. If you are reading this you are interested in quitting, have recently quit, or you're just hanging around. Or, you're an old pharte with a grand quit and just could not help but click on the catchy title. Quitting smoking sucked. It really did for me in the beginning. The physical part at least. Then mental part soon followed. Once upon a time I loved smoking. College and immediate post- College years, going out to clubs, for cocktails etc, Then, I hated smoking. I hated that I was a smoker. Some folks out there are on the opposite end. I know some folks loved smoking and everything about it. The ritual was comforting. Tap the pack down. Unwind the cellophane. Take the first. Flick the lighter. Inhale and quiet the scream of addiction. The ritual is comforting to the addict. Roll the sleeve up. Tighten the tourniquet. Tap the vein. Take the piercing injection. Plunge the syringe. Release the tourniquet and quiet the scream of addiction. One is legal. The other is not. One can result in instant death. They other settles in for the long haul before taking your life. Either way - you're dead because of addiction. June 2016 I thought I quit. I stopped having my cigs w coffee. I stopped having my cigs after work. I stopped having my cigs on the weekends. I stopped smoking. What did you do? July 4 2016 I went out and had that one innocent cigarette. You know the one. That one. That one cig after a quit that tastes like ass and makes you thankful you quit until you light up another one that doesn't taste quite like ass but maybe a chafed inner thigh. Yep. Yuck. Have you tasted that filth? Early Sept 2016 - We had a great family vacation. I was still smoking. I missed out. My mind focused more on planning the perfect time to leave for smoke breaks rather than the vacation. How much have you missed? Then it clicked. It HAS to CLICK in your BRAIN or it won't work. That CLICK must happen. It CLICKED. It clicked and I knew it was time. Cold turkey time. For me, do what works for you.. I knew it would suck. Straight up suck. It sucked. So hard. I became a grumpy bitch that ate too much. Then it stopped sucking so much. My thoughts resumed to regular scheduled programming, not smoking thoughts. The weight staring coming off. I celebrated my 2 year smobriety anny this week. I WANTED to quit. So, I did. Do you? --The End

Congratulations Baseball Coach! I celebrated my 2 years 9/26. It is grand! I agree- accepting that smoking is a true drug addiction and not just a bad habit is key to KTQ.

Woo-hoo NS-jo!! You’re a super star!! Congratulations on 10 months!! You’re a great support to many. I hope you have a great day today & celebrate you!

Measure twice, cut once.

Shelf

All in a day’s work

Hi All! Thank you so much for the kind words! Level 2 of the Lido is pretty swanky! I would not be sailing up here if not for the support from my fellow quitters at QSMB and then QT. So- THANK YOU! The benefits and joys of keeping the quit continue to surface in unexpected situations. I am not startled by them. They are welcomed. I feel like my mind and body are giving me spontaneous high-fives and hugs. Lord knows I deserve it after enduring those hellish first weeks!! In early September 2016 -before I quit for good- I went on vacation w my family. The itch to sneak away every few hours really stole precious time I could’ve spent with my kid. Not just the time to get to the smoking spot- had to chain smoke 2 cigs, then find the nearest restroom to wash my hands and face and gargle mouthwash. The whole ritual of the closet smoker. We have since returned to the same vacation spot - I saw the same torment in the eyes of smokers. I watched them slither away behind the bushes and light their poison with trembling hands. Sometimes, their kids sat with them on the bench - or stayed in their strollers. Babies taken from the excitement of the amusement park to suffocate in the filthy haze that feeds their parents. I am so glad it wasn’t me. Some of my friends still smoke. I said from the beginning I would not be a bitchy or evangelical ex-smoker. When we’re out to dinner, I recognize when their withdrawals start to kick in. I let them know I’ll be fine at the table- and to go ahead and go outside. They come back more stinky than when they left - but are able to focus on the conversation and meal rather than their fix. Despise the addiction, not the addict. I am so glad that isn’t me. I am so glad to be here celebrating 2 years of smobriety with my fellow quitters and lurkers! KTQ and keep your lust for life by NOPE!! —L4L 2016 Buttkicker!

Congratulations! That’s a big milestone! Glad you’re celebrating- eat an egg roll (or 2,3,4...) for me!

Congratulations GITW!

Sacks

Congratulations on 8 years Avian!!!

What is it you cannot do? Stick your elbow in your ear? Neither can I. Murder someone? I can’t either. Poison yourself to commit the slowest suicide ever? Nope. I can’t either. You CANNOT give up your quit. I can’t either. Hell no! You CAN refrain from smoking RIGHT NOW! You CAN keep your quit. You CAN take control over craves. You CAN do this.

Maybe seeds are planted. Don’t water them, shove them in a place void of light and they will die. You are are in control.

No clue how many times I tried. I do know I thought about quitting everyday - when my smoking increased to nearly 1ppd. Like sazerac - I abstained while pregnant & breastfeeding. Looking back - I never really quit. I abstained. Something clicked in in my brain & I viewed smoking as an addiction not a bad habit. It is a true addiction. I read Allen Carr’s book & quit. I had to reread it a few times. Being an active participant in a quit forum was key for me. I read, posted, played games - anything to stay distracted until the early, intense craves passed. People will offer many scenarios & quit methods/advice. Ultimately- you have to decide how you will quit, how you will stay quit & why you will stay quit for the rest of your life.