BKP

Tony If you caved in and smoked you'd just have to go through this all over again the next time. Might as well make this time count. Keep telling yourself you can do this.....because you're worth it.

False. We only got to second base. (Keto was OJ's house guest, right?) TNP has been to Africa

Way to go Roz! 3 years is really something to feel good about. Celebrate and KTQ!

Rewarding orbital spaceflight

I feel like the character Jack in the movie “Room”. He was a 5 year old boy born into captivity and imprisoned his entire life in a 10 x 10 foot space known as Room. When he finally escaped captivity at the age of 5 there was a sudden explosion of senses he had never experienced before. He must have realized: THIS is what the world is supposed to be like. I felt that same feeling when I quit smoking.

Chariaton rebuffed alias Subsequently hidden DRANR

Congratulations catlover. 2 years is amazing!

nope An early congrats to catlover as I usually don't log on weekends. 2 years of NOPE is an amazing feat!

S&D You will only be successful if you change your first sentence to "I don't want to smoke again." Regarding cravings....there is no magic method to completely eliminate cravings in the early going. There are ways to distract and delay cravings (as many have suggested here), but they tend to be pretty persistent in the initial stages of quitting. The key is to get your mind to the point where smoking is no longer an option. My early mantra: "I will not smoke no matter what you throw my way you bastard! So bring it on!" Get your mindset right and there's no way you'll fail.

nope

Congratulations @reciprocity. 3 years is a BIG achievement. You are missed here.....feel better!

nope

That sounds like a horrible thing you went through Jillar. Very scary. Glad you're back home now and making progress. I'm not sure that would be the case if you hadn't quit smoking a few years ago. Be sure to advocate for yourself when it comes to your medical care. It can be very frustrating, but it's your life and welfare we're talking about. Best wishes for a rapid recovery and peace of mind.

Suppositories anally foster extended relief GROAN

Over 3000 ft elevation gain on Saturday hike. Putting my lungs to good use.

Buffoon and rural Kentuckian same? SHARP

Hope you feel better soon!

Paul (BKP) 4 years quit. Hands down, best decision ever. Feel so much better physically and mentally. Looking forward to my next backpacking trip to the Sierra Nevada or Olympic Mountains....haven't decided yet.

nope

I don't stop by much anymore but I'm sorry to see you're not feeling well. Hope you're on the road to recovery.

Congrats hellkatbaby. 6 months is a major milestone.

Took a personal day and made it a 3 day weekend. Went to Palm Springs and hiked the Indian Canyons. 74F degrees (23C) and sunny in January . Averaged nearly 15 miles per day with some decent elevation. 4 years ago I would have been winded walking from my couch to the refrigerator. Now I'm able to clear boulders from the trail - ha ha. Quitting smoking, eating healthy, and exercising is truly life changing.

Tony I'd like to offer some different approaches for your next quit. First, don't use terms like "fell off the wagon" or "slipped". It really minimizes your accountability. In fact, it makes it sound more like an accident rather than a conscious choice to smoke again. Stop saying "hopefully" you will quit this time. It's all about making a real and solid commitment. Don't assume that that NRT's will magically make quitting a breeze. It's more about your mindset than anything else. Sure NRT's help many people, but they're not a panacea for all withdrawals. And more importantly, talk to your doctor before using 2 types at the same time. I'd be shocked if any medical professional thought that was okay. As others have said, you can do this. Sometimes it just takes looking at things a little differently to reach the desired outcome.

There’s a big difference between feeling better and feeling comfortable. At 9 months quit I was feeling better in many aspects. I was not coughing all the time. My breathing was better. I was able to take the stairs without gasping. My sense of smell and taste were greatly improved. My circulation was better. But did I feel comfortable? Had my cravings gone away? Was I at the point where I forgot about smoking for days on end? The answer to all those questions is no. It took a long time to get that point. After all, I smoked for 39 years. That makes for a very strong physical and mental addiction. I had to accept that it would take quite a while to break those bonds and feel completely comfortable again. You mention that people here seem positive and you don’t want to be the only one who isn’t. I can assure you that you’re not the only one who still has some difficulty at nine months. I think the reason people seem positive is that they don’t want to discourage new quitters from keeping up the fight. Because it is worth it in the long run. I remember feeling very disappointed that I still obsessed about smoking after I had quit for a month. That seems ridiculous now. All I can tell you is that one day you will feel comfortable again. You will go days, weeks, even months without thinking of a cigarette. There will be no void. There will only be the normalcy of life without smoking with all its ups and downs. The only difference is you’ll be free from the shackles of a deadly addiction.

When you were still a smoker, how long, after you put a cigarette out, did it take for you to start jonesing for another? For me, it was about 20-30 minutes. What a crappy way to live life. Always anxious about the next fix.