Mollie1

Congratulations on your one year quit anniversary. You hung on to that rope through “thick & thin” & have a lot to celebrate. It has been a pleasure to share this past year with you.

NOPE!

Believing that the day would come when one can go all day without thinking of smoking is what kept me going. And it is true. The only way to stop thinking about smoking is to not smoke. It may seem unbelievable; but it really is true & it is wonderful. Congrats on choosing the “smoke-free” life.

Love being able to travel without spending 1/2 my time trying to find places to smoke. The freedom is wonderful!! Enjoy your weekend & so glad you found us.

Thanks for sharing your good news. May you & yours have a blessed weekend!

Oh Giveintown, I do understand. Sometimes days go by with 0 thoughts of having a smoke; then today for example, triggers like doing food prep for hosting an Easter brunch. Throughout the day, it was “time for a break; time to go outside & have a smoke; time to think about what else could be prepared ahead of time; time to go out & have a smoke; time to think about the where & what of serving/placing items out; oh & now time again for a smoke while I figure all this stuff out.” All day long - I had to remind myself that I no longer smoke on my “breaks”. Bottom line is that I am really proud of the fact that I continue to choose not to smoke. But old habits disappear very slowly. Keep posting & sharing. We get it.

NOPE!

For me, three months is when my addicted self finally realized that I was serious about quitting & made some pretty desperate gasps for “just one more”. Be extra vigilant; stay close to the forum; read & read & read & once through this, you will start to experience longer stretches of not even thinking about smoking - sometimes almost an entire day. Also, be cautious about the “nice weather” triggers as most of us enjoyed our smokes the most when being outdoors on nice days. I mean did we really enjoy hiding out in a snowstorm just to get our fix? You can do this! Congratulate yourself each day for making the choice each day to add one more day to your quit journey - no matter what.

So glad you found us. Yes, I remember the 3 month mark very well. It truly is a turning point towards “easier times”. But the addiction finally realizes that you are serious about this quit & will try many new ploys to convince you that “just one can’t hurt”. Protect all those hours/days/weeks you have invested in YOU & just keep saying NOPE. You are doing just great & congrats on maintaining your quit all by yourself for so long.

Great post & Great job of “keeping your quit”. It is so simple to see; yet so hard to do. Thank goodness for folks who understand.

So glad you are sharing. I know it helps me & am certain it helps others as well. Great job on your 1+ year quit.

Welcome aboard - You have received a lot of good advice. Read it & re-read it as often as you can. Focusing on the little moments (rather than the big picture) helped during the early stages. In other words, if I could just choose to do something other than smoke at this particular moment, I could add a few more moments to my “quit”. Then those moments became hours; then days; and then I really had something to protect. After a few weeks, I had to pinch myself to believe that I could really do this. But realized that it was just me making a choice each moment of each day whether to smoke or to go do something else. The other big help for me was reading the posts of those who had quit before me. They promised that if all I did was just “not smoke”, it would get easier. And they were right. If I had not read their stories; I might not have trusted the fact that it does get easier; and also transforms your life into something so very wonderful.

Congratulations - You have been a true inspiration to me over the past year. Thanks for sharing & making it all seem so do-able! Enjoy your life on the Lido deck - You deserve it!

Thanks for sharing & congratulations on nearly 2 years. What a great role model for your kids - spending time working out rather than smoking. You should be very proud. It is always good to hear from others whose paths we are following.

All the moments I missed hiding away to get my “fix” of nicotine.

Great post, Jim. I have followed your quit over this past year & admire your honesty & tenacity. Keep sharing & keep enjoying life as a non-smoker. Thanks for sharing!

NOPE!

Congratulations, Duchess. It has been an honor to share this past year with you. As both sets of my grandparents emigrated from Friesland, I have taken notice of your participation & think your English is fantastic! So glad you are celebrating this monumental accomplishment & thanks for sharing your wise counsel with those of us who follow.

Beazel - you are such an inspiration to us all. Your honesty; your kindness; and your “common sense” have been my “go to” ideas for living without our smokes. Thanks for all that you do & congratulations on achieving your One Year status. Save me a seat & please stay active on this board - you are saving countless lives. All the best to you!

The best for me was all the information to read that is posted on this site. After many failed attempts using nicotine replacement products, I found that learning about & truly understanding how the addiction works on one’s brain to be the most helpful tool. Once I understood the concept of smoking to relieve the withdrawal symptoms (as compared with for pleasure or to relieve stress or to deal with anxiety), in other words, all the reasons (excuses) my addicted brain told me that I needed to smoke for. Once I just accepted the fact that I was only smoking to relieve withdrawal & thus would be stuck with having to smoke every hour or two for the rest of my life UNLESS I chose to experience a “once and for all” withdrawal that would finally put an end to this cycle. It took months; but the oldsters were right. It really does go away with the passage of time. The rewards are unbelievable. The only way out of it is through it. Read & understand the addiction & you too will find your way through it.

Are you starting to heal? Are you reading everything on this site in order to “keep your quit”. We are very understanding & empathetic - just share your thoughts & we will help!

I too feel sorry for your friend. Finding a place to smoke (opportunities) used to consume so much of my daily focus. What an absolute joy to be free of those worries. The concert sounds like it was a wonderful evening. Glad you shared.

Hi Steve - all good comments here. what helped me was to visualize my quit as a vulnerable little baby or puppy that only I could protect. I would imagine myself wrapping my arms around it to protect it from any & all outside influences that might try to harm it or take it away from me. Your quit is yours - own it; protect it; and be very proud of how it is growing a little bigger & stronger with each passing day.

Thanks for sharing what many of us feel but find it difficult to express in words. Quitting smoking after 40 + years of doing everything with a cigarette has been challenging to say the least. Your story is an inspiration to us all that it can be done if one just keeps saying “no - not today”. We are grateful that you are part of us. Congratulations!

Can someone explain how to use the “Wayback Machine” to see some of our old posts from QSMB? Many thanks!