Phoebe2

Back in the day I was very passionate about quitting smoking. There were so many benefits, expected and unexpected, that I wanted every single smoker to break free and feel amazing. I hated cigarettes and what they do to us. I guess it was my passion that has kept me quit for the last 5 years so it can't be a bad thing, right? But oh my. When ever I saw a thread about yet another quitters relapse I had steam coming out my ears. I'd post the brutal truth especially when the relapser had little insight nor had taken any responsibility for their relapse because I knew they were probably never going to keep their quit. And that made me sad for them and for others in the early quit because it would have been scary for them to read how 'easy' it was to relapse. And it almost made a mockery of those that worked their butts off protecting their quit. As if a 'little relapse' was nothing to get your knickers in a knot about. Righto ... 5 years on and I have learned you can't fix other peoples addictions and you can't blame others for their brain wiring. If you have the energy and patience to sooth a relapser then that's wonderful. Everyone deserves support. Even the ones that don't post SOS's. But remember, your time and energy should be focused on YOU and YOUR quit. That's where your passion should be directed towards.

It's a defining moment when you realise you didn't go to the old and outdated "I'm stressed I need to smoke like a chimney" method of 'coping' with stress. I hope you find a great job soon!

Thank for the congrats everyone! Johnny5 you are not far behind either! Way to go! DoreensFree and you have passed the 5 year mark too. Congrats! In fact congrats is due to everyone here because its amazing to me that we here have managed to quit. We got it right! Jo, way up North? Last time I looked I was way down South but not as South as the Map Of Tassie. *cheesy grin* How you going?

Hi Jillar! I know I don't come by and visit very often these days but you all are close to my heart. I've been looking around and it seems it's pretty solid these days with Mods and admin looking after the place. Thanks for the cake! Take care x

When I stopped coughing my lungs up. This recovery happened so fast, within a week.

23 April today (hurry and catch up please rest of the world!) 5 years ago I made one of the best decisions in my life! No one ever thought I'd quit smoking. I decided to quit cold turkey. I remember I psyched myself into hating smoking so much I actually gagged while smoking my last cigarette. I educated myself for a few weeks before I quit on how the Big Tobacco companies use emotional and physical means ( like putting bronchi-dilators in your cig to help you breath better) to keep you addicted. I watched Youtube video's on how they market cigarettes to a certain demographic these days - young people (kids really) in Third World countries. It's criminal. I'm not saying it was easy. There were days I cried with frustration. Days I didn't know what to do with myself because I wasn't engaged in all that smoking time i.e thinking about it, buying them, smoking them. Having to deal with the odd trigger even a year or two after quitting. You just have to accept you will feel uncomfortable while quitting and don't be afraid of who you are underneath the addiction. Let the real you arise and deal with any emotions as they appear instead of smoking them down. You become a better person if you weren't dealing with your real feelings. There were so many benefits to quitting it's amazing to look back with 5 years of hindsight. NOPE works for me. I protect my quit with everything I have. Thanks for being a big part of that journey :)

What a cutie darling little sweetie pie!

Hiya Jo fellow Aussie non smoking fabulously incredibly strong woman! How have you been? Sazerac that's exactly how I feel .. keep the never ever (NOPE) and we'll always be successful! It's really a no brainer but surprisingly how hard it is to keep it that way for some?

Hi Jillar, lovely to see you too! Hi Recip and Sslip! Life is treating me well. I'm a non smoking Grandma and loving it so much. Hope you are all doing well too!

I've been quit 4 years and 5 months but it's been way too long since my last visit so I'm back to 'keeping it humble'. I think part of the reason I've been a successful quitter is because I will never ever feel complacent about my quit. I was a 40 year smoker and I know my addiction is lurking somewhere in my brain ready to trick me into thinking I need a cigarette because of some deeply ingrained trigger. Welcome to all the newbies and hellooooo to the oldies keeping the quit!

Sadly she decided to smoke right up to her surgery and then quit during her recovery period. So yes, she only quit because of her diagnosis. I guess to justify the smoking in her mind surgery 'cured' her of lung cancer so it will do so again. Apparently she smokes because she 'enjoys it'. Yeah that old chestnut. I used to use that justification too. :(

I look at it this way ... we smoked no matter what was happening in our lives. We smoked because we were addicted and after a certain x amount of time our nicotine levels got critically low and our brains told us we needed a cigarette to boost us back up to 'normal' or we'd soon start to suffer from withdrawal symptoms. Stress, whether it be good stress or bad stress depletes nicotine faster in the body so that's why we crave cigarettes more during these times. It's all about keeping the nicotine supply to 'what the brain thinks is 'normal'. But we don't need to keep our nicotine levels up because we have quit smoking. So now it's just an old trace memory of what we used to think were good reasons to have a cigarette. PS Thank goodness those toxic people are out of your life. I'd be celebrating too if a certain supervisor got the boot

I still managed to pile on the weight though .. I made a great sugar free low carb lemon cheesecake ? Probably wouldn't have piled on the weight if I could have sucked on an all day lollipop. *sigh*

I know Jillar. And I see this every day (well, 5 days a week) because she's a work colleague. It just does my head in that it was a miracle she survived and all the love and support she received while recovering doesn't mean shite. I guess her friends and family will have to do it all over again down the track God forbid. :(

I was on a no sugar low carb diet when I quit. I really could have benefited from having lollies and sweets at the time!

Thanks Jo. It's something we all need to be aware of. My most sad, and in a way appalling, story about knowing someone with lung cancer who survived it then a few months later took up smoking again. ARE YOU FREAKIN KIDDIN ME!? OK I feel better now. Carry on fabulous quitters!

Congrats wonderful Nancy! 5 years is so inspirational for so many of us here. Thank you for everything!

That first year is not easy. Each season, each holiday, each event in the course of a year as it rolls by, will serve as triggers. You may not even recognise the trigger but its there in the blossoms appearing the coming of spring, the ground warming up to tell us summer is coming, the chill in the air to herald winter, your birthday, your sisters birthday, an anniversary, Xmas, Easter ..... That's why its so important people commit to the boards for a full year at least. I quit in April. 8 months later, I was triggered by Christmas Day so hard I wanted to cry. watching family members go down the end of the garden smoking and drinking wine in the sun, laughing and having fun. Arghhh that was not easy. But I survived. Stevie Nicks concert at 2 years I told my sister she was 'lucky she could smoke' on the steps after the concert. Weird! Oh and the Halloween part where I'm dressed up as a cat where I thought the only way to complete my fun was to have a cigarette. wtf? I think I have a very strong quit (as do you Jo) but those triggers scared me for the brief time they lasted. You just get through each crave doing what you do.

I'm here every now and then to keep my quit anchored. :)

Congrats on 4 wonderful years Fizzie. So happy to see you're doing so well!

Yes, I agree she owes it to everyone who supported her and worried about her and looked after her during her recovery. And she owes it to herself. If having had lung cancer and been given as you say, a second chance, doesn't motivate you to keep the quit then buggered if I know anything. But what I do know is how strong we are. We are exceptional people!

Do we know how amazing we are having quit successfully? A smoking work colleague used to hack up a lung for years. Was finally diagnosed with lung cancer. It was a miracle recovery. 6 weeks off work and back she came cough free and having given up smoking finally! Only 6 months later and she's back smoking in the courtyard at work. In the middle of winter. Hell, she hasn't even bothered to cut down as a gift to herself and her angels seeing as she was blessed with having survived lung cancer. So yeah, it makes me furious. I haven't mentioned the elephant in the room. She'd bite my head off so I keep quiet. But she did happen to mention that lately she's been feeling really tired. Do you want a CT scan with that tiredness? Hmmmm? So ... I think we are amazing to have kept our quit.

yay for you!

Hey Jo Sorry to hear you're having to go through this scary time. And special diets suck ... anyway just wanted to say I also was diagnosed with Graves Disease many years back. It explained why I used to shake (doctor said it was nerves) and why I cried when I walked into the kitchen just after I'd cleaned it and found the kids had made a bit of a mess (no energy fatigue with a big fat F like you wouldn't believe). It explained why I was hot hot hot all the freakin time and went out in short sleeves in the depths of winter. It explained why I felt like a crazy person 24/7 and why I couldn't sleep. So they gave me meds to take which didn't work. I knew I needed the offending body part removed. So I had a crying meltdown session with the surgeon and he placed me on the urgent list. The minute I woke up from the surgery I felt different. Peaceful. Normal. Like my old self. Finally. It was a partial thryroidectomy (sp?) so I have a bit left which does its job nicely. I have regular blood tests and I've never had to start thyroid meds in over 20 years. You know your body and quitting smoking makes you much more in tune with it. Good for you for coming to a compromise. All the very best!

Brilliant quit! Congratulations!