abbynormal

I have daily contact with smokers and almost daily contact with cigarettes themselves. My in-laws live upstairs from us, and they both smoke. They leave packs of cigarettes everywhere. I often find them in the garage or on the patio table by the pool. For many months, just the sight of them was enough to trigger me. They don't bother me anymore. Thank goodness!

I normally prefer the old classics, but this newer song grabbed my attention last year. His voice has the quality of the old crooners, like Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.

@Lilly I don't always feel positive about my quit, either. The first year is the hardest for almost everyone. We face the majority of our usual smoking triggers throughout that first year, and that requires us to be extra vigilant. That vigilance can be exhausting, I know! I'm about to face my first Christmas in several years without smoking, so my nagging thoughts have returned. It's annoying, but I can deal with it. Because I know next Christmas will be so much easier. AND because I'm not having genuine cravings right now. Just nagging thoughts. There's a huge difference. I can ignore the thoughts much easier than I could the actual cravings. I remind myself of that any time the thoughts of smoking become intrusive. I'd rather face a nagging thought than a constant craving. You will feel like yourself again. You will. I will. We both will. I've read that it can take quite a long time for the brain to adjust to being a non-smoker. It takes a while for the brain chemistry to balance itself once the nicotine is gone, especially if you struggle (like I do) with any sort of chemical imbalance. My doctor has had to adjust my medication to increase dopamine absorption since I quit. That has helped a lot. But I still don't feel quite like myself. Not yet. I know I will, though. I had a long quit in the past, and I remember what it was like. I remember I felt SO much better after that first year. We gotta hang in there. I'm here any time you want to talk. You can be as open and honest with me as you want to. I'm never more than a private message away. We are both in the thick of it. We might as well make the journey together!

I don't really have anything new to add. You've gotten some great responses above. The only way to get rid of nicotine addiction is to starve it to death. You do that by not consuming nicotine in any form.

Welcome, Dylan! Congrats on your 6 months quit! I concur with Lilly...I'd definitely get a second opinion. Did your doctor order a lung xray? Or a CT scan? I would push for one or the other, if not both. (A high-res CT scan is the best in terms of being able to see just exactly what is going on with the lungs. But a low-res CT is also a good place to start.) Just to be on the safe side. It's your continued fatigue that worries me. Everyone is different, and this may very well be quit related. But it's much better to be safe than sorry. Try not to stress, but definitely don't be afraid to advocate for yourself with the doctors. Sometimes they need a little push. (I have an autoimmune disease that causes a TON of problems, and I'm very used to having to push my doctors to give me the appropriate tests!)

I craved almost continuously. I think my normal jonesing period was about 15 minutes after I put out my last one--if that long. I have been known to light one cig off the other. Man, I don't miss being chained like that!

The Smoker's Vow by Joel Spitzer To be said just before taking your first puff after having quit for any appreciable period of time. With this puff I enslave myself to a lifetime of addiction. While I can't promise to always love you, I do promise to obey every craving and support my addiction to you no matter how expensive you become. I will let no husband or wife, no family member or friend, no doctor or any other health professional, no employer or government policy, no burns or no stench, no cough or raspy voice, no cancer or emphysema, no heart attack or stroke, no threat of loss of life or limbs, come between us. I will smoke you forever from this day forth, for better or worse, whether richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do us part! "You may now light the cigarette." "I now pronounce you a full-fledged smoker." https://whyquit.com/joel/Joel_04_11_Smokers_Vow.html

Happy birthday!!!! Sorry I'm a bit late!

Thank you all so much! I'm so glad to be aboard this Train with y'all! Prepare for some serious partying next month!

Congrats, Steve!!! That first month is a tremendous milestone. I'm so glad you did something to reward yourself. It sounds like you are making some very healthy lifestyle changes! Good for you!!!

I just saw that @Lust4Life posted something very similar (with an even better title!) I'm sorry for the repeat. I can't figure out how to delete this post!

Ok, i just saw this post after making a very similar post! Now I feel dumb! LOL

The holidays can be a stressful time, especially for newer quitters trying desperately to hold onto their precious quits. I am about to face my first Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year as a non-smoker, and I'm planning ahead in order to STAY a non-smoker! The following article has some great tips for surviving the holidays smoke-free: https://www.verywellmind.com/smoke-free-holiday-tips-2824909 My biggest trigger during the holidays is sensory overload from all the noise and chaos of family gatherings, so I plan to find a quiet space for myself any time I feel overwhelmed and do some deep breathing exercises. I also plan to avoid the front porch, where the smokers in the family will gather. I'm going to stay inside where it's warm! How do you plan to handle your triggers during the holidays? Long-time quitters, what advice would you give us newbies on keeping our quits during the holiday season?

Conratulations, Jo!!!! Here's your cake!

@Paul723 I agree with you. I'm using "Smoking is not an option" as a mantra for myself, even during those moments when my inner Addict doesn't quite believe it. I figure the more often I repeat it, the more habitual it will become, until finally it's ingrained and I don't think of smoking during every crisis. That's my hope, anyway. Fake it til you make it, right?