Genecanuck

Walk on the Wild Side: Lou Reed https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=oG6fayQBm9w&si=Hr5PrE-OY7Mu79G_

Good morning everyone, Many thanks to everyone for your support. Yes, one month is an important milestone. But I know that I still have a lot of relapse prevention work to do to reinforce the gains that I have made and to slidify this quit to ensure that this is the real deal. I have been here before too many times. Here is one of my favourite quitnet relapse prevention posts. I re-read it again today to remind myself that when a quit is lost, it always starts with stinking thinking in the head. Not one puff ever! REPOST: 10 Steps to Starting Again From Pic on 12/22/1997 11:58:35 PM 10 Steps to Starting Again 1. "Try" to quit (try, as opposed to "do") 2. Idealize what life will be like without smoking 3. Associate your daily problems and disappointments with the fact that you’re not smoking. 4. Begin to buy into the idea that you’re more miserable now than before you quit 5. Start responding to your problems with, "If this keeps up, I’m going to smoke" then add "anyhow" then add "so why suffer anymore?" (Alternate 3-5: 3. Associate your success with the idea that you’ve licked the nicotine habit. 4. Begin to buy into the idea that you could smoke without getting hooked again 5. Follow-up this idea with, "I haven’t smoked in ___ days/weeks/months/years" then add "I haven’t had any cravings" then add "I could have just one" ) 6. Buy, borrow or steal a cigarette. 7. Find a quiet, secluded place where you can be alone with the substance to which you have attributed all power and promise for fulfillment of your needs. 8. Feel yourself calming down even before you light up, which is actually the beast ceasing to scratch at your insides as you prepared to feed the addiction. 9. Light-up and suck in all the poison you can get in that first drag, while beginning the battle against being disappointed in yourself, noticing that this fight is not half as ferocious as it was to get the nicotine. 10. Within a few hits, feel dizzy, cough a little, smell the stink, and realize you’re not going to stop smoking that cigarette, you’ll keep smoking despite the bad feelings, and wish you hadn’t given in. I hope this scenario scares you as much as it scares me. In writing it, I drew from my personal experience and noticed some things that might be helpful in the future: A RELAPSE STARTS IN MY HEAD Steps 1-5 all have to do with how I think. IT IS ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO FULLY RELAPSE without doing some or all of 1-5. A CIGARETTE IS NOT THE ANSWER AND THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS ONE.

Not One Puff Ever! Good morning. This is a picture taken in Ottawa Ontario in September 2017 (courtesy of suchadonatello, reddit) which overlooks the Ottawa River and Parliament Hill. This is how the fall can look like in Ottawa. I live about fifteen minutes from where this picture is taken and I am hoping for some splashes of fall colours again this year.

Welcome @DebbieS .... can't add anything to the wisdom of everyone who posted here. Sounds like you have a solid plan. Stick close to us and come here often for support.

Celebration: Kool & The Gang Who is celbrating their smoke free life today? https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=TBS6gAtj8gE

Congratulations. Quitnet Repost, January 15, 2006 Remember to stop and celebrate your quits and support others here along the way. Keep the Quit. Gene Congratulations WHO'S BETTER THAN YOU TODAY? You've made it! A whole 2 months (or the number of hours, days in your quit) without a cigarette! In that time, you've successfully navigated the physical chaos of withdrawal, the emotional highs and lows of early quit, and the pitfalls of relapse! WHO'S BETTER THAN YOU TODAY? Countless times you've refused the offered cigs. More times than that you've craved nicotine, but opted for health, instead. You've endured teasing, lack of support, and feeling uncomfortable and out of place among smokers. You may have had issues with weight, anger, tension or sadness, but still you stayed SMOKE-FREE! WHO'S BETTER THAN YOU TODAY? You're adjusting to a whole new lifestyle. You're already thinking different thoughts. You've changed habits and routines. You've made new friends and, perhaps, let go of some old ones. You're starting to realize the benefits of living a SMOKE-FREE life. More and more, you see yourself as a non-smoker. We hope you're as proud of you as we are. WHO'S BETTER THAN YOU TODAY? And while you've been doing all this for yourself, you've been helping everyone here at the Q: your membership in our community, whether active or passive, has demonstrated an ongoing support of the efforts of all of us. We hope you stay with us as you continue your SMOKE-FREE journey to a fuller, richer, healthier life.

Not One Puff Ever! This picture was taken on a vacation to Cuba at the Blau Varadero resort in 2016. The picture was taken off our balcony.

@I can do it ... all of this is excellent advice from people who have been there. But I know you've have also had smoke free days. Day 3 is no different than previous days when you have been smoke free. Just take smoking off the table and say to yourself, I am not smoking this hour, this morning, this afternoon, just for today. And really remember how you felt the last time you had a nasty cigarette on day 3.... "But this time I noticed that the first few cigarettes tasted awful. Really awful. I will remember that, when day 3 rolls around this time! This is your rational brain recognizing that cigarettes actually taste aweful and make your body feel sick. Challenge any stinking thinking you have in the moment and just take smoking off the table.... in just this moment, in five minutes, this hour, this morning, just for today. I did this during the past month and guess what? My rational brain started kicking in and my quit got easier. You've got this @I can do it Good for you for having the wisdom to keep your quit and come here for support. And please let us know how you are doing on the Not One Puff daily pledge page: https://www.quittrain.com/forum/4-the-daily-nope-pledge/ We are all in this together my friend.

It looks like its going to be another beautiful day in Ottawa today

Hello @I can do it.... please check in with us and let us know how you are doing please! I remember the stop start stop start madness of earlier quits. I want to share a post that helped me get over day three madness. This message still speaks to me today. Smokng has nothing to do with ending any urges, cravings or stress. The only thing that does do that is not smoking. Those urges will go way if you choose not to take that next puff. Hope you are ok my friend. If you did relapse, just come back and get right back on the wagon. Never doubt that you made the right decision to live a smoke free life. RE: Dangerous Thinking----Help From danl1 on 9/21/2004 8:56:09 AM No buttkicking for you today, because weakness is not the problem. Never was, really. The only problem you have - or ever did - is that you believe that smoking has a way to improve your life. It does not, and the last 107 days have proven that to you if you'll only pay attention to the lessons. Chances are you are "romancing the smoke" - remembering it to be an enjoyable thing to smoke. IT'S NOT. The things you were doing while smoking - say, relaxing or socializing - were good things, but the cigarette did not enhance that experience at all. Take a moment to remember the first cigarette you ever smoked, carefully, fully, and honestly. Nasty, Gross, Dizzying, and Nauseating. I've never met anyone who honestly said differently. Cigarettes never changed. They always were and still are perfectly horrible things. It's only a mistaken perception - one that nicotine helped form - that has you believing that they are any good. It was the things surrounding smoking that were 'good', and cigarettes only stole credit in your mind. It is an error. Stop believing and you will end the desires/urges/cravings. That's the only way they can form.

Not One Puff Ever! Almonte is a 19th-century mill town surrounded by the Canadian Mississippi River. I lived in Almonte for 23 years. You’ll find it just 40 minutes from downtown Ottawa (Ontario) (picture courtesy of https://littlemissottawa.com).

Don't Stand So Close To Me: The Police https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=KNIZofPB8ZM&si=Re8AXb0WbMLkp_HB

IT GETS BETTER. Quitnet Repost, March 3, 2004. Good morning, It really does get better! Keep your quit. Gene IT GETS BETTER! From Leslipaige on 3/3/2004 8:11:31 PM Repost - It gets better. From melder7777 on 1/20/2004 12:52:30 PM It really does get better guys ....and so worth the effort maureen day526 From Lots2learn on 3/16/2001 5:02:03 AM How do I tell you how it feels to run up stairs out of sheer exuberance, not because you have to, not because you are exercising. How do I tell you how it feels to have your child give you a big hug, whisper quietly in your ear, You smell so good Mommy/Daddy.. How do I tell you how it feels to sit at your child's graduation, wading through interminable speeches, so proud of their achievements. Yet after the ceremony them come to you, give you a big hug, and say I am so proud of you for quitting. How do I tell you of the joy to be found as you fill your hands with deep dark loam, your senses filled with happy memories of childhood so strong, tears begin to fall softly. How do I tell you of long lovers embrace, a soft whisper in ear, I am so very proud of you dear. How do I tell you of your first orange, heady delight. How do I tell you of your pride as you sit in the doctors office, they look up with a frown, say with a growl have you quit smoking yet? You answer YES!! How can I tell you how it feels to spend a day with relatives or good friends, and actually spend the day with them. How can I tell you of the sense of accomplishment, pride as you watch that special milestone arrive, think to yourself, If I can do this, I can do anything.. How can I tell you the release to be able to take a great big breathe of fresh air, and not stand coughing and gasping. How do I tell you of the calm, the peace, and the absence of smoker's guilt. How do I tell you how it feels to wake and realize you have not thought of smoking for a day, a week, a month. How do I tell you the horrible physical symptoms will decrease, and fade, with time. How do I tell you of these and so many more benefits in one small message? It gets better; the reward is worth the struggle. You may not experience any of these rewards, but you will find your own if you hang on to your quit. My thanks to those who took the time to post the messages that these benefits came from. Mike 400 Days @}~~~>~~~ [

Your Daddy Don't Know: Toronto https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=FeA3hg6jrk4

Quitting smoking is easy . . . Quitnet Repost, January 3, 2006. A sobering thought. Keep the quit. Gene Quitting smoking is easy . . . From Peter_is_in on 1/3/2006 10:02:05 AM ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quitting smoking is easy . . . ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¤ Easier than hearing your doctor say, "I’m sorry . . ." ¤ Easier than fighting cancer. ¤ Easier than laying in the hospital having radiation treatment. ¤ Easier than breathing through tubes up your nose. ¤ Easier than having a Tracheostomy. ¤ Easier than losing your vision (AMD-Age-related Macular Degeneration). ¤ Easier than COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). ¤ Easier than lying in the hospital wishing you could feel the sun. ¤ Easier than looking out the window knowing you can't go there anymore. ¤ Easier than listening to your loved ones crying outside your hospital room. ¤ Easier than researching for hospice care. ¤ Easier than preparing for your funeral because the cancer has gone so far. ¤ Easier than picking out your favorite songs for your funeral. ¤ Easier than trying to say the right words because they will be your last. ¤ Easier than your child seeing you die from cancer. ¤ Easier than imagining your child without a Mom. ¤ Easier than imagining your child without a Dad. ¤ Easier than realizing your child may need a new Mom in the future. ¤ Easier than realizing your child may need a new Dad in the future. ¤ Easier than not seeing your child's face because of blindness. ¤ Easier than telling your child you are dying because you smoked. ¤ Easier than losing a friend . . . or a friend losing you. ¤ Easier than imagining your spouse being alone. ¤ Easier than asking your friends to look after your spouse. ¤ Easier than training your job replacement and knowing why. ¤ Easier than changing your retirement plans or canceling them. ¤ Easier than going through your photo album with tears. ¤ Easier than realizing your pet may out live you. ¤ Easier than friends talking about you in past tense. ¤ Easier than realizing smoking was more important to you than your life. ¤ Easier than thinking, "So this is it . . .?" ¤ Easier than dying . . . Quit smoking now . . . start living life smoke free . . . addiction free . . . Peter _ ‹(•¿•)› ¯°°°¯¯°°°¯¯¯¯ . . . watching out for newbies Club Breakaway http://bc.quitnet.com/f/community/clubs/club.jtml?club_id=2945

Awesome quit @garry mhudson

Ottawa Ontario today

Not One Puff Ever! Fly over the City of Ottawa (Ontario) in a Helicopter (picture courtesy of tripadvisor)

Sheryl Crow - All I Wanna Do

Good morning, This is another gem from my quitnet library. I re-read it this morning.. I wrote at the time that "once I internalize this new awareness (that smoking had anything to do with reducing or alleviating stress) , I (would) never have this psychological desire to smoke again!!! The only caveat is that this remains true as long as I do not have that next puff. If I smoke a cigarette. Gues what? The brain starts screaming for nicotine again. The desire to want to smoke goes away if we do not smoke. Keep your quit! I want a cigarette! From MutinyFever on 2/16/2005 2:42:26 PM I want a cigarette. The craving's been on me for days. I want one, and I want one now. I want to smoke it down to the filter. Huhn. Yeah. Big time addict jones. Stress, unemployment, worries, kids, my wife's health, all are weighing me down and I want to smoke, because addicts try to change their existential circumstances by changing their body chemistry. It doesn't work of course, but that is the failed way my mind desires. Of course, I won't smoke. I learned this lesson the hard way. I lost a quit, a very long, very successful quit, before because I believed a cigarette would help, that one cigarette was safe, that it wouldn't hurt. Oh boy, did it ever hurt! Michael 865 Saturday, January 14, 2006 From Gym_Genecanuck’s Journal This post from Michael hit a note with me when I first read it and the message is as relevant to me today as it was back in February 2005. My old way to deal with any kind of stressful event was to run to smokes to change my body chemistry. For some reason, I had this mistaken belief that cigarettes made me feel better. Well, I am sure that the nicotine temporarily gave my brain some stimulation and I made the mistaken connection that smoking had something to do with making me feel better and relieving the stressful feelings. This assumption was WRONG before and it is WRONG today!!!! I am attempting to write a Term Paper and I always feel anxiety when I write Term Papers. I know that this mistaken belief that smoking will somehow help is just that… A MISTAKEN BELIEF. I was WRONG to belief that smoking had any real connection to helping me feel better in any way, shape, or form. Once I internalize this new awareness, I will never have this psychological desire to smoke again!!! 61 Days smoke free; Two months, fifteen hours smoke free

Good morning @tocevoD. I remember how discouraging it felt when I lost a previous quit because of drinking. I know how strong that pull is to want to smoke when you are drinking and having fun with friends. That one got me last time. I live with a partner that smokes and I find myself having to actively practice relapse prevention thinking when I know I am going to have a few drinks with him. I avoid going outside when he goes to smoke. I am aware when that stinking thinking creeps in that I can have just one puff. I know that when I feel fuzzy headed, I will have thoughts that its just ok to smoke. I challenge my stinking thinking when I have that false belief that smoking will enhance any pleasure I am feeling. Smoking never enhances any pleasure or fun. When I put nicotine back into my body, I know that the brain starts to scream that it wants more, more more and more nicotine. And then I am back into smoking madness fight or flight mode. I decided that I won't stop living. I will be around smokers. I will have a few drinks. BUT, I can re-wire my brain by acknowledging that having cigarettes during these life events has nothing to do with enhancing pleasure, satisfaction or reducing any stress. It just activates the need for more nicotine. Recently, I found that I can go into situations where others are smoking and choose not to smoke. And the more I experience those situations as a non smoker, the more that stinking thinking goes away. The urge to smoke only lasts about three to five minutes and it passes. And for me, this is part of my road to recovery. You have some really good self awareness @tocevoD. Just get right back on your smoke free path and keep your quit.

Its cloudy with the sun poping out of the sky in Ottawa today.

Not One Puff Ever! Hogs Back Falls in Ottawa Ontario is a five minute walk from my place. "Looking over the brink of Hogs Back Falls (Prince of Wales Falls) towards the high rises of Ottawa as seen from the bridge and dam controlling the flow of the Rideau River" (kaiteandacamera Instagram 2024)

Welcome @Asphodelian You have come to the right place. I look forward to following your posts and celebrating milestones with you. Come here often and keep your quit. Kind Regards, Gene

Believe by Cher https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=oOGxKLUMbbc