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Hooray awesome Abby! Congratulations on 10 years! Way to go!!

Hi Kate! I feel for you and your struggles. I was able to supplement with Vitamin D3 to help with mild depressive symptoms during the dark months. I also find that regular cardio exercise gives me a little dopamine boost and calms my anxiety at the same time. My cardio is slow jogging, brisk walking, cycling or living room dancing. I find that the longer I stay off nicotine, the better I feel emotionally. One and a half years now. I am now convinced that nicotine was a source of depression and anxiety for me. But before I got better, I went through some mildly depressive months -- 4 I think. Please consult your doctor and try not to relapse into using nicotine. If you can stay off it long enough, your natural dopamine production will probably wake up. All the best to you. I'm rooting for ya. You CAN make it!!!

Hey Steven! Ugh sorry you slipped but glad you got right back in the game! No big deal especially if you learn, make a change and get right back at it! Great job getting right back on the horse! No one will judge you here. No shame. No fear. Just a healthier life!

Wonderful! Congratulations Peachfuzz on taking your health back, and making it through your first month! I hope you rewarded yourself in a special way. Keep up the great work...you can do it! Nicotine only makes life harder...Hooray for Peachfuzz!

Congratulations Ace!! 4 months is a huge deal! Things should start to get easier in the coming weeks and months. Stay the course! You got this licked already! Happy Freedom!

Great job Katgirl! Keep up the great work! Hey any reason to start exercising is a good reason. Most DO do it out of vanity- it's probably the best motivator! Good news your lungs will be looking better too the longer u stay off the smokes! Congratulations!

Wow! Congratulations on 5 years quit, Jillar! I hope you did something to reward yourself! Thank you for being so supportive of all of us here on the train! Hope your day is smooooth sailing!

Yoohooo congratulations, Linda!!! 5 months is phenomenal! It's been really tough, so AWESOME job! Just keep going and one day it won't be so tuff. Great job woman! Freedom is yours!

Hi Jillar! I am so sorry you had that awful experience in January, and so glad you lived to tell the story!! Thanks for sharing for others to learn from. Young people definitely need to quit now before they get the same disease. COPD took my mom. She too was ashamed to be in public with her oxygen. It made me so sad that she disengaged from the world. Your life is unique and precious. Enjoy your moments, free from shame or guilt, or worry what others may think. Chances are, they are too concerned with themselves to be judging you anyway. You deserve to enjoy your life. Live it to the fullest of your ability for as long as you can. Thank you for all the wisdom and support you gave me when I joined, and provide everybody here on the train ❤

Awesome! This train is the best! Great job Linda just keep saying no!!! This will get easier for you at some point but it might be another month or so. For me it was ups n downs for about 9 months. Then I was pretty much good. If you can resign yourself to the possibility that it will take up to 9 months or a year for it to get easier, that might help. That way you are not disappointed when you're still having rough days even after 4 or 5 months. It takes time...but it WILL get better!

Happy Birthday Robbie!. May you stay smoke free and have many more!

I always wanted to quit. I tried several times but relapsed. Seeing my mom die of smoking helped me strengthen my resolve and finally quit. I want to be able to breathe when I'm older, not to be suffocating like my mom did. If all you can think about is smoking, maybe you really want to smoke! If you could want something else more than you want to smoke, maybe you can think about that all the time instead of thinking about smoking. I hope you quit again. Your lungs will thank you.

Hooray Steven! Congrats on 3 months quit! It is HUGE!! It'll just keep getting better. Just make sure to reward yourself with anything but a cigarette and you've got this licked! Great job!!!

Glad you're feeling better Linda. Wow, all the kind replies are truely heartwarming. Gotta love da Train!

Hooray Mona! Awesome job and welcome to the lido deck! It keeps getting easier! Mmmm fresh air.....congratulations!

Sorry about the news of your friend, Linda. Please don't smoke as that will ruin your lungs, and it won't help the situation. If you stay quit, hopefully your health outcomes will be improved. You are definitely stronger in fighting off illnesses, and able to breathe better, when you don't smoke. I think you recently hit 3 months. In the months ahead, you will start to realize how less stressed out you are because you don't smoke. And you'll likely be better equipped to weather the emotional upheavals that are going to happen as you go through this with your friend. God bless you and your friend. I wish you strength and serenity during this time.

Welcome, Robbie! Congratulations on quitting and sticking through the toughest first days! You can totally do this! Nicotine addiction is so depressing! Unfortunately, we don't realize this cuz nicotine robs us of our happy, inserts itself in place of that in our brain, and makes us think we need nicotine to be happy. Whatever depression you may have is only made worse by nicotine. Once you've been off the nicotine for a good while, several months, you'll start to see that, and you will probably feel better. Just stay the course, and it will get easier, then harder again but then even easier, and so on. But the reward of not HAVING to smoke, outside in the rain, or on a plane, will be so worth it, I promise! You will also be amazed at how less stressed out you are once you have truly kicked the nicotine addiction. Prepare to be blown away by that. I say all this about 1 year and 3 months off nicotine. You will be so glad once you stay the course beyond 3 months and onward. Just don't get tripped up by thinking you can reward yourself with a cigarette -- any other reward will do you just fine This is no easy change, but it's the best thing you can do for yourself. There is no timeline, either. Some people feel better after 3 days. Me - I needed 9 months. But you will feel better eventually. Just stay the course. Please stay in touch with your doctor regarding your depression if you are in treatment for it. Once you have the nicotine licked, maybe that will have a positive impact on the depression therapy. I wish you the best of luck in this new, exciting chapter. Welcome aboard the Train! Next stop-Freedom!

Excellent job getting over that crave despite all you are going through, Kate! Best of luck with your back recovery. Well smoking wouldn't help the budget either, so there's that. Your situation will improve in time. You will get through and come out on top and with your quit intact!

yes it's hard to swallow that bitter pill! it doesn't feel right, that label. that realization, for me, was just another good reason to quit.

Hey Kathleen! So happy your outcome is happy! Best wishes for continued good health!

Awesome job! Keep it up and no need for you to ever smoke again

Awesome job, Linda! Congratulations in 3 months if freedom! It gets easier, promise! Reward time! Just not a ciggie reward! Keep the quit!

Macular degeneration, I was told.

Wow excellent! Goodie for you and enjoy!

Wow freaking awesome dreaming of temptation and throwing them out! Woohoo!!!!