JH63

Thanks @Mac#23,

                                  Those minions always make me laugh. I've seen all their movies!

I had a pretty good day today. I'm hopeful I can get my mind back into this quit. I lose my concentration from time to time, but it should get better before long!

Take Care!

HI!

    @reciprocity I understand what you are saying and you are correct. Everything in life goes better when we think positive. I'm just having a problem getting there right now!

Take Care!

  I have made it to the two week mark in my quit!

I'm happy about that! That's about eight packs of cigarettes I didn't smoke!

  Now it's on to week three!

  Thanks for you help!

 Hi People!

20 hours ago, Doreensfree said:

20 hours ago, Doreensfree said:

Some folks go through what's been called ..No Man's Land ...it's when the newness of your quit has faded ,and your just plodding along ...and some can lose their quits....Thankfully I was always excited about mine ...

 

                This statement caught my eye. It feels like this is where I'm at. " No Man's land"  Right now each day is basically the same. I wake up fighting the cravings and I go to bed fighting the cravings. Sleep and the small lengths of time between the cravings are my only break from the fight. I'm just trudging along each day. I'm glad that you were excited about your quit.

              It seems to be a pattern with me; I start off very positive, then after the first few days or a week I start to fade. I become somewhat lethargic the longer I fight to stay quit. This quitting process has rules, but the one I hate the most is that everyone's quit is different. There is no way of knowing when I will feel any better. That's the No Man's Land I'm talking about. I can do this, but to be honest, I never know how long I can do it. I just pray everyday that things will get better soon!  

             I just finished day 13 and I'll make it through day 14. I'll worry about 15 when it gets here!

    Take Care!

I just finished day 12 of this quit! I've been getting by. I've been on this site at least twice a day, everyday. I read the recent posts and some of the older ones. I've also been watching the Big Tobacco videos. I don't post much now because not much has changed. I can't see complaining all the time when I know what it is I have to do. So far I'm doing it. Everyday is pretty much the same now. I fight the cravings as they come. Some are easier to get past then others, but I manage. I've said before that I don't believe there is such a thing as a craving that can't be beat. I still believe that.

I will admit that continued fighting with those cravings can wear me down over time. I lost my last quit, of 20 days, earlier this month because I was just plain worn out, physically and mentally. Each one of the fights to stay quit adds up over time. I just got tired. No excuses, I didn't have the resolve it took to succeed. I wasn't even having a craving  when I lit back up. It's hard to explain!

Well this is a new quit. I'm trying to think differently about how to handle it. I'm trying to think about the whole process in a more positive way. The people, along with the materials on this forum, can be credited for that.

I am drinking too much caffeine right now and I know it. I've watched Joel's video about cutting your caffeine intake in half when quitting smoking. It's in my quit plan. I was sticking to it. I had cut it exactly in half. But I've noticed that the amount I'm drinking each day is slowly creeping back up. I just feel like I need it for energy. I'm going to try and get the amount back down again. I'm just tired, and the caffeine gives me a little boost. I have been able to keep my sugar levels up, so I know the tiredness is not coming from that.

Thanks for asking!

Congratulations! Four years quit is a very impressive accomplishment! Thanks for all the help you give to everyone, everyday on this forum! Onward and upward my friend!

     Thanks Everyone! Yes, yesterday was a very sad day. But it will be fine with a little time. My wife and youngest daughter made the decision about the cat being put down. I totally agreed with the decision they made. We maybe could have kept her a little longer, but there was no reason to let her suffer when the vet says there's no fix.

   On to day ten. I was told to come on here and explain how I'm feeling as my quit goes along. Day nine was the worst day I've had in this quit by far! I Had the worst craving and urges today, well yesterday now. I held up, but it was really hard not to not give in. I continually used many different distractions. This started early in the day and only let up a couple of hours ago. Then I logged on here, as I do every night before I go to bed, and read all your comments to me. People that really helps! I'll be able to move on from here. I have to get my mind back in the game. My quit has to come before everything else. I'm completely drained of energy and at times I feel sick. A little nausea combined with nervousness, both at the same time.

    I'm not going to panic. I know what's happening, and I need to hang on for another day, then reassess things. I'm not done,  just slowly tiring.

@Sazerac I will watch the videos you recommended in the morning.

@Boo I will be very grateful when I feel confident in this quit. So far I've been a little shaky and fragile in my quit. I Thank You for reminding me that it can or will happen with Nicotine the same as it did with alcohol. I'll be praying for the time.

  Take Care! 

3 hours ago, jillar said:

One thing that helped me not relapse (among others) was knowing that I could smoke if I wanted to I just choose not to. This gives me back the power of my quit. You will only relapse if you choose to relapse. 

    This is one of the ways I quit drinking. I told myself that I could drink anytime I wanted. It took a load off me and allowed me to get through the process

easier. I've not drank  anything in a long time. I actually don't want a drink anymore. I also told myself, if I never drink again, I had already drank more than most people do in a lifetime. I was going to AA meetings twice a week and working the 12 step program. Then almost all at once, something clicked and I was over it. Quit July 4th, 2018 and have never looked back.

    I have tried to apply the same principles I learned in AA to quit smoking. There is something different about quitting smoking. To me it's much harder to quit smoking! I think it's because I smoked all day. I only drank late in the evening. Plus I still had the cigarettes when I quit drinking. I will try to think that way about smoking. Thanks!

    I had a bad day today, but I didn't smoke! On top of the normal cravings and urges I've been having, we had to have our cat put down. My wife woke me up early and told me that she was going to take the cat to the vet. I got a call about two hours later and they had put her to sleep for good. Her lungs kept filling up with fluid and her breathing would get very labored. That cat was a part of our household for around 15 years. My wife and youngest daughter were upset all day. I dug her a nice grave out on the hillside. It is amazing how attached we can become to pets. I will miss that cat, especially when I'm here by myself. She was good company! Then later in the day we went to two graveyards and put flowers on the graves of family members who have passed. We do that every Memorial Day! Just seemed like there was a lot of sadness around today. I will go to bed and hope tomorrow is better!

 Take Care!

I made it a week!

I'm happy about that. I had some urges and cravings on day seven, but I was able to deal with them. I'm happy about that also.

@Mac#23 I made a list like you are talking about back about two quits ago. I've got it right beside me on the end table and I put it in my wallet when I go out. I need to update it,  add some things, then make a second copy. It's falling apart from being folded up small enough to be put in my wallet. I read it often!

1 hour ago, d2e8b8 said:

 Stay strong and stay alert.  This addiction will try to tell you things like - it's ok to celebrate with a cig now that you've gone xx days without one.  It's a sneak attack just when you start to feel good - stay alert for those.

I agree with you! I've had a pretty smooth first week considering I know how that first week can be. Now I'm suspicious about when I will really be tested. I lost a quit years ago after over four months nicotine free. I lost a 20 day quit earlier this month, and many others at different lengths of time. So I'm waiting with my guard up. If I lose it this time it will be my fault, just as it was with all the others. I'm just thankful for today! All I have to do is get up tomorrow and not smoke for another day!

 Take Care My Friends!

You People Are Awesome! Thanks for taking the time to give me guidance and encouragement. Maybe I will be able to help someone who is fighting this addiction, in the future.

Worked outside most of the day. The weather was great. We have had a cold/rainy spring here. This was only the second day I've had the the central air on this year.

Day six wasn't that bad. I had several urges and cravings, but was able to fight them off. My wife took a nap in the afternoon, while I watched all of Joel"s videos that have been suggested to me here. I had already watched some of them earlier in the week, but still had 10 or 12 to go. About an hour and a half! Tonight I read some more in the thread where past quitters talk about how they managed their urges and cravings in the early days of their quits. That helps me in more ways than one. I make notes of things I think might help me, and it reminds me of just how many other people have been right where I'm at now. That's a very long thread!

My sleep in messed-up. I sleep well, but I go to bed late and sleep in late. I don't care about that much. I think my system is just adjusting. My stomach is cramping some and I'm gassy. I've had that problem on other quits. It will pass, so to speak. I have also noticed a ringing in my ears. I've had that before, even when I was smoking.

I am having some of the normal junkie thinking from time to time. To maintain this quit I can't allow any bargaining with myself. I'll fool around make a bad bargain if I'm not careful! 

Take Care Everyone!

Well I got through day five. It went relatively smooth considering. I had some urges and cravings, but they were manageable. I spent about two hours reading posts and watching videos. I plan to do more of that everyday. I think it is important right now.

I know that there will come a time, maybe tomorrow, next week, or even next month when my quit will be challenged and I will need to be armed with all the knowledge I can take in. I also know that I've been trying to stay positive. But I can already feel some depression creeping into my mind. In order to stay quit I have to concentrate on it almost all the time I'm awake. I think the depression comes along when I get mentally tired of concentrating on staying quit. I wish I were stronger, mentally. I was very close to my grandfather. I remember the day he quit smoking. Cigarettes had went up in price another few cents per pack. He said he wouldn't pay that much and never smoked again for the rest of his life. I wish I had that kind of resolve. He was a very nice man, that enjoyed life. But when he made up his mind that was it. Enough about all that!

I'm happy that I made it through another day and I plan to work hard to get though day six.

Take Care!

     Jeff

On 5/20/2020 at 8:36 AM, Mac#23 said:

It's one thing to just hear the advice that is given to you but it's another to also act on our implement it into our lifestyle.  

   HI!

       I was reading back over the posts in this thread and this statement caught my eye. You are absolutely right about this! As I said, I read all the advice that everyone here gives me and I appreciate that everyone took the time to give me that advice. But to be honest, I have not been able to commit to following all of the advice I've been given. I'm not even sure that I have fully committed to Never Take Another Puff or to NOPE. I just take it one day at a time because that is all I can do right now. I will work on my commitment issues, but I'm not there yet. I know that anything less than a 100% commitment from me will cause me trouble with this quit at some point.

 Thanks for making me think about this! It's the most important part of any quit!

HI! ALL!

             @Doreensfree Changing my routine is something I've never given any thought. I am a very regimented person. I think it came from all those years I was in the military when I was young. In fact, it has annoyed my wife, children, and other people over the years. I know because they have told me so. I also know that I would always smoke at a certain time or trigger point. After meals, after completing a task, etc.. Thanks for suggesting this! I will think about how I can change my routine around especially during those times of the day that I struggle the most. I've been reading a thread today about how others, that have quit, dealt with their urges and cravings. There are a ton of ways people have done it. Making a list of the ones I think could help me. If I tried all these different distractions, I wouldn't have any time to smoke.

Thanks Again!

Congratulations on your quit. 8 months plus is Great! I agree with the advice you have been given here! I didn't understand that when I quit smoking it would take a long term commitment, or even a lifetime commitment to succeed. I just thought I would quit, each day would get better and in a relatively short period of time it would all be behind me. It would be like I never smoked for 47 years. That's not true! I was living in a dream world.

    I couldn't resist suggesting to you that you concentrate on the psychological part of the quitting smoking process.

    I have had many quits for different lengths of time over the past 8 years or so. My mind has always tricked me into smoking again so that I would feel better. I know realize that there was never anything really wrong with me, except I wanted that fix and my so called health problems were a way to justify getting it. Stay here and read all you can, watch all the videos you can. Talk to others who have experienced health problems during their quit. Try to separate what is a real problem that needs medical attention and what is mental problem being caused by the change you have made in your lifestyle. It's a long bumpy road. But some of the bumps can be softened by educating ourselves.

Good Luck! I hope you feel better Soon!

  Jeff

HI Everyone!

                     I just finished day four. It was a good day! A few cravings, but not too bad.

    I had a bad day six on my last quit, but that doesn't mean it will be the same this time. I'm sticking to my quit plan so far. I've even added a few things.

    I just have to get up in the morning and stay focused until my head clears. I don't wake up all the way at once in the mornings, and I always had that first Cig. right out of bed. I would get up, put my slippers on, and go straight to our partially closed in porch for that first nicotine fix of the day. I would do that even in really cold, snowy weather. Now that's an addict!

I'm off to day five!

   Take Care!

On 7/10/2018 at 4:33 PM, Sazerac said:

After a few days, gathering more knowledge about addiction,

I extended the premise of starting smoking again

'if I don't feel better in ...days...weeks...'

 HI! Going through the material that you ask me to read and watch. I came across this part of a post written by you.

 It hit the spot for me. During past quits I have always bargained with myself. I have also said "if I don't feel better in X amount of time I will go back to smoking". I've lost quits this way because I actually thought that I was never going to feel any better. I was lost in a fog and my mind wasn't strong enough to ride it out, no matter how long it lasted Depression had taken me over and all I wanted to do was feel better. The unknown part about all this is how long it will last for me. As Joel says, everyone's quit is different. I'm just happy that I'm not feeling bad enough right now that I have to bargain with myself. It's early in this quit, so maybe I'll bypass that stage this time.

Great post for all to read! Thanks!

  HI!

       Again the AM of day four has been alright. I had to go out this morning for about 4 hrs. No problems except some brain fog when I first started driving. I'm happy right now! @Sazerac that's a great video. I think I understand what it means. I will read and watch some more suggested links you have given me this evening. I'll post again at the end of the day. Hopefully Positive!

Thanks for the info about how the site works. I will try addressing just one poster. I have known all along that my reply would remain in the same tread for everyone to read,  just didn't understand how to make sure someone knew I was commenting on what they said.

Day three is gone. It was about the same as day two. I had the worst cravings in the evening again. I was was quit for 20 days, lost it for 13 days, and now I am quit again for three days. Because of that I feel like I'm almost back where I was. That's scary and worries me somewhat. I'm glad that the first three days haven't been that bad. But on the other hand, I'm just as shaky and fragile as I have been on my failed quits. I've got to really pay attention and not let my guard down.

I have quit four different times this year alone. Lost the first three and many others before that because I became complacent after awhile. I get tired of always thinking about not smoking and I end up letting my guard down. I know that I have to be stronger in my resolve this time and keep reminding myself what's at stake if I lit up again. I've got a list of reasons why I want to stay quit that I carry in my wallet all the time. I've just got to keep that agreement with myself and read that list anytime I think about lighting up again. I'm just exhausted from the fight.

It's on to day 4! A good night's sleep should carry me through!

Take Care!

    Jeff

It's the middle of day three! I'm alright. Been reading here and watching videos. Some of the Joel Spitzer videos I have already watched in the past, but it won't hurt anything to watch them again. I don't pick up on everything the first time I read or listen to it anyway. I'm headed out for a brisk walk. I will post again at the end of the day.  Thanks for the support!

   I have been trying to figure out a few things about the use of this site. Please help me if you can!

   How do I respond to a specific post made by one person. So far I have been submitting a reply at the end of this tread to everyone.

   Example; I get a message from jillar. How do I respond to jillar's message? I know that my relpy will be seen by others on the tread, but I'm not sure jillar knows I'm responding to jillar.

   This is the Introductions and About Us thread. Now that I have introduced myself, should I be posting in another thread?

    Thanks, Jeff

 Thanks to all who replied to my last post! I am taking in all the advice and encouragement that's being given to me here.

 I'm now done with day two. It wasn't as easy as day one. I had a lot of urges and cravings in the evening, after supper. They were manageable by creating distractions as soon as they hit. I use crushed ice, a walk around the outside of the house, etc. I also use a short straw at times, with a little cotton in the end of it to create some resistance on the draw. I've found that it sometimes fools my mind. Not always, but at least it is a distraction.

  jillar Thanks for the link! I will do that when I get through these first days or weeks of my quit. I hope to feel stronger about my quit by then.

Sazerac Thanks for reminding me that this is a marathon and not a sprint. Sometimes in forget that. I think forgetting that leads to complacency which leads to losing a quit.

Mee   I understand what you are saying about being retired and dealing with health issues. I've been retired for five years and last year I had to have a pacemaker put in twice. It's a long story, but it all comes down to paying for those many years I've ignored my health. I fell very lucky that I don't have cancer or COPD.

 Well it's on to day three!

       Jeff

HI! I hope everyone is having a great day while being smoke free. Thanks Sazerac for your links to info that might be helpful to me. I've been reading and learning. It will take me some time to get through everything in the link, 10 Ways To Effectively Use This Forum To Stop Using Nicotine. That's a lot  to read and listen to, but I'll get it done.

     I'm going to try and think more positively about this quit and reflect this in my posts. I am in the middle of day two. I've had some cravings, but I have no doubt that I will make it through the day.

     I will tell you a little about myself. I live in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia. I am retired from WVU where I was a Theatre Tech for 31 years. I worked on sound and lighting for all types of stage productions and programs. I went in the Army straight out of High School for six years, then to college and graduated in 1983 with a degree in Electronic  Technology.

    I live with my wife of 42 years. We have two daughters and two grandchildren. The oldest daughter is an elementary school teacher and the youngest in an RN. My wife still works in the office of a car dealership. We live in a very rural area.

Thanks for Reading! Jeff 

  Thanks to all of you for the Welcome and for the advice.

   I had a pretty easy first day, considering how some days can be early in a quit. As time goes along I will figure out how this site works. I haven't figured out how to reply to a single post, so I am replying to the posts above me as a group.

  I know that I lack the commitment to stay quit. That lack of commitment causes me to become complacent over time. I actually handle the hard part ( the first days or even weeks ) of my quits better than I handle what I think should be the easier part, staying quit. I don't have any excuses for the loss of any of my past quits. I was the one that picked them back up. In fact, I've thrown quits away for no reason at all. I wasn't under any stress, nor was I having any unmanageable cravings at the time I lit up.

I don't believe there is any such thing as an unmanageable craving. I'm just an addict and nicotine is the drug I'm hooked on.

  I am really watching a few things that I can control. Cutting my caffeine consumption in half, making sure not to let my sugar level get low, and staying hydrated. I've experienced brain fog, been lethargic, and had these tired spells (where I couldn't move a muscle) early in past quits. Maybe paying attention to these things more closely will let me avoid some of them.

  I will read the links that the moderator gave me! Again Thanks!

HI!

    I am glad to be here! I have been reading different posts and other materials on this site for along time. I decided to become a member because I need all the help I can get. I'm addicted to nicotine, and have been for about 47 years. I started smoking in my mid teens. I have quit many times before. I just gave up a twenty day quit two weeks ago. A couple years ago I quit for seventeen weeks. I've quit many other times over the years for different lengths of time. I just can't make my quits stick. Guarding my quit is always part of my quit plan. But I just never guard it well enough.

    I have tried about every method of quitting Chantix, wellbutrin, cold turkey, patches. I have watched many hours of Joel Spitzer's videos, always making that commitment to never take another puff.

But my commitment is just not strong enough! I get tired of lying to myself.

    I just started my current quit about a hour ago. I'm hoping I can somehow make it stick this time.

 Take Care!

    Jeff