KEL

I love this. I can make my pledge a good twelve hours in advance! Thank you.

Inspiration for us newbies! Thank you. And hope everyone is having a great day.

Nope.

NOPE

Congrats! I'm sticking right behind you.

Darcy! I know the shame well. And without speaking for everyone else (although I think I can), we all feel this way until we don't. Today is a new day. Glad you are back.

@intoxicated yodaGood morning. That post shows a lot of dedication. The "easiest" way to resolve those issues would have been to smoke. Only to start all over again. I recall a lot of bloat in the first few times I tried and this time really focused on getting a handle on it (water, water, water) from the beginning. Blessings to you. It does get easier.🙏

NOPE.

I'm with Kris. A little shimmy just to keep me on my toes. Thanks all.

For sleep, I have used Valerian root for years. Celestial Seasonings is making an extra potent "Sleepytime" tea with chamomile and valerian. Just my 2-cents.☺️ I FOUND THE EMOJIS! Life is on an upswing.

I had to share this splendid example of how the junkie (my) mind works. This time my quit date is October 2. My sobriety birthday is December 2. The thought that crossed my mind the other day went something like, "Well, it would really make it easier to celebrate both your nicotine and drinking quits on the same day wouldn't it? So why not pick up smoking again and quit on December 2 so everything can be nicely aligned?" Sheer insanity.

There must be something in the air. Shifting into the holidays, memories. Etc. I'm not sure if the thoughts are precursor to relapse; the times I relapsed it was more of a "f--k it" attitude. This feels more like a recognition of how deeply ingrained the addiction is within the subconscious and maybe the thoughts @intoxicated yoda is describing (which I have as well) are a deep clearing? One can only hope. I keep going back to Allen's instruction which is to not be afraid of the thoughts of smoking but to instead use them as an OPPORTUNITY to remind ourselves of just how wonderful it is to be free! A little CBT for a Tuesday morning. (I really need to figure out the emoji system because my posts lack color). Wishing you all a beautiful and smoke-free day.

Nope.

That is amazing. Thank you for sharing it with us.

I had two very good friends who worked for one of the main firms who defended PM in the Cali lawsuits in the late 90's/early 00's before the AG took over. I was a bit of an honorary member of the firm, feted marvelously in San Francisco. Installed in a suite on Nob Hill. Oh, and unlimited free smokes. The amount of money they spent on the defense was beyond sickening.

In recovery, they tell us (or used to tell us) to quit what was going to kill us first. I sensed that nicotine wasn't really considered in the same life-threatening category as my drug of choice booze. Why? Well, its unlikely you would mow down an innocent while driving smoking. I believe this attitude did me a disservice all of these years because of the fact that I saw it as an aid to not drinking which allowed me to continue the slow-poison. When I did finally try to stop, it was so hard because, unlike booze, I could smoke and function at work, etc. In fact, it seemed to "help" me deal with life without booze. Yet for me, as for all of us, it was slowly sucking the life out of me. "Today, your goal should be to implement a new mindset and a place for your quit where nothing can get at it. Protect it as if you were protecting a loved one from a murderer. Love yourself enough to protect yourself from an addiction that is trying to murder you." This is exactly the mind-set that is called for in addressing any addiction INCLUDING smoking. Thanks for the tough love.

Glad to hear you are feeling better. Love all the suggestions and appreciate the candor. Night night from Colorado.

I fear that I am becoming one of those people who is wholly judgmental of what passes for "music" these days. Appreciate this thread-made me laugh.

Thanks for all the support and encouragement. Its a "we" thing and I appreciate each and every one of you. K

In my quest to rid myself of the pain of smoking over the last four years, my longest quit was 4 months. Second longest was 40 days. Here I am at day 40 again. Maybe there is something symbolic about it, i.e. that "40 day/40 night" thingy that has some import in our collective experience. Nonetheless, I decided to share some things that made it easier to get here this time. 1. Allan Carr's books. Do an in-person seminar. Its well worth the time/money. 2. Flash-cards are a tool that helps a lot, particularly to remind me of the insanity of addiction, e.g. "I smoke to feel like a non-smoker." All "reasoning" is circular but I have so brainwashed myself to believe that smoking was somehow necessary, beneficial even. It takes some mind-training to get out of the loop of denial. 3. No NRT. I used it (gum) in all of my previous quits. At Day 40 in the past, I didn't feel strong or encouraged. Rather I was just hanging on for dear life. This time, moods have smoothed out and cravings are minimal. I attribute it to not being on the nicotine train in any form. 4. Keeping a journal (which I do anyway) and reviewing all of the insights I have gathered from every source (including you all) daily. I remember in the seminar Jamie saying, "You are running a marathon by smoking and its over when you quit." That was a rather profound way to look at it. About three weeks later, I woke up to a "voice" telling me "The race is over." I am hoping this is a truth from whoever is in charge because, as I know, it certainly ain't me. 5. Focusing on the wins, particularly the relief of not having to smoke. Waking up in the morning without the machinations we all go through when trying to manage our addiction. Bloody exhausting. 6. Being grateful to have the energy to do the things that bring true joy, i.e. exercise. Getting out on the bike (at 9K feet) and not feeling like I am dying at the top of the hill. Of course this exuberance has a downside when on the downside due to the danger of going ass-over-tea-kettle. All must be tempered. I still find myself "romancing" the smoke. Maybe it will always be that way or a little bit that way. I think this is the nature of addiction in that we are forever trying to get somewhere other than where we are. As I practice living life on life's terms, moment by moment and day by day, the desire to orchestrate things to suit my perceived needs lessens. For me, smoking helped to manage my expectations. Perhaps giving up on expectations and just showing up is a better plan. I recall reading something where the guy finally gave up his attempts to quit. That allowed him the grace to actually release the smokes for good. Seems like a bit of a paradox but whatever works for each and every one of us to let go of that which harms us. Wishing you all a blessed day. Karen

NOPE.

I appreciate this. So what I cannot do is smoke. But what I can do is go work-out. Fortunately, what I cannot do does not interfere with what I can do! In fact, it helps. Imagine that. Hope everyone here is having a blessed day. K

NOPE.

Appreciate the posts. Was reading one of my flash cards that says, "Withdrawal is the dis-ease leaving the body." For me, and I suspect everyone else here, there is the initial physical withdrawal and then there is the psychological withdrawal. The latter can feel like the former since we used nicotine to address every mood swing (good or bad) we ever had. For today, I am practicing gratitude when a challenge arises. Wishing everyone a peaceful night. K

Yeah NOPE.