DenaliBlues

0 Haha, great minds @jillar. Chicks now @ -1.

nopenopenope

-4

Well done, @Shymaid... I mean well done on conquering the after-meal smoking urge, unless your burger was well done, too? The more experience you gain in not smoking, the stronger your quit will get. Keep going!

-2

Thanks for the update, @feeling_patchy. Vaping to stop vaping? Hmm. But as long as the end result is quitting, then good on you. Every quit that sticks is a great quit, no matter how you get there. So I'm glad you have a method you have confidence in. Keep us posted, and stay focused on your ultimate goal of putting your vapes where they belong forever - in that puppy poo bag!!

smell the roses

4. swim with whales

spumoni

Thanks for bumping this, @jillar. A good reminder of why it’s worth pushing through to the other side.

Happy anniversary, @Wayne045!

-2

NOPE!

-2

Well done on six years smoke free @jillar. I’m so pleased for you, and so very grateful for all of the ways that you’ve helped me - and countless other newcomers - find our way to freedom. "Hoppy" anniversary and congrats on your Super Quit!

-3

Love your poo bag tactic, Patchy! Good riddance, indeed!

Sorry to hear that you smoked, @Shymaid. It's happened to all of us one way or another before our forever quits finally stuck. This addiction is wily and persistent and it wants to survive. Good for you for your immediate recommitment. You're doing the right things to talk about it here, re-immerse yourself in the literature, pledge NOPE (as often as needed!), and post yourself a reminder in the SOS column. Come up with a list of 100 things to do instead of smoking and use it when the urges surge. Also, notice what was or was not going on in your head or your heart right before you picked up... Was it a physical craving? Was it a strong emotion? A rationalization? Whatever it was, double your guard on that "door" to keep the nicotine demons out. Keep marching forward... you can do this!

hush puppies

-1

Glad you made it through Day 2, @Shymaid! Feeling sleepy (without the stimulant of nicotine) and also antsy (due to withdrawal) is par for the course in the early days. Staying busy helps. (I did a lot of little household chores, short "exercise snacks," played with silly putty to keep my fingers occupied, came here and played games, etc.) It's funny that you used the word "buzzing" because my own cravings felt like a hive of bees at the beginning, too. Partly that was withdrawal irritability, but I think it also was about detoxing. Drinking cold water and shaking my arms and legs - really shaking them HARD - helped to manage that energy. I still do it sometimes. I probably look like a dunce. But hey at least I am a dunce who doesn't smoke, as opposed to a double dunce who does. So that's progress! Good luck with day 3. You're doing great!

-1

Howdy, Patchy. Welcome to the Train! So glad to hear that you are ready to quit. You've come to the right place for good company, perspectives, and encouragement. We all know what it's like, so we'll have your back through the ups and downs. I quit in early February using the patch. The combo of patches and occasional lozenges helped me navigate the first phase of breaking free from 40+ years of smoking. I had some wackadoodle dreams and skin issues on the full strength patches, but they really helped with the cravings. Once I had my feet under me, I ultimately chose to accelerate my taper through lower dosage patches - to clear the nicotine out of my system faster and get through the withdrawal once and for all. It got easier over time, and I am gratefully nicotine free today. You can do this, @feeling_patchy!