Minnie Mouse

13 Years ... of Healing, Recovery, Self-Discovery Thirteen years ago when I quit smoking I felt like most everyone else does in the beginning. How was I going to not smoke anymore? It punctuated everything I did every day. How could I even think, make decisions, deal with emotions, people, places, things, events, and just plain do life without it. Just the thought of not smoking seemed like "Mission Impossible". Forget about thinking of quitting forever. No way! I recognized though that sometimes we have to tell ourselves, when the anxiety & fear won't go away, to just go ahead and do it anyway. Do it for one last time I told myself. I learned how to fly (read, read, read; educate & prepare yourself), took a leap of faith, and then jumped off the scary cliff & eventually grew my wings strong to remain successful in the smoke free life I chose. It's very doable if you do the work. One hour and then one day at a time at first. I changed what smoking means to me. It is no longer my "go to" response to anything that happens in my life. If I have a smoking "memory" now (seldom) it's quickly followed with a smile & gratitude as I remember I no longer smoke. (Why go back when I have achieved what I wanted?) A place of peace & serenity awaits you in smobriety. It doesn't happen overnight. Keep going until you arrive here yourself. Trust that it will get easier in time. You are worth a smoke free life. The longer you entertain what's not for you, the longer you postpone what is for you. Today is always the best day to quit. And, if you are already quit, stay quit. People who wonder if their glass is half empty or half full miss the point. Our glass is always refillable. Perception and what you focus on is a choice so remember to count your blessings before any trials & tribulations. Keep gratitude front & center in your daily life. Still works for me. Happy Trails

Don't know your smoking history (ie if you have "tried" to quit before) or anything about you so I can't really offer specific advice for you BUT ... I will say that quitting may not be easy for us but it absolutely IS doable and is worth whatever angst we have to go through to reach our forever smobriety. Ask questions as needed. Post to the community & wait for three responses if you feel you are on the verge of smoking. You can quit & stay quit. Believe it! Best Wishes!

Cigs always travel in packs. 'Nuf said.

Your personal choice. Go down the candy lane in a store & look for "fruity" substitutions if that's your preference. I encourage you though to pick out a few different ones to try. Size and texture really shouldn't matter (in my lowly opinion ) because remember you are building new habits, new go to's (at least for now as subs). It takes a while for anything new to become our new normal (feel right). BTW you are not alone in thinking mint/menthol may not be the way to go (for you). I know a few that feel those flavors are addictive to them too. Good listening to yourself! You sound like a winner to me. Keep it up!

Your thinking is right on in many aspects that you have found/find yourself in. I also went through the "phone calls" where one of them was definitely reading from a written script to me in a dull bored voice (yawning included). One even told me if I get cravings while reading posts on-line in their dedicated community that I shouldn't go on-line then. Those experiences served me well later when I became a certified volunteer to teach an 8 week smoking cessation course to individuals. Personal experience and giving a sh!t does make a difference for successful outcomes. Until you are nicotine free your body will continue to crave even more of what you are feeding it that's why it's so addictive. You might try alternating the lozenges with some other substitute (ie cinnamon hard candy) to gradually taper off the lozenges. Otherwise "just" choose an end date for the lozenges and end the active addiction using the other tools you chose to use when you quit smoking from your "Quit Kit" (distractions, activities, self-talk, substitutions, etc.). Once nicotine free, your body and mind will eventually find its new normal. Time and patience heals & recovers you. Smoking thoughts/cravings will lessen but may/will still pop up from time to time (fewer and further & further apart). The difference is we made our choice and once the physical addiction is dormant it becomes easy to acknowledge the thoughts/triggers (even laugh them off) and just move on from them. You're doing great! Keep it up!

Two months nicotine free is awesome BUT you are NOT past the 'ole Merry-Go-Round that most of us experience when we quit. Your body is fighting with itself (mentally, physically) to find its new normal way to function. The draw to return to "what was" is a part of the process but here's the thing -- if you smoke you will lose what you have gained and I believe you will never be okay with staying a smoker and will want to quit again. Do you really want to redo those months again? Distract yourself, get up and move, do whatever you need to do except smoke. It will pass. Cravings pop up from time to time but with more time & patience and action on your part they WILL get fewer and fewer eventually. Choose. Being a former smoker or an active smoker. Break the chain.

Welcome!?! I'm not sure what problem you are having signing into the NOPE365 site but I'm sure John can fix it again for you. (I know you have a few accounts there as well as groups.) I'm always happy to see you checking in somewhere whether it be here, on NOPE365 or on BecomeanEX. You are a proven survivor (and exercise warrior). You can do anything and be wherever you want to be. Blessings to you. (PS: I see that you posted in your own Group and in Bill's Group yesterday so hopefully your sign-in problem is a mute issue now. This site is also a welcoming place for new members. See you around.)

Congrats on 56 days (and counting UP)! Awesome! It's early days yet. Your body is still adjusting to working without nicotine in your system. It's a good thing to have medical on board to monitor our health when we quit. Even if we didn't have medical issues/concerns before quitting they do tend to crop up (they did for me) during our healing and recovery. Keep going. Never another Day One.

As you know we are addicted to nicotine so there is no such thing as "just one". It most always is quickly followed by another, then another ... . You don't have to keep choosing to quit over and over again. Choose to quit and then let it go. Do something/anything else besides smoke. Get yourself off the merry-go-round. Nobody can do it for you. You have to break the chains of your addiction (keep it dormant by not smoking). You can do it! Best Wishes.

Congrats on 23 days! Yes it will take time to "reprogram" 28 years of smoking habits and replace that wasted time with better things. I love not having to plan activities around smoking. When can I have one? Where can I have one? In fact, as benefits accrued to me (and I actively acknowledged them) I wrote them down so I could remind myself of what I was gaining when I was craving especially in the early days. It's doable. Best decision we could make. Keep going.

Awesome! Keep going!

Big Congrats on 8 Years! Keep enjoying your Freedom!

So sad ... darn cigarettes. "You helped so many find their Freedom from nicotine addiction. A life well lived; breathe easy; rest now."

Alcohol and cigarettes are both very addictive substances that most often go hand in hand with each other. Good for you for gaining an awareness of how you personally relate to them. Don't let your guard down. You're doing great!

Congrats on Day 34 (now 35?)! Nobody told me that it would be easy when I quit, only that it was very doable and worth every moment of angst I had in the beginning. I want to reassure you that no matter how much you are struggling now that it won't always be that way for you if you just keep moving forward smoke free. Never another Day 1 through Day 35 for you! Keep going!