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Thanks Doreen, Actually today is our 43rd Anniversary. Below is the Hunka, Hunka burning love I married. He was pretty hip in those days. Look at that long hair, hairy chest and definitely those platforms on the day we married. We both may be weathered with a few more wrinkles and pounds but he is still my hunk of burning love

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Gday NOPE starts my day C

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Congratulations @Linda Thomas for being smoke free for 9 months. Well done Linda. How quickly have those months gone? Thank you so much for all your contributions to the boards and the wonderful support you give to everyone. Your quit is one of my favourites to share and you are an inspiration to others. So do something special to treat yourself, and not just a coffee by the lake, you are officially two thirds of the way through your first year quit!

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Hi! I've been gone for a month or so. Living life. Loathing life. Loving life. All that jazz. During these months of living life and all that jazz, I lost my job - or rather - it lost me? Reduction in force. Workforce reduction. Position no longer needed. Blah blah yadda yadda. I have several months of severance and no job. In a haze, I ventured out to the pharmacy to get some headache remedy and some other sundries. The check out cashier was pleasant and engaging. We talked about the weather. Not the government (note the R.E.M. reference). I swiped my card. It was accepted. I still have funds. Yay! I looked past my new friend. I noticed all the packs of cigarettes. I saw my enemy; the yellow ones. Then, I felt the reality sink in. After hearing the news my job no longer existed...I did not think about smoking. I did not think about smoking. I did not think about NOT smoking. I did not think about anything having to do with smoking until I saw the packs. Then, I thought...good thing I don't smoke anymore, that crap is crazy expensive. And it is one less thing to worry about. Then, I thought...holy shit! I just lost my job and the thought of smoking never crossed my mind until I saw packs of cigs. Then, I thought...holy shit! I was not even tempted to buy any! No internal struggle, nothing, other than relief to not have to worry about it. Then, I thought...my Lust4Life took a hit but is still shining. So is yours.

Congratulations @abbynormal for being 4 months smoke free. Well done Abby, that's 1/3 done of the first year. We are all so lucky to have you here sharing your journey. Make sure you do something (not a 3 mile run..lol) to celebrate.

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NOPE for May 1st!!

Getting the bags packed... tying up some loose ends ... (trying to get the wife healthy), and plotting a course for the East Coast.. leaving Friday afternoon...

Congrats, Linda! Nine months already? Good for you...you will be dancing on the Lido deck in the blink of an eye! Celebrate and KTQ!

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Ok... I have a big failed quit in my past...and I'm talking more than half a decade... so listen up kidlets...1 smoke was all it took..just 1... And then for well over a decade I smoked like a chimney... Sure at the time, in the back of my head, I thought I'd have a couple here and there and quit again easy peasy, I mean I'd already done the quit think for nearly 7 years...NOPE...just as hard, if not harder this time around, and that's on me, because in the back of my mind all the time is the thought that I'm Gunna blow it again and my quit is just on borrowed time. Don't give yourself that whispering voice of self doubt. Don't get me wrong, this quit is it, not smoking ever again but just remember, however easy your quit feels you need to protect it because one smoke really can switch all those nicotine receptors back on in one moment. Just because you have a failed quit doesn't mean you can't have a successful one. QUIT in Aus tells us that the average is 6 serious quit attempts before you have your forever quit. That is the average, some only need the 1 attempt, some need 20.....whatever your number is you do have one so never give up giving up. In the same vein don't belittle a failure by calling it a slip, just as you own your successes you need to account for your failures. You smoked, you reset your quit... There are only three questions to answer when you fail: 1. When will I quit again? 2. What were the triggers? 3. What did I learn?

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NOPE - I don't smoke anymore.

Woohoo and well done on being able to quit the NRT gum too....it got you to that 4 month mark but now you are ready to do this all on your own. Be proud!

Congratulations @Jeff for being 4 months smoke free. Well done on making it a third of the way to you first year of freedom. Welcome also. Make sure you do something special as a celebration and reward for yourself.

It's not just a case of ..!!!!Oh well I'll try again.!!!!..... I've seen people with good quits ,smoke one or two ...and just carnt get back to quitting for good ,and go back to smoking full blown . It can take years before ,they get in the right frame of mind to try again ...and still fail..... The only reason a quit fails is because ,folks still believes the cigarette offers you something...you still believes the lies...... This means you still haven't read and understood the nature of this killer addiction ... If you carry on smoking ,your more than likely will contract a smoking related illness....some are irreversible...... If your here ...you have a quit .....all you need to do now ,is keep hold of it with everything you have .... I live with someone who ,if they could would turn back the clock ,and do exactly this ...emphysema is something you don't want ....

Sorry about the job loss, L4L...At least you have several months severance...will allow for some breathing space while you start the hunt! One door closes....another one opens...and may it lead to an even better job for you!

@jillar you know it! Job loss has some perks...this is the first time I've perused QT on an actual computer vs phone/tablet. What a difference! So fancy!

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Thanks for the support. I am at the start again but now know more and where I went wrong before. I thought I could run before I could walk!. Slow and easy. It's a marathon not a Sprint. I'm looking forward to the benefits I felt giving up before. This time I've read more including Allen carr and on this forum and I'm excited!! In 2 weeks I've got a weeks holiday and I'm going camping to remote Dartmoor walking which will.be a pleasure without the worry of having.enough smokes.

Thank you all! I plan to spend much of the day resting to recover from yesterday's heart procedure, but tomorrow I'm celebrating by seeing Avengers: Endgame!

If JB wants to think of this as a slip or a little relapse that’s her prerogative. On the flip side, people here are entitled to express their belief that you can never have just one. Those holding that opinion are not personally attacking you - they just feel strongly about how best to defeat this deadly addiction. Best wishes moving forward JB.

Love the pics Linda, what a good looking couple you two are Happy 43rd anniversary!

Thanks everyone .Another quit journey begins !!!!

I won't be far behind you Joe ....a much needed break ....hope your good lady will be much better ...

Yaaaa ..well done Linda ....9 months ...3/4 of the way there ... This deserves a treat ....

As addicts we are all 1 puff away from a pack a day! Once you have put in the hard work to establish your quit it becomes an easy matter of daily maintenance. Complacency and your addiction whispering however softly in your ear are our enemies. Forever vigilant folks.

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Congratulations @Ankush for being one month smoke free! Well done Ankush. That is the hardest month done and you have come through with flying colours. All month you have popped in to cheer on the rest of us with our anniversaries but this one is just for you. Make sure you do something special today as a reward for all your hard work it is an important part of the quit and rewiring your brain.

Not only does smoking not help with stress, addiction and withdrawal compound stress. Smoking does not offer you one positive thing. Zero. Zip. Zilch. Nada.

Great pics, Linda. Congrats on 9 months smoke free. You are doing awesome!

Nine months already...you are really putting some distance between yourself and cigarettes now. You have done a great job and set yourself up for a lifetime of freedom. Congratulations Linda.

Honestly...."about bloody time.".... So the second option... Yes there was guilt and shame....the whole time I was quit I never stopped romancing the ciggies...so I craved constantly. My opinion....in same was it is, and that's not just big pharma wanting to flog NRTs or quit meds... A nicotine addiction is more than just physical and psychological it has a huge routine aspect to it...you have patterns to you addiction, habits often years old, because to a certain degree smoking is still socially acceptable (it's not against the law)...because it is easy to feed the habit (don't need to break any laws to get a fix)..because it is so ingrained into the rituals that make up our daily lives that is what makes it so hard to quit, you don't just need to detox you need to reprogram. From my person experience, detox from nicotine was easier than alcohol or speed/cocaine but it was not easier to quit as an addiction.

Where all hear to help ...folks just say it different .... I have only seen honest posts ...tryjng to help you and others ,trying to stop further relapses... This is your quit JB ..... Quitting is all about honesty ....it's a addiction ...addicts have to be upfront ...it no use keeping secrets ...if you want honest support back ... It's sad to see a soldier go down ....it means a battle has been lost ....this also means the war is lost too.... If the board gave you a gentle pat on the back and said it doesn't,t matter....what message would this be giving out

This is so on point. We must have control at all times and never think that a cigarette can offer us some magic bullet that will help us thru something or offer positive re-enforcement. Cigarettes offer nothing and only take away -- I have to remind self of this everyday and why I always go to the NOPE pledge. Thanks Doreen for this post so that we can remember!!!!