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Thursday, November 28th is Thanksgiving in the United States. For all of you that are celebrating, have a wonderful day. Today, I would like to reflect on one of the things I am most grateful for. The love and support of my quittrain friends. Without you, I would not be enjoying this day smoke free. I feel very blessed to have you all in my life!

I am so excited to post this morning. I made it ONE MONTH. It has been quite the journey. I have had to hide out in my bed, not respond to my phone, say no to going out with friends - anything to not smoke. And I have freedom back in my life, I am not constantly trying to sneak out of work for a smoke, I do not spend my days in withdraw, I do not smell anymore. I still have days where I can feel the demon - where I think I could just buy a pack and feel "normal" but I know there is nothing normal about smoking and the feelings I have are from an addiction not a friend. As I enter my second month - I hope to feel more confident in my quit - I want to join my friends at the bar etc. - but. I have learned from my years of smoking and many attempted quits - my quit is a baby and needs my attention and nurturing. - As it grows in days and time - I will be stronger. But for today can I just say YAY - ONE MONTH - it has been years since I have had a month smoke free!!

Boo, hiss. anyway, I'm grateful for these:

I am also grateful for a platform like quit train , without quit train i would have been a smoker forever . Long live quit train forum .

Three-pete what they said. Also greatful that the ashes are back where they belong

I am grateful to all y'all here for quitting smoking/nicotine and sharing your stories. We have built a wonderful community with many voices. Also v. grateful for breath and life, shelter and nourishment, music and art and the people I love to Love.

I will not smoke today not one puff!!! - Not on my one month Anniversary -

NOPE!

I second that

Resting my feet after baking all afternoon. These are my specialties and what Grandma is good for. Lemon Sponge pie and my homemade sweet rolls. Thank goodness the electricity held out until I was done. We have gale force winds and the electricity has been flickering all evening.

Nope!

G’day NOPE starts my day

Grateful and much thanks to all here -- you have all been a great inspiration. And thankful for my family and they no longer have to put up with all the smoke!!!!

I'm grateful for having gone through a very warm, pleasant, and drama-free Thanksgiving this year (last year was a complete different story). I'm also thankful that I can experience life (the good and the bad) without obsessing over how I'm going to get my next nicotine fix. And I'm grateful to all of you "beautiful, smoke-free creatures" (a great line Sazarac uses a lot) that inhabit this place. I hope you are all doing well this holiday season.

NOPE

I’ll not do that either so Nope !

I am so in the wrong country! It looks yummie!! Enjoy the holidays you lovely people and stay safe!!!

Nope!

NOPE

NOPE...

NOPE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Back at cha.

NOPE!!!!!!!!!!!!

NOPE...

G’day NOPE I don’t smoke/smoulder/burst into flames

Congratulations of your first month HeatherDianne!

Brilliant Heather , let’s keep the quit going day by day .

Congratulations HeatherDianne. Isn't it an awesome feeling. Know that you will continue to get more power in your quit. Just keep thinking how wonderful it is to not be chained to those death sticks. Your quit is still pretty young, but eventually these situations will not bother your.

NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE

@abbynormal great post. We can never be reminded enough about this. You have a beautiful quit going and we are going to be celebrating you lido deck in the new year!

NOPE!!!!!!!!!!!! And everyone have a great turkey day!!

NOPE Happy Thanksgiving.

NOPE

The holidays can be a stressful time, especially for newer quitters trying desperately to hold onto their precious quits. I am about to face my first Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year as a non-smoker, and I'm planning ahead in order to STAY a non-smoker! The following article has some great tips for surviving the holidays smoke-free: https://www.verywellmind.com/smoke-free-holiday-tips-2824909 My biggest trigger during the holidays is sensory overload from all the noise and chaos of family gatherings, so I plan to find a quiet space for myself any time I feel overwhelmed and do some deep breathing exercises. I also plan to avoid the front porch, where the smokers in the family will gather. I'm going to stay inside where it's warm! How do you plan to handle your triggers during the holidays? Long-time quitters, what advice would you give us newbies on keeping our quits during the holiday season?

I would focus on cooking then on kitchen clean up. Can't smoke with your hands in soapy water.

You ARE the addict. (as is Sarge) (as are all of us) It is fantasy to try and separate ourselves from what we are. EZPZ

BLASPHEMY !!!! lol. The composers are Issac Hayes (of Shaft fame) and David Porter. They also wrote (besides, I Thank You), Soul Man, Hold On I'm Coming, Wrap It Up,

I am SO happy for you ! Congratulations on your First Month of Freedom, @HeatherDianne ! You are doing exactly right by protecting your quit, it is young and precious and needs everything you are right now. Soon, more and more benefits will be forthcoming. Confidence in yourself and confidence in your quit are just a matter of short time. You will soon have a profound trust in yourself, you have stopped poisoning yourself with nicotine and smoke. Please remember to continue to reward yourself for every milestone and every crave/trigger conquered. Your brain is being re-calibrated and providing rewards is part of the process. So happy you are with us.

That says it all for me too!

@Linda Thomas- yes, we have gale warnings here for Long Island. NYC won't know until the morning if the big balloons are going to be in the Thanksgiving Day Parade as winds are expected to be 28-34 mph!! The crappy weather is why I usually don't fly during this time of year....but this visit to a dear buddy is important to him (and me )...so up, up and away I go!

Awesome work Jo. Congratulations on another year of freedom.....and thank you for paying it forward to all the newbies fighting the good fight.

Nothing, Nobody, No situation, No cray, Not even my inner addict is going to overpower me and bring a cigarette to my lips ever again. Those days are OVER. I Don't Smoke. Clothe yourselves in the armor of NOPE and celebrate your Freedom. When family gets too much, go outside and breathe your beautiful clean breaths.

No need to delete the post. The holidays can be a stressful time and it is good to have a lot of information about keeping the quit during them. It sounds simple but really NOPE is the way to go. Make sure that you realize that nothing is worth blowing a quit over and do whatever you need to keep your quit and never taking another puff. It may involve avoiding alcohol if you are in stressful situations where drinks are available. I would definitely advise this early on in your quit. It may involve going into gatherings with relatives that you know you clash with by having the attitude that nothing they will do will lead you to smoking. You will not let them have that control over you. Families are a beautiful but stressful thing. Most of my family is somewhat normal but there are plenty of clashes and alliances when the whole family gets together. The one group that really stresses me out is one set of grandparents that are in their early 90's but have always been very manipulate, controlling, and deceitful. I had a big falling out with them a few months into my quit and I thought really hard about lighting up. I decided that I was not going to let them have that type of control over me. In fact, I was so angry with them that I refused to let the have that control over me. If there are relatives that go out of their way to piss you off, use that anger and stress to strengthen your quit. Promise yourself that you will not let them have that control over you. Quitting smoking is all about gaining control of your life back anyway.

A good song often played around Thanksgiving

Conratulations, Jo!!!! Here's your cake!

Great job Jo! Two is fantastic!

No turkey for you. But you can have the bird...

Too stressful? Come here and post about it to get it off your chest.