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Nope!

Welcome aboard the train, Shezi! Good for you for quitting smoking! Six weeks is huge, and you've already done the head-shrinking part. This is an excellent place to get support through the long haul, and a wealthy resource for information and distractions. I too highly recommend Joel Spitzer videos for counseling and reinforcement. Once you get off nicotine altogether, just remember that the reward for not smoking is not a cigarette. Plan for that. We are here to support you on days 45 onward! Enjoy your happier lungs forever and welcome!

So far you've had replies from a Bunny, an angry, defiant baby and now, a Pig. That should tell you something. People on the train are a little odd but, we're all quitters like you! We all went through the whole deal, like you are doing now. Yeah, we "get it"! And because we all do, there's a wealth of information here. Read as much as you can. There's a lot of support here too if/when you need it. It can be fun to quit with other quitters and it helps to keep you accountable (to yourself)! Knowledge is Power; power to quit! Congrats on a great start. 6 weeks is awesome. A lot of the tough stuff is already behind you. Keep building on that foundation

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Hello and Welcome ... Take your seat on the Magical Train ,that takes you to the land of Freedom .... Congratulations on your fabulous Quit ....You have been given some great advice to keep you on the track ... We have a daily pledge....a great tool....it's a promise to yourself you don't smoke that day ... you'll be surprised at the power that has ... Get your self a ticker ...watch the days smoke free clock up....as well as the money .. My advice is ..Just enjoy being here amongst fellow quitters....supporting them ..helps you ...it makes you stronger.. Read and watch ... Knowledge is a great tool... I smoked 52 years ....you can do it ....all you need is to want it bad enough .... ps....A Bunny ,a pig ...and a Toad ....the Goat will show up later I'm sure ....

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There's a lot of people both ex smokers and never smokers who hate when I suggest this clue but I tell you what, it really did work for me and a lot of others. And I got the clue from another member of the forum I was on. I really missed the hand to mouth thing too and this did a great job until I was strong enough to let it go as well. And fyi, my husband is a never smoker too and he also asked me all the time that shouldn't I be "over it" already. And this was only after a couple months quit. My point being that people who have never smoked can never really understand what we go through when quitting both mentally and physically. So cut your hubby and any other never smoker some slack but keep doing whatever works for you to stay smoke free

Welcome Shezi, You have come to the right place for support. Everyone here is a former smoker and we are all in different stages of our quits. I personally quit cold turkey but they're many who quit with the patches and some who are still in the process of using them. I am closing in on 6 months quit after being a smoker for over 35 years. So, grab a seat and enjoy the ride to an happier and healthier life as a non smoker.

It's funny you should say that, I'd never heard of an air cigarette but right before I joined this forum today, after looking up nicotine mints and rejecting them (I'd never heard of those either), I read about this air thing on Amazon and ordered one! It'll come next week, one of the reviews said the size and weight felt right. I really miss the 'hand to mouth' action. Crazy right? So here's the thing, I showed it to my husband, who promptly said 'do you not think it's a step in the wrong direction?' Well clearly not, since I just ordered one, duh! But now I feel a bit stupid, I'm embarrassed that I 'need', if that makes any sense at all. As I said in my first post, people are proud of me, even the doc, but I feel like I have to live up to that, show strength and I really feel like I am... but jeez I miss it. Guys thank you so much for your brilliant welcome! Shezi

So glad you found us Shezi! This is such a wonderful place for friendship and support in quitting. You are doing great. The first month is the toughest. I would not bother with the nicotine mints. It is best to get the nicotine out of your system. Stay focused on your life of freedom. I promise you will get stronger and more powerful as you travel this journey. I smoked for 42 years and tried every quit method. I wasn't successful until I found this forum. Stay close to the forum, educate yourself and have some fun playing the games. You can do this!

Welcome aboard, Shezi! You have the right mindset, so you will be successful with your quit...but do lots of reading here and watching the Joel videos to educate yourself about the nicotine addiction. Congrats on the 6 week mark! Reward yourself and KTQ! PS I quit using NRT - patches and gum

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Hi everyone, I've spent ages looking for a support forum and you guys look the best fit for me, so here I am. I quit smoking about 6 weeks ago, the psychology of the decision took more than 2 years, the decision took 2 weeks, smoking the last cigarette took 6 minutes... it's a work in progress. I bought nicotine patches before I quit, took a short vacation (can't go on vacation and not smoke, I'll be stressed and miserable, yada yada yada), so made every effort to cut down until we got back. Thought about it some more when we returned home, and began to realise why the psychology takes so long! Eventually, let myself run out of cigarettes and decided the last one in the packet was the last one. And it was. I'm still using patches (21mg down to 14 mg, with a pack and a bit to go before I finish the program). Spoke with my doc this afternoon, she's thrilled. She suggested getting some nicotine mints in, for when I'm done with the patches, but I don't know, that feels like I'm still feeding a habit. I just want to think about next steps and avoid having a major wobble when the patches are finished. I think what I need is to hear from others about management. How did you manage quitting long-term? For those of you going through it right now, we can be travel buddies - how are you managing cravings? I haven't had too many cravings, in the early days of quitting, I would sometimes realise I was really thinking about smoking (not actually thinking to do it, just thinking about cigarettes) and then realise I forgot to put a patch on today. So off I'd pop and put on a patch and the thoughts would subside. I guess that's what craving is, right? Other days, I'd be so irritable that I'd pick a fight with my husband and then realise I had nowhere to stomp off to... that was hard. Its not been an easy journey so far, but it's not been as hard as I thought it would be either. I'm feeling strong, I'm feeling healthy. We walk around the block most days, it's just a mile and the elevation back up the hill is, according to my tracker, 18 floors. There's a point midway where I'd always stop and pretend to be admiring the view but, in actuality, I was doing a quick cardio recovery. I don't stop now, my chest feels clear, my breathing is good and there's no coughing and throat-clearing after exertion. I'm at a point where I don't want to give that up. Right now, I don't desire a cigarette. I don't want to be a smoker anymore. I've smoked for 30 years and never seriously tried to quit. I've always been able to last for hours between cigarettes without it hurting. I take several trans-Atlantic flights a year and can do that no problem. Having said that, I can go through bouts of near chain-smoking too. Depends on the situation. Got it all under control... so why am I here? I live in a world of non-smokers and they don't really 'get it' - that sounds ungrateful for their genuine support, but it's true. Sometimes, 'well done, I'm proud of you' isn't really what I need. Soon it will be 'you don't still need support do you?', in the way that people have when they don't realise the depth of something. You know? Well, I wasn't really going for 'War and Peace', so I'll stop there - just wanted to say 'hi'.

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Welcome aboard, @Shezi and congratulations on 6 weeks smoke free. You are doing a truly great thing. I can't give you any advice on the patch as I did not quit that way but there are many people here who can and I am sure you will hear some great advice about it. I do think it is great that you are noticing positive changes in your overall health and life since quitting. This is very important. Having the mindset and desire to "not be a smoker anymore" is also very important. Quitting is very doable. I smoked for 20 years and towards the end, I noticed that I had fewer and fewer smoking friends. When I was quitting, I didn't have many ex-smokers around me who "got it" when t came to quitting either. I joined an online quitting support forum similar to this one and the support and knowledge I gained really helped me and I'm sure it can help you too. There are a lot of resources here to educate yourself about nicotine addiction and a lot of people who will help support you. Keep reading. Write about your experiences. Reach out for help if needed. Participate. Quitting is a great thing. It is good to have you here.

Hi Shezi welcome to our train full of quitters and congratulations on six weeks quit already We have quite a few members who have successfully quit by using the patch so you're in good company. I agree with you that reintroducing nicotine after you're done with the patches is a step in the wrong direction. I quit cold turkey but what I would do when I got a bad crave was use my air cigarette. I just pretended I was holding an actual cigarette in my fingers and then went through the motions of "smoking" it. I can't believe how well it worked at tricking my mind into thinking it was getting the real thing. Some people use cut straws, pens, even licorice whips lol. We also have a great social section to help get your mind off smoking for a while so check those forums out as well

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G’day NOPE .....Not One Puff Ever.... (replace Ever with Min Hour Day as required!)

Hi Shezi, welcome to the Quit Train and congratulations on your decision to quit smoking! Like you, I used nicotine patches to help me quit. They were a godsend and made quitting so much easier (I had one other quit that was cold turkey). Personally, I don't think I would continue with nicotine (mints) after finishing the patches. I was very nervous at each step down in the patches. I had a little brain fog when I stepped down from 21 mg to 14 mg. I didn't notice any physical withdrawal symptoms when I stepped down from 14 mg to 7 mg and same thing when I went from 7 mg to no nicotine. So, for me, there was no reason to be nervous at all! I know we're all different though so you should do whatever you feel most comfortable with. Sounds like you are doing really well. Best wishes to you for a successful quit!

G’day NOPE .....Not One Puff Ever.... (replace Ever with Min Hour Day as required!)

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Gosh guys... I'm really sorry to hear the price you paid. I guess I got off lightly, it didn't feel so. In 2004, I randomly developed asthma. My then doc said he thought the damage had been done - he was as surprised as I was when the chest X-rays came back clear. Did I stop smoking? No, I didn't. In July this year, after a routine physical, my doc called to tell me blood pressure was up and I scored 121 on my bad cholesterol (good being 0-99). So please stop smoking. She's been saying this for 6 years now and I've learned to filter. I bought a blood pressure monitor so I could present my readings to her at my September follow-up appointment... day 2 tells me I have hypertension stage 2 and an irregular heartbeat. I can tell you this, I now know EXACTLY what it will take me to get me to stop smoking. Fear. Pure and simple. But like I said, I probably got off lightly.

Hi Shezi Welcome and congratulations on your six week quit. Sounds like you're doing well and keeping a positive attitude. Of course there will still be some bumps along the way and you'll just need to address them as they arise. Come here and vent, chat, or just browse. Others may start to think you should be "over it" by this point, but you have a new group who know better and will support you all the way. Keep up the good work. I seem to remember that Amazon eliminated their Return Department years ago because no one had ever made a mistaken purchase and all products worked beyond every customers expectations.

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Ok, I'm sorry - that was a mis-direct. I actually live in TN, the 'stuck' part refers to the fact that there is nowhere really to go and I can't go 'home' just now. Hopefully soon.

Unfortunately, most of Merritt's videos are blocked here in America. I'm sure I've mentioned it before but I hate the practice of Sony and UMG blocking music videos...now is not the time for that rant. Here is one video I found that those of us in the States can access...

Welcome Shezi. I think I know what you're referring to, when I started my quit I saw an ad for 1 of those "air cigarette" too, so I showed my wife and she immediately asked "If you really want to quit, why would you still want to pretend smoking?" I didn't order it, and I'm so glad I didn't because I now have true FREEDOM! If I have 1 of those air cig, I would still be mentally addicted. Take a seat and enjoy this wonderful train ride to Freedom Shezi.

Very sad news from the land down under...the wonderful Max Merritt has joined the chips on the otherside....so sad...i had a real to reel tape of him and the meteors that I literally played until it snapped....western union man is one of my all time favourite songs....too sad to listen to it tonight..

What a truly great post!

Way to go Mona. You;ve got this. Keep that quit going!

Smoking has lost me the life I should have had ...instead of the life it gave me .... My Hubby and me both smoked ..so the cost was unthinkable...we both smoked over Fifty years ... The amount of money would be enormous..... Paying for the privilege to ruin our health .... Watching someone suffer for approx 15 years fighting for every breath with Emphysema....watching them slowly lose the ability to even go the bathroom unaided ... wash...needing 24hour care ... In and out of hospitals ...phumonia never too far away .. While this was happening I was warned by my doctor ..if I continued to smoke ...both my feet would probably have to be amputated... Wow!!!....consider what that sinario would entail...both of us in a wheel chair .... That never happened ..because Hubby died before he could even enjoy a retirement ... What should have been our happy retirement years together was never to be ... I found Quit Train ...and managed to Quit and save my limbs ....and stay to warn others of the danger It's not always your lungs that get effected...it's every part of your body ....just because you don't cough ,doesn't mean there is nothing going on somewhere else ..I'm proof of that ... Well you decided what smoking has cost me ....

Subtitle: The Romance Is Dead! This is the time of year when many people quit smoking. Most especially, people who quit before but relapsed are trying again. I think that is wonderful (that they're coming back, not that they relapsed). Reading their posts has made me realize that in very many cases, people relapse because they are still romancing the cigarette. That means that they still WANT to smoke even though they know that smoking does nothing good for them. They still remember those quietly satisfying evenings on the deck smoking. They remember that a-a-a-h-h-h! of satisfaction with the first long draw on a cigarette. And they want that again. And so even if they are weeks or months into a quit-- even though the PHYSICAL addiction is long gone-- they essentially choose to go back to smoking because of the pull of these romantic fantasies about how good smoking was. Well, I was the poster child for romancing the cigarette. Throughout this quit and all my previous quits (of which there were several) I always wanted to smoke. I didn't smoke-- I controlled myself-- but I wanted to smoke. All the time. Almost every day. It seemed to me that after 4 or 5 months quit, almost everybody on the board was way done with smoking and happy about it. I still missed it. And that was frustrating because my rational brain KNEW that the "pleasure" of smoking was vastly over rated and mostly imaginary. I KNEW that I was romancing the cigarette and I really did not want to go back to smoking. But the seductive thoughts were there. Maybe not every day, but often enough to be very annoying. I'm here to tell you that today, more than 9 months after my quit, I realize that I am not desiring a cigarette hardly ever! This is a first for me. And this death of the romance is not just a matter of time-- I quit smoking before for periods of up to a year and still suffered from romancing. I think that the difference this time is that I educated myself about Nicodemon's lies. It's as though my rational brain has told my junkie brain over and over and over again "No, smoking is NOT pleasurable! And such small, brief pleasure as you feel when you smoke comes at way too great a cost! Forget it!" and finally, FINALLY junkie brain is quieting down. What a relief! Now I do admit that during these "romancing episodes" that I'm talking about-- those days when I really, really wanted a cigarette-- I had to remind myself over and over again about why I quit smoking in the first place and remind myself over and over again that I wanted to quit more than I wanted to smoke. I had to FIGHT to keep my quit many, many times over the months. The urge to smoke wasn't constant, but it was frequent. Sometimes it was quite miserable. I'm still jealous of people who seemed to have it easier than I did. I often thought that I was a "special snowflake" and I had it harder than other quitters-- few people admitted that they still wanted to smoke many months after a quit. But whether I had it worse than anyone else or not, I hung in there, reminded myself about why I quit, and that I was DETERMINED not to smoke. Now, at last, I can look back over the last few weeks and realize that the romance is dead. I finally, finally am at the point where I do think about smoking once in a while but it's like a vague thought that is easily dismissed, not a serious desire. I have heard others describe this "vague thought" phenomenon many months after a quit and I finally understand what they are talking about. So I guess I am writing this to say that if you are many weeks or months into a quit and you still want a cigarette, you are not alone. What you are experiencing is real. It does happen to some people (like me, for example). You are romancing the cigarette and you have to use your rational brain, your smoking education, and your strong desire to quit to fight the urge. And eventually, sooner or later, you will turn around one day and realize that the romance is dead. You really don't have to fight to keep your quit anymore-- you just have to remain vigilant and committed. Hang in there, folks! You can DO this!

Congrats on reaching 8 years quit Bakon! It's such a special occasion I felt I had to get you a gift. Enjoy!!!

Red explosive diarrhoea

Maddie has a barnyard themed playmat. If you touch the animals they either make a noise or play a song. Push the lamb and you get "Mary had a Little Lamb." My first thought was: Not bad, but I like Stevie Ray's version better.

Congratulations on 8 years quit Bakon! Hope you live it up today

Giving in mentally to a craving, loosing your focus happens Steven but the reason the SOS is so important is that it means you have to type out what you are experiencing then wait just a little while until you start getting replies. It's that delay time that could save your quit! It's not necessarily what any of us might say to you but more that the craving will have subsided at least a little and you have time to really think about what you are contemplating doing by lighting up again. If you haven't already, write an SOS message to yourself in advance. There's a thread in on the SOS page called Pre-Respond to Your Own SOS. After you send an SOS message for others to respond to, go there and read what you wrote to yourself in a more lucid moment. It all helps Steven