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

NOPE

NOPE

NOPE! Not today.

Nope!

Congratulations on four months free @Katgirl, that is awesome And thank you for your support throughout our forum. I hope you do something just for you today

NOPE!

Good job Katgirl. Congratulations.

This all gets back to the one question. The only question that matters in determining the success of a quit: Did I smoke today? If the answer to that question is "no", you're good to go. If you answered "yes", you're not doing it right. If you craved a cigarette all day but didn't smoke one, your quit is good. If you romanticized cigarettes all day but didn't smoke, your quit is good. If you were cranky or weepy or a little bit of both but refused to light up, your quit is good. Quitting smoking is a one question test that is graded on a pass/fail basis. The degree of difficulty one has in taking the test is not a factor. Not smoking is the only thing that matters in a quit. Everything else is a peripheral issue.

WooHoo! Happy 4th @Katgirl!!! It’s been great having you here with us!

NOPE! Not on my watch!

Nope!

NOPE!

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

Nicotine invades our minds and makes us think crazy dumb thoughts when it comes to quitting An opponent to be respected for sure, and one I never want to face again, although I am mightier

NOPE!!!!!!

Nope!

Congrats to you, Katgirl!

Keep grinding it out, Darcy, and know that difficulties beyond the first week or two are not at all an indication that there is anything wrong with your quit or approach. I think that's really important for newer quitters to hear, as pronouncements about how "nicotine is out of the body in 3 days!" or claims that all one needs to do is adopt a positive attitude or exhortations to "STOP ROMANCING THE CIGARETTE!" can sometimes imply to a struggling quitter that something is deficient in her/his approach. I definitely felt that in some earlier failed quits and even in the early stages of this, my forever one. But I've come to understand that some people are just not wired in ways that make them super receptive to those messages, and it was important for me to let my experience be what it would it be instead of simply attempting to redefine it (or worse, to chastise myself for it not being what/how it was supposed to be). So I embraced the ambivalent, messy, even angry quit; and, amazingly, that slowly and organically transformed into a durable, peaceful, and happy one. But it took me a long time to get to that point. I recall a day in 2002, months into my quit, when--after many terrible days in a row--I stood outside my office building with an unlit cigarette in my mouth, matches at the ready, and tears streaming down my face. But, thankfully, I persisted. And in retrospect that moment really marked a turning point for me, one that I've subsequently generalized as follows: Things finally began to get better for me when I realized I would stay quit even if things never got any better for me. I sure hope (and chances are very good!) that it won't take as long for you as it did for me to turn that corner, and I'm sharing my experience with you to enable just that. But know that as long as you remain smoke-free, you're making progress, regardless of how crappy you feel at day 2 or 20 or 120. And the freedom you're gaining is, quite possibly, even more transformative than you think. Keep up the great work, friend--we all know you can do it! You ARE doing it! Christian99 Nearing 20 Years Quit

NOPE!

So true and couldn't agree more. I'm not adding any fuel to the fire today, just simply not going to do it!!

I'll be traveling next week for a few weeks. I remember hating airports and going through TSA multiple times so I could go outside and smoke. Hotels sucked also because smoking was difficult. How awesome is it that now i'm worried about finding a lap pool and what type of equipment they have in the fitness center er.

Present!

NOPE…

And I'm a nicotine addict. This was the hardest realization for me to have to admit but once I did my quit got so much easier. Most of us associate addiction with drugs or alcohol but never smoking. Which is ironic because there are 1000's of chemicals in just one cigarette. Chemicals meant to keep us addicted. I owe my success first of all to myself for having the good sense to reach out to others who had or were going through the same journey. I also owe it to the support given by fellow quitters who would tell me when I was thinking junkie thoughts. Thoughts like "why can those people smoke but I cant" or "I'll wait until ______to quit". Excuses given by drug addicts to continue doing what they're doing and my drug was nicotine. There's no shame in admitting it for me now, five plus years quit. I think the sooner you accept that you are the better off you'll be. And the easier your quit will be.

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Congratulations @Katgirl !! Keep up the awesome work!

Great Post Jillar..... Once my addict brain admitted this ....it all made sense .... I wasn't a lady who liked a cigerette for all the reasons I thought ....I was a addict Who was addicted to Nicotine .

Congratulations Katgirl !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations on your great 4 Months of Freedom ....

THAT was awesome! Well done, Sir!

I totally agree, Boo-- C99

Yes it is. Lifting weights is one thing. Lifting a weighted object while the weight is constantly shifting makes things that much more difficult. The dissonant voices in my head agreed that the sandbag workout both "sucked" and was "awesome." A little bit of masochism goes a long way.

Congratulations on 3 months @Steven Drojensky. Stay vigilant as 3 months is a tricky milestone.

I'm here!!!

I'm here, but I don't know who this other guy is.

The realization that Chris just described marked the turning point in my quit. I had pledged to dig in my heels and fight like hell. Then I asked myself: what am I fighting? Cigarettes and cravings, an inanimate object and some passing thoughts. The things I was fighting have as much or as little power as I give them. I knew if I smoked again it wouldn't be because the cigarettes launched an offensive and caught me unprepared. If I smoked again it would be because I made the choice to light up another cigarette. The choice was mine and I had all the power. The day I quit fighting was the day I won the war.

NOPE…

I loved that thread too d2 and tried to get it off qsmb but some of the threads weren't archived by the wayback machine and that unfortunately was one of them

What a lovely post @jillar. Hope it helps someone reach out for help and overcome their addiction. We have all benefitted from that help here in some way. I always thought I could quit anytime (for all of the 40 years I smoked) and actually never could until I joined a forum and found people 'like me' who were going through the same withdrawal process and shared their experiences which of course totally resonated. It's totally cool to share your experiences - we've all been there. I do miss a post that listed the first days and weeks of quitting in a really humorous way - yes, it was funny and was absolutely spot on.

Dear Jillar, I agree with everything you have said. I no longer feel bad or less than because I was an addict. I am doing everything I can to get better. I do not have friends or family that understand my struggle or how hard it is. Here, I have people who know what the heartache and mental battle we face everyday. I quit because of medical reasons, which were bound to come sooner or later. We just keep telling ourselves we are okay when it is far from the truth. I hope long after this young people will come here and see that someday this will happen, stop now, live a long healthy and happy life for you, your children and friends. K

Amen, Sista! I will never forget the moment I faced the ugly truth of my addiction head on and called myself exactly what I am. A nicotine addict. I wept for hours!

Congratulations on another month smoke free @Steven Drojensky. you've got this!

I offer nothing

Congratulations, Ace! Keep it up and you will soon be so much more comfortable. It just gets better and better...plus the moolah is great!

Hi @NOPEster! Its good to "see" you and hear how good you're doing!

Here I am!

@Freedom53 I can relate so much however I am not as strong or brave, I have been using NRT to get thru this nightmare, hoping I will make it past the worse part. I feel like I am doing well considering other things I deal with. We just have to take it 1 minute, 1 hour, 1 day at a time. We can do it with focus and the help from other people here. Right now my brain is curled up in the fetal position for reasons not related to smoking but it does make that crave worse. I have learned that I will always feel that pull, I have to find other ways to handle it. You are not alone! K

Congratulations Steven .... A quarter of the way to the Lido .....Don't forget the Rewards....

I'm still here.