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It's been roughly 518 days or 1 year 5 months and 28 days since my last smoke. I've had many craves along the way but everyone one of them was easily manageable. I can be done.

Its been 8 months and 23 days, it can be done. I have had many craves but finally getting past them. It just takes time, I smoked along time so it takes a commitment to NOPE!!!

NOPE

Join me in showing it can be done. Just say how many days it's been since you had even one puff/chew of any tobacco product. 25 glorious days - I've had many hundreds of cravings, but not one of them twisted my arm, put my head in a vice, or used a taser on me.

Nope...never?

G’day A week to go and it’s 6 years since I smoked. Somewhere in that first year my mind slipped that gear and I changed from being a smoker to a non smoker. I celebrate each morning with a NOPE pledge then get on with the important task of living life..........

Sporting approx 234 awesome days of freedom!!

NOPE

Nope.

NOPE!

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

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

2400ish days, which is also about how long the first few months felt to me. Big congrats on your first 25 and for realizing so soon what a glorious achievement each day is!

NOPE…

NOPE!

Almost 7 years (next month). It took a while but I finally came to the realization of how unhealthy I was physically and mentally having my life revolve around nicotine addiction. So glad I quit.

Congratulations Justin ... Heres a pat on the back from me ... Over 8 years Smoke Free for me

Here's mine PS. @JustinHoot99, have you considered adding a ticker to your signature so you too can easily see all the time, money and cigarettes NOT smoked add up?

50 hours. Weird. Had a nice day out shopping. Hungry though. Just going to forgive myself for my bad food choices until day three is over!

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

NOPE

NOPE…

NOPE!

NOPE 20 Years today.

NOPE

Nope!!!

White water kayaking sounds like a fun workout! Today was my long bike ride and banged out 50 miles in 3 hours- just over 16 mph. It was hot with a headwind last 20 miles luckily I planned and had plenty of water on board

Say hello to my little friend - my new ticker.

If you can do 16 hrs, you can keep going. So glad your back and ready to finally quit.

I'm a bit of a river rat myself. Worked as a raft guide (Ocoee and Nantahala). Did a lot of kayaking. Transitioned to a canoe. Used to travel up to West Virginia every year for Gauley Fest. Had a nice little sing-a-long with a few hundred friends to this one. Good times.

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

NOPE!

I've just got home from work. Weirdly no cravings so far. Just need to find ways to fill those gaps....so having a cup of tea in the sun.

Nope!

Nope!

Thanks for all the support and feedback everyone. Can't wait to mark that new calendar sheet tomorrow.

NOPE…

NOPE!

NOPE!!!!!!

Hi. I'm not exactly new here. Just a failed ex forum member. But I'm back now. Quit two hours ago. All cigarette reminders thrown away. I've come to bed with my cats. I'm very stressed right now....not the lack of cigarettes....yet.....but the shame of what I have done to my body over the years and I don't feel I can talk to anyone about it. Hence why I am here. Nice to meet you all.

Glad you're back, Sparkles!

1367 hard to believe days and not turning back!!

Six treatments--two each week for six weeks, then another three weeks later, and yet another five weeks after that one. They it's "as needed." Some people come back every few months, some people go much longer. I had the second two days ago. No dramatic boost in mood this time, but the good mood established on Monday persists. Truly, if this helps with nicotine addiction, it could be a game changer. The only problem is the expense. Insurance doesn't cover it for addiction treatment. On the other hand, smoking is very expensive.

Welcome PatriciaLM. This is a wonderful place for support in quitting. I smoked for 42 years and tried every possible method to quit but was not successful until I landed here. Stay close to the forum, educate yourself, play some games and make some new friendships. We are here to help you on your journey. You can do this!

This article is about how nicotene addicts try to change the law of addiction which leads to the demise of their quit. Caring for Our Recovery by John R Polito The recovered alcoholic, the heroin addict, the nicotine addict, deep down each knows the "Law of Addiction." They've heard it over and over again. Just one sip, one tiny fix, or one little puff of nicotine, just once, that's all it takes and the addict is back! They know that either immediately or in a short period of time they'll once again be slaves to their old level of drug use or greater. We know the Law of Addiction so why do we break it? There are three primary factors associated with relapse: (1) rewriting the law of addiction; (2) an excuse; and (3) a vague memory. It doesn't matter if it happens within two hours, two days, two weeks, two months, two years, or twenty, the factors remain the same and apply to all of us. Rewriting the law is easy and you don't need a pencil, paper or computer to do it. Amending the Law of Addition "Just one puff" and then "do not pass go, do not collect $200, but go directly to the addict's prison and surrender your freedom for good." It isn't that the recovering nicotine addict doesn't know or believe the law of addiction because we do. It's just that we begin to believe that we're the exception. We convince ourselves that we're stronger and smarter than those who discovered the law, and wiser than all addicts who came before us.We amend the law. We put ourselves above it. "Just one, it'll be ok, I can handle it, I'm stronger than the others, a little reward, it's been a while, I've earned it." I'm sorry. As soon as such thoughts begin infecting the mind they tend to start feeding on themselves and in all likelihood, your body's period of healing and freedom is over. Your dreams and hard work are all being thrown into a dirty toilet that one puff of nicotine is about to flush. Instead of saying that you can handle "just one," a truthful statement would have been "I can handle them all, give them all back to me, my entire addiction, all the ashtrays, the coughs, the stink, the endless stream of 4,000 plus deadly chemicals that come with each puff (including up to 81 known cancer-causing agents), the constant gradual destruction of every cell in my lungs and the gradual clogging and hardening of every blood vessel in my body, the 50/50 chance of killing myself 13-14 years early, all the money it will cost me to stay enslaved for years and years to come (together with massive future price increases designed to get me to quit), the growing social pressures that will make me feel even more like an outcast, I want it all back, all of it!" It's far easier for the junkie mind to create a one puff or one cigarette exception to the "law" than admit the truth. A one pack a day addiction is 7,300 cigarettes a year. Don't picture smoking just one. Instead, picture yourself sticking at least a year's supply into your mouth all at once. Try fitting them all into your mouth because, in truth, that's exactly where they'll be going, year after year after year. "To thine own self be true." You deserve the truth - you paid the price - you earned it. The Perfect Excuse The excuse can be anything. Usually, the addict waits for that great excuse to come along, but some get tired of waiting and any old excuse will do. Even joy! A reunion with an old smoking buddy, a few drinks with friends, a wedding, graduation, or even a baby's birth and a free nicotine laden cigar, or trying a harmless looking new nicotine delivery device like the 27 flavors of suckers, the straw, lozenges, candy or even nicotine water or soda, why not! But joyful or even stupid nicotine relapse is harder to explain to yourself and those you love. The smart nicotine addict waits for the great excuse, the one that we know we can sell to ourselves and others. As sick as it may sound, the easiest to sell and the best of all is the death of a loved one. Although everyone we love is destined to die and it'll happen sooner or later, for the reformed addict it's the perfect excuse for relapse. I mean, who can blame us for ingesting highly addictive drugs into our bodies upon our mother's death. Anyone who does would have to be extremely insensitive or totally heartless! Right? Losing a job, the end of a relationship, serious illness, disease or financial problems are all great excuses too - it's drug time again! The addict is back! Lost Memories But an excuse doesn't work alone. It needs help. Failing memories of "why" we were willing to put ourselves through the anxieties and emotions of physical withdrawal, and weeks and weeks of psychological adjustment in order to break free, breathe fatal life into any excuse. Most of us failed to keep a detailed record of why we commenced recovery or what it was like. Instead, we are forced to rely upon our memory to accurately and vividly preserve the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. But now, the memory in which we placed all our trust has failed us. It isn't that your memory is bad, faulty or doing anything wrong. In fact, it's working as it should to preserve in as much detail as possible the joyful events of life, while forgetting, as quickly as possible, all the pain and anguish that we've felt, including our disdain for the addict's life we lived. To have our brains do otherwise would make life inside our minds unbearable. If women were forced to remember the true agony and intense pain of childbirth, most would have just one. We are each blessed with the gift to forget. So how does the reformed nicotine addict who failed to keep accurate records of their journey revive their passion for freedom and recall liberty's price? If we forget the past, are we destined to repeat it? Not necessarily. It doesn't have to be. But just as any loving relationship needs nourishment to flourish, we can never take our recovery for granted or the flame will eventually die and the fire will go out. We have to want to protect this glory until the day we die.We have to turn that "want" into action. If we do, we win. If not, our fate may be up in the air with serious risk of relapse followed by crippling disease or even a very early grave. Whether it's daily, weekly or monthly, our recovery needs care. If you don't have a detailed log to regularly review when faced with adversity, upon each anniversary of your quit, or at each birthday, do your best to create one now. Talk to those still smoking and ask for help in revitalizing your memories. Encourage them to be as truthful as possible. Although they may look like they're enjoying their addiction to smoking nicotine, the primary joy they get is in keeping their body's blood serum nicotine level within the comfort zone, so as to avoid the onset of the anxieties and craves of early withdrawal. Show them your pen and paper and invite them to help you create your list. You may even cause a spark in them. Be kind and sincere. It wasn't long ago that those were our shoes. Also, try envisioning the first week. What was it like? Can you still feel the powerful craves as your body begged and cried to be fed? Can you still feel the pain? Do you see yourself not being able to concentrate, having difficulty sleeping, feeling depressed, angry, irritable, frustrated, restless, with tremendous anxiety, a foggy mind, sweating palms, rapidly cycling emotions, irrational thinking, emotional outbursts or even the shakes? Do you remember these things? Do you remember the price you paid for freedom? Do you remember why you were willing to pay it? If you have access to a computer, you won't need a smoker's help or even to recall the early days of your own journey. You can go on-line to scores of smoking cessation support groups and find thousands of battles being fought, hear tons of cries and watch hundreds struggling for survival as they cling to the promise of the rich sense of inner calmness, quiet and comfort that lies beyond.Visit as often as possible. Make a few posts to those in need. The most important thing you can tell them is the truth about why you are there. Tell them how comfortable and complacent you've become. It's what they yearn to hear! Many smoked their entire adult life and have a difficult time believing that withdrawal isn't permanent. Fear of the unknown is frightening. Help them and in doing so help yourself. If you find yourself attempting to rewrite the law of addiction, stop, think, remember, read, revisit, revive and give to others, but most importantly, be honest with you. Terrible and emotional events will happen in each of our lives - such is life. Adding full-blown nicotine relapse to any situation won't fix, correct or undo your underlying concern. In your mind, plan for disaster today. How will you cope and keep your healing alive should the person you love most in this world suddenly die? What will you do? Remember, we've only traded places with our chemical dependency and the key to the cell is one puff of nicotine. As long as we stay on this side of the bars, we are the jailers and our dependency the prisoner. We only have two choices. We can complete this temporary period of adjustment and enjoy comfortable probation for life or we can smoke nicotine, relapse, and intentionally inflict cruel and unusual punishment upon these innocent bodies for the remainder of their life, together with inviting a 50/50 chance that you'll be putting yourself to death. If the first choice sounds better - comfortable lifetime probation - then we each need only follow one simple rule - NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PUFF!

I have some people I COULD talk to, but it's not the same as being here. Here I have people who either are about to, just starting, intermediate, and long term quitters. Lots of experience and they don't mind hearing me whine when I'm down, give advice when needed, and congratulate small victories on a daily basis.

NOPE

Welcome back sparkles, glad to see you're ready to get your forever quit Stick close to the board and lean on us to help you succeed

Glad you posted I know when I first quit the gas station is like 5 minutes from me, to darn close!! It caused me to relapse a couple times.When I finally quit I would fight those craves and some nights watch the clock till 10 that was when they closed. Tell myself another day with out. Keep up the good work!!! There is no just one you know that!!! You got this!!! When you have a crave look at a picture of your beautiful son and use that as the incentive!!!

Congratulations on 5 years smoke free, @Lust4Life and thank you for the support you continue to show others.