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It was five years ago today that I snubbed out my last smoke. I remember it like it was yesterday, now that I really think about it (which I rarely do anymore). I was standing in my usual smoking spot on the side of the house. I looked at my last smoke and said "I'm done". At that exact moment, I made the commitment to never smoke again. I promised myself that no matter what -no matter how hard it was or how angry I got - I would never EVER take another puff of a cigarette. Now here I am and all the withdrawals, obsessing, stressing and general madness that went along with the first days, weeks and months of my quit are all just very faded memories. I rarely even think about cigarettes anymore and when I do, it's hard to believe I ever smoked at all. It's just such a foreign concept. My girlfriend honestly forgets that I ever smoked and if I happen to tell people I've met that I used to smoke, they can't imagine it. I never thought I would NOT be thought of as a smoker. It's a pretty amazing feeling. I smoked a pack a day for thirty years and was as addicted as anyone and if I can quit, anyone can. YOU can! If you're struggling, stick with it. If you feel weak, post an SOS here. Make the commitment to never smoke again and honor that commitment Every. Single Day. Your life depends on it! YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!

For me, I am still having problems with sleep. It is normal, your body is going thru a lot of changes. You have to expect there will be some changes as you adjust. Just be kind to yourself, that is all you can do while the body and mind learn that there is no more nicotine. It is not easy but you can do it. Have patience in all things.

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

I am still having urges too, but they are already less intense and less often after only 3 days. I am trying to just wait them out without smoking. So far, so good. If I can do this so can you!

Yes my sleep was disturbed for a while ... I just kept telling myself whatever I was going through its will be Temporary.... You have have been feeding poisons into your body for Decades ...it's only natural it's a bit confused just now. Most of us have been where you are K....you have to be strong ...

Hi Kdad... You have been given good advice ... Go back and read all the info again ....it seems you are still romancing the cig .... We can give you all the help you want ...but only you can quit for you .... You have to make a choice whether you want to quit or not ... This is your health ,your life ,your fighting for .... Make the choice never to smoke again ...no matter what ....it does get easier as you go on ... Some things are worth fighting for ...let's do this !!!!

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People who have never smoked can't understand how addictive nicotine is. My husband, a never smoker, thought I should be over it after about six weeks quit. I explained that I will never be "over it". I will have to protect my quit for the rest of my life. Its no different than any other addiction.... As far as hiding smoking from others goes, yea, they know. Trust me. Especially never smokers with sensitive noses... Kdad, you know you can quit. You've done it twice before. Once for eight months and once for two years. Quit getting into your own head, buckle down, accept it will be a little uncomfortable for a while and lets get this done once and for all. We want to see you succeed!

Yes. Very common.

You should have said it was and I bet you would have gotten all kinds of sympathy But seriously, hope it feels better soon.

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Craving some fried okra. I just finished reading a post by Kris in another thread and could go for a heaping helping of okra right about now. Also, looking for a bit of sympathy. I smashed my middle finger today when I went to catch a cylinder of argon that was falling over. It is already starting to swell up. Jeff from the warehouse only asked: "that's not your whacking off hand is it?" So...I'm getting no sympathy from the guys I work with.

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Congratulations! May this year-one-nicotine-free be the first of many happy years as a nonsmoker!

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Hi @KdadNice to see you here. This is a tough process but a worthwhile one. Try to do as others have said. Drink loads of water it really does help with the cravings. Remember with each craving your body is healing. You can do this

@GusI know what you meant but I am going to posit something different: The "worst" is dying of this addiction. Withdrawal (at least that is how Allen Carr hooked it up) is the release of the disease-a cause for celebration! We have to be willing to go through the discomfort to get to the other side. Sending love and blessings to everyone on the QT tonight.

I can't relate to the pressure to quit by an external source because that was not my experience. My motivation was that I wanted to feel better, to not be a slave to a substance. I knew that it was never going to be an easy process but dying from smoking was going to be worse. I would think that having a partner who wants you to stick around could be a huge help in a quit, especially if you can communicate openly and honestly about it. This is a drug addiction; no different from heroin or meth. We are junkies and the process of recovery is oftentimes long and winding. The problem is that everyone pays the price for our addiction. Its horrible to watch someone suffer and die under any circumstances. In some ways, the guilt for EVERYONE involved is worse when its death/disease from an addiction because somehow we see this as a "choice." None of us smoked by choice. Rather our brains have been so destroyed by the nicotine that we told ourselves we chose to smoke when the reality was we were addicted. We have all of the information. I don't think anyone "chooses" to get lung cancer or COPD or emphysema. So if we are still smoking its because we are addicted. And so long as we are putting that drug into our system, we don't have any choice.

There is no way I could quit for someone else, and I really wanted to but it would never work out. When I relapsed at 1 month I considered keeping it a secret but because I really wanted to quit I knew I had to come clean. Everyone was really supportive and didn't put me down in any way. Now I have 3 days again and am starting to feel a bit better. It's still a bit of a roller coaster ride, but I am doing this for me because I'm worth it.

I have definitely been having weird sleep. Either too much or too little lots of tossing and turning and I'm vividly remembering my dreams which are all about struggles of one kind or another. One thing positive though, I don't have to hop out of bed for my first cigarette of the day any more so I just lay there and ease into getting up. I find it much more enjoyable.

Severe sleep issues in the beginning. I didn’t think that I would ever get over my insomnia.

Totally understand. It's a horrible addition! Think if you hold tight, you will never have to deal with this issue ever again

Yeah, I struggled with sleep for awhile. It's not too bad now. Just getting very vivid dreams. Stick with it the early days are rough just remember nobody dies from a craving but smoking can kill you!

Yes, thank you. It really helps us keep on keeping on.

Aww Hard Luck Boo.....Ouch .!!!!! Get Sugar Britches to Kiss it Better

Wow! That is amazing Jim. Thank you for stopping by and giving us this inspiring post.

Aced it! Congrats!! !

Congratulations Jim on five years! Thanks for checking in, it's always nice seeing an old friend

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

Bump, late night and found this. I have never met a person that did not love biscuits and sausage gravy. In my house, the biscuits were cracked open and buttered. Then covered in gravy with lots of black pepper. Pork sausage in patties served on the side. Brand, Jimmy Dean Hot. I could serve this to anyone and they would want a second plate. Making gravy is a southern must, if you can't do it you are not from the south (USA). You use the grease from cooking the sausage with flour to make the roux. Then add milk to make the gravy. Black pepper and salt to taste. I can't tell you how many times I made this for the family and for all the boys that had overnight video game sleepovers. I was quite popular with them. They were never hungry at our house. @BooYes I know about fried okra, I even grow my own. It does very well in the Texas climate. I was very loved at my Mom's nursing home. I would take in a bag of home grown okra and tomatoes and it made sure my Mom got the best care.

Yaaay Ace! Waydago on getting through your one year mark! Celebrate with anything and everything except nicotine! Congratulations!!!!!

@Kdad I am not going to speak of your pain or your struggle. I do not know the depth of your hurt or anguish. What I do know is you want to quit smoking. That could be for health problems, that you want to have a future with your loved ones. Whatever the reasons are to you, they mean something to you. You are the one that has to dig deep and decide what you are going to do. Once you have done that you will give yourself permission to know that you deserve this, that you have value to your family, friends and all those in your life. You deserve to go thru everyday feeling good physically and mentally. I know it is hard, it is hard for all of us. We are just as addicted to a bad thing as the homeless on the street. We try to pretend otherwise but we know deep down they are struggling thru life just like us with our own problems and addictions. We all come to a point that we have to decide the direction our lives should take. You are there and you know the answers, now you just have to stay strong. Save yourself, you are young with so much in front of you, don't waste time, make it count!!

@BooI knew that would be the one popping up! I am even afraid to go to the Zoo now!!

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Oh that one is tricky, I have never and would never hide my smoking. If I wanted to smoke that is my choice. You do not need anyone's permission. You are an adult. You will be the one to pay the price for the choice you make. I have lost connection to some of my husband's family for being honest about my smoking. I caught "as they say" them smoking on the side of the house during a family gathering. They said "we knew we would see you out here", I said "No you won't, I will be sitting in a chair at the table on the patio. I am not ashamed, and I am not hiding from anyone". Let's say they did not like my opinion on the matter. All of this must be choice you make. If you chose to smoke and get sick it will be your choice but do not expect that others will feel bad, that they will take care of you. I know you don't want to accept that, you do not want the cold hard truth that we have to accept that with choice we make. Believe us, we know how hard it is, the suffering. @jillarsaid it, it will never be over, accept that forever is the thing that will save your health and your life. You know how to do this, you have done it before. Do this for you and no one else. You matter to everyone in your life!

Congratulations Jim. 5 years smoke free is awesome . I'm really happy for you.

Congratulations Jim ... 5 years is Inspirational.....Good to see you ...

Congratulations Steven, you are doing so great. Keep it up and don't forget to reward yourself today.

Sorry @Kdad. The withdrawal from nicotine is the worst. It is necessary though. Please do whatever you have to do to keep from smoking. You’ve done so well just by reaching out for support. That shows you really want to be done with nicotine controlling every aspect of your life. I hope that you stick close. Reading as much as possible on this site helps so much. Drink plenty of cold water and cranberry juice. Also, take off out the door and make a couple of laps around the yard, down the street and back. It helps. It really does!

It looks like you have been here before @Kdad, maybe a few times? Like all of us? I am attending on line support meetings (Nicotine Anonymous). You may find the fellowship helpful. I certainly am and if I needed any impetus to quit, its understanding that it doesn't get any easier and becomes seriously fatal. Here's the link: http://www.voicesofnicotinerecovery.com. Hope to see you there.

@KdadWelcome and congratulations! It is hard until it isn't. It stays hard as long as we keep using nicotine. Once you get through the withdrawal, life takes on a different glow. In terms of help, read everything on the site. Drink lots and lots of water. Distract yourself mentally by doing whatever it is that you can to occupy yourself. I worked out a lot, cleaned and stuck close to the QT. I made flashcards to remind myself of why I was quitting and to remind myself all I was giving up was an early death. Keep reaching out and, whatever you do, do not smoke. That just starts the whole darn thing all over again. Karen