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Hi Pedro.. I used to compare myself to a little hamster running around on that Wheel.failure after failure . Your over thinking. Quitting is a matter of choice .you light up that cigarette or you dont . There is only one rule ..Dont smoke. once you have made that decision and stick to it ,it all comes clear. Now ..willpower just might help you along sometimes . It doesnt matter how ,just get yourself to Freedom !!

Hi, Pedro! Welcome back. Is this Day 1 for you? Hoping you are ready to take the plunge. The loop you describe of quitting and relapsing and quitting again is very demoralizing. If you can stick with your quit you will feel so much better. The "willpower" debate is an interesting one. Smoking is a very powerful addiction. And because it is an addiction - not just a habit or indulgence - it must be met with determination, grit and compassion. No rationing or half-measures will work, in my opinion. Whether or not you use the word "willpower," the only way to stop smoking is to actually stop smoking. I do believe that everyone can quit... even people who perceive themselves to have "no willpower." But it does require us to grind through some difficult times when the temptation to smoke again will be strong. The most important thing is to take smoking off the table and to focus on the fact that you are gaining a beautiful freedom by shaking off this addiction.

G’day I landed at the doctors with a pretty heavy cold about a year after my quit. Lots of pills and potions followed and I began my love hate relationship with predasone. Once I’d healed I did the tests and it was official. Yep I had COPD. I had to face the hard reality that it could never be healed and would only get worse. I got the big warning from the doc not to smoke again ( as if!) The two biggies to help was to keep the weight down and to get moderate exercise. Easy …..started to walk every morning and felt better for it. Lost slowly the extra weight that comes with giving the smokes away. Still couldn’t say COPD out aloud though it was the elephant in the corner.

Welcome back, Pedro, and good call on trying to quit smoking again. It really is something that you can do for good. I am a huge believer in Allan Carr's book and it really changed my overall view of smoking. That being said, I didn't agree with 100% of what he wrote. The biggest thing I personally took from Carr's book was that smoking provided NOTHING of positive value to me. All of it was negative....even that rush or feeling of relief after lighting up after not smoking for a while isn't really a feeling of relief....it is just putting your body, and mind, through more torture as you go through the roller coaster of quitting and relapsing. Regarding the term "willpower" @Doreensfree may have put it best. You are overthinking it. Carr's writings are very useful but at the end, his point is life as a non-smoker is far better. Realize that nothing good comes from smoking and that lighting up will only set you back into the same unhealthy cycle you are going through. Try to focus on the positives of not smoking as it does get better over time.

I feel ya Chris, it's a brutal disease for sure, xoxo. I quit for the same exact reason and almost four years after quitting suffered respiratory failure as you all know from something viral (Covid?) it's unknown......... My tip is don't wait until you have shortness of breath to quit. COPD is a chronic condition with no cure that worsens over time. You can slow the progression greatly simply by quitting smoking!

Sorry to hear this, @Cbdave Smoking really is horrible. I'm glad you have quit smoking and kept the quit.

Sorry to hear @Cbdave. Many of us have damaged our lungs over the years and decades of smoking. At least we quit adding to that damage by quitting! Many don't quit even after it's clear they must.

I would agree that there are times when sheer willpower came in very handy during the early days of my quit but what I started with was an absolute and unwavering commitment to quit smoking. I focused my entire life for the next few weeks on changing the way I thought about smoking and developing a set of tools that would help me through the really challenging days (and there were plenty of those!). I read a lot of material on the subject and relied to a large degree on people from this forum for support throughout the first year of my quit. You can't beat that combination; knowledge & support from those who gone through the same process!

Welcome to the Quittrain Stewbum! Glad to have you join us. This is a great group of caring and helpful people who will help you through your quit. We have quitters here ranging from just a couple short months, like myself, to people who have quit over a decade ago. This is my 2nd and final time quitting. First time I was quit for 6 years but, unfortunately went back. Now, I take it one day at a time and am doing well. So stick around and Good luck to you!!

NOPE

Yep. well how do I start this thing but at the start ..! actuating the end of my smoking. A cold became pneumonia … I was a pretty sick puppy. Scared me, enough to give the lung busters up. i started my quit ignoring a smokers cough and a shortness of breath. How do you admit to that? I didn’t I’m now a non smoker

Welcome aboard Stewbum, congratulations on your decision to take your life back again. Remember, you are stronger than the addiction. You have just joined the best support group there is for quitting smoking. We are all here to support you every step of the way. Don't be afraid to ask for help or for advice. We got you.

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

Hi Chris. I really appreciate your telling us this story. Smoking really robbed us of so very much, it's hard to accept that sometimes. But your sharing about your COPD is helpful and motivating for others. I especially like the reminder to walk a little every day. I need to get better at that, myself. In the meantime, take good care. And a big honking NOPE for good measure!

Sorry to hear this news Dave . Smoking ...what a horrible addiction .. Sending you a Hug from the Pool X

@Pedro tough cycle your in right now, as DB says its easier not to smoke. Grit, determination, willpower, mindset etc. yes you need some of that but for me knowing the why as Allen Carr describes made it so much easier to stay quit. All this quitting stuff is actually simple, just don't smoke, its just not easy. All the best on your quit.

Thank you Sandi.

NOPE.... NOT TODAY!!

NOPE

NOPE…

NOPE!

NOPE!

NOPE!

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

Hi again, Stewbum. I really struggled - a lot - with confusion and inability to focus when I first quit. It wasn't lethargy per se (because I was really antsy wanting to smoke). But I did have a very hard time concentrating, and had a major case of the "blahs." It drove me bonkers. Folks here on the Train assured me that "brain fog" is a very real, but also temporary, side effect of quitting. It did get gradually better, after maybe 3 weeks. Because I became highly sensitive to caffeine after I quit, I needed something else to "snap back" to attention during this time. Ice cold fizzy drinks and brisk walks around the house helped, as did shaking my arms and legs very vigorously for about 3 minutes. You'll get through it, Stewbum!

NOPE

Hi Stewbum....I get what you are going through. Even though the nicotine is out of your system, for some reason it leaves lasting effects. I am quit a bit over 2 months and got a sinus infection/cold/whatever you want to call it, 3 weeks after I quit. It went away after 3 weeks and then came back, so I have it pretty much for over a month. I think quitting smoking, even though it's very healthy, gives us weird symptoms!!! I have also gone through equilibrium problems related to the sinus problem,. which is related to quitting, at least I believe. I can't say about your confusion, but I'm sure someone can chime in about it. Quitting smoking is a wonderful thing, BUT, for some reason it makes lots of bad symptoms that we never went through. The first time I quit, I never had anything like what I'm experiencing now, but I think that is because I was on Chantix, and now I did a weaning method. Who knows what goes on with our bodies! Hang in there and talk to people on this board because there are many that I'm sure went through at least one of your symptoms! Good luck!!

Nope!

You are not alone. I hope to see you feeling better.

I'm back again on the train. I am used to think that kicking the habit requires a lot of willpower. I have been on this loop for some years now (5+). Allen Carr says it does not require willpower, which is something I honestly, deep down, don't believe, honestly. I really believe it is willpower, but I am also open, really, to eye opening comments on wether or not it is a question of willpower. Now we would have to define willpower here, I suppose. Willpower, and there is also another term that is not willpower but is related to it: mindpower. I don't think I have willpower, nor mindpower. as stated above I have tried willpowering my way into a quit. failed failed failed. One thing I really like about Allen Carr is is realization that he had one day. It resonates with some books I read (not about smoking). There is deep down a point where one can realize that it is easy to cut down on anything just like that. I believe Allen reached that "point". And that is what he carries with him to help smokers. and trully be an advocate of this "point of realization" that exists in each human being. I plan to linger in this forum to help me quit. Helping myself. And please be open to debunk my thoughts/ideas in this forum and in this thread. love to all

Thank you for the Blues. HA HA !! Yes this is pretty bumpy as we speak, the energy levels right now are almost non existent! Luckily, I am not a pessimist but lean more toward a realist. I am happy that this has begun and excited to start taking care of the damage control .. Thank you and Cheers! Stew.

High all. So I am having so much trouble concentrating along with massive confusion and lethargy. I know the nicotine should be out of my system leaving me with the lack of energy. I don't remember the last quit 2016 being this confusing ? Most of the cravings are easily passed by, don't get me wrong there are some sneaky ones that makes my head spin!! I almost all the time have a equilibrium issue along with a constant buzzing in my ears and the headaches... they suck but were expected. Definitely coughing up some nasties of which makes me very happy. This post probably could have been put in the SOS column but its not an SOS... Too bad there isn't a POS column or a cussers only area. !!!! My major concern at this point is the confusion at my business, even though any day is important to be clean in thought this week is probably a more pivotal decision week. I was expecting this brain fog to subside a little more after the first week? The absolute blessing is my Son has the abilities to make and direct me in some of these decisions. I am not going to smoke so we don't really have to go there its more of a dicussion of timing I need. I do realize the freedom that I search for is a slow process just don't remember when more mental clarity can be expected. I realize we are all different but just yapping and searching. Cheers.

Welcome, Stew! Stay close, we gotchu. Congrats on changing your life for the better

OO OK Chicks .... time to get off the first place podium. Sticks are takin' over!!

20 !

Nicotine addiction is far uglier than I ever thought, smoking is a life sucking habit created by people for profit, terrible. All the best to you @Cbdave and thank you for sharing your story.

NOPE!

Hey stew, I remember you calling yourself a basket case in 2016 and having a hard time. The thing is each quit is different so what you experienced your last quit may be way different from this quit. As far as the headaches go I believe without a doubt its the quitting caffeine and not from quitting smoking. The brain fog on the other hand is and how long it lasts varies too. I seem to recall having it for about three weeks or so. Drinking juice or sweets seem to help and make sure you're drinking lots of water. That helps loosen the junk in our lungs to make it easier to cough out. You're doing great so keep it up We do have a curse it thread in our Off the Record forum : https://www.quittrain.com/topic/835-can-we-have-a-curse-it-threadwith-warnings-as-sometimes-i-just-wanna-ffffffffffff/

Hey, Stew. Welcome aboard! It's been great to see you chiming in on the NOPE thread, and I was hoping you'd share a bit more of your story, so thanks. It's wonderful to meet you! I, too, lost a long (several years) quit, after which the addiction roared back more fiercely than ever before. And I can totally relate to your experience of putting smoking first, about family, health, and common sense. Addiction is so crazy. But here we are, on our way to freedom! Congrats on your five days. As you know, there will be some bumps along the way but lean into the support here and we'll help you through them. I really truly thought that life would suck forever without smoking. But it doesn't! All kinds of good things await!

I’m sorry to hear this @Cbdave but glad you shared. Reminding us to be mindful of our health. I tend to let things go and ignore little issues I may question in the back of my mind. Sometimes I find myself thinking I’m bulletproof because I quit smoking but the truth is far from that. Take good care of yourself.

Doreen. Yes Bassman.

NOPE ! NO WAY! NOT TODAY!