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NOPE!

NOPE…

NOPE!!

Nope

NOPE!

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

Nope!

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

Nope!

EZPZ

NOPE

Nice job quitting 4 years great post of encouragement to new quitters.

NOPE!!

NOPE!

Nope

Nope!

Welcome aboard Penguin, there is no better site for knowledge and support for people who want to kick the habit. Congratulations on your quit so far. We are always willing to welcome and support new members. Grab a seat on the train and enjoy the ride towards your forever quit.

I had a terrible event of breathlessness and anxiety that I never experienced before. It made me realize that this old lady had better quit! I was sucking down nicotine losenges and that just wasn't doing it. I went to a well reviewed vape shop and OMG, met a person who understood and helped. Just starting on my journey but I'm not longer terrified.

N O P E

NOPE - I don't smoke anymore

Congratulations on 7 years free @notsmokinjo, I hope you stick around for a while because we miss you when you're gone! Have a great day my friend

NOPE!! Nice pic @Reciprocity, is that from your cruise?

20

Guns N' Roses - November Rain

Have to say I did not make it to the pool yesterday. I find it difficult getting motivated early in the morning. But I plan to go to the pool on Wednesday morning. Cheers, Gene

I know I’ve been really bad about checking in here. I’m a couple months past my 4 year anniversary and felt compelled to touch base and if I can help anyone struggling, to do so. If you told me 14 years ago, when I first quit, or any of the 10 years between then and when I actually did quit that I’d be here right now, I wouldn’t believe you. My journey started on the old message board, the one that shall not be named, and I recall reading SO much information. Posts, celebrations, failures, advice, tricks, tips. I remember getting compassion and tough love with every relapse. Every relapse that I would eventually tuck my tail between my legs and come back looking for some commiseration and a new plan of attack. There were also long bouts of staying away, while I was smoking, of course. It’s the normal cycle of a relapse. After enough times, you sort of even stop feeling sorry for yourself. At least I did. At this point though, I feel that I’ve gone from “I used to smoke” to “No, I don’t smoke.” Like, it was a part of my life for about 15 years but where I am now people are surprised to hear that I used to smoke, they would never guess if I hadn’t told them. And for me, that’s a good feeling. The battle with nicotine was mine, and mine alone, but as far as anyone else is concerned, it makes me so happy that I have severed that connection with the cigarette. I don’t have any tips, tricks, or other advice that made this quit stick when the many, many others did not. I just knew, my body knew, my mind knew…I was done. It was like I had never smoked before at all. No withdrawal, no cravings, no triggers…I was free. And that’s where I am today. I am as free as I will allow myself to be, which is honestly why I DO make an effort to come back. To celebrate and to remind myself that I got lucky. To remind myself that before this quit, I struggled countless times. And to remind myself that I can NEVER go back, no matter what. Because it’s easy to go back to it. And it’s easy to stay quit for good…as long as you NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PUFF! If you’re struggling, on the brink of relapse, don’t give up. Speak up, reach out, don’t give in, don’t give up. This to shall pass. Stay the course, shipmates.

15 …. simple just don’t sleep

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

Through all this adversity, smoking would not have helped one little bit. A timely reminder as I grapple with my own medical issues. And along the way, you not only kept your own quit… but you also supported me and many others in our bids for freedom. So grateful! There are some good souls riding this train!!

NOPE

NOPE!!

NOPE…

NOPE!

Nope... Go Bills

Hello @SecondChanceSailor... Congrats on being a Non-Smoker for 4 years. That is awesome. And thanks for sharing your story. Very inspiring.

Welcome Penguin Congrats on your quit and for finding chicks v sticks game.

Gday Im 6 and never owned a human that smoked

I don’t smoke anymore!!! It is one of the best things I can say. The only thing I can compare the feeling to that I get when I say it is when I used to sing My Country ‘Tis Of Thee in grade school. HaHa An amazing post by the way and I’m sure that it will help someone along the way. Congratulations on your fourth year of being a quitter! I’ll be four years in March! I hope to see you around more.

Great post @SecondChanceSailor, and congratulations on 4 years quit!

I remember you @SecondChanceSailor Congratulations on your 4 years smoke free The first time I actually said to someone I dont smoke anymore , gave me a huge sense of pride … I never thought I would say those words , Well done !!!

Congratulations on your successful quit! I think you touched on a couple things that are really important. One, there's a shift in one's thinking when they reach a successful quit, from "I quit smoking" to "I don't smoke." For many of us, we need that shift in our mindset. When we no longer identify as a smoker, it doesn't erase our past, but it does set us up for success for the future. The second thing is, quitting doesn't have to be hard. Oftentimes it is, but if you can quit without cravings or irritability or fear, that's great. Some people can do that. For my part, I spent a long time being afraid of quitting, but when I finally did quit, all that fear and hesitation was gone. I think the bottom line is this: don't let the fear of what could be keep you from trying for success.

Thanks everyone, couldn't have done it without you.

During the holidays, it's completely normal to feel the urge for a smoke. Changes in our routine cause stress, which can be good or bad. Humans are creatures of habit and routine, and any time our routines get disrupted for any reason, the result is stress. For all their intelligence, our brains really struggle with differentiating between good stress and bad stress at a chemical level, so even good changes in your life can bring about an urge to smoke. Once you know why you have that sudden urge "out of nowhere" to light up, it may be easier to deal with. You can address the specific stressors instead. Maybe step away from the kitchen, or the family gathering, or the obligations you have. Maybe you need to confide in trusted friends or family that you're feeling the urge to smoke, and you need their support. Instead of jumping straight into satisfying the immediate craving, work through it to resist indulging in tobacco. Personally, I work to avoid even oral fixations or stimming with straws or other cigarette-shaped objects, because that's not something I want to be dependent on. I recommend you do whatever you need to do in order to avoid using nicotine, even if that means satisfying the oral fixation or tactile stimming. If you didn't know, now you do: you're not weird or broken for feeling cravings during the holidays, even if it's been a long time since you quit. Those cravings can pop up for countless reasons. The good news is, every time you win against a craving, your brain takes that experience and catalogs it. Eventually, when those reasons you used to smoke crop up, your brain will look and see that you've dealt with those situations for a long time without tobacco, so the cravings will become less and less powerful over time. It gets really tiring fighting the cravings at first, because they don't ever seem to end, but it's like grief: it's a constant pain at first, and everything reminds you of what you've lost. Eventually, though, the discomfort diminishes. It might help if you give yourself space and permission to be cranky, lazy, or whatever else you need to be. Certainly you don't want to burn bridges in your relationships, but if you can surround yourself with people who will understand why you're irritable and who can help you to process your emotions in a healthy way, that can make dealing with the cravings easier. It's more uncomfortable when you've got to deal with a craving and everyone around you expects you to be joyful and calm and to carry on as though nothing is wrong. I'm a believer that nicotine withdrawal is a medical condition, and it's one for which people should have empathy. Certainly, we chose to smoke, so yes, we've done it to ourselves, but that doesn't mean we don't deserve human dignity. I hope this helps you during the holiday season if you're really struggling. Stay strong, and keep your focus on the calm light at the end of a thorny, uncomfortable tunnel. It will get better!