MarylandQuitter

I know that I once smoked but have not had any cravings after the first week or so that I quit. In certain situations I will remember that in the past, I would have been smoking but it's when things are calm and I'm relaxed. Like looking out the window while the sun is coming up and just the way the sun is shining on a tree I'm looking at will remind me of another time in another place and I'll remember that I would have been smoking. When I have been the most stressed since I quit and trust me, full blown life-changing stress, smoking did not even cross my mind. When I smoked and was under any kind of stress (other than constantly going in and out of withdrawal) I would instantly reach for a smoke. Now when I'm under stress, I don't even think of smoking much less crave it or consider it. I guess to sum it all up I'll never forget that I smoked but picturing myself smoking must be like what I imagine waking up from a coma must feel like and starting to remember things. Lighting up is that far removed from my life. Knowing that I'm an ex-smoker will be something I carry with me everyday for the moment I forget could be the moment that one of the dreams about smoking perhaps wouldn't actually be a dream and instead be a grave mistake. With time, your mind with abandon the cravings and desire to smoke. As with most things in life, time heals. :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QurwXR_Qq5g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_2APLJhHMQ

Hi Laura, I think these videos may help you understand why you built yourself up for failure convincing by yourself that you were going to spend your holiday craving a cigarette. Difference between physical and psychological urges Video discusses how while the intensity between the psychological thoughts for cigarettes weeks or months into your quit may feel very much like the physical urges you may have encountered in the beginning of your quit, that there is an important difference in the two states. http://youtu.be/_A8s7Pw7jA0 Fixating on a cigarette Video discusses how people often fixate on the desire to have "a good" cigarette. http://youtu.be/OZLJ_nlkUCQ "How long before I don't want a cigarette?" Video discusses how experience is what is going to dictate how long it is before you can do certain activities without smoking, not time. Covers some of the same concepts as smoking triggers filmed a few days before, but I believe more people will look up this title because it is a question often asked by people first quitting. http://youtu.be/CLp_ic5VgiI "Will I ever stop thinking of cigarettes?" Most people overestimate how much of a battle staying smoke free will be once they quit smoking. This video discusses how people will generally stop thinking about smoking, and much sooner than they usually think. http://youtu.be/8310BI-euJw

Perfectly brewed coffee for me. Nothing less. Impossible for more.

Happy Birthday!!! Must be with babs celebrating? Casinos? lol

Smoking in the car with my kids in the backseat thinking that they couldn't smell it or inhale any of it because I had the window open at just the right amount knowing that all the smoke was escaping. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

The realities of smoking...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9vWm4DCk-Y

Tobacco smoke contains a deadly mix of more than 7000 chemicals and at least 70 of those chemicals are known to cause cancer and at least 250 are known to be harmful. http://www.quittrain.com/topic/4-do-you-have-any-idea-what-youre-smoking-a-list-of-chemicals/

And this is why it's so important to keep coming back because often times all it takes is reading the right post to get you back on course. Oh, the first thing I do each morning is grab a cup of perfectly brewed coffee and pull up the forum. So much better than going outside and having all that smoke in your eyes, not to mention the ruining of a perfectly brewed cup. :) I pledge to remain here for many, many years. I had another forum for 12 years and that was just a niche automotive forum for fun. This forum has a purpose and means everything to me so guess how long we will be in cyberspace? Much, much longer than 12 years. Besides, I spent a lot of time and effort to register this trademark so QuitTrain® is going nowhere.

If you want to quit smoking, this thread is a great place to get started. ;)

It's been about 3 days...hope all is well. Perhaps she's still celebrating the New Year. :)

Welcome, Daydream Believer. Glad to see you here and make yourself at home. :)

Get well, Natalie. Don't stay away too long though because this site is a good distraction with positive people and threads. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask.

Of course there's no time limit on anything regarding the issues that you deal with. People are just trying to help. If people didn't care, they wouldn't take the time to respond. Only you and your therapist know what is best for you but when you have friends, from time to time they speak up because they care. That's all this is. :) Great job on not caving and smoking!

Driving long distances is a trigger for many former smokers but with time, you probably can't imagine smoking while driving at any distance. I used to chain smoke when I drove and now I don't even think about it. If you're feeling down about yourself for not quitting smoking, that feeling stops as soon as you quit. Each time you resist an urge it's a victory. Feel good about each victory especially early on because once you get off of nicotine you're well on your way to enjoying the rest of your life as a non-smoker.

Welcome, Rooster! Many congrats on your decision to quit, especially at such a young age. Please see the thread below as it's probably right where you need to be. :) http://www.quittrain.com/topic/3963-new-year-so-you-want-to-quit-smoking-but-have-questions-welcome-to-quittrain-climb-aboard-see-just-how-doable-quitting-really-is/

You got your cry towel ready for tonight? Or are they called terrible towels? Either way, you're gonna need it to wipe away the tears and put this season in the books for the Squeelers.

A note from Joel, to you. :) New years day has arrived. You made your resolution, weeks, days or maybe only hours ago. Whenever it was, it seemed like a good idea at the time. You are only hours into the new year and you are starting to question your decision, your resolve, or your ability to actually pull this thing off. Well join the club, there are likely millions of people waking up in the world today with the same thoughts, same concerns and basically, the same fears that you are experiencing now. Sad truth to it is the majority of these people aren't going to successfully quit and stay off smoking for the rest of their lives, even though that is what they hoped would happen. That fact will probably give you some solace for if you were to fail you would be no different than all of these other failures. Again, it would probably give you some solace but for or practical purposes, it shouldn't give you any. Your failure will likely cost you tens of thousands of dollars over the decades, years or maybe only months you have left in this world. It will immediately cost you your Freedom, start to cause further deterioration of your health and at some point very well cost you your life. So why are you questioning your decision to stick to your resolution? Most likely, because you are afraid. You are possibly starting to feel symptoms of withdrawal and fearing that you are going to feel like the way you are feeling forever. You are starting to think of what you your life will be like without smoking and thinking that all of the things you ever enjoyed or are needed to do required you having to smoke. A life of withdrawal and worthlessness is how you may very well be picturing the rest of your existence if you stick to this silly resolution. What seems to be some simple common sense of logic may very well kick in making you realize that you are afraid that you can't quit, can't stick to your quit, or may very well quit to lead a sad and miserable existence. You realize and easy way to stop the fear, simply give up your silly plan and get on with your inevitable life of actively feeding your nicotine addiction for another year. Well this decision is not based on common sense—it is based out of rationalizations you are coming up with to face irrational fears—fears that if you do not overcome can go on to kill you. The following videos address these issues above. You can quit smoking, you can stay free and your life will improve in many ways that you cannot begin to conceptualize while under the influence of nicotine's control. Make no mistake, even though you have not smoked for hours now you are still caught in the grip of nicotine's control. It is within your capability to overcome this grip and to gain your independence from nicotine for the rest of your life, by now simply turning your new year's resolution into a day by day personal commitment to never take another puff. Joel The fear of failure The fear of success The fear of relapsing Quitting smoking: A fate worse than death Everything you did as a smoker you can do as an ex-smoker "It's inevitable, some smokers are going to relapse" Quitting is more doable than most people think "I can't quit because I am addicted" One day at a time Never take another puff

Welcome, RunFree! Congrats on your decision to quit smoking and especially for digging in and getting off of nicotine completely. Feel welcome to chime in wherever you like and make yourself at home. :)

You're not wasting anyones time and we're here to help. If anyone's time is being wasted it's yours while you continue to smoke. If you stick around here perhaps you'll make it to two weeks quicker than on your own. Going alone hasn't worked out too well for you so I hope you stick around and make a commitment to never take another puff. For those who smoke, this is the best place for them to be. :)

I'm really sorry to read this, Nancy. I'll be praying for you and your family (your poor parents). Please let me know if you need anything.

Glad to hear it, Evelyn! Now you're truly going to be nicotine free. :)

Welcome, Yoshimi! Nice to meet you and thanks for sharing your story. At 26 years old and if you never take another puff, it's unlikely that you'll have any ill effects as you get older. In other words, any damage will likely be reversed. I wish I had the knowledge that you do when I was 26. :)