Jonny5

Thanks Nancy. Its remarkable how 1 day becomes 2, becomes 3... After a while you have to look it up to remember :-)

Chatting with my good friend the Sarge and realised I'm at 850 days. Back when we started I remember thinking that his 33 days ahead of me were enormous. I remember those long days. Counting each day and week. Before long you'll Be where we are and it will feel wonderful :-)

Rowlyd, well done on not smoking. While you feel strong, write your self a pre response in the thread named Pre respond to your own SOS. You already know what to say, it was the same inner monologue that made you crush that smoke today :-)

It's a lovely story, I once printed it for my Autistic Son, I told him that he is utterly unique, and like the pot, he is just different, not better nor worse that anyone else. and that he has strength and courage that compensate for any struggles. thanks for posting this, I'm going to go get my sons copy out for him again :-)

I started my photography business with the money saved :-) That way the saved money makes me more money :-) My tally for money Not spent on smoking is almost £13,000

ah I see you are from your signature line. Did you know that all of Joel's expertise is from being around addicts, and not through experience? I used to struggle to listen to the advice of someone who hadn't been through what I had, until I listened to Joel and subsequently found out that he's never smoked in his life, yet millions of people have been helped by his teachings.

I love John's writings, he's a really nice guy too. are you familiar with Joel Spitzer's work in nicotine cessation?

Will do :-)

Good night Aine, sleep well. It's morning in the UK. If you want to continue discussing nicotine as an addiction, be sure to let me know :-) ps I will ask my Mother about Chinese Grammar, but I doubt she'll know. 40 years in this country and she still gets muddled up lol :-)

I never said you did. I simply advised that you don't, incase you were unaware of the sometimes tragic circumstances. You strike me as a very caring person, and I would hate to think that you might inadvertently give wrong advice. It was simply that. Friendly sharing of knowledge :-)

You said that cold turkey is used to treat Alcoholism. I'm saying that it can be deadly, so.please proceed with caution if you're trying it or advising it as method to get off the drink. I think I read that Amy Winehouse died as a result of sudden uncontrolled alcohol withdrawal, though I may be wrong, my memory ain't what it was lol :-)

People have died from going cold turkey from Alcohol. I don't know about drugs but I do know that no one died from going cold turkey from nicotine. Pleade don't endorse cold turkey from alcohol as your best intentions cpuld result in tragedy

I'd be happier if you stayed. Long term success is helped tremendously by engaging in conversation with other quitters. We call it paying it forward. Loke I am to you. One day you'll be able to help someone. It feels really good, you'll like it. The white robe isn't compulsory though. You can wear what you like :-)

No, they are facts about me. And yours may be facts about you. But I ask you this, does your outlook inspire hope of a better future? You're forgetting that I've done this cesation lark, and I'm at where most desperate early quitters want to be. I am free. Is that not what you want too? Your view fortells of no future freedom. So why not try mine on for size? There's room here on the bench with me :-)

Im not saying you are wrong, I'm saying I believe you will feel better. If you stopped visualising me as someone condescending, preaching from a hilltop you might listen to the happy ex smoker sitting on a bench with you offering you hope. I have nothing but good intentions Julie, I believe that this is visible to most people. Did you know when I was in my early quit I was really angry too. I even broke my own window. How daft is that. One thing to remember is that alcoholism and nicotine addiction are different. Although similarities can be found on a mental dependance level. Physiologically they are different and different techniques are used. Please embrace what we as a collective can offer you to help with your nicotine addiction. I'll be there to support you all the way :-)

It's not arrogance Julie. It's a wholly achievable place to be. Is that not why you are here? To get support from people who are further down the journey than you? Why call them arrogant? They could just move on and leave the newbies to muddle through. But they don't. Because they have been where you are and they are volunteering to help you get to a more comfortable place in your quit. I have been sober for two years on 21st. I'll never drink again. That is fact. I will also be smoke free for 28 months on 21st, I'll never smoke again. That is also fact. We have learned that we control ourselves 100% and that knowledge frees us. Let us free you too. Don't fight us, learn from us. Otherwise what's the point?

Luckily this is untrue. I can't wait for you to reach a place of peace in your quit, and look back at this with you and smile at how trapped you were by yoir belief. There is so much for you to look forward to, I remember feeling exactly like you do right now. And I can remember that feeling changing. It was one of the best days of my life :-)

Personally it cost me quite a lot to be able to say it with self proved conviction. I always felt confident that I would never smoke again. But only really proved it to myself through how I found myself dealing with real hurt and tragedy.

You say tomato I say tomatoe lol :-) I honestly don't mean to sound patronising or superior. We honestly all talk like that around here. You wouldn't believe the laughs me and my American frinds have over our language differences even though its all English as you rightly say. When I say that a mindset needs to change, its because experience of myself and others have found this to be true in nicotine cessation. It's what I learned thtough doing it many ways until I found success. Success so mind blowing to me, the 40 a day chain smoker that I want you all to benefit from what I learned and be this free too :-)

Lol. Maybe our geographical difference mean a lot is lost in translation. Around hwre in the UK we say "you" a lot in a general way meaning people including ourselves :-) Even though I'm an addict I can 100% guarantee that I won't smoke again. Many of us will give that guarantee. It is meant to comfort not to disturb. It is to share with you hope that you too can and may well feel this way too. As for being licenced and trained, well my training is 2 years plus on the job experience of going through what all of us did to get here. I don't know if there are any licences available for people who are volunteers? I sure can't afford any courses, but what I know I'll gladly share :-)

Don't be afraid of the relapses of the unenlightened. They were simply abstaining. Here we teach you how to genuinely remove the desire to smoke. Don't worry if you don't quite get it yet. In time you can be a secure as the most secure amongst us :-)

welcome to the Quit Train :-) You'll find everything that you need right here :-)

Your strength is admirable, I too feel incredibly strong. ultimately our strength will serve us well in our quits. for some that are not so strong though, I think of stories I was told of how each quit is different, and that some are harder than others (within the same person) I know that this one was easy compared to the failed ones. maybe because I was different this time, more motivated, or strong, or educated perhaps. I will never know for sure what made the difference, but one thing that helped me in the early days to get rid of any silly notion of just one, was accepting that I may have gotten lucky with this quit, and that the next one might not be so dooable.

I fear that I might not get away from Nicotines grip so easily next time, after all it took me almost 20 years to get this quit. I'm scared of death, and of not being around to offer real help and support to family and friends, the kind that money can't buy. so for me, my healthy respect for what nicotine could do to me leads me to say No to any monetary incentive to smoke again. touching on Rob's very good point though, if I was on deaths door and would not survive anyway, then I would consider the money as a way of securing my family with me gone. so in that circumstance Yes. But outrageously unreal situations like above aside, I would always say no to nicotine for the reasons above.

good question, I like your logic. and that is what my quit is based upon, logic and reasoning, and science to back up the technical stuff lol. Yes I was euphoric about not smoking, I entertained my extended family for Xmas dinner whilst in peak withdrawal lol :-) I have never used an SOS, however I have responded to them, and I have seen others respond too, trying desperately to find the words that will hit home with the person in distress. No one knows you like you know yourself, this is why I recommend that you write some personal words to yourself that will really hit home should you need to remind yourself of why you quit. I have life insurance, but I don't plan on dying anytime soon. it's kinda like that I guess. also some people on their quit journey go into a stage that was called no man's land by some. it's a period between the excitement of the early quit, and the settled calmness of the long term quit. some people in that stage can lose focus and need reminders.