johnny5

NOPE!

That sums it up. Yes, you can wait until after the holidays to quit but unforeseen stressful events will always come up in life. There is no guarantee that things will be less stressful in the new year or that you will not cause permanent damage to yourself as you continue smoking over the holidays. Most, if not all of us, put off quitting for a long time. Some of us put it off to long. We are here when you need us.

NOPE!

How are things going, @Fluffyyellowduck? The early days of a quit are tough, even if you are struggling to maintain a quit, but quitting is definitely worth it long term.

I remember one or two Christmas seasons ago, @Sazerac posted this video. I hope all is well Saz and that you check in at some point. Meanwhile, enjoy some Christmas fun.

Nope

Congratulations on 3 months smoke free, @Steven Drojensky Keep up the awesome work!

Congratulations on 11 months smoke free, @Angeleek You are doing great!

Nope

NOPE!

Nope

Not for everyone's taste but Drive is a really good movie in my opinion. Very violent at times but also very atmospheric. Lots of interesting techno background music similar to the song you posted.

I remember that song from the movie Drive. Great movie and song.

I like the plan. Boredom was always a struggle for me and it looks like you have some good options there. Keeping your mind off smoking by doing productive things is great. As far as sadness goes, a cigarette will NOT bring you happiness. It'll do the exact opposite. Even if you can't find anything to do during sadness, just remember smoking will not make anything better. BTW, you may want to check out Allen Carr's book "The Easyway to Quit Smoking." You could probably get it at a library or get it online somewhere. It is a fairly quick read ... some people didn't like it but it really helped me....and it kept my mind occupied early on. The main thing I took away from that book was that there was nothing positive to gain from smoking. Or just read and post on this site.

I used to believe the lie that smoking relaxed me. You just spoke the truth. It is much nicer and more relaxing not to be controlled by cigarettes. Keep up the great work!

How are you doing today, @Fluffyyellowduck ? Relapses suck but the quicker you put the smokes behind you and commit to quitting for good, the better off you will be.

You are doing great, k.smooth!

Nope

Good for you for not lighting up and also for reaching out for help. It is a lie to say smoking is no big deal and you can just quit again later. I told myself that lie many times and, looking back, I realize that it would have been much better to have fought through the temptation instead of throwing my quit away and having to go through those first few days of a quit again. Your brain might try to tell you otherwise but that is the junkie thinking of a nicotine addict. Keep fighting through these moments. Things will get much better with time.

Nope

I can't speak for ADHD but I do know a number of people here have quit who had ADHD. Quitting smoking is very doable. I do know of people who have distracted themselves by immersing themselves in learning a new skill. Python, or other programming languages is a great way to distract yourself. Someone here took online courses to learn Spanish during their quit. Keeping yourself occupied mentally with something positive during your quit is a great way to keep your mind occupied and not thinking about smoking. Replacing something negative (smoking) with something positive (learning new skills) is a great thing.

First off, I'm curious if these negative people you are talking about are smokers. I know that when I was a smoker, I often got defensive when one of my smoking friends attempted to quit. I didn't try to sabotage their quit but I definitely felt threatened. Looking back, I realize that I was envious of people who were trying to quit and might possibly be successful. If these people who are negative to you are smokers, fight past their negativity and realize that they might just feel threatened by you quitting smoking. If they aren't smokers and are just jerks, then try to use their negativity to prove them wrong. Don't let them bring you down. I know that is easier said than done but realize that smoking will not make anything better. The trap I always fell into when trying to quit smoking was feeling that smoking somehow calmed me or helped me cope. The reality is, the only thing it did was feed an addiction to nicotine. Introducing nicotine into your body actually makes you more stressed and doesn't make anything better. Nicotine really does nothing at all positive for you. It is all negative. Dealing with a--holes is tough but smoking will not make it any better. It is best to fight through these type of situations. Every time you fight through them, your quit gets stronger.

Welcome to our site, @Fluffyyellowduck Wanting to quit smoking is a great thing because life is better without all the BS that comes with being a smoker. It sounds like you understand that part. I smoked for 20 years and made several attempts to quit towards the end and did struggle. What finally helped me was joining a site similar to this one as the people here understand what it is like to be a smoker trying to quit. Education about nicotine addiction also helps. You can get plenty knowledge and support at this site to help you on your quit journey. The link below is a good introduction as to how to use this site I recommending reading it. Reading up on nicotine addiction and posting about what you are going through really helps. Welcome to QuitTrain. It is good to have you here.