BrandyWyne

Hi Evelyn, I'm new here but I see you've had a struggle and I can relate. I quit and had relapses in the past too. We can do this, don't be scared. Nicotine withdrawals are nothing to be scared of, continuing to smoke is more scary! Hope to see you around here a long time and we can both make this our "sticky quit" I keep hearing about :)

Hi Jimmy & Marti, thank you! You're right Marti, just watching people smoke maybe is helpful in deciding not to do it again. Listening to everyone cough. And after a few days my sense of smell came back and now I think yuck, stinky!! That's how I smelled :( Although I must say yesterday was a bad one. I had a really, really bad day at work and the addict thoughts started creeping in "just go buy a pack." Ugh! Even when my rational mind is saying NOPE those old thoughts creep in, I hate that feeling like I'm not in control. But I AM, I just need to NOT smoke. Simple as that. My normal routine, after a bad day at work, was to sit on the deck and chain smoke. My brain kept yelling at me to do it last night. I mentally wrestled with it for hours, it was quite a debate inside my head lol. Ultimately my rational brain won and I'm very happy I fought down the irrational voice. It's just sad I couldn't go sit on the deck on a beautiful warm night, because it is one of my triggers. It's ridiculous and I have put myself into this position with years of my routine addict behavior! Soon enough I hope, I'll go sit on my deck & watch the sunset without wanting a smoke.. So instead I stayed inside and visited here for a few hours and went to bed early. Now up early on day 9, smoke free, with extra energy, feeling no desire to smoke for today and so happy it's the weekend!!! Happy Saturday everyone, have a fabulous weekend :)

NOPE!

NOPE

Congrats P&P! Oh my, that dancing sausage...is that standard celebration material on the quit train? I think this will be an entertaining ride!!

NOPE!

Hi michshea, I saw you set a quit date for a month ago today, how is it going? Using your NRT's? I am new here too, this site has been a huge help and everyone is so encouraging! Hope all is going well!

Great post Joe...that is really what everyone needs to understand to quit, it IS a drug addiction whether legal or not. Years ago when I read Allen Carrs book, that's when it really sank in (even though I relapsed later, the whole time knowing it was really an addiction.) I was talking with my mother and she was complaining about a "junkie" family member addicted to prescription drugs. I pointed out well we are addicts too, smoking isn't much different! That made her so angry, that I would compare us smokers to a pill addict...she thought there was no we way WE were anything like THEM...well?? Different drug of choice, but it is all a waste of money and health, all to feed an addiction... End of story. Thank you for your advice and words of wisdom Joe! That's awesome you are still here paying it forward and keeping your quit.

NOPE

Thank you Petra and Sunnyside! Day 5 and still going strong :) though I will admit today was my grumpiest day so far. I was browsing the forums and watching videos for half of my work day (I'm the boss, so I can get away with it hehe..) but it worked and all day I told myself, nope! I am not a smoker anymore, simple as that! Keep repeating it long enough, it'll stick in my head lol

NOPE

Brandy, Remember how happy you were the last time you quit smoking? You started working out and you were able to play the flute again (since you could breathe!) You also went to the dentist and got your mouth healthy and teeth whitened. You bought nice new stuff with the money you saved. You didn't have to feel embarrassed of being stinky when you met with clients. You didn't have to go outside in -20 degree weather to smoke. You threw that all away for what?! Who even knows. You can't even remember why you smoked, yet above are all the reasons you can remember not to, ok?? Chain smoking a pack on a bad day will only make your day even worse, I promise. Don't screw this one up!!! No excuses!!!

NOPE

That's awesome. Great that you can inspire others to quit! I hope others around me will hop on board too someday.

NOPE

Thank you Nancy! You're all so wonderful here. I tried a different quit site a few years ago. The people were so rude, weird negative vibe, I found it unhelpful and hesitated to give this another try. But I'm so glad I did. and Joe, I will keep that S.O.S forum in mind. Hope spring arrives soon for you too! We even have the "S-word" forecasted in some parts...snow in May? Noooo! Wacky Great Lakes weather...

Thank you everyone. Maryland, those videos are awesome. Put things even more in perspective. I hope I don't dump water on someone at work, but if they push my buttons, watch out lol... I found one part especially hit home. Even never-smokers who get exasperated and say "ugh you're grumpy, just have a smoke." (Which I have heard before of course!) You wouldn't tell someone to stop chemo because they're grumpy. It's a life saving measure. So is quitting smoking, and they just don't understand it in that sense. That will really stick with me. Well it's the weekend and Im relaxing at home, so workplace grumpiness is put off until Monday :) happy Saturday!

NOPE

Thank you P&P and Doreen! And Boo I like that analogy with the crabs, they do say misery loves company. "If I can't get out of this I want buddies at the bottom with me!" Lol.. I did read through posts on this site throughout the day today and it helped immensely. Friday's are the most stressful day at work for me and I came to this site each time I saw someone go out puffing away on a smoke break. and nothing on fire went in my mouth today, NOPE! Btw to answer your earlier question P&P I'm in the U.S. Joe I see you said you're in Ohio, greetings from the Mitten! Thank you everyone for making me feel welcome, have a great night

Thank you Joe! Today is day one of smoke-free life again and I will be around smokers all day. I can definitely do this and negative comments from anyone around me will be ignored :) I do not even nag others to quit, just the fact I am not smoking seems to irritate them lol. Must be jealousy! I believe there was a chapter about this in Allen Carrs book, I need to re-read that book! This group will be a lifeline for me, I will check in often and as least "lurk" if not jumping in discussions. I love the support everyone gives each other that I can't find in my daily interactions face to face. Thank you!

Thank you so much everyone! This is everything I need to hear...I did read Allen Carrs easy way years back and quit for a year with no NRT. It was the best year of my life, and for the life of me I cant remember how I started smoking again? Psychological of course, maybe I felt left out of the smoking club...and I don't lie to myself, I know it will never be just one puff, when I relapse I buy a pack with full intent to chain smoke the whole thing, yuck. I told my mother I am quitting again, her response is "ugh self righteous ex-smokers are the worst!" As she struggles to breathe and grabs her inhaler :( it hurts to think she doesn't care about her health or mine, it is sad but I recognize its the "junkie" mentality, and I am so done with it all! I really do struggle with it all mentally, I get past the physical withdrawals a-ok and just wrestle with the whole mental urges. But I am so done!!!! Thank you all for the encouragement, it is just what I need and I will live by N.O.P.E!!!! Thank you thank you thank you...just knowing others in the same boat and having encouragement makes all the difference.

Hello everyone, thank you in advance for any support :) I'm 34, been smoking over 20 years. Lost count of quit attempts, some lasted a year or more but I always come back to it :( I don't know why! My mother is 55 and suffering from emphysema, and still smoking. Seeing this makes me seriously fear the future and I want to quit for good so badly. Nearly all of my family, friends and co-workers smoke and are very unsupportive of my quit attempts. (I know they are not to blame, and this is my issue that I let them influence me.) But I am not able to cut them out of my life and their constant snarky comments about me quitting, and being always surrounded by smoke, really drag me down and I feel I just can't escape it. I am in serious need of support and encouragement from other "quitters." I always feel extremely alone in my attempts to get healthy. Any tips, advice, kind words, help of any kind are appreciated. Thank you all for being here!