Chrysalis

undead

My biggest impediment was weight gain. I have been overweight to obese all my adult life and have had well-controlled diabetes for 10 years. When I quit smoking in the past (which I did-- 3 times) I just kept gaining and gaining and gaining until I went back to smoking. Then a LITTLE of the weight I gained came off, but not all of it. I just couldn't deal with the weight issues. But recently my diabetes doctor told me that quitting smoking would be as good for my health as losing 80 pounds. He told me to ignore the weight issue and quit smoking-- we'll deal with the weight later. And he gave me a prescription for Chantix. So I decided to quit again. In my case, I knew that I could quit smoking. I had seriously quit 3 times in the past for several months to over a year. I never "relapsed" in the sense of succumbing to an overwhelming urge to smoke; each time I consciously chose to start smoking again to stop gaining weight. This time I did quit smoking and I did gain weight but the weight gain plateaued out-- I stopped gaining after the first 2 or 3 months. I haven't yet lost the weight I gained (I do intend to do that eventually) but I'm not smoking, I'm more physically active, and my weight is stable. I'll settle for that for the time being.

It is my understanding that there is something in cigarette smoke that paralyzes your lung cilia. Fluid or irritants can build up in your lungs but you don't cough. When you quit smoking, eventually your cilia heal and start to function properly to push mucus and debris out of your lungs-- hence more coughing, at least for a while. I don't know if this is what is causing you to cough when you spray an antiperspirant but it might be. Switching to a rollon for a while is a good idea. Since I hate rollons myself, I'm afraid I can't recommend a good one but I'm sure somebody else can. Or try a cream-- at least those are less wet and sticky than rollons.

Hi, Jimmy- We haven't heard from you in a couple of days. How are you doing? Are you still vaping to help you quit? Please log in and say, "Howdy". We're all here cheering you on.

cookie

baguette

Huh! I never thought about smoking policies at tobacco companies. I suspect that somebody was threatening a class-action lawsuit on behalf of the non-smoking employees. I also suspect that the company is paying through the nose for health and disability insurance. I'm glad to know that the mountain finally moved!

poet

Ha! Ha! Brilliant! ROTFL!! :lol2:

cognac

Hi, Jimmy, and welcome to Quit Train. You have just made the smartest decision you will ever make in your life! If you've gotten through Day 3 you're already through the worst of it. Things will start to get easier from here on out. There are 3 things that will really, really help you quit smoking permanently: 1. Write down a list of at least 3 reasons you want to quit. Make them very vivid and specific reasons. Not "I want to quit for my health." but 'I want to quit so I don't end up in a wheelchair and on oxygen by the time I'm 60." Write them down on two or three pieces of paper and keep them handy-- maybe one in your pocket, one stuck on your computer and one in your car. Whenever you get an urge to smoke, read your list again. 2. Educate yourself about the nature of nicotine addiction and how to over come it. Nicodemon is sneaky and persistent so it's really important to understand his lies and tricks. This site has tons of information, posts, and videos about how to overcome your nicotine addiction. I suggest that you start with How Do I Quit Smoking? The Newbie Database and the very helpful Your First Days, nicotine Free . And it would be great if you kind of keep track of what strategies you use to get through the first couple of weeks so you can add to the First Days thread. 3. Stay close to the board. The more you read and post here the better your chances for long term success. Take the N.O.P.E pledge every day (Not One Puff Ever). Ask questions or ask for advice. And "pay it forward" by sharing your experiences and your tips-and-tricks with others here. Again, congratulations on your strong start. Don't be afraid of quitting-- it will be easier than you ever expected if you educate yourself and reach out for help and support as often as you want. You can do this! Yes you can!!

Excellent post, Sue! You are absolutely right. When I tried to quit smoking in the past I was AFRAID of the craves. I can't say that they were so bad or that they lasted very long. But I was AFRAID that they were going to be bad and last forever. That thought scared me. It was like whenever the cravings roared at me, I collapsed. This quit, with the self-education I got about nicotine addiction and the support I got from the folks here, I was strong enough to stand up to the cravings. And the more I stood up to them, the stronger I got and the less fear I felt. Now, when the cravings roar at me I roar right back! As you say, that's a great feeling.

Hi, Slovenka. I'm sorry that you are struggling just now but it sounds to me as though you are doing really, really well. As others have said, you are entering the phase of your quit where you start to need a lot of patience. You're through the really bad part. You are feeling better, breathing better, your serious cravings are few and far between. At this point you hope and expect that you should be just about finished with the "quitting process" and you're ready to move on with your life. But no, you're not quite through yet. You still have these frequent thoughts about smoking. You get a whiff of cigarette smoke and it smells good to you, not bad. You have to fight off thoughts of smoking all the time. As you say, you don't want to smoke-- you're not going to smoke-- so why do you have to keep fighting the THOUGHTS??!! This is where patience comes in. If you think about it (or look back at your early posts) you will see that you suffered much more during the first week or two than you are suffering now. Things really are getting better for you day by day. The thoughts about smoking are not as frequent now as they were early in your quit. They are more annoying to you now because you expected them during the first weeks but you think they should be gone by now. No, that's not the way it works. The thoughts continue for many months-- they get less and less frequent, but they are still there. So be patient with yourself and your quit process. Recognize that things really are getting better little by little. And when you start to get really tired of the thoughts, remind yourself of the reasons why you quit smoking in the first place and then go do something to distract yourself from the thoughts. This is all normal. You will get through it. You are most certainly rocking this quit!!

voodoo

Congratulations, REZ! That's a tremendous accomplishment! I'm so glad that you are feeling happier and healthier than you ever have before. You are a shining example and an inspiration for me and all the rest of us here. Now go celebrate your outstanding achievement!

Wow! Look at that, will you? I get distracted for one lousy day and WHOOSH!, Sazerac is up on the Libido Deck already! Oh wait, maybe it's only a holographic image of Sazerac. Nope. It's really her. I can tell by all the beautiful colors she wears. Well, congratulations on such a big, big accomplishment and thank you for all of the help and support that you have given to me and to so many others over the months. Hooray for you!!

Cheese!

Beacon, I'm sorry that you're struggling with this right now. I know how aggravating it can be when your rational mind absolutely does NOT want to smoke but you also have a corrosive little voice in your head that won't shut up. A-a-r-r-g-h!! You're not bad or stupid or crazy, you're just going through a little turbulence right now. I am absolutely certain that relapses do not happen suddenly--not that I think that you are going to relapse, I just mean in general. I think that what happens is that someone encounters a problem or starts to go through a stressful time but tries to ignore it. They tell themselves, "Oh, it's not so bad." (whatever "it" is) or "Lots of people have worse problems." and things like that. When they dismiss and minimize their distress, it builds up. That's when people start to fantasize about smoking again and if they continue to deny what they are feeling, they will soon crack and relapse. I have had that exact experience more than once. In the past I have relapsed more than once. Finally this time, for this quit, I saw this trap for what it is and stopped it. What I learned is that when I first start to fantasize about smoking, I need to look honestly at myself and figure out what is really bothering me. Then I have to take concrete steps to fix the problem(s). If I don't, I will most likely relapse soon. So if weight gain is bothering you, bite the bullet and really go on a diet. Seriously and consistently. If you are stressed about work, do something to relieve your stress. Exercise is usually at the top of my list ( In your case, I suggest joining a gym that has a punching bag. :) ) I also highly recommend a self-hypnosis relaxation tape every night. I think that your "ghost cigarettes" is your brain telling you that you are ignoring and repressing some things in your life that are really, really bothering you. Look into your heart. Figure out what the problem(s) are. Get serious about resolving those problems immediately. Your rational brain is trying to do you a favor. Listen to it.

Hubba hubba!

pools

Congratulations, DD! You will be blazing the social media trail for the Train. How cool and challenging is that??!! Thank you for doing this for the whole QT family.

My husband quit smoking cigarettes 20 years ago while I continued to smoke. He occasionally smokes a cigar--especially if he's at a place where he can get a really good quality cigar-- but he doesn't do it often. I do not consider him to have relapsed.

This reminds me of my cat curling up and watching me paint. That was very pleasant for both of us until she discovered how much she likes to eat green paint (only green, for some reason). That was the end of our co-painting experiment!

unappreciated

Good choices, Evelyn! I hope you can see that you're really developing the strength and the skills to weather your craves. Every time you are able to keep your quit through a rough patch like today, your quit is stronger. Good for you! You're rocking your quit this time! Keep going.