Reciprocity

I didn't think it would be possible for me to never smoke again the day I quit. Now, I don't think it would be possible for me to ever smoke again. Funny how your perspective changes once you make that commitment to change your life.

Glad to see you back. Slinking away with your head down would serve no purpose at all. Dwelling on a failed attempt also serves no purpose. Trying again with a lesson learned is the right thing to do and prepares you to deal with a similar situation in future.

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What ever happened to the "work from home" a few days a week? I thought they were gonna try and help you out with the commute distance issue?

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I'm wondering if they are breeding a new generation of people who will be SO addicted to high levels of nicotine that they may be unable to quit even if they want to at some point later on? Boy oh boy .... that would suck big time!

Congrats Warbelian on 3 months quit! This is pretty major - 1/4 year with no smokes! Be sure to do something special to celebrate this milestone! Stick with it and participate here as often as you can. It will help with your own quit

You are a quarter year quit today Ferimeth! Come celebrate with us. You deserve a reward for making it to 1/4 year quit! Come tell us how you celebrated.

OK so, that makes everything OK then. Lining his pockets with cash while he provides a product that seduces a new generation into nicotine addiction. Oops .... sorry about that folks! Well done Kev!

Nope! Don't miss the cough!!

Was a perfect summer day here, 27C (80ish F) & bright sun. No humidity so very comfortable. We get so few of these really nice days so I try to stay outside as much as possible Glad your Pool Party was a hit Roz

If you have cigarettes around you, it makes it way too tempting to go smoke one and yes, all of the negative things you mentioned will happen should you light up again. Get rid of any smokes you have access to and old ash trays etc. As Nancy said, every time you light another one up .... you renew your addiction; every time! The only way to break that cycle is to quit and stay quit. Sure there's some uncomfortable days in the beginning but the longer you stay quit, the easier it gets. In terms of your question about the worst being over? It's different for all. The first week pretty much just sucks big time. Then, each week gets gradually better. You start seeing good days but still have down days too so, it's not like flipping a switch. It's a process The .improvement is very gradual. The key is your mind set. Stay positive! You are doing the best possible thing for yourself. You need to celebrate that. Embrace the suck of the early days because they will soon be gone and that discomfort represents the fact that you are healing - body & mind!

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That's also what takes the longest to change ..... our habitual responses to any number of situations that crop up in our daily lives - including emotions. Happy, sad, bored, lonely, excited they all create an automatic response and that is to light up. That's what the 1 Year Pledge is for. It's located on the Quit Smoking Discussion Page - pinned near the top of that page. It's an important reminder that it takes most of us a full year to completely recover - face and beat all our smoking triggers at least once (seasonal triggers included). That's why the 1 Year Lido Deck celebration is such a big deal. Once you get to that 1 year mark, you have truly arrived! Sure you may still have thoughts about smoking but you have proven to yourself that you CAN beat your addiction at it's own deadly game. Yes this is an insidious addiction but there are also habitual responses involved because most of us have smoked for decades. Same response to triggers over dozens of years. All those need to be addressed when we quit. It can be overwhelming at times but it IS doable. That's why support here is important cuz we DO get it! You're not alone. You're one of us

Did someone say ..... Pool Party?

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This is a big one Solo! 6 Months or a half year quit today. You are officially 1/2 way to the Lido Deck with your quit! I hope you're enjoying the many benefits you have received since quitting. A special reward is in order for this special occasion!

4 full years smoke free is fantastic onthemark! Hope you are doing well and planning to celebrate the occasion

Congrats Koder3 on 4 years of freedom from slavery to nicotine addiction. We're jumping for joy!!

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You know, I have heard that song a lot of times over the years but never once knew the name of it. The wife keeps telling me; "You're not paying attention!" As usual, she's right.

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Nope!

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