Still winning

I want to add that once you understand that one means many - a great battle is won. It's the understanding that stops us picking up another cigarette and I feel that you've got a fair point and understanding. Massive congrats on 5 days free and happy to see you here offering and receiving support. x

BIRTHDAY :yahoo: :clapping: :party2: :party: :drinks: Through all the crazy (man that's some epic crazy, much kudos to you) he is always there to tell you that you're behaving like a proper numpty and to get your head out your proverbial. Blunt, to the point where I feel the dictionary might need a newer "blunter" word for it but with a heart of gold and passion for supporting others. Happy birth day my wonderful friend. May your next year bring you happiness and love in abundance...and maybe a few motorbike rides. Much love, from the Anti Egg mwah! :air_kiss:

I'm a little confused. I saw this and though awww, shame, she smoked one. Then I read on and I'm on the confused bit, you bought a pack? I'm not one for judging, I have a ton of failed quits behind me and each one taught me something about where my triggers were or ways I could distract myself when the thoughts came. Because Karen, I really want to sugar coat it but I would be lieing to you, so here's my honest. The thoughts WILL come and you need to have chosen not to smoke. No matter what. No matter how uncomfortable the feeling. You are facing addiction and this is my real talk for you. You are uncomfortable because you know you don't want to be smoking. You know too much now! You are smoking because you are addicted to nicotine. You need to decide whether to face the mental turbulence of quitting or whether you want to tamp that down with more addiction. I'm really sorry for where you are, genuinely, I've been there, a lot of us have. You have to trust us on this one if you want to break free, nope is the only way. Much love. x

Womderful realization, it really does take the bite out of it to realize how simple it actually is. Great job sharing it so eloquently too. x

I was 5 days to the full moon on my quit date, the 1st effective date that a full moon carries strength (would have been better at 3 but I didn't want to wait). I was throwing every tool at my last quit. I think it helped me, even if I just believed it would and did. I also wore a very ugly but useful dalmation jasper necklace and had a palmstone to add extra strength x

You will never get us to stop living the beautiful life that there is. No point even trying, it achieves nothing. Healing to Brussels. x

Remember when you helped me and I said I would always have your back... Ready and waiting chick. No big drama, you have a few failed quits, and what? The past is done and dusted - there is only ever this moment right now and never was this so true as to when you're quitting smoking. xx

Wow B Positive would be the diet from hell - I am basically eating everything thats bad for me lol. Good luck with it T, hope it goes well for you. x

Massive congrats to you on 3 weeks. It seems to be flying by!! xx

I want to say thank you (now I have internet) but I was lucky enough to see this just before it all switched off on moving day and it touched my heart. Some people get it done and move on but quitting has become a big part of my experience in life generally and I am passionate about freeing others from it too. I am as greatful as ever for the support from here, not normally smoking related now, this place has become an online 2nd home to me with supportive friends and people who feel like family should. Ever so greatful and thankful for finding this little niche on the web. And 2 years free! That still makes me smile, that I got out of the clutches and learnt enough to not get trapped again. x

I don't think at the time I quite understood the guru's ahead of me, when they said quitting is a journey and not an event. I sure as hell get it now. What a ride!! This time 2 years ago I sat with cigarettes, 16 days worth of champix taken and a deep sense of desperation to not be a smoker - with no idea how to achieve that. I never really realized it was as simple as just not smoking. I don't really know why, it seems glaringly obvious doesn't it?! I could do an oscar worthy speech of who to thank but you know who you are, thank you. I decided to set a new adventure on the same date as it was so successful for taking my life back 2 years ago. So tomorrow I move to a new house. The timing is not lost on me, the quit gave me the strength to change so many things in my life. I didn't understand how much smoking controlled every aspect of my life, I feel like I lived a lie for ALL of my adult life. Everything revolved around when I could and couldn't smoke. Not to mention my money situation was in dire straits. I wish we could genuinely convey to fresh quitters the strength this journey will give you. Yes, once upon a time it was "I quit smoking, I can do anything now" but it isn't like that today. Today it isn't like that. I now feel like if I put my mind to it, anything is possible and I am happier for feeling like that and for being free of the ties of nicotine addiction that I really had to finally admit was always going to be part of me. Not one puff ever or thousands will follow it but I'm good with that now, I'm too busy living and spending with what truly feels like a new found freedom - I don't think it will ever get old for me. Much love. xx

I don't know very much about the drugs you are on but I would say go gently with yourself. Any withdrawal needs recovery time and I think it's ok for you to take that. Massive congrats on not smoking through it all, never give ourselves the excuse. Awesome running effort too! xx

It's tough to explain to people how it does get easier and easier, so pleased you help on to see a bit of the light.xx

Hi Glenn, What's gone before is history, this is the perfect time to quit for you, right now. Congrats on being a non smoker :) And welcome. x

I'm liking but frankly I don't get it, 26 odd hours drive? I would be 3 countries away lol. You guys are nuts with how far you think is reasonable to drive! :)

Hi Chris, Congrats on your decision to jump. Often the worst part of the quit is the bit before. Welcome. x

That junkie thinking can really grab hold of you in weak moments. The ONLY thing that's going to carry you through sometimes is the choice to not smoke, you could, but you don't and won't. Get it clear in your head and those moments you describe will get shorter and shorter lived. Below is taken from my quit blog, at around 6 weeks and I'm sharing it so you can see that the pity party is a stage of some quits: Tough emotional week, like gritty tough. Living on my nerves but wasn't really concerned about my quit which felt safe and of course, is still safe. My kids are away for the weekend so I can relax and maybe I just drunk too much? Mum lit up in front of me, a conversation went horribly wrong with Chris, then from nowhere - massive crave! Like huge crave, what the hell, where from?! Before I know it I'm out of bed and hunting the house for cigarettes...jeez, really have no idea! I got to the point where I wasn't sure what i would do when i found them so posted an sos, wanted to make sure i was accountable. I'm still shaky emotionally, that was very real and very raw. Don't want to smoke, my quit is as safe as it can be but I feel like crud and exhausted then this was my entry one week later: I feel ok, like someone released my happy valve to just be ok again. I'm even planning on some intention work next week which I haven't been clear enough really to do since before I quit, my concentration was too sketchy. Scheduled in exercise, practice runs of things I want to do, that's massive for me!! I could do it now I think but don't want to push too hard, feel scared I might go backwards and really don't want that. I still think about not smoking, never about wanting to smoke. Just that I would and I don't and some days that shizzle is on a long ass loop and some days it's not now, but I'm ok, it's just there on repeat play, trucking along in the background. Rather then the full on no smoking show that was at the forefront of my mind so often, not bad, just there. I just wanted to share those so you can see that sometimes it feels hard and sometimes it just flows so easily you wonder what all the self imposed drama was about. It helped when people explained that once the choice is made it simply becomes about what you are going to do instead, when the thoughts come get a plan of action. Sometimes "doing" something can really distract the mind and the horrible thoughts simply get less and less. Others say embrace the suck, this means facing down the craves and taking them as a sign of victory as it means you're not smoking. I used everything and the odd pity party too, I call it a wallow day and every now and then I let myself have that to feel things so I can move past it, I think that's ok for you to do, you're not alone I promise. But it does pass and how you feel today will get smaller and smaller until one day you are just a person who used to smoke and has fleeting thoughts of oh, I would have smoked here before, damn pleased I don't have to now and smile. By the way that tobacco wars just made me feel sad, not angry. That ad exec though, it's terrifying and I know people who've been in that position through smoking and chose to smoke. And that's it isn't it, we don't want to be that guy so this is the other path, pure and simple. Hoping today feels brighter. x

Shocking to watch and yet my generation kind of knew and still they continue to deny it. Crazy.

The thing about these feelings is when they come along you can feel at the mercy of them if you let yourself but they always pass. Pleased to see you've had a word to yourself about mindset, it becomes crucial at the tough times to have already chosen not to smoke. That's the power of the nope thread. x

Wish I had something useful to say, I don't, but I couldn't not say anything either. Sending all the love and healing that I can muster to you both. x

Keep the faith that this too shall pass. It can feel exhausting just carrying on I know, but you won't feel like this all the time. The thing with a quit is there's easier and euphoric times and harder times. It can actually switch up one day to the next and how you choose to think about it plays a part too. You're doing fab, just keep taking one step at a time. x

Fabulous!! Really delighted for you, make sure you had a lovely treat as you more then deserve it :) xx

Massive congrats, 2 weeks is amazing!! xx

I found focus a really big issue, like foggy or fuzzy head, for ages! Drove me mad. But it sounds like it might be a body re-adjustment from what you say. I've just said it somewhere else but remember to hydrate properly. We miss a lot of cues as a smoker and one of the major causes for headaches or dizzy feeling is often thirsty. x