Still winning

The strangest sensation isn't it! Un-nerves you every time but it's just your subconcious way of catching up I think. x

Oh this is great! I think of you often and wonder how you're doing, pleased it's smoke free (although never doubted) and pleased to hear the shoe/dress industry continues to thrive in Bristol! :)

Olly Murs is my shameful admission. It's so not cool but I know all the words of all his songs lol. Other than that I am a fan of Talking with interesting people. Learning new healing techniques Spiritual learning/discussion Dancing Phil Collins Muse Metallica Cooking (not chef style, more throw it in a pot and "ta da" style) Reading Vampires/werewolf/Unicorns/Witches/Paranormal NOT ZOMBIES, they scare the shiz outta me Connecting people Feminism Helping people because it's the right thing to do Sarcasm

I'm agreeing with the boy prediction.

Where in the world are you - England, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire When and how did you quit - Which time lol? Winning formula for me was Champix but I only took it for a week after I quit then switched to cold turkey and some mega dance moves (nope shuffle!). 19 months ish now? Did smoking affect your health. Yes, It's not even why I quit though which is shameful in a way, I'd recovered. Has smoking significantly improved things. Yes absolutely! The biggest wins are self esteem and setting a good example to my lil ladies who trust me more! Last album - Ed Sheeran I think Parent - yes two girls, Milly is 10 and Bella is 5 An interesting fact about me:~ I am incredibly interesting lol, but I can play London's Burning on the recorder :) Job now: Holistic healer. last job, carer to toxic mother, before that pub landlady x

Sweet!! I'm lovin this post! It's as easy as wake, don't put anything in your mouth and set it on fire, go to sleep and repeat. Isn't that self esteem thing a real shocker and an epic win! That was a very welcome surprise for loads of us. Now about kicking yourself for not doing it sooner...well I'm going to leave you with that because guilt was a very strong reason for me putting down the cigs and for not picking them up again - it's actually been a part of my quit and keeps me vigilant. As does the thought of any additional damage I would do if I smoked again. So yeah, the kicking yourself is normal. It will calm and you will find a new normal - for now it's simply one part of your journey, the rest sounds really wonderful. x

nope

Shhh but Bakon is a proper softy underneath and genuinely cares. He's just pretty straightforward but you learn to take terms like window licker as his gentle way of showing support - that's not even sarcasm although reading back sounds like it should be! Anyway! Rewards, yes!! Reward every milestone. Finding a tough day, buy yourself a little treat( magazine, candle, sweets for the kids), cause you can with the money you're saving. Write a list of all the lovely things you could buy with the money!

nope. Happy Halloween/Samhain :)

Delivery tip, take sugary drinks like lucozade or whatever tasha likes. Also take enough for you. It's physically tough going delivering a baby. No harm in getting a meal in in the proper early stages of labour either. It does tend to go on a bit and it helps to have the strength of a good meal (contractions are usually sporadic but ya know, if they are coming two mins apart or something best eat quick lol). From 35 weeks Tasha can drink raspberry leaf tea. It doesn't bring on labour but supposedly means you dilate quicker once you do start. Seems to work in my experience and doesn't taste too bad either. Ignore any advice to drink castor oil! Doreens points 1 and 2, yep :) Nappies yes and faking sleep no. Actually you should start a seperate top tips thread :) EEEKKKKKK, not long now, less then a month till D Day!!

A weekend with nothing planned. Means I can do whatever I want or nothing at all.

nope. x

xx Mammy. Lie - I need it to manage the stress truth I used it to repress my emotions and gut instincts that I now use for life and working to help others. Lie - Some people have an addictive nature Truth - Some people are addicted to nicotine and need to kick that to the kerb.

Aww Good to see you post Iam, short and sweet but in my thoughts! x

That is absolutely it isn't it. just learning new ways to do the things we must without building smoking into it. We've weaved it into every part and soon enough we weave a new life without it. x

It's been a while since I did a post as I don't ever want to take away from newer quits but I see a lot of triggers going around and some jumping off's. My way of speaking (writing) is to explain my experience and hopefully people can relate, or not and that's good if they can share their experience instead. Makes it much broader. I also have no intention of saying in one paragraph what can be said in 20, I ramble :D . So a trigger is simply your brain remembering "hey, we used to smoke now". I recently bumped a post called the Executive assistant, it's a great read! That's such a powerful realization to know that it is simply a thought and in reality, we have many thoughts within a day, some good some not. So the fact that I and others ran scared of quitting or staying quit (relapse queens take a bow!) was mainly due to the fear that I would always feel that I was missing something - once I found this support I quickly realized the thoughts would fade and it was worth holding on for the peace of mind later. So yes, at times it was uncomfortable mentally, but I never physically hurt, on the contrary, I actually physically started healing, we all do. I still love the stats about recovery times. Only 72 hours to get nicotine out is so fabulous really when you think of it, simply years of stuffing it in there and all gone in 3 days! I digress though. It often took me by surprise when a smoking thought would take a hold of my brain, what we refer to as romancing the smoke. I did quickly learn that I could distract my brain quite easily though. if the trigger was simply a thought, another thought could replace it. If the trigger was simply remembering we would smoke here, then a new and healthier habit would soon get rid of the trigger or I could simply answer the thought with "we don't do that anymore". I heard it described as a tool box and I like that analogy. A toolbox of ways to outwit our own thoughts. In any other scenario this might sound like we have a screw loose (Jury's out on some of us!) but actually it's quite sane. Get a plan of what you will do when you have your triggers and moving past it becomes easier. We berate ourselves when we're past the initial couple of weeks for still getting triggers. I wonder why we anticipate we should be over it so quickly? I've read powerful lines like quitting is a journey not an event, that makes sense. A change of season trigger is not nearly the same as week 1 unless you give it lots of head space, so don't do that. If you're finding yourself romancing, talk/post/pm someone, smoking is a lie and it never was the answer to any of life's problems. Reading up and educating yourself on how addiction works means you start to realize it's all a choice. That's where the answer is on triggers for me. If I "choose" to throw myself off the quit train, I will only have to start again, today or years later with more damage, may as well "get er done" today. I see others who continue to smoke and kid themselves. I've seen that journey on family ahead of me and trust me, it doesn't bear thinking about and I choose not to dwell on others who can't get real about this. So if ever a smoking thought flits through my mind now, it's easy to bat it away, like swatting a fly out of your face really. No it's nothing like the early thoughts. Actually I'll say that used to really worry me when 5 year veteran quitters said they still thought about smoking! Those people are abstaining, not quitting, there is a strong difference! The reason I think is I embraced every trigger (holiday/seasonal/milestones) and faced it down. It wasn't always an elegant face down. I still feel like I missed a trick not buying shares in a tissue company! But the triggers do all get faced if you want to be free and it's perfectly reasonable to feel mentally on edge sometimes, non smokers get that! Non smokers have stress without smoking. They go drinking without smoking too, if they choose too. "Choice"...isn't life all about choices. Quitting smoking is a good choice. Talking about struggling is another great choice, use the support here. We're here by choice, to help those who want it. So probably this whole post could have just been - Triggers are just thoughts of we could smoke here. but we don't smoke, so nope. However my inane drivel is far more fun and has filled your day with love and light I'm sure :wub: :D .

Hello my beautiful friend. I am pleased you have healed although sorry to hear that was such a long road for you. Many congratulations on 2 years of freedom :) xx

Sounds like everything is doing what it;s gonna do. Isn't it weird how life just keeps going when we quit, and we don't need to smoke to partake in it, the good the bad and the ugly. Sorry and pleased in equal measure for all the "others" bit. Delighted you're keeping on, great work. The only way is up, right on!! x

Why in the wide world of fcuks would you ask for one of two fcuking items you've ever bought your kids back. Mr I earn 50K plus but can't contribute to school trips be cause I pay maintenance! you are indeed a twuntywanker and I couldn't even spare a fcuk off for you, now please do fall in the fcuking mersey (sorry Doreen) when you take MY children to visit and play happy families even though everyone thinks you're a shitty scum sucker. And f*ck you, I have pictures of my first baby now since you stole them all when we split you piece of crap! Grrr piece of shit ex husband!

Congrats on 2 weeks :) x

You do love a thought or 20 don't you. triggers near a landmark time you say, wonder if it's normal - yep! My quit was solid as Everest and my poor overworked quit buddy still had to drag my sorry butt to one year crying and tantruming :) Seriously, grit your teeth and best foot forward. This foot, that foot, this foot again, *wipes brow* and repeat. Triggers TEW, it's only triggers and that last ditch cry of the addict. YOU HAVE GOT THIS! Trust that!! It will pass sweetie, honestly, 366 days will be sweet release :)

Late to the party but wanted to salute you. I once read a piece of solid advice (after being a proper div drunk) which said. Tell those you like in a moment of sanity that you love and respect them and to give you some leeway for a while. Solid advice! Drinking shouldn't be an issue but let's be straight, anything that lowers inhibitions can be a problem in the early days. Ex english landlady of pubs here, I liked a wine or 5 in an evening and I really had to tone down too as my quit became risked on more than one occassion and it simply isn't worth it in my honest opinion. I spent many nights taking an early night - not because I was tired but simply to hide out in my blanket fort, poking my eyes over the top of the covers wondering when it would be safe to be in the real world. I can tell you by month 3 I was at the pub with smokers and feeling sorry for them having to smoke. Like damn, didn't that table turn pretty quick considering I smoked for eons! Tell your old man you're bringing crazy back as a trend for a while, that you love him and you are embarking on a big old journey that needs support. Do what you will with the box of tricks, some kept them, most ditched them. For sure I had one time if I could of found something I would have smoked (drunk, argument, dumb times), was pleased nothing was there! Bumped the executive assistant post for you to have a read of in the smoking discussions. it says more than I ever could :) Exactly where you should be though, name an all :) Doing great!! x

This post always made it make sense to me. Bump. x

nope

congrats on week 1! A massive achievement :) Well done! It's not harder or easier, just use the same steps, nope, no smoking, smokings not on the table, can literally do anything else but smoke...and make each day. I heard a saying that quitting is a journey, not an event. I like that. Ups and downs, but real talk here, smoking never helped any single thing for us. You got this. xx