NADA

Wow Deanna. Look at your ticker! You've already come a long way. You have every right to feel proud. Keep that great quit going.

Great job christine!

I'm not sure if there are others out there who believe that smoking and lying go hand-in-hand, but I found myself lying to people throughout my life about whether I smoked, how much I smoked, and if it was effecting my health. This is a post I wrote a few years ago. Most of us smokers began our years or decades of addiction back when we were teens. We learned to lie about smoking right from the very beginning. Usually it started with our parents asking why we smelled like a rancid ashtray. “Oh, I was at Johnny Picklefork’s house and his mom smokes like a chimney” I nervously responded. “That Bertha Picklefork really needs to cut back” my mom would chuckle. A few months later my mother met me at the door with a pack of reds in her hand as I returned from school. “Young man, what was this doing in your sock drawer?” I let out a small sigh of relief knowing that it was only the cigarettes that she found. “Um, Tammy Tamblanadana’s brother was grounded for smoking so Tammy asked if I could hold on to them for a few days”. Sometime later my dad drove by me holding a cigarette in my hand while hanging out with the neighborhood kids. When asked about this at dinner, I effortlessly told him, “I was just holding it for Jin Dong while she tied her shoe”. Once it was second nature to lie to my parents about smoking, it became just as easy to lie to myself about it. I can quit any time I want. I just do it to calm myself down. It relaxes me. It’s just a habit. The list could go on forever. It kept me in the cycle of addiction for decades until one day I called it out for what it was: Pure Bulls&@t! Not only are the health benefits endless when you quit, but it’s incredibly liberating to stop lying to yourself and others. P.S. The names in this story have been changed to protect the innocent.

Often loses oar.

Congratulations on day 2 christine. That's a big deal. I would like to suggest that you don't focus so much on when you'll feel "normal" again, but that would make me a hypocrite. I used to ask a friend at work every day when I would stop feeling so obsessed and deprived. He kept giving me vague answers such as "It doesn't just happen overnight. It will just evolve into better days". I'd storm off, bemoaning the fact that he didn't give me a specific date. But he was right. It just takes time. And there's no point in fixating on the magical date. Focus more on the good you're doing for your body, mind, wallet, friends and family, etc. P.S. If you must have a target date, shoot for day 3 and get back to me tomorrow. ?

There was not a DAY 1 in my 50 or so previous quits where I wasn't miserable. The real joy and freedom comes when you realize that you'll never need to go through DAY 1 ever again. Hope this is your last DAY 1 Opah. Welcome back.

CP You have so many reasons to quit. You just need to learn that smoking is not a reward or pleasure or relaxer. It's a cold-blooded killer. And there are no valid excuses to justify smoking. Like missing Christmas, or feeling that your smoke breaks are your special time. Phooey! Time to take this bull by the horns and slam it to the ground. Fortunately, there's lot's of information right here on this forum to help you get through this. It still won't be a walk in the park (at least for the first few months). But watching videos, reading how other's coped with similar situations, and offering your help to fellow quitters will make this a much more achievable goal. It's worth the effort. You're worth it!

If I'm smart enough to base my decision on butt-steering capabilities, I'm certainly smart enough to click a polling button.

It's close....but only one can steer a car with his butt.

Heavens to Betsy.....where's my Rosary!?!? Oh wait, I'm not Catholic. Carry on.

It's actually a battle of life and death.

Welcome BadAsh Wana. I remember you from the "Make a Sentence From 5 Letters" game. I had a different name over there. Glad to see you're still enjoying the smoke-free life 3 years later. Our quits were only a month apart and I couldn't agree more it's brought a lot of happiness and freedom. Hope to see more of you around here. ButtKickerPaul

nope Too cool to smoke

Be proud Jack. You’re doing great!

1 There's no shame in admitting you like to be spanked. Embrace the spank Linda.

20

18

nope

Only had 2 smoking dreams after quitting. The first was at 3 weeks and the other at 6 months. Nothing since. I do recall the immense sense of disappointment that I had failed my quit immediately upon awakening....and the tremendous relief when I realized it was only a dream. To me this was more evidence that smoking was a consuming thought, even subconsciously, for several months after I quit. P.S. The first dream I was in bed smoking and all of my coworkers were sleeping on the floor, face down and butt naked. A legitimate nightmare for sure.

Nice hike on Saturday. About 11 miles with an elevation gain of 2200 feet.

Stick a fork in year one Rory. Well done!

Q. Will I still be me? Smelly Short of breath Coughing, hacking, clearing your throat Anxious for your next smoke Wasting money Killing yourself A. I sure hope not.

Bad news bro. A Martian year is 687 days. You still have 322 Earth days to get to the Lido deck. Oh what the hell. We'll make an exception for you! Congratulations on your big day Martian! Welcome aboard.

After 10 years with a pickle puss* all I can muster is half a smile. * My father used to say that.....along with "wipe that puss off your face". He never understood why my sister and I laughed at that.