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jillar

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  1. jillar

    RIDE IT OUT

    By jillar,


    General
    Raya
    Quit Date: June 30 / 2011
     
    Posted April 14, 2015 
     
     
    Its late and I am awake , and I got thinking how this quitting process has truly has been a roller coaster . Remember the first days quitting smoking are much like a roller coaster so if an hour from now you don't feel so good; RIDE IT OUT . There may be bit of a turn, and you feel queezy and wonder if you made the right decision ; RIDE IT OUT. There may be a hill , and you are filled with fear where you don't know whats on the other side ; RIDE IT OUT. Then you overlook that fall ahead of you ; and it takes your breathe away ; RIDE IT OUT . You may feel fear and panic and tears ; you may feel like screaming , shouting and you are just hanging on for dear life ; RIDE IT OUT. There are smooth patches and straightaways and the roller coaster does come to a stop, but in the beginning of quitting smoking just as in a real roller coaster ride , we don't quite know what to expect . It looks big and it looks scary . We step on with little faith and with little hope only protected by a buckle ; for the RIDE OF OUR LIFE.
     
    Oops! ( think I lost myself there and all of you LOL)
    Lets get back to quitting smoking and lets just sit at the top of this rollercoaster and think about things a bit shall we . Yup we have stopped at the top, and we are rocking back and forth . la ta da ta da back and forth.
     
    Ok so this is my thinking : If we were to ride the same roller coaster everyday then we would know what to expect and we are not as fearful when we know what to expect . Our fear and anxiety slowly subsides . The ride is still exciting and becomes rather enjoyable and even comfortable. We find the next turn won't scare us and the next hill won't take our breathe away , and roller coasters won't scare us anymore . And at the end of the day we get off excited and thrilled that we accomplished the uncertain and the unknown . Thats why "ONE day at a tIme works . Do it over and over and over ; at the end of each day be a winner .
     
    Some day you will tell this story to your grandkids, the story about the smokers rollercoaster quit ride . Perhaps someday you will go on a roller coaster ride with your kids and grandchildren to the county fair ; you will eat cotton candy ; ride on the ferris wheel ; or just watch ; but please if you do please share with them all the dangers of smoking and help them to understand that listening to advertisements about smoking and other smoking methods. may look appealing ; but they are preying on your young ; killers of your health ; your families health ; thieves of your money , and your life time. Smoking will never bring you happiness . Teach them that happiness is free ; you create it. There is no charge . OH by the way ? Are you still rocking back and forth up there on that roller coaster ? Move forward . You have a lot of friends cheering you on and waiting for you below .
     
    C YA ALL TOMORROW
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/5103-ride-it-out/
     
  2. jillar

    One Question

    By jillar,


    General
    Boo
    Quit Date: March 9, 2016
     
    Posted November 29, 2018 
     
    Did I smoke today?
     
    It is the one and only question that matters when quitting.  I've seen some recent posts in which people call themselves "bad quitters" because they craved and/or romanced the cigarette during their quit.  There is no such thing as a "bad quitter."  There are only successful quitters and smokers.
     
    If you craved a cigarette but didn't smoke, you are a successful quitter.  If it took you a while to rewire your brain about the realities of cigarettes but you didn't smoke, you are a successful quitter.
     
    Smoking is an addiction.  Cigarettes are something we conditioned ourselves with for years.  Quitting is a process.
     
    If the process was a bit more difficult for you than others.  If it took you a little while longer to turn the corner than others.  If you really, really, really wanted to smoke a cigarette.  If you were grouchy, bordering on homicidal, during parts of your quit...If any of these conditions applied and you stayed true to your commitment and did not smoke, congratulations.  Your quit is every bit as much of a successful quit as anyone else's.
     
    To smoke or not to smoke...it is the only question that matters when quitting.
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/11517-one-question/
     
  3. jillar
    MarylandQuitter
    Quit Date: 10/07/2013
     
    Posted August 1, 2014
     
    I Know I'll Quit Again
    Video discusses the risk of allowing yourself to relapse using the logic that you can always simply just quit again.
     
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHp8yFnHbZQ
     
     
    Get Right Back In The Saddle?
    Still quit right away but figure out what went wrong and what happened so it doesn't happen again. 
     
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcEzzFM6c7A
     
     
                                                                          "Well at least I attempted to quit smoking.  That's better than not trying to quit at all."
     
    This comment was stated by a clinic participant who, after five days of not smoking, gave in to an urge and took a cigarette.  It was only going to be one cigarette, he thought.  But by the end of the day, he was up to his old level.  So what about his logic that at least trying to quit smoking is better than not trying at all?
     
    If this was his first attempt, it could be said that it was a learning experience.  Maybe he just didn't understand the concept of addiction.  He did not believe one cigarette could reestablish a physical dependency on nicotine.  After taking one cigarette, he lost all control.  So now, if he would ever quit again,  he would not question the concept of one cigarette causing a total relapse.
     
    But this was not his first attempt quitting.  It was his second time in our clinic, as well as multiple previous attempts at other programs, hypnosis and on his own.  He once quit for two months before relapsing.  At that time he broke all physical dependency on nicotine.  Also, after two months he successfully overcame many trigger situations which cause many smokers to initially relapse.  Work pressures, family problems, and social situations are obstacles that all ex-smokers initially face when quitting.  He overcame all of these trigger situations.  But then, one day, out of sheer boredom, he took a cigarette.  In that attempt, too, he relapsed right back to his old level.  Obviously, taking that cigarette was a serious mistake.
     
    This attempt, too, he chalked up to experience.  But when considering his latter attempts, it is apparent that he learned nothing.  Unless he objectively evaluates what causes his relapses to smoking, he is wasting his time trying to quit again.  Because instead of recognizing his past attempts as failures, he rationalizes a positive feeling of accomplishment about them.  This type of rationalization all but assures failures in all future attempts.
     
    Don't allow yourself to get into the same rut as this man did.  On again, off again, one withdrawal after another.  Quitting smoking is only the first step in smoking cessation.
    http://whyquit.com/joel/Joel_03_11_at_least_i_tried.html 
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/2156-relapse-i-just-cant-do-it-right-now-i-know-ill-quit-again-back-in-the-saddle/
     
  4. jillar

    smoking turned me into a total coward!

    By jillar,


    General
    babs609
    Quit Date: 07/13/2012
     
    Posted September 28, 2015 
     
    As a young child and early in my teens, I was very confident.  I wasn't the prettiest, smartest, most athletic, or funniest girl (well..I did win class clown in the 8th grade)  as a matter of fact, I was an average teenager...but I was okay with that and pretty comfortable in my own skin. 
     
    Somewhere along the line....in my teens...there was a decline in that confidence.  It wasn't sudden.  It was so gradual that I didn't even know it was happening.  Years and years went by and I still thought inside I was this confident person I used to be but I wasn't.  I was playing the role of the person I used to be.  The person I wanted to be again.  I didn't know how I lost it...I only know I wanted it back.
     
    Fast forward 25 years later and I quit smoking.  It wasn't until then that I realized how much smoking had destroyed my confidence in myself.  I didn't make the connection until I was free from the addiction. 
     
    Today, more than ever. I realize how really damaging smoking is for not only physical health but mental health as well.  I can honestly say that I am worthy, I am healthy, I am loveable, and I can achieve absolutely anything I want to in this life.  Amazing!   It wasn't even something I had to do....all I had to do was STOP.  Stop putting things in my mouth and lighting them on fire...sounds simple enough, right??  LOL...the funny and ironic thing..is that it really is that simple. 
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/6028-smoking-turned-me-into-a-total-coward/
     
  5. jillar

    Perception Shift

    By jillar,


    General
    Boo
    Quit Date: March 9, 2016
     
    Posted March 28, 2016 
     
    For much of the last couple of weeks, I hit a mental wall of sorts.  It wasn't that I was craving a cigarette so much as I was finding it difficult to identify myself as a nonsmoker.  Nagging, insecure thoughts were persistent.  I began to doubt if I was really done with smoking for good.  My policy to this point had been to "fight like hell."  What am I fighting?
     
    The fight is with addiction of course, but do I really need to fight?  My addiction is my own creation and is not an independent entity.  Addiction cannot hide around corners, jumping me when I least expect it and force me to smoke against my will.  Addiction can only plant a seed, it is my choice to cultivate it or not.  My addiction only has the power I give it.
     
    I've ceased fighting my addiction and since then, its voice has been a whimper subjugated to the back of my mind.  When I was fighting tooth-and-nail, its voice roared.  I recognize its existence, but now any irrational addiction thoughts that spring to mind are quickly silenced by reason and logic.  I am not becoming complacent, I simply realized the futility of building a thing up only to spend the rest of the day attempting to knock it down.
     
    There is no reason for me to fight as I have finally realized there is nothing to fear.  Maintaining a successful quit is a simple matter of never making a conscious decision to place a cigarette in my mouth and light it on fire.  It does not get more simple than that.
     
    I spent time in the darkness, but eventually saw the light.
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/6851-perception-shift/
     
  6. jillar

    Simple Guide to Freedom

    By jillar,


    General
    Sazerac
    Quit Date: October 23, 2013, A Good Day to be Free.
     
    Posted October 22, 2019 
     
    In celebration of my Six Years of Freedom, I wrote this little piece,
     
      Sazerac's Simple Guide To Freedom
     
    Desire:   You must want to quit more than you want to smoke
     
    Decision:  Make the decision to live life without Nicotine. 
     
    Commitment:  Commit wholeheartedly to live without Nicotine  and intend on standing by your resolve.
     
    Choice:    Choose to never smoke again, EVER.  This choice will empower you in many, many ways.
     
     
      “Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
     
     
    Education * 
    Thanks to Joel Spitzer, this site and lurking around the sphere, 
    I am still learning everything I can about Nicotine Addiction.
    Information is Big Power and I feel sufficiently armed to maintain my quit.
     
     
    Changing Focus.
    It took some doing but, s l o w l y, when junkie thoughts would drag me down, 
    I began to train myself to look at something beautiful or think of beauty in some way.
    This retrained my brain and also gave me a bump of endorphins.
     
    I use this technique during any moments of distress or discomfort.
    These are not nicotine related anymore, just moments of life.
     
    The concept of H.A.L.T. *
    (are you Hungry (thirsty), Angry (emotional), Lonesome (bored), Tired)
     
    Nine times out of ten, smokey thoughts weren't about nicotine at all,
    it was my body (poor thing) hollering at me to do something life sustaining for it.
    Now, the signals are very clear and not related to nicotine in any way.
     
    I also want to share the benefits of Breath.  Deep, calming breaths of Oxygen.
    An elixir to sharpen and focus your mind away from the patterns of addiction.  
     
    Rewards *
    Not only does rewarding yourself help re-wire your brain receptors,
    treating yourself well and being as kind to yourself makes life nice.
    A little spoiling goes a long way,  especially during rugged transitions of any kind.
     
    ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
     
    Quitting smoking has taught me much about myself and the human condition.
    The truth and honesty involved in making and keeping a commitment to myself has been profound.
    I know myself so much better.  I have exchanged an empty bravado for an inner trust and knowledge.
     
    I am grateful to everybody here, your stories, your triumphs and your lapses, too.
    ALL have helped me understand the hideousness of nicotine addiction
    and the Power of Choice, the Preciousness of Freedom.
     
    I am so proud to be part of this community.
    Y'all are beautiful nicotine free creatures, my friends.
     
    S
     
     
    *Joel Spitzer's Quit Smoking Library
     
    *  Riffing On H.A.L.T.
     
    * The Significance of Rewards
     
     
     
    p.s.
    To anyone beginning their journey, I would recommend this thread,
        10 Ways To Effectively Use This Forum To Stop Using Nicotine
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/13165-simple-guide-to-freedom/
     
  7. jillar

    The Perfect Quit-Repost by jwg

    By jillar,


    General
    jillar
    Quit Date: May 29, 2016
     
    Posted May 20, 2018 
     
    the perfect quit
    by jwg1763 » Tue Jun 22, 2010 8:03 pm
     
    Welcome come right in ,, how can I help you today?

    Umm yes I would like to see about buying a quit

    Well sir you have certainly come into the right store
    Let me show you some of our newer and maybe are best

    Ok ,, that would be great,, are they expensive?

    Lets just look and then we can talk price

    Umm , umm ok..

    Now here this is a wonderful quit, about seven years old fully matured No cravings I can see no real problems for you and this quit I think it could fit you well… but you do have to walk it by 7 am oh and that’s after a good breakfast

    Umm , I work nights im not up at 7 am

    Well if you want this quit you will have to get a new job you can only work 9-5 with this quit

    do you have something else?

    Why sure we do,, we have the perfect quit right here for you this is the one,, it is only 2 ½ years old but very mature and well behaved
    However you do have to sit every day and eat two bags of pop corn
    While you watch the soap operas

    Ohhmm ,, I don’t like pop corn or soap opera s I think this is a house wife quit . Not for me

    Well sir quits don’t have a gender there just tailored

    Oh ,, I see well I need a quit that works nights
    Likes to sleep in in the morning,, play some video games
    Doesn’t like pop corn and about two meals a day
    What do you have like that?

    Well sir I don’t think you understand you have to Tailor yourself to our quits we don’t tailor them to you.. These quits have taken years to fit there original owners

    That’s what I want a quit tailored fit to me
    Where do I get one of those?

    You can’t buy one of those ,, you just have to stop smoking and 
    Let it grow,, you have to nature it , love it, and respect it


    If I could just buy a quit like that just for me how much 
    Would it cost?

    Sir a quit like that is priceless,, you do not have enough money
    `jwg`
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/10435-the-perfect-quit-repost-by-jwg/
     
  8. jillar

    Acknowledging the addiction

    By jillar,


    General
    Irene
    Quit Date: 19 June 2020
     
    Posted March 14, 2020 
     
    Before I even entertained the thought of quitting, I always looked at drug users or addicts with pity, thinking how lucky I am not to have fallen into that trap.
    Ironic huh? Now I have empathy.
     
    I'm not a person who bares her soul, wears her heart  on on her sleeve, nor starting a thread about something she doesn't  know much about....lol
    I know I'm not the type of person to join a group therapy session on addiction introducing myself and telling my story. Never! Out of the question! Why?
    Because my fear of quiting was to acknowledge  my addiction, and in acknowledging  my addiction, made me no different to any addict.
     
    10 days into my 1st quit, I read Allen Carr, surfed the net, and found Quittrain...I knew this quit wouldn't last, and that I just needed to find an excuse to have that smoke.
    40 odd days into my quit, I found one, feeble as it was, it was the excuse I was looking for. Still lurking on Qtrain, I started to take things more seriously...
    4 days and 2 pkts later, I found myself stepping into that group therapy room...Qtrain..a very brave move from this introvert, but a wise one.
     
    It will take me a while to accept the thought that I'm always one puff away from renewing my addiction, to start baring my soul a little, opening up, feeling proud
    of the quit I am now building, to start enjoying the things I most enjoy without the necessity of have a smoke as well. 
     
    One thread stood out for me..Introsucktion..MLMR which I highly recommend to all newbies like me..read twice and still find something useful.
    I know for a fact that I will have a wobbly and will be sorely  tempted, and sincerely hope that I have the courage to ask for help.
     
    I have made the first step of opening up...now to embrace this frucking quit and start living 
    Thanks for listening......you are all very appreciated, I hope you know that
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/13659-acknowledging-the-addiction/
     
  9. jillar

    Quitting Smoking Blues

    By jillar,


    General
    Sazerac
    Quit Date: October 23, 2013, A Good Day to be Free.
     
    Posted August 30, 2018 
     
    Here is an article I found googling around dealing with the Quitting Smoking Blues.
    This is from the Very Well Mind website
     
    Depression Related to Quitting Smoking
    How to Deal With the Temporary Mood Changes
    By Terry Martin | Reviewed by Sanja Jelic, MD
    Updated August 29, 2018
     
    Quitting smoking is difficult enough when you're feeling happy.
    Unfortunately, it can become further challenging due to depression—a common complaint early on in smoking cessation.
    Knowing what you may experience as you work to become smoke-free can better prepare you for the journey ahead.
    If you start to feel depressed after quitting tobacco and your low mood doesn't pass after a few weeks or gets worse,
    be sure to check in with your doctor for advice.
     
    Physical and Psychological Changes
     
    Nicotine withdrawal is the primary reason for the temporary depression you may experience after quitting smoking.
    When you use nicotine on a regular basis, your body and brain become dependent on it,
    as the nicotine bonds with your brain receptors to trigger the release of dopamine, the "feel-good" hormone.
    Once you stop smoking and are producing less dopamine than your body and mind have become accustomed to,
    it is normal to react with low moods and depressed feelings.
     
    Lack of nicotine also means losing the "companion" that you thought helped you manage everything from anger to fatigue,
    which leaves most new ex-smokers feeling empty and adrift for a time.
    Luckily, for most, the condition is a byproduct of smoking cessation and is temporary.
     
     
    Some common symptoms of depression that you may experience when you stop smoking include:
    Sleeplessness
    Sadness
    Difficulty concentrating
    Anxiety or an "empty" feeling
    Fatigue
    Changes in appetite (eating more or less)
    Loss of interest in hobbies and activities
    Emotional irritability
    You may experience one, some, or all of these at one point or another, and to varying degrees.
     
    Coping Techniques
    Quitting tobacco is a big change in lifestyle, and you should expect to react, to some degree, both emotionally and physically.
    You are also at an increased risk of suffering a smoking relapse during periods of depression caused by smoking cessation.
    It is hard to stay focused and maintain the resolve to not smoke when you're feeling low.
     
    After years of smoking, it is possible that you began to bury your feelings behind a cloud of smoke.
     Cigarettes are used to deal with everything from anger to sadness to joy, causing smokers to often lean on tobacco to avoid difficult emotions.
    It is healthy and productive to let those feelings out, even if you feel a little raw from the experience.
     
    For depression that comes with smoking cessation, try some of the following ideas to improve your mood:
     
    Get out of a quick walk.
    Fresh air is always invigorating, and exercise releases endorphins in the brain, which are known to improve mood.
     
    Set goals, but don't bite off more than you can chew.
    Divide tasks related to your goals into small chunks that you feel good about accomplishing.
     
    Spend time with people who make you feel good. 
     
    When negative/sad thoughts come up about smoking,
    remind yourself that you miss smoking mostly because it was an addiction,
    and once you're healed, you won't feel this way.
     
    Create a list of things you can do at a moment's notice when you're feeling the urge to smoke,
    like do a crossword puzzle or call a supportive friend.
     
    Jolting ourselves out of a negative thought pattern is often as simple as changing what we're doing.
     
    Join a support group.
    Meeting people who are going through the same struggle as you can help you know you're not alone and offer some much-needed support.
    The American Lung Association's Freedom From Smoking program has groups all over the country,
    or do some research to find other support programs in your local area.
     
    While quitting smoking, the body and mind are in a state of transition,
    and it's not uncommon for new ex-smokers to struggle with their emotions.
    Don't worry if you are close to tears one moment and angry or sad the next.
    The balance will return in time.
     
    Change Your Mind, Change Your Life
     
    One of the greatest challenges new ex-smokers face is an important change in perspective.
    It is that shift in thinking from seeing smoking cessation as an exercise in deprivation 
    to realizing that it is, in fact, one of the best gifts you'll ever give yourself.
    This is a crucial step in the process of healing from nicotine addiction,
    and it is with this transformation that many see their quit-related symptoms of depression begin to lift.
     
    Pre-Existing Depression
    If you have been diagnosed and/or treated for depression prior to quitting smoking,
    it is important to let your doctor know ahead of time that you're planning to quit. 
    Smoking cessation could make you susceptible to additional mood disturbances. 
     
    Smoking also causes some medications to be metabolized more quickly,
    so when you quit, prescriptions you're already taking might need to be adjusted.
    Your doctor can monitor and correct dosages on any medications you might be on, if necessary.
     
    Always be on alert for drastic mood changes and contact your doctor as soon as possible if anything out of the ordinary occurs.
    If you're having thoughts of self-harm, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifelineat 800-273-8255.
     
    A Word From Verywell
    If the blues have come on since you quit smoking, remember that this is not uncommon.
    As you are patient through this likely temporary phase, find comfort from your friends, family,
    and keeping busy with healthier, more productive activities.
    With time and dedication, these will become the more familiar sources of good feelings,
    and smoking will become that thing that you thought used to bring you benefit.
     
    You can also take comfort in knowing that millions of people have been through this process successfully before you,
    and many include it among the most rewarding experiences of their lives.
    Happier days are ahead, and with them will come a tremendous sense of pride and empowerment from overcoming this addiction.
     
    Article Sources:
    National Institutes of Mental Health. Depression. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/index.shtml
    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Recognize Signs of Depression. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/quit-smoking/guide/depression-and-smoking.html
     
     
    I would like to include Joel Spitzer's video and Resources Concerning Mental Health
     
     
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/10971-quitting-smoking-blues/
     
  10. jillar
    Repost by Craig
     
     
    I get sad whenever I read about someone that relapses after rocking an awesome quit for weeks or months. I quit smoking 290 days ago and I'm extremely confident I'll never smoke again. Things were a little different on day 142 though. That's the day I almost smoked a cigarette.....
     
    Quote
     
    Day 142.
     
    I have been romanticizing the cigarette for about a week now. I've been daydreaming about the simple joy of holding a cigarette between my fingers, the wonderful tobacco smell of a freshly opened pack, and the feeling of euphoria when taking that first drag. Mmmm....just thinking about it makes my pulse quicken in glorious anticipation. 
     
    W. T. F.       
     
    This is day 142! I'm "this close" to 5 months.  6 months (HALF A YEAR!) is within spitting distance. How the hell could I let myself get so damn complacent that I'm having thoughts like this? For the most part, my quit has been on auto-pilot for the last couple of months. I stopped actively "quitting" a long time ago. I didn't feel the need, or desire, to spend hours a day reading/posting about nicotine addiction like I did the first several weeks of my quit. 
     
    I've lost my motivation and I'm tired of fighting. THAT right there scares the crap out of me. I do NOT want to be a smoker again. I will NOT be a smoker again. I REFUSE to be a smoker again. It is time to fix this thing and get my head back in this quit. 
     
    During the early days of a new quit everything is so exciting. You are doing a Good Thing and it's AWESOME! YOU are AWESOME! Loved ones shower you with praise! Strangers on the internet tell you how wonderful you are! You can suddenly smell and taste All The Things! People at work give you high fives and fist bumps! There are parades in your honor! The mayor gives you the key to the city! TMZ hounds you for an interview! Life is FREAKING AMAZING!!!
     
    And then, a few weeks or months later…..things change. Family and friends begin treating you the way they did before you quit. No more high fives. No more fist bumps. No one asks about your quit anymore. Even the paparazzi stop following you around. This “thing” (your quit) isn't fun anymore. Yeah, it’s gotten a lot easier to not smoke but you still sometimes get cravings from hell and you are SO TIRED of fighting. So tired. You feel lonely. You start to hear whispers in your head. It's a voice you thought you silenced a while ago. “Why don’t you just smoke one? It will taste and feel so good. You know you can quit anytime you want.” (My Inner Junkie has a seductive bedroom voice like Barry White and looks like a more sinister version of Wile E. Coyote. Stop judging me!)
     
    Relapse was a very real option for me on day 142 (I'm on day 290 now). I am VERY thankful that I turned things around before it was too late. Some folks don’t. They smoke a cigarette and then a beautiful quit is lost…up in smoke.
     
    I am only posting this to remind everyone, myself included, that we can never let our guards down. I KNOW why I got close to relapse. The reasons are as plain as day to me now:
     
    1.    I stopped educating myself about my addiction.
    2.    I greatly decreased the time I spent on this site because I didn't think I needed a support group any longer.
    3.    I let a small seed of negative thought (daydreaming of smoking a cigarette) grow until it became a Really Bad Thing.
    4.    I fooled myself into thinking I wasn't an addict any more.
     
    What did I do to get my quit back on track?
     
    1.    I re-read all the newbie info here and at whyquit.com
    2.    I read Allen Carr’s book. (I read a little bit each day over the course of a couple of months. It was a good daily dose of inspiration.)
    3.    I recommitted to spending time on this site reading and helping out where I could.
    4.    I admitted to myself that I was always going to be an addict. I can NEVER become complacent again.
    5.    I stopped random smoking thoughts IMMEDIATELY whenever I realized what I was thinking about. 
     
    Have you come close to relapsing? What did you do to avoid it?
     
    Have you relapsed after a weeks or months long quit? If so, why did it happen and what are you doing now to make sure it doesn't happen again?
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/11744-dont-ever-let-your-guard-down-repost-by-craig/
     
  11. jillar

    A Message from your Body

    By jillar,


    General
    Nancy
    Quit Date: 07/07/2013
     
    Posted September 17, 2014 
     
    I found this online, here.
     
    A message from your body. (Repost)  
    By tahoehal  on November 03 2007 at 4:39 pm 
     
     
    Insert your own name .........
    and days of being smoke free x.

    Dear ..........


    It has been x days since you have quit smoking. You probably don't recognize me since you have been real busy for about x years. 
    I am your body and I wanted to have a conversation with you.
    There are some things I need to tell you and share with you. 
    You may need them now that you are recovering and I for the first time can express them.

    I am your lungs, your heart, your eyes, your liver, your blood, your skin and your mind.
    For x years, ......., you have been smoking and I have been unable to talk to you. 
    It's not that there were times when I did not try, because I did.
    I sent you all sorts of signals to let you know I wanted to talk to you and you were not able to hear me. 
    You passed it off as a morning cough or dizziness and whatever you were doing for all those years was too strong for me to fight.
    I have been waiting for this conversation with you for years.

    I must first tell you that we don't miss the smoke you filled us with.
    There were days when you were out, having a good time in the summer sun and I was too.
    I like the warm air and I even like the sun. But, ........, even on those wonderful days you would take the time to fill my lungs with smoke, my blood with carbon monoxide and my brain with nicotine. 
    Every time I thought things were getting better and I was ready to talk to you there would be a burst of all these chemicals and I had to spend all of my energy, and YOUR energy, ......., on trying to keep you alive.

    I think you get the point now and I don't want to sound critical although I may have come off that way. 
    What I really need to tell you is that for the past x days I have been working hard with the rest of your body ,to heal from a lot of years of neglect.
    I guess I want to say THANK YOU. 
    Thank you, ......., for having the courage and the strength to quit smoking.
    If you have ever done anything right for me, by not smoking you have given me a new life. 
    I need to tell you that it will take time for me to heal. You know how long you smoked, ........ It will take a bit of time to work with the lungs and the brain and the heart but IT WILL HAPPEN. Every cell in your body congratulates you... ....

    I need to warn you about something.
    One of the drugs that the brain thought it liked was Nicotine. 
    That's a bad drug. 
    It fooled me into thinking that I needed it.
    I never picked up a cigarette in my life and you made me addicted to Nicotine. 
    Hey, I know it was not your fault! But there will be some difficulty the next few days and months. I, too, became addicted to that drug and it will take some time before I get rid of that. 
    But I have a promise that I want to give you now that I can talk to you. 
    If you promise to not smoke and to give this your very best shot, and I know how hard it is for you, I will reward you with more than great health, ........... 
    And in time you will not only feel better but I will give you something that you thought you lost a long time ago.
    Remember your self-esteem and your image?
    Well I know who you are and I want you to know that I LOVE YOU. 
    In time you will feel better and be so proud of what you accomplished-This I promise you.

    By the way!
    In this process of getting better we will be doing a lot of work inside.
    So please feed me and water me like you would if you were taking care of a beautiful Rose.
    It's time that you started to look after yourself with love, understanding and compassion as well; we like that too.
    Everything you give to me during this process I will reward you with tenfold. 

    I believe in you, .......
    I AM YOU. 
    I KNOW you can do this. 
    I don't want to have to wait another x years to have this conversation with you. 
    Know that I love you and know that it is unconditional. 
    It seem at times like I am working against you but know that I am working with you, .........., to heal US.

    Just for Today, ......., please do not smoke. Thank you for listening to me. 
    I love you!


    Sincerely,

    Your lungs, heart, liver, blood, mind and skin and every living cell in you. 
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/2707-a-message-from-your-body/
     
  12. jillar

    Same-same but different

    By jillar,


    General
    notsmokinjo
    Quit Date: 28/11/2017
     
    Posted March 3, 2020 
     
    I know there are a few threads already about the unexpected gains we got from quitting BUT I'm too lazy to go hunting, besides when ya do you tend to fall down a rabbit hole of rereading some bloody good posts...well I do..anywho ..was reading an old post and it got me thinking (no it did not hurt)...
     
    Did quitting change who I am? Has it opened life opportunities that weren't there previously? 
     
    Yes quitting made me different I'm now a nonsmoker. But it also made me different in other ways...and I think to some extent that evolution is still happening. I mean we spend our whole existence changing and evolving but I defo reckon that quitting spun me into a completely different trajectory...and ya know wot?, It ain't half bad.
     
    I see lots of peeps post between months 3-7 of their quit...it's made me different...it's changed who I am...yep...it does...and looking back over all the characters I've met here on the train it's true for all of us...some it's softened the hard edges of, some it's toughened up...some it's allowed to grow up..and some it has allowed us let go. Noone has escaped.
     
    Ok so I'm 2+ years in and in some ways im still settling into my new skin...but I am different and I'm better for it, my life is better for it, in many, many ways...ways that had I still been smoking it certainly wouldn't be. 
     
    I kinda reckon the triggers you go through in ya quit are the lessons you need to master...for me it was all the emotional stuff from growing up that when it'd touch the surface I'd chase away with a durry...that was gone so I had to deal...and it may be takingbme a fair wack of time to do so but I have learnt I am worthwhile just the way I am and if someone else doesn't think so it's no skin off my nose an it's their loss. I've quit suppressing me and all my crazy...nerdy...oddness cos let me tell you, you don't like it then keep on movin mate cos your opinion of me doesn't define me. Quitting smoking gave me that. 
     
    So the point is newbies an inbetweenies...don't be scared of the changes ..embrace them...grow...because you will still be you..just different..and that is good.
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/13620-same-same-but-different/
     
  13. jillar

    Cigarette Butt Emissions

    By jillar,


    General
    Sazerac
    Members
     14.3k
    Quit Date: October 23, 2013, A Good Day to be Free.
    Posted February 6, 2020 
     
    Butt Emissions: Study Finds Even Extinguished Cigarettes Give Off Toxins
     
    January 29, 2020
     
    This specially built smoking machine was used by NIST scientists to measure the emissions
    that come off cigarette butts long after they've been extinguished.
    Cigarette butts pile up in parks, beaches, streets and bus stops, places where all types of littering are frowned upon.
     
    An estimated more than five trillion butts are generated by smokers worldwide each year,
    and concern about their environmental impact has prompted studies of how they affect water and wildlife habitats.
    But despite their prevalence, almost no one has studied the airborne emissions coming off these tiny bits of trash. 
     
    When Dustin Poppendieck was asked to evaluate them, he was skeptical.
    As a measurement scientist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
    he realized there was no standard way of analyzing the amounts of chemicals swirling in the air around cigarettes
    hours and days after they’d been put out, and he was intrigued.
    But he also thought there might not be enough chemicals present to make the measurements meaningful. 
     
    What his team found, however, was that a used butt — one that is cold to the touch —
    can in one day give off the equivalent of up to 14% of the nicotine that an actively burning cigarette emits.
     
    “I was absolutely surprised,” said Poppendieck.
    “The numbers are significant and could have important impacts when butts are disposed of indoors or in cars.”
    The NIST measurements were performed under an interagency agreement with the Food and Drug Administration
    as part of its analysis of the overall impact of cigarette smoking on people’s lives. 
     
    For a long time, most of the health impacts of smoking were misunderstood and often underestimated,
    in part because the emissions of cigarettes had not been fully assessed.
    Measurements and epidemiological studies over the last 50 years have improved our understanding of the health impacts of tobacco.
     
    We now know a good deal about how cigarette smoking affects smokers’ own bodies as they inhale and exhale,
    referred to as mainstream smoking. Work has also been done to establish the health effects of secondhand smoke,
    which is the emissions from the end of a cigarette, pipe or cigar, and the smoke that is exhaled by smokers. 
     
    NIST scientists have measured the airborne emissions we are exposed to once a cigarette butt has been “extinguished."
    More recently, research has also examined thirdhand exposure, which comes from the chemical residue
    that stays on surfaces such as walls, furniture, hair, clothing and toys after a cigarette has been extinguished.
     
    Like mainstream smoking and secondhand smoke, thirdhand exposure can increase the risk of cancers
    and cause numerous other health problems, especially in the still-developing bodies and brains of infants and children. 
     
    The overall goal of the recent NIST study was to quantify the emissions from extinguished cigarettes
    and discover what happens to those emissions when the butts are left in different environments. 
     
    Poppendieck’s team measured eight of the hundreds of chemicals typically emitted from cigarettes,
    including four that are on the FDA list of harmful and potentially harmful constituents. 
     
    They also measured triacetin, a plasticizer often used to make filters stiff. Filters were added to cigarettes in the 1950s.
    While they do collect part of what comes off a burning cigarette, they don’t fully negate the exposure from inhaling tobacco smoke.
    Filters provide a kind of handle for cigarette users who want to avoid burning their lips or fingers, wasting tobacco,
    or having to pull stray tobacco bits off their tongues.
    Triacetin can make up as much as 10% of a filter, and its low volatility means it doesn’t evaporate quickly at normal temperatures,
    so it could be a good indicator of long-term emissions from a butt, Poppendieck explained.
     
    The question that Poppendieck and his team considered, therefore, was not the impact of filters on smokers themselves.
    Rather, they focused on emissions from discarded butts, which are largely just used filters. 
     
    “If you have ever sat on a park bench when somebody next to you smoked, then they got up and left their cigarette butt behind,
    that odor you were smelling is indicative of what we are trying to capture and measure,” Poppendieck said.
    “Anyone with a good sense of smell knows it’s there.” 
     
    The team had to “smoke” over 2,100 cigarettes, although the scientists didn’t actually light up and inhale.
    Instead Poppendieck’s team built a “smoking machine” that uses robotic movements to simulate what humans do when they light up.
    The machine was made to move air through each cigarette in the same way,
    to remove some potential variables associated with the behavior of actual smokers. 
     
    Extinguished cigarettes were placed in a walk-in, stainless steel chamber in order to characterize airborne emissions.
    The team also tried to determine if environmental differences in temperature, humidity
    and saturation in water would change those emission rates.
     
    Cigarettes were carefully lit and "smoked" in a machine before being recorded in the lab at NIST.
    Most of the chemicals from the extinguished butts were emitted in the first 24 hours, Poppendieck noted.
    However, nicotine and triacetin concentrations were still about 50% of the initial level five days later. 
     
    The team also found that butts emitted these chemicals at higher rates when the air temperature was higher.
     
    “The nicotine coming from a butt over seven days could be comparable to the nicotine emitted
    from mainstream and sidestream [secondhand or thirdhand] smoke during active smoking,” Poppendieck said.
     
    This means if you don’t empty an ashtray in your home for a week, the amount of nicotine exposure
    to nonsmokers could be double current estimates. 
     
    Figuring out what to call these newly discovered and measured emissions has been challenging.
    In the lab, Poppendieck and his team refer to them loosely as “after smoke” or just butt emissions. 
    No matter what terminology is used, the research team wants people to know that the chemicals
    remain long after the cigarette goes out.
     
    People have been asked to not throw their cigarettes out car windows, because it takes years for the butts to degrade.
     
    Poppendieck wants people to also know they can put used butts in sealable metal or glass jars
    with sand instead of leaving them out in the open. 
     
    “You might think that by never smoking in your car when kids are present, you are protecting the nonsmokers or children around you,” Poppendieck said.
    “But if the ashtray in your hot car is full of butts that are emitting these chemicals, exposure is happening.”
     
    Papers:
    M. Gong, N. Daniels, D. Poppendieck. Measurement of chemical emission rates from cigarette butts into air. Indoor Air. Available online in preprint format on Jan. 18, 2020. DOI: 10.1111/ina.12648
    D. Poppendieck, M. Gong, V. Pham. Influence of temperature, relative humidity, and water saturation on airborne emissions from cigarette butts. Science of the Total Environment. Available online Jan. 5, 2020. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.1364
    Edited February 7, 2020 by Sazerac
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/13529-cigarette-butt-emissions/
     
  14. jillar

    I forgot to think about smoking! Yay!

    By jillar,


    General
    PixelSketch
    Members
    Quit Date: March 19, 2017
     
    Posted April 10, 2017 
     
    OK, this is the first time this has happened since I quit!! Even those moments where I wasn't craving one, it was constantly on my mind in some way, even if it was just "I'm not smoking, I'm not smoking..."
     
    Today, wrapping up a work project into the wee hours of the night, I suddenly realized that I hadn't thought about smoking for ages!  So, there's hope!! It's exhausting to always have it on your mind, even when you don't want one. For me, this is the first sign that a future without thinking of smoking really, truly does exist. Looking forward to more and more moments like this.
     
    Off to bed, but doing a happy dance. Had to share - to those wondering if you're ever not going to think about it - yeah, the time will come. Hang in there!!  :yes:  :good3:
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/8314-i-forgot-to-think-about-smoking-yay/
     
  15. jillar

    Are You a Believer?

    By jillar,


    General
    babs609
    Quit Date: 07/13/2012
    Posted September 20, 2016 
     
    Life is really so simple...WE are the ones who make it complicated
     
    Because the truth is....if you BELIEVE the cigarette will give you any kind of comfort or joy...then you will suffer a great deal.  Not just in the early part of your quit, but for YEARS after...if you can stay quit that long.
     
    This is where the education part comes in.   If there is something you want that you believe will make you feel good...most people don't have the willpower to refrain from.  Those that do...are miserable and live their life miserably always thinking they are being deprived.  They aren't.  It's all in their head.  All about their belief system.
     
    I remember a show that was on...not sure if it still is but it was called 'My Strange Addiction.  The people on that show had some of the strangest addictions I had ever heard of.  I only watched 1 episode and on this episode..there was a couple who became addicted to coffee enemas.  Their addiction became so bad that they took turns taking care of their kids so the other parent could spend 8 hours in the bathroom giving themselves an enema. 
    That sounds crazy to you, right?  Of course!  But to them...it relieved them of their suffering.
     
    Well folks.....that is how non smokers look at smokers.  With good reason....because after the initial physical withdrawal that only lasts a short while....that is exactly how it is.  All in your head!  You believe in it.  Because you believe in it...you obsess over it.  Because you obsess over it...you drive yourself crazy trying to convince yourself maybe this was a bad time to quit...maybe just one puff...maybe i'll just be a social smoker...maybe this..maybe that.  There is no maybe.  YOU STILL BELIEVE--and until you de-program your brain with constant reading, videos, repeating NOPE, mantras like 'there is no such thing as 1 cigarette"  or just constantly remind yourself that you are a non smoker, that smoking a cigarette DOES NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING for you..until you reverse the programming that has been in your head for so long...you will always suffer, you will always be a minute away from relapse...you will always struggle.
     
    Even though there are thousands of "excuses" why people relapse or smoke...here are the most common BS lies.
     
    1.  Boredom--what's more boring than putting something in your mouth and lighting it on fire...really?  I can think of a thousand more things to do with my time. 
    2.  Anxiety--smoking increases your heart rate thus..increasing the anxiety (the only time smoking relieves you of any symptoms are when you are in the withdrawal period and it only gives you relief because you are feeding the addiction)
    3.  Help you concentrate--Really?  again...an illusion  (after the first few days)  Smoking adds thousands of chemicals to the bloodstream and ultimately decreasing the oxygen to the brain.  How does that really help??  We need oxygen to THINK...not jet fuel.
    4. " I'm under too much stress right now" This is life, you will always have stress.  The smoking trap was designed to hook you for life.   The only 'good time to quit'  is NOW.
    5.  ANY OTHER LAME EXCUSE ENTER HERE...cause that is what it is. 
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/7522-are-you-a-believer/
     
  16. jillar

    "The Smoker's Vow"

    By jillar,


    General
    abbynormal
    Quit Date: 1/1/2019
     
    Posted December 5, 2019 
     
    The Smoker's Vow
    by Joel Spitzer
     
    To be said just before taking your first puff after
    having quit for any appreciable period of time.
     
    With this puff I enslave myself
    to a lifetime of addiction.
    While I can't promise to always love you,
    I do promise to obey every craving and
    support my addiction to you
    no matter how expensive you become.
     
    I will let no husband or wife,
    no family member or friend,
    no doctor or any other health professional,
    no employer or government policy,
    no burns or no stench,
    no cough or raspy voice,
    no cancer or emphysema,
    no heart attack or stroke,
    no threat of loss of life or limbs,
    come between us.
     
    I will smoke you forever
    from this day forth,
    for better or worse,
    whether richer or poorer,
    in sickness and in health,
    till death do us part!
     
    "You may now light the cigarette."
     
    "I now pronounce you a full-fledged smoker."
     
    https://whyquit.com/joel/Joel_04_11_Smokers_Vow.html
     
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/13316-the-smokers-vow/
     
  17. jillar

    addiction or habit ?

    By jillar,


    General
    ...
     
    Posted July 22, 2014 
     
    Sometimes I do charity work for a homeless shelter. A really good friend of mine runs it and I help her out whenever she needs it. In the last 2 weeks, she has called me in twice. Seems she is getting an influx of abscesses from IV drug abuse. The first one I saw was from heroin abuse. 23 years old with a 4 year old little boy that she doesn't have custody of any more. The second one I saw last night. She has already lost one arm in an infection from an infected meth injection and now has another abscess in her remaining arm from the same thing. And she has an 8 year old little boy that she does have custody of. And this morning, I get another call from her. She has another one in there that I will see tonight.
     
    I've been thinking, more in awe, at how much people will put their poor bodies through to get that next fix. I have listened patiently and not said anything as people have announced on here and other places calling themselves nicotine addicts. I haven't ever agreed with that term. To me, these people are addicts. Me, personally, have always felt that I have developed a habit that's really hard to break. I have never thought of myself as an addict.
     
    Which has led me to think.......are we doing this much damage to our bodies and it's just not as evident. I would NEVER EVER let anything come before my children. I don't understand that. But one day, I made my son go to the neighbors and get me cigarettes. She knew I was trying to quit and I knew she wouldn't not give them to my son if he asked. Is that manipulation or addiction talking ? It's a fine line there.
     
    And then I thought about Doreen's husband and about all the patients I see that are on borrowed time and how they sneak smoking. Knowing that is what got them there in the first place. Does that define addiction ? One loses an arm and I call it addiction. One loses his life and I call it a habit.
     
    I have a really hard time with the word "addict".....but seeing these people and knowing what I would have done for a cigarette at times has got me wondering. What if cigarettes, today, became immediately illegal ? What lengths people would go to to smoke.....would I have been one of those people ? What is the only form nicotine could be taken was IV ? Would people still do it to the extent they do today in inhalation form ?
     
    Just me wondering and being angry. Angry that someone could actually want to hurt themselves and their kids by just getting a good feeling. There are so many good things about life and they just seem to be short changing themselves. It's sad. And wondering if I'm the same as them. I don't want to be.
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/2043-addiction-or-habit/
     
  18. jillar

    The Addiction is Real

    By jillar,


    General
    Gus
    Quit Date: 3-17-21
     
    Posted 1 hour ago -(edited)
     
    Sorry to hear @Breath-of-Power. This addiction is real. It is powerful. I don’t know how much time you’ve spent reviewing the information about nicotine and the additives that cigarettes contain, but the stuff literally rewires your brain. Your brain. That organ that controls everything about you. After the nicotine withdrawal it’s what you will be fighting against. Of course it’s going to fight against reconditioning. You try again. Again and again. You write down why you are quitting. The truth. The ugly part of it. Carry that around with you. Read it every time you want a smoke. We all have something that we want more than that cigarette and one day if we allow ourselves the liberty to do so, we just smash a link in that chain of addiction and crawl out from the unbearable weight of it and in time we find ourselves standing against it and some day dancing on it’s grave.  There are good times to be had. For years you’ve had to base decisions around your ability to indulge in your habit. Being able to enjoy a smoke. Lies. Smoking puts so many constraints on so many aspects of your life. Step back and realize that it’s not only affecting you, but those you love most. Not in the second hand smoke way, but just being able to 100%  be there for someone. It’s hard. Conquering this addiction is so hard, but doable. I hope that you hop back on the train. I hope that you take advantage of this thread you created. Post, post, post. Just writing down all of your thoughts helps so much. Everyone here has gone through what you are going through. No judgment here. Just encouragement and support. I hope that you will try again. 
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/25067-smokeless-thoughts/
     
     
     
  19. jillar

    Red Flags

    By jillar,


    General
    Sazerac
    Quit Date: October 23, 2013, A Good Day to be Free.
     
    Posted May 1, 2018 
     

     
    I have confidence in my quit and estimate my chance of relapse is low
    still...addiction is a wily condition and I am human.
     
    Here are my four maneuvers to avert relapse, 
    (  Think again,  Get right with yourself,  Contact an ally,  Post an SOS  )
    and a slew of red flags... 
     
     
    When you know better yet, are purposefully leading yourself astray
     
         ~ think again, get right with yourself, contact an ally, post an SOS ~
     
    If you have tiny tempting smokey thoughts that you are nuturing by not dismissing immediately and aggressively 
     
         ~ think again, get right with yourself, contact an ally, post an SOS ~
     
    I won't get addicted this time
     
         ~ think again, get right with yourself, contact an ally, post an SOS ~
     
    Whenever you start to 'romance smoking'
     
         ~ think again, get right with yourself, contact an ally, post an SOS ~
     
    If you seriously entertain the idea that smoking looks attractive or makes you feel carefree and part of the fun
     
          ~ think again, get right with yourself, contact an ally, post an SOS ~
     
    If you are having silly thoughts like, my smoking friends are having a great time and I'm missing out
     
          ~ think again, get right with yourself, contact an ally, post an SOS ~
     
    If you really wonder, what it would it taste like now, 
        
          ~ think again, get right with yourself, contact an ally, post an SOS ~
     
    Will I still get that, 'ahhhh' feeling ?
     
         ~ think again, get right with yourself, contact an ally, post an SOS ~
     
    When you start to think that you are 'different' and that you can handle just one. 
     
         ~ think again, get right with yourself, contact an ally, post an SOS ~
     
    Do you think you can quit again without much effort? 
     
          ~ think again, get right with yourself, contact an ally, post an SOS ~
     
    If you want to give yourself permission for just one, once in a while, just this once 
     
         ~ think again, get right with yourself, contact an ally, post an SOS ~
     
    If you feel too secure in your quit and start to act cocky 
     
         ~ think again, get right with yourself, contact an ally, post an SOS ~
     
    If you propose to test your quit
     
         ~ think again, get right with yourself, contact an ally, post an SOS ~
     
    Are you starting to believe, you've been quit long enough to handle a puff or two?
         
          ~ think again, get right with yourself, contact an ally, post an SOS ~
     
    If you know too much to get addicted again
     
         ~ think again, get right with yourself, contact an ally, post an SOS ~
     
    Whever you are doubting your commitment to your quit
     
        ~ think again, get right with yourself, contact an ally, post an SOS ~
     
    If you ignore the reality that smoking is a terrifying choice with significant consequences
          
          ~ think again, get right with yourself, contact an ally, post an SOS ~
     
    If you are dismissive of the fact that you can Never Take Another Puff,  Not One Puff Ever.
     
          ~ think again, get right with yourself, contact an ally, post an SOS ~
     
    I forgot the major red flag,  I am not an addict !
     
     ~ think again, get right with yourself, contact an ally, post an SOS ~
     
    I'm an adult and I'll do wtf I want !
     
     ~ think again, get right with yourself, contact an ally, post an SOS ~
     
     
    Have you more red flags to add ?   Different manuevers ?
     
    link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/10297-red-flags/
     
     

     
     
     
  20. jillar

    Smoking and Circulation

    By jillar,


    General
    jillar
    Quit Date: May 29, 2016
     
    Posted October 18, 2019 
     
    Are your hands and feet always cold? Mine were. Until I quit smoking. 
    I knew smoking affected my lungs and blood pressure. I've been on blood pressure medicine since my late 30's and instead of quitting smoking I chose to have tubal ligation surgery because my Dr wouldn't prescribe birth control after 40 years old IF I WAS A SMOKER.
    But I never contributed my cold feet and hands to smoking until I quit. When you lose circulation to your extremities you risk the loss of limb.  I wish I remembered just how far into my quit I was before I noticed it but at the time I was too concerned about my bleeding gums to even notice. Turned out this too was the new flow of blood due to quitting and within a month or so my gums had color back to them. Many of our members have had tens of thousands of work done to restore their teeth after quitting.
    As far as my hands and feet are concerned, they've never been warmer. So why am I bringing this up three years after quitting? Because I don't want to ever forget where I came from. 
    So for anyone still on the fence about quitting, all you need to do is search our forum with the keyword circulation and you'll find many former smokers who had these issues too. And you'll also see how much better they got after they quit smoking.
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/13153-smoking-and-circulation/
     
     
  21. jillar
    Markus
    Quit Date: 02-19-2008
     
    Posted April 13, 2014 
     
    Want  to quit smoking?
     
    Good. That takes some nerve and that alone is enough to get it done. You don't have to be smart, you just need to use the courage and will that you have, in the right way, and get that brain of yours aligned to make it happen. Just quit. Do it now. There, you just quit. It's that easy. Now you are craving a smoke of course.
     
    It gets better, just as soon as you set your mind to being a non smoker and you free yourself from yourself, and from how you choose to live your life.
     
    This place cannot help you quit, it can't give you a quit, and it can't keep you quit. Only you can do that, and it's a choice. Either smoke. Or quit.
     
    The only thing that can happen to you here is to get encouragement and support. All that people here can do for you is to tell you how and to promise you that it can be done.
     
    You are absolutely going to have to hold yourself accountable and commit to staying quit, all on your own.
     
    This place can be effective in teaching you how to start walking after you've been crawling (quit) on your own, if you use it the right way.
     
    Understand that you are an addict first, and that's why you smoke because smoking is your answer to everything.
     
    If you are quitting you should realize that smoking is the answer to nothing.
     
    This also includes the journey ahead of you. A cigarette will never be the answer to anything you need.
     
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/589-want-to-quit-smoking-consider-this/
     
  22. jillar

    WILLPOWER

    By jillar,


    General
    Mee
    Quit Date: 08/01/2018
     
    Posted August 31, 2019 
     
    I used to think I did not have the willpower to quit smoking.  Every attempt, my thoughts would drift back to needing that cigarette and the excuses of why I could not quit.  
    Last night, as I lay in bed, I could not get this word out of my mind.  I realized that, over the past year, this word has really changed meaning for me.
    I always had the willpower to quit smoking, I just did not know how to do it.  Stumbling across this forum was a life changer for me.
    We all have the power to change our lives for the better, but many times we do not feel we have the strength or "will" to do so.  That has a lot to do with our self esteem.  How can we not feel lowly about ourselves, when we are addicted to a behavior that is destroying ourselves.  
    Know that you can change your life and , in my case, the meaning of this word.  Now that I have quit smoking, I have the willpower to do anything I want.  I have the willpower to stay in control of my life.
    What a wonderful feeling. 
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/12930-willpower/
     
  23. jillar
    Poprini
     
    Posted 20 June 2014 
     
    No I'm not trying to hypnotise you or play Jedi mind tricks.  I'm talking about relapsers or quitters who continue to have smoking thoughts and desires.
     
    Nobody WANTS to go back to smoking. They quit because they want to quit (for whatever reason). What they want from time to time is to smoke. And what that means is something else. It means all of the things that people "like" about smoking:
     
    A break in the day
    Stress relief
    Bonding time with buddies
    Anxiety relief
    Thinking time
    Reward for finishing a job
     
    etc
     
    And it also means not having to THINK about not smoking all the time. Gawd I remember that. I remember thinking - "When will it ever end?...I just want to stop thinking about not smoking!" I see people saying it here all the time "I don't want to fight with myself any more! When will it end?!"
     
    But it's not that you want to be a smoker again.
     
    I reckon most smokers don't want to be smokers! If you gave someone a choice between being a smoker (with all the expense and smell and health fears and social shaming etc that goes with it) and being a happy non-smoker - of course they would choose the latter. But most smokers simply don't believe they can be happy without smoking. They believe they LOVE and need their cigarettes too much to live without them.
     
    And when we quit it (generally) takes a lot of retraining for the brain to dismiss all of that addiction thinking and learn that we can actually get all of those good things in other ways without all the bad stuff you get with smoking. Some people are lucky and once they make the decision to quit, they are solid in it. Easy peasy. But lots of people struggle. And that's OK. The struggle is part of the process. Embrace it as part of the process. Look at it as the price of freedom. That's basically how I did it. I wanted freedom most of all. Freedom from smoking addiction and everything that went with it. The price became easier to pay over time. It took less. Every now and then I have a "want" to smoke but it's fleeting and easy to dismiss. Because I KNOW I do not want to be a smoker. No way.
     
    Make a commitment to yourself. A promise. Promise yourself that you will never be a smoker again. And don't worry if you want to smoke from time to time. That's fine, because you know that it's really about something else and you definitely don't want to be a smoker again. No way. Ewgh
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/10483-you-know-what-you-dont-want-to-be-a-smoker-repost-by-poprini/
     
  24. jillar

    Decisions/Resolve

    By jillar,


    General
    Sazerac
    Quit Date: October 23, 2013, A Good Day to be Free.
     
    Posted July 10, 2018 
     
    Some quit on a whim,
    others quit making a sensible plan and map it all out as best they can.
    There are many successful quits between the extremes.
     
    The important bit is the seminal moment in your life when you say,
    'I quit smoking'.
     
     
    I spontaneously said,
    'I've quit.
    If I don't feel better in a few days, I can always smoke
    but, let's see your mettle and give this an honest try'
     
    I had no idea the process took a lot longer than a few days.
    I had no concept at all about nicotine addiction.  I was supremely ignorant.
     
    To be honest, it actually takes nicotine a lot longer
    than a few days to completely leave your body.
     
    Think about it...we have nicotine infested tar in our lungs clinging to our cilia. 
    Tar, ffs.  This doesn't disapate in a few days.
    Ever have tar on your feet ?  It takes a solvent like gasoline to remove it.
     
    The miracle is that our bodies do purge themselves of most. 
     
    Still, remnants remain.
    Remants remain forever in our DNA.
    A sobering fact.
     
    After a few days, gathering more knowledge about addiction,
    I extended the premise of starting smoking again
    'if I don't feel better in ...days...weeks...'
     
    Some days, I thought, if I don't feel better in five minutes I can always smoke.
    There were many times when acknowledging the choice saved my quit.
     
    My decision to quit smoking held
    and my resolve to commit to this choice grew minute by minute.
    It grew by quantumn leaps every damn crave I beat.
     
    I'm sharing this thinking about new quitters
    and
    smokers on the fence, 
    before the choice to quit becomes clear and non negotiable.
     
    You may not have a serious dose of resolve about your decision to quit.
     
    Do not worry about this, resolve grows with knowledge and time.
    After a while there should be no turning back,
    you will know too much and will have a deeper power committing to your decision.
     
    This decision to quit smoking is one of the best decisions you can make in your life.
    It teaches you about commitment.  It nurtures your self respect, self confidence.
    It saves your life.
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/10704-decisionsresolve/
     
  25. jillar

    Patience!

    By jillar,


    General
    cpk
    Quit Date: 02/04/2015
     
    Posted March 3, 2015 
     
    I've been doing some research online - various sites - and one thing I've noticed is that all those into new quits are extremely impatient, including me. All the newbies are asking, "When will this fatigue get better?" "I feel like crap...when will it go away? "My sleep is all off..." and I won't even go into the weight thing. The general sense I have is newly quits are a pretty impatient lot.
     
    I think part of it is what I'll call the "freak out" ---
     
    There are so many changes going on, good and bad. It's almost like being a teenager. It's just a general freak out, at not having a handle on what's going on with the body, the mind, the emotions, one's responses and reactions to the outside world.
     
    As well, teens have more social pressures, increasing responsibilities, heavier workloads...
     
    When my son was a teen he'd open the refrigerator door and just stand there...
     
    I'd say, what are you doing?, if you want something, get it and close the door...why are you standing there...?
     
    He'd act like he was just waking up, would say, I don't know what I want...and he'd close the door, but would be back 20 minutes later and do the same thing all over again.
     
    That about sums up this experience for me. I'm like a teenager. I don't know what I want.
     
    I think patience would help me see this isn't a bad thing. I'm freaked out because it's all new.
     
    I'm uncomfortable a lot. Like a teenager. But hey, being teenager-like at my age is okay for now.
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/4664-patiencei/
     

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QuitTrain®, a quit smoking support community, was created by former smokers who have a deep desire to help people quit smoking and to help keep those quits intact.  This place should be a safe haven to escape the daily grind and focus on protecting our quits.  We don't believe that there is a "one size fits all" approach when it comes to quitting smoking.  Each of us has our own unique set of circumstances which contributes to how we go about quitting and more importantly, how we keep our quits.

 

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