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jillar

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Blog Entries posted by jillar

  1. jillar
    MarylandQuitter
    Quit Date: 10/07/2013
     
    Posted October 17, 2014 
     
    I know for me, my family truly had not a clue about the addiction much less what it was like to quit.  This is why I suppose my doctor told me to get involved in a support group. 
     
    Nobody Understands What I'm Going Through
    Video discusses what family members can and cannot do to help their loved ones to quit smoking.
     
     
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/3132-nobody-understands-what-im-going-through-while-quitting-smoking/
     
  2. jillar

    For All Your Tobacco Needs

    By jillar,


    General
    Paul723
    Quit Date: July 23, 2013
     
    Posted June 2, 2017 
    That was the sign on the shop in the middle of a non-descript strip mall.  My first thought was it is empty for me.  Then I started to think about the word need.   This need is not like air or water or food; this is the need of an addict.  Nicotine only creates the need for more nicotine.  Deny this need and the withdrawal cravings cannot kill the addict (though his brain may try to convince him otherwise).  The need is artificial and self-inflicted. 
     
    I started to think that I should open up a shop right next store with a sign that said “For All Your Non-Smoking Wants”.  Grab a cart and come shopping with me.  Better Health, add that to the cart.  More Time with Your Friends and Loved Ones, add that.  Lower Chance of Heart and Lung Disease, throw that in.  Clean Smell as well.  How about some Freedom and a Sense of Changing Your Life for the Better – let’s have a big load of that.  Time to check out – and you get the thousands of dollars you would have wasted at the store next door.  That’s right, you get paid at the “Non-Smoking Wants” store.  Isn’t that a great place to shop?
     
    Link go original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/8630-for-all-your-tobacco-needs/
     
  3. jillar

    Take smoking off your table!

    By jillar,


    General
    REZ
     
    Posted April 30, 2015 
     
        Everyone has a lot of stuff on their table and in their life. You might have job stress, lots of bills, some medical issues and a host of other things going on that makes the thought of quitting seem impossible but it's not! All those things have nothing to do with smoking. You might reach for a cigarette when your dealing with them but if you think about it, smoking doesn't help resolve any of your other problems. All it does is makes the bills more difficult to pay because your paying for your smokes with money you could be putting towards some of the bills, increases the medical issues in the long run and your job stress probably will always be there but you will be able to cope with it better! Only thing smoking does for your table is keep it cluttered with ash trays, stink and haze from the cigarettes!
     
      Once you take smoking off your table, all the other stuff will start to fall in to place and your life will be easier in the long run and you will have a clean organized table that's easier to deal with. You will smell better, have more energy, more money, no more smokers cough and look better with your pearly white teeth and that could be a factor in getting a raise or promotion at work that you were wanting and that will help with the bills! You can even save that cigarette money to help pay for that vacation you have been putting off. Everyone will see your new found pride and self confidence of what you have accomplished and people especially employer like that! You might not see some smoking friends as much anymore but that's probably because you will be hanging out with some new nonsmoking friends!
     
    By taking smoking off your table your body will immediately start to heal itself physically and mentally. You will be more active again and have a brand new attitude towards life! You will want to do the things you used to do again like going to the gym, bike hikes, sled riding, swimming, playing a sport of some kind because your energy level be way up there. You will not be so out of breath and sweaty in the summer and in the winter, not as cold or get as many colds either! Your attitude towards anything will be "OK lets do it" instead of "OK we'll see, maybe tomorrow"!
     
    How do you take smoking off the table? To be honest it's not that easy but I guess that where the pride and self confidence comes from once you quit smoking and not one way or size fit all of us either, just like everybody is a little different, every quit is a little different. The biggest thing I think is your mind set, you need to want to quit smoking more then you want to smoke! A wise man once said, Why would you put something in your mouth and light it on fire! Next you need a tool box to help build your quit, see:   http://www.quittrain.com/topic/2008-quit-tool-boxes/?hl=tool  Fill your tool box with what you will need to quit not necessarily what others put in there's but take a look at theirs anyway, you probably could use some of there tools and ideas. Armed with the right attitude and the right tools for the job, you can take smoking off your table or even build a whole new bigger and better one!
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/5245-take-smoking-off-your-table/
     
  4. jillar

    Give it a try

    By jillar,


    General
    SueBeDoo
    Quit Date: 29th september 2013
     
     
    Posted October 24, 2014 · IP 
    I was one of those people that quit smoking more times than i care to remember and i always gave in at the first sign of a crave. 
    But this time when i quit, i got through each crave and do you know what, i felt euphoric for making it, it is the best feeling ever, you have the strongest urge to smoke but you hang tight and do not give in and the high you feel is just amazing. Cant beat a free buzz  :pleasantry:
    when i would wake up the next morning after not giving in i would be on cloud nine all day,Got to the point were i was looking forward to getting a crave because i knew the feeling i would get when the crave went was priceless, no cigarette can give the same feeling.
    I promise you it is fab,
    Give it a try quit now and see how you feel when you get through the really tough ones, you will feel a million times better than if you had gave in and smoked.
    When a crave hits face it head on say come on do your worst, is that the best you can do and try laugh through it.
    You owe it to yourself to give 1oo% to your quit xxxx
    :give_heart:  :dance2:
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/3233-give-it-a-try/
     
  5. jillar

    Traveling as a smoker

    By jillar,


    General
    Jenny
    Quit Date: 05/24/2012
     
    Posted May 7, 2017 
     
    I went on a trip to Texas recently for work and brought a co-worker with me.  She smokes.  We agreed to meet at a local mall and then drive together to the airport.  When I got there to pick her up she was pacing back and forth outside the vehicle, in the rain, getting those last puffs in.  At the airport she tried to find a time to smoke but things moved too quickly and she was not able to before we boarded.  Everywhere we went the next few days were HELL for her because she couldn't smoke.  
     
    Meanwhile, I had a great time!  It still amazes me when I travel how easy it is now.  No stressing to find a place to smoke.  No withdrawl...just a relaxing time.
     
     
    Life after quitting is so much better.  For anyone on the fence or in the early days of your quit keep going!  It gets so much easier.  Don't live your life desperately searching for the smoking area.  There's nothing for you there.
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/8458-traveling-as-a-smoker/
     
  6. jillar

    Climbing the Rope

    By jillar,


    General
    Nancy
    Quit Date: 07/07/2013
     
    Posted April 16, 2014 
    ORIGINALLY BY OBOB-GOLD FREEDOM MEMBER-WHYQUIT.COM 

    So, I start reminiscing a bit about the early days of my quit. I remember members popping in to post their celebration threads. Green, Bronze, Silver, Gold and beyond. It felt downright intimidating. Here was I, with my seemingly tiny little insignificant sum of 3 days, 4 days, 5 days and so on... clinging to my quit like a man clinging to a life line thrown over the side of a ship to a man overboard in a turbulent sea. More comfortable ex-smokers would roll past on their skiff, yachts and cruiseliners, each with the same advice. Keep climbing that rope. Don't let go of it. It'll get easier. We promise. 

    To me, those people seemed like heroes. From my perspective, they were superhuman, with this gift of comfort I couldn't hardly imagine at that point. I dreamed of being like them some day, but it seemed hard to fathom that this splintery rope would really get me there. It was hard, and I was tired. But, I really wanted to be like those amazing people, and everyone of them told me the same thing… keep climbing, don't let go. Simple. A real slog, but simple. 

    So, I took their advice, kept climbing and didn't let go. Lo and behold, it was true. It did, in fact, get easier, and easier. There was the odd bit of rope burn, and occasionally a seagull would take aim at my dome with an unwelcome gift (nobody takes a metaphor to the extremes I will), but all-in-all, it got more and more doable, less and less of a chore, and at some point, almost without noticing it, I found myself reclining on the Lido Deck with the others. That was years ago now. I've been kicking back up here for a good long time now, and I can tell you it's very nice. 

    So, what's my point? My point is to you, the newcomer. Down there on the rope. Yeah, you. You're looking up at me (and the others who have so much time under their belts), and thinking, "man, that guy's almost surreal. Maybe he's got something I don't. How in the world did he get up there? Surely, he didn't take this blasted rope?! He must have some secret that I don't. He's gotta have supernatural powers to have such comfort." 

    My point to you is this: Every one of us up here got here the same way. We took the rope. We climbed it. We didn't let go. And, just like we were told, it got easier. You will also get here that way. 

    Three years ago, I was where you are. Everyone here has been there at one time. We understand what you're going through. Nobody here is a superhero. We're just addicts like you who found the rope earlier. And, we can each promise you… the rope is climbable, it does get easier, and there IS a place for you up here. 

    There's one other way in which we're similar. Neither of us have wings. We let go the rope, or step off the side, we all plummet to the abyss the same way. One puff and it's all history. I learned that on my way up too. People who'd seemed almost unreal they were so comfortable, for no reason that I could understand, suddenly got up from their comfortable seats, walked to the side of the deck, and threw themselves off. 

    Breaking the metaphor, so that it's perfectly clear, they took a puff and lost their freedom. Some of these were members who had been very active in supporting others, and had experienced months and even years of sustained comfort. One day, for their own reasons, they decided to chance it, and lo and behold their comfort was gone. They returned to their old levels of smoking, often more. I know this is true from email, and from the time when Freedom's policies were different and relapsed members were allowed to rejoin. All it took was one puff, and it was over. 

    So, while it may be tempting to look at some of the longer term quitters with awe, consider that we are, and always will be subject to the same rules you are. One puff = all puffs. If I were to slip down to the pub right now, walk up to a friend, and take a drag off of his cigarette, I know full well that I would be out on my deck tomorrow night with a pack and an ash tray putting memories of Freedom and this post and everything I've given myself over the past 3 years in a deep hidden locker that my junky side would work overtime to prevent me from opening. 

    Why is it important to point out that, with respect to nicotine addiction, you and I are the same, just separated by a bit of time? I guess because it's tempting for a new quitter to allow himself or herself to believe that all of these people dispensing education and encouragement here, couldn't possibly understand what they're going through. It may be tempting to listen to your own junky mind telling you, "You're different. These people aren't like you. They don't understand what you're experiencing. You know that you'll never be able to be like them. It's impossible for you." 

    My long-winded, metaphorically-extreme point is to tell you that that's bunk. While you are different from me in many ways, our addiction to nicotine is the same. You will find comfort (emphasis on WILL) just as I and every other long-term member of Freedom did (by never taking another puff), and you WILL maintain that comfort the same way we all must (by never taking another puff).The factor that really shows the addiction is not how hard or how easy it is to quit. What really shows the addiction is how universally easy it is to go back. One puff and the quit can go out the window. 
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/719-climbing-the-roperepost/
     
  7. jillar

    The Happy Smoke?

    By jillar,


    General
    PixelSketch
     
    Posted May 4, 2017 
     
    I've been pretty much craving-free since about the third-ish week. I still get a quick smoking thought once in a blue moon, but I laugh at it, and 'poof', it's gone. Just like that. Which, honestly, still shocks me. I never thought I would ever be able to quit. And if by some miracle I did, I was pretty sure I'd be tortured and miserable. I'm thankful every day for this quit, and for this board.
     
    So things are good. But the other day I had a really strong and very persistent thought of smoking that I just couldn't shake. I knew I wouldn't smoke anyway. I'm strong in my quit, and I refuse to give it up. There are far too many benefits to being smoke-free that I'm loving so much. I've no desire to go back.
     
    But it really annoyed me that I couldn't get rid of this. All day, the thought of smoking just danced around and around my head. Grrrrr!
     
    I finally had some time at the end of the day and I sat down with a cup of tea and went back over my day to see if I could find the trigger. 
     
    Well, it turns out, I didn't just associate smokes with the beginning or end of a task, as a sort of reward, or treat. I didn't smoke just when I was stressed or bored. I also reached for one when I was REALLY happy or excited about something. Ahhhh....click click click. It all fell into place.
     
    I had had a really good day. In the middle of a super crazy project, I unexpectedly had a few personal and professional things just work out in a way I never saw coming. And the sense of excitement, future possibilities as a result, and celebration produced some strong positive feelings. And it turned out I coped with strong intense feelings, even happy ones, by deadening them with a smoke. 
     
    So, once I realized this, I needed to test the theory out. So I just gave in to my feelings. I cranked some music and danced my excitement out. And I let myself really, truly feel those feelings. To let myself be really happy. To not worry that something would go wrong or it wouldn't last. Just feel it.  And guess what? The day-long craving finally went away. And another trigger busted. 
     
    I don't need The 'Happy' Smoke, or The 'Reward' Smoke, or The 'Stress' Smoke, or The 'I Just Ate Too Much Pizza' Smoke. I just need to let myself experience whatever it is I'm feeling or experiencing. I need to own my feelings. I'm responsible for them. Not some rolled up plant in a piece of paper.
     
    Link to original post:https://www.quittrain.com/topic/8436-the-happy-smoke/
     
  8. jillar

    Keep It Simple

    By jillar,


    General
    Boo
    Quit Date: March 9, 2016
     
    Posted May 11, 2017 
     
    I was talking to a friend last night.  He's flirting with the idea of quitting, but is currently doing the ol' procrastination two-step.  He calls it "preparation."  He is nervous and has a lot of questions and is getting himself worked up over hypothetical scenarios, most of which will never come to pass.  "How did you quit" he asked.  My reply: "I stopped putting cigarettes in my mouth and setting them on fire."
     
    How do you quit...you just quit.  There are things you can do to facilitate and foster your quit (education, support, etc.), but the act of quitting hardly even qualifies as an act.  You don't have to do anything.  You simply refrain from doing something that you used to do.  Simple.
     
    Make a pledge to yourself not to smoke cigarettes.  Make good on that pledge everyday.  Congratulations, you're a non-smoker now.
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/8491-keep-it-simple/
     
  9. jillar

    ***NO MORE EXCUSES***

    By jillar,


    General
    babs609
    Quit Date: 07/13/2012
     
    Posted April 6, 2014 
     
    I'm 16....right now I'm a teen, i'm having fun. I enjoy smoking. I can quit at any time. So, I'll quit when......
     
    I'm 20.. but life is a little stressful right now...I have 2 babies, working full time..saving to buy a house....I'm still young and won't be affected long term by this smoking...no big deal...right? I'll quit definitely by the time...
     
    I'm 25.....still a lot of my family and friends still smoke...they seem to be okay. That must mean I'll be ok..My parents both smoked for years and they are both still healthy and vibrant...look at all these people outside..taking a smoke break with me...we are all ok right???
     
    I'm 30.....starting to get a little nervous...my dad quit, my sister quit, handful of friends are jumping ship,. I've had 15+ years of smoking now and fear is creeping in a little. Fear of quitting..and never enjoying life as I know it...and fear of never quitting and suffering a horrible disease and feeling the effects of smoking. Time to dig that hole in the sand deeper and put my head in there...I'll quit when...
     
    I'm 36..Dad is diagnosed...Stage 4 lung cancer..inoperable. :blink: 😞 My smoking has now doubled! I know...he's dying and I'm smoking more...what is wrong with me? As dad lie in a coma taking his last breaths...I whispered in his ear "I promise daddy, I'm going to quit smoking". I purchased a copy of Allen Carr's easyway to quit smoking and I did it...I quit smoking!! Yay me!!!! 3 months later...I start getting restless...cravings are coming left and right...I read the book again but the words aren't jumping out at me like they did when I first read it...I felt like I was losing my mind. I looked at the back of the book and called a number they listed as support...It was in London. The book was old and the number was for the publishing company, not a support line. I was losing my strength...and ultimately relapsed. 😞 I will probably be a smoker for life....I can't do this again....
     
    The next 8 years are a blurr....that book remained on my shelf collecting dust--every once in a while I would glance at it with guilt and say...some day...maybe in the spring when it's nice out, maybe the summer, maybe the fall, after christmas,...new years resolution, after my birthday....ok..after spring again..one excuse after another. I was smoking more than ever. I did quit a few times during that time...few days or weeks..only to smoke again...always started with one puff.
     
    Finally...at the age of 44...after all that struggle, relapse, disappointment, denial, and thousands of excuses....I finally picked up that book..knowing this was it...I was either going to quit for good this time...or I was going to remain a smoker till my death. I knew I just didn't have another quit in me otherwise. I can't keep going through the torture of quitting over and over..it's exhausting..and the pain from relapse is too distressing.
     
    So, my final quit began. Only this time...I knew that the quitting journey was a roller coaster and even though I feel strong in my quit one day...doesn't mean I will still feel that way the next. I proved that on my last quit. I Googled quit smoking support and got it. Best thing I ever did to ensure that I would never smoke again. I introduced myself and became a member.
     
    Point of the story is....time moves so quickly..and the excuses are just that....excuses. Before you know it...nearly 30 years have gone by. The best time to quit is TODAY....tomorrow has a way of always being that carrot that dangles out in front of you...never able to reach it. Addictions are design to hook you for life. I do wish I quit sooner, I do wish I never smoked. But wishing for something that is in the past, is a waste of time. The only thing I can change is what I do from now on.
     
    My quality of life is so much better today. I am healthier, happier, and confident. I have quite a smoking history and am full aware it may come back to bite me in the ass...however I will not die a smoker chained to addiction. No matter what. I am free.
     
    If you are reading this and still smoking, please.....sign up...join today. Read all the information here and in the blog and educate yourself about nicotine addiction. Don't just read once..read again and again and again until you "get it".
     
    You will never regret that you quit smoking but there is plenty of regret when you don't.
     
    Quit today....no more excuses.
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/280-no-more-excuses/
     
  10. jillar

    Over and over again

    By jillar,


    General
    Abby
    Quit Date: June 30 2011
     
    Posted July 2, 2016 
     
    Having to push the restart button over and over was so exhausting , so discouraging and so defeating . I felt hopeless that "I" may one day be quit. I learned that to keep a quit I had to make a firm committment to MYSELF that I could not continue to do what I had always done. Some craves can be really tough but everyone we get through has less power the next time. I remember how exhausting it was, battling craves and battling my mind, battling craves; battling my mind ; until one day miraculously I totally and completely understood that smoking was not an option anymore ; for ANY REASON ! That mean’t my cigs were NOT on the TABLE , NOT on the CHAIR , NOT ANYWHERE ! They were NOT on the counter , NOT at the store ! Letting go of the romance I was giving to cigarettes brought relief . Only then did I REST in PEACE knowing what my goal WAS and what MY job was : FOCUSING on the journey to SUCCEED . Why be our worst enemy ? Thats what I was : my own worst enemy ! Don’t look at success being distant and far away , look at success as being now : today. One crave beaten is success / one day beaten is success ; its One day at a time--- NO LIE ! Because we have been prey to addiction, it takes some hard work to retrain our thinking to physically and emotionally recover , but hard work does pay off , and we will never have to deal with Day 1 again . I learned after many months quit that what we feed ourselves determines EVERY DECISION we make ; and our decisions will determine the FINAL OUTCOME . We must not let anything --- how we feel---- our circumstances ------ or how hard it is, snatch our quit from under our nose. Be good to yourself — work through every day …there is a big payday coming .Sherri L.
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/7233-over-and-over-again/
     
  11. jillar

    Why is it so hard to quit smoking?

    By jillar,


    General
    Nancy
    Quit Date: 07/07/2013
     
    Posted March 25, 2016 
    From the American Cancer Society...
     
    Why is it so hard to quit smoking?
    Mark Twain said, “Quitting smoking is easy. I’ve done it a thousand times.” Maybe you’ve tried to quit, too. Why is quitting and staying quit hard for so many people? The answer is mainly nicotine.
    Nicotine
    Nicotine is a drug found naturally in tobacco, which is as addictive as heroin or cocaine. Over time, a person becomes physically dependent on and emotionally addicted to nicotine. This physical dependence causes unpleasant withdrawal symptoms when you try to quit. The emotional and mental dependence (addiction) make it hard to stay away from nicotine after you quit. Studies have shown that to quit and stay quit, smokers must deal with both the physical and mental dependence.
    How nicotine gets in, where it goes, and how long it stays
    When you inhale smoke, nicotine is carried deep into your lungs. There it’s quickly absorbed into the bloodstream and carried, along with the carbon monoxide and other toxins, to every part of your body. In fact, nicotine inhaled in cigarette smoke reaches the brain faster than drugs that enter the body through a vein (intravenously or IV).
    Nicotine affects many parts of your body, including your heart and blood vessels, your hormones, the way your body uses food (your metabolism), and your brain. Nicotine can be found in breast milk and even in the cervical mucus of female smokers. During pregnancy, nicotine crosses the placenta and has been found in amniotic fluid and the umbilical cord blood of newborn infants.
    Different factors affect how long it takes the body to remove nicotine and its by-products. In most cases, regular smokers will still have nicotine and/or its by-products, such as cotinine, in their bodies for about 3 to 4 days after stopping.
    How nicotine hooks smokers
    Nicotine causes pleasant feelings and distracts the smoker from unpleasant feelings. This makes the smoker want to smoke again. Nicotine also acts as a kind of depressant by interfering with the flow of information between nerve cells. Smokers tend to smoke more cigarettes as the nervous system adapts to nicotine. This, in turn, increases the amount of nicotine in the smoker’s blood.
    Over time, the smoker develops a tolerance to nicotine. Tolerance means that it takes more nicotine to get the same effect that the smoker used to get from smaller amounts. This leads to an increase in smoking. At some point, the smoker reaches a certain nicotine level and then keeps smoking to keep the level of nicotine within a comfortable range.
    When a person finishes a cigarette, the nicotine level in the body starts to drop, going lower and lower. The pleasant feelings wear off, and the smoker notices wanting a smoke. If smoking is postponed, the smoker may start to feel irritated and edgy. Usually it doesn’t reach the point of serious withdrawal symptoms, but the smoker gets more uncomfortable over time. When the person smokes a cigarette, the unpleasant feelings fade, and the cycle continues.
    Nicotine withdrawal symptoms can lead quitters back to smoking
    When smokers try to cut back or quit, the lack of nicotine leads to withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal is both physical and mental. Physically, the body reacts to the absence of nicotine. Mentally, the smoker is faced with giving up a habit, which calls for a major change in behavior. Emotionally, the smoker may feel like they’ve lost their best friend. All of these factors must be addressed for the quitting process to work.
    Those who have smoked regularly for a few weeks or longer will have withdrawal symptoms if they suddenly stop using tobacco or greatly reduce the amount they smoke. Symptoms usually start within a few hours of the last cigarette and peak about 2 to 3 days later when most of the nicotine and its by-products are out of the body. Withdrawal symptoms can last for a few days to up to several weeks. They will get better every day that you stay smoke-free.
    Withdrawal symptoms can include any of the following:
    Dizziness (which may last 1 to 2 days after quitting)
    Depression
    Feelings of frustration, impatience, and anger
    Anxiety
    Irritability
    Sleep disturbances, including having trouble falling asleep and staying asleep, and having bad dreams or even nightmares
    Trouble concentrating
    Restlessness or boredom
    Headaches
    Tiredness
    Increased appetite
    Weight gain
    Constipation and gas
    Cough, dry mouth, sore throat, and nasal drip
    Chest tightness
    Slower heart rate
    These symptoms can make the smoker start smoking again to boost blood levels of nicotine until the symptoms go away. (For information on coping with withdrawal, see the section called “Dealing with smoking withdrawal.”)
    Other substances in cigarette smoke
    There is some evidence that other chemicals in cigarette smoke may act with nicotine to make it harder to quit smoking. The effects of smoking on monoamine oxidase (a brain chemical) is still being studied. For some people, withdrawing from smoking causes more severe mood problems, which can result in worse cravings and more trouble staying quit.
    Smoking affects other medicines
    Smoking also makes your body get rid of some drugs faster than usual. When you quit smoking, it may change the levels of these drugs. Though it’s not truly withdrawal, this change can cause problems and add to the discomfort of quitting. Ask your doctor if any medicines you take need to be checked or changed after you quit.
    Last Medical Review: 02/06/2014
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/6836-why-is-it-so-hard-to-quit-smoking/
     
  12. jillar

    Who Is In Charge Of This Quit?

    By jillar,


    General
    Tink
    Quit Date: 22/11/2013
     
    Posted April 12, 2014 
     
    YOU - thats who!
     
    no one else
     
    no situation you find yourself in however difficult 
     
    its all down to YOU
     
    sometimes you just have to bring your big bad ass self to the surface and say "I am in charge here" - "This is my quit, my life"
     
    and nothing and no-one is going to bring me down!
     
     
     
    (I am not a creative writer, I say it how it is for me - the above statement has saved my quit - I hope it reaches someone else) 
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/565-who-is-in-charge-of-this-quit/
     
  13. jillar

    Quitting Changed My Life

    By jillar,


    General
    c9jane29
     
    Posted May 14 
    Thank you guys so much!! 5 years already?! I love it!! I look back on the last 5 years with so much joy in my heart... I'm glad I saw my quit as a celebration, it has always felt that way...never negative. 
    It changed my life, my kids lives. I volunteer as a Girl Scout Troop Leader...before I would have never done anything like that. I had convinced myself I had too much anxiety or too introverted but all of that was my addiction getting me to fall out so I'd always have time to feed it.
    I still have my original "why I want to quit" list and my terrible Bob Ross paintings all around the house because my quit will always be a part of me. 
    My husband quit a little after me and he finally had the courage to quit a kitchen job he had been at for 10 years for an accountant position and now he's the supervisor. 
    Believe me when I saw anything is possible! 
    Thanks Quittrain for always being here to celebrate with me... I'll even bring the balloons ❤
     

     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/calendar/event/729-c9jane29-anniversary/?do=findComment&comment=225
     
  14. jillar

    It's your choice

    By jillar,


    General
    On 8/4/2015 at 10:57 AM, Tiffany said:
     
    Read this. Line by line. Think about it. Feel it.
     
     
    Picture yourself a second or two after you stub out that quit-breaking cigarette. The one that you just had to have because the craving was so strong you couldn't hold out any longer, when that voice inside you was saying.. "Go on, life sucks, you may as well smoke a cig.. y'know for your nerves.." or the other one.. "you've got this beat now.. you are in control.. you can have one just now and again.. go on have one for old time's sake.." So you bum a cigarette, and smoke it and in 2 and 1/2 minutes, you stub it out.
    Now what. Your mouth feels like crap. Your lungs are tightening up. You managed to stifle the coughs .. but barely. You began to squint again because the smoke hurt your eyes. and your fingers and clothes smell again. You either want to throw up, grab some mouthwash, take a shower, or have another.. maybe buy a pack.
    But then you realize what you've just done. After all those times when you said you were going to quit, and then when you finally did, and your family and friends were so happy for you - but not exactly over the moon, because after all they've been hopeful before only to see you relapse - all that enthusiasm is now smashed to pieces on the floor. And all the pressure that drove you to grab that cigarette in the first place - it's all still there. Nothing has changed, except now you've added one more problem: you just blew it.
    And then you realize what you've really done. You had invested days, maybe weeks and months, in this quit. You had made a great decision, one of the few things you really and truly felt proud of in your life, and you just blew it. You just blew the quit that you swore to yourself was the last one. You were so positive, so motivated, and encouraged, you were really on top of it, ahead of the game for once, you had taken control of your life and it felt like a whole new beginning.. and you just blew it.
    You look at that stub in the ashtray. The grey ash and the brown edge to the burnt paper, and the tar stain on the end of filter. You remember the thousands of cigarettes you have stubbed out and think about the tar that came into your lungs as smoke. And you think if smoking that one cigarette was worth it. Nothing's better. You feel a little dizzy now as the nicotine hits your body, even a little nauseous - certainly don't feel the pleasure that you remember the adverts and billboards were promoting during your early years as a smoker. In fact it's hard to remember any time when you felt that pleasure.. just another tobacco company lie.. They helped you to become an addict the first time, but when you smoked that cigarette after you quit.. well that was a whole new decision. You made that one all by yourself - there's no pointing fingers now, you know that cigarettes kill, so when you lit that one cigarette, the choice to smoke was all yours - no-one else to blame. And you just blew it.
    It wasn't worth it.. time after time the slippers' and relapsers' lament how they feel like crap, how ashamed they are, how they have lost confidence and hope, how they hate themselves, how much it hurts, how depressed and they cry and hide and cry some more. And now you are one of them.. the quit losers. Lost in the wilderness, not quite a smoker.. yet and not sure you are a quitter, searching for some dignity, some self-respect out of this. All because of that one cigarette. Because you blew it.
    WITH JUST ONE
    One Puff
    One Cigarette
    One Pack
    One Carton.
     
     
    You know what it feels like to fail already. Now feel what it's like to succeed.
     
    Your choice.
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/5780-michelledoesntsmoke/
     
  15. jillar
    Tink
    Quit Date: 22/11/2013
     
    Posted November 10, 2015 
     
    It's a sad fact that they are related to each other I can only speak from what I see or I know maybe others can relate a story?
     
    My story is my mum she is a heavy smoker and absolutely convinced she will not quit as its her only comfort!! Which is ironic as her discomfort, disability and depression is all born by smoking!!
     
    She has blocked arteries from smoking, this has been medically confirmed by examinations and consultants, she is not over weight and smoking is the number one culprit.
     
    These blocked arteries have caused her to be disabled whereas she cannot walk more than 10 meters without having to sit down, this has made her a prisoner in her own home and brought on a depression that makes her the most negative, bitter, sad person to be around.
     
    Getting her to understand or accept this has been an impossible task believe me I have tried
     
    Depression for me has been a hard learning curve one that I never understood but I'm beginning too...
     
    It's definitely not a case of "come on cheer up you miserable bugger" this was my attitude for so long and it doesn't help at all In my experience when someone is really depressed, it's just not the same as a bad day or feeling a bit low or down.
     
    So how to tackle it, well one day at a time at the moment trying to get her to at least get dressed every day for the last four days she hasn't bothered as part of the depression comes, why bother and every excuse in the book why not to bother, it's windy, it's dark, it's miserable, no one is coming I'm not going out and you offer to take her out and you get another list of excuses (she never runs out!!) etc anything rather than action!
     
    To say this is frustrating is an understatement as the opposite to depression is expression and action
     
    So at the moment every excuse I'm trying to match with a solution and buying tools and equipment that will aid this for example a walker with a basket and seat so she can walk but sit when needed without worrying about having to leave a shop or worry she won't make it
     
    A mountain we must climb just to function like a normal human being, something we take for granted when not in this position and one she herself took for granted and smoking has taken it all away from her slowly but surely over the years
     
    We all think it wont happen to us, but how it can easily sneak up its so sad
     
    The morale of the story is why climb a mountain take the easy road quit while you can, while you have your health and mobility it is surely easier than the above path
     
    This post is not for sympathy but for a stark reminder to truth
     
    What possible comfort did smoking bring here?
     
    Nothing! It's an addiction!
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/6243-disabilities-and-depression-associated-with-smoking/
     
  16. jillar

    You Just Don't

    By jillar,


    General
    Soberjulie
     
    Posted April 7, 2014 
    some days are harder than others.
     
    but you don't pick up that first cigarette
     
    you just don't.
     
    it's less about willpower than it is about making a decision not to, in advance of the thought or the desire, no matter how scared, angry, jealous, happy, bored, horny, depressed, anxious, elated, insecure, arrogant, lonely or silly you feel.
     
    some days it seems that although yesterday life looked good, today it doesn't, and although you know the only thing that's changed is your attitude, it's hard to shake.
     
    but you don't pick up that first cigarette
     
    the one that always leads to all the others.
     
    you just don't.
     
    even though you might think about it for a minute.
     
    (but you're too smart to let that thought linger. Still ... for just a minute, the idea is there
     
    it feels like the Universe is leaning on every.
     
    single.
     
    button.
     
    so you make some phone calls
     
    but all you get is voice mail.
     
    but you don't pick up that first cigarette
     
    you just don't.
     
    you leave messages all over Quit Train and Facebook pretending to be doing a little better than you are, but sort of alluding to the idea that, gosh, if they could get back to you that would be cool...
     
    You feel stupid about what could amount to spamming your social networks but you log on and do the same thing again.
     
    and that thought from before, the one about smoking didn't leave, exactly. it's like a piece of food stuck between your teeth, or a little splinter on the bottom of an unimportant toe (not the big one, that you'd feel with every step -- this is there/not there -- uncomfortable enough to feel but not so much that you stop and do something about it.)
     
    so you get busy, and try to write, or read, or do that whatever-it-was you've been putting off, but that just feels futile or irritating.
     
    and you dare the universe to dazzle you with some amazing "coincidence" -- a call from your quit buddy right now -- a knock on the door right this moment, a particular song on the radio the second you turn it on -- a Sign you can share about at Quit Train then everyone will smile warmly and nod, and you'll feel all "right" with things and wise and connected ... but ...
     
    nothing happens. no call. no knock. an ad for discount mattresses on the radio.
     
    and you don't pick up the first cigarette
     
    you just don't.
     
    you judge yourself an ingrate, a poser, an impostor, a spoiled/wounded ass/sadsack, pathetic
     
    you judge yourself for judging yourself,
     
    you go to the refrigerator you look at porn you click through channels on tv you wonder if you need medication,
     
    you suspect you should try deep breathing and meditation
     
    but you don't.
     
    but you don't pick up the first cigarette
     
    you just don't.
     
    and it gets better.
     
    it passes.
     
    eventually.
     
    If you Just Don't.
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/354-you-just-dont/
     
  17. jillar

    No Matter What, Right?

    By jillar,


    General
    Ramona
    Quit Date: 1/29/2017
     
    Posted September 1, 2015 
     
    In 4 days I will celebrate my 10 month mark.  I've not had a single puff in these 10 months.  I did not sacrifice a single inhale to death sticks.  Astounding!!!
     
    To quit smoking has been my number one, most important goal.  Nothing has come before it.  I've made it this far because I've made this quit my top priority.  If the choice is between smoking a cigarette OR:
     
    punching myself in the face
    slamming my head into walls
    running 3 times a day even when my bones ACHE
    potentially losing my job
    inflicting minor damage to my skin
    gaining 20 pounds
    arguing and screaming with my boyfriend
    asking for help from strangers on this forum
    baking bread/cakes every night in 90 degree heat
     
    I choose the latter - - - because the rules remain:
     
    NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PUFF & NOT ONE PUFF EVER.
     
    To apply these hard-fast rules is the only way to break this incredible addiction. 
     
    Quitting is not for everyone.  Undoing a lifelong dependency, undoing a lifelong coping mechanism, proves too difficult for many folks. 
     
    But I will overcome.  I do not want to forfeit my life to submission & servitude.  I will no longer play supplicant to a host of deadly chemicals.
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/5916-no-matter-what-right/
     
  18. jillar
    beacon
     
    Posted May 12, 2016 
     
    I TRIED TO CLIMB THE MOUNTAIN TODAY.
     
    I tried to climb the mountain today. As I inched my way up the path, I felt overwhelmed, so I had to turn back.
    I tried to climb the mountain today. On my journey, darkness started to fall, and I was full of fear, so I had to return to a safe place. 
    I was ready to climb the mountain today. But it was so hot outside, I thought I better stay in my nice air-conditioned house and rest up for tomorrow’s attempt. 
    I was about to climb the mountain today. But I had so many other things to do, so instead of climbing the mountain I took care of much more important tasks. I washed my car, mowed the grass and watched the big game. Today the mountain will just have to wait. 
    I was going to climb the mountain today. But as I stared at the mountain in it’s majestic beauty, I knew I stood no chance of making it to the top, so I figured why even bother trying. 
    I have forgotten about climbing the mountain today; until a friend came by and asked me what I was up to lately. I told him I was thinking about climbing that mountain some day. I went on and on about how I was going to accomplish this task.
    Finally, he said, “I just got back from climbing the mountain. For the longest time I told myself I was trying to climb the mountain but never made any progress. I almost let the dream of making it to the top die. I came up with every excuse of why I could not make it up the mountain, but never once did I give myself a reason why I could. 
    One day as I stared at the mountain and pondered, I realized that if I didn’t make an attempt at this dream all my dreams will eventually die.”
    “The next morning, I started my climb.” He continued, “It was not easy, and at times I wanted to quit. But no matter what I faced, I placed one foot in front of the other, keeping a steady pace. When the wind tried to blow me over the edge, I kept walking. When the voices inside my head screamed “stop!” I focused on my goal never letting it out of sight, and I kept moving forward. At times, I was ready to quit, but I knew I had come too far. Time and time again, I reassured myself that I was going to finish this journey. I struggled to make it to the top, but I climbed the mountain!”
    “I have to be going,” my friend said. “Tomorrow is a new day to accomplish more dreams. By the way, what are you going to do tomorrow?” 
    I looked at him, with intensity and confidence in my eyes, and said, “I have a mountain to climb.” – Gary Barnes
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/6996-i-tried-to-climb-the-mountain-today/
     
  19. jillar

    Temporary Fixes

    By jillar,


    General
    babs609
    Quit Date: 07/13/2012
     
    Posted April 23, 2014 
     
    That's what a lot of frustrated quitters feel when they are still young and fresh in their quit......water, deep breaths, walking, distracting, cleaning, exercising, posting, talking to a friend....the list is endless...but each and every one of those things are temporary...and as a new quitter...you get frustrated ya know?  Yes...I tried all those things..and it never lasts...I tried the water 20 minutes ago...helped temporarily but it's back full swing now...so what should I do...I'm tired of these cravings....these things mentioned only help for the moment and i'm sick of it...why won't it just go away????????????????????
     
     
    Sound familiar???  Well....of course the alternatives to smoking a cigarette are only a temporary distraction.  20 minutes later...that craving is back.  But guess what?  That's what you went through every 20 minutes as a smoker too.  The cigarette is also a temporary fix....you smoke..and 20 minutes later...you want another.
     
    The difference between the smoker and the one who has quit is this:  The Smoker continues this pattern for life.
    The quitter starts off with the pattern of every 20 minutes..however as the quitter continues to ward off the craving with the alternative choices (ie water, exercise..etc) the time between cravings becomes more and more.  20 minutes today...25 minutes tomorrow...45 minutes by next week....a week later it's like "wow...2 hours went by and I didn't think about smoking once"
     
    The smoker...is still feeding his addiction...every 20 minutes. Nothing has changed with that guy....
     
    So.....the craving blocker is temporary?   Temporarily it is......but continue to choose alternatives..and you will break free....you will.
     
     Choose to smoke..and be prepared for a lifetime of slavery.
     
    The only person who continues to suffer with regular cravings is the smoker....ironic isn't it?  As smokers...we avoided quitting because we didn't want to suffer....turns out...the smoker is always suffering.
     
    which do you choose?  
     
    Smoker or non-smoker?
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/896-temporary-fixes/
     
  20. jillar

    No Man's Land

    By jillar,


    General
    Nancy
    Quit Date: 07/07/2013
    Posted March 23, 2018 · 
     
    By tahoehal  on May 13 2008 
     
    I seldom start a post, unless it is to honor someone's anniversary. But I feel compelled to share something that I seem to be sharing a lot of lately... and that is my thoughts on 'No Man's Land'. No Man's Land is a dangerous and scary place... and it is a lonely time during a quit.

    I call No Man's Land that period of time between about 1 month and 3 or 4 months into your quit, or about the time from the end of your first month.. This is a time when many people slip and go into a full relapse and have to start over... if they can start over, that is. I have some observations that may help some of you who are literally hanging on by your fingernails... or who may find yourself there tomorrow.

    The first month is an exhausting but exhilirating experience... you are locked in nearly daily struggles and you get the satisfaction of successfully beating your addiction that day. You go to bed a WINNER each night (as Troutnut would say), and you are justifiably proud of yourself. Your friends and family are also supportive as they see you struggling each day to maintain your quit. And you are being constantly supported here, whether or not you post... just being here is good for your quit. And so, the battles are won and it actually becomes easier and the battles occur less often as you finish 30 days or so.

    Around 60 days, you're starting to have some really good days, with very few craves and some nice insights about yourself... but then again, you still have some bad days. Those bad days can really be depressing... you begin to wonder if you're ever gonna be able to relax. Your junkie is whispering to you, telling you that 'just one' won't hurt. You've conquered your daily triggers, but now you start trippiing over the occasional ones... a death in the family, unexpectedly bad news, money problems, health problems, going on a long car ride, a trip to the bar, or whatever. You have a strong crave and you begin to doubt your ability to keep your quit. 

    In addition, the 3D support that you used to get is pretty much gone... non-smokers figure you should be 'over it' by now, smokers don't like to hang around you much because they feel guilty and addicted (remember that feeling?), and people who have quit may not remember just how much love and support you need well into the first few months. They all think you should be 'over it', you think you should be 'over it'... and the temptation is to have 'just one' to see if you ARE over it.

    But of course you're not over it, are you? That 'just one' whisper becomes much much louder and becomes 'just one more'... and each time you give in to that whisper, the craves come harder and sooner. The one way to guarantee that your craves will never go away is to light up, to slide that old cigarette needle into your arm and shoot up. Those craves will be back and keep coming back. But if you protect your quit, your craves will eventually weaken and become even fewer and farther between.

    As you get to around 100 days or so (some will be a bit longer)... you will begin to really get a healthy perspective on your addiction. You will see the huge role that smoking played in your life, you will see clearly what that addiction really cost you. And you will understand that it was a very high price to pay... the loss of your confidence, your emotions, your self-control... your SELF. All enslaved to your addiction.

    And you will begin to see that you can look forward to a non-smoking future without romanticizing your addiction. You see it clearly for the life-stealing evil it was... and is. You see a much different future for yourself than your past has been. And it no longer scares the crap out of you to think that you are done smoking... in fact, you embrace that thought with joy every day.

    But you have to get out of No Man's Land first. How can you help yourself? And how can those of us who have been through it help you?

    First of all, you need to understand that you aren't alone. If you haven't already done so, make a pinky-finger promise with 2 or 3 good quitbuds and exchange phone numbers with them. Promise to call them if you're ever in trouble, and make them promise the same. These are your 'life and death' quitbuddies... you are literally trusting each other with your lives. Then call them... often. Just to see how they are doing, and to tell them you're doing well too. Be totally honest with them, this is life and death.

    Second, understand that you're going to have some unexpectedly bad days... but they are going to be further apart. Shrug them off, laugh your way through them, call your quitbuddies... whatever it takes to get through them without smoking. Some battles will be easy, some will be hard. Come here and post, send qmail, exercise, learn to cook, take up a new hobby. Whatever it takes, keep going to bed a WINNER each night.

    Third, ask some of the older qsters to keep an eye on you... to contact you to see how you're doing. I have been asked to do that for several of you recently and I am happy to do that, as I am sure that others are too. We know that you just need to hold on a little bit longer and change your focus just a little to make that breakthrough. And then you will OWN your quit, and it will be a very comfortable thing.

    Last, take a deep and honest look at your past life... your life as a smoker and compare it to what your life is like now... and what it will be like in the future. You have to develop that vision of your future, of the person that you are going to BECOME now that you have freed yourself. You have to believe in yourself. You have to love yourself enough to deny yourself your addiction.

    No Man's Land doesn't have to be so lonely and scary and dangerous. You need some company and some courage and some faith in yourself. And when you emerge from it, you will not be the same person that entered it.

    Never never never question your decision to quit! This is the most loving thing that you will ever do for yourself. A few days of discomfort in exchange for a lifetime of freedom. You will never find another deal like it.

    Protect your quit. Don't smoke, no matter what.


    Hal 08-20-2004
    A puff is too much, a thousand cartons are not enough. 
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/2704-no-mans-land/
     
     
  21. jillar

    Lies

    By jillar,


    General
    Nixter
    Quit Date: 6/7/15
     
    Posted June 27, 2015 
     
    So basically what I'm figuring out is that cigarettes and nicotine are big fat liars. For all those years they kept me at their beck and call by making me afraid. I was afraid to quit because I thought I wouldn't be able to have fun without a cig. LIE. I was afraid to quit because I thought it would be too hard. LIE. I was afraid to quit because I thought every day would be like day 1. LIE. I was afraid to quit because I wouldn't be "me" without my smokes. LIE!! I am telling you, I feel more joy at social situations than I ever have!! Why? Because I can concentrate on having fun instead of worrying when I can sneak outside for a cigarette. I physically feel soooo much better already. And I'm also really proud of myself. But I have to be honest and say I'm a little pissed that I was duped for so long. Anyway, I'm so happy to be a non smoker. Thanks for being here for me!
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/5558-lies/
     
  22. jillar

    Old Dogs and New Tricks

    By jillar,


    General
    Boo
    Quit Date: March 9, 2016
     
    Posted August 26, 2017 · 
     
    "You can't teach an old dog new tricks."  I'm not one to nitpick over semantics, but I've heard that old cliche twice today.  How many phrases do we mindlessly repeat without ever really thinking about them.  Maybe I'm overthinking the phrase.  Or perhaps when you begin making a conscious effort to make positive changes, you're a bit more sensitive to the kind of self-defeating limitations we place on ourselves.  Self-fulfilling prophecies can be your greatest strength or a damning weakness.
     
    Smoking was an ingrained part of our lives to an extent that it became a part of our identity.  We committed to a new way and put that behind us.  In the wake of quitting smoking, many of us delved into health and fitness.  Steady forward momentum now has us doing things we might have believed impossible just a few short years ago.  As I tune in to people making changes in their life, I'm genuinely encouraged by how much success people can have with a solid commitment and a bit of grit.  Where you came from is not nearly as important as where you're going.
     
    An old dog resigned to the fact that he can't learn new tricks will stagnate and wither away.  However, an old dog that blocks out that negative noise and bravely ventures forward is capable of great things.
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/9006-old-dogs-and-new-tricks/
     
  23. jillar
    ChristaC
    Quit Date: June 18, 2013
     
    Posted May 30, 2014 
     
    First of all, congratulations to all of you.
     
    As I'm sitting here reading some of the posts of some of the struggles quitters go through, especially those with fairly recent quits, I remember my own battles in the early days, and I get the chills....
     
    How did I ever get to this point of being wonderfully free from this nasty, deadly addiction? I smoked for over 50 years... I did EVERYTHING with a cigarette in my hand... work, relax, drive, talk on the phone, read a book, drink coffee... when I went shopping, I'd light up as soon as I hit the front door of the store.... when I went out to dinner, I stood outside between the salad and the main course for a 'quick one', and scarfed down my food so that I could run back out and smoke that 'dessert'... when one of the kids had a school concert or something, I was impatient for it to be over because I was craving for a cigarette...
     
    I remember how, when somebody would ask me to go somewhere with them, my first thought was "can I smoke there?", or actually making excuses why I can't go... because it was a 'non-smoking' event... good God, how awful is that?
     
    Besides the obvious health concerns, knowing I'm killing myself, trying to excuse my non-stop cough and throat-clearing (it's allergies, I'm getting a cold, I've got something stuck in my throat etc... ), pitiful, false, trying-to-fool myself and everyone else 'smoke screens' (pun intended) for my oncoming emphysema and/or COPD...
     
    besides all of that (as if that wasn't enough), just the social aspects alone should turn everyone away from nicodemon's siren call. Life is so limiting when you're addicted to cigarettes (or anything, really) that it RULES your behavior all day long, and actually COMMANDS you to live your days a certain way.
     
    As a non smoker, you can do what YOU want, when and where you want. As a smoker, you're at the beck and call of your addiction... you're a prisoner who must follow his jailer's orders.
     
    Plus, my hair smells like coconut shampoo. 😛
     
    Never, ever again. N.O.P.E.
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/1489-to-all-of-you-quitters-new-and-not-so-new/
     
  24. jillar
    Key facts
         •Tobacco kills up to half of its users.
         •Tobacco kills more than 8 million people each year. More than 7 million of those deaths are the result of direct                     tobacco use while around 1.2 million are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke.
         •Over 80% of the world's 1.3 billion tobacco users live in low- and middle-income countries.
     
    Leading cause of death, illness and impoverishment
     
    The tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced, killing more than 8 million people a year around the world. More than 7 million of those deaths are the result of direct tobacco use while around 1.2 million are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke.(1)
    All forms of tobacco are harmful, and there is no safe level of exposure to tobacco. Cigarette smoking is the most common form of tobacco use worldwide. Other tobacco products include waterpipe tobacco, various smokeless tobacco products, cigars, cigarillos, roll-your-own tobacco, pipe tobacco, bidis and kreteks.
    Waterpipe tobacco use is damaging to health in similar ways to cigarette tobacco use. However, the health dangers of waterpipe tobacco use are often little understood by users.
    Smokeless tobacco use is highly addictive and damaging to health. Smokeless tobacco contains many cancer-causing toxins and its use increases the risk of cancers of the head, neck, throat, oesophagus and oral cavity (including cancer of the mouth, tongue, lip and gums) as well as various dental diseases.
    Over 80% of the 1.3 billion tobacco users worldwide live in low- and middle-income countries, where the burden of tobacco-related illness and death is heaviest. Tobacco use contributes to poverty by diverting household spending from basic needs such as food and shelter to tobacco. 
    The economic costs of tobacco use are substantial and include significant health care costs for treating the diseases caused by tobacco use as well as the lost human capital that results from tobacco-attributable morbidity and mortality.
    In some countries children from poor households are employed in tobacco farming to boost family income. Tobacco growing farmers are also exposed to a number of health risks, including the "green tobacco sickness". 
    Surveillance is key
    Effective monitoring tracks the extent and character of the tobacco epidemic and indicates how best to implement policies.
    Key measures to reduce the demand for tobacco
    Second-hand smoke kills
         •Second-hand smoke is the smoke that fills enclosed spaces when people burn tobacco products such as                              cigarettes, bidis and water-pipes.
         •There is no safe level of exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke, which causes more than 1.2 million premature                deaths per year and serious cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.
         •Almost half of children regularly breathe air polluted by tobacco smoke in public places, and 65 000 die each year                from illnesses attributable to second-hand smoke.
         •In infants, it raises the risk of sudden infant death syndrome. In pregnant women, it causes pregnancy complications          and low birth weight.
        •Smoke-free laws protect the health of non-smokers and are popular, as they do not harm business and they encourage        smokers to quit.
    Pictorial health warnings work
         •Large pictorial or graphic health warnings, including plain packaging, with hard hitting messages can persuade                    smokers to protect the health of non-smokers by not smoking inside the home, increase compliance with smoke-free        laws and encourage more people to quit tobacco use.
         •Studies show that pictorial warnings significantly increase people's awareness of the harms from tobacco use.
         •Mass media campaigns can also reduce demand for tobacco by promoting the protection of non-smokers and by              convincing people to stop using tobacco.  
     
    Bans on tobacco advertising lower consumption
         •Comprehensive bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship can reduce tobacco consumption.
         •A comprehensive ban covers both direct and indirect varieties of promotion.
          °Direct forms include, among others, advertising on television, radio, print publications, billboards and more recently in various social media platforms.
          °Indirect forms include, among others, brand sharing, brand stretching, free distribution, price discounts, point of sale product displays, sponsorships and promotional activities masquerading as corporate social responsibility programmes.  
    Taxes are effective in reducing tobacco use
         •Tobacco taxes are the most cost-effective way to reduce tobacco use and health care costs, especially among youth           and low-income people, while increasing revenue in many countries.
         •The tax increases need to be high enough to push prices up above income growth. An increase of tobacco prices by          10% decreases tobacco consumption by about 4% in high-income countries and about 5% in low- and middle-income           countries.
         •Despite this, introducing high tobacco taxes is a measure that is least implemented among the set of available                     tobacco control measures. 
     
    Link to world Health Organization: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs339/en/ 
  25. jillar

    The Comfort Zone

    By jillar,


    General
    Tink
    Posted June 6, 2014 · IP 
     
    The Comfort Zone
    By Unknown
    I used to have a comfort zone where I knew I wouldn’t fail.
    The same four walls and busywork were really more like jail.
    I longed so much to do the things I’d never done before,
    But stayed inside my comfort zone and paced the same old floor.
    I said it didn‘t matter that I wasn’t doing much.
    I said I didn’t care for things like commission checks and such.
    I claimed to be so busy with the things inside the zone,
    But deep inside I longed for something special of my own.
    I couldn’t let my life go by just watching others win.
    I held my breath; I stepped outside and let the change begin.
    I took a step and with new strength I’d never felt before,
    I kissed my comfort zone goodbye and closed and locked the door.
    If you’re in a comfort zone, afraid to venture out,
    Remember that all winners were at one time filled with doubt.
    A step or two and words of praise can make your dreams come true.
    Reach for your future with a smile; Success is there for you!
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/48-quit-motivationquotes-picturesfunny-or-not/#elControls_286_menu
     

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