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jillar

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  1. jillar

    Filling the Voids

    By jillar,


    General
    Posted 30 March 2015 - 09:14 AM by hermine (qsmb)
     
    Quitting smoking leaves us with a terrible emptiness that, for a while, we don't know exactly how to handle. And we may even ask ourselves if we will ever be able to fill these voids with anything. What helped me to get over this was eventually understanding that the source of the problem wasn't the absence of cigarettes, but the mere existence of those terrible feelings I was dealing with. 
     
    They were there all along, but I was trying to cover them all up with smoke... The moment I stopped smoking, I started to realize and acknowledge all those things that were wrong in my life and I've been trying to get rid of by hiding behind a curtain of cigarette smoke. But they didn't disappear, they have been watching me silently and now, as the smoke cleared, we are starting to make eye contact again. Should I light a cigarette so I become blind again? Or should I finally tackle the beasts? The answer is clear. I will attack.
     
    So ask yourself, as you are ripped by this feeling of emptiness: is it ok that a small piece of paper filled with tobacco has become such an important part of my life? Is it ok that I have become emotionally attached to a small piece of paper filled with tobacco?!
     
    Don't hide behind the curtain of smoke again. Don't choose to run again. Make the most of the fact that you are finally capable to see your life as it really is and you finally have the chance to fill those voids. Fill your short and precious life with people, places, hobbies and knowledge. Put things that actually matter inside those voids, because blowing smoke inside them will never, ever, make them disappear.
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/10482-filling-the-voids-repost-by-hermine/
     
  2. jillar

    Transferable Quit Skills

    By jillar,


    General
    Sazerac
    Posted July 3, 2019 
     
    I think that as you gain confidence in your successful quit
    you will find that the skills used in quitting can be applied to other aspects in your life.
     
    For example, the notion of H.A.L.T.
    are you Hungry, Angry (which can be switched to emotional), Lonesome, Tired.
     
    To this day, I turn to this technique for a variety of reasons and situations.
    While it may not solve the underlying issue, it certainly alleviates compounding any distress by addressing these issues 
    and I am better able to solve the problem if I am, at least, fed and well rested.
     
    Another example of using a quitting skill is deep breathing !
    an excellent technique to calm myself and think more clearly.
    A conscious flow of Oxygen is a panacea, the handiest of magic elixirs !
     
    Just knowing that we have the ability to change,
    and acknowledging  the proof that we Have Changed, (we quit smoking!)
    gives us encouragement to change other things in our life.
     
    I know many of us have changed other aspects in our lives with 'quit smoking' skills.
    The self-confidence acquired in quitting, especially, encouraged me in any endeavor.
     
    What skills have you learned in quitting smoking
    and how have you applied them to your fabulous nicotine free life ?
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/12686-transferable-quit-skills/
     
  3. jillar

    To Not Smoke is Actually Easier....

    By jillar,


    General
    Still winning
    Location: Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England
    Quit Date: 12th March 2014
    Posted August 2, 2014 
     
    Hi Abby,
    I think if we don't understand it can be too daunting to quit. I, like many others, knew that times when we couldn't smoke were hard (train journey, plane, car etc). We were pretty desperate by the time we could smoke again.  That's because after 20 minutes or so, the nicotine in a cig starts to come out of your blood stream - it creates a lack which grows and hey presto, you think about smoking and do so the next time you can.  Hope this makes sense so far
     
    To not smoke is actually easier, really, I'm being straight with you. Yes initially, you get those cravings, but they are only thoughts and can only control us if we let them. After that you actually don't start to crave every 20 minutes or so, it just gets less and less. Hoping this still makes sense and trying to take you the science type route.
     
    Emotionally it's a journey. However there are literally millions of ex smokers, look at it logically, if it were that hard millions wouldn't be able todo it
     
    Allen Carr book called easy way to stop smoking works great for some folks. You can still smoke while you read it. Whyquit.com worked better for me as did reading all the info on this site that's pinned at the top of each forum.  
     
    People say education is key and it's true.  When we can start to change our mindset from we need to smoke to be ok it gets easier. And that's where the self education comes in, you basically read and get info that appeals to your personality but the end result is the same. We know smoking is bad for us, we choose to ignore it. Educating means we can stop ignoring it and realize some uncomfortable times and some fabulous times (honest there is both!!) mean nothing in the face of the freedom we all now feel. Better health, better finances but also self worth.
     
    Keep talking as something you say may trigger something in you that makes your mind start to work against the addiction and read up, it honestly does help. Worst case, it can't hurt to do some reading and some talking right.
     
    xx
    Link to original thread: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/8-posting-an-sos/ 
     
  4. jillar

    Nothing is more important.

    By jillar,


    General
    Christian99
    Quit Date: 12/11/01
     
    Posted September 6, 2021 
     
    It is certainly possible to quit without substantial (or even any) weight gain, but my experience has been that a common characteristic of many successful quitters is the prioritization of quitting over pretty much everything else.  Nothing is more important for your health.  Nothing.  And nothing is more important for your spirt and self-esteem.  Ask yourself what it will take for you to do WHATEVER it takes.  You asked about withdrawal symptoms at three months.  While some people are not struggling substantially at three months quit, some successful quitters actually are.  I was.  I sure hope that's not the shape your quit takes, but are you willing to remain smoke free if it is?  Because that's how it is for some quitters, and no smoker--especially one in his/her late 30's--can afford to wait.  I had a catastrophic heart attack at age 40 that most certainly would have killed me if I hadn't successfully quit at age 33, and my brother died a miserable death from lung cancer at age 41.  Unusual perhaps and unlucky genes maybe, but quitting smoking is the single most important thing any of us can do to improve our health.  And while I definitely quit for a better life, after watching my brother's final weeks and days on this earth, I've come to realize that I also quit for a better death.  
     
    We all know you can do it.  Stay close.
     
    Christian99
    Nearing 20 Years Quit
     
    Link to original post: (removed)
     
  5. jillar

    Guard The Quit

    By jillar,


    General
    El Bandito
    Posted April 14, 2014
     
    Firstly - my apologies for a massive long post - but I kind of need to get this off my chest. I posted it in my blog - but then thought maybe it might be of use to someone here...
     
    Yesterday, my sister in law and her two sons came to visit. The plan is that the sister in law will stay with us for a couple of weeks - while the boys just came for the day. This is the first time that we have had houseguests since the house was refurbished before Christmas. 
     
    It's quite exciting in a way. 
     
    The day dawned warm and sunny - inspiring me to take the dog for a long walk and to venture into the garden for the first time this year. 
     
    Lunch was eaten and wine was taken. A post prandial stroll somehow got diverted to the pub - where beer was drunk. Afternoon became evening with the help of several brandies. Long story short - I awoke this morning with a cracking hangover. Probably my first one since quitting smoking at the end of January. 
     
    Conventional wisdom will tell you that hangovers are marginally better without the chemicals contained in cigarettes. I think perhaps that I am not convinced by conventional wisdom. This hangover feels pretty much the same as any other hangover that I recall.
     
    What has come as a complete surprise is that the hangover has triggered a massive craving for a cigarette. I have been awake for five and a half hours as I write this; and for every minute of those three hundred and thirty, I have been craving a cigarette.
     
    Now - I am not going to have one - I don't smoke. It is an obvious truth that non-smokers do not smoke - but it is a truth which I am having to remind myself of today. A lot.
     
    I have re-read many inspirational posts on the Quit Train.com and on Why Quit.com - determined to remove this illogical desire that I am harbouring for a cigarette. I am writing this blog post in an effort to reaffirm my determination to be a non-smoker. 
     
    I can only suppose that for 30 years, I would have fought through any hangovers with the help of 'my little friend' the cigarette and that waking with a hangover this morning has re-triggered an old reaction.
     
    It does seem illogical - as if any condition illustrated how horrible it was to be a smoker - then the hangover was it. Hungover- I am always anxious, paranoid even. Two feelings that amplify the self-loathing that is never far away in any addict...but illogical or not - I cannot deny that all day today, I have wanted a cigarette.
     
    It could be that I am entering 'No Mans Land' which is how some people characterise a period where an addict moves from the "I'm quitting" period to the "Bored now". The logic is that family, friends and colleagues have become accustomed to the fact that the addict doesn't smoke anymore. Where in the early days everybody was a spectator, paying close attention to the addict and their struggle, now, it's old news. Never-smokers have no comprehension of the addiction, and smokers have conclusively decided that the addict was either never a 'proper' smoker or is miserable without their cigarettes.
     
    This last point is critical (I have just discovered!) because right now, I agree with the smoker. I am miserable. Right now - I can actually hear myself saying:
     
    "Yes, quitting smoking is tough, but it is doable. I quit for 77 days. But - at the end of the day, I enjoy it. Give me a cigarette please. I'll give you one back when I buy some in a minute. When I stop enjoying it - I'll quit again."
     
    I kid you not - I can actually hear myself saying that. I can picture myself reaching for the cigarette. I know which colleague I am asking for the cigarette...
     
    Here is the thing.
     
    I can picture myself doing it, I can hear myself doing it, but I am NOT doing it.
     
    Why am I not doing it? Really - why not?
     
    Well - there are several reasons.
     
    1. I posted on a website that I visit this morning. I posted - NOPE. (So there must be something to this pledging :) ...)
     
    2. I promised some people that I came to know is cyber space - that before smoking another cigarette I would post a SOS first. and I haven't.
     
    3. If I did smoke - a lot of these people in Cyber space would be annoyed that I smoked, hurt that I did not post SOS and might even use my relapse as support for a relapse of their own. And while I know I can quit again - maybe that person couldn't.
     
    4. Deep down - I know full well that I am hungover now. If I have a cigarette, I will still be hungover. And I will be incredibly annoyed with myself.
     
    So - I won't smoke.
     
    All of you - I am not naming names, because I would forget someone - but ALL of YOU saved my quit today.
     
    Thank you.
     
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/611-cigarette-anyone/
     
  6. jillar

    The Power of Detachment

    By jillar,


    General
    Boo
    Quit Date: March 9, 2016
     
    Posted December 8, 2019 
     
    One of the greatest gifts the process of quitting gave me was the opportunity to practice detachment on a daily basis.  I started thinking about this earlier today after hearing Jocko Willink talk about detachment on a podcast.  In fact, the moment I figured out how to separate myself from whatever emotions and thoughts I was having in the moment was the turning point in my quit.  It was a struggle before I figured it out.  After I figured it out, it has been nothing but smooth sailing.
     
    The cravings didn't magically go away when I turned the corner.  The odd thought about "the good ol' days when I was a smoker" still popped up from time-to-time.  The basic tenets of addiction were still there, I just changed how I reacted.  Instead of surrendering to the chaos and allowing the emotional upheaval to dictate my actions, I just took a step back and observed what was really going on.  Identified my thoughts as nothing more than a temporary feeling born of decades of addiction.
     
    Detaching yourself from the self-defeating thoughts and emotions of addiction allows you to observe what's really going on and make wise decisions.
     
    The cigarette is an inanimate object.
     
    You are not a smoker.  You are someone who used to smoke.
     
    Your thoughts have as much or as little power as you give them.
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/13326-the-power-of-detachment/
     
  7. jillar

    The Promise is Real. Wow!

    By jillar,


    General
    cpk
    Quit Date: 02/04/2015
     
    Posted July 1, 2015 
     
    I don't know if month 5 is like going around a big bend towards magical month 6, but the promise that "it gets better" is not just empty words. I still have anxiety, but not as much. There are actually some days when I don't think about smoking at all. When I go through rough patches of anxiety or a crummy day I remind myself, "Everything isn't always about quitting smoking."
     
    This is a really exciting journey. It has been hard, but SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO worth the effort.
     
    This post is for newbies, in the early days and weeks of quitting. It can be hard. But it gets easier.
     
    Sometimes it's hard to get through the hours.
     
    Then suddenly a whole day, or days go by in utter freedom.
     
    HANG ON. The promise is real. It DOES GET BETTER
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/5573-the-promise-is-real-wow/
     
  8. jillar

    Tending Your Garden

    By jillar,


    General
    intoxicated yoda  31
     
    Posted yesterday at 07:35 PM 
     
    honestly...even tho i've been quit for a few weeks, the cigs are still in control.  I'm still an abstaining smoker.  Most of my thoughts are dominated by the quit but that's okay.  it has to be this way.  my quit is a garden and right now it's full of weeds so it's going to take all my focus and effort to get all the weeds pulled.  then once all the weeds are pulled it's going to take daily monitoring for new sprouts of weeds so i can dig down and find the roots.  later it will take weekly monitoring for more weed sprouts so i can dig down further and get the rest of the roots.  and then when i've gotten all the roots out and all the weeds are gone and there are only beautiful blooming flowers in my quit garden i still have to be vigilant in monitoring for weeds cause seeds will blow in on the wind from who knows where and they will pop up when and where i least expect them.  but that is life.  the garden, whatever it is be it quitting smoking or playing piano, must be tended.  to do otherwise is to stop living.
     
    Link to original blog entry: Who's in Charge? https://www.quittrain.com/blogs/entry/1050-whos-in-charge/
  9. jillar

    Rewarding Yourself For Not Smoking

    By jillar,


    General
    Colleen
    Quit Date: 6/2/13
     
    Posted June 16, 2015 
     
    How do you reward yourself for not smoking?  It's okay to spend some of that money you saved from not smoking.  In the very beginning of my quit, I rewarded myself quite a bit because it was important to me.  Nothing extravagant really.  When I hit a year quit, I purchased a pair of spin shoes.  
     
    Two years quit now, my how time flies.  I have a Jawbone UP and have had to send it back more than once.  They send a new one, no questions asked over and over.  Guess they are having problems lol.  Have been really getting tired of it all and had been thinking about upgrading.  So, I order online my two year reward this morning and it already arrived somehow tonight, a Garmin Vivosmart and a HRM.
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/5499-rewarding-yourself-for-not-smoking/
     
  10. jillar

    Removing the Fear of Relapse

    By jillar,


    General
    Jonny5
    Quit Date: 2011-12-21
    Posted April 10, 2014 
     
    I'm not afraid of relapse one single bit. It ain't ever gonna happen.

    Some of you are. And there's one huge reason for that....

    You have not closed the doors on your smoking past and evolved into a never again smoker, you have a lingering belief that smoking does give you some benefits and are abstaining through many methods. 

    Abstainance looks like my quit but it is fundamentally different. 

    There is no reason I would smoke ever and I hate smoke being anywhere near me. I am repulsed by the poisonous stench.

    Abstainance is going without what you want.

    You can abstain all your life, but it will never be the same as the true desire to never smoke again, and by definition it is never going to be as comfortable.

    You must discect your quitting mindset and remove any weaknesses to make it relapse proof.

    Seriously you have to remove all justifications. Including death of a child. Murder of a spouse. Terrible awful situations that you may face, and you must know that you would not find smoking to be a comfort.

    Then, like me, you will be forever free.

    This is the power and strength behind NOPE...it is not just a bashing word from the hardcore ex smoking police, it is the source of their quit strength.
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/490-removing-the-fear-of-relapse/
     
  11. jillar

    How I Quit Smoking

    By jillar,


    General
    timothyadam
    Quit Date: 11/18/2004
     
    Posted January 21, 2016 
     
    It was November 17, 2004, the eve of the 28th Great American Smokeout. I was sitting at my desk in my home office around 11:00 PM. I had ten cigarettes left in my second pack of the day. Cigarettes were getting very expensive, and I started asking myself why I smoked and if I could quit. I had been conditioned to believe that I smoked because: It was a "habit", I "enjoyed it", it "calmed my nerves", and it was "great after a meal". The truth was, I didn't enjoy it anymore. In fact, when I thought hard about it, none of the reasons I thought I smoked were true. Really, when I pictured what I was actually doing - lighting leaves on fire and breathing it in, all day every day - I felt kind of stupid. Take away the burning leaves in my hand, and I was just a motionless nitwit in a parking lot, staring blankly at nothing in particular for 10 minutes at a time. I had to face the cold reality of it all - I had a drug addiction. Plain and simple. Not smoking shared some of the same qualities as holding my breath. I "enjoyed it", and it certainly "calmed my nerves", when I finally took a breath. The truth was I needed to smoke, and if I didn't, I would panic. My next thought was, "I will not be a drug addict." It's important to note that those words remained in my head throughout my journey.
     
     
     
    I heard that the Great American Smokeout was the next day. If you don't know what that is, it's a day that The American Cancer Society asks smokers to quit for 24 hours. I decided I would put my "drug addict" theory to the test. If I could make it for the entire 24 hours without smoking, and it wasn't difficult, maybe I wasn't a drug addict after all. Maybe it truly was just a "habit". So at 1:00 am, Thursday November 18, 2004, I put out my last cigarette of the day and went to bed.
     
     
     
    I always started my days by rolling out of bed, turning on the news, and lighting up. Even when I was running late, I would have at least one to "wake up", preferably two. I was already walking to the room where I had left my remaining five cigarettes, before I remembered I wasn't going to smoke that day. I wanted a cigarette, but at this point I was excited and curious about what a day without cigarettes would be like. Denying myself cigarettes for as long as possible seemed kind of fun. I hopped in the shower then went to work. Around lunch time, when I would have already smoked six cigarettes on a normal day, a tinge of panic started to take root. By 5:00 PM it was no longer a tinge. By 7:00 PM my mind was consumed entirely by one thought - "Smoke now!". I was also 100% convinced that I was, without a doubt, an addict.
     
     
     
    My mind and body was focused entirely on trying to get me to smoke. Every second I was making excuses to smoke: "I'll quit later", "Just have one", "I'll just cut back", "I can't cope with this". Cope. That's a great word. That's something I had to figure out how to do, and fast. I probably should have been more prepared. But now I had to improvise. First, I started by repeating two thoughts: "I will not be a drug addict", and "I can do anything but smoke." The first thought reaffirmed the main reason I could no longer tolerate smoking. The second thought gave me license to pamper myself. More on that later. Second, in a frantic internet search to find ways of coping with withdrawal symptoms, I found some breathing exercises that actually seemed to help. I would breathe as deeply as I could, then blow the air out like I was slowly blowing out candles. Sounds silly right? But that helped a lot. I also found an active quit smoking support group online. I read, and breathed, my way through the rest of the evening. When it was time for bed I was exhausted. My mind fought me until the end. "Are you really going to go to bed without having even one cigarette? Come on. That's not you. You're a smoker." And that's exactly what I did; went to bed without one cigarette. I was excited and proud of myself at the thought of waking up the next day, and remembering that I went an entire 24 hours without a cigarette!
     
     
     
    "I went an entire 24 hours without a cigarette!", I thought to myself when I woke up. Then I thought "Smoke NOW!!!!" every second after that. Clearly, although they worked, I would need more than breathing exercises in my coping arsenal. On my way to work I stopped and bought a box of nicotine patches, and read all of the instructions. I was going to follow the instructions to the letter. I needed something passive. Something I didn't have to remember to take, or chew, or whatever. Something that just worked. Nicotine patches seemed to fit the bill. After sticking one on my arm, gradually over the course of the day, I started having the distinct feeling I had just smoked a cigarette. The patch gave me physical withdrawal symptom relief in a big way. That freed me to work on coping with the mental withdrawal symptoms. Those coping skills consisted of: Repeating "I will not be a drug addict" to myself, a support group of people going through the same thing I was, and French toast. Remember when I gave myself license to pamper myself with "I can do anything but smoke"? That included eating anything I wanted. "Anything" turned out to be stacks and stacks of French toast, whenever I wanted it. My goal was simple: quit smoking. I knew if I added unrealistic caveats - I can't gain weight, I can't lose my temper, I can't feel bad - I would never quit. My goal was not to die of lung cancer due to a drug addiction. Considering that, tight jeans was just fine. I could diet later.
     
     
     
    That was the start of my journey, and I knew it would be a difficult one. I had smoked all of my adult life. It was definitely a part of my persona, part of my routine, and something that I was always doing or about to do. So, I was scared of losing my identity. Looking back, "drug addict that smells bad" is an identity that I, without a doubt, would want to lose forever. But in the moment I had to face the fear of the unknown. Who would I be when that large part of me was gone? I had heard that mourning that loss, just like mourning a death, would be a part of quitting. I just didn't know what a big part it would be. In the end, though, I value the person I became and the person who accomplished kicking one of the most powerful addictions out there, so much more. That part of my life was great thing to have lost.
     
     
     
    Over the next ten weeks I stayed on the patch and followed the instructions. Almost immediately I started having vivid dreams. The box even describes it as one of the side effects. This is something I had never experienced. In a nutshell, for all intents and purposes my dreams were a reality while I was in them, and they seemed to last hours. I would remember every detail. This wasn't at all a bad experience. I even missed them when I was off of the patch. Speaking of getting off the patch, during the last couple of weeks on the patch I was scared I couldn't live without them. I even thought, worst case scenario, I would be buying patches for the rest of my life. I was thinking if that happened, at least it would be a fate much better than death. But I followed the directions to the letter, and I truly felt almost nothing when I stopped.
     
     
     
    Over the next year I posted to my forum when I needed to rant, and I supported others when they needed to rant. We helped each other through it, and we all knew exactly how the others felt and what they needed to hear. Remember the five cigarettes I had left in my pack? That pack remained beside me, along with my lighter and ash tray. Right there on my desk within reach, for an entire year. I thought it might be a distraction at first, and I was prepared to rid my home of everything related to smoking if it turned out to be one. But, it was oddly comforting. There was something comforting about having them there, and ready to be smoked. I can't quite put my finger on why that was. I think, if I was forced to explain it, it removed a small fear of not having the means to fail. I was able to completely dismiss, and never give another thought to, the logistics of failing. Eventually the pack was put in a drawer, forgotten, and thrown away at some point in time.
     
     
     
    My biggest fear was that I would always want a cigarette. That it would always be an ache in the back of my mind. When I first quit, it was easy to mistakenly see this as an inevitable reality. I thought of smoking every five seconds all day every day. How would it ever be possible to never think of it? Even to go an entire day without the thought entering my brain? Well, thankfully, that day happened around three months in. I woke up the next morning and remembered that I had not thought of smoking at all the previous day. Then I went longer and longer periods of time without thinking of cigarettes. I was beyond happy to know that I would not always want a cigarette, and I would eventually stop thinking about it entirely. When was that? Probably close to a year, but at that point I was going weeks without thinking about smoking. And the point is, cravings permanently went away. It, mercifully, does happen.
     
     
     
    I quit 11 years, 2 months, 3 days, 21 hours, 18 minutes, 59 seconds ago. I have saved US $32,655. I have not smoked 163,275 cigarettes. Know how I know that? As a professional computer programmer I distracted myself by coding my own quit meter: http://www.yourquit.com At the time, there weren't many tools like it. The meters out there didn't do what I wanted either. Weeks mattered to me. I didn't quit 8 days ago, I quit 1 week, 1 day ago! First Week Done is a big deal! Not to mention leap years, what programmers were considering a month (Jan 31 to Mar 3 is most certainly 31 days, but not one month), etc. So I coded something dead accurate as far as time quit goes. Feel free to use it for yourself.
     
     
     
    I hope you find some inspiration in my story and some questions you might have answered. If not, feel free to ask me!
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/6534-how-i-quit-smoking/
     
  12. jillar

    Quit Buddies

    By jillar,


    General
    Tink
    Quit Date: 22/11/2013
     
    Posted April 23, 2014 
     
    Quit Buddy -
     
    A member you can talk to, share things with, talk to about quitting, share worries and woes someone who is there personally for you
     
    checking in on you
     
    that someone who can really get through to you
     
    listen to you
     
    it can be someone who has the same quit date as you or someone years ahead of you - it matters not
     
     A QUIT BUDDY - Is priceless in my bag of tricks I am blessed to have several
     
    Its easy to get one - SEND FRIEND REQUEST - SEND PM
     
    who knows you may find a real friend - I have
     
    If you don`t have anyone yet please think about getting a quit buddy - anyone would be more than willing to help!
     
     
    Just another great positive for joining this forum and strengthening your quit
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/893-quit-buddies/
     
  13. jillar
    REZ
     
    Posted October 19, 2015 
     
    A lot of people try but not all of them make it!
     
    When the climbers are in base camp, they are excited, anxious, and ready to start,
    just like us smokers when were getting ready to quit, we are excited, anxious, and ready to start!
     
    As the climber pack up for the trip, they pack food and supplies, and maps,
    Us smokers pack our gum, patches, pills, and the Quit Train!
     
    Some climbers practice to get themselves acclimated to the mountain by take short day trips,
    Us smokers have had our practice by cutting down or by seeing how long we can go without one!
     
    Camp#1 at 19,600 feet, Some climbers are thinking can I do this as the cold is starting to set in,
    Us smokers day#1, Were thinking can I do this as the no cigarette in hand withdrawal is setting in!
     
    Camp#2 at 20,700 feet, Some climbers are thinking what have I got myself into,
    Us smokers on day#2, Were thinking don't know if I can do this as the cravings are strong!
     
    Camp#3 at 23,000 feet, Some climbers get worried as some fall to altitude sickness and go back,
    Us smokers on day#3 are worried as the nicotine withdrawals are to much and some go back!
     
    Camp#4 at 26,100 feet, Some climbers feel the lack of oxygen and warmth are too much to endure,
    Us smokers on day#4 feel there body is out of wack and the lack of nicotine are too much to endure!
     
    THE SUMMIT at 29,029 feet, The climbers who have endured all the hardships have made it,
    Us smokes at day#7, The ones who have endured all the cravings have made HELL WEEK!
     
    But,
     
    Unfortunately more climbers have been lost on the way down then going up, they get careless and are eager to celebrate there accomplishment and loose there footing on the way down.
    Us smokers can also loose our footing too and start to think that I can do this so maybe I can have just one or two and I will be able to quit again but unfortunately many have relapsed thinking this!
     
    Unfortunately some climbers suffer from frost bite and loose a finger, toe, or are scared,
    Unfortunately smokers can also loose some appendages, get COPD, or worse!
     
    Climbers who have made it up and down Everest safely have accomplished something that only a handful of people in the world have done.
    Smokers who have made it down the mountain through week two without caving in to nicotine have also done something I think is just as hard or if not harder to do, they made it though HECK WEEK!
     
    A climber now can get ready for there next mountain to conquer,
    But us smokers always need to be ready for the next crave!
     
     
    So I think being an ex-smoker is more of an accomplishment then climbing Mt. Everest!
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/6149-quitting-cigarettes-is-like-climbing-mt-everest/
     
  14. jillar

    The side effects of quitting smoking

    By jillar,


    General
    Jenny
    Quit Date: 05/24/2012
     
    Posted May 24, 2014 
     
    There are many side effects of quitting and some can be really uncomfortable.  You may experience some or all of the symptoms below but rest assured it's temporary.  These symptoms won't kill you,  but continuing to smoke most certainly will.
     
    Headaches or a general heaviness. This is a classic smoking withdrawal symptom, often caused by your sinuses clearing out.
    Shaking, sweating or feeling very cold.
    Coughing, hacking, runny nose, wheezing and shortness of breath. Seems strange to get these when you've quit, but your body is ridding itself of years of tar and built-up residues. In other words, at last taking the opportunity of having a good clean-out.
    Insomnia is common. Well, it is stressful to quit and break your normal patterns. As with all stress — good or bad, sleep challenges can surface.
    Sour stomach or stomach pains. Your digestion might get out of whack for a little while.
    Pains, pains, pains. Some smokers get stomach cramps, sore gums, pains in chest... pains anywhere. Your mind and body are going through a healing crisis and they are going to remind you of what they are missing.
    Tiredness and a general zapped feeling.
    Mild depression or sadness. There goes your best friend that you turned to in need. Tobacco was always handy to blot out your worries and give you your fix.
    Anxiety. The jitters and fear of facing life without tobacco might try and overwhelm you.
    Boredom and loneliness. There are now a few gaps in your day to fill up. A smoker spends a lot of time hanging about either smoking, rolling or buying and preparing things for their habit.
    Anger or short-temper. Despite making a positive change in your life, this can still be stressful. All life changing events, good and bad are seen by the body as stress. It's not necessarily bad, but it can cause you to over re-act and be a bit on a knife-edge for a short time.
    Be kind to yourself during this time.  Get extra rest and avoid stressful situations when at all possible.  Exercise is a wonderful aid in helping the body and mind.  Most of all believe in yourself because you are a warrior!  You got this!
     
     
     
    --The list above are statements I have found and identified with from various articles .-- Author (s) unknown.
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/1431-the-side-effects-of-quitting-smoking/
     
  15. jillar
    babs609
    Quit Date: 07/13/2012
     
    Posted March 5, 2015 
     
    I am so looking forward to Spring...and as much as I complain about winter and wishing I lived in a more Babs friendly climate..I love Spring Fever!  It's a feeling that those who live in milder climates don't experience.  Seeing colors come to life, the birds singing a lovely tune at 6:00 am, the sound of lawnmowers, the smell of rain and fresh cut grass.....oh , i could go on and on!!! 
     
    With this change of seasons, for many...comes triggers!  Many of you are are facing Spring for the first time as a non smoker and you may experience some restlessness in response to these milestones. For example, even though you are enjoying breathing in fresh air as you sit out in your yard on a nice sunny spring day...your addict will remember you sitting outside with a cigarette...associating the feeling of peace and tranquility with the cigarette, rather than just the feeling of being there...enjoying the moment.
     
    That being said....let's focus on what you are looking forward to this Spring as a non-smoker....
     
    Even though this July will be 3 years since I quit...I am still looking forward to going on a hike.  I love hiking but as a smoker I would have to stop every 100 feet and breathe...and of course...after I would catch my breath..I would smoke.  The first year I quit smoking..it was easier.  Last year, easier yet!  I can't wait to see how far I can go this year!! 
     
    I also look forward to keeping up with my 2.5 year old granddaughter on the playground and not be out of breath. 
     
    What are you looking forward to....as a non smoker in the next few months??
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/4679-so-lets-have-that-chat-about-change-of-seasons/
     
  16. jillar

    COPD and Smoking

    By jillar,


    General
    jillar
    Quit Date: May 29, 2016
     
    Posted May 28
     
    As many of you know I was officially diagnosed with severe emphysema and COPD after I had respiratory failure in January of 2020. Most of you also know that for years I was struggling with breathing issues that I was told was asthma. In the two years leading up to my respiratory failure I went from 110 pounds on a 5'5" frame to just 79 when I was admitted into the ICU. My prognosis at that time was pretty grim, get better or go home on hospice. But either way I was also going home on oxygen. Since then I have put most of the weight back on and continue to feel myself get stronger each day. So then what's the point of this post you may be asking and its this....
    I found a great group for people with COPD on Facebook which is ironic because I never used Facebook pre pandemic but the group is awesome. So many people that can relate and answer the many questions those of us newly diagnosed have. Much like our community does. 
    Here's the sad part, I read post after post from members of that group still smoking. Some are on oxygen and still smoke!  I of course pass our site on to them and I hope they find their way here. Its just really sad to see. There's even a few who's Drs have refused certain procedures because they're smoking. Life saving procedures too I might add.
    COPD is a progressive disease with no known cure. It can be slowed with proper medications and quitting smoking. Sadly we can have it for years and not even know it until we get an exacerbation. Mine was thought to be asthma. 
    My day consists of trying to keep my 50' oxygen tubing out of the walkways and from getting caught in the doors. I'm embarrassed to go anywhere because people will be whispering things like "that's what happens when you smoke" etc. My poor dog and cat also have to dodge it while I'm walking down the hall to feed them. Its no way to live.
    I'm not looking for any sympathy I just want to put a brutal face to this terrible addiction in the hopes it helps someone quit or keep their quit.....
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/15648-copd-and-smoking/
     
  17. jillar

    The Secret

    By jillar,


    General
    cpk
    Quit Date: 02/04/2015
     
     
    Posted March 21, 2015 
     
    What will I do today?
     
    There's a smorgesbord of things ...
    Because it's officially Spring
    and
    I don't have to think about not smoking every minute.
     
    This is real freedom.   (The Secret)
    I don't have to white-knuckle it.
    Just apply light attention. Vigilant, but not heavy-handed.
     
    I have earned this freedom.  But this day? ~~~ it's a gift.
    How many days I threw away to smoking ~~~ So many!
    (shameful)
    But not today. :wub:
    I feel happy. (Birds chirping) That's all. Easy-peasy.
     
    Happy Today to all.
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/4838-the-secret/
     
  18. jillar

    Stupid things that smokers say

    By jillar,


    General
    action
    Quit Date: 12 Oct 13
    Posted May 6, 2014 
     
    I think this would be a useful thread to remind ourselves what we used to be like when we were smokers…
     
    There is a person in my office, who is probably mid-twenties and is a smoker.  Our cleaning lady (an elderly lady who I believe is an ex-smoker and always says exactly what is on her mind!) was speaking with him about him smoking and asked him (as you do) – when are you going to give up smoking?  What happens when you get cancer and it’s too late? (she has a way with words don’t you think!).  Anyway his reply was:  ‘IF it gets to that point, I will just keep on smoking, if it is too late…  It’s not just smoking that causes cancer – walking down the street breathing in carbon monoxide from car exhausts increase the risk of cancer.  Besides, I enjoy smoking and I could get hit by a bus tomorrow anyway…'
     
    I was sitting quietly just listening, thinking – did I used to sound like that?  Was I so in denial that I would lie to myself (and everyone else) to justify that I could carry on smoking and it would be OK?  And believing all the lies I was feeding myself?  The answer is yes, I was that person just 7 months ago.  Addiction sucks 😞
     
    So, has anyone else heard any ‘good ones’ lately?
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/1185-stupid-things-that-smokers-say/
     
  19. jillar

    Too Late to Quit

    By jillar,


    General
    El Bandito
    Quit Date: 27/01/2014
     
    Posted April 5, 2014  
     
    I have smoked for 30 years, Man and Boy. 
     
    I started at 13 years old. Usual stuff - I wanted to be cool, grown up.
     
    I quickly got into my stride - comfortably putting away 2, 3 packs a day throughout my twenties and thirties. I had a couple of goes at quitting - the usual stuff - girlfriends nagging, a health scare or two. A couple of times I was quit for months at a time.
     
    Then, change of girlfriend or emotional trauma and I was back to a pack a day and more.
     
    In the back of my mind, I knew that I was a smoker for ever. My family all smoked.
     
    Some people are non-smokers who smoke - and some are proper smokers. I am a proper smoker. A cigarette looks great in my hand. It suits me. Bad cold? I can smoke through it. Freezing outside - I can go out in a tee shirt - a man has got to smoke.
     
    As I moved into my 40s, it was getting harder to be a smoker. Bans everywhere. Hell, I didn't even smoke in my house!
    But quit? Nah - it's too late for me. I'm a proper smoker. I have a stressful job - and need to have a smoke. 
     
    ......
     
    UTTER UTTER NONSENSE 
     
    Nobody is a proper smoker.
    Nobody looks good with a cigarette. They just look addicted.
    Nobody suits a cigarette.
     
    Cigarettes cause stress - not relieve it.
     
    There are many many way ways to quit smoking. Information on pretty much all of those ways can be found around here. Here you will also find people just like you - people who quit years ago, months ago, weeks ago, yesterday. We help each other. It's what we do.
     
    So - if you are here for the first time, are just having a browse, or believe that you can't quit - because you are a 'proper smoker' - do yourself a favour read some more. 
     
    Two final things.
     
    1. Every successful quit starts just like yours. Decide to quit. Believe - And you will
    2. I'm a proper non-smoker. Check my signature below...
     
    Anyone can quit. Why not do it?
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/254-too-late-to-quit/
     
  20. jillar

    Expect, Detect, Reject

    By jillar,


    General
    MarylandQuitter
    Quit Date: 10/07/2013
     
    Posted March 14, 2017
      
    When I first quit I found that I could obsess about wanting to smoke, if I let myself.  You'll drive yourself loony if you fixate on this.  I expected to have craves.  Expect, Detect, Reject.  Turn your thoughts to something else and by that I mean do something physical.  I would get up and start doing something because it would force me to focus on what I was doing, instead of what I wasn't (smoking).  I can tell you that it doesn't take long before the craves do away, especially if you train your mind to deal with these unwanted thoughts. 
     
     
    I Want One!
    Video discusses how to stop the internal debate that often occurs after quitting.
     
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHvi6dwLanA
     
     
     
    Will I Ever Stop Thinking Of Cigarettes?
    Most people overestimate how much of a battle staying smoke free will be once they quit smoking. This video discusses how people will generally stop thinking about smoking, and much sooner than they usually think.
     
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8310BI-euJw&list=PL8EB359C247D3FE6C&index=13
     
     
     
    Frequency And Duration Of Thoughts And Urges
    Smokers often want others to tell them how many urges they are likely going to have when first quitting smoking, how strong will they be, how long will they last and will they face these urges for the rest of their lives. This video addresses these concerns and gives some practical advice as to how to deal with urges when and if they do occur.
     
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuRQVdXv7Is&feature=em-upload_owner
     
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/8192-3-min-my-ass/ 
     
     
     
     
  21. jillar
    Sirius
    Quit Date: May 27, 2014
     
    Posted May 23, 2017 
     
    ...and now you don't get rid of me that easily.   :rtfm:  
     
    When I started my quit I found that time was my enemy.     
     
    I fought for each moment to stay nicotine free.   :hunter:
     
    The moments became day-to-day issues.
     
    Then just occasional cravings.  :unsure:
     
    Eventually time becomes your friend again.  
     
    More time in the day to do things other then poison yourself.  :paint2:  
     
    More total time in your life to enjoy (bonus to lifespan).  
     
    More money (lack of smoking expense) to enjoy the more time you have. :beach:  
     
    Holy Guacamole; more time AND money!?!?  :party:
     
    You gets your cake and gets to eat it too??  :yahoo:
     
    Moreover your time is of better QUALITY.  Can taste and smell better.  Less coughing and illnesses. 
     
    Smoke free means you are a better Lover (you don't smell/taste like an ashtray).    :girl_in_love:   
     
    Now we are at:
    More time.
    More money.
    Better time.
    Better love.
    if you need more and better reasons you need a serious and comprehensive reality check.
     
    The Quit Train is Happy to see you.
    :welcome:
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/8557-one-year-commitment-completed-and-now/
     
  22. jillar

    10 Steps to Relapse

    By jillar,


    General
    beacon
     
    Posted June 11, 2014 
     
    Saw this some where else, not sure if it has bern posted here or who wrote it...
     
    Ten Steps to Relapse
    1. "Try" to quit.
     
    2. Idealize life without smoking.
     
    3. Associate your daily problems and disappointments with the fact that you're not smoking.
     
    4. Begin to buy into the idea that you are more miserable now than before you quit.
     
    5. Start responding to your problems with, "If this keeps up, I am going to smoke" then add "anyhow" then add "so why suffer anymore?".
     
    (Alternate 3-5)
    3. Associate your success with the idea that you have licked the nicotine habit.
     
    4. Begin to buy into the idea that you could smoke without getting hooked again.
     
    5. Follow-up this idea with, "I have not smoked in ___ days/weeks/months/years" then add "I have not had any cravings" then add "I could have just one").
     
    6. Buy, borrow or steal a cigarette.
     
    7. Find a quiet, secluded place where you can be alone with the substance to which you have attributed all power and promise for fulfillment of your needs.
     
    8. Feel yourself calming down even before you light up, which is actually the Nicodemon ceasing to scratch at your insides as you prepare to feed the addiction.
     
    9. Light-up and suck in all the poison you can get in that first drag, while beginning the battle against being disappointed in yourself, noticing that this fight is not half as ferocious as it was to get the nicotine.
     
    10. Within a few hits, feel dizzy, cough a little, smell the stink, and realize you are  not going to stop smoking that cigarette, you will keep smoking despite the bad feelings, and wish you had not given in.
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/1631-10-steps-to-relapse/
     
  23. jillar

    Anxiety Antidote

    By jillar,


    General
    cpk
    Quit Date: 02/04/2015
     
    Posted May 17, 2015 · IP 
     
    It has taken me awhile to figure out that the anxiety I have been experiencing since week 6 of my quit (now in week 15) is not directly related to quitting.
     
    Not smoking is the peaceful part of my life.
     
    The anxiety was there before I quit. I probably used smoking to try to keep the anxiety in check. I don't recall having "anxiety attacks" when I smoked.
     
    I have opted to use natural supplements, which are helping. This weekend I picked up a workbook on using DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) to quell anxiety through cognitive and emotional restructuring --- that is, simply put, training my mind to not be anxious. I need to reprogram the software in my brain.
     
    I had gotten in the habit of being anxious. I now need to learn how to do life in a new way.
     
    I know that people sometimes relapse because they find they are more anxious not smoking and feel they can't cope. They think it is because they miss smoking. This was me in the past, before I joined QT and got educated. I never even considered that my anxiety had nothing to do with quitting smoking.  I used smoking to try to calm myself, but that probably made everything worse! I certainly felt like a physical wreck, and it's pretty hard to cope when you have smoking related headaches, respiratory distress, fatigue and a host of other physical problems. Now I have none of these physical problems.
     
    The good people on this site prodded me a bit to look closer, and to observe what was going on with my life. That is the beauty of QT...that quitters know the journey of self-discovery takes time and patience. (I especially remember Tracey suggesting this in a very gentle way.)
     
    I was a little bummed out to realize this state of being anxious was something lurking beneath my smoking addiction. However, accepting that this is something I have to work on is far better than endlessly relapsing, which is very bad for self confidence.
     
    Strength to strength. I think I read that somewhere on this site. That's how I see the non smoking journey. Moving forward, growing, and evolving. Saying n.o.p.e. is the first step.
     
    Lurkers who may be reading this...there is great HOPE --- and the promise that you will never again have to experience a disappointing relapse.
     
    I know I was like many...feeling scared to try to quit again, just thinking it would end in relapse.
     
    There is a way...to never, never, never relapse again, and to forever embrace the freedom of not smoking. The way can be found right here, right now, on QT.
     
    QT helped me to see I never again have to think about relapse because I have the skills now to be a nonsmoker for life. I have freedom from smoking forever
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/5348-anxiety-antidote/
     
  24. jillar

    The best things about not smoking

    By jillar,


    General
    larklibby
    Quit Date: 8th March 2015
     
    Posted April 18, 2015 · IP 
     
    For me, the best things about not smoking, becoming a non smoker, are the small things. I have never been driven by 'how bad' smoking is for your health, of course, clearly, smoking is terrible for your well being. Somehow, my brain had learned to navigate around that fact, because of the nicotine, the drug; It was dismissed - 'it won't happen to me' attitude. So finding a driving factor for my quit has never been clear cut, until one day I had a moment of clarity.

    The day I threw away smoking out of my life, the day before I found this wonderful website, I saw sense. I had been thinking about quitting for about a month, but as ever with a quit 'it was never the right time'. So I had been soul searching for a reason that I know would help me achieve the quit. Of course I had the normal reasons: financial, health and 'you ain't getting any younger!' And then after 25 years of smoking, it hit me, it was obvious. I realised that nicotine had control over me.

    I was in every sense a 'slave' to a drug. A junkie. 

    My day would be structured around smoking. Did I have enough smokes. When I would smoke. Do I have enough smokes for tomorrow? All this would go through my head first thing in the morning, sometimes even before bed the night before. It seemed normal.

    To not have that constraint on my thoughts and movements really is an indescribable euphoria. It's finding inner freedom, shaking off a dependency that gave me nothing. All the things I thought I couldn't do if I stopped smoking, I can, and better: Socialise, be creative, and concentrate. 

    Yes the first two weeks were a bastard nightmare, but, I would do it again in a blink of an eye if I knew it would get me to where I am now. 

    Even after just a month, I feel brilliant. A million times better than I did after having a smoke. I still have a journey I know, however whenever I now get the urge to smoke, I visualise a prison cell in my head, and say to myself if I smoke again I will be walking back into that cell. It works, it works for me - I will never want to lose this feeling I have.

    So anybody thinking about stopping smoking, not only look at the health and financial aspects of smoking, but see it as taking back control of your life, take the helm back - it's yours. 
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/5141-the-best-things-about-not-smoking/
     
  25. jillar

    Who's in Charge?

    By jillar,


    General
    cpk
    Quit Date: 02/04/2015
     
    Posted March 28, 2015 · IP 
    When you were a smoker trying to quit did you sometimes wish you could buy "just one"?
     
    In my town a few stores used to sell single cigarettes. The singles they sold were stinky and stale and expensive, and it was like the tobacco industry was laughing in your face like "gotcha!" you will even buy a stale cigarette. What's next?, picking butts up out of the gutter?
     
    Sure, you can bum one. But then when you get home, and it's late, and the demon's awake? Then who's in charge?
     
    When you relapsed, do you remember thinking, "I wish I didn't have to buy a whole pack... I only wanted one, or two." ?
     
    When you relapsed, do you remember thinking, "I just bought this pack today and it's full. I'll quit tomorrow..." ?
     
    When you relapsed, did you find a crushed up cigarette pack in a pocket, with one or two left ? Do you remember your jolt of pleasure?
     
    The tobacco industry knows. It knows it's in charge because you are the addict.
     
    That pack of 20 -- those industry devils must have had it figured out --- the average amount in a day's supply for the addict. A smoke or a couple every hour, just enough to keep the fire stoked...
     
    Hell, if smokes were sold as singles...you might have to work harder to get from one smoke to the next...there might be time...to THINK.
     
    The tobacco industry doesn't want thinking smokers on its hands. It wants addicts.
     
    It's a powerful thing to quit. It's a powerful thing to wake up in the morning and feel deep down inside, "I'm in charge. I drive the bus. I say what I do with my time today. I spend money on things I like today. I am a free person today."
     
    The tobacco industry devils aren't going anywhere. They are at the edge of the parking lot, with their brass knuckles on, blowing smoke downwind, towards you. They want you addicted. They don't want to politely offer you "just one" --- they want you addicted to one times a billion+. When you're dead they will step over your body and stalk the next victim.
     
    So, who's in charge of YOUR WORLD today???
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/4925-whos-in-charge/
     

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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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