jillar

@Linda you dont need a lot of strength as long as you have commitment.

@Linda, you did it before so trust in yourself that you can do it again. And this time you'll value it so much more!

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/

Congratulations @Doreensfree, nine years is epic! Thank you so much for always being able to lend a kind word to everyone and knowing when they need it most. You are truly a gift to us all and I'm so happy to be your right-hand man to take some of the burden off you. I hope you have a wonderful day!

Aww, he looks like he loves his new cut @Cbdave

Woohoo @overcome, congratulations on your first month quit! It's so great seeing you so active and supportive here, that's the way solid quits are built

8. Talk to it

Here!

Here's my 33,832 for everyone suffering from COPD

He's so cute @FunkyMonkey

Congratulations @Mee on an awesome four year quit! I hope you're doing well and stop by for an update. We miss you!

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

I remember your last quit being extremely hard for you in the beginning so it's probably the same as last time but you were so far past those days you feel like it's harder. You got this Linda and now you know just how valuable all that time quit is.

5. Break a window

@FunkyMonkey, insomnia and sleep disruptions are normal in the early days. It'll get better. Also don't sleep with an NRT on. I used an OTC sleep aid here and there to get my system back on track.

Dang, me too! Learn something new every day, thanks @reciprocity

So many people find that to be true funkymonkey, congratulations on your first full day quit

The constant thoughts of smoking when we first quit is one of THE worst withdrawal symptoms of them all which makes that first day, and it will come, that you wake up and realize a few hours later that you haven't thought about a cigarette that much more spectacular. It's like you realize that what everyone was telling you IS true, and you WILL get past all this crappy stuff and be smoke free! So, hang in there, it's worth it

1. Make a chimney

Looks good to me

Glad you took your seat @FunkyMonkey, reach out if you need us

He is adorable @Doreensfree

I just saw a commercial about going number 2 So @notsmokinjo guessed correctly so you're up

I win!!! hmmmm, 1. I had a cat named Chiggar 2. I had a cat named Salem 3. I had a cat named Samantha

Those are all good but ill guess 1. is the lie and New York isn't your favorite city