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Happy anniversary @Doreensfree, my kind beautiful friend. Thank you for being here all this time supporting others and lifting them up when they are down. Not to mention you're the best moderator Have a great day!

Sazerac Quit Date: October 23, 2013, A Good Day to be Free. Posted August 30, 2018 Here is an article I found googling around dealing with the Quitting Smoking Blues. This is from the Very Well Mind website Depression Related to Quitting Smoking How to Deal With the Temporary Mood Changes By Terry Martin | Reviewed by Sanja Jelic, MD Updated August 29, 2018 Quitting smoking is difficult enough when you're feeling happy. Unfortunately, it can become further challenging due to depression—a common complaint early on in smoking cessation. Knowing what you may experience as you work to become smoke-free can better prepare you for the journey ahead. If you start to feel depressed after quitting tobacco and your low mood doesn't pass after a few weeks or gets worse, be sure to check in with your doctor for advice. Physical and Psychological Changes Nicotine withdrawal is the primary reason for the temporary depression you may experience after quitting smoking. When you use nicotine on a regular basis, your body and brain become dependent on it, as the nicotine bonds with your brain receptors to trigger the release of dopamine, the "feel-good" hormone. Once you stop smoking and are producing less dopamine than your body and mind have become accustomed to, it is normal to react with low moods and depressed feelings. Lack of nicotine also means losing the "companion" that you thought helped you manage everything from anger to fatigue, which leaves most new ex-smokers feeling empty and adrift for a time. Luckily, for most, the condition is a byproduct of smoking cessation and is temporary. Some common symptoms of depression that you may experience when you stop smoking include: Sleeplessness Sadness Difficulty concentrating Anxiety or an "empty" feeling Fatigue Changes in appetite (eating more or less) Loss of interest in hobbies and activities Emotional irritability You may experience one, some, or all of these at one point or another, and to varying degrees. Coping Techniques Quitting tobacco is a big change in lifestyle, and you should expect to react, to some degree, both emotionally and physically. You are also at an increased risk of suffering a smoking relapse during periods of depression caused by smoking cessation. It is hard to stay focused and maintain the resolve to not smoke when you're feeling low. After years of smoking, it is possible that you began to bury your feelings behind a cloud of smoke. Cigarettes are used to deal with everything from anger to sadness to joy, causing smokers to often lean on tobacco to avoid difficult emotions. It is healthy and productive to let those feelings out, even if you feel a little raw from the experience. For depression that comes with smoking cessation, try some of the following ideas to improve your mood: Get out of a quick walk. Fresh air is always invigorating, and exercise releases endorphins in the brain, which are known to improve mood. Set goals, but don't bite off more than you can chew. Divide tasks related to your goals into small chunks that you feel good about accomplishing. Spend time with people who make you feel good. When negative/sad thoughts come up about smoking, remind yourself that you miss smoking mostly because it was an addiction, and once you're healed, you won't feel this way. Create a list of things you can do at a moment's notice when you're feeling the urge to smoke, like do a crossword puzzle or call a supportive friend. Jolting ourselves out of a negative thought pattern is often as simple as changing what we're doing. Join a support group. Meeting people who are going through the same struggle as you can help you know you're not alone and offer some much-needed support. The American Lung Association's Freedom From Smoking program has groups all over the country, or do some research to find other support programs in your local area. While quitting smoking, the body and mind are in a state of transition, and it's not uncommon for new ex-smokers to struggle with their emotions. Don't worry if you are close to tears one moment and angry or sad the next. The balance will return in time. Change Your Mind, Change Your Life One of the greatest challenges new ex-smokers face is an important change in perspective. It is that shift in thinking from seeing smoking cessation as an exercise in deprivation to realizing that it is, in fact, one of the best gifts you'll ever give yourself. This is a crucial step in the process of healing from nicotine addiction, and it is with this transformation that many see their quit-related symptoms of depression begin to lift. Pre-Existing Depression If you have been diagnosed and/or treated for depression prior to quitting smoking, it is important to let your doctor know ahead of time that you're planning to quit. Smoking cessation could make you susceptible to additional mood disturbances. Smoking also causes some medications to be metabolized more quickly, so when you quit, prescriptions you're already taking might need to be adjusted. Your doctor can monitor and correct dosages on any medications you might be on, if necessary. Always be on alert for drastic mood changes and contact your doctor as soon as possible if anything out of the ordinary occurs. If you're having thoughts of self-harm, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifelineat 800-273-8255. A Word From Verywell If the blues have come on since you quit smoking, remember that this is not uncommon. As you are patient through this likely temporary phase, find comfort from your friends, family, and keeping busy with healthier, more productive activities. With time and dedication, these will become the more familiar sources of good feelings, and smoking will become that thing that you thought used to bring you benefit. You can also take comfort in knowing that millions of people have been through this process successfully before you, and many include it among the most rewarding experiences of their lives. Happier days are ahead, and with them will come a tremendous sense of pride and empowerment from overcoming this addiction. Article Sources: National Institutes of Mental Health. Depression. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/index.shtml Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Recognize Signs of Depression. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/quit-smoking/guide/depression-and-smoking.html I would like to include Joel Spitzer's video and Resources Concerning Mental Health Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/10971-quitting-smoking-blues/

That's awesome @tocevoD, ☺

5. Something mean someone said to you about that person

3. boyfriends phone number lol

Congratulations @andyc941!

Hi Diane, I agree with getting rid of the cigarettes. Its harder to cave to a crave if you actually have to go and buy some. This usually allows you time for the crave to pass and you to realize what you're about to give up. I used my JAC (jillars air cigarette) when bad craves hit and it did a great job at tricking my mind into thinking it was getting the real thing. Maybe give that a try?

Hang on @Diane Suligoy, it WILL pass I promise. It sucks, i know, but the only way past is through and you're doing a great job! I know you can do it ☺

6. Take the ink blot test

Congratulations @Mee, I can't believe its six years quit already! That's fantastic I'm so glad you're back. We missed you

4. Write on the bathroom wall

2. Cheat on a test

9. Sail around the world

Yay @tocevoD, I'm so glad that worked for you. ☺

Repost by Craig I get sad whenever I read about someone that relapses after rocking an awesome quit for weeks or months. I quit smoking 290 days ago and I'm extremely confident I'll never smoke again. Things were a little different on day 142 though. That's the day I almost smoked a cigarette..... Quote Day 142. I have been romanticizing the cigarette for about a week now. I've been daydreaming about the simple joy of holding a cigarette between my fingers, the wonderful tobacco smell of a freshly opened pack, and the feeling of euphoria when taking that first drag. Mmmm....just thinking about it makes my pulse quicken in glorious anticipation. W. T. F. This is day 142! I'm "this close" to 5 months. 6 months (HALF A YEAR!) is within spitting distance. How the hell could I let myself get so damn complacent that I'm having thoughts like this? For the most part, my quit has been on auto-pilot for the last couple of months. I stopped actively "quitting" a long time ago. I didn't feel the need, or desire, to spend hours a day reading/posting about nicotine addiction like I did the first several weeks of my quit. I've lost my motivation and I'm tired of fighting. THAT right there scares the crap out of me. I do NOT want to be a smoker again. I will NOT be a smoker again. I REFUSE to be a smoker again. It is time to fix this thing and get my head back in this quit. During the early days of a new quit everything is so exciting. You are doing a Good Thing and it's AWESOME! YOU are AWESOME! Loved ones shower you with praise! Strangers on the internet tell you how wonderful you are! You can suddenly smell and taste All The Things! People at work give you high fives and fist bumps! There are parades in your honor! The mayor gives you the key to the city! TMZ hounds you for an interview! Life is FREAKING AMAZING!!! And then, a few weeks or months later…..things change. Family and friends begin treating you the way they did before you quit. No more high fives. No more fist bumps. No one asks about your quit anymore. Even the paparazzi stop following you around. This “thing” (your quit) isn't fun anymore. Yeah, it’s gotten a lot easier to not smoke but you still sometimes get cravings from hell and you are SO TIRED of fighting. So tired. You feel lonely. You start to hear whispers in your head. It's a voice you thought you silenced a while ago. “Why don’t you just smoke one? It will taste and feel so good. You know you can quit anytime you want.” (My Inner Junkie has a seductive bedroom voice like Barry White and looks like a more sinister version of Wile E. Coyote. Stop judging me!) Relapse was a very real option for me on day 142 (I'm on day 290 now). I am VERY thankful that I turned things around before it was too late. Some folks don’t. They smoke a cigarette and then a beautiful quit is lost…up in smoke. I am only posting this to remind everyone, myself included, that we can never let our guards down. I KNOW why I got close to relapse. The reasons are as plain as day to me now: 1. I stopped educating myself about my addiction. 2. I greatly decreased the time I spent on this site because I didn't think I needed a support group any longer. 3. I let a small seed of negative thought (daydreaming of smoking a cigarette) grow until it became a Really Bad Thing. 4. I fooled myself into thinking I wasn't an addict any more. What did I do to get my quit back on track? 1. I re-read all the newbie info here and at whyquit.com 2. I read Allen Carr’s book. (I read a little bit each day over the course of a couple of months. It was a good daily dose of inspiration.) 3. I recommitted to spending time on this site reading and helping out where I could. 4. I admitted to myself that I was always going to be an addict. I can NEVER become complacent again. 5. I stopped random smoking thoughts IMMEDIATELY whenever I realized what I was thinking about. Have you come close to relapsing? What did you do to avoid it? Have you relapsed after a weeks or months long quit? If so, why did it happen and what are you doing now to make sure it doesn't happen again? Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/11744-dont-ever-let-your-guard-down-repost-by-craig/

We're having that kind of weather too except our nearest beach is about 30 miles away. We had a bit of a heatwave come through but it cooled down today. Have a great weekend

Woohoo @Stewbum, you did it! It may have taken a few years longer but you're on the lido deck and I'm so proud of you You've faced so many challenges during your quit and you still held your ground and said NOPE, something to be very proud of my friend

Congratulations @Paul723 on your awesome eleven year quit And thank you for staying around to support everyone. I hope you have a great day!

Welcome aboard @Sportsfan66, our forum members have all been where you were and we can give you the support and encouragement you need to get your forever quit. We have a ton of information about our addiction as well as a video forum if that's more your thing. The Daily NOPE is the promise you make yourself that just for that day you won't use nicotine. I did it the whole first year of my quit. So look around, stick close. We find that members who check in daily have a much better success rate thus our One Year Commitment thread pinned to the top of main forum ☺

@QuittingGirl, I've seen Santana twice, they are so good, great concerts both of them

Nancy Quit Date: 07/07/2013 Posted September 17, 2014 I found this online, here. A message from your body. (Repost) By tahoehal on November 03 2007 at 4:39 pm Insert your own name ......... and days of being smoke free x. Dear .......... It has been x days since you have quit smoking. You probably don't recognize me since you have been real busy for about x years. I am your body and I wanted to have a conversation with you. There are some things I need to tell you and share with you. You may need them now that you are recovering and I for the first time can express them. I am your lungs, your heart, your eyes, your liver, your blood, your skin and your mind. For x years, ......., you have been smoking and I have been unable to talk to you. It's not that there were times when I did not try, because I did. I sent you all sorts of signals to let you know I wanted to talk to you and you were not able to hear me. You passed it off as a morning cough or dizziness and whatever you were doing for all those years was too strong for me to fight. I have been waiting for this conversation with you for years. I must first tell you that we don't miss the smoke you filled us with. There were days when you were out, having a good time in the summer sun and I was too. I like the warm air and I even like the sun. But, ........, even on those wonderful days you would take the time to fill my lungs with smoke, my blood with carbon monoxide and my brain with nicotine. Every time I thought things were getting better and I was ready to talk to you there would be a burst of all these chemicals and I had to spend all of my energy, and YOUR energy, ......., on trying to keep you alive. I think you get the point now and I don't want to sound critical although I may have come off that way. What I really need to tell you is that for the past x days I have been working hard with the rest of your body ,to heal from a lot of years of neglect. I guess I want to say THANK YOU. Thank you, ......., for having the courage and the strength to quit smoking. If you have ever done anything right for me, by not smoking you have given me a new life. I need to tell you that it will take time for me to heal. You know how long you smoked, ........ It will take a bit of time to work with the lungs and the brain and the heart but IT WILL HAPPEN. Every cell in your body congratulates you... .... I need to warn you about something. One of the drugs that the brain thought it liked was Nicotine. That's a bad drug. It fooled me into thinking that I needed it. I never picked up a cigarette in my life and you made me addicted to Nicotine. Hey, I know it was not your fault! But there will be some difficulty the next few days and months. I, too, became addicted to that drug and it will take some time before I get rid of that. But I have a promise that I want to give you now that I can talk to you. If you promise to not smoke and to give this your very best shot, and I know how hard it is for you, I will reward you with more than great health, ........... And in time you will not only feel better but I will give you something that you thought you lost a long time ago. Remember your self-esteem and your image? Well I know who you are and I want you to know that I LOVE YOU. In time you will feel better and be so proud of what you accomplished-This I promise you. By the way! In this process of getting better we will be doing a lot of work inside. So please feed me and water me like you would if you were taking care of a beautiful Rose. It's time that you started to look after yourself with love, understanding and compassion as well; we like that too. Everything you give to me during this process I will reward you with tenfold. I believe in you, ....... I AM YOU. I KNOW you can do this. I don't want to have to wait another x years to have this conversation with you. Know that I love you and know that it is unconditional. It seem at times like I am working against you but know that I am working with you, .........., to heal US. Just for Today, ......., please do not smoke. Thank you for listening to me. I love you! Sincerely, Your lungs, heart, liver, blood, mind and skin and every living cell in you. Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/2707-a-message-from-your-body/

Well shoot Stew, I hope you guys feel better soon! Glad you have each other to keep company AND your sis will be here for your big one year anniversary maybe

Oh no Stew, that sucks!

Hi @Mee, I'm so glad to see you! I was just thinking about you the other day I here you about how quickly the day goes once you stop working. I do that noon thing daily lol. I hope you do decide to stick around, we've missed you!