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Woohoo helmethermit!! Whatever reason you quit is a good reason to quit! COVID 19 has got me scared to relapse so I'll take that side effect too. Welcome to the Train! Hold steady that quit and your first week will be behind you in no time. It gets easier the longer you do it! Hooray for you helmethermit!

Congratulations Ace!!

Still the 23rd here...NOPE!! Dreamt someone gave me one and I lit it without thinking, took a drag, remembered that I don't smoke and became livid!! NOPE!

Yay Ace! Keep it up! Don't slip on day 6! Get your kicks on a different kind of fix! Toasted blueberry scones with sour cream or something! Keep it going!

Hey all! So true...this post-nicotine brain fog! Luckily it won't last forever. It does make it hard to concentrate! Loved reading this...thanks to those who articulate it so humor-fully. Me, I find it annoying but am determined to muddle through until it's fully over with. Day 58 and it's a lot better, but there are still a few silvery whisps sailing through my brain throughout the day...sabotaging my systematic execution of tasks and choking my train of thought. It still beats smoke moving through the lungs, though! Ha!! We quitters rock!!!

Yeah...the good ol' rainy state of Washington. Used to be we were only known for our rainy weather. Now we have the Se@hawks, Am@zon and ...this new plague...yay! I'm trying to stay away from it. Never mind the smoking!

Hi Andrew! I hope you are feeling better. Your anxiety could be directly related to smoking cessation. I can tell you that panic attacks have no power over you when you know they are based on nothing. Go get checked by a doctor to rule out anything physical. Then you can tackle the underlying emotional issue. Maybe some talk therapy, exercise, anxiety medicine or herbal tea will help. My anxiety is way down now after 57 days off the nicotine. I hope yours gets better too! Taking productive action really helps if you are a worrier. Hold on to your quit!!

Welcome, Ace! Congratulations for snuffing out the nicotine for good! She's not so sexy when you can't breathe to enjoy her! Watch out for day 6! You got this licked!

That's a new term for me. "Smobriety". Congratulations, Boo!

Thank you all so much! Yes...with that Sars-2 going around there's no way I'll be relapsing any time soon as I want to be strong should I get it.

Congratulations, Irene!! Keep it going!

Celebrating no more cold hands and feeling at peace inside my head, i.e. no more withdrawal fury, on Day 54! Hooray! Knowing relapse is not an option with this new plague going around -- yay!!

Congratulations, Darcy! Two days is awesome!! Keep going...it's worth the effort. I was in a foul mood for about 8 days off and on.. it gets better quickly. I did binge watch TV and gorge on food the first few days. I have the fat to prove it LOL. Fast forward to day 54 and I only had one crave...none yesterday...and depression is lifting. Welcome aboard!! Use all the resources to fuel your resolve. Watching Joel Spitzer's videos and reading up on smoking's harmful effects really helps to get through the first weeks.

Considering how dangerous Covid 19 pneumonia seems to be for smokers, relapse is totally off the table!

Forgot to mention that I had similar issues as you did my first go-round with nicotine gum and patches....and yes caffeine will keep you up for days right after stopping nicotine. Unfortunately they don't include that on the label.

Hi Andrew! Welcome to the forum and congrats on a great quit! I am new here myself and quit 52 days ago! I've smoked for too long and know it's time to be done with it!! Keep breathing!!!

Welcome, Irene! I am a newbie here too and this is a great place to get support. Congratulations on restarting your quit so soon - you can totally do it again and keep it going! Remember your motivation - mine is to NOT be on oxygen and to be able to breathe when I'm a senior citizen. Fact is, after 34 years of smoking, it's just time to lay em down! I find all the researching and hanging out at the forum, plus Joel Spitzer's educational videos, help tremendously. The folks here are super helpful and supportive. Choo Choo! Glad to have you!

Hats off to you, Old Man Coffee, for kicking two bad habits to the curb! It's good to check that alcohol for sure!

The patch didn't work for me cuz the dosage was either too weak or too strong. I would pull it off and smoke one eventually. They made me feel wierd too, like I had used an antihistamine or something. I quit once with the gum for 12 weeks, then started up after a major loss and remained hooked on cigarettes AND the gum for 20+ years. I'm paranoid of hypnosis and afraid to try Chantix. So, I decided to do it cold turkey. It was cheap and no frills and worked for me. The first time failed after 28 hours cuz I was just too saturated with nicotine from the combination of cigarettes and nicotine gum. Six months before the second cold turkey quit, I got off the nicotine gum and did several months of preparing which consisted mostly of researching the chemical dependency and mental aspects of nicotine addiction, withdrawals and what to expect in that regard, lurking on this site and watching Joel Spitzer and other videos including various Ted talks and YouTubes, and devising a quit plan containing all my reasons, triggers, coping strategies and food shopping lists. All of that preparation has gotten me through the worst first weeks, and now I am 50 days clean of nicotine! Cold turkey is totally doable if you are mentally prepared for it. Some people really can turn it off like a light switch....but most of us can't. I'm for cold turkey now, but whatever works is great so long as it's legal and safe!

Thanks Sazerac, for reminding me to reward myself! I think some flowers and a milkshake are in order. Weehoo! About rewards - thanks for those links. Joel Spitzer's videos are so profound. Funny how smokers use cigarettes as a reward for EVERYTHING! Ironically, so many times I have felt like rewarding myself for not smoking with ... a cigarette! Not today though...NOPE! Thanks!

Don't do it, JW! Day 6 was the hardest for me! Ride it out and remember your higher calling - the desire to BREATHE and maintain your health, or whatever higher purpose you quit for. Cravings get better. Take a shower...pump some iron...have milk and cookies, or pickles and cheese! Good luck!

Thanks, Jillar! Hope I can be this exuberant about the big five oh when I actually turn 50 years of age! LOL

Hi all! Never thought I'd be so happy to announce I'm 50! 50 days nicotine free! Woohoo! Toot toot!! Indeed I never have to smoke again...the only one who can make me is me! I'm not going to sweat the cravings anymore...they will flare up and die ad infinitum until they just don't matter anymore. Yesterday I had one craving...just one. They are part of the process, so I will stop waiting for them to disappear forever. The main thing is that I don't smoke. How neat is that! My pulse O2 reading hit 100% today for the first time in at least a few years. Even with a cold and neglecting my cardio workouts. A great day to everyone! Thanks for all your help and resources. Toot toot!!!

Jillar, you are probably right! Thank you.

NOPE! Thx Cbdave!