DenaliBlues

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Well done!! Congrats on making the four week milestone. Keep rolling!

NOPE

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Yep, me too. I put smoking above friends and family in this same way. Addiction does this.

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What a scary time @Cbdave! I am so sorry you had this struggle… and so grateful you could get back on your feet.

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Hi Chris. I really appreciate your telling us this story. Smoking really robbed us of so very much, it's hard to accept that sometimes. But your sharing about your COPD is helpful and motivating for others. I especially like the reminder to walk a little every day. I need to get better at that, myself. In the meantime, take good care. And a big honking NOPE for good measure!

Hi again, Stewbum. I really struggled - a lot - with confusion and inability to focus when I first quit. It wasn't lethargy per se (because I was really antsy wanting to smoke). But I did have a very hard time concentrating, and had a major case of the "blahs." It drove me bonkers. Folks here on the Train assured me that "brain fog" is a very real, but also temporary, side effect of quitting. It did get gradually better, after maybe 3 weeks. Because I became highly sensitive to caffeine after I quit, I needed something else to "snap back" to attention during this time. Ice cold fizzy drinks and brisk walks around the house helped, as did shaking my arms and legs very vigorously for about 3 minutes. You'll get through it, Stewbum!

NOPE

Hi, Pedro! Welcome back. Is this Day 1 for you? Hoping you are ready to take the plunge. The loop you describe of quitting and relapsing and quitting again is very demoralizing. If you can stick with your quit you will feel so much better. The "willpower" debate is an interesting one. Smoking is a very powerful addiction. And because it is an addiction - not just a habit or indulgence - it must be met with determination, grit and compassion. No rationing or half-measures will work, in my opinion. Whether or not you use the word "willpower," the only way to stop smoking is to actually stop smoking. I do believe that everyone can quit... even people who perceive themselves to have "no willpower." But it does require us to grind through some difficult times when the temptation to smoke again will be strong. The most important thing is to take smoking off the table and to focus on the fact that you are gaining a beautiful freedom by shaking off this addiction.

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Hey, Stew. Welcome aboard! It's been great to see you chiming in on the NOPE thread, and I was hoping you'd share a bit more of your story, so thanks. It's wonderful to meet you! I, too, lost a long (several years) quit, after which the addiction roared back more fiercely than ever before. And I can totally relate to your experience of putting smoking first, about family, health, and common sense. Addiction is so crazy. But here we are, on our way to freedom! Congrats on your five days. As you know, there will be some bumps along the way but lean into the support here and we'll help you through them. I really truly thought that life would suck forever without smoking. But it doesn't! All kinds of good things await!

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Evaporated Milk

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NOPE

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