Rob

NOPE!

Congratulations, woop woop!

A year is amazing! Well done :)

NOPE!! Morning everyone :)

Welcome :)

NOPE :)

Congrats Brenndy!!

I seen this a couple of days ago - I hate those graphic adverts. I think not everyone will agree, but I honestly think these adverts only appeal to non-smokers. When I was a smoker, I would always ignore these shock ads (along with health warnings and pictures on packets etc). As a smoker I knew smoking was bad for me. It want anything new. I wish there were adverts that had a group of ex-smokers talking about how they feel a lot better a year on... How they had good days and bad days, but overall now they feel wonderful... And that although NRT options exist, there is no one magic fits all solution... Followed by maybe some research resources sites (not a government sponsored 'scare portal'). My two cents!!!

Loved the Death In the West one. Unfortunately the Alam Carr one isn't working.

NOPE!

* Standing outside a train station for 15 minutes - missing trains home and having to wait later for the next ones - because I wanted to smoke two cigarettes in row before getting the train home from work. Every day. * Going outside to smoke after 20 minutes of working. Sporadic and a lot of fag breaks throughout the day - sometimes as many as three in a row. *After new year. Could hardly speak from smoking all night. Hung over to the point I could hardly eat. But well enough to keep smoking. * Spending a fortune on aftershave! Taking aftershave with me to work in my coat pocket. Spray spray, after every cigarette... * When visiting parents in rural Scotland every Christmas, going for mysterious long walks in -5c weather. No longer living a double life practising multiple personalities! (Smoker me and non-smoker me). * If out drinking with work or friends, the split of 90% being outside, 10% being inside. * Fear of spending nights at friends upon an offer as unsure how accommodating they might be of my important habit. * That moment of anxiety after passing airport security, knowing a fag won't be possible until I'm at the otherside. .... wow they are all coming out now, I'm no longer I denial... I think I'll check back on this thread one day if I begin to forget about the importance of my commitment!

Night Laura! Hope tomorrow is a brighter day :)

Hi Laura. That sucks you're still feeling crappy on day 14 - isn't it crazy how those chemicals have messed with our heads so much! But 2 weeks is bloody impressive, well done :) :) I hope you're having good days as well! I can COMPLETELY relate to how you're feeling right now - I feel the same. I'm one bad decision away from walking to the supermarket and ending this discomfort. But... I know this from reading on the forums: 1) The bad feelings are temporary. They pass. Ive felt crap and fabulous all in one day. Now is bad, tomorrow is good. 2) The bad feelings come fewer and far in between. 3) Cigarettes caused this feeling. If you smoke again, this feeling will be caused again. Imagine a year from now two versions of you. One that smokes still, and one who has come out the otherside a happy and confident non-smoker, who looks back on smoking as quite a strange and foreign thing that doesn't make much sense anymore Best of luck Laura, let us know how you got on :)

NOPE!

Hi Brenndy. Hope you're doing well and feeling positive today! I'm in the habit of listening to the hypnotic audio track by Pail McKenna before I go to sleep. Apparently I'm supposed to listen to it for 14 days after I quit. Not sure how effective that is but the underlying message in it is more about feeling positive and proud of yourself... Certainly puts me to sleep after a while haha. I've had great days and terrible days, but what feels best is that I'm still not smoking. Best of luck! PS. The people on this board who take the time to offer advice even after a huge quits are nothing short of amazing!

Thank you everyone! Great articles, links and advice. All very much appreciated! i have a feeling that today is going to be better - I feel like I've woke up on the right side of the bed today :)

Thanks DD! That thread looks very helpful :)

Yesterday I felt really good, energised, free etc. but today - day 7- has just been hell. Not sure if it's also related to the fact that I seemed that have picked up a cold a few days after stopping smoking - is that normal? - , but today I have had that nasty day 3 feeling all over again. A constant feeling of being itching inside, irritable, anxious. Difficult to describe but I'm sure it's a feeling we're all familiar with this feeling and can relate. I thought this feeling was supposed to disappear after day 3-4. Is it normal to still have days like this, and do they stop soon? When I feel like this, my irrational brain wants to smoke. I won't smoke, I've made a commitment to never smoke again, but the though of living like a junkie in withdrawal every day for weeks on end is... bleak. Maybe it's just a bad day, and they will come fewer and far between. I'm not sure what I should be expecting yet :/

Thanks BAT!

Welcome Smarty_Fan! I'm on day 7 now, no not far behind you. Congratulations on your decision :)

Thanks!

I have one (Nicotine free) and sometimes I've been using it at work, To go outside during stressful periods, and come back a little less stressed and ready for more work. How does the forum view them in terms of long term abstaining from smoking? Is it a bad a idea, and should I try to stop that ASAP, or is it accepted that someones now comes with the territory of stopping smoking? Personally, I don't think it's a bad thing since a) I don't use it every day. Today has been more difficult so far than usual, so I used it. B ) I'm not setting fire to anything in my mouth, so I'm not breaking any rules. Right? I know this is something that people might be divided on, I wondered if the forum itself has an opinion?

Yes, sense of smell has definitely improved a lot. Before I stopped smoking, my sense of smell was next to dead. Now, Im quite enjoying - for the most part! - smelling new things!

Another NOPE!

Thanks :) Today - day 6 - was pretty awesome. Sure, there are still mental cravings around every corner, but it appears to be so easy now - almost second nature even - to resist them. I'm not a person for doing much exercise - haha, one life improvement at a time - but after work rather than get the train from right outside my workplace, I walked pretty damn quick to the next station and turned a typical bothersome walk into a 15 one. And I didn't feel physically exhausted, I felt alive, like I'm seeing the world in brighter colours. On day 3, I felt angry and short tempered. Today, is probably one of the most chilled out and positive days I've had for a long time- even pre-quit. Without the junkie mindset thinking about going outside to smoke every 40 minutes, it's a lot easier to focus energies on other things, and fit in. Does anyone else have the post-quit feeling where you don't stop outside train stations to have one more smoke before you go in, and you think to yourself, I'm normal now! Hope everyone else had a great day.