Cristóbal

Hello, I was able to visit with Joel Spitzer earlier this month when I went to Chicago. The weather was nice and permitted us to sit outside and drink coffee at Starbucks. It was a terrific visit with a wonderful, very intelligent, thoughtful and caring man. The only sad part of my visit with Joel was there was a group of about 10 Chinese men next to our table, all of them smoking one cigarette after another, and their smoke was coming at us during our whole visit. If they only knew their angel of freedom was just a few meters away! Attached is a foto I took of us when we said goodbye, I had to go to the airport right after taking this. I am so glad we were able to connect!

Adding my 146,000 cigarettes not smoked since October 14, 2012.....

Felicidades compa, ¡somos los tres amigos!

Hello Maryland, Congratulations on 9 years !!!

Hello, Thank you for remembering my anniversary Jillar. Checking in on my 10 year anniversary. Wow ! I am very glad to see familiar faces still here on QuitTrain. At this point in my quit, it seems to me surreal that I was even a smoker at one time in my life. I do remember being a smoker of course, for about 30 years. I calculated I smoked about 400,000 cigarettes in my life. That is a lot of cigarettes. My quit was actually pretty easy, but I did not completely understand at that time that it was in reality a new and wonderful beginning in life. What became amazing with time was my learning experience first on QSMB and then here. This learning experience was about: 1. Smoking in general; 2. About quitting smoking; 3. My personal relationship to smoking. The eduation I received from others about everything related to smoking has brought me to the place where I wanted to be one day. Yes, I am on the Lido Deck, and its wonderful. No, I rarely ever think about smoking now. When I do, it is usually because someone close by is smoking, and I smell the tobacco. To me, that means smelling slavery and death. No, I do not have any desire to smoke, those triggers went away a long time ago. Mentally and spiritually I have been re-programmed. I buried the addition instead of letting it bury me. Physically, my body has had 10 years of healing, and it feels spectacular ! For those people who are thinking of quitting smoking; have just quit; or are having difficulty with their quits, there is only one advice that I can give to you: Whatever struggles you may have, simply do not smoke. Be patient and wise, and let time do its job. It gets better. Much better. And then beyond better. It becomes fantastic, and in a permanent way. Always. As long as you do not smoke. No matter what happens in your life, putting any nicotine in any form in your body will ***ALWAYS*** make your life much, much worse. It was never the solution to anything. Ever. When I first quit, I used to think people who were quit for 6 months, a year, several years, 10+ years, were super heroes. Now that I am at 10 years in my quit, I realize with a retrospect view that they were in reality just like me, only they had started "climbing the rope" earlier than I had. What is "Climbing The Rope"? It is one of my favorite posts, and to me is the most appropriate post to mark the time of my 10 year anniversary. ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************* CLIMBING THE ROPE (Re-Post) Posted 05 February 2013 - 01:19 AM ***ORIGINALLY BY OBOB-GOLD FREEDOM MEMBER-WHYQUIT.COM*** So, I start reminiscing a bit about the early days of my quit. I remember members popping in to post their celebration threads. Green, Bronze, Silver, Gold and beyond. It felt downright intimidating. Here was I, with my seemingly tiny little insignificant sum of 3 days, 4 days, 5 days and so on... clinging to my quit like a man clinging to a life line thrown over the side of a ship to a man overboard in a turbulent sea. More comfortable ex-smokers would roll past on their skiff, yachts and cruiseliners, each with the same advice. Keep climbing that rope. Don't let go of it. It'll get easier. We promise. To me, those people seemed like heroes. From my perspective, they were superhuman, with this gift of comfort I couldn't hardly imagine at that point. I dreamed of being like them some day, but it seemed hard to fathom that this splintery rope would really get me there. It was hard, and I was tired. But, I really wanted to be like those amazing people, and everyone of them told me the same thing… keep climbing, don't let go. Simple. A real slog, but simple. So, I took their advice, kept climbing and didn't let go. Lo and behold, it was true. It did, in fact, get easier, and easier. There was the odd bit of rope burn, and occasionally a seagull would take aim at my dome with an unwelcome gift (nobody takes a metaphor to the extremes I will), but all-in-all, it got more and more doable, less and less of a chore, and at some point, almost without noticing it, I found myself reclining on the Lido Deck with the others. That was years ago now. I've been kicking back up here for a good long time now, and I can tell you it's very nice. So, what's my point? My point is to you, the newcomer. Down there on the rope. Yeah, you. You're looking up at me (and the others who have so much time under their belts), and thinking, "man, that guy's almost surreal. Maybe he's got something I don't. How in the world did he get up there? Surely, he didn't take this blasted rope?! He must have some secret that I don't. He's gotta have supernatural powers to have such comfort." My point to you is this: Every one of us up here got here the same way. We took the rope. We climbed it. We didn't let go. And, just like we were told, it got easier. You will also get here that way. Three years ago, I was where you are. Everyone here has been there at one time. We understand what you're going through. Nobody here is a superhero. We're just addicts like you who found the rope earlier. And, we can each promise you… the rope is climbable, it does get easier, and there IS a place for you up here. There's one other way in which we're similar. Neither of us have wings. We let go the rope, or step off the side, we all plummet to the abyss the same way. One puff and it's all history. I learned that on my way up too. People who'd seemed almost unreal they were so comfortable, for no reason that I could understand, suddenly got up from their comfortable seats, walked to the side of the deck, and threw themselves off. Breaking the metaphor, so that it's perfectly clear, they took a puff and lost their freedom. Some of these were members who had been very active in supporting others, and had experienced months and even years of sustained comfort. One day, for their own reasons, they decided to chance it, and lo and behold their comfort was gone. They returned to their old levels of smoking, often more. I know this is true from email, and from the time when Freedom's policies were different and relapsed members were allowed to rejoin. All it took was one puff, and it was over. So, while it may be tempting to look at some of the longer term quitters with awe, consider that we are, and always will be subject to the same rules you are. One puff = all puffs. If I were to slip down to the pub right now, walk up to a friend, and take a drag off of his cigarette, I know full well that I would be out on my deck tomorrow night with a pack and an ash tray putting memories of Freedom and this post and everything I've given myself over the past 3 years in a deep hidden locker that my junky side would work overtime to prevent me from opening. Why is it important to point out that, with respect to nicotine addiction, you and I are the same, just separated by a bit of time? I guess because it's tempting for a new quitter to allow himself or herself to believe that all of these people dispensing education and encouragement here, couldn't possibly understand what they're going through. It may be tempting to listen to your own junky mind telling you, "You're different. These people aren't like you. They don't understand what you're experiencing. You know that you'll never be able to be like them. It's impossible for you." My long-winded, metaphorically-extreme point is to tell you that that's bunk. While you are different from me in many ways, our addiction to nicotine is the same. You will find comfort (emphasis on WILL) just as I and every other long-term member of Freedom did (by never taking another puff), and you WILL maintain that comfort the same way we all must (by never taking another puff).The factor that really shows the addiction is not how hard or how easy it is to quit. What really shows the addiction is how universally easy it is to go back. One puff and the quit can go out the window. ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************* Cristóbal

Keep looking to the future. Realize that once you confront most of your holidays triggers in your first year, the rest of the holiday seasons in the coming years will be very much more easier to handle. You really have to do this only once. Cristóbal

Hello Sazerac, I am late to your party (and to mine as well), but.......you still hit 7 years, and that is just terrific !!! Congratulations, and its great to see you helping others. Cristóbal

Congratulation Johnny5 on 6 years, that is just wonderful !!! Cristóbal

Congratulations Sarge on 9 years !!!

It is all about science. Once you are a nicotine addict, you will never be able to control your smoking. The Law of Addiction says: "Administration of a drug to an addict will cause re-establishment of chemical dependence upon the addictive substance." This applies to nicotine. This science will show you why you cannot have just a puff or two. Follow this link: Nicotine Receptors In Your Brain Cristóbal

Thank you John for posting this! Sometimes people who just quit smoking, and are experiencing all type of turmoils and every day without smoking is extremely important, ask people with long term quits "What does it feel like to be quit for a long time ?" I can honestly answer that question with what happened with this 8 year anniversary. I completely forgot !!!

Hello Ceeray, welcome to QuitTrain !!! The "impediment" you mention in your second comment, is that you have not yet made a commitment with yourself to stop putting nicotine into your body. You are a nicotine addict. You are addicted to this drug. Smoking is just the delivery method. If you do not make this commitment with yourself, then quitting cold turkey or using other methods to quit smoking, will never work. You will continue to smoke or battle with quitting smoking for the rest of your life. That is where you are right now, and that is why you are where you are right now. Methods of quitting smoking do not do the work for you. You have to do it. And you cannot quit smoking without that commitment with yourself, to never put nicotine in your body again. Take time to have this serious discussion with yourself. Then, when you finallly make that commitment, be your own best friend and love yourself by never breaking that commitment with yourself. . And.....starting with day one.....one day at a time......becomes the rest of your life. Cristóbal

Hello, Unless you were on QSMB years ago, you probably do not remember or know about Jonny 5. However, this very inspirational poster is celebrating his 8 years anniversary today !!! Happy 8 Years, Jonny 5 !!! Below is a re-post of one of Jonny 5´s famous posts from QSMB - Enjoy !!! YOU AND I ARE NICOTINE ADDICTS, THESE ARE THE RULES Posted 26 January 2014 - 02:48 PM If you smoked, and continued to smoke, even knowing it was very dangerous, then like me, you are a nicotine addict. YOU WILL ALWAYS BE ADDICTED TO NICOTINE, CHANGES HAVE TAKEN PLACE THAT CAN'T BE REVERSED because you are a nicotine addict, you can never casually use nicotine without reawakening the addiction THE GOOD NEWS IS YOU DO NOT HAVE TO CONTINUE TO USE NICOTINE BECAUSE YOU ARE AN ADDICT You can put the addiction to sleep, and live as if you have never smoked, never troubled, or distracted by cravings. TO ESCAPE YOU MUST NEVER INGEST NICOTINE EVER AGAIN, OR YOU WILL GO THROUGH WITHDRAWAL AGAIN sure, the habit part of the addiction may have been disrupted or broken through your quit time, but following relapse the physical withdrawals could lead you back to full time smoking again. I UNDERSTAND THAT MY BRAIN CHEMISTRY HAS BEEN ALTERED. I UNDERSTAND THE CONSEQUENCES OF INTRODUCING NICOTINE INTO MY BODY, I UNDERSTAND THAT I CAN NEVER TAKE NICOTINE WITHOUT MY ALTERED BRAIN RESTARTING THE ADDICT CRAVINGS ALL OVER AGAIN DO YOU?

On October 14 2012, I woke in the morning and decided on a whim to not smoke for one day. I had been smoking for over 30 years, 2 packs a day for most of those years since I was a teen. I had not thought too much about quitting, my health was good and my quit was not planned - I thought I liked smoking - but for some reason on the day I quit I decided that I was becoming tired of it. After several days my wife realized I was not smoking and decided to quit also. My cold turkey quit was very easy. I did not ever have days that I thought were very difficult. However my wife´s cold turkey quit was awful for her, so at 36 days of my quit I looked for support for her. I found this support for her on QSMB (Quit Smoking Message Board forum where many people on QuitTrain came from). I thought that with that forum I was going to help only her, but as I spent more and more time there I realized that I was actually helping both of us.....and then with time I transformed from being a student to being a teacher, and became involved with helping people quit smoking and find freedom from nicotine addiction wherever and whenever I could. This activity continues today. It is my personal passion and mission to this day to help people quit smoking, and demonstrate that with education about nicotine addiction and support it is never impossible for any smoker to find permanent freedom from cigarettes and nicotine, and a longer life of much higher quality. If you are struggling with your quit, or still smoking and just thinking of quitting, it is important that you internalize the fact that it is *¨NEVER IMPOSSIBLE* for any smoker to quit smoking permanently. Commitment to your quit, and to your education about smoking and nicotine addiction, are the keys to your permanent freedom. Cristóbal