Newbie

[IndigoChilde]

Congratulations on one month!

[TracyB]

One month is great! I'm nearly two weeks and I bet you're feeling a lot better than you were two weeks ago! I've been really trying to focus on how disgusting smoking really is and reminding myself that I can never have just one. It's back to 30 a day or nothing at all and I'm not going back to that. Very well done to you. Treat yourself to a nice meal out with the money you've saved. X

[Nancy]

One month is great! I'm nearly two weeks and I bet you're feeling a lot better than you were two weeks ago! I've been really trying to focus on how disgusting smoking really is and reminding myself that I can never have just one. It's back to 30 a day or nothing at all and I'm not going back to that. Very well done to you. Treat yourself to a nice meal out with the money you've saved. X

I just bumped a thread about "just one"...hope it will provide reinforcement!

[I can do this]

Thanks for all the encouragement. I haven't had one, and won't. 5 weeks tomorrow.

 

It's another Saturday morning and a smoke was the first thing that popped into my head this morning. Craves are a little less than last Saturday but not much. So crazy that this is the one day of the week I am still really struggling.

 

We have our bowling league tonight. First time we are going since quitting. It was at our bowling league 6 years ago that I decided to become a "social smoker". Ha ha. Smoking, beer and bowling seem to go together. Thankfully, smoking is no longer allowed inside of the bowling alley and its February in Michigan and the thought of standing outside smoking in the freezing cold is not appealing at all.

 

Plus, I don't smoke anymore. :)

[beacon]

 

Exactly.  Maybe take it easy on the beer this time while you are still young in your quit?  I tried to go easy on the drinking in the beginning as it was a strong trigger for me.  For some reason I am thinking about french fires.  Not sure how this goes with bowling.  Anyhoo, congrats on the one month and check in tomorrow.

[Devil Doll]

Congratulations on 5 weeks! Every week the craves become less and less eventually they go away completely.

[Sunnyside]

congratulations 5 weeks is awesome

 

 

 

[IndigoChilde]

Congratulations on 5 weeks!

[Doreensfree]

Well done...5 weeks is a great achievement....keep climbing...

[I can do this]

So last night I found myself with a full pack of Marlboro Lights (my friends pack, not mine) sitting on the table right in front of me. I picked up the pack, opened it, studied the rows of pure white filters, smelled it. Thought YUCK and put it back. This was all while I was a bit tipsy.

 

Today is 5 weeks. I'm really doing this and feeling proud. :)

[Nancy]

So last night I found myself with a full pack of Marlboro Lights (my friends pack, not mine) sitting on the table right in front of me. I picked up the pack, opened it, studied the rows of pure white filters, smelled it. Thought YUCK and put it back. This was all while I was a bit tipsy.

 

Today is 5 weeks. I'm really doing this and feeling proud. :)

Wow!  That was a close call, you should feel proud, Good for you on keeping your quit!

[IndigoChilde]

So last night I found myself with a full pack of Marlboro Lights (my friends pack, not mine) sitting on the table right in front of me. I picked up the pack, opened it, studied the rows of pure white filters, smelled it. Thought YUCK and put it back. This was all while I was a bit tipsy.

 

Today is 5 weeks. I'm really doing this and feeling proud. :)

Good job on putting them back. I don't think I can do that at the stage I'm at. And unfortunately I'm like my father. He's quit for 3 years, can be around cigarettes and cigarette smoke, but can refuse them so easily. Thing is, he still thinks about how good it felt and likes the smell of cigarette smoke.

[Nancy]

Good job on putting them back. I don't think I can do that at the stage I'm at. And unfortunately I'm like my father. He's quit for 3 years, can be around cigarettes and cigarette smoke, but can refuse them so easily. Thing is, he still thinks about how good it felt and likes the smell of cigarette smoke.

Keep in mind that the reason it "felt good" is that we were relieving the withdrawal symptoms.

 

You both are doing great!

[Sunnyside]

This info may help you guy's:

 

 

When you experience something pleasurable, certain areas of your brain called reward centers activate by releasing dopamine. The presence of dopamine is what causes the pleasurable feeling, the enjoyment, the “ahhh”. Smoking causes an increase in the dopamine levels. The actual mechanism is debated, but MRI studies confirm the increase occurs. As you continue to smoke, the dopamine levels remain high and the brain starts shutting down some of the reward centers in an attempt to return to normal. This causes the smoker to require more, which raises the dopamine levels, which causes the brain to shut down even more reward centers. A balance is eventually reached, typically at the point of a pack per day (about 20 mg of nicotine). This also applies to users of chewing tobacco and snuff. So now a balance has been reached. The nicotine has raised dopamine levels and the brain has shut down reward centers to compensate. Heroin and cocaine users also reach this maintenance level where the fix no longer causes pleasure, but simply maintains “normal”. When the dopamine level begins to drop (30 – 60 minutes after the last smoke) the smoker begins to feel “the need” and has another fix which re-establishes the dopamine levels. When the smoker quits the levels of nicotine fall rapidly, as do the dopamine levels. After three to five days the nicotine is out of the system. The brain, however, does not recover as quickly. Without the constant smoking stimulus, dopamine levels are far below where they were. Since reward centers were long ago shut down to compensate for the increased dopamine levels caused by smoking, the (now) ex-smoker is operating at a “reward deficit”. As a result, the ex-smoker feels depressed, ill-tempered, and sad (cries a lot). Those who use sleep as an escape mechanism will tend to sleep much more. Another effect of this “reward deficit” is that ordinary, everyday rewards don’t seem to work anymore. In reality, they do cause an increase in dopamine levels, but with so many reward centers deactivated the increase is barely noticeable, if it can be noticed at all. This is why we quitters need to reward ourselves often. The size of the reward isn’t important, the quantity is. Essentially, we need to exercise our reward centers to rebuild them, just like muscles need to be exercised after a long period of disuse. The research I’ve dug into indicates it takes “several months” to “over a year” , (depending on who you read) for the brain to reactivate enough reward centers to approach the “normal” of never-smokers. Perhaps this is the root of the idea that you aren’t fully quit until you’ve experienced all the seasons. So early in your quits, reward yourselves often. Little stuff is great. Window shopping, watching ducks at the park, special coffee after work, whatever. Doesn’t have to be expensive, just enjoyable. Think free weights for the brain

[Nancy]

This info may help you guy's:

 

 

When you experience something pleasurable, certain areas of your brain called reward centers activate by releasing dopamine. The presence of dopamine is what causes the pleasurable feeling, the enjoyment, the “ahhh”. Smoking causes an increase in the dopamine levels. The actual mechanism is debated, but MRI studies confirm the increase occurs. As you continue to smoke, the dopamine levels remain high and the brain starts shutting down some of the reward centers in an attempt to return to normal. This causes the smoker to require more, which raises the dopamine levels, which causes the brain to shut down even more reward centers. A balance is eventually reached, typically at the point of a pack per day (about 20 mg of nicotine). This also applies to users of chewing tobacco and snuff. So now a balance has been reached. The nicotine has raised dopamine levels and the brain has shut down reward centers to compensate. Heroin and cocaine users also reach this maintenance level where the fix no longer causes pleasure, but simply maintains “normal”. When the dopamine level begins to drop (30 – 60 minutes after the last smoke) the smoker begins to feel “the need” and has another fix which re-establishes the dopamine levels. When the smoker quits the levels of nicotine fall rapidly, as do the dopamine levels. After three to five days the nicotine is out of the system. The brain, however, does not recover as quickly. Without the constant smoking stimulus, dopamine levels are far below where they were. Since reward centers were long ago shut down to compensate for the increased dopamine levels caused by smoking, the (now) ex-smoker is operating at a “reward deficit”. As a result, the ex-smoker feels depressed, ill-tempered, and sad (cries a lot). Those who use sleep as an escape mechanism will tend to sleep much more. Another effect of this “reward deficit” is that ordinary, everyday rewards don’t seem to work anymore. In reality, they do cause an increase in dopamine levels, but with so many reward centers deactivated the increase is barely noticeable, if it can be noticed at all. This is why we quitters need to reward ourselves often. The size of the reward isn’t important, the quantity is. Essentially, we need to exercise our reward centers to rebuild them, just like muscles need to be exercised after a long period of disuse. The research I’ve dug into indicates it takes “several months” to “over a year” , (depending on who you read) for the brain to reactivate enough reward centers to approach the “normal” of never-smokers. Perhaps this is the root of the idea that you aren’t fully quit until you’ve experienced all the seasons. So early in your quits, reward yourselves often. Little stuff is great. Window shopping, watching ducks at the park, special coffee after work, whatever. Doesn’t have to be expensive, just enjoyable. Think free weights for the brain

Great information!

[I can do this]

This info may help you guy's:

 

 

When you experience something pleasurable, certain areas of your brain called reward centers activate by releasing dopamine. The presence of dopamine is what causes the pleasurable feeling, the enjoyment, the “ahhh”. Smoking causes an increase in the dopamine levels. The actual mechanism is debated, but MRI studies confirm the increase occurs. As you continue to smoke, the dopamine levels remain high and the brain starts shutting down some of the reward centers in an attempt to return to normal. This causes the smoker to require more, which raises the dopamine levels, which causes the brain to shut down even more reward centers. A balance is eventually reached, typically at the point of a pack per day (about 20 mg of nicotine). This also applies to users of chewing tobacco and snuff. So now a balance has been reached. The nicotine has raised dopamine levels and the brain has shut down reward centers to compensate. Heroin and cocaine users also reach this maintenance level where the fix no longer causes pleasure, but simply maintains “normal”. When the dopamine level begins to drop (30 – 60 minutes after the last smoke) the smoker begins to feel “the need” and has another fix which re-establishes the dopamine levels. When the smoker quits the levels of nicotine fall rapidly, as do the dopamine levels. After three to five days the nicotine is out of the system. The brain, however, does not recover as quickly. Without the constant smoking stimulus, dopamine levels are far below where they were. Since reward centers were long ago shut down to compensate for the increased dopamine levels caused by smoking, the (now) ex-smoker is operating at a “reward deficit”. As a result, the ex-smoker feels depressed, ill-tempered, and sad (cries a lot). Those who use sleep as an escape mechanism will tend to sleep much more. Another effect of this “reward deficit” is that ordinary, everyday rewards don’t seem to work anymore. In reality, they do cause an increase in dopamine levels, but with so many reward centers deactivated the increase is barely noticeable, if it can be noticed at all. This is why we quitters need to reward ourselves often. The size of the reward isn’t important, the quantity is. Essentially, we need to exercise our reward centers to rebuild them, just like muscles need to be exercised after a long period of disuse. The research I’ve dug into indicates it takes “several months” to “over a year” , (depending on who you read) for the brain to reactivate enough reward centers to approach the “normal” of never-smokers. Perhaps this is the root of the idea that you aren’t fully quit until you’ve experienced all the seasons. So early in your quits, reward yourselves often. Little stuff is great. Window shopping, watching ducks at the park, special coffee after work, whatever. Doesn’t have to be expensive, just enjoyable. Think free weights for the brain

That's really interesting and helps explain some of these huge cravings I've still been having. And now I am going to reward myself with some ice cream. :)

[I can do this]

I ended up telling a bunch of my friends I hadn't seen in a while yesterday. Tons of positive reinforcement which is so good. Even though I'm struggling at times, I'm so happy hubby and I finally decided to quit.

[Sunnyside]

Brilliant news I can do this. I hope you enjoyed your icecream too!

 

 

[IndigoChilde]

Your hubby should join us on the board as well!

[I can do this]

Hubs would never join a board like this. Not his style. Plus he seems to have had the easiest quit ever. So jealous.

 

So one thing ya'll don't know about me is that I like beer. A lot. And I REALLY like a beer with a smoke. For the first 14 days of my quit I abstained completely. Slowly, I let beer back in my life. Just here or there. I stopped bc even the few times I simply cracked one open the urge to smoke was front and center in my brain. Hubs was happy about the "freebies" I passed his way.

 

Anyhow, tonight was the first night in 6 weeks I was able to sit in my own house and drink a beer without going crazy about going in the garage for a smoke. Still thought of a smoke. But I'm good.

 

Praise God. I've made it through the rain.

[Sunnyside]

Yay!!! I like my wine and i abstained from drinking for 5 weeks early on. As you keep doing these things it will become the norm, plus the beer will taste a lot better.

[IndigoChilde]

I had a glass of wine with dinner the night before. Didn't phase me. But probably because I never drank and smoked. That would definitely have ruined the taste of my Chardonnay.

[I can do this]

2 MONTHS!!!!!!!! I am so incredibly proud of myself for doing this. It's been rough, but getting easier every day and the craves are pretty much all gone. I'm so thankful I decided to hop on the train!

[Nancy]

2 MONTHS!!!!!!!! I am so incredibly proud of myself for doing this. It's been rough, but getting easier every day and the craves are pretty much all gone. I'm so thankful I decided to hop on the train!

Woot Woot!!!  Two months is fabulous!  You are doing this!!

[buMbLeB]

2 MONTHS!!!!!!!! I am so incredibly proud of myself for doing this. It's been rough, but getting easier every day and the craves are pretty much all gone. I'm so thankful I decided to hop on the train!

 

You should be, what a great thing you're doing! I hope lurkers are reading this and realize this could be them, too. Way to go.