I quit. That's that.

[Berkshiredrifter]

My first thought every day, the second I achieve conciousness, is "I quit smoking." Theres a wave of mixed feelings, a lot of anxiety as I lay there. 

I think about my clean time, that helps a lot. At least it's "I quit smoking". Not "I want a cigarette." Not "Woe is me." I am so happy and so relieved to have quit. Lose all my clean time to have a cigarette?  Nope. I'd have to be crazy. 

[Joel Spitzer]

Just now, Berkshiredrifter said:

My first thought every day, the second I achieve conciousness, is "I quit smoking." Theres a wave of mixed feelings, a lot of anxiety as I lay there. 

I think about my clean time, that helps a lot. At least it's "I quit smoking". Not "I want a cigarette." Not "Woe is me." I am so happy and so relieved to have quit. Lose all my clean time to have a cigarette?  Nope. I'd have to be crazy. 

Check out the resources on the page http://whyquit.com/joels-videos/i-will-not-smoke-today/

 

It relates to the value of using your first though every day to being that you have quit smoking.

[Latoya]

Grab some snacks. They help

[Berkshiredrifter]

Oh yes, food definitely helps. I also found myself able to enjoy music today without a cigarette and that's a big deal too. 

[Reciprocity]

Love to see this .... Newbies helping Newbies by relating their own quit experiences. This is the way to uplift and support each other during the more challenging days of your quit. You guys & gals who are in the early days are the true heroes of this, or any other, quitting site! You are the ones doing the heavy lifting every day but, yes, stop each day and realize the benefits you are starting to see. Positive thoughts go a long way in these early days.

[Tyme2B]

I like to think of it as the Beginning of my New Life Berk. It’s a very positive feeling! It gives us the power to control our own present & future health and the positive vibes we feel inside ourselves & from others feels good...helps us to realize we CAN beat this! It’s a habit and we CAN control pesky urges. You’re doing great! I’m a Newbie too & your posts are inspiring! 

[Berkshiredrifter]

72 hours. Detox should be over. 

The first few days of my new life as a non smoker have been awesome. I NEVER thought I would be free. 

[Octain]

5 hours ago, Berkshiredrifter said:

72 hours. Detox should be over. 

The first few days of my new life as a non smoker have been awesome. I NEVER thought I would be free. 

 

 Congratulations! 

Let’s keep going…Let’s keep going…

[Berkshiredrifter]

Aches and pains, the headache, and the craves seem to come on all at once. Headache and aches/pains seem to come on at night. That would make sense, since thats when I typically smoked most. 

Edited January 13, 2018 by Berkshiredrifter

[Octain]

It hit me Thursday. I pulled out all the stops, even trying to nap

, I couldn’t.  I caught myself yelling at myself in the mirror.  Seriously thought I was losing my mind. I just kept telling myself as I walked every room in the house, “this too shall pass”.

And it did. 

 

Keep going! Don’t give up.

 

Edited January 13, 2018 by Octain

[Doreensfree]

Newbies !!!...remember we are all different..what one goes through...another might not ..but we all do have something common...

It's all temporary....and will definitely pass....

Keep going..your all doing just fine .....

[PeaceTrain]

Doreen is right. As long as you’re not smoking you’re doing great!  Keep chugging along. 

[Joel Spitzer]

24 minutes ago, Doreensfree said:

Newbies !!!...remember we are all different..what one goes through...another might not ..but we all do have something common...

It's all temporary....and will definitely pass....

Keep going..your all doing just fine .....

 

 

Video discusses how it is impossible to determine with any certainty what kind of withdrawals or problems a person may encounter when quitting because every quit is different.

 

Every quit is different. Not only that, when a person quits multiple times, each one of those quits are different also. Some people quit and have a terrible time, relapse down the road and are terrified to quit again because they “know” what will happen the next time. Well, actually they don’t know, the next time may be a breeze in comparison. On the alternate side, some people have an easy quit, go back with the attitude, “Oh well, if I have to, I’ll just quit again.” They may find the next quit horrendous, and possibly not be able to pull it off.

 

The reason I mention this is it is possible that you won’t have any major symptoms this time. I have had a lot of four pack a day smokers who smoked 40 plus years who toss them with minimal withdrawal. The reason they never tried to quit before is they witnessed people who smoked one fourth of what they did go thorough terrible side effects and figured, “If it did that to them, it will kill me.” But when the time came, their quit was easy in comparison.

 

You may find that this quit will be relatively easy. Stranger things have happened. But if it does, don’t think this didn’t mean you weren’t addicted. 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.

 

Summing up, the first few days may be relatively easy, or for some, it may be very difficult. Who knows? The only thing we know is once you get past the third day nicotine free it will ease up physically. Psychological triggers will exist but more controllable measures can be taken with them, basically keeping your ammunition up for why you don’t want to be a smoker.

 

Easy or hard, quitting is worth it. Once you have quit for even a few hours, you have invested some effort, time, and maybe even a little pain. Make this effort count for something. As long as you hang in there now, all of this will have accomplished a goal. It got you off of cigarettes. After that, to stay off, the make or break point simply translates to…Never Take Another Puff!

 

Joel

 

Related resources:

 

Comparing quits with others

Amount smoked

The fear of failure

“If I relapse I’ll smoke until it kills me”

Breaking free from nicotine’s grip is more doable than most people think

What is nicotine withdrawal really like?

[Joel Spitzer]

One other point I need to make is once past the first three days, be really careful about writing off new symptoms to simply being caused by not smoking. In most states in America we are right now on the peak of a much higher than average flu season. Check out the resources on the page http://whyquit.com/joels-videos/after-quitting-smoking-is-there-such-a-thing-as-the-quitters-flu/ that addresses this kind of time period. 

[Joel Spitzer]

Just shot a new video addressing this issue. Here is a link to the video:

 

Edited January 13, 2018 by Joel Spitzer
Inserted new video link

[Reciprocity]

Proud of all you Newbies! Yes, there will be challenges even after your body is clean of nicotine but that's because you need time to rewire your brain to live your normal daily life without smoking being attached to everything you do pretty much. That just takes time and patience on your part. We all go through it and providing we keep to the NOPE pledge we make every day, we all come out being very happy (and healthy) to be non-smokers for life

[Berkshiredrifter]

96 hours. 

No headache and no aches or pains so far tonight. Going back home tomorrow and returning to my normal routine.  

Its going to be really weird. Everyone downtown smokes, and I don't have to anymore. I mean EVERYONE downtown smokes or dips or vapes. 

Not me, not ever again. Considering taking a pair of filter masks and putting charcoal between them. Then gluing them together. Keep the smell of secondhand out of my face. 

[Joel Spitzer]

Hello Berkshiredrifter:

 

Here are a few resource pages to help you face encountering smokers again:

 

http://whyquit.com/joels-videos/watching-others-smoke/

http://whyquit.com/joels-videos/videos-related-to-facing-or-avoiding-triggers/

http://whyquit.com/joels-videos/going-to-places-where-you-cant-smoke-when-first-quitting-smoking/

http://whyquit.com/joels-videos/can-second-hand-smoke-cause-relapse/

[Doreensfree]

9 hours ago, Berkshiredrifter said:

96 hours. 

No headache and no aches or pains so far tonight. Going back home tomorrow and returning to my normal routine.  

Its going to be really weird. Everyone downtown smokes, and I don't have to anymore. I mean EVERYONE downtown smokes or dips or vapes. 

Not me, not ever again. Considering taking a pair of filter masks and putting charcoal between them. Then gluing them together. Keep the smell of secondhand out of my face. 

 

They have to smoke B !!!....you don't have too...your a fabulous non smoker ...

I'm proud of you ...

[Latoya]

It definitely helps reading and sharing our transitions as a non smoker. B you are doing a good job. Stay strong when you go back to your normal routine. I want to share, two  weeks after my quit for about two days cravings came back but not strong. I didn't want to smoke but i missed smoking tremendously. I thought i was over the urges and got a little discouraged. Someone from here broke down the math on how long my mind and body would need,to be used to not smoking.( It's under missing them). So i have been taking it one day at a time, coming here daily and thanking God that i am finally smoke free! We are in this together

[Joel Spitzer]

Hello Latoya:

 

Check out the resource page http://whyquit.com/joels-videos/boy-do-i-miss-smoking/

 

A number of the links at the bottom of that page can help you to minimize the likelihood of going through a day or days of such feelings. 

 

Also the videos on top of the pages http://whyquit.com/joels-videos/i-want-one/ and http://whyquit.com/joels-videos/fixating-on-a-cigarette/ can help to stop these kind of thoughts in their tracks.

6 minutes ago, Latoya said:

It definitely helps reading and sharing our transitions as a non smoker. B you are doing a good job. Stay strong when you go back to your normal routine. I want to share, two  weeks after my quit for about two days cravings came back but not strong. I didn't want to smoke but i missed smoking tremendously. I thought i was over the urges and got a little discouraged. Someone from here broke down the math on how long my mind and body would need,to be used to not smoking.( It's under missing them). So i have been taking it one day at a time, coming here daily and thanking God that i am finally smoke free! We are in this together

 Realize I should have attached the following comment as a quoted reply as opposed to a new reply to insure that you are notified about the response. Still trying to get the hang of the board.

 

Edited January 14, 2018 by Joel Spitzer

[Berkshiredrifter]

9 hours ago, Joel Spitzer said:

Hello Berkshiredrifter:

 

Here are a few resource pages to help you face encountering smokers again:

 

http://whyquit.com/joels-videos/watching-others-smoke/

http://whyquit.com/joels-videos/videos-related-to-facing-or-avoiding-triggers/

http://whyquit.com/joels-videos/going-to-places-where-you-cant-smoke-when-first-quitting-smoking/

http://whyquit.com/joels-videos/can-second-hand-smoke-cause-relapse/

Thanks to these materials and the video on "getting locked up to quit smoking" I feel like I'm ready to go back to the normal routine. 

I am going to have to conquer the cue induced cravings no matter what. This is recovery. There is no free ride. For anyone. I accept that. Now that the worst of this process is over I am able to stay concious and present, and beat a crave.

Joel, if it wasn't for your smoking cessation materials and the support of this board I would never have been able to quit. I don't know if you saw my original post, but nicotine was really ruining life for me. 

Thank you guys.

[Berkshiredrifter]

Latoya, thanks for the heads up. I am formulating a plan for ambush cravings. 

[Reciprocity]

Being aware of potential challenges is half the battle. You have already developed effective strategies for outsmarting the nicodemon. Just have to make sure to drawn upon them if/when needed

[Joel Spitzer]

1 hour ago, Berkshiredrifter said:

Thanks to these materials and the video on "getting locked up to quit smoking" I feel like I'm ready to go back to the normal routine. 

I am going to have to conquer the cue induced cravings no matter what. This is recovery. There is no free ride. For anyone. I accept that. Now that the worst of this process is over I am able to stay concious and present, and beat a crave.

Joel, if it wasn't for your smoking cessation materials and the support of this board I would never have been able to quit. I don't know if you saw my original post, but nicotine was really ruining life for me. 

Thank you guys.

 

Hello Jon:

 

Up to this point I didn't know your name was Jon. Thought you were just going by Berkshiredrifter. 

 

It seems that your first post was done a few days before I joined up. I was scanning the board a bit back then but not thoroughly and missed your first post there. 

 

Yes nicotine had really complicated your life in many ways, from the loss of your parents from smoking as well as the psychological and physical toll that maintaining your own addiction was taking on you. 

 

It's crucial that you remember what happened in those previous 90 day quits so as not to ever have to repeat it again. I am not sure if I referred this to you yet but check out the page http://whyquit.com/joels-videos/the-advantage-of-having-a-difficult-time-when-quitting-smoking/. Also the page http://whyquit.com/joels-videos/the-power-of-nicotine-addiction/ is important to help understand what happened before and to do all that you can to insure that it never happens again.

 

The pages http://whyquit.com/joels-videos/come-share-your-strength-come-recognize-your-vulnerabilities/ and http://whyquit.com/joels-videos/ill-come-for-reinforcement-when-i-need-it/ explain the value of continuing to reinforce your personal resolve and to take advantage of the resources that you have here at the site.

 

Just know now that this quit will really be the last one you will ever have to go through as long as you now have made and will continue to stick to a personal commitment to never take another puff.

 

Joel