Nicotine routine

[Octain]

Having not had a cigarette for almost 70 days,  yesterday afternoon I remove myself from my easy chair to go out to the garage to smoke a cigarette. Something I’ve done thousands of times before.

I was in the garage looking for my cigarettes when I realized, I don’t smoke anymore. (Shaking head with hand on hips as to say, what the fack ??)

It was almost like a dream, but I wasn’t sleeping.

 

Cooking dinner last night, brought the noodles to a boil and figured, what the hell, I’ll go outside and smoke a cigarette while the noodles boil. But there’s a problem with that, yeah, I don’t smoke anymore.

Again, almost like a dream…

 

I have quit a few addictive things in my life. Without going into detail one of which included inpatient detox and inpatient rehab. Granted, that was a long time ago, but still… 

These cigarettes,  they should be illegal. Swear, nicotine should be a schedule one drug, in the same category with heroin and methamphetamine. Very addictive with no medicinal value whatsoever. (Cannabis is also in that category with no apparent reason other than greed)

 

Quitting cigarettes it’s not an easy life task. But those of us who have quit should be very proud of ourselves. 

Congratulations quitters! Keep it up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 16, 2018 by Octain

[jillar]

You're doing great octain, you should be super proud of yourself!

[Lin-quitting]

I remember my days of doing that very thing, all day every day: completing a task of some sort and then saying to myself that "now it's time to go have a cigarette". And having to then say to myself "oh yeah, I forgot, I don't smoke anymore".

 

Our smoking habits get unbelievably ingrained in us, don't they?! Those thoughts go away, slowly but surely. Keep up your great work Octain!

[Reciprocity]

That's pretty normal for where you are in your quit. This is the way I saw it when I was going through some weird stuff around that stage in my quit. You fight like hell for the 1st month - month & a half. Things start to settle down then but you are still super focused daily on your quit. It's top of mind all the time. You start getting to three months - hey! Everything's different now. You're sort of king of getting comfortable with things now and the newness of the early quit has long since gone. Your mind isn't super focused on the quit thing all the time now. That's when your brain's autopilot kicks in - like your trip to the garage thing and those random thoughts like, hey I should head out for a smoke now, when something is happening that may have brought you to a smoke before.

 

It's an easier time in some ways but it can also be a more dangerous time. You gotta just do what you're doing now. Realize what's going on and that it's just not what you do anymore - smoking that is I gotta say, it takes a full year at least and probably even more before those random thoughts stop coming with frequency. It just takes our brains soooo long to readjust. It's not hard all that time, you just need to stay on guard and not act on any thoughts you might have about smoking.

[Sazerac]

Don't forget about H A L T

are you Hungry, Angry, Lonesome, Tired

when you find yourself triggered.

I wrote about it HERE and there is a link to a piece Babs wrote too.

I'm going to bump it.

 

You are doing so great !

NOPE ly yours,

S

 

[Whispers]

At least you're catching yourself when u wanna reach for them damn things

[Octain]

Some good words spoken… 

 

I’m on guard, don’t fret. 

Just have to keep in mind that no matter what life throws at me, smoking will not make it better. No matter what. Cigarettes do nothing  me/us. 

 

If we’re still here, we’re not smoking.

No matter what our quit time, congratulations to every(damned)one of us!

 

 

 

[Reciprocity]

I'm really happy you and Martian5 have done so well You're our very own "New Years Babies" - LoL!  I'm sure it hasn't been lost on you how many have come and gone just since you arrived. This quitting thing is serious sh*t! Full commitment is required for more than just a few days

[Octain]

1 hour ago, reciprocity said:

I'm sure it hasn't been lost on you how many have come and gone just since you arrived. This quitting thing is serious sh*t! 

 

Yes it is and yes I have. 

I’m happy for everyone here.

 

The revolving door of addiction.

If smokers would listen to quitters rather than their addiction they would know the benefits of quitting,  right now! I wish I would have.

I’ve said this since early on. I don’t want to sound too confident, or too cocky but I feel better than I have in years.  I honestly never knew quitting would make me feel this good.

It’s tough! Hell yeah, it’s tough! 

But it’s damn well worth it.

I never knew quitting would change my life this much.

 

This is the only drug that I have ever used that actually does nothing for you. Period.Nothing. It’s crazy! Insanity.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 17, 2018 by Octain

[onthemark]

You're doing great, Octain. I loved your post. It brought back fond memories of my own quit. Yes, fond. Because of the pride of accomplishment. 

[notsmokinjo]

This was basically my post at 70 days .... I still get it at times but not as much.

 

So just checking dates but Martian5, Octain and sSlips are all going to hit the Lido deck around the same time????? can I volunteer now not to be that clean up crew.

[PeaceTrain]

Your posts in this whole thread are spot on, Octain.  It has taken me a while to be proud of my quit but I'm finally there and, like you, I'm proud of everyone here 'cause we're beating this.  Yay for us!

[JB 883]

The worst of it hit for me at the three month mark.

I think a lot of us have impulses to go smoke but do not very often walk across the house thinking we are gonna smoke.

 

The worst of the battle may be yet to come but since you got this far, no need to give in now.

[notsmokinjo]

You're not the only one who's walked across the house to have a durry so don't think your alone or that your battles going to get any harder. I wasn't going to offer advice because the phartes had all given such great advice already but so ya know I had about 10 days of this around the 70 day mark... 2 were pretty constant but they weren't really cravings just more your body on auto pilot, it was annoying an plssed me off more than anythin.

You posts make it clear know this is bullshit but it is weird when it starts out of the blue. Others have felt this, and done this ( walk across a room), hell I was at the back door reaching for the my no existent smokes a few nights ago and I'd walked there on auto pilot... You are so winning on your quit mate, wot ya talking about is a normal part of it for some of us, thems the breaks just wait it out it eases up in a day or two, by no means us it a sign that worse is yet to come.

Edited March 17, 2018 by notsmokinjo

[Octain]

Yeehaw!! 

I love this forum!!

[Wayne045]

Being 70 days in the excitement and euphoria of the success you're having has worn off.   Now on to the daily grind until your non-smoking lifestyle and mindset become the new normal.

 

[Doreensfree]

Our brains have to be totally unscrambled...

Get up ..smoke...

Have coffee...smoke

Get dressed ....smoke ....ect ect ect.....

We have to adjust to doing things with out the smokes in between...this takes time....

This is why quitting is indeed a journey....

Your doing great O !!!.....every day is taking you nearer to freedom ...!!!!

[Whispers]

20 minutes ago, Doreensfree said:

Our brains have to be totally unscrambled...

Get up ..smoke...

Have coffee...smoke

Get dressed ....smoke ....ect ect ect.....

We have to adjust to doing things with out the smokes in between...this takes time....

This is why quitting is indeed a journey....

Your doing great O !!!.....every day is taking you nearer to freedom ...!!!!

Yup... Driving... smoke

Talking on the phone... smoke

Drinking alcohol.... smoke

after eating....smoke

 

 

[JB 883]

Sometimes I would smoke a cigarette before smoking the "official" one, then another few hits off one more just so i could load up on nicotine.

[Wayne045]

18 hours ago, Jetblack said:

Sometimes I would smoke a cigarette before smoking the "official" one, then another few hits off one more just so i could load up on nicotine.

 

What is the official cigarette?   Did the one before the official one not count towards your daily total?

[WeegieWoman]

I wondered that too, what was the official cig 

[barry]

The thing I remember earlier in my quit was: commercials.  When watching a show, and a commercial break started, my body almost involuntarily started to get up to go smoke.  

[Whispers]

1 hour ago, barry said:

The thing I remember earlier in my quit was: commercials.  When watching a show, and a commercial break started, my body almost involuntarily started to get up to go smoke.  

Funny you say that, last year i was watching a new series on HBO called The Deuce. About early 1970's time square and all they did was smoke and drink. I would get a sudden crave at first watching it