The Snowball Effect of Recovery

Invest in yourself. Do small and simple acts that you've been putting off because of the smoking addiction. Your recovery will grow and strengthen. Every time you do something new, you are taking steps to stay accountable and build the foundation of your "new normal" life. They all add up to the bigger picture and natural balance of life. That's what I've learned!

Whether it's buying those shoes you always wanted but never had enough money, jogging that lake that you never had the energy for because smoking drained it, helping your elderly neighbor buy groceries or starting that garden you always dreamed of. BEGIN IT NOW! It will instill the new path, the new way of life and you'll see the contrast in how you used to live life under the dark shadows of addiction as a slave.
 
That is the snowball effect of recovery, and the main thing that propels my quit and makes it a reality every day and in the "NOW"! As you go along, others will catch on to what you are doing and the "snowball effect" will reach lengths and other people you never dreamed possible. BEGIN IT NOW!

Adam
D28/4weeks

Quitting Mantra's (Wisdom for Recovering Smokers)

Wisdom for Recovering Smokers

From lancer071 on 10/30/2009 6:53:39 AM

Wisdom for Recovering Smokers 

Quitting is as repetitive a process as smoking. So, try to create new habits which do not include smoking. 

It's better to be an ex-smoker with an occasional desire to smoke, than a smoker with a constant desire to stop doing it. 

I DON'T SMOKE! 

Smoking is not an option. It's just no longer an option. 

The craving will pass whether you smoke or not. 

I'm a puff away from a pack a day. 

There is no such thing as just one cigarette. 

I am not deprived of anything by having quit smoking. In fact, it is the smokers who are deprived - of health, energy, money, confidence, peace of mind, courage, tranquility, freedom, and self-respect. 

We only have one day to not smoke in. Today. 

Don't envy smokers and bemoan the fact that you no longer are one. Start seeing them as the miserable creatures they really are and pity them. You wouldn't envy a heroin addict. 

Someday I'll find it hard to believe that I ever smoked. 

The cravings do diminish with time. HANG IN THERE! 

Own your quit. 

It's takes practice to become an experienced former smoker. 

Hang Tuff! Don't Puff! 

You're GREAT! You don't smoke anymore!! You don't HAVE to smoke. 

Smoking is a choice. 

Quitting is a process, not a single act. 

The URGE to smoke does pass! 

Craving - Nicodemon - BITE ME! 

Remember your discomforts (of quitting - the first few days)...They are valuable in order to stay quit! 

H.A.L.T. - Don't get too hungry, angry, lonely or tired. 

There are better companions than cigarettes! 

REWARD YOURSELF! Notice how you are improving!! 

Tell yourself, "I've ended the habit, just not the addiction".....(to stay off cigs). 

Drink lots of water in those first few weeks, and take deep breaths and slow exhales when the cravings hit. 

Don't be afraid to quit, rather be afraid NOT to quit. 

There is no way out but through. 

I can get up in the morning and take a deep breath without that tightness or coughing. 

My house smells great. 

Congratulate yourself on the fact that you have STOPPED, not on "having a go" or "another try". YOU HAVE STOPPED SMOKING. 

You should feel FANTASTIC about yourself because you no longer smoke; it's the best thing you will never ever do again! 

One is too many, and a thousand is never enough! 

"Not One, Not now, Not ever" 

Theres always money in my pocket. 

You can do this, you are doing it, one day at a time. 

Practice stress reduction techniques. 

'Progress, Not Perfection' 

You have to gain 75lbs to do the same level of damage to yourself as a pack-a-day habit will. 

Confidence is nice, but doing the foot-work is better. Confidence is the RESULT of accomplishment, and my money goes on the one who's got blisters 

Once you stop smoking the tendency is to blame everything that goes wrong on the fact that you have quit. 

No thank you, I don't smoke! 

"If I light up now, eventually I'll have to quit again.... who the heck wants to go through that again?--NOT ME!!!" 

Being quit for a year is just a long string of one day at a time quits put together. 

In restaurants always remember to say: "Non-smoking, please." 

In the end, you will be very swollen from the steriods you're on to keep what's left of your air passages open. You will have an oxygen tube hanging from your face, and you won't be able to go anywhere w/ out it. Your fingers, lips, toes, feet will all be purple, and your skin will have little to no color left to it. At the very end, you will be so oxygen deprived that you will not be able to form a coherent sentence, or even recognize those people who love you most in this world. You will be gasping for air. 

Say it out loud - "Today I am proud of ME!" 

Whatever it takes to stay smober. 

It was a long walk into the woods, its a long walk out. 

When you have a craving or a smoking thought, confront it, face it and don't hide or try to avoid it. 

When you have a craving, ask yourself what if anything triggered it? what are you going to do instead? and, the hard one for most smokers, how do I feel about the trigger and how do I feel right now in general? 

Everytime you think a cigarette will stop a craving, imagine a heroin junkie pathetically spiking his/her arm with a syringe. Is that really helping their situation? Will a cigarette really help yours? 

---The NOT AN OPTION list: 

1. "JUST ONE" is not an option. 

2. "NOT BECOMING UN-ADDICTED" is not an option. 

3. "NOT ACCEPTING YOUR ADDICTION" is not an option. 

4. "WALLOWING IN SELF PITY AND AMBIVALENCE" is not an option 

5. "DOING IT OVERNIGHT OR WITH MAGICAL TRICKS" is not an option. 

6. "GETTING HOOKED AGAIN" is not an option. 

7. "TO QUIT QUITTING" is not an option. 

8. "TRYING TO DO IT ALONE" is not an option. 

9. "TO SURRENDER BEFORE GIVING IT A BATTLE" is not an option. 

10. "TO SAY THAT I CAN'T DO IT is not an option. 

Slipping is not an option. 

Skip don't Slip; Keep the Quit. 

Be more and more focused on living life,and less focused on how you need to change. 

Don't smoke no matter what ... no matter what don't smoke! 

Whatever you decide will work --- will in fact work. 

The Q LIFE: read the information in the library, don't smoke, check out the news section, don't smoke, read the posts, don't smoke, reply to the posts, don't smoke, post your own, don't smoke, chat, don't smoke, post, don't smoke, read some more, don't smoke, drink water, don't smoke, go for a walk, don't smoke, call a friend, don't smoke, have a bubble bath, don't smoke....do whatever you want to do EXCEPT smoke!!! That's out of the question!! 

If having problems, keep asking yourself "How is smoking going help this problem." It won't. Don't smoke! 

To everyone who is just starting to feel the benefits of quitting: smoking is pretty disgusting when you're a non-smoker. It hurts, it makes you splutter, it tastes bad. Smoking will never be the way you remember it, because you aren't used to it any more. 

If you fail to prepare, be prepared to fail

The Mountain of Life ~RP~

This is my favorite post I have ever read. I feel David is talking my story! I try to keep it in mind daily as I hike to the summit! SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

Adam

D26

NOPT

REPOST~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

The Mountain Of Life:

From Titotiger on 7/20/2010 11:28:42 AM

THE MOUNTAIN OF LIFE

by David L. Weatherford.

A young boy stood at the foot of an unimaginably enormous mountain. It was so tall he could not see the top. For a long while, he stared at the huge piece of earth, contemplating the challenge of climbing the mountain. Not far away, he spotted an old man. He approached the man and asked him about the mountain and what would be required to successfully scale the great obstacle. The old man, it turned out, had for many years watched as countless others navigated their way up the mountain, and he offered the wisdom of his years to the youngster.

"This is the mountain of life, young fellow," he began. "Everyone must face the challenge of the mountain; some will reach the summit, but many will fall. I cannot tell you how to reach the top, for each climber must find his own way. But I will share with you 10 laws that apply to climbing the mountain of life." He then went on to recite them to the young boy:

1. While many people believe there is only one path to the mountaintop, this is not so. Indeed there are many routes that lead there. It is not the path chosen that is key, but rather the way in which one travels.

2.If you stop to whine every time you step on a pebble, you will never reach the top.

3.The best climbers are those who stop to help pull up others who are struggling. It seems to strengthen their arms and legs when they lift others, making themselves more powerful climbers.

4.The difficulties and disappointments faced during the trek to the top will lead to many questions. As you ponder the mysteries of the mountain, take comfort in knowing that all questions will be answered at the summit.

5.The endeavor goes best for those who make the climb with a sense of purpose and presence. It is possible to find purpose in learning, growing and helping as one moves toward the destination; and there is joy in being fully present in each moment, enjoying the beautiful sights and experiences along the way.

6.It is well known that the journey up the mountain varies greatly over time. At times it is pleasant and calm, with cool winds and shade; other times, rocky and treacherous, with long periods of darkness and rain. The successful climbers learn to accept it all--appreciating and savoring the good times, while discovering their strength and will in the hard times.

7.Some will be lazy or misguided and will fail to make the required effort to reach the top. They will play, loaf, and indulge themselves never getting far from the foothills. They will forget the benefits of the hard, but wondrous pilgrimage and never know the rewards gathered at the joyful destination.

8.Remember,everyone you meet on the uphill journey is struggling with the mountain just as you are. You can never know what heavy burdens they must carry with them as they try to find their way. It serves no purpose to discourage, criticize, or judge anyone else. If you can help someone, do it--but never let your treatment of others add to their burden.

9.Because of the adverse conditions that occur along parts of the trip, accompanied by periods of discouragement and even hopelessness, one requires faith to transverse the most arduous aspects of the climb. How else can one navigate in darkness, find his or her way back after being lost, and stay strong when the specter of failure rises up again and again?

10.The Maker of the Mountain waits at the mountaintop to receive those who make their way to the summit of serenity. Wise climbers learn to talk in their hearts to the Maker as they travel, that they might receive an internal light to warm them when they are cold, and guide them when they are in darkness.

And with that said, the old man wished the lad well on his effort to ascend the great mountain. The youngster thanked him and walked away to begin the climb. And under his breath the old man said softly, "I hope I will see you at the top, my child."

And I know that I will.....

See You At The Top

Dave

2,656 Days Quit

The Breakthrough Comes....

This is a great post I've read multiple times from Gummer. He has such inspiring words. He always knows a better way to view this whole quitting thing. We have to stop believing the junky lies and see through the veil of smoke to the truth of what smoking really is. Smoking is Damage!

Adam
D26 ~NOPT

REPOST~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The breakthrough comes...
From gummer on 10/16/2009 11:17:48 PM
From gummer on 9/13/2006 1:54:42 PM
==================================================

... not when you stop craving, but when you stop seeing smoking as a solution to the cravings. It happens when you come to the conclusion that smoking (rather than NOT smoking) is the source of your misery.

At that point you will start to see the withdrawals quite differently... no longer as a desperate need to be filled... but as a side-effect of smoking, as damage to you caused by years of smoking.

Because this yearning to smoke is no different from other effects of smoking... it is damage, plain and simple, just like shortness of breath, or poor circulation, or gum disease. And as with all smoking damage the only hope you have of ever reversing it is by NOT smoking.

So when you feel that craving to smoke, try to see it for the damage that it is, rather than any deprivation of your needs. That urge to smoke does not necessarily mean that YOU want to smoke. It is not a natural and voluntary reaction... it is involuntary and a byproduct of the addiction. It is an effect, a symptom. It does not need to be satisfied. Once you see this, quitting no longer feels like burden.... not smoking will actually feel like therapy, like you finally ARE doing something to counteract this burden, like you are in control again. And that shift of perspective is a huge breakthrough that can finally turn the tables in your favor.

STOP THE INSANITY!! ~RP~

I am a serial quitter on my final quit. I am forever a nicotine addict. Every day I wake I have to take a moment and remind myself of the reality of my addiction to nicotine and the road it takes me down if I take even one single puff. It has driven me crazy and made me do some embarrassing things in the past, just to get my fix. 

I got this post from a quit buddy. This repost is from a man who freed himself from the clutches of this addiction, until the day he died from COPD. I never knew him, but I did see him around the Quitnet forum and he is an inspirational and supportive man! Cheers and RIP

Adam
D26
NOPT

REPOST~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

STOP THE INSANITY

Albert Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. One of the hardest things we have to do in life, to improve ourselves personally, is to change. But change we must because if we don`t like the results we are getting, and we don`t change what we are doing, we will keep getting the same undesired results.

Now I don`t like the term `Serial Quitter.` I prefer to think of my Q friends who keep relapsing, and keep resetting their Quit Date and Gadget Stats as `Serial Restarters.` These are the QSters who start over again and again and again and keep thinking, `This time I`m going to make it.` Understand, if someone is on the Q trying, I give them all the credit in the world for sticking it out. However, If a QSter keeps trying and keeps getting negative results, they have to take a serious look at what they`re doing. They have to figure out what`s not working; because if what they`re doing isn`t working they become like a car stuck in the mud with its tires spinning. They `re just not going anywhere and they will get frustrated and they will beat themselves up and think, `What`s wrong with me?`

So, do you think this post is addressed to you?. Then you need to step back, take a look at what you`re doing wrong and make a change. I know everyone has it in them to win this never-ending battle. But constantly thinking, `I`m only going to have JUST 1` or `Okay, tomorrow will be different isn't the way to go. You need to devise a Plan B that incorporates a `One Day At A Time` and `Not One Puff Ever` approach.

I know you can do it. I know you can quit smoking. You just have to `STOP THE INSANITY` and I`ll.....

See You At The Top
Dave

What's Ahead....(RP)

A post from a well seasoned Vet in the art of quitting, Gummer! This is a very inspiring post from someone who has been there done that and has made it over the hump and to the other side of addiction. In the early days we have to stay accountable, stay committed daily and most of all have faith and believe that we will come to a point where this whole "quitting forever" thing, doesn't have to be forever!

 

Adam

D26

NOPT

 

REPOST~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

What's ahead

From gummer on 5/24/2012 2:31:44 PM

Gosh, it was nine years yesterday. Nine years since I quit. It doesn't seem that long ago, but then I have a child a few months younger than my quit and he's huge, so I can sort of "see" how long it has been. It's a chunk of my life now.

I like to post around anniversaries just to... I don't know... report back to you from your future? ... let you know what is ahead... because when I first quit my fears of quitting and the struggle to come were far greater than the reality of what I have found. My fears got in the way and they should not have. I would have quit a lot earlier had I known what the future held.

Here is what I want you to know nine years after quitting:

(1) - No matter how you feel now, you will not be quitting forever. You get over the hard stuff. You return to your old self. You forget about smoking. You forget about quitting. You wonder what you ever found in it. Contrary to what I thought, you do not sit there pining for a smoke for all eternity. Quite the contrary, when you think of smoking all you feel is relief that you are no longer trapped doing it. Would I go back? Not on your life!

(2) You can never smoke again. But that's not a problem, because on this side of your quit it is a blessing rather than a curse. I really mean it.

(3) - By quitting TODAY, what you are doing is massively important. What you are doing TODAY will dictate where you find yourself in nine years. I was in my late thirties when I quit... now I am in my late-ish forties. I cannot even imagine how I would find myself today with nine extra years of smoking under my belt and in my lungs. That is an enotmous amount of unnecessary abuse and addiction. At just a pack a day that is another 65,000+ cigarettes I would have smoked!!! Sixty-five-thousand. And for what? Knowing what I know now that is not just tragic, it is criminal. I never needed to smoke. It was only smoking that made me smoke. And it took quitting to learn that.

(4) - You may think you love smoking. You may think you miss smoking. But you are just addicted. That's all. And that is not bad news, it is good news. Quitting is not going to deprive you of something you love... it is going to make you shed a huge burden you are carrying around. Realizing that you are just addicted is what will allow you to free yourself of this curse. Realizing that you are addicted is what will allow you to get yourself un-addicted.

(5) When you become un-addicted... can you smoke again? Nope, because when you become un-addicted the last thing you will ever want is another cigarette! If you find yourself wanting one, then you are still addicted, so you carry on quitting. But honestly, you'll most likely find you never want to smoke again.

(6) Last one, but this one is REALLY important: Your quit will not just happen, it will take place when YOU make it happen, not a moment sooner. There is no magic bullet, no accident, no divine intervention, no luck. It makes no difference if you use NRT or go CT. What matters is that YOU make it happen because until that day, you will continue to be a smoker. Understand that before you let nine more years go by. Only you can stop yourself from smoking. Only you can make yourself smoke.

These are some random thoughts, which I hope will ease your way during the early days. Sometimes you have to plug ahead on blind faith, so I hope that having heard your future is bright might make you hang on long enough to get through a bleak moment, long enough to unmask what is really going on, long enough for that lightbulb to suddenly go off and let you see it so clearly that you start to prefer not smoking to smoking.

Congrats on your quits! Time will fly by once you're over the hump.

Gummer

I just want to feel normal again (RP)

This post is a great reminder that we are finding a "new" normal now, and that we have to be patient with ourselves. Our "new and improved" normal is fueled with a stronger and smarter set of beliefs and wisdom. We will rise to the top...one day at a time we climb that mountain of freedom!

Adam
D26
NOPT

REPOST~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


I just want to feel NORMAL again!
From sallysails on 11/18/2010 8:18:01 AM
 
I wrote this over 3 years ago....New quitters, please know that what you're feeling now is so temporary. You WILL get through this :)

I just want to feel NORMAL again!
From sallysails on 11/3/2007 8:34:40 AM

I just want to feel NORMAL again!

I see lots of folks saying that. I said it. I thought it constantly for a few months after quitting. Around 3 months, I became depressed because I would never be NORMAL again. I thought I would never enjoy life again.

When we quit smoking we're doing a whole lot more than simply ceasing to ignite a tobacco filled tube. We are withdrawing from an addictive substance. One that wove its way into almost every aspect of our lives. The withdrawal process takes time. And we must be patient with ourselves. This is an instant gratification world we live in. We want it, and we want it easily, and we want it now.

When we made the DECISION to quit smoking that meant that we wanted to improve our lives. Already, that is not our old normal. Remember, our old normal was to feed our addiction. Our old normal was to build our lives around feeding that addiction.

So, we will never be our OLD NORMAL again. Thank goodness. We all are rebuilding our NEW & IMPROVED lives. And we will settle into our NEW & IMPROVED NORMAL. That's a very big deal. And it will take some time. And there will be frustration, tears, anger, depression. Weight gain, ugh. But there are also many, many great things, like white teeth, bright skin, fresh smelling house, clothes and car, more free time, self confidence. So please be patient and open minded. Because once you decide to improve your life, you must give yourself time to let the improvement happen.

And one day, in the not too distant future, you will look back on your smoking days and be very thankful that you no longer feel your "old normal".

Cheers,
Sally
enjoying my New & Improved Normal at 280 days
(and now simply estatic at 1391 days....my New & Improved Normal is now ME!!!! and it feels terrific! So very worth the initial days of feeling uncomfortable.)

Two Days We Should Not Worry! ~(RP)

For me, staying smoke free is an instant way to stay in the present moment. One thing I have realized with being free from smoking is that you are always thinking about the past in regret or the future of when you'll quit. I can never be in the "now" when smoking. That's not a way to live life to the fullest!

 

Adam

D26

NOPT

 

(Repost)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

From Welshcorgimom on 12/10/2007 11:11:04 AM

I've borrowed this from another club I belong to. I really like what it has to say and wanted to share it with y'all......

Two Days We Should Not Worry

There are two days in every week, about which we should not worry,

two days which should be kept free from fear and apprehension.

One of these days is Yesterday with all its mistakes and cares,

its faults and blunders, its aches and pains.

Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control.

All the money in the world cannot bring back Yesterday.

We cannot undo a single act we performed;

we cannot erase a single word we said.

Yesterday is gone forever.

The other day we should not worry about is Tomorrow

with all its possible adversities, its burdens,

its large promise and its poor performance;

Tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control.

Tomorrow's sun will rise,

either in splendor or behind a mask of clouds, but it will rise.

Until it does, we have no stake in Tomorrow,

for it is yet to be born.

This leaves only one day, Today.

Any person can fight the battle of just one day.

It is when you and I add the burdens of those two awful eternities

Yesterday and Tomorrow that we break down.

It is not the experience of Today that drives a person mad,

it is the remorse or bitterness of something which happened Yesterday

and the dread of what Tomorrow may bring.

Let us, therefore,

Live but one day at a time.

Jill

D20

Build that Dream!

Wrote this for a quit friend and wanted to keep it close..... 

We gotta look inside of souls, be honest and do this for ourselves. Smoking has nothing to do with 3D right!!! We are addicts, one puff will just add back the big ugly problem that makes all others worse.

I'm not one much to talk. I am a student in this journey still. I am playing follow the leader. Let's do this though...surprise yourself and flip that attitude around and change your 3D, change your perspective...stay involved....keep moving forward. It's all we got now.

That addiction whether dormant or alive will use any little excuse, lie or problem to get us to open that stinky can back up. Anything that tries to get us to smoke, is a twisted brainwashed lie.

Chin up. Cheer up. Their is no excuse to smoke. period. period. period!
 
Time to build those dreams! Can't do it while smoking anymore!

KISS

Adam
D23
NOPT

It's not ever the quit...(RP)

This is a repost I definitely needed to see and let sink in for the last week or so. My junky mind is trying to blame every little thing on the fact I quit smoking. That's a lie. I keep reminding myself that it is because I smoked for 18 years that certain things are happening. This repost hits the nail on the head!

Adam

D22

(RP)===========================================

From CarlyKicksButts on 3/29/2012 6:19:16 AM

When you quit, you are going to have symptoms. You might....

-have bad gas

-get headaches

-get stomach cramps

-lose all focus

-get discombobulated

-forget things

-have dry mouth

-get little mouth sores

-get a sore throat

-develop a cough

-start coughing up dark gunk

-feel weak and tired

-feel anxiety

-etc.

This is NOT from "quitting" smoking. 

THIS IS THE RESULT OF THE SMOKING. Smoking caused the pain and agony you are going through.

"Not Smoking" does not cause people discomfort, folks. Ask a non smoker...."does not smoking give you a headache?" "The last time you didn't smoke, did not smoking make you tired?" :-)

Nicotine and the hundreds of chemicals are what CAUSE all your agony. The process of getting them OUT of your system isn't pleasant. But the GOOD NEWS is that if you do NOT take one SINGLE puff, this process is a ONE TIME thing. You never have to go through this ever again, and then you can enjoy "not smoking" like the rest of the world.

And it's even way cooler than you can imagine it is.

After smoking 32 years, I just didn't know. It's fan-freaking-tastic. NOT smoking causes happiness. Smoking causes all this crud you're going through.

Maintain the proper perspective and you'll love getting that toxic sludge and crud OUT of your system, even though it's not comfortable.

Just don't blame the quit. Please blame the smoking; that's the cause here!

Carly

d879

Days I Just Want to Die (RP)

 So much in this repost struck a deep chord with me. In these early days I have been angry at the smallest of things, thinking I have been deprived of the one thing I found happiness in. I have been holding on to that thought that "things get better", and still have to. I know anything that tries to get me to smoke is a lie from the junky. I have found myself on the floor crying deep in the guilt, fear and shame of not feeling able to escape from this addiction. Such an honest and true post of what it's like going through quitting, and how I trust things will get better, and I'll look back in disbelief at the thoughts that have controlled and brainwashed me into believing that smoking does something for me. SMOKING DOES ABSOLUTELY NOTHING BUT KEEP YOUR ADDICTION ALIVE AND ADDS ONE BIG PROBLEM THAT CASTS A SHADOW OVER ALL OTHER "REAL LIFE" PROBLEMS.

Adam
3weeks

(Repost)=================================================

Days I just wanted to Die
From: Melissa777_-Gold (Original Message) Sent: 7/14/2003 9:34 PM

Hi

I was laying in bed this am thinking about life in general.
I do that a lot now because there is no rush to get up and get a fix.

I thought about a lot of things and just before I got up it dawned on me that smoking was not one of my first thoughts as a matter of fact it only came to mind when I was thinking about all the really bad stuff I have been through in life.

There were days early in my quit that I just wanted to die.
Death seemed a better option then what I was feeling trying to quit.

I remember being on the bathroom floor crying so hard I was gagging (smoking related) I never gag anymore. Why the Bathroom floor you may ask, I have no earthly idea.

I mean it could have just as easily been the bed or a chair, but I was just losing it and nothing I did or said was making much sense.

My husband got on his knees and said "what can I do to help"? I used words he was not accustomed to hearing from me and told him I needed to smoke and that I couldn't do it. I repeated over and over "I just cannot do this". I didn't realize until much later that while I was saying I just cannot do this... I was doing it! I was getting through what ever life threw my way. It wasn't necessarily the best way I can think of to handle emotions, but I was new to it at the time and did the best I could.

I was new to not smoking when things got hard and putting aside what ever the problem was until I smoked two or three.

Simple everyday life things came at me when I first quit and I felt overwhelmed. I mean my car needed work and they actually wanted me to wait while they fixed it! I couldn't see doing that ...didn't they know I couldn't smoke while I waited? that I didn't know how to wait and not smoke?
It felt like the world would end that day.

It didn't though, I got something to drink and looked around at things I didn't notice much before like the beauty of the sky, the trees flowing in the wind, Flowers in bloom, birds chirping. I guess that was all clouded before by all that smoke I so blindly sat in thinking I had it all together.

I look back on all of it and there were 100's of times I said
"I cannot do this"
100's of times I said"I am just going to smoke this too hard"
100's of times I said this isn't the right time and got in my car to go buy a pack.
AND 100's of times I got through each temptation each so called crave some I really believe were just thoughts.
100's of times I got out of the car realizing that smoking was not the answer and that I already had everything I needed inside me to deal with life and in my house in my husband and children.

I hated the fact hat I had even tried to quit because now people expected me not to smoke.
They looked forward to a healthier me. My logic was if I had not tried to quit I could still smoke with out letting anyone down. I hated my own Quit I hated that I had ever tried to quit at all! I believed I was in prison and smokers were free.

I began to think dying from lung cancer would be better then feeling as bad a s I was. How utterly stupid! SO Pathetic! I am embarrassed to say I thought that way. That thinking now makes me laugh and cringe too, I cannot believe I thought that way and actually tried to make logical arguments out of junkie thinking. I actually got mad when anyone said my arguments made no sense.
I no longer have those kinds of thoughts at all.

I resented people in my life enjoying anything. I would see my husband sit down and act like he enjoyed drinking his coffee and I would just steam inside, because I didn't feel I had anything left to enjoy. He Wanted me to stay quit, but he could sit there doing all the same things he had always done while I had top relearn everything. I just resented it, because at the time there was nothing I enjoyed I even hated eating because I didn't know what to do with myself after I was done. Now I just feel full like everyone else when I am done eating and I am not looking for anything else to do. The act of eating for me now is complete when the meal is done. seems simple enough and the way it was always meant to be.

I hated waking up because it meant doing things different then I could ever remember doing. I actually ate breakfast instead of smoking for my morning meal. I hated soda because I associated that with smoking.

It seemed all the things that once made me happy I now disliked. I hurt inside daily for a while like someone had died... I mean down to my soul deep, deep, pain. I had no clue who I was now or how to live my life. I mean I cried! For Me crying was rare. It took something like death or serious illness of a loved one to make me shed a tear before. I was not a sensitive type of female at all. Here I was now crying if someone looked at me wrong. I felt silly too, I felt like I must look funny doing this instead of smoking. I thought smoking made me look cool like I was deep in thought even when I wasn't. I thought it masked pain so I just appeared unshaken to whom ever was around.

I found out later that most of family saw me as not very strong at all because I needed that crutch to deal with everything even shopping. I also found out that my pain was never masked they saw right through it all.

I was never this cool tough girl I had created in my own head to them just and addict who smoked to deal with life and they saw long before I did that it never solved anything.

It was horrible at times and really hard to do, the hardest thing I have ever done in fact. At the same time it is by far one of the biggest, best, and most important accomplishments in my life.

I love soda, and all other foods probably to much now, more than I ever did smoking. I am no longer resentful toward other people because they are enjoying things in life, because I am enjoying those things with them.

Waking up is only hard for me now when I didn't get enough sleep. I do not wake up feeling like anything is missing.

I am no longer plagued with thoughts of smoking, not smoking, how hard it is or isn't, anything else smoking related. My days are just normal days now.

I get through my day and smoking doesn't cross my mind.
Neither does the fact that I am not smoking.
I just live life the same way everyone else does.

I am not saying that smoking or the fact that I used to do it doesn't enter my mind. I wouldn't be here today if it didn't. But it crosses my mind in a very different way now. I want others to know it can be done no matter how hard and impossible it seems at first. I think about all the help I got here and want to give back. I have regrets now, but it is not that I quit.. It is that I ever started. I also hope I didn't do irreversible damage.those are my thoughts now.

I know I never needed it. I know life is livable, enjoyable, and doable without them. My life is better! I am serious. I am not just saying that, it is real. Just how much better I feel physically alone is worth every minute I suffered in the beginning. Not to mention all the other benefits. If you stick it out, you will be here listing all the ways your life has improved just hoping someone will believe what you say so that they also stick it out.

I could have given in, but had I done that, I would never know the comfort I know now, the health, the happiness and the peace. There is an elation that comes with no longer being a prisoner to something that is killing you. If I had given in I would still be smoking my life away believing freedom is unobtainable and continuing to poison myself until early death came my way.

Stick it out! It gets better! As bad as it gets trying to quit, being terminally ill would be much worse.
Tobacco companies have had enough of your money, they are filthy rich while they rob you of not only your money but your health and ultimately your life. Use your lungs for breathing air the way they were meant to be used and watch and see how much better life will get.

Smoking is something I no longer choose to do. It no longer has a hold on me. I am no longer it's prisoner. I am not consumed by thoughts of it. I believed what was said here "IT GETS BETTER" I hung on to those words, fought through it, and you know what they were right. So much better! It is only better because I stuck it out and never took another puff! Days of just wanting to die are now over I have peace and want to live a long life and watch my kid grow.

I hope this helps anyone here struggling. I was blessed enough with the People here helping see light in total darkness and lies in my head and I just want to help where I can now that I am in the light of truth.

Melissa

Are you committed or just interested?

(RP)

Sort of need this for myself and hope it helps someone else stay in check too. Commitment is what changes the path we take. I am fully committed this time around.

Adam
D17

From JKFirefly on 3/30/2012 2:07:09 PM

Here’s what 100% COMMITTMENT looks like:
~ If you are committed to your goal then there are no excuses, only results
~ You have discipline – It’s just part of your daily practice
~ It’s a done deal
~ You’ve made the decision – you’re committed to making it happen
~ You don’t have to think about it anymore. The decision has been made – you’re doing it
~ There is no debate in your head
~ Life is easier and you have focus
~ This is not negotiable
~ You observe the boundaries you’ve made to make this happen
~ You turn up every day despite obstacles and not feeling like it no matter what the circumstances

Here’s what just being INTERESTED looks like:
~ You do it inconsistently – only when you remember or ‘feel like it’
~ You can find excuses NOT to do it
~ You wake up each morning fighting the voices in your head over whether to ‘do it’ today or ‘not’ or ‘I’ll start it tomorrow’
~ You make excuses during the day to justify your lack of commitment to this goal. “I haven’t got the time.” “It’s not my fault.” “I should have…” “I’m too tired.” “I deserve a day off.”
~ You make hesitant attempts to start but easily give up
~ You’re still fighting with the decision even though you’ve already made it
~ You (and the committee in your head) debates the topic over and over
~ You feel frustrated because you know what you should do, you just don’t do it!

http://www.elainebaileyinternational.com/wordpress/2010/04/are-you-committed-or-just-interested/

100% Committment looks a lot like being a Harda$$. Embrace it!!

Karen
453 days

What is the most difficult thing about quitting? (RP)

 I've been used to listening to the junky for way too long. The junky feeds off of fear. Whether it's success or failure, it's main focus is to get you to do that one thing you don't want to do...and that's take a puff. Today I remain smoke free and here is a great reminder from gummer of the truth behind how this addiction works on our minds.

Adam ~D17

(RP)

What is the most difficult thing about quitting ?
Repost from Gummer

... you THINKING that you cannot do it
... you THINKING that life will never be the same again
... you THINKING that you will never feel like yourself again
... you THINKING that you will always miss smoking
... you THINKING that you will never fully enjoy life again
... you THINKING that you will not be able to cope
... you THINKING that you won't be able to focus

The hardest part about quitting is not even real, it is what you FEAR, rather than what IS. It is a byproduct of the addiction that threatens you with all out panic at the thought of never smoking again. When you feel this way, recognize it, and remind yourself that it is just the addiction at work, and that there is nothing negative about quitting - not a single solitary thing. Addiction is what is causing all the misery and fear. What's more, as you move along your quit and the fog of addiction starts to lift, you will see that your fears were not only unfounded but that you actually prefer a smoke-free life than being chained to cigarettes merely to feel normal.

Don't make quitting difficult on yourself. Change the way you think about cigarettes and it will change the way you quit. Cigarettes do not make you feel good... they addict you and make you feel miserable.

Building Quit Muscle (RP)

My main focus right now is building my quit muscle. Whether the crave or trigger is big or small, each moment is a victory and the muscle grows, especially in those tough times. So as Gummer says, don't let craves and withdrawals discourage you, they are just the resistance you are training against!

 

Adam

 

(RP)

 

You know how you build muscle

From gummer on 10/20/2010 2:41:18 PM

... by lifting weights? Or by exercising and focusing on your weaknesses?

You know how you learn a foreign language by immersing yourself in it? By scrunching up your brain and forcing it to do things that don't come naturally?

Quitting is no different. Quitting happens when you actively fight your desire to smoke, when you resist the temptation when it is all around you. You are not quitting when you are sitting on the couch watching a movie like a bump on a log. But you are quitting when you are frantic to meet a deadline and you are all stressed out and you don't smoke. You are also quitting when you meet a friend at a bar and you don't smoke even though that is all you want to do. It is during these times that you are building quit muscle. So don't let cravings and withdrawals discourage you. They are simply the resistance you are training against. They are the additional weights, the extra sit-ups that make your eye's bulge, they are the foreign words you stretch to grasp, the sentences you can't quite pronounce. 

When quitting is hard, remember that you ARE making progress, even if it doesn't feel that way. Because when quitting is hard... that is PRECISELY when you are learning, and getting stronger, and moving forward. When you engage the addiction and emerge smoke free, THAT is when you are quitting. That is what will free you.

Be patient.

Be optimistic.

Be persistent.

You will succeed.

Gummer

"It sure was a struggle to get here"....(RP)

Though my quit is young, I can already relate with the fact that when I am smoke free, it is an amazing feeling to be able to do as I want, go where I want, come and go as I please without some addiction controlling me every step of the way. I already feel so much more freedom only 10 days in and these are thoughts I keep as constant reminders of where I came from and the misery I am escaping by committing to being smoke free!

Adam ~D10 

(RP)
 
It sure was a struggle to get here...
From lighthousekeep on 2/10/2011 12:03:20 PM

and I cannot tell you exactly when I *arrived*.

Perhaps it was when I started to notice the crave waves of mine were all but dead.

Or perhaps a year or two back when I noticed some folks scurrying around to find a place to smoke at a busy airport after just getting in.

Or the poor sods who stand out in 25 below zero weather having to have that smoke and I stand inside with hot cup of coffee gazing out the warm window.

All I know is that it dawned on me at some point along the Way that since I Quit Smoking, I come and go as I please, where I please, as I please; freed of all those chains , shackles and fetters from that Filthy Dungeon of Addiction I rotted in for 40 too long years.

These are just some of the Fruits of a Quit, my friends~~

Relish them Daily!!!

greg

1762 days, 19 hours, 22 minutes and 28 seconds smoke free. 70512 cigarettes not smoked. $17,101.10 and 17 months, 28 days, 15 hours of my life saved! My quit date: 4/14/2006 3:30:00 PM

The Other Side of "Romancing the Cigarette"....(RP)

It's time to focus on the true side of what smoking has to offer. NOTHING. When quitting, the addict in our brain likes to feel deprived and find the smallest of things to tell us that we can't quit, now is not the time. It also tries to get us to romance and remember times in our head when smoking a cigarette made everything perfect. But there is a reality behind these fake notions that feel so real and confuse us if we really take a moment and be honest with ourselves....FACE REALITY!

Adam 

 (RP)

The Other Side of Romacing

We talk a lot about Not Romancing the Cigarette and that is Good Advice, but what is Romancing? 

Is it walking by a smoker and thinking I sure wish that was me, or Damn I wish I could have one of those? You may have a bad day and think smoking will ease the pressure you feel, but for the most part you don't finish dinner and think "I sure wish I had a cigarette!" sure you may get the trigger outta habit, but most of us brush it off and try to move on, we distract ourselves like we were taught and if you don't then You are Romancing.

We define Romancing (or I do) as painting a picture of Cigarettes making this situation better or more relaxing or being under pressure or stress and telling ourselves that a Cigarette will make it better, or any thoughts that rationalizes a moment in which you tell yourself Smoking will make it better, But what about the other side?
 
The other side, the side we don't talk much about because it's not Pretty. We can't dress it up or give it cute names like Ole Nic or Romancing, the other side is the Addiction, the Monster that we can not get away from, the Addiction. It is Faceless, Colorless, Tasteless, but it is there, it is Real. We can beat it down for a while, but it always seems to find a way to work it's way back into our minds.

You get a trigger and you brush it off, just like you were taught.
15 minutes later you get the same trigger again, brush it off again and again. This process can go on and on for hours. Are you Romancing, I don't think so, but we don't talk about this because it's Hard, it is Really Hard and their is no one there to help, just you and this Damn Thought that you can not get out of your head, just you and this Addiction.

We fight every day to stay Smoke free, some of us fight every minute, so why is that, why, why, why do some get the easy road and others don't.....Because we are Addicts and Addiction effects all of us Different, just like relapse happens for different reasons. It is not always romancing, sometimes you just get tired, tired of the fighting, fighting hour after hour, fighting Ole Nic and if you smoke the fight is over. You get tired of fighting, you become Mentally Exhausted, you just get tired of fighting the Mental Battle and Give Up.

I have come to believe that outside forces are not responsible for my reactions or choices. Addiction is faceless, mindless, stupid -- not cunning or baffling. It just is. Addiction says "use", and I don't put my dukes up to fight, I don't argue or rationalize. The addictive thought is "use" and my response is "no". End of dialog.

Use your tools, Distract, delay,breath deep, change your thought process, call a friend but don't Smoke. This Demon we call Ole Nic is nothing more than an addiction, it is not cunning, or smart or any of the cute things I've read about, it is an Addiction and it will be with us all the days of our lives...
Romancing it is not a option, but Beware that is not the only approach this addiction uses.

Rick
D256

If you don't feed it, it will die...(RP)

This is what I'm realizing. Not only with quitting smoking, but finding more positivity in life. Whether bad things are happening in life, if we keep doing the things that offer love and positive vibes, that's what we'll feel and put back into the universe.

If we feed the negative thoughts, we'll believe them and focus on them instead of the good in a situation.

It reminds me of when Mother Teresa said, "don't be anti-war, be pro-peace."

Adam ~D9

(RP)

From melder7 on 1/2/2012 9:49:36 AM


You’ll hear that a LOT in here from those with some time under their belt. The reason they emphasize this simple message is because it’s the key to success. No matter how long you smoked…how much you smoked…what your environment is like…who your friends are….why you are doing this…….

THIS is the constant….for all of us.

IF YOU STOP FEEDING IT IT WILL DIE.

Ah …… you say….well I stopped feeding the monster X number of days ago and as far as I’m concerned it’s not only alive……it’s growing.

Hmmmm…….well that’s strange…..how can that possibly be……that seems to go against what so many are preaching……..is it possible that there are exceptions to this rule?

Nope.

Feeding the monster is not always the physical act of lighting up.

As long as you continue to fantasize about all the things you THOUGHT smoking did for you……you continue to keep it alive.

Kill the damn thing once and for all.

Quit feeding it by remembering it for what it REALLY was.

Quit feeding it by telling yourself that you CAN’T …or that you’re weak….or that this isn’t the right time.

Quit feeding it by allowing yourself to think that YOU are the exception to the “no such thing as just one” rule….If you were you wouldn’t be here.

Stand your ground and freedom is yours for the taking.

Starve the beast out.

If you want this bad enough you CAN do anything.



maureen
3430 days of NOT feeding my addiction to smoking

Smoking CAN be beaten

Portrait of Successful Quitters (RP)

Here is a great and positive outline on what to do and feel when successfully quitting. Staying positive and true to your quit is key and this couldn't be more well written!

Adam

(RP)

A Portrait of Successful Quitters by Fred Kelley
 
Success leaves clues. These clues are a road map you can follow to improve your chances of becoming a successful quitter. Smokers who quit successfully have common characteristics, and take common steps along the road to becoming an ex-smoker.

You can follow those steps. You can duplicate them. There is no copyright or patent on the steps necessary to quit smoking. 

The formula for successfully quitting smoking is not a closely guarded trade secret like the formula for Coke or the recipe for Kentucky Fried Chicken. All who wish to copy the success of other quitters may do so, freely.

Here, then, is a portrait of successful quitters.
Successful quitters are motivated. They have reached a point in their lives where they have become disgusted or concerned about the effects smoking has on their lives and/or the lives of people around them.
Successful quitters are honest with themselves. Smokers tell themselves many lies to help justify smoking. Quitters acknowledge the dangers of smoking.

Successful quitters stop making excuses. There never will be a perfect time or situation or alignment of the stars to quit smoking.

Successful quitters accept responsibility for their habit. They acknowledge that they made the decision to start smoking, and that no one else can quit for them. They quit blaming their parents or the tobacco companies or anyone else.

Successful quitters admit they have a weakness and an addiction. They also understand there is no shame in the addiction.

Successful quitters admit they may need help and are willing to seek outside support.

Successful quitters plan their quit. They write down goals, dates, obstacles, etc.

Successful quitters set a quit date.

Successful quitters develop a belief in themselves and their own ability to overcome smoking. Without self-belief, smokers rarely quit. Successful quitters seek ways to improve the belief that they can quit.

Successful quitters usually make several attempts to quit before finally quitting permanently. Persistence and determination are critical to quitting.

Successful quitters become very attuned to what triggers their smoking; then they eliminate as may triggers as possible. For example, many smokers like to light up when they go to a bar. By avoiding the bar scene, quitters eliminate this trigger.

Successful quitters find a quit buddy to support them. Family members or friends can often quit smoking together, and support each other in the process. 
Resources on the Internet are also available to help smokers find support buddies.

Successful quitters remove barriers to quitting. Simple steps such as disposing of all cigarettes, lighters and ashtrays remove the temptation to smoke.

Successful quitters are willing to make tough choices. For example, quitters may have to distance themselves from friends or family who smoke.

Successful quitters are willing to experience the discomfort of quitting. Withdrawal symptoms keep many smokers from quitting. Successful quitters tolerate the symptoms and learn how to deal with them so they can quit. They understand that most things in life worth fighting for require some effort and discomfort.

Successful quitters see themselves as non-smokers. They have a specific goal or vision in mind.

Successful quitters begin exercise programs. Exercise relieves stress, counteracts weight gain that many quitters experience, heightens feelings of well-being, and makes quitting easier.

Successful quitters are willing to try nicotine patches and gum, Zyban and other smoking cessation aids. These products don't help everyone, but they do have a proven track record.

Successful quitters meditate. Meditation helps reduce stress and clear the mind.

Successful quitters often seek a higher power to help them as they struggle against their addiction and cravings. Spiritual support makes most anything easier to accomplish.

Successful quitters alter their diet. Fruits, vegetables and more water can serve as substitutes for cigarettes, while helping the body heal.

Successful quitters help others quit. They feel a sense of duty to share what they have learned, so others can become smoke-free.

Successful quitters reward themselves for staying smoke-free. They make a list of rewards, both large and small, that they give themselves the longer they remain off cigarettes.

Successful quitters remain on guard for months or even years after they quit, knowing that all it takes is one puff to start smoking again.

By following in the footsteps of successful quitters, you can dramatically improve your chances of quitting smoking. Begin working today to adopt these success traits so you, too, can be a portrait of a successful quitter.