It's mighty quiet in here. I have a confession.

[swimboy]

After two months without smoking, I had one (okay, two) at a party Saturday night. I'm not proud of it but I'm not undone either. I haven't gone back to it, but it has revived the urges to some degree. That should serve as a warning to me. It really is easier not to smoke at all than to bargain with myself about what I might or might not do in any given context.

I hope you previous posters are doing well with your efforts. Whether or not, please check in if you care to.

[redwitch]

1. Occasionally smoking will put you right back where you were before.

I have fallen for that, hang in there, resist!

[Langis]

2. That's what got me smoking again

a couple months ago. Although I have quit again, and now I make sure when I'm out drinking I NEVER have a smoke. You are right, it is much easier to just say no, then to talk yourself into having that one or two smokes.

[MO_Dem]

3. My first post in this forum

I have not had a cigarette this month. I've been a pack-a-dayer for 35 years. About 10 years ago, I quit for 6 weeks, then had that "one won't hurt me now" urge, and the rest is history. I'm not gonna fall for that old deceptive thinking again. Every time I think of smoking "just one", I remind myself that I don't want to go through this again.

I've gone cold turkey both times. Drinking lots of water, peppermint Lifesavers, apples, pickles, walking, and DEEP breathing are my helpers.

I have $75 in my imaginary savings account now.

I wish us all success! :grouphug:

[murielm99]

4. Hoooray for you!

One month is a great milestone. I am at 53 days.

It is good to see someone posting in this forum again. I need the support from time to time. Holler if you need support, too.

[MO_Dem]

7. Thanks!

I've been lurking here for a couple of weeks, but I didn't want to "toot my horn" until I was pretty sure that I could keep my determination. It does help to hear from people who are further along. Remember the song (paraphrased) "We'll get by with a little help from our friends"!

[Bonhomme Richard]

5. I've been under crazy stress lately from.....

my business, taking gigs I really don't want etc., etc. It's been about three months for me without a cigarette after cold turkey 36 years.
Well I went out and bought a loose pack of tobacco (I used to roll my own for a short period of time and still have the roller and papers) and rolled myself a smoke. I went outside, tried to take one puff and couldn't do it. I really tried but it hurt like hell as if I was trying to stuff a basketball into my lungs. Couldn't do it. Put out the smoke and that was the end of it. Mentally I feel like I'm really over it and that I would have to train myself to smoke all over again and that would be crazy to do.

[MO_Dem]

6. You have my total admiration!

Quitting while under stress has to take real determination. I can't begin to imagine how you did it! Congratulations! Be very, very proud of yourself! You give me added hope and determination that I can beat this habit, too.



:hug:



:yourock:

[murielm99]

8. I envy you.

It is great that you tried it and discovered that you can't smoke any more. I am looking forward to getting where you are.

But I would never be able to try a puff. I would be smoking again in a heartbeat. And I feel like taking better care than that of my heart.

[Bonhomme Richard]

9. I've tried stopping before but never for this long....

Usually I lasted a month and when I went for that first smoke it only made me a little dizzy. This time it was painful so I'm kind of excited but in a weird way kind of like I lost a friend. Oh, well. A new life.

[MO_Dem]

10. I know exactly what you mean about

feeling like you've lost a friend. I feel that way too, sometimes. Cigarettes have been my faithful(?) companion through thick and thin for a long, long time. In fact, I really can't remember much of my life without cigarettes, since I started sneaking around smoking when I was about 15 years old. My defense against that feeling is this: they say that abused kids really do love their abusive parents and suffer emotionally when they are removed from the abusive situation. I try to think of cigarettes as an abusive "friend" that actually wants to kill me, and it is really true!

I want to live long enough to see this bunch of lying, hypocrite republicans sink to the irrelvance they deserve.

Hey, I got it! I think this will work! Let's declare that cigarettes are neo-con REPUBLICANS and that we never want to see another one. :evilgrin: