Hi, my name is Lori. I am a quit virgin. I guess my biggest question is where do I start? I want to quit very badly. I have been a smoker for 10 years. I have always smoked a half a pack a day. You would think it would be easy for me, but, it's harder than that. I have gone through a lot of trauma in my life. Unfortunately, the trauma is still going. I'm scared about what will happen to me if I have a craving or something stressful happens. I'm doing this for my son and myself. Mostly for my son. I know what this is doing to him and it scares me. It's that damn habit! I can't stop it. It's so hard. If anyone out there can help give me some advice I would appreciate it. How do I stay motivated? What will happen to me the next few days? Will the irritability go away? Thank you for letting me vent this out. I look forward to hearing from fellow quitters. Good luck to all. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/24/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 0 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 0 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $0 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 0 [B]Mins:[/B] 0 [B]Seconds:[/B] 0

Thank you all for the wonderful advice. I am very glad to have such positive feedback. I wish my family was this supportive. It's very nice to see a group that is very positive and motivational. Today was my first day and it was very rough. There were times that I wanted to grab for a cig so bad, but, I resisted. I was around family today which made it easy because I don't smoke around them anyway. I chewed gum when I was in the car and I unfortunately ate too much today. I figure that was to be expected. I will keep you all posted on my progress and I hope to chat with all of you soon. Best wishes and thank you again- Lori [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/24/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 1 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 10 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $3.65 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 1 [B]Mins:[/B] 43 [B]Seconds:[/B] 24

Hi Jaws Good Luck with your quit, no matter how weak you get in moments, they pass just don't cave in and it will get easier. Drink alot of water and do the breathing exercises they do help. They helped me get through the first 2 weeks which are the hardest. Alot of it is determination and you have to decide that you never want to smoke again. (It's that damn habit! I can't stop it. It's so hard. If anyone out there can help give me some advice I would appreciate it. How do I stay motivated? What will happen to me the next few days? Will the irritability go away? Thank you for letting me vent this out. ) That is "stinkin' thinkin'" and it is the addiction, the junkie in you trying to lure you back. Smack it back HARD and remind yourself that smoking is not an option. That's what I do -- well, smoking isn't an option, so I'll have to deal with how I'm feeling at this moment in some other way. So far, it's ALWAYS worked. Stay positive -- and knock that "stinkin' thinkin'" out the door! Good Luck Kygirl :) :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/5/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 19 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 484 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $73.625 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 2 [B]Hrs:[/B] 8 [B]Mins:[/B] 10 [B]Seconds:[/B] 4

Hi Lori, You have come to a great place to learn about quitting and what to expect. I'm not sure if you've posted in the introuduce yourself section, but welcome and congratulations on your decision to quit! If you haven't already done so, use the tools on the left to prepare for the journey ahead of you. One of the first things you should know is that you are not quitting a simple habit, you are quitting a serious addiction. Start by reading every thing you can about nicotine addiction, as the more you know, the more prepared you will be and the easier it will be for you to quit. Everyone has their own experiences, methods and ways of coping while quitting. You will find a wide range of experiences and advice from many wonderful people here. Best of luck and let us know how we can help. Pat [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/28/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 27 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,082 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $378 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 3 [B]Hrs:[/B] 3 [B]Mins:[/B] 51 [B]Seconds:[/B] 40

Jaws, I didn't quite finish. Woops. Over the next few days your quit may be a little different from others. You'll feel that irritability but, if you're going cold turkey, the nicotine will be out of your system in 3 days. You'll start to settle down after that. You will feel cravings but, you have to busy yourself doing other things and drink that water. Lots of water. When you have a craving, get mad at it. Literally gripe at it. You're releasing stress when you do that. Do tell you family and friends that you've quit and ask them to be patient with you. Remember, smoking is more than a habit, it IS an addiction. I bad addiction but one that can be overcome. We'll all help you. With each craving that comes along, tell yourself that your body is making progress. It really is too. Read as much on this site as you can. Really look at the tools over to the left and work them. It'll help you so much. And read, read and read posts and then post as much as you need to. We're all here for you. Take Care, Tutti [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/18/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 7 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 390 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $19.53 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 18 [B]Mins:[/B] 0 [B]Seconds:[/B] 34

Hey Jaws, Welcome and congratulations on a wonderful decision. Look, you're doing this for yourself and for you son. You know all of the health benefits from being a non-smoker. But, make yourself a list of reasons WHY you want to quit and that list will help to motivate you. My List: I want to live. Life is a precious gift and I've abused my body for far too long. I want to live longer and be with my husband and children. My kids are grown but they still need Mom around. I want to see my grandchildren come into the world. I don't want my family worrying about my health anymore. I want to feel good, more energetic, free from coughing, I want to breathe clearly again, etc. I don't want to smell like nasty, stale cigarettes. I don't want my breath to smell like an ashtray, I'm tired of feeling embarrassed when Non Smokers looked at me with disgust, I want my hair and clothes to smell nice and fresh again. That list can go on. Oh, and I want to take the money I'm saving on smokes and use it for something my family needs, something we want, or wherever it's most needed. That's a start for a motivational list and you can make your own list. But you get the idea. Jaws, have plenty of sunflower seeds, hard candy, gum, toothpicks, straws, peanuts, etc. to satisfy that hand to mouth thing. IMPORTANT: Drink lots and lots and lots of water. It helps with the cravings like you wouldn't believe. It flushes the poisons out of your system and dulls those cravings. Prepare your house and car by getting rid of the smoke smell as much as you can. Throw away any cigarettes and ashtrays. Have nice candles, incense, and spray carpet deodorizer to mask the smell of smoke. Wherever you smoke the most (triggers), change those triggers up. One of my big triggers is my PC so, since I can't move it right now, I rearranged everything on my desk and a candle sits where my ashtray once did. I sit my drinks to the right now instead of to the left. I had to make my desk different to help with those triggers. Think about where you smoke the most and try to avoid those places for a while. When you get a serious craving, remember water, water, water and then do something else during the crave....like take a shower, do 50 jumpi

Welcome Jaws You have found the best site on the internet for support! Congratulations in your revelation that you need to quit. So your quit date is planned for the 24th and you want to quit for your son? A 10 yr smoker and "virgin quitter". Just so you know...you can always change your date if you need to. Have you chosen a method to help you quit (a nicotine replacement therapy like gum or patch, lozenge etc?) or a prescription Rx? Or...are you going Cold-Turkey? All of the above are doable..some perhaps easier than others. (I've tried most of them...and using Chantix now. It's working well) Everyone here has something to offer to help you quit. If you go to the Home page, you will find columns on the left that describe the different forums for posts...and they go way back in time. Also there is always "Active discussions for today" located on the home page. You will learn a lot about the struggle of addiction reading past and present post. Read, relax and enjoy ....we will help you quit. auntdeb [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/1/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 54 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 2,719 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $256.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 7 [B]Hrs:[/B] 11 [B]Mins:[/B] 31 [B]Seconds:[/B] 24

ps Don't forget to answer your questions truthfully! [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/1/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 54 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 2,721 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $256.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 7 [B]Hrs:[/B] 11 [B]Mins:[/B] 45 [B]Seconds:[/B] 43

kygirl Get a-hold "Youngin"! When you crave...are you connecting the dots? Have you determined the feeling (emotion) causing the crave? Once I did this...everything came together like a perfect puzzele. The crave would hit... I stopped and asked myself the question, "What are you "really feeling here?" (fear, anger, hostility, Hunger, pain, do I need to get something off my chest..or you just don't know what...for real>? Start practicing this faithfully when a crave hits. Take some deep breaths. I am originally from KY too...born and raised there with Tobacco being our big crop that kept families fed. The only thing you have to fear ...is fear itself. Some will disagree with me at this site, but I just happened to be one who believes you have to face your triggers, not avoid or hide from them. auntdeb :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/1/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 54 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 2,721 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $256.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 7 [B]Hrs:[/B] 11 [B]Mins:[/B] 45 [B]Seconds:[/B] 20

Lori, Welcome to the SSC! And congratulations on your decision to end this addiction! There are lots of wonderful people here that you will learn soo much from! There is also an awesome program on the left of the screen, so fill your glove compartment with tools to help you along. And reading those posts by the long time successful quitters, like Duffis said, should get you off to a great start! Prepare yourself, your mind, your home and your family! Stay strong! Debbie [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 10/26/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 121 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 2,427 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $453.75 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 11 [B]Hrs:[/B] 19 [B]Mins:[/B] 43 [B]Seconds:[/B] 17