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Getting harder


18 years ago 0 1687 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Alexa, My thought and prayers are with you, hold on tight my dear one!!! SUNSHINE [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/7/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 95 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,616 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $332.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 13 [B]Hrs:[/B] 16 [B]Mins:[/B] 11 [B]Seconds:[/B] 40
  • Quit Meter

    $229,903.31

    Amount Saved

  • Quit Meter

    Days: 6396 Hours: 1

    Minutes: 29 Seconds: 0

    Life Gained

  • Quit Meter

    45413

    Smoke Free Days

  • Quit Meter

    681,195

    Cigarettes Not Smoked

18 years ago 0 2614 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Shevie and Lady are major quitteres and what they say is spot on. Hang on tight, stay strong and breath breath breath. This will pass. Phillip [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/17/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 53 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,068 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $397.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 8 [B]Hrs:[/B] 16 [B]Mins:[/B] 52 [B]Seconds:[/B] 7
18 years ago 0 5195 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Alexa..I quit cold turkey too and know what you mean about those all day craves. Congratulations on 32 hard earned days! Get your coping skills out. I know 32 days is a long time but you are still very early in your quit. Keep doing what you have been doing for the past 32 days because it is working. Ice water, deep breathes, mints all help. Some days are good and some days aren't so good. It is all part of the quit process. You just have to take it as it comes. A crave only has as much power as you give it. I know that sounds silly but it is true and ignoring the crave takes a lot practice. Busy yourself doing something that will take your mind off of it. You are also at a critical part of your quit where a lot of people give up. Do not give in to the addiction. You made a choice and a committiment to stay smoke free. Honor that committment no matter what. It will get so much easier... I promise. You are in control not the junkie... Tell the junkie to go away.. yell out loud if it helps (I really use to scream in my car. Sane people would have thougth I was nuts but hey...it helped). Whatever it takes, just don't smoke. You can do it! [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 7/1/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 284 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 5,688 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $994 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 25 [B]Hrs:[/B] 1 [B]Mins:[/B] 30 [B]Seconds:[/B] 13
18 years ago 0 5195 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Alexa... it will pass when you get ticked off at it and put it out of your mind. It is frustrating. I know exactly what you mean. Tell it to go away! Seriously. When does it pass? It is passing. That is what you are going through. The passing from addiction to freedom. Hand on tight. The road is rough but worth traveling. There is a post by Duffis about when it all ends...It's a Tuesday. I'll find it and bump it for you. Maybe that will help you. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 7/1/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 284 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 5,688 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $994 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 25 [B]Hrs:[/B] 1 [B]Mins:[/B] 33 [B]Seconds:[/B] 25
18 years ago 0 2830 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Alexa, Hang on!!! That 30-day pit is a tough one and it's where I first lost my quit (day 34) in July when I first attempted quitting. It sucks, but just hold on!! I think what's happening is that this is the first REALLY major mile-stone that we hit as a quitter. One month! 30 days! How great is that?!?! But then, our minds think (subconciously) that we need a reward... and what reward did we give ourselves after EVERY accomplishment when we smoked? A cigarette! So now, you're mind is thinking... "OK. I've done this really great thing... and now I want to smoke!" So what you need to do is go out and reward yourself for a job well done! Go out and spend a little (or a lot) of that $112 that you've saved and get yourself something that you will really enjoy. Rewards don't have to be expensive, but they DO have to be things that you really like and will really enjoy. So reward yourself! You've done an awesome job! Crave the Quit! Pam [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 10/28/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 165 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 4,139 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $681.45 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 12 [B]Hrs:[/B] 0 [B]Mins:[/B] 24 [B]Seconds:[/B] 27
18 years ago 0 2830 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Alright. I understand now!! Your reward turned into punishment and now, you're mad at your quit because you've gained weight. Can you see why this would make you upset? It certainly would me too! I completely understand where you are coming from! But the fact is that you haven't really rewarded yourself yet, which is still something that you need to do. Go out and do something that doesn't involve clothing stores... go do something fun! Enjoy yourself! Treat yourself right because you are worth it and you're doing something awesome for yourself by quitting! Rewards are still important... and I'm so sorry that that happened to you in the store! As for the weight issue, my philosophy was one addiction at a time. But, I understand that weight gain is a serious problem for many people and the weight will come off eventually. We gain weight when we quit for many reasons. Some of it is eating more, but that's not all of it... smoking is an appetite suppresant, for one. It also raised metabolism, so even if you don't eat more, your body is breaking things down at a slower rate, so that could be why you are gaining weight. Alexa, I hope that you do go out and reward yourself nicely for quitting. It really will make you feel better... I promise. And in a few days, you'll be out of this horrible 30 day hump and each day is one day closer to never feeling this way again. Crave the Quit! Pam [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 10/28/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 166 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 4,168 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $685.58 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 12 [B]Hrs:[/B] 2 [B]Mins:[/B] 24 [B]Seconds:[/B] 2
18 years ago 0 2830 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Alexa, Have you rewarded yourself for 33 days??? Seriously, I want to know. If so, what was your reward? If not, then you might have a partial answer as to why you are craving so bad at 33 days. That's not the ONLY reason because no matter how much you reward yourself, the 30 day pit is tough... but what I'm saying is that if you haven't rewarded yourself, then that is one reason why this is so hard for you. So, what was your reward? Crave the Quit! Pam [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 10/28/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 166 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 4,167 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $685.58 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 12 [B]Hrs:[/B] 2 [B]Mins:[/B] 21 [B]Seconds:[/B] 59
18 years ago 0 534 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
alexa, I have read what all these good people are telling you and I know that the information is right. But I want you to know that you are not alone. I have seen and met many people who started their quit just to see if they could do it, not imagining that it would last so long. After all they did not think of themselves as strong people. They did not see themselves as being able to give it up. Heck, I could not see my self quitting a year ago. I started quitting because my friend at work quit, and in order to protect her quit she would not go out with us at break time. She is 40 and has a lot of personal problems, so I figgured if she could do it so could I. I'm older (not telling)and been smoking nearly 40 years. The closer I got to quitting, the more scared I got, I remember all the horrors of past quits. Short form, I quit..she went back to smoking. I am still quit. But it took me a while to deciede that I absolutely was not going to go back to smoking. As long as I left the option open, I had some problems with craving, after I closed that option it was alot better. A Mind thing! Yes, that is true. I still have an occasional problem time (usually when I am depressed about something else.) but life is better now. I can go out without checking for smokes and lighter, I don't have to worry that the lighter will run out of fuel, I smell better, I know I do because smokers now smell awful to me. I can walk into an elevator that one has been in and I know it. I have more time on my hands, and am trying new things. Life changes... and we move forward, or stall. Keep on keeping on, the day will come when you see it all, Cheryl [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 7/4/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 282 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 6,787 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $803.7 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 36 [B]Hrs:[/B] 23 [B]Mins:[/B] 38 [B]Seconds:[/B] 18
18 years ago 0 2027 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
NO, NO, NO, Alexa. It does not take 18 months for cravings to stop. That is not what I said. Deep breath, Alexa. What I said was it could take up to 18 months for the brain to fully recover from nicotine. That does not equal craves. If it took 18 months of craving, then [u]nobody[/u] (other than masochists) would quit smoking. What I was talking about was how nicotine affects the reward centers of the brain and how the brain recovers. It's more about how you react to rewards than it is about craves and withdrawal. I was just trying to explain the depression/emotional swings, and the thing about having to be quit a year to be fully recovered. Right now you're in a bit of a rough spot, Alexa. We all seem to go through a bad time around 30 days. I have no idea why, but I've seen it happen to so many. A lot of people lose their quits at that time when things would have been better in a couple of days if they'd just stuck it out. You are most certianly doing something (a lot of somethings) right. You've maintained control of an extremely strong addiction for 33 days. For that you should stand tall and proud. You really should reward yourself for this grand accomplishment. (That's part of the brain's recovery, BTW) It gets better, Alexa. Please trust me on that. Hang in there and go on faith if that's all you have left. Just don't give in to this normal, temporary depression. You [u]can[/u] do this. You [u]are[/u] doing this. :) Shevie [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 5/23/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 324 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 6,493 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1231.2 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 60 [B]Hrs:[/B] 12 [B]Mins:[/B] 42 [B]Seconds:[/B] 56
18 years ago 0 2027 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Alexa, hang in there. I know every minute seems like days, but each one is really only 60 seconds. Of course, each second is an hour. {sigh} :) Find a straw. The closer to the diameter of a cig the better. Cut it to the length of a cig. Put a couple of small folds on one end (the "fire" end) and bite them (crimp them) until it feels like a cig when you suck on it. Now just "smoke" it whenever you like. This did a lot for me the first few months. Shevie [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 5/23/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 323 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 6,469 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1227.4 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 60 [B]Hrs:[/B] 7 [B]Mins:[/B] 23 [B]Seconds:[/B] 4

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