[IMG]http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f190/cuddlebug230/thCongratulationsYouDidIt.gif[/IMG] babs on 23 days, you are doing fantastic Cuddles It's better to be a non-smoker with an occasional desire for a cig than a smoker with a constant desire to quit...... [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 4/22/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 27 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 554 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $97.2 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 2 [B]Hrs:[/B] 20 [B]Mins:[/B] 24 [B]Seconds:[/B] 4

Let us know how you are doing Babs. Talk to us. We are here for you. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 7/1/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 331 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 6,628 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1158.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 29 [B]Hrs:[/B] 4 [B]Mins:[/B] 54 [B]Seconds:[/B] 0

That's great news Babs! I just knew you were doing well. I could feel it. It is always so exciting to hear from someone who for a moment in time is more successful than they ever thought they would be. Listening to you describe how you are feeling reminds me of myself when I reached that "ahhaaa" moment. What an awesome feeling! I wish every quitter could experience this. Thank you for checking in and sharing with us. It really is worth it but you know that now. :) Talk to you tomorrow. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 7/1/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 331 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 6,633 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1158.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 29 [B]Hrs:[/B] 5 [B]Mins:[/B] 31 [B]Seconds:[/B] 6

Good morning Babs. Glad to see you made it through yet another temptation to smoke. You are growing stronger and stronger every day. Do you feel it? Don't get angry and frustrated about the smokers in your life. They are addicts. Rejoice in the fact that you can freely walk away from them. You should be smiling to yourself and saying to yourself..."thank the good Lord above that isn't me anymore". You will continue to think about cigarettes for a while. You smoked for many years. The thoughts and feelings associated with that do not disappear overnight. You will also find a new you, one with confidence building as you progress in your quit. Keep your attitude in good standing and keep your head held high. You are doing an awesome job! [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 7/1/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 325 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 6,506 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1137.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 28 [B]Hrs:[/B] 16 [B]Mins:[/B] 3 [B]Seconds:[/B] 54

Hi Babs... Welcome Home! Honey you are doing just fine. Guess what? Most of us have been exactly where you are now. Yep. It's true. We have fought the demon just like you are doing. The first 60 days of my quit, I whined, cried, yelled, kicked and screamed every step of the way and the people on this site kept encouraging me every time. You are doing fine. As a matter of fact, I think you are doing GREAT! The temptation is awful but you made it past the temptation without smoking. REWARD TIME! You need to do something really nice for yourself because you are doing an awesome job and you deserve it. We are so proud of you. You keep saying that you hope you can beat this. I have news for you Babs, you ARE beating this addiction. You ARE doing it one day at a time, one step at a time. That is exactly what it takes. Go look at yourself in the mirror and say "I am doing it!" Be proud! You are a successful quitter and it is going to get easier I promise. You've got to go through a little more hell but you will make it. Congratulations on being a Quitter Babs!! :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 7/1/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 322 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 6,453 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1127 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 28 [B]Hrs:[/B] 10 [B]Mins:[/B] 32 [B]Seconds:[/B] 46

Take some really deep breathes Babs. I was angry and depressed and flew off the handle at everything for about the first 60 days of my quit. I was angry and I was mean. I had to apologize a lot. But you know what? A couple of weeks ago, I was at dinner with a group of friends and we were all laughing about how crazy I was when I quit smoking. My children now mimick the way I acted and laugh about it. My point is it was awful then and I felt I was losing my mind but now we can all look back and laugh about it. People that truly love you may not understand what you are going through but they will be there for you regardless. I finally had to put my attitude in check. I finally figured out that just as I had made a choice to quit smoking, I could also choose how I reacted to situations and I didn't have to be angry all the time. Of course, this took a lot of practice for me. Funny story... I have a daughter that is almost 19. Last summer when I quit, she was trying to show her independence and I was trying to show my "mommy power". She decided she was leaving. I decided that if she was doing so it wouldn't be in the car that I paid for. She got in the car and started it. I stood behind the car, barfoot, in my PJ's (I live on the corner of a busy street). The kid could have run me over at any time. Then, once she got out of the car and wanted to walk away, I actually drug her back into the house like a two year old. Kicking, screaming, and fighting all the way. You talk about one angry woman! WHEW! We survived and so will you. Hang in there. Just don't smoke. You are doing great. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 7/1/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 319 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 6,396 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1116.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 28 [B]Hrs:[/B] 4 [B]Mins:[/B] 27 [B]Seconds:[/B] 58

Babs, I'm really glad to see that you are still smoke free. I've been watching for you. Try not to let your friends upset you too much. They are addicts. Just as we are. You being able to quit makes them face their addiction head on. They do not understand what you are going through because they are still enslaved by smoking. Leaving was probably the best decision you could have made. Protect your quit at all costs. A temporary seperation from you friends could be exactly what saves your life. Hang in there and keep taking it one step at a time. I think you doing a wonderful job! Keep us posted. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 7/1/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 319 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 6,387 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1116.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 28 [B]Hrs:[/B] 3 [B]Mins:[/B] 27 [B]Seconds:[/B] 44

Hi, Babs. 23 days smoke-free. Wow! Ain't it great?!? :) You are having a heck of a rough ride, but you are doing it with a strength and determination that is truly inspiring. My hat is off to you. There are a couple of things that I'm sure you're aware of, but I'm going to say them anyway (I like the sound of my own typing, lol). First is the emotional aspect. When we started smoking, we essentially put our emotional development on hold. Instead of facing problems and emotions and just dealing with them, we began hiding behind cigarettes. We never developed the coping mechanisms that never-smokers have. Now we don't have that smoke screen to hide behind and we don't know how to deal with life one-on-one. There are years (decades?) of learning how to live life that we now have to do much more quickly. The biggest problem, as I see it, isn't the having to adjust, though. It's the lack of understanding that we and those around us have about this issue. Nobody, including us, seem to realize there is some degree of emotional retardation that we have to correct and that correction requires some time. Some of us will correct quickly, some of us will require months. So have patience with yourself, and explain this to hubby; perhaps it will help him to cope a bit, too. The second issue is the junkie aspect, the craves, the triggers. Once you're through the detox period (first 3 - 4 days) craves are memory triggered. You experience something that you used to smoke while doing (even just once) and that triggers a crave. Everytime you get past one of these events without smoking, that weakens the association between the event and smoking. Eventually the association will be extinguished, the link will be broken, and you can experience the event crave-free. Sometimes this happens on the first occurrance, sometimes it takes several times, but eventually it will happen. It, too, just takes patience and persistence. I know this is rough and confusing and frustrating for you , Babs. But please understand that you really are doing great in your quit and I, for one, am very proud of you. ;) Shevie

Hi, Babs. Sorry your camping trip turned out less than desirable. Like Sunshine and Josie said, you did the right thing by getting out of there. I remember when I smoked and would come upon a quitter. I told myself that person was weak, couldn't take it (smoking), was less than me. That was what went across the surface of my thoughts. But deep down in a place I would generally supress was a feeling of respect and admiration. And when I noticed it, I often acted as the people in your campground did. I would offer cigs and tease (sometimes outright ridicule) the quitter. In the end, when there could no longer be any doubt they were quit for good, they would have my open respect and honest admission that I should quit, too. Unfortunately, none offered any help. Go figure. :confuse: You're doing great, Babs, you really are. Stay close, stay strong. Shevie [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 5/23/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 357 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 7,158 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1356.6 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 66 [B]Hrs:[/B] 17 [B]Mins:[/B] 18 [B]Seconds:[/B] 7

Hi, Babs. I'm so glad to see you're hanging in there. You are one super lady. You know, all the other addiction recovery groups have auxillaries for family/friends of the quitter. It's almost criminal, IMO, that such a thing doesn't exist for those close to recovering nicotine addicts. I truly feel sorry for them, especially those who have never smoked. They don't have a clue what's going on. All they see is the person they love has suddenly turned into some horrid creature that cries, screams, cries, throws tantrums, cries, cries, etc. Right at first they are understanding, but as time passes (and it passes real slow) it starts wearing on them. Eventually they are torn between wanting the person they were used to back, and not wanting the person they love to return to smoking the killer weed. It's a major Catch-22. The quitter has the SSC. But the family/friend has nothing. Sometimes I wonder if our quitting is harder on them than us. BTW, I don't have a basement. All my bodies are dumped in the desert. :8o: Shevie [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 5/23/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 359 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 7,181 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1364.2 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 66 [B]Hrs:[/B] 22 [B]Mins:[/B] 29 [B]Seconds:[/B] 9