Maybe I should have called this a question and some thoughts because I want to ask the question first. How long after you quit smoking did you notice you weren't thinking about smoking ALL THE TIME. It's only been a few days for me, but it seems that would be a big step, (and yeah I know everyone's different I'm really just curious) Now my thoughts, being perfectly honest, I have one good (to me) reason to keep smoking and somewhere around 10 good-great reasons to quit (being very general, if I were to get specific the reasons would be much higher in #). Now I think from this quit and previous longer quits, Every time I go back to smoking, the reasons not to quit begin to outweigh the reasons to quit, and as the cravings get bigger the reasons to quit don't seem quite so important anymore. and likewise the reasons not to quit grow. Though they usually include my one reason, then the "I dont want to go through this anymore" as a second reason not to quit. So basically I was wondering does everyone think kinda like that? I also think that by knowing this I can realize that my thinking gets skewered, and this would be helpful. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 8/20/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 1 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 39 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $3.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 5 [B]Mins:[/B] 2 [B]Seconds:[/B] 11

Im on day 42, (how cool is that!) the first week i was consumed by the thought of smoking and so desperately wanted to just get on with life without smoking. My thoughts on smoking now, very few and far between. My cousin who quit 13 years ago, smoked 3 packs a day for 20 years says she has no desire to smoke and hardly thinks about it but she also knows N.O.P.E ( not one puff ever! ) I choose to live what do YOU choose? I hope this helps PrincessC :) x

Crush, hi I know you don't want to think about it anymore, that's a huge part of the quit! For me it just came gradually I have had my three best days since saturday, I went out all day saturday saw smokers, sunday I had my smoker friends over for dinner, they went outside to smoke I was fine, the thought of smoking never entered my mind and today I went golfing. It gets better one day at a time :)Marie [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 6/13/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 69 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,048 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $276 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 9 [B]Hrs:[/B] 5 [B]Mins:[/B] 9 [B]Seconds:[/B] 4

One sure way to not go through all this again??? don't give in and smoke!! I promise you the withdrawal DOES pass....and finally the thoughts of smoking also pass. The main thing is, your decision to quit has to be a free will one....not forced or coerced in any way. You have to WANT the quit.....and you have to want IT more than your want to smoke. See? it's just a choice. You CAN smoke...but you CHOOSE NOT TO. When reasons to smoke seem better than reasons to quit, it's a sure bet that you are listening to the junky. Nicotine addiction is a very subtle and sly adversary. it's desire for the "fix" will make totally irrational thinking seem perfectly logical. You have to have the "desire" to remain clean..... You have to be ready....you have to prepare to make it through these times....you have to have distract and delay tactics, perhaps a couple of good friends that you can call on for support, lists of things to do and places to go that will keep you from cigarettes and the people who smoke them. You can't let yourself slip into the game of letting the junky do the thinking for you.....he will immediately begin to romantize smoking.....telling you that it solves all problems, relaxes you, makes you more social, etc, etc, etc. If you really use your noodle, you KNOW these are all LIES. Quitting thinking about smoking is something that you can actually train for.....you turn "away" from the thoughts instead of embracing them. With practice you can see them coming from afar...related to what you are doing or whom you are with perhaps? right THEN is when you take the action to avoid the thought. One day you will realize about half way through the day that you haven't thought even once about smoking. It's a really good feeling when it happens. and then it happens again...and again...and for longer periods. You let that build into "positive power thinking" about how quitting is really an ego trip. so get your tactics lined up....and look at the truth...there can be NO good reasons to continue to smoke. Those so called reasons, are excuses that the addict in you takes and twists and shoves back at you....hidden in a cloud of smoke and lies. get tough! kick some butt Katy [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Qui

Crush, Thank you for sharing! The members will be able to share their thoughts with you and you will see there are many different views. You will eventually not think of smoking so much, however it will arise from time to time stronger than before. You need to push forward and strive for a better you. We are always here for support and advice so feel free to ask and share. Keep Strong, Josie ______________________ The SSC Support Team.