Hi Green eyes I tried my first quit in 17 years last week. (I knew I probably wasn't going to quit for good at that time but I decided that I was tired of not even trying) I knew that quitting was hard and I've heard that many people (not all) have to try 5 - 7 times before they succeed. I started again on Monday (Sept 11th) and I am just going one day at a time. I don't think about forever (except on the good days) On the bad days I just think about getting through that day. Learning to smoke became a habit and I'm hoping that not smoking will become a habit too. It sure isn't easy but those that have gotten through the worst times inspire me to believe it will get better. I am sick and tired of smoking but I am sick and tired of beating myself up too. Quitting is a learning process and it takes time. Please don't beat yourself up. You will do this. My thoughts are with you! Take care of yourself! You can do it. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 9/11/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 4 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 99 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $20 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 11 [B]Mins:[/B] 20 [B]Seconds:[/B] 3

I can't begin to tell you the number of times I have quit and started again. Some quits only lasted an hour or two. After a while I began to feel defeated and thought "what's the use?" My track record was far from stellar!!! This time, I am taking things in very small steps. I try not to think beyond the here and now, not to project how I will feel tomorrow. Tomorrow will take care of itself. One thing that is really helping me this time round is the fact that these cravings, emotions or whatever unpleasantness you are experiencing is only TEMPORARY. The rest of your life will not be like this. It actually does get better. And post here, post often, post whenever you feel the need. And know this - YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Cheers, Jan [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 9/11/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 5 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 159 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $45 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 13 [B]Mins:[/B] 52 [B]Seconds:[/B] 28

Green eyes- Have you talked to your Dr and gone through some ideas and make a plan??? That is what I had to do after a few days...I was going to crawl out of my skin. But I made up my mind what ever it takes and my Dr really helped me out. I smoked for more than half of my life and I kept repeating that to myself. I still cannot believe it and it just disgusted me on what I have done to myself. Just quit, do it no more excuses. Come here yell, scream, ask why me!!! Whatever it takes, you want it you can do it!!! [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 8/21/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 23 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 586 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $80.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 1 [B]Hrs:[/B] 21 [B]Mins:[/B] 22 [B]Seconds:[/B] 4

Green eyes we have all been there remember what I siad before Pink lungs and no brown fingersPLEASE!!! Bet your eyes are lovely lets get to work on the rest of you!! Br proud of us but not envious god knows its hard b****** hard. BUT YOU ARE WORTH IT!!!! Phil [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 8/9/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 37 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 748 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] �166.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 7 [B]Hrs:[/B] 17 [B]Mins:[/B] 13 [B]Seconds:[/B] 27

Green Eyes, Yes, it CAN be tough, but it also CAN be done! The only way to quit is N.O.P.E. I know you want this quit and you can have it! No, it might not be easy, but the freedom is so worth it! You say that you're proud and envious of us? Well, you can BE one of us! It's really simple - just don't smoke! Notice I didn't say easy, I said simple. Quitting is tough! If it were easy for everybody, there wouldn't be a need for the SSC and there wouldn't be any smokers out there at all! I agree with Rusty - quitting will not kill you, but smoking will! So join us as ex-smokers! Here's what I think you need to do. Make a list of all of the things you will do instead of smoking... chew gum, suck on hard candy or lollipops, sunflower seeds, "smoke" a straw cut to the length of a cigarette with one end crimped, "smoke" pull n' peel twizzlers... that was my choice! They taste much better than a straw, but has the same effect. Make sure you drink plenty of water to flush out the toxins, and drink juice to keep your blood-sugar levels up... low blood sugar can feel just like a crave. You could chew ice, play with silly putty, watch a movie, take a walk, go swimming or go to the gym, take a bubble bath...... The list is endless! Make a list of things that will work for YOU! Only you know you well enough to know what will work for you! So make a list and have those things ready when the cravings hit! The next thing you should do is make a list of rewards. Rewards are VERY important when quitting! They teach you that quitting is not punishment, but rather a good thing with enjoyable consequences (rewards). So make a list of things that you want to do with the money you save by quitting and reward yourself for 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 1 month, etc... and any other time you feel that you need a reward! Rewards are great and they give you something to look forward to! You CAN do this! I know you can! Crave the Quit! Pam [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 10/28/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 320 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 8,021 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1321.6 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 23 [B]Hrs:[/B] 6 [B]Mins:[/B] 53 [B]Seconds:[/B] 0

WOW!!! I want to thank ALL those who have replied to me in this thread. I have read your replies over and over and there was a lot of valuable information given to me. I have printed your replies out and have decided that this is NOT the right time for me to quit. I need to get better prepared instead of jumping in with both feet. I'm afraid if I were to quit right now, that I would just slip, once again, and that is what I never want to do again. I want to quit and stay quit. The first step I have taken, is I switched to a brand that I can not stand and so far so good. I'm smoking 1/3 of what I used to just because they taste so awful. I will also be doing a lot of reading on here before I quit. I have not committed myself to a date yet, but know I will when I feel ready. So thanks again, and I hope to post to yous in the near future. green eyes [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 9/12/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 3 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 118 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $22.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 7 [B]Mins:[/B] 56 [B]Seconds:[/B] 34

I went the whole day yesterday without smoking. I awoke this morning with the thoughts of smoking as soon as I got out of bed. I slapped on my patch and went about my daily morning routine. BUT even while I was getting children off to school, those thoughts of smoking kept lurking in my mind. I left the house as soon as the kids left for school and bought a pack!!! I've litterally been chain smoking them. I just don't know how the heck I'm going to quit for good!!! Some may be reading this and saying well you won't quit for good unless you want to quit. Folks, I really do want to quit but find the urges unbearable. I get angry and weepy and tired and feel like I'm being punished without smoking. I know it is an addiction and I know that the first couple of weeks are the hardest, yet I continue to give in too easily. I really don't know what to do? I will start a new quit again today and know I have tons of reasons why I should be quitting at my age of 43, but I'm afraid to do it alone. I come on here and read when I can and post when I can but I really think I need that one special person to kick my a$$ and set me straight when I get those tough urges. I can not keep quitting and starting.......THAT'S JUST INSANE!!!! I'm proud and envious of all you who are succeeding. green eyes :( [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 9/12/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 1 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 48 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $7.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 3 [B]Mins:[/B] 15 [B]Seconds:[/B] 25

green eyes, I understand what you are saying about not feeling like you are ready to quit yet, but on the other hand, just be careful that you're not using that excuse to justify the fact that you caved. Been there, done that, and even wore the ugly t-shirt! :eg: Know too, that you're fighting a wily opponent -- pretty soon even those disgusting-tasting cigs will taste okay -- and you'll find it hard not to smoke even more. Afterall, cigs tasted like *&^% the first time we all lit up... You're right about one thing -- you need to get your head straight about what you want. When the desire to quit is more important to you than continuing to smoke, you CAN be successful. We'll be here for you whatever you decide ever step of the way. Best, Livadia [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 6/18/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 90 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,800 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $450 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 10 [B]Hrs:[/B] 12 [B]Mins:[/B] 11 [B]Seconds:[/B] 10

Green eyes, Here goes : The patch is not something that will stop you from smoking it just takes the edge off. I read in your post that you put it on in the morning, does that mean you take it off at night. In the beginning I slept with it on and then took it off because of the dreams. Well I was one who thought of smoking as soon as I opened my eyes in the am. So taking the patch off didn't work cause it takes 30 min to kick in and then ever so slowly, so I kept it on 24hrs, after a while the dreams went away or they lessened maybe I got used to them. Did you do the dependency test? this sure helped me understand how addicted I was to nicotine and from there ,I was better prepared to fight, the test about how ready are you to quit showed that I wasn't fully motivated but that I could do it with determination and self talk. I cried I yelled I slept, I sat on the pity pot a lot, I was very sensitive, if anyone so much as said boo to me I thought the whole world didn't understand what I was going through and so on and so forth.Then I went down on the patches and each time I went back to the pity pot, now I'm done with the patches and I'm done with smoking for today (cause I do it one day at a time) One thing for sure helped, when the bad days of going down on the patch were behind me I felt fine and then I worked on my mind sets and habits, the patch gave me some time off to work on myself. So you have to give it a chance keep it on and after a week you'll be feeling better. You need to use coping skills and also all those habit breaking tools gum, mints, straws, cold water exercise. This is not an easy journey for some but it does get better and better, it's hard when you think of smoking every minute of the day,there are ways to brush it off it's a mind game. Hang in there you can do it, you just have to believe in yourself. This site is the best tool you can use, before you go out and buy a pack come here and post and wait at least 5 minutes, someone will be here to help and the crave will go away. You see I was one that thought this was the hardest thing I've ever done and I did it, now 3 months smoke free and still working on it, it's way easier now, my mind is used to erasing the smoke thought it does it automatically '' smoke thought'' you don't smoke fo

You CAN do it! Other people have quit and lived through it. You just got to want to quit more than you want to smoke! I know where you are coming from--I am 46 and was a 3 pack a day smoker. I have been smoking for 34 years. I quit for several months, slipped, a couple of weeks, slipped, and am back again. Throw the rest of the pack out and get back with it! Clean the house and get that smoke smell out, go for a long walk and have a serious conversation with yourself, post here when you need to, try to distract yourself when the urges strike.... :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 9/8/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 5 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 269 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $40 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 13 [B]Mins:[/B] 20 [B]Seconds:[/B] 14