Tennielle - I'd like to take Josie's CD suggestion a step further. Why not set up a CD with songs to inspire you in your quit. There are many good ones, though with some you have to change the words a bit! LOL. If you check out our Magic Ship thread you can see some of the tunes we've played around with - to inspire, strengthen our resolve, relax or just plain have fun with. Good luck. You can do this. And by the way I had about 4-5 weeks of false starts and slips till I was able to really stay smoke free for multiple days and now weeks! In the meantime you've been "rehearsing" for your quit. And I'm using Chantix too. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/29/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 16 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 201 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $65.28 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 1 [B]Hrs:[/B] 13 [B]Mins:[/B] 14 [B]Seconds:[/B] 45

Tennielle, you know those giant, fuzzy dice? Hang those from your rearview mirror. I'll bet you want think about a cigarette. You'll be thinking, "I've got to conguer this trigger because those are just way too tacky." I had to say something to lighten things up a bit. You WILL conquer that trigger. I know you will. Hugs, Tutti [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/18/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 1 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 105 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $2.79 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 4 [B]Mins:[/B] 57 [B]Seconds:[/B] 55

Hi Tennielle, :| Whatever works best but I wouldn't suggest the nicotine gum...simply because it will help you keep the addiction. I'm on Chantix too. I stopped the nicotine completely because of my past quit trys...I know that it only makes it harder. Let's face it, in most of our worlds, you have to drive eventually so asking someone else now only delays the inevitable in the future (wouldn't you hate to have ...say 2-3 months smoke free down and you are feeling really comfortable in your quit...so now your going to drive ...and when you open the door, step in, put the key into the ignition and "OMG..........I want a cigarett!" then what are you going to do, go to the nearest store and get your fix? So, take the wheel of the trigger...anticipation of getting somewhere, perhaps your thinking the "junkie thought" (won't be able to smoke when I get there, so I better smoke all I can while I'm in MY CAR..=ANXIETY). I was dreading the car too...no different than anyone here...but I have this mental image of triggers being associated with certain feelings... so...I identify during the crave what the feeling really is! I take a deep breath and reward myself with blowing that trigger away. I will tell myself..."Great...you know WHY you are craving", and then I literally blow that air away ... because I tell myself ..."I am a Non-Smoker now, and I know with every cigarett...I Won't Smoke...It's going to be one less trigger/habit I don't have to deal with." One day...and it will come...you will not have these stupid habit triggers. (this is a fact...I was a 10 year quitter). Some things I used to get me where I was going; Chewed on straws Chewed Gum Something to drink (usually water) Listened to tunes Would roll the window down a bit to breathe some fresh air Made sure the inside glass was film free (the smoke build-up) Used deodorizers like a pine scent for the clean smell Would bask in smuggness that I would not smell like smoke when I got to my destination Hang in there Kiddo...you can do this auntdeb :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/1/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 45 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 2,273 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $213.75 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 6 [B]Hrs:[/B] 6 [B]Mins:[/B] 7 [B]Seconds:[/B

Sounds like you've done really well so far. my back up back up plan is to look in the mirror. I am disgusted by how I look in the throws of a frenzied crave. That usually does it for me. It also helps to think of how I would deal with a self-inflicted terminal illness, particularly in the last moments saying goodbye to my children at my bedside. I would want to handle it with grace. And, that is how I try to handle the crave. What do you really want? Sending you thoughts of courage. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 12/29/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 44 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 449 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $220 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 4 [B]Hrs:[/B] 6 [B]Mins:[/B] 22 [B]Seconds:[/B] 3

Hey Tennielle (no relation to the Captain, right... have we had this conversation before??)--- Just weighing in to say that I hear you and I care about you, but I don't know what to tell you. Me, I had the same thing happen to me at home. I was cool at work and in the car, but once I got home and started doing the Susie Homemaker thing, I was WAY into a smoke once dinner was underway and under control. To this day (!!!), I still miss smoking when I cook. (Oh STOP it, all your purists.... it's not like I flicked ashes into my pans -- I smoked on the back porch when everything was stable!!!) I don't get the triggers (no wonder Roy had the mother stuffed!!), but sure wish they didn't exist. All this is just a friendly note to say sometimes we can't really help one another... we just have to hang in with one another. I'll hang with you in your car if you hang with me in my kitchen.... peteg [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 10/30/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 104 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 5,246 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $572 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 19 [B]Hrs:[/B] 3 [B]Mins:[/B] 55 [B]Seconds:[/B] 33

Tennielle, That was one of my hardest triggers too! The good news is that the more often we do these things without smoking, the weaker the trigger becomes... but you HAVE to get through it smoke free. Each time that you give in and smoke, you are sending a signal to your brain saying that you will smoke when you get in your car. The only way to break that is to NOT give in! Think of it as a screaming child... the more you give in, the more often that child will scream and scream and scream to get his/her way. Your addicted brain is the same way. So what you have to do is do ANYTHING you can to resist the craving. You KNOW that the craving will go away... you said yourself that when you get home, you're fine. And most cravings don't last more than about 5 minutes. I think it took me about 3-4 weeks before that trigger went away. It took a lot longer for me to get over the "I'll have a cigarette" thought everytime I would start to get in my car... but after a while, that became a fleeting thought, not a real craving. And those are pretty easy to deal with. I think it sounds like you're looking for an "easy way out" with this particular trigger, and I'm sorry but there just isn't one. It sounds like you're doing all the right things (except buying smokes), so just keep on taking a different route, "smoke" your fake cigarette, listen to music, read while you wait for your car to warm up... just keep doing those things and after a while, the trigger WILL go away... but it just takes time. Hang in there and keep doing whatever it takes to stay smoke free! I KNOW you want this quit! Crave the Quit! Pam [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 10/28/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 471 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 11,798 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1945.23 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 33 [B]Hrs:[/B] 14 [B]Mins:[/B] 12 [B]Seconds:[/B] 43

Could you change the trigger you associate with the smoke? For instance public transport home from work? or share a car with somebody or get somebody to pick you up? Just until it's an easier deal to break? Apparently we need to do something for 30 days before our brain perceives it as a "habit". Either get home a different way, or get through the crave for 30 days and you should be fine! hang in there. Sx [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 12/10/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 66 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 2,333 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] �396 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 6 [B]Hrs:[/B] 20 [B]Mins:[/B] 37 [B]Seconds:[/B] 17

I should add that that means I've only slipped twice. Also that I only work 3 days a week.

OK here is the deal. I am OK all day at work. I am OK all day at home. HOWEVER, for some reason after work when I get in my car I have this HUGE craving! I've tried going a different route, I've tried sunseeds, I've even tried this silly fake herbal device my addiction counsler gave me that resembles a cigarette. I have freaked out and bought smokes on the way home every time but two. I've twice smoked one and thrown them out or thrown them out without smoking one. How do I get past this one? I don't understand where it comes from or why it is that particular time. After work I used to start my car and then have a couple cigs while reading a book for about twenty minutes before I went home. But even staying and reading before I leave doesn't help. I'd ask my counsler, but she is not availble until our next class on Thursday. Anyone got any ideas? I've taking Chantix. So far it's worked great. Could a piece of nicotine gum possibly help? Tennielle [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/24/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 18 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 378 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $63 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 1 [B]Hrs:[/B] 9 [B]Mins:[/B] 36 [B]Seconds:[/B] 2

Thank you Pam :) Your right I was looking for an easy fix. Only two slips for me, but that is two too many! It's grit my teeth and scream all the way home blasting the horn if I have to. But no more smokes bought or smoked! Tennielle