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Did it get harder for you around 3 months into the Quit

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Did it get harder for you around 3 months into the Quit

17 years ago 0 +0 / -0 2417

are you still with us??? can't find any recent posts. please check in. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/8/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 84 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,273 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $352.8 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 7 [B]Hrs:[/B] 20 [B]Mins:[/B] 32 [B]Seconds:[/B] 14

17 years ago 0 +0 / -0 969

I can't say I am really having cravings...I am just very aware (suddenly and surprisingly) of thinking "now is when I would have had a cigarette" and it amazes me how often it happens. I also have more thoughts of "just one won't hurt", but I know better. NOPE - or at least not yet (I hope never!! but I can also be weak) I can understand your slip, freedom, and don't be too tough on yourself. It's not like you waited years to begin the quit again like so many of us have done. At least now you will recognize the trigger for what it is...maybe you'll get lucky and not have another bad one. Stay strong, we're here to help. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/14/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 47 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,434 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $227.95 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 6 [B]Hrs:[/B] 13 [B]Mins:[/B] 46 [B]Seconds:[/B] 44

17 years ago 0 +0 / -0 519

I had one small slip, but I did not consider that severe enough to reset the quit meter. The cravings lately though have been as bad or worse than anything that I had before. The reasons for that may be because I was on a higher dose of NRT and not trying to limit the NRT. Last night I was up almost all night long wanting a cig. I woke up this morning wanting a cig. Needless to say I'm sleepy, tired, irritable and not feeling at all good. I can hardly keep my eyes open. Facing a 12 hour workday is not what I had in mind. It's just what I have.

17 years ago 0 +0 / -0 2417

Just checking in to see how you are doing Freedom. :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/8/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 82 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,244 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $344.4 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 7 [B]Hrs:[/B] 16 [B]Mins:[/B] 9 [B]Seconds:[/B] 50

17 years ago 0 +0 / -0 8760

FFM & Interesting, You've gotten some great responses from your fellow quitters. I can only echo them. Rewards are an important part of quit maintenance and can help give you that extra boost to stay motivated. If you plan your rewards ahead of tiem, they can also give you an incentive to work towards and help you persevere through bad days. Danielle ____________________ The SSC Support Team

17 years ago 0 +0 / -0 420

Butterfly... thanks for the post and your insight. I had never put the connection together between the dreams and increased smoking thoughts. Since I tend to analyze things, and once they make sense, I put them to rest, that is good to know. Maybe it will get better. I was attributing it to the change of seasons. Mow the yard... yay... go smoke! How silly! This really is a daily journey/process, and sometimes we have to fight to keep positive, but it's worth it. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 12/31/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 90 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,356 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $173.7 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 10 [B]Hrs:[/B] 12 [B]Mins:[/B] 5 [B]Seconds:[/B] 45

17 years ago 0 +0 / -0 2830

Interesting, I can totally relate to the dream thing. When I first quit, I didn't smoke in my "smoking dreams" and I thought "HEY! This MUST be the time for me because I won't even smoke in my dreams!" But then, I got to the point where I was smoking in them, and after every night when I had a smoking dream, I had increased cravings the next day... until I accepted that the dreams were just that - dreams. They didn't have any effect on me or my quit, so they didn't matter... after that, I quit having them. As for the rewards, I bet that never smokers DO reward themselves in some way after a chore. It might not be every time, but I know those who sit down and have a cup of coffee. Or They get on the computer for a while and take a break while checking email. Or they watch some TV. Rewards don't have to be expensive... they just have to be things that you will like and enjoy... a bubble bath, a cappacino, a night sitting on the couch watching movies, ordering take-out so you don't have to make dinner or wash dishes. Rewards can be very simple and should happen often. A lot of people reward themselves on big days, but neglect the everyday rewards that are just as important, or maybe even more important. We rewarded ourselves every single day with cigarettes, so rewarding ourselves everyday with rewards that are NOT cigarettes is equally important... eat least in the beginning or at typical rough spots. Please do NOT forget the rewards! They are one of the most important components to maintaining the quit (and they're fun too! :) ) Crave the Quit! Pam [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 6/17/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 652 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 16,310 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $2692.76 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 46 [B]Hrs:[/B] 10 [B]Mins:[/B] 35 [B]Seconds:[/B] 10

17 years ago 0 +0 / -0 420

Hey Marie, I'm right there with ya. I'm not sure I crave cigarettes as much as my mindset hasn't been as positive lately. I'm tired of replacing cigs with food, and I want my reward. Yes...I'm realizing just what Butterfly said... we always rewarded ourselves with cigs. Yesterday I wondered if non-smokers (as in never smoked) rewarded themselves after mowing, or whatever like we have done. If so, what was their reward? Our entire day involved cig rewards, although some of mine were just to feed the addiction, but others were like: "Oh good... I'll go smoke now." That's the part I'm having trouble with. I want to have that little reward I used to have. How do you learn to think without the rewards? It just seems like lately, I've had a lot more of those thoughts running around in my head like renegades. And, I smoke every night IN MY DREAMS. It's always teh same thing... I quit smoking, but I smoke about 3 or 4 a week, but still say I've quit smoking - that's my dream. In the beginning I would dream about smoking, but I never smoked. Somewhere along the way, probably around 60 days, I started smoking in my dreams. I'm having the same triggers/hurdles you are, so hang in there. I'm going out of town this week, and I love not having the addiction when I travel. No more going several hours without a cig or looking for a smoking room in the airport. I'm going to make a list of all the good things and then a list of the "rewards" we've mentioned, and I know the good list will be much longer than the reward list. I think that may help put it into a different perspective for me. Good luck to you... [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 12/31/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 90 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,356 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $173.7 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 10 [B]Hrs:[/B] 12 [B]Mins:[/B] 1 [B]Seconds:[/B] 43

17 years ago 0 +0 / -0 2830

Marie, Yes, the 3 month - 100 day mark is one of the toughest and I have seen far too many good quitters succumb to cravings at or around 100 days. The "100 day hurdle" was one of the hardest for me to overcome (the 1-year mark being the hardest one that I almost didn't make it through). I have noticed that it seems to come around BIG, special days... like 1 month, 3 months or 100 days, 6 months, 1 year... I think part of this is that we are doing such a wonderful thing for ourselves that our bodies want to be rewarded for it... and what was THE most common reward we used? clean the house... smoke a cigarette. Do the laundry... smoke a cigarette. Work in the yard... smoke a cigarette. For all big chores, we rewarded ourselves with smoking. So now that we have done this great thing for ourselves by quitting, our brains expect a reward! So give it one! Make sure that you are rewarding yourself on a regular basis for staying smoke free. Rewards won't always get rid of the cravings, but it will make you feel better about your quit and give you pride and something special that you can have or remember as a token of your hard work. So make sure to reward yourself often! Crave the Quit! Pam [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 6/17/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 652 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 16,310 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $2692.76 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 46 [B]Hrs:[/B] 10 [B]Mins:[/B] 32 [B]Seconds:[/B] 29

17 years ago 0 +0 / -0 2417

Hey! I had some strong cravings at 30 and 60 days(give or take.) They left me as quick as they came. I hope I don't get them at 90 days! ;) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/8/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 82 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,236 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $344.4 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 7 [B]Hrs:[/B] 15 [B]Mins:[/B] 1 [B]Seconds:[/B] 27

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Did it get harder for you around 3 months into the Quit