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Failure--- But getting back on the horse


15 years ago 0 984 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Api get back on the horse and RIDE dude.  I don't recommend you do the diet and stop smoking thing at once, to be honest.  In the crap situation you were in, were it me...I'd have gone for the burger.  You felt like you were denying yourself the cigarette.  Then you denied yourself the burger.  Keep denying yourself everything, you'll feel sorry for yourself and overindulge time and time again.
 
Stay strong, or I'll poke you in the eye like your icon.  Seriously.
 

x T


My Milage:

My Quit Date: 1/1/2007
Smoke-Free Days: 746
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 17,158
Amount Saved: �4,718.45
Life Gained:
Days: 65 Hrs: 0 Mins: 42 Seconds: 38

15 years ago 0 1080 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Api, dont even give another thought- it was a slip- it happened and its over and you came back, thats the important thing. No one here ever claimed to be perfect and we all understand how close we have all come, so all I will say is its good that you came back!
My Milage:

My Quit Date: 5/10/2008
Smoke-Free Days: 251
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 6,275
Amount Saved: $3,765.00
Life Gained:
Days: 29 Hrs: 16 Mins: 3 Seconds: 45

15 years ago 0 1985 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0

It is not the end of the world, that is, unless perhaps you end up in a boat like mine.   I stopped smoking when I was 21 for six months, 30 for a day, 40 for two days, 45 for a week, 50 for two days, and 55 now going on three years. That is a very, very, long way around wouldn’t you say?  It is very easy to lose it and keep losing it for years on end.

 

From 21 until 55, I smoked an awful lot of cigarettes, spent tons of money and stood by several smoke related deaths of friends. You don’t want that path, so no, not in my boat.

 

You will have lots of opportunities to have weak moments while you strive to keep your cool and keep from lighting up. However, you must be the winner of all weak moments, unless you want the slow boat, quitting much later, or end up a perpetual quitter, forever intensely aware that you do not smoke anymore.

 

If you want to do it, it is within reach.  The support from the others here is remarkable and very sound advice.

 

Don’t smoke, none of us do, we quit!

 


My Milage:

My Quit Date: 1/22/2006
Smoke-Free Days: 1090
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 19,620
Amount Saved: $6,376.50
Life Gained:
Days: 198 Hrs: 19 Mins: 9 Seconds: 21

15 years ago 0 303 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Exactly!  How many of us have slipped in the past only to give up and go right back to a pack a day.  The fact that you slipped and are getting right back on the horse is admirable.  That said keep in mind that we can make up thousands of excuses why we go back to smoking.  My wife said something that set me off, my boss is on my case, my car died, etc.  The important thing to ask yourself when these things happen is "How will smoking fix this problem?"  There's something inside all of us when we quit smoking that is like the devil on our shoulder that trys to convince us that we can have one cigarette and throw the rest away.  I'm not saying that this is impossible but I am saying that smoking one cigarette will make your life a lot harder.
 
There's a great analogy in the book "Allen Carr's - The easyway to quit smoking."  When you quit smoking the nicodemon is now wandering through the desert.  For every day that you don't smoke the ND gets a little weaker and over time he starts to shut down; however, before he dies he makes every attempt he can to find some water and will start putting things in your head to make you smoke and will take any opportunity to suggest that you could smoke one cigarette and everything will be ok.  The truth is that when we have that one cigarette the ND gets a big glass of water and is much harder to battle.  Does this mean you can't win.  No of course not but it makes it harder to win and most of us are so tired of battling by the time we smoke that one cigarette that once the ND is stronger we don't put up much of a fight.
 
I've posted a lot on the illusion of smoking and how to lose the desire.  Do a search for MR Q and have a look at a few. 
 
Know this one thing.  We don't think you have failed but we want you to have all the tools neccesary for battle and losing the desire to smoke is a big tool.
 
Mr Q
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15 years ago 0 2534 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Api,
 
One is not so good but it is so much better than 1600!!
 
Just keep going forward.
 
Penitent

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 5/18/2004
Smoke-Free Days: 1703
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 42,575
Amount Saved: �10,643.75
Life Gained:
Days: 288 Hrs: 12 Mins: 55 Seconds: 2

  • Quit Meter

    $56,793.00

    Amount Saved

  • Quit Meter

    Days: 1124 Hours: 22

    Minutes: 30 Seconds: 8

    Life Gained

  • Quit Meter

    5163

    Smoke Free Days

  • Quit Meter

    113,586

    Cigarettes Not Smoked

15 years ago 0 44 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Api,
 
You are doing great.   please don't beat yourself up over this.   you are trying, you're in the game, and that is all that matters.
please hang in there. 
 
And remember, we are on your side.  We understand exactly what you're going through.
 
So, always know you can come to this board for support.
 
Colleen

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 9/14/2008
Smoke-Free Days: 123
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 2,460
Amount Saved: $553.50
Life Gained:
Days: 12 Hrs: 17 Mins: 37 Seconds: 51

  • Quit Meter

    $25,695.00

    Amount Saved

  • Quit Meter

    Days: 741 Hours: 15

    Minutes: 46 Seconds: 19

    Life Gained

  • Quit Meter

    5710

    Smoke Free Days

  • Quit Meter

    114,200

    Cigarettes Not Smoked

15 years ago 0 355 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Api - there is another support site online that I ran into before finding SSC.  One of it's rules were, if you ever smoke a "butt" (as my mother-in-law has always referred to them) then you are out!  Can you believe that...out?!!?  Some support.  You either have the perfect quit or you lie to get the support you need.
 
Needless to say, I bypassed that group and luckily ran across SSC.  The hardest thing I have encountered in my quits (emphais on the "s") was coming back here and posting after I had failed.  The other failures had all gone unnoticed.  My husband or Mom would say "I thought you quit" and I would say "Yeah, so?".  And that was that.  Here, I had such a great group of people rooting for me, tracking my progress, taking time out of their day to help ease the road.  I felt like a true failure when I smoked again.  I felt as if I had let people other than myself down.
 
It took me a while to step back and recognize the big picture.  Everyone's quit is their own, therefore everyone's quit is different.  Some people throw down their butts and never pick another up.  Some people stuggle and fight and grind their teeth for every smoke-free day they get.  The important thing is what's at the end of that journey...a smoke free you.
 
It does not matter how you get there, how many times you pick yourself up, dust off your knees and take another baby step.  It only matters that you make it to end.  One day, you will make it and (as is said by so many others here) smoking won't be the only thing that dominates the brain and rules your day.
 
I'm proud of you!
AC 


My Milage:

My Quit Date: 12/30/2008
Smoke-Free Days: 16
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 192
Amount Saved: $84.48
Life Gained:
Days: 1 Hrs: 11 Mins: 47 Seconds: 29

15 years ago 0 967 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Api, it was a learning experience and thats it.  Your here and we're happy about that!  You are back on track.  I wish I could take away the stress, but if I could do that I would be rich.
 
Breathe...sleep...take care.
 
Kelly

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 12/6/2007
Smoke-Free Days: 406
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 12,180
Amount Saved: $1,522.50
Life Gained:
Days: 33 Hrs: 19 Mins: 52 Seconds: 26

15 years ago 0 901 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
apikoros
 
i'm with you 100%. when i decided to stop using bad language a while back i slipped every now and then , it didn't mean that i ahdn't quit , i just slipped and kept on trying.
 
you're doing great , don't forget that , and you help a lot of others here with your nice thoughts.
 
go get 'em pal !
 
mike / astrofan


My Milage:

My Quit Date: 3/12/2008
Smoke-Free Days: 309
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 9,270
Amount Saved: $2,781.00
Life Gained:
Days: 52 Hrs: 10 Mins: 34 Seconds: 10

15 years ago 0 1288 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Apikoros,
 
Sorry to hear that you had a bad day.  Life doesn't always go the way we expect it to and when it doesn't we need to find ways to pick ourselves up and keep going. It's great that you're able to share your thoughts with us and although you had a slip, you recognise that it was a slip and you're going to get back on track.
 
We're here for you so please come let us know how you are doing.
 
 
Sylvie, Bilingual Health Educator

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