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Quitting tomorrow

5 years ago 0 +0 / -0 802

Hey Sparrow,

One WHOLE week without a cigarette....SEVEN days....AWESOME!!!

This is a GREAT milestone for you Sparrow. Hell week completed. Heck week is in progress. Keep fighting those emotions the best you can, and do whatever it takes to stay smoke free. "Im beginning to be able to have a stressful/upsetting situation and not react to it with smoking which is something l definitely could not do before. Im so thankful l didnt cave." We're thankful you did not cave in too. "Someone wrote and l love this "Trigger moments are reconditioned by a single encounter the subconscious doesnt receive the expected result -nicotine. Embrace each episode as each reflects a beautiful moment of subconscious healing"". I'm not sure but this sure sounds like the wisdom of Nonic. He sure has a way with words, like Stella does. I've said it once and I'll say it again, she really should think about taking up writing for a living.

Hang in there Sparrow, the future is all yours. Stay strong, watch out for those triggers and have a nice heck week!

Not One Puff Ever

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$24,623.50

Amount Saved
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Days: 792 Hours: 22

Minutes: 42 Seconds: 2

Life Gained
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4070

Smoke Free Days
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89,540

Cigarettes Not Smoked

Stay safe & Strong.

Not One Puff Ever (NOPE)

Tim

5 years ago 0 +0 / -0 175

Thanks Stella and Tim. Stella thats really good psychology to label the feelings....thanks for that advice. Im going to use that. Youve been a plethora of great advice for me. Ive taken mental note of so many things youve written. Tim l like the way you see nicotine as the ultimate enemy. Im going to try to think of it the same way rather than feeling like its an old friend. I do believe there are demons involved in addiction and the nicodemon is a lingering one. Thanks to you both....your support is invaluable.

Its day 7....much further than lve ever made it. Yesterday l had a bit of a crisis. Something really hurtful happened to me. I was crying about it and l just felt like l needed cigarettes to soothe me. I was debating whether l should get them or not. I was thinking why not? Whats the point to all this struggle? I can start again after l just smoke one more pack, l really really want one and need one right now, l cant make it through these times without a smoke. Thoughts of smoking kept whirling through my mind and l cried about not having them. I had to distract myself from the pain l was feeling so l made a coffee and sat outside. After l calmed down l was soooo immensely grateful that l didnt give in. It took about 45mins from the time l wanted to smoke to the time l was grateful l hadnt. It tested me and l realised these are the storms l have to weather and the whole situation would have been a lot worse if l had given in to temptation. Im beginning to be able to have a stressful/upsetting situation and not react to it with smoking which is something l definitely could not do before. Im so thankful l didnt cave. My mind is constantly being reconditioned. Someone wrote and l love this "Trigger moments are reconditioned by a single encounter the subconscious doesnt receive the expected result -nicotine. Embrace each episode as each reflects a beautiful moment of subconscious healing"

Quit Meter

$15,744.00

Amount Saved
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Days: 115 Hours: 1

Minutes: 53 Seconds: 39

Life Gained
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1968

Smoke Free Days
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39,360

Cigarettes Not Smoked

5 years ago 0 +0 / -0 180

" At least these feelings will pass but if l continue to smoke l'll be miserable about it til it kills me."

That's very much the mentality I used to get through those first days and weeks of feeling shaky and like something was missing. One thing that helped me with those habit cravings was to directly label them - I too wanted one every time I left the house (or left anywhere, really), and so when I felt that "missing" feeling I would say to myself something like, "Hmm, there's that conditioned cue to smoke popping up." There was something about labelling it in a really benign fashion that helped me detach emotionally from it. Like taking an observer stance on the whole thing, instead of being stuck in the emotional experience of it (where I was much more susceptible to cave). I'm so pumped for you right now, you've really been making some killer progress here. This could be the quit that sticks!!! I PROMISE you won't miss it forever. You just kinda stop thinking about it eventually. Once your brain realizes that you're not going to give it that nicotine hit, it stops being so insistent about it. It's really only a matter of time, and you've put in a good chunk already so keep it rolling.

5 years ago 0 +0 / -0 802

Hi Sparrow,

Those feelings of missing something important will eventually lessen as time goes by. It's that darn Nico-Demon trying his best to make you cave in. Stay strong and hold on with all your might! The ONLY thing you are missing is all those poisons that you inhaled when you smoked a cigarette. You've smoked for a long time, and it's going to take a while for your brain to be accustomed to not getting its nicotine fix whenever it wants it. It's a bumpy ride but you are near the end of hell week.

"I feel a bit lost, not myself...all of those feelings that come with quitting." Yep, your mind is a little cloudy now, and it isn't from cigarette smoke. Blame it on all that fresh oxygen getting to your brain! "I really feel like lm missing a friend" Some friend, all he wanted to do was give you cancer, or COPD, or emphysema and shorten your life. Just keep on staying strong and do whatever you have to do to keep from smoking. Heck week is up next, and sometimes the urges can be even stronger. Just keep thinking to yourself, "I just cant give up on this one". "I CAN do this!

Keep us updated on your progress. My fingers and legs are both crossed for you this time.

I think you can, I think you can, I think you can..... Sorry, the story of the little red engine just flashed through my mind.

Stay strong.

Not One Puff Ever

Quit Meter

$24,623.50

Amount Saved
Quit Meter

Days: 792 Hours: 22

Minutes: 42 Seconds: 2

Life Gained
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4070

Smoke Free Days
Quit Meter

89,540

Cigarettes Not Smoked

Stay safe & Strong.

Not One Puff Ever (NOPE)

Tim

5 years ago 0 +0 / -0 175

Hi Stella. The weekend was not too bad overall. I find that lm not thinking about smoking as much as l thought l would but l definitely feel like lm missing something important. I feel a bit lost, not myself...all of those feelings that come with quitting. Every so often l think 'its time for a smoke now'....then l remember l dont smoke anymore and l feel disappointed even depressed. I really feel like lm missing a friend. I find when l leave the house l crave more than usual especially when l see smokers. I suppose in time these feelings will pass but time is dragging more than ever. I just cant give up on this one. I was sooo sick of being a smoker and sooo sick of trying to quit over and over. I think l hate those feelings more than l hate the feelings lm having now. At least these feelings will pass but if l continue to smoke l'll be miserable about it til it kills me.

Quit Meter

$15,744.00

Amount Saved
Quit Meter

Days: 115 Hours: 1

Minutes: 53 Seconds: 39

Life Gained
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1968

Smoke Free Days
Quit Meter

39,360

Cigarettes Not Smoked

5 years ago 0 +0 / -0 180

How did the weekend go for you?

5 years ago 0 +0 / -0 175

Day 3

Thanks so much for your supportive comments guys. It means a lot to have support especially when you fail and fail l have....too many times to count.

Im toughing it out on day 3 and thinking about smoking....a lot. I feel an essential part of me is missing and if l could just smoke one everything would feel right again. I know its normal to feel this way in the beginning but l just want to speed up time to a place where l wont feel like lm constantly missing something. My cravings are being subdued by my nicotine spray and lots of mental activity. I went a bit OCD yesterday with a list of things l needed to do including hours on the computer and l didnt rest until l did them all. It wasnt good of me to be so hard on myself because by the end of it all my stress was elevated and l felt like a smoke to calm down. I went through the ashtray to get the dreggs of tabacco from old butts....such a disgusting task but a ritual of quitting for me. I rolled a dirty old stale cigarette and smoked it. It was over so quickly that it wasnt even worth it. I was ready for the next one.

I cant continue to give up quitting because l dont want to put myself through withdrawals anymore. Its a crazy thing to do and lm sick of always being in the early stages of quitting. I want to reach the other side where theres no more danger.

Quit Meter

$15,744.00

Amount Saved
Quit Meter

Days: 115 Hours: 1

Minutes: 53 Seconds: 39

Life Gained
Quit Meter

1968

Smoke Free Days
Quit Meter

39,360

Cigarettes Not Smoked

5 years ago 0 +0 / -0 11226

Very sorry to read about your slip Sparrow. That is very frustrating. I am so glad you are so determined to get right back at it though. Learning that travel is too risky early on is an important lesson to learn. You are still making progress! Be sure to update us on how tomorrow goes. Ashley, Health Educator

Here to help :)

5 years ago 0 +0 / -0 180

Remember, you only need to try to quit one more time than you fail to quit. A failed attempt provides valuable information for the next attempt, as long as you are mentally cataloguing what works and where things went wrong. Welcome back to the quit zone :)

5 years ago 0 +0 / -0 802

Hi Sparrow,

Sorry about the slip. At least you know what the trigger was and now to can hopefully work around it. One of these times you are going to have almost all of your triggers recognized and a defense built up to fight them off. Don't get too frustrated with yourself, you are learning more with each attempt.

You will beat this addiction if you keep trying. Hang in there.

Stay strong.

Not One Puff Ever

Quit Meter

$24,623.50

Amount Saved
Quit Meter

Days: 792 Hours: 22

Minutes: 42 Seconds: 2

Life Gained
Quit Meter

4070

Smoke Free Days
Quit Meter

89,540

Cigarettes Not Smoked

Stay safe & Strong.

Not One Puff Ever (NOPE)

Tim

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