Brent,
So how do you answer the proverbial race between the tortoise and the hare? Slow and stead won that race if I recall. :p Just pickin' on you my good man. :)
For me, I avoid icy water like the plague! Quitting is as individual as our fingerprints. Sure, there are some common characteristics, but everyone does it their own way. That is the beauty of this site.. so many different people, each quitting their own way, yet finding support in a common format.
That's my 2 cents worth.. or 2 pence to you!
[b][color=Green]Be Strong. Be Smart. Be Quit.[/color]
[color=black]Joe[/color]
[size=3][color=Blue]Knowledge Replaces Fear[/color][/size]
[size=2][color=black]Illegitimus non carborundum est[/color][/size][/b]
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 5/15/2005
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 255
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 6,383
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $624.75
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 44 [B]Hrs:[/B] 16 [B]Mins:[/B] 30 [B]Seconds:[/B] 56
doodlebug,
Congratulations on your decision to quit and welcome to the SSC.
Have we got support here!! We have tons of it! Sit back and read, read, read!!
The old "missing the cigarettes" issue. Most who quit do miss them at first. The key is realizing that we are nicotine addicts and don't really miss the cigarettes, we miss the "fix" we get from a hit on a smoke.
Don't make the mistake of romanticizing about cigarettes... all they want to do is kill you. Period. A cigarette doesn't do one single positive thing for you. Never forget that.
Here is a great quote that I hope helps to put things in perspective for you..
[b][color=blue]"May we never let the things we can't have, or don't have, or shouldn't have, spoil our enjoyment of the things we do have and can have. As we value our happiness, let us not forget it, for one of the greatest lessons in life is learning to be happy without the things we cannot or should not have."[/color]
[color=black]Richard L. Evans[/color][/b]
Best wishes.
[b][color=Green]Be Strong. Be Smart. Be Quit.[/color]
[color=black]Joe[/color]
[size=3][color=Blue]Knowledge Replaces Fear[/color][/size]
[size=2][color=black]Illegitimus non carborundum est[/color][/size][/b]
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 5/15/2005
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 255
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 6,383
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $624.75
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 44 [B]Hrs:[/B] 16 [B]Mins:[/B] 34 [B]Seconds:[/B] 1
Brent,
M*A*S*H* ... one of my very favorite movies and the TV show wasn't bad either!
I don't know if many recall that the song, "Suicide is Painless", from the movie, the theme played on the TV show, has lyrics.
The irony of it is that suicide is NOT painless. Smoking is suicide.. usually very slow suicide. At the beginning it is painless as most new smokers don't suffer at all... and most do not for many, many years. Ah, but it is then that the devil calls his hand and the poor smoker, now feeling trapped and helpless by his addiction, falls prey to illness. So much for the painless part.
"Suicide is painless,
it brings on many changes,
and I can take or leave it if I choose"
We, as quitters, have made the choice to stop the suicide. It's all a matter of choice.
[b][color=Green]Be Strong. Be Smart. Be Quit.[/color]
[color=black]Joe[/color]
[size=3][color=Blue]Knowledge Replaces Fear[/color][/size]
[size=2][color=black]Illegitimus non carborundum est[/color][/size][/b]
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 5/15/2005
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 255
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 6,383
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $624.75
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 44 [B]Hrs:[/B] 16 [B]Mins:[/B] 32 [B]Seconds:[/B] 50
guitarplayerswife,
Congratulations on your decision to quit and welcome to the SSC.
Well, at least your husband is smoking outside. That is a plus. The downside is that he will still reek of cigarette smoke. Continue to reassue him that your quitting is not a reflection of your marriage. Over time the smell may not be as offensive to you, but it will never go away. Lead my example and perhaps he will get the big picture and lay down the smokes before they lay him down.
You have a great attitude and see your quit in the present. That is a huge hurdle to overcome. Continue to protect your quit and hold onto it with all your might. It is not easy to quit when someone close to you smokes, but people do it every day, so I'm confident that you will do it to. Try not to be intentionally bitter towards him after he smokes and comes in reeking, I know.. easier said than done, but do your best. He knows he needs to quit. He hasn't admitted it yet and doesn't want to face down his addiction, but he knows that day is coming.
Best wishes.
[b][color=Purple]Be Strong. Be Smart. Be Quit[/color]
[color=black]Joe[/color]
[size=3][color=Blue]Knowledge Replaces Fear[/color][/size]
[size=2][color=black]Illegitimus non carborundum est[/color][/size][/b]
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 5/15/2005
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 251
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 6,286
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $614.95
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 44 [B]Hrs:[/B] 0 [B]Mins:[/B] 17 [B]Seconds:[/B] 19
Sheller,
Life can suck at times, but sucking on a cigarette won't make it any better. You know that. Everyone here knows that. Smoking is the great lie.. the grand illusion. Don't buy into that b.s.
Your life, at some point, will even itself out.... without smoking. Hang in there Sheller and don't view qutting as denying yourself a smoke, you have made a very, very smart CHOICE! That is the one very positive thing in your life right now... don't throw it away!
[b][color=Purple]Be Strong. Be Smart. Be Quit[/color]
[color=black]Joe[/color]
[size=3][color=Blue]Knowledge Replaces Fear[/color][/size]
[size=2][color=black]Illegitimus non carborundum est[/color][/size][/b]
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 5/15/2005
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 252
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 6,310
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $617.4
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 44 [B]Hrs:[/B] 4 [B]Mins:[/B] 17 [B]Seconds:[/B] 26
Hoss,
Congratulations on your decision to quit and welcome to the SSC.
I used the patch to quit and I was never really bothered that much by craves when I was on them. I started with the 21 mg patch and used it for 2 weeks. I then stepped down to the 14 mg and finally the 7 mg.
Always remember that we are nicotine addicts and quitting means to go through withdrawal, of which craving is part of it. With the patch on you are at least receiving some nicotine so the cravings shouldn't be that bad, but we are all different. Try to have some healthy snacks around when a crave hits and perhaps you may want to chew on a straw. Remember that a crave generally won't last more then a few minutes, but for those few minutes it can seem like an eternity.
Come here and read if you have the chance and post all you want. You may want to start a journal to write about your feelings and what you are dealing with. Writing is good therapy for many things. When you write you have to focus on the topic and that may help to distract you from the craving.
Hang tough. It really does get better with time.
[b][color=Green]Be Strong. Be Smart. Be Quit.[/color]
[color=black]Joe[/color]
[size=3][color=Blue]Knowledge Replaces Fear[/color][/size]
[size=2][color=black]Illegitimus non carborundum est[/color][/size][/b]
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 5/15/2005
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 253
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 6,333
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $619.85
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 44 [B]Hrs:[/B] 8 [B]Mins:[/B] 7 [B]Seconds:[/B] 18
Brent,
You certainly have a plan and that is so very important in the early parts of a quit. Many people just plunge right in, and while that isn't necessarily a bad thing, good preparation is always a plus.
Groovekitty, the same applies to you. Plan your trip out and prepare for times where there might be triggers present and determine before hand how you will deal with them.
You two are going great! Keep on keepin' on!
[b][color=Green]Be Strong. Be Smart. Be Quit.[/color]
[color=black]Joe[/color]
[size=3][color=Blue]Knowledge Replaces Fear[/color][/size]
[size=2][color=black]Illegitimus non carborundum est[/color][/size][/b]
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 5/15/2005
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 253
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 6,333
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $619.85
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 44 [B]Hrs:[/B] 8 [B]Mins:[/B] 5 [B]Seconds:[/B] 3
Gordon24Fan,
Congratulations on your decision to quit and welcome to the SSC.
Quitting is a very individual process and you just might be one of the lucky ones who does it quite easily. For most of us mortals, we have a few fights with the old nicodemon.
Enjoy your quit and all the good days. I hope it never gets bad or difficult for you, but if it does, come on here and read and post!
hey.. one last thing.... #20.. YES!!!! :p
[b][color=Purple]Be Strong. Be Smart. Be Quit[/color]
[color=black]Joe[/color]
[size=3][color=Blue]Knowledge Replaces Fear[/color][/size]
[size=2][color=black]Illegitimus non carborundum est[/color][/size][/b]
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 5/15/2005
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 255
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 6,398
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $624.75
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 44 [B]Hrs:[/B] 18 [B]Mins:[/B] 55 [B]Seconds:[/B] 41
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