Day 3

cydeb Good to see that you are moving through this. You will feel a bit like a bobble head doll for a period of time. It does pass, it is really a sign that your body is already beginning to heal and change. Work can be a trigger for many of us simply because we used cigarettes as a way of delaying or getting away from doing tasks that may be unpleasant. Just try to stay focused on the quit and when the urge comes, use a distraction technique. Really the craves do not last much more than 5 minutes, and once you begin to recognize when the need to smoke arises and equally as importantly why the need has arisen, you will automatically go into distraction mode. I won't tell you any of this is easy, because frankly, it was not for me. However, I will tell you with hand on heart that it does pass. One sweet day you will come to realize that you do not need to smoke and in fact you never ever needed to smoke. Good luck and post often, there are many people here who want you to suceed... nonic [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]12/25/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 319 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 9,570 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $3,349.50 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 58 [B]Hrs:[/B] 6 [B]Mins:[/B] 56 [B]Seconds:[/B] 40

help, help, help

cydeb I understand the sense of panic that the addiction evokes in us initially. Just remember it is only a sense and in many ways, a shadow that can be shaken. I am happy to see that you note in your post that the craves do pass. Concentrate on that fact when you are deeply involved in one of those gut wrenchers...I went so far as to carry around a stop watch just to remind myself that those times are shorter than the perception we have of them...In fact I never saw one last more than 5 minutes...This is when you need to use distraction techniques...Water is a great one...drink it till you float...Deep breathing is also a god send in those situations...In the extreme if it is really to much to bear leave your surroundings...Even a short span of time will do it for you...Never forget that this is both a physical and a mental addiction...The former is sorted out by time, the latter demands practice as it demands that you follow a path of behavior modification...And as a Social worker you might just have a clue about how hard it is for people to change their way of being... Hang tough, there are many people here wishing you success...They all know that this can be done, now you have to realize that you can do it... Stay well and quit nonic [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]12/25/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 320 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 9,600 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $3,360.00 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 58 [B]Hrs:[/B] 9 [B]Mins:[/B] 21 [B]Seconds:[/B] 31

You've got to wake up every morning with a smile on your face...

Sally Sounds as if you understand this thing quite well...Cigarettes have always been our hiding place when our sense of equilibrium goes wobbly. The fact of the matter is that life is full of those emotional whirlwinds. But it is also a fact that I have yet to see a cigarette untangle a single jangled nerve...The fact that we believe that we are better prepared to deal with a situation after smoking is part of the trap of the addiction. This is mostly due to the fact that a hit on a square causes our body to release certain hormones that give us a sense of well being...The irony of it is that while we are comforted by that flow of hormones, the nasty stuff we are inhaling is actually setting our bodies up for horrible illness down the road...I will take a few moments of emotional uncertainty over a one way ticket to the oncology ward any day of the week... You are going to find as the days go by that you are stronger and tougher than you think...One sweet day you are going to realize in a meaningful way that you do not need to smoke to get through life's rather unpleasant offerings...No in point of fact you will then understand that it is you who works through problems, the cigarettes where merely a smoke screen (really bad pun) that has been hiding a very strong and capeable soul for a long long time... Stay well, there are many people here wishing you great success... nonic [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]12/25/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 320 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 9,600 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $3,360.00 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 58 [B]Hrs:[/B] 9 [B]Mins:[/B] 24 [B]Seconds:[/B] 43

NEED to quit!

Steel Sunflower Welcome back, glad that you have decided to have another go at this� Wow really like that name, the joining of opposites in a creative way is the stuff of great literature and art...Now it is time for you to join opposites (it is no fun being on that want to quit, want to smoke, want to quit, want to smoke, see saw...Take that ambivalence and meld it into a solid desire to throw off the shackles of addiction...Your a photographer, you know all about dealing with light and shadows. It is time for you to combine doubt and ambition, hope and remorse, decision and indecision into a singular pathway that will at last bring you to a state of freedom...You already know that this addiction is both physical and emotional...The former is rather straight forward, but the latter, now that is the interesting part...And from your post I dare say that the latter is the one on which you must concentrate. Stay well and quit nonic [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]12/25/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 320 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 9,600 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $3,360.00 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 58 [B]Hrs:[/B] 9 [B]Mins:[/B] 27 [B]Seconds:[/B] 54

HI ALL 5 days for me today!!!

Jacqui Great to have you with us...Nice going on the 7 days, I wager it may seem like 7 years to you, but the important thing is that you are still standing and the cigarettes ain't...Part of the trap of this addiction is the emotional wringer we get go through when our body realizes that we are not going to poison it any longer...It has become so used to scheduled hits of nicotine and other stuff in the cigarette, that quitting feels unnatural and it wants to return to familiar ground...I think that is the nature of change...But change is actually a good thing in this case, and as you no doubt already know anything in this life worth having takes a whole lot of doing...The good news is that you have a universe of people here who understand the difficulty and to one way or another have faced the demon down...Now you will do it too and in the end be so much better for the doing...Stay close to the site, you will find that poating is a very useful distraction in its own right.... nonic [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]12/25/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 320 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 9,600 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $3,360.00 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 58 [B]Hrs:[/B] 9 [B]Mins:[/B] 30 [B]Seconds:[/B] 12

Quitting Related Depression?

Kelly The good news about this is that you are aware of how you are feeling. It might come as a surprise to you, but many people are seem to go through life without a sense of themselves in such a meaningful way... Yes indeed, quitting can put us on a downward emotional spiral. Just think of all the times we used the old thin blue smoke as a blanket to cover our shivering souls. From your posts I know that you recognize how some of us (me included) have self-medicated with nicotine. It is only natural that you will come upon hard times now and again in the state of well being department. I also know from reading your posts that you are very adept at reajusting the old perceptual screen in your good self to recognize what is going on and take corrective action. Scolding yourself is probably just an initial reaction to the state you find your self wandering through at this moment. I do the same thing. And then I realize that hitting myself over the head with it isn't going to stop the hurt... You know how to do this, you know the things you can do to redirect the sadness...In the end life is really worth the trip you know, you just have to sharpen your sense of humour, appreciate the absurdity and know that you are a special person with many gifts to offer...Take the time to appreciate how far you have come and more importantly how many people you have touched in their times of need... I got faith in ya kid, you ain't done yet, in fact, you are actually on the door step of absolute freedom this terrible addiction... Stay well and quit nonic [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]12/25/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 320 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 9,600 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $3,360.00 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 58 [B]Hrs:[/B] 9 [B]Mins:[/B] 33 [B]Seconds:[/B] 24

Quitting Related Depression?

Kelly Here is a bit I wrote when I was just 30 days off the weed...Its a good one to put one refrigerator with one of those god awful magnets... set my mind against the tide, as a sailor sets a sail straight into a westward wind, that soon became a gale. The harbor lights were far behind, when the sky bled blue to gray. The chop was fine and coming fast and my boat began to sway. Broadside and true she took each wave and fell to meet the next. The troughs were deep the angles steep my thoughts were dark and vexed. And in that hour the taunting came, from deep within the storm. Derision scorn and vile blame, took endless ghostly form. Loathing lingered on the deck as doubt engulfed the mast. And from the east, a tiny speck flew toward me from the past. Larger loomed this bird of prey in silence loud and clear. With stealth and guile it ruled the day for this was cold dark fear. Fear stretched out a deadly claw and danced with doubt and scorn around the sail I�d bravely set they mocked the oath I�d sworn. The bitter wind grew stronger still as hopelessness appeared and played a mournful melody for doubt and scorn and fear. �Come join the dance� the storm intoned I know you know the steps. �I�ll bring you peace� the wind exclaimed �with one more cigarette.� But just between the flash and fade the lightning wind and storm were all inventions I had made while I was busy being born. For I have lost a lover who would kill me where I stand but found a better friend in me cause I know who I am. I set my mind against the tide as a sailor sets a sail� I set my mind against the tide As a sailor sets a sail�.. I set my mind against the tide as a sailor sets a sail�. You got to keep setting that sail everyday, you never know when I good winds about to come your way... nonic [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]12/25/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 320 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 9,600 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $3,360.00 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 58 [B]Hrs:[/B] 9 [B]Mins:[/B] 34 [B]Seconds:[/B] 51

Quitting Related Depression?

Kelly Alright now, you will now have to suffer through my entire anthology of quitting poetry until you feel better...Seriously, this is another bit out of my journal that might speak to your current situation...Have a read, I hope that in the least it keeps you from feeling alone in this... When I was... When I was hurt it told me everything would be alright as long as I didn't actually feel the pain. And I believed it. And I never learned to grieve. When I got angry it told me everything would be alright as long as I didn't defend myself. And I believed it. And I never learned to communicate. When I was afraid, it told me everything would be alright as long as I never tasted the fear. And I believed it. And I never learned to cope. When I was happy, it convinced me it was my friend as long as I took it to the party. And I believed it. And I never felt total joy. Hang in there, you are stonger and tougher and meaner (when it comes to quitting) than you realize... Stay well nonic [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]12/25/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 320 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 9,600 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $3,360.00 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 58 [B]Hrs:[/B] 9 [B]Mins:[/B] 40 [B]Seconds:[/B] 19

help, help, help

cydeb Good for you, you are doing something wonderful for yourself, but you are also giving those who love you in this world a magnificent present as well... Stay well and quit nonic [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]12/25/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 320 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 9,600 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $3,360.00 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 58 [B]Hrs:[/B] 10 [B]Mins:[/B] 31 [B]Seconds:[/B] 40

Get on the Quit Train!!

I'm up for a ride today... nonic [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]12/25/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 320 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 9,600 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $3,360.00 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 58 [B]Hrs:[/B] 11 [B]Mins:[/B] 14 [B]Seconds:[/B] 7