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Challenging Worry

Ashley -> Health Educator

2024-04-20 11:42 PM

Depression Community

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Hello

Linda Q

2024-04-11 5:06 AM

Anxiety Community

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Addiction

Ashley -> Health Educator

2024-04-08 3:54 PM

Managing Drinking Community

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Browse through 411.749 posts in 47.054 threads.

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15 years ago 0 58 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Good Grief you people ... is this part of the master plan? Keep her so busy reading and typing that she wont have time to smoke, fortunately my compulsion toward good manners appears to be stronger that my compulsion for nicotine ... so here I am typing and not smoking! ... Notes back to all you very nice people out there ...
 
Karren - please dont apologise, there really is no need.  I was glad to have watched the video, it was a stark reminder and perhaps it was just the kick in the arse that I needed today.  It did make me cry though and that is soooo not good - Lets's get one thing clear ... I am a 'big' tough assed Scots woman with a reputation for ball bustin' ... I am not supposed to cry! and obviously not being one given to too much sentiment, I will just say 'thankyou ... your posts have been more support than I would ever admit' ... and please, no apologies ... nuff said x
 
Lolly - now that's what I like to hear ... another Scots woman (like music to my ears) I am from Edinburgh but I have lived in Belfast, Northern Ireland for the last 12 years ... got a bit fed up with the weather and the scenery in Scotland, so I thought I'd try somewhere a little more peaceful and exotic!! ... Thank you for your support I do appreciate it very much.  You mentioned some 'mad things' you have done to avoid taking another cigarette ... I am a good listener should you ever feel in a confessional mood!!
 
Moss - Thank you for reassuring me that I am 'normal', although I can guarantee you that there are many of my family and friends who may press you for a second opinion! - Thanks for sending me your wee note - you helped me get throught the day. 
 
Mr Quitter - Hi there ... I hope you have sorted things out with your friend - I must say that it was good of you to send a wee note to me when you had all your own s**t going on ... and you didn't smoke ... so that makes you kind AND brave ... and they sound like some excellent ingredients for a damn good friend ...   Thank you.
 
Kyllisa - 207 days ... that feels like forever - and here I am whinging and moaning like a pathetic wee girl after only four days - I bet you wish they had the option of issuing a 'cyber slap'. I wish I had a tardis or something or perhaps just a touch of temporary amnesia ... anything that will just get me through the next few days/weeks/months (sorry ... off I go again ... moaning!) Thanks for you post - I know life is hard without a Mum (whatever age you are) and I know that if my Mum was around she would be telling me to get a bloody grip and not to let it grind me down (she was a scary lady sometimes!) but sure maybe one day I can post with 207 days under my belt ... 4 down ... 203 to go ...
 
Cybrduke - well, what can I say ... except ... Mr Dark Lord you are a funny guy, you made me laugh and let me tell you, thats no easy task these days!  I would tell you that you sound like you live on another planet ... but I am sure that would only serve to feed your alter ego.  I really loved your suggestions about NOT being to hard on myself with regard to the whole eating cakes issue ... who am I to argue with the Dark Lord? so ... I had two cakes tonight, therefore rest assured that your advice has been taken on board with gusto.  Also, I took your advice about the gum ... and I bought some today at the chemist.  The chemist man was a little hesitant about supplying the gum as I am already using the patches - however once he had registered the look on my face and listened closely when I informed him that it really was a health and safety issue - he handed them over without a struggle ... MEN!  I thanked him for his co operation and informed him that he could go home knowing that today he saved a life ... not mine ... but his.  As I said ... pre-menstrual - Scottish - stopping smoking and charged with a sugar rush ... lethal.  On the plus side, the gum seemed to help quite a bit and I still haven't smoked.  Thankyou ... you gave me sound advice and you made me laugh ... are you sure you're a man???

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 10/19/2008
Smoke-Free Days: 4
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 60
Amount Saved: �17.70
Life Gained:
Days: 0 Hrs: 10 Mins: 19 Seconds: 42

15 years ago 0 1080 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Lil please dont think I was being sanctimonious in saying about Kylisa's video, of course I did not know you had seen your own mom die in such a horrendous way and I apologise if you thought  I was-what I was trying to get across by advising the viewing of that video is that the thing I find most shocking about the video is not the lung cancer, its the fact that the lady still needs to go smoke on the brink of death, thats the power of the addiction and thats the bit that both frightened and shocked me. The other thing is that the lady wanted the video shown to try to stop people smoking, and I just feel on a personal level that if she was prepared to allow herself to be filmed at her darkest hour then the least we can do is to try and get others who smoke to watch it.
But I am sorry if I offended you personally.
 

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 5/10/2008
Smoke-Free Days: 166
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 4,150
Amount Saved: $2,490.00
Life Gained:
Days: 19 Hrs: 12 Mins: 27 Seconds: 19

15 years ago 0 382 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Dear Lil,
 
My friends used to call me Fag Ash Lil, as I was always preceded by a cigarette....smoked 1-2 packets a day for 40 years. (more years than you have lived!)  I'm Scottish too and relate to your humour.  I'm originally from Glasgow......where are you from?
 
Anyway Lil.....your humour is keeping you going right now and you do seem on the edge in your fight.  Everyone has given you great advice to help you to hold on to your quit.  It does get better, even if,  right now, you cannot not believe that.  Non-smokers are not a lot of help to you right now, as they do not know how you feel....WE DO!!!  Do stay with us here at SSC, and keep reading and posting when you can.  It really helps and, you know, with your great Scots humour, you will be helping others as you post!  Humour will be one of your strengths in fighting the Nicodemon.
 
I'll be totally honest with you and say that this 'THING' which is mind -consumingly terrible right now will not go away quickly, but you WILL live through it, and it will diminish in size.  YOU will be in control and WOW! that feeling of winning and control is worth everything.  It does take a while to go through the various stages of a quit, and that Nicodemon is lying in wait to pounce when you least expect it, so you do need to be on your guard.
 
Get a Mantra....like N.O.P.E. ( Not One Puff Ever)  anything that you can repeat until the crave passes.  At the beginning, mine was ...'Whatever it takes!'   That is exactly what I did.....whatever was necessary not to smoke another cigarette.  There were some really mad things I did, but they worked.
 
Lil, you are too near the start of your quit to be asking when the pain stops.......but stop it will my friend and then you will be FREE!!
 
Stay Strong and Positive!
 
Lolly.  
 

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 11/25/2004
Smoke-Free Days: 1428
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 49,980
Amount Saved: �7,140.00
Life Gained:
Days: 185 Hrs: 12 Mins: 17 Seconds: 44

  • Quit Meter

    $11,084.00

    Amount Saved

  • Quit Meter

    Days: 693 Hours: 14

    Minutes: 18 Seconds: 25

    Life Gained

  • Quit Meter

    5542

    Smoke Free Days

  • Quit Meter

    110,840

    Cigarettes Not Smoked

15 years ago 0 649 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hi there Lil....
 
One can feel from your words that you are fighting hard right now.  First off,  you are normal.  That doesn't make the distress you are feeling go away but hopefully it will help a little in understanding this process.  I can only offer another hand and  echo what the others have said. 
 
Use the search feature here to read about anger and depression and whatever else you are going through.  There are a lot of experiences and support in the archives here.  Every time I thought I was alone in my experiences I found others who were right there with me.
 
You may want to limit your contact with non-smokers for a bit.  They may be well intentioned but they don't get it.  Try some different things to get through the cravings.  Stay here and read.  Get away from here and get your hands and mind busy.  Write down a list of smoking pros and cons and keep it in your pocket.  ( I wound up with 32 cons and 1 pro ).  And that 1 pro was exactly what Mr Q talks about here, the illusion of feeling good until you want another, and then another, and then another..............................................
 
You have a terrific sense of humor and a way with words.  Post often if it helps you get through this.  Work the program, too.  I learned a lot working through the information. There are many here who will offer their support and want you to succeed.
 
Moss
 


My Milage:

My Quit Date: 11/19/2007
Smoke-Free Days: 339
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 5,085
Amount Saved: $1,144.13
Life Gained:
Days: 54 Hrs: 12 Mins: 7 Seconds: 3

15 years ago 0 289 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hi Lil
   Not alot for me to add here, you have been given so much truthful advice and wisdom. My mom also died a slow agonizing death from cancer, one of my reasons for quitting was so that I have done everything that I can to not put my daughter through what you and I went through, they say we have to do this for ourselves but I think we can also do it for our kids. I swear to you as time passes it really isn't as bad as what you are going thru now. Hang in there and take it hour by hour and day by day.
Lots of ice water too.
Lisa

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 3/30/2008
Smoke-Free Days: 207
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 8,280
Amount Saved: $910.80
Life Gained:
Days: 22 Hrs: 15 Mins: 3 Seconds: 3

15 years ago 0 130 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hi Lil -
 
I can see the force is strong in you....
 
Seriously, nice work. Quitting is not easy. I know. I smoked 2 packs a day. I used the patch and the gum to quit. It made it tolerable, and at times, downright easy. I tried cold turkey once, not pretty at all. You're right, this is a very tough addiction to beat, but it can be done. There are hundreds of folks who belong to this board that are living proof of that.
 
You mentioned the eating. Putting on a few extra pounds during a quit is a lot easier on your health than smoking the cigarettes. Don't go overboard on eating, make smart choices, but don't worry about it yet either. It's way to early in your quit to put that kind of pressure on yourself. I put on about 20 pounds when I quit, I've lost about 10 of them now and I continue to lose. The weight will come off as you get more active, and the longer you don't smoke, the more active you will get.
 
If you feel like you're going to break, take a deep breath and post. We are here and we will respond. We all want you to succeed in your quit, and will do whatever we can to help.
 
Keep up the good work!!!!
 
 

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 7/6/2008
Smoke-Free Days: 109
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 3,270
Amount Saved: $752.10
Life Gained:
Days: 18 Hrs: 2 Mins: 27 Seconds: 9

15 years ago 0 303 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Howdy Lil!!  You know for someone who's 3 days in you definately are more enertaining than a lot of the past quitties I've known.  This is a sucky time in the quit but it does get better.  That said it's going to take some time before it gets totally better.  I'm not even sure what totally better is yet.  The thoughts are still going to come every now and then even if you stack up on knowledge.  For instance, I've been doing well.  I've spent the last 80 days reading, posting, figuring out the tricks involved by the smoking company, etc.  I had tried to quit so many times in the past and failed I thought now that I have figured it out I have something to bring to the table.  Then last night I got into a fight with my best friend which I'm pretty sure resulted in losing him as a friend and the first thing I thought was "I could really go for a cigarette right now."  Weird.  It's more of a thought than anything hard on these days like the devil on your shoulder...Easily dismissed...Anyways, the first 3 weeks are gonna suck but each day from day one to day 21 are going to get a little easier...Stressing the easier part...Not easy....After that it's more of a "I'm bored I'll just have one" "I'm only going to smoke during my two week vacation to celebrate my quit."  First of all these things are not YOUR real thoughts.  No one is dumb enough to accept these thoughts as truth but we are addicted to nicotine and it's like the devil on your shoulder, talking, hoping that you'll cave.  There are a few things that helped me along the way.  Take them as you will.
 
1) Allen Carr's - The easyway to quit smoking....Works on the desire to smoke to help with the "I miss my best friend" syndrome.
 
2) People that smoke claim that smoking helps you feel relaxed, relieve stress, concentrate, handle anger, reduce tension, reduce irratability, complement activities and more.....Any drug that cures everything doesn't really cure anything....
 
3) When you start smoking smokes tastes awful but when you start it's usually to fit in so you keep doing it.  Then one day it tastes great.  From the time that it moves from awful to awesome something happens in you brain and it resets itself so that your thrown off balance.  Then when you smoke your brain returns to a normal or non smoking state.  It's like wearing tight shoes to enjoy the pleasure of taking them off.
 
Sounds like your doing well.  You sound like a strong women.  Keep up the great work.
 
Mr Q

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 8/4/2008
Smoke-Free Days: 80
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 1,920
Amount Saved: $600.00
Life Gained:
Days: 8 Hrs: 14 Mins: 17 Seconds: 6

  • Quit Meter

    0

    Amount Saved

  • Quit Meter

    Days: 0 Hours: 0

    Minutes: 0 Seconds: 0

    Life Gained

  • Quit Meter

    0

    Smoke Free Days

  • Quit Meter

    0

    Cigarettes Not Smoked

15 years ago 0 58 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Karren and Rock (luvin your name!!)
 
Thanks once again, I have to say I am surprised by how much these wee posts help.  I have been on my own today - no one to keep a wee eye on me, I could have chain smoked my way through the whole day - but I haven't even had one cigarette!! Although I have seriously thought about it and been seriously tempted ... but alas I have resisted (so far).  Does anyone out there miss cigarettes? What about those who are quite some way into their quit ... do you still feel tempted? Right now, I feel as if I am teetering on the edge of failure ... does this ever stop? 
 
What about this whole eating issue ... this is not good.  Any suggestions? ... short of having my jaws wired together!!
 
I like the idea of dog walking ... I would love to have a dog but with us working and being out of the most days that wouldn't be much of a life for a wee dog.
 
P.S Karren - I watched the video you suggested - it was a little distressing but I know only too well the horrors of smoking.  I watched my own Mother die from lung cancer 16 years ago, her death was quickly followed by both of my pregnancies ... and still I did not stop (Yes, I am suitably ashamed of myself)  Her death was slow and torturous (she was 50 years old) and I miss her every single day.  I dont want my children to watch me die and I dont want them to feel the huge void that losing your Mother creates.  I am 39 years old and I feel like an orphan!!   This addiction is fighting hard and I am struggling to hold on.

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 10/19/2008
Smoke-Free Days: 4
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 60
Amount Saved: �17.70
Life Gained:
Days: 0 Hrs: 9 Mins: 18 Seconds: 11

15 years ago 0 1080 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
LIl- with that great, terrific sense of humour, are you sure you're feeling blue- you made me laugh out loud this morning whilst reading this and listnening to Jeremy Vile (kyle) how sad am I???
I know you have it in you to quit, you remind me of another member of ours called CyberDuke, he is bright and funny just like you and he also had your determination.
You just got to believe us Lil when we say it WILL get better- and hey just think  not only are you not alone, you're not alone with a large ( yes that is a negative- I was fairly slim before -and you said you wanted the whole truth!!-) post menopausal English woman-that got to be a winning team!!

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 5/10/2008
Smoke-Free Days: 166
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 4,150
Amount Saved: $2,490.00
Life Gained:
Days: 19 Hrs: 11 Mins: 44 Seconds: 42

15 years ago 0 1843 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0

Lil, congrats on reaching day 3!  You've received some good advice so far!  What works for me is taking my dog for a walk when I feel like smoking.  Changing my scenery if I feel pressure to smoke.  Eating lots of carrots and drinking lots of ice water.  Post often, read even more often, follow the advice of those with success stories, and you soon will be a success story!  And be sure to reward yourself!  You have your quit meter going, so you know how much money you haven't spent on cigarettes.  Don't be afraid to use some of that savings to reward yourself frequently.  You deserve it!


My Milage:

My Quit Date: 8/20/2008
Smoke-Free Days: 63
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 2,520
Amount Saved: $504.00
Life Gained:
Days: 9 Hrs: 10 Mins: 27 Seconds: 5


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