With apologies to** tdn**, I thought that since today is Nov. 1st I’d open the Smoke-Free thread for November.
Yesterday was my one-year anniversary, and I’m so very happy with myself. I’ve managed to keep from smoking even though my hubby still smokes. I feel so much better! One of the best things is, if I happen to cough for some reason, I don’t have those long drawn out spells which make people look at you funny like I used to. Yay!
If you’ve recently quit, congratulations! Welcome to the club!
My husband quit about three weeks ago using Chantix. Within the last few days, he’s cut down his dosage (ahead of schedule) because he was depressed and having too many dreams. It’s too early to say how well that’s going, but I can tell you he’s pretty difficult to get along with right now. He’s irritable and very easily frustrated.
As far as not smoking, he hasn’t slipped at all and I’m really surprised. He smoked since he was about fourteen, never even tried to quit before, and was at nearly two packs a day.
I think this is the first time since the last Smoke-free thread I have checked my silkquit meter!
I remember the early days feeling like I looked at that thing every hour or so. Then it was every few days.
It’s been nine months, two weeks, five days, and 16 hours since I became a non-smoker after over twenty years of smoking.
I’m having just the opposite problem. They can’t keep up with me. The other day my daughter lost me in Walmart. She said she used to be able to find me by my cough, but now she has no way to track me!
Eight months, here! I still can’t believe how hard it is. Every single day, I still encounter situations when I would like to smoke. I’m also trying to work off the 20 lbs I’ve gained. I’m only 5’2"…gaining a fifth of one’s body weight is not good! Anyway, weight can come off…illness caused by smoking, not so much. I’m still proud of myself. It just kind of pisses me off that the people who gave me so much shit aren’t as vocal in their praise. Oh, well…
Ooh, I’m glad to see this thread. I quit…oh, 19 months ago, using Chantix. The last few weeks I’ve caught myself wishing for a cigarette and even briefly entertained the thought that I could buy a pack, just smoke one and still be fine. I KNOW I can’t, I KNOW that would not be a good thing for me to do - and yet I did think about it. I just didn’t do it.
I do know, though, that this was a psychological moment, not a physical one and if I had one I’d have to go through that physical hell again. And no way am I doing that.
Two months, one week, three days, 19 hours, 14 minutes and 12 seconds. 1436 cigarettes not smoked, saving $574.41. Life saved: 4 days, 23 hours, 40 minutes.
After about 23 years or so of smoking.
I did it cold turkey with no drugs patches or anything. It was pure hell for a couple days. But that was it. It got better every day after day three. I know I will forever want and think of them. I am about to celebrate 11 years sober form a severe drug and alcohol problem. I still think if that all them time as well. I assume this will be them same.
The liberation form the binds of addition is truly amazing. although the obsessions still present themselves they are less intrusive in my daily life.
For me, once I wrapped my head around the fact that if I don’t smoke or use I have control over my habit everything had direction and meaning. I had a great reason to quit for MYSELF. I can make a choice to smoke I have control. If I do light up I lose control. It has control over me.
Congradulations to everyone.
You can do it take control over your life. Don’t let a pack of smokes make decisions for you all day. Free your mind to consider other things than the constant call of nicotine.
The best help I got from quitting nicotine was from whyquit.com
I just read info there when I really needed “one”. Thinking about nicotine is different than craving. So reading about the effects and others quitting rely helped.
You know, it’s really not that bad. I’ve heard ex-smokers say how they still long for them, it’s not that way for me. I quit in May '04 after smoking for 19 years. I hardly ever even think about it. On those very rare occasions when I get a little urge, it’s very little. Hardly worth mentioning. At work, I still go out with the smokers on their breaks. I have zero desire to bum one, I just go for the break.
I read Alan Carr’s book smoked the rest of the day that I finished the book, threw out my smokes and I was done.
I don’t get urges anymore. I may think to myself that I’m in a situation where I used to want one, but I never get an urge to smoke.
I love that I don’t have to worry about not having enough smokes to make it through the day, I don’t sit and stare at the clock and count the minutes til my next break while at work, I don’t have to stand outside in the freezing cold during WI winters, I don’t have to go to the bars that still allow smoking to enjoy myself, and I don’t come home from those bars reeking.
There is so many upsides to quitting and not one single downside - I’m amazed it took me 12yrs to figure that out!
You know what was a real revelation to me? That quitting an addiction isn’t about “I’m not allowed to do ___ anymore”. It’s about “I don’t have to do ___ anymore”. There is no greater feeling than to have that yoke off of your neck.
Just passed the six month mark on Tuesday, November 4. Smoke free and loving it! Never ever thought that I’d be saying that either. I do feel better and know that I’m breathing more easily. I still want to smoke, though - I mean, I like the smell of cigarette smoke (although not on the person of a heavy smoker! That I can really tell!), and admit that sometimes I go out to the smokers area and sniff the cigarette smoke. I haven’t smoked one, though, and won’t because I know that just one would be it.
