Almost Drowned
Recently I've decided to commit-to-the-quit because I almost drowned in a lake. The shortness of breath combined with a lung cold and the subsequent panic attack were not fun.
The next day I had my last cigarette @ 4 PM. I hadn't smoked one all day yet this single cigarette made me sick, short-of-breath, anxious, and highly disappointed.
I'd like to accomplish this once and for all. I've quit before for 15 months. I can do this; I can quit for good.
Hi Robn,
Congrats to you for sticking with your quit! It's so, so easy to use a relapse as an excuse to give up the battle. But why give up? You've already fortified yourself for the long-haul! You know how to beat those constant reminders and triggers. So keep fighting. It's like a game - - if the other team gets a point/goal etc, do you just fold over and declare yourself a loser? Nope. You keep playing. Same with the butt-battle.
Plz keep sticking with your 9 days. And congrats on that!!!! It's a greater accomplishment (in some ways) than the first time you achieved 9 days.
Thanks for your encouragement.
So far almost everything has been positive (aside from the overeating). I have a lot of free time. A lot! Almost 2 hours every day were dedicated to the actual act of smoking...not to mention the going somewhere to smoke and the obsession with where and how to smoke. Being a non-smoker is a far calmer life experience.
9 Days. I'm not counting tho (which is interesting and new for me). Aside from 2 minor challenges, this quit has been exceptionally easy.
I think the 15 months I accomplished between 2014 - 2016 trained me well. I fought many brutal battles during that quit (as I was in a stressful relationship with an active smoker). Maybe now, as a single person, this quit will feel like nothing!!
My Mom smokes. So today I wore a gas mask around her!! AHAHA. I brought it home from the workshop. It made her laugh. Actually it worked great.
The whole process seems almost TOO easy. It's BIZARRE. I'm slightly paranoid I will end up having one gigantic, overwhelming crave because it's been too easy.
But maybe not. Maybe now is simply my time.
My Mom doesn't care I smoke or don't smoke (never has). Nobody in my life cares...My motivation comes from me alone. Which is probably a good thing.
Wanted one for a brief moment today - my 'after exercise' cigarette (because you generally don't have one for awhile when you exercise. But I just said to myself: "if you smoke one, you're smoking all the ones that follow."
Thanks for writing - nice to have a quit buddy.
Today was a trial of sorts - quite a few triggers to deal with. I mean, it was not overwhelming but I thought about smoking more than I have been. For the most part it's easy tho.
The best thing has been telling myself "you're not just smoking this one, you will be smoking all of them."
Congrats to you as well. Tuesday makes my 2 weeks. Yippee.
I hear you - so, so, SO expensive. Total waste of money. Today, after experiencing some craves, I thought of my main reasons for not smoking:
~ to never again experience that asthma/COPD sensation
~ whiter teeth and better skin
~ save money
~ eventually feel more confident
~ smell better
~ no nuisance during my hobbies
~ more energy
Those were a few that came to mind. But today was a challenge. I was missing my proverbial 'middle finger to the world' (if that makes sense). Smoking was my way to express apathy, disgust and rejection of the world and its systems. Going to have to find another way!