need support to stay quit

Our answers may be of more help if we knew whether you are nicotine free or on an NRT. As long as nicotine is in your body, the nrt can cause side-effects and cravings, simply because your body wants more nicotine. Once free of nicotine it is all psychological (same feeling or cravings which are just thoughts) Filling the void with breathing or other exercise, phone call etc divert the attention away until the craving fades away.

Why not get off the nicotine, and just accept that you are alive and well and have found the path to a new a better life. So many good changes and benefits to come. They will astound you.

Thank you, you make a lot of sense.

I think I am off nicotine already - and there are many benefits already too, like inhaling deeply without it hurting or without coughing.

I will work on changing my perspective

You wouldn't happen to have played Poker Stars today and had a conversation with a player about this site?

Hi,

No I dont know what poker stars is and haven't played it or had a conversation with anyone other than you

OMG you are so right! I know that's true.

I need help in wanting to quit - in not wanting them any more.

THANKYOU!!

I quit cold turkey - to answer an earlier question

Not taking lozenges or patches, nothing like tht

Just pistacio nuts and popsicles like crazy - and just food! UGH

There are lots of reason to want to quit smoking and become a non-smoker. Read and learn. Knowledge is power. Acceptance is liberating.

Your desire to quit has to be greater than your desire to smoke. Mindset is the key. I smoked for over 40 years, always believed that I enjoyed smoking too much to quit but I did quit. You can too. Stay strong and good luck.

Well, when you put it that way - hahh

Yes, I agree. Maybe if others told me why they quit.

I know the obvious, but knew those reasons for over 40 years and it didn't matter. Just shocking to me now.

Thanks for the vote of confidence and advise Safe2017. Why did you quit.

Many are saying mindset is key. What do you mean by mindset? Commitment to being a non smoker?

The Mindset is in the positive and knowledgeable state of mind to enter into this challenge best armed to win.

Knowing yourself and your relationship with the cigarette.

How you became addicted and how that can be broken.

How cigarettes have done nothing for you and never will.

Needing to want to quit smoking more than wanting to and realizing that you are giving up nothing.

Accepting this journey to better your life.

Most of all taking control, and the best step is to think positive and BELIEVE that you too can become a happy non-smoker.

No one can put it all together like Allan Carr. A must read at any stage of your journey. I read it after I quit, although his seminars people atttended and found the desire to be non-smokers and lay down their cigarettes.

Me, I quit and had no cravings after the first 72 hrs while i rid of the nicotine in my body. I found it very easy to quit because I WANTED TO MORE THAN I WANTED TO SMOKE. That is what this forum can do. I did post his book. Click on my name and scroll through the stories .

You too can find the MINDSET!

I understand, thank you!

You got it auspark. By mind set I mean that you want to keep telling yourself “I am not going to inhale even a single puff because I am no longer a smoker” while you brain is telling you “Just One puff is not really going back to smoking but if I inhale just once I will feel so much better “. And there are a number of similar variations playing in your head to get you to have a smoke but you have to revert back to NOPE concept - not one puff ever again; otherwise, one puff will lead to the next and next and next and before you know it you are back to being a full time smoker. When I reached a point of really wanting a smoke I imagined that there was an off valve somewhere between my mouth and my lungs that I turned it off and wasn’t letting the smoke in. Also I drank lot of water and even had pinch myself or deeply inhale air imagining that it was a cigarette smoke just to change my focus. Walking also helped a lot. I recall that it wasn’t a pleasant experience for several weeks after quitting but it gets easier and easier as the time marches on. Good luck and stay strong because once you get this addiction beat you will feel free and it’s a great feeling. But you always have to be vigilant because in a moment of weakness just one puff will take you right back where you started. That’s from personal experience. I cheering for you auspark.

P.S. I quit because smoking became a drag. I was tired of this addiction driving my life. For example, two cigarettes left in the pack in the evening and I had to drive to the store to replenish my supply of smokes or paranoia would hit “Oh my gosh what am I going to do if I run out of smokes”. Also, when traveling I would have as many smokes as I could before going into the airport but as soon as I got passed the point of no return I always wanted to have the one smoke I couldn’t have and I couldn’t get out outside any longer. Morning smoker’s coughs we’re getting annoying and I could see that it was only going to get worse. Stink on the top of that wasn’t appealing all of a sudden. Last bu nut least the cost of cigs was getting prohibitively expensive as far as I was concerned. And I also wanted to prove to myself that I can beat my addiction and become free and independent again. These are about all the reasons I can think of why I quit. You must have your own reasons that maybe similar to mine but if you are here they must be important enough for you to quit.

Thanks so much Safe 2017 (is that name bc you quit in 2017?).

I really appreciate the time you're taking to respond to me - and everything you say really helps alot.

Thank you!

Yes, “2017” is because I quit in 2017 and “Safe” is because this is my last quit and I am playing it Safe. No more taking chances having just one puff that derailed my last two serious quits. One quit lasted just over 2 years and the other one lasted just over one year. This my third and final quit and I’d rather be safe than sorry. Good luck.

So sorry your post didn't get as much response as you expected....lol

I quit smoking because I was diagnosed borderline copd and my husbands mom died of exema . It was not a pretty sight, and I did not want him to have to see me suffer that way. I didn't want my kids to witness it either. I wasn't particularly fond of going in that manner either.

I found the strength to quit by joining a quit line forum like this. IcanQuit is the best one though because you can actually communicate with each other if you really want to. I hope this forum can do for you what it did for me.

LOL - the feedback has been amazing and I really appreciate it!I'm so glad I found this site -

Yes, I think you made the right decision. Im supposed to go see a pulmonologist bc of the pnemonia I just had.

i will do that soon, I'm kinda nervous though, but also need to know what's up.

Thanks again for your time!

Thanks Nuts - Hahhh - I just can't believe how NICE everyone is.

I'm so thankful to everyone for responding to my post and questions. Truly, all of you will definitely help me through this, no doubt.

Oh, Red-67 you're in the US too?

Are there people from all over the world on this site?

I am about 45 minutes south of the fires that were in Sonoma, and about 3 hours south of the fires that leveled the city of Paradise ( amazing the name of the town that was destroyed>!)

But, ashes were all over my car and in the area for weeks, was creepy, and the sunsets! BRIGHT RED sun setting.

I love you story, so true, we don't even realize what we are doing, but see things so much more clearly in others.

Congratulations!

I did stop coffee, bc I was afraid I'd HAVE to have a cigarette.

I had some yesterday and it was no problem, no cigarette and didn't really like the coffee.

I'd smoked with a cup or ten of coffee daily for nearly 50 years. I still cant believe I smoked for so long.

I hope others send their story about quitting.

What's the red-67 mean?

I had 5 cartons and three packs when I quit. Over 500 dollars, but that was that - my kids got them out of the house. They're all sooo happy and proud and have wanted me to stop smoking all of their lives. GOD

I was talking with my son the other day. I got up and went to get a popsicle and my son stepped aside to let me by. When I got to the freezer my son said, " Oh,wow. I thought you were going to go outside and smoke. That's always what you would have done before. I'm so glad you are getting a popsicle instead."

I am also in the states. Pacific Northwest. Tomorrow will be the 6 month anniversary of the day I had my last cigarette. My only problem these days is the vivid dreams I have had about lighting one up. At least they're only dreams.

So happy for all of us! What a great decision we have made!

Hi BethP.

Six months, wow, that's great

I bet you were happy when you woke up and realized it was a dream - or nightmare, so happy you haven't smoked!

Yes, great decision and so proud of everyone,

Everyone's stories are so interesting to me, why they quit, how long, what helped through the hard parts etc.

Thanks for writing.