A cycle of failure

Thank you Gemma! Good luck to both of us. We can do this 💪

Yea indeed I no mindset is key but I find it a little tricky to get it out of the mind at the first few stages of quitting

I struggle a bit for the first week to beat cravings.

I was a non smoker for a good 5 months before.

So I do no what to expect.

And I do remember it got easier few weeks in

I was no longer waking up craving that stink of a ciggerate I still can't stand how I smell after a smoke so very conscious of it.

Forget the past quits.... this one is different. I hope you have been reading our stories and especially the comments given which are both supportive and informative.

I try to encourage people to stop fearing the quit and to embrace it.

You know you are doing the right thing, but you remain apprehensive

We expect discomfort and for quitting to be hard, but it really is not when you are in the right mindset.

I smoked for 40 plus years and never thought I could quit. Who hasn't tried and failed and resigned themselves to fate?

Nicotine is an addictive drug. We did not choose to smoke, but we CAN choose to quit.

We are stronger than nicotine. We are proof. You are too.

Cravings are almost imperceptible. They are basically thoughts that set us to light up every hour or so. It had us trained to do so. Smoking ruled our lives every day. We are addicts.

When you look at smoking in a different light, and when you BELIEVE that you can take back control, you will.

Seeing other people succeed on a site like this changed everything for me.

I began to believe that I could be free, and have been for well over a year. No looking back, no regrets and I did it easily.

It should not be difficult to do something that we really WANT to do.

Instead we should look forward to it and not be afraid.

People adapt. Covid made us adapt and we survive. In the beginning it seemed to be such a change and today it has become almost ordinary to wear a mask and distance..

Being a non-smoker will also come to feel right, normal. Without thought. Without craving.

When we WANT something, we find a way......or we find an excuse.

There are no excuses to smoke any more.

It never did anything at all for us, despite former beliefs we held.

We have always known it was bad for our health and bank accounts.

Quitting smoking frees us from interruptions to stop and feed it all the time.

It is the cycle of addiction.

You are not in a cycle of failure. You didn't have the right tools to quit.

You do need to break the cycle of feeding the addiction.

You only liked smoking because you didn't have to deal with cravings.

It was easier to give in.

Perhaps in the beginning that is true,(about 72 hours until the nicotine has been largely depleted ) but there is so much more freedom and satisfaction, self confidence and self pride ahead for you. It is worth the struggle . It can be over very quickly and without cravings when you desire something more.

After the nicotine ban comes the retraining of our reactions

and our thought processes.

Read and Learn. Knowledge is power.

You CAN quit smoking this time. You are not alone nor unarmed now.

Think Positive!

Happiness, your effort to help people is awesome.. you have my admiration..

Thank you matik_one. The greatest thing for me about quitting smoking is helping others to achieve their freedom too. I saw the light and if I can have them see it too and make things easier I am pleased. It really is a mindset.

Thank you to all who commented. Today is day 1 but the difference between this day 1 and the many many others I’ve had is that I’m approaching it differently this time. I’m going to accept all the help I can get and make it as easy as possible. In the past, I took an approach of punishment for the guilt and shame I felt. Cold turkey, white knuckling secretly through the pain. I realise that’s what I thought I deserved but I don’t. Addiction is real. I recognise it in others but take a harsh stand with myself. Not this time. I’m approaching it softly and kindly. Let’s see if a bit of radical self-love is the secret :)