Stories and experiences by: Fullofhope

I wanted to share the strange experience I have had in the last 24 hours. I have been very lucky as none of my friends smoke so I have not had that extra temptation a lot of you have had. Yesterday, I went to a party and there were heaps of people smoking and it was the first time I had to talk, al length, with people who were actively smoking. That seemed to go well and that topped off a weeke...

I have reached Day 60 today and I nearly forgot this milestone as I, like Dave, had started to count weeks not days. But it is important to acknowledge and honour the milestones because they are moments of satisfaction in an otherwise rocky time. I have been feeling fine today despite stresses and strains at work and am hoping that there will be smoother sailing ahead. Last week was horrible...

I am seriously not trying to compete with myself but today was actually worse than yesterday which was marginally worse than the day before. Work seems to have gone pear-shaped and, although part of me thinks it is the great tobacco ogre in the sky trying to lure me back, I know these challenges are part of life and I have to find a way of coping without bursting into tears (not particularly dig...

There has never been a time yet when I felt that I was out of danger but I did hope that by Day 54 I would be starting to feel better. I had a seriously awful day yesterday with tears aplenty for no particular reason. I did the best I could and went to bed early with a sleeping pill. For some peculiar reason, I didn't sleep but did a good meditation this morning to make up for my tiredeness. T...

Well I am pretty chuffed to have reached Day 50 - an achievement I doubted would ever happen. I had planned to celebrate with a coffee from my favourite cafe this morning but it was closed for the first time ever. Not to worry - I realized it was just knowing what I had done which made me happy. I so want to believe that I will never ever have a cigarette again and I know that my challenges ar...

Six weeks and three days down the track and I think I was just about as tempted today as I have been on this journey. I got into a cab in which the driver had clearly smoked. It didn't bother me but, sub-consciously, it got to me and I just felt like a ciggie in the morning which I haven't for weeks. Once I realized the trigger I tried to dismiss that horrid old acquaintance but it has lingere...

Day 40 has arrived and it is also the day I hit $1000 saved. What on earth was I thinking paying all that money to be a social outcast and to be chained up in prison? The truth is I wasn't thinking and I was acting on strong, hard-wired impulses which have an annoying tendency to stick around. Even getting ready to go away for the weekend and having a half day off work, the first, involuntary ...

This is what I have just told myself. I cannot give in so I cannot pine for it. There is a fight between the determination to stay on track and the feeling that it would be so very easy just to slip back for a moment. A friend has been over for dinner and we have had a couple of glasses of wine and it was all pleasant. But the moment she left, I looked out the window and thought 'a two minute...

Five weeks down and, finally, a weekend which has been no harder than a week day. I have done so much walking and so much deep breathing, and have kept myself busy. That has made all the difference. It feels good to have made it this far and I am pleased that I am on track to do something which I truly believed was impossible. I still have cravings and, occasionally, the loss of smoking brings...

I just went to get lunch and walked past a strip of cafes with all these poor, helpless smokers out in the cold and wind and rain and I was so pleased that for the first time ever, I am not one of them. It is Day 32 now and I am feeling much more peaceful than a few days ago. The mornings are outright easy now and I no longer have an urge to duck out during the day. The hardest time is sti...