day one!!!

[ouch]

perhaps i should wait to post after i've got some time under my belt?? i don't want to speak too soon ......... but i've had it with smoking, i really have. it's expensive, it's smelly, it's dirty, it's lethal, and it's so retro. i'm through.

i always smoke first thing in the morning, and i've made it so far by being on this site, downloading music like crazy (the instant gratification is comforting) and making plans to visit people tomorrow (my best friend just had a baby, and my great-aunt who 85 or so isn't having company tomorrow so i thought i'd visit her for an hour or so)

yeah, sorry i'm rambling .... the only withdrawal symptom i've noticed so far is that i'm a little maniacal ....... i just want to talk and talk and i don't seem to have any impulse control whatsoever .... that and i can't stop thinking about having a cigarette

thanks for listening to my withdrawal-induced rambling!!

julia

[Evanna]

Ramble away, i like hearing it.

[ouch]

thanks evanna! how long did it take for the worst of your cravings to subside? i made it through two full days and i'm on my third-- i haven't gone this long without a cigarette in almost three years. for awhile there i was smoking almost two packs a day ... i'm having a hard time sleeping, not sure if it's related, but i keep waking up (it's seven thirty in the morning now and i'm awake-- that's definitely not like me!!) seriously, i admire anyone who can quit smoking, i think it's much harder than quitting even drugs, or at least that's my personal experience ... i've tried to quit so many times before and could never even make it through the day without one.

[historyteach]

Ouch;
Congratulations on your decision to quit. And on making the necessary changes to stick to that decision - like downloading music for the gratification, (reward), and making plans for tomorrow etc.
It is normal to feel a bit manic or down when quitting. I know I always feel a bit hyper. And I have to keep busy. And sleep problems are normal too. They go away. It is withdrawal symptoms. It's ok, they will end when the physical addiction to nicotine ends.
Read the quit tips posted; many of them speak of these symptoms. They also give helpful hints on what to do when you get a craving. Cravings last only a matter of seconds, so hold on....they WILL pass. Drink LOTS of water. It helps to flush the body of the toxins.
I am cheering you on like there is no tommorrow!!! Keep up the good work!
Shalom!

[Evanna]

Originally Posted by ouch

seriously, i admire anyone who can quit smoking,.

Some self-admiration sounds due then.

Cravings to smoke have been an up and down type thing for me. In the beginning i was literally not smoking a minute at the time and wanting to smoke all the time. After a couple of weeks the cravings kinda came and went...sometimes i would forget i about it for hours then bang i wanted to smoke. A few months down the line i still get cravings but they are mostly much more fleeting and less powerful. Nicotine replacements (gum) helped me get through the worst of the cravings.

[ouch]

thanks, guys!! i'm going to read those tips.

day six!!

i am firm in my decision to quit, i won't even smoke socially because there is no good reason to ever smoke again.

and think of how much more time we'll have (or that you guys already have) in our lives to do other things, and MONEY.

my sleeping is getting so much better, i think i'm through withdrawal already. now it's just the cravings to deal with, and evanna you're right, they only last two seconds and then they're gone. perfectly manageable ... i'm staying away from tempting situations, though, because i don't feel it's worth it right now.

thanks again, both of you take care!!
julia

[historyteach]

Ouch;
You have made it through Hell Week!!!
Congratulations!!!
Keep up the good work. And I think you are very smart to stay away from tempting situations. It is really easy to slip with cigarettes, cuz they are legal and anyone who smokes won't deny you a butt. (grrrrr - but, they do it from a good heart. )
Anywayssssss, whatever you are doing, keep doing it.
This is one time when quitters are winners!
Shalom!

[wis2no]

It feels SO good not to have my life controlled by those cigs anymore. It's been 17 months now, and I feel really good about quitting, but I also have friends who have quit and gone back after years. I say this only to let you know not to get too confident as you get time under your belt.
I went through two to three packs a day and couldn't do anything without one in my hand. When I worked I could have as many as three lit at a time. Customers would tease me as I lit up #3 with two burning.
More power to you and do WHATEVER to stay off them. Friends would rather have you call to avoid, than to have you call later to tell them you went back on the cigs. wis2no

[ouch]

historyteach-- haha i know, i was one of those generous cigarette-givers ... maybe i should only hang around with stingy people from now on ....

and wis, the thought of being one of those people that goes back to smoking really scares me-- i don't want to be one of them!! i hope i don't ever get too cocky and think it won't be me ..... because it very well could be ... it's not like i haven't tried to quit a million times before!! but this is the longest i've gotten so far, so that's a good sign, anyway.

peace

[katsha1631]

Today is 29 days without smoking for me..other than when I was pregnant this is the longest I have gone without. I am so determined to not smoke ever!! I know that my husband is very happy that I quit..(although he has never ever seen me smoke..I did it when he wasnt around).

I started smoking when I was 13yrs old..parents gave me permission at 14yrs old because they had given up on punishing me every other day for it. I continued to smoke about 1 pack a day untill I became pregnant with my oldest son (now 12yrs old). I started back up about 1`wk after he was born.

I continued to smoke even though I ended up with breathing problems..even ended up in the hospital at one point. In January of 1999 I lost my grandmother to lung cancer, but I still continued to smoke.

I Remarried and had a baby in June of 2003..I quit smoking during my pregnancy but again started up about a month or so after he arrived..(I did cut down drastically...to about 1-2 packs per week).

I decided enough was enough and just started my journey to be smoke free. So far so good. I just hope to keep it up. I am now 39yrs old and really want to be around to see my gradkids someday (even though I will be REALLY old) lol.

I give anyone praise who can kick the habit..I found it harder than giving up alcohol..and I am also achieving that as well!! I thought I would be a horror to live with but now I know that I was a horror to live with before I decided to get clean and live right..for myself and my family. At the end of each day I go to bed feeling better about myself that I have in years..for that I am truly greatful.

The best to everyone working and fighting hard to give up the things that are bringing them down..and the happiest of holidays!!

[ouch]

katsha-- happy holidays and congratulations on your thirty days!! that's awesome, i'll be so happy when i have a solid month under my belt. and i'm glad to hear you didn't smoke while pregnant, that just shows you can totally do it when really motivated-- i actually have a friend that didn't quit smoking while pregnant-- aaah!! i never could believe that. anyway, right before i quit i wasn't smoking as much as i did when i lived on my own (because i can't smoke in the house, thank god), so my cravings are mostly first thing in the morning, in the car, on the phone, and right after i eat. and at work, when things are slow and there's nothing else to do.....

keep it up!! this is totally doable and i know we can do it.

julia