nsd_user663_2142

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Hi Gethooked! You have made the best decision of your life You are totally fine and you are feeling completely normal things when we first quit. Quitting smoking has never killed anyone and you WILL get through these feelings of horribleness (if thats even a word :rolleyes: ).

Everytime you have a craving for a ciggie come on this forum and type to us and we will chat back and keep your mind busy. Drink plenty of water to flush the nicotine out of your system. A craving only lasts 3-5 minutes even though it seems likes 3-5 days. Nicotine is flushed completely out of your system in 3 days so hang in there - you can do it. Take deep breaths and relax. Think happy thoughts and fight the urge because it will pass eventually. Don't give in as you are doing amazing!

Keep your brain busy and keep going hour by hour if you have to! Super job, you should be really proud of yourself!

nsd_user663_2236

I know I will not regret this decision and i am really thankful i found this forum. That way i dont fill so alone. I hate the anxiety part of it it fills like im going to have a panic attack its just sucks. I try to think good thought and happy times but all i can do is wish for a cig. and pray. It comes and goes I just fill like kickin my own butt for smoking that first one. I know it's good to quit now but i just cant wait till friday witch would be day 3. anyways I thank you all again and I am now happy to be part of this community.

nsd_user663_2142

You will have down days and you are right that day 1 to day 3 are the hardest! Once you get through those days it does get easier, but you will still have to choose everyday not to smoke and that is the tricky part. Eventually the cravings get further apart and are not as strong as they were in the very beginning.

I understand the thoughts you are having because I had them too. I wrote a post on here somewhere - i think in day 1 forum stating how all i could think about was smoking!! Nothing else could get into my head except the thoughts of having a cigarette...TERRIBLE feeling. When Ispoke to someone I talked about smoking. When I went to bed at night my last thoughts were smoking. When I woke up in the morning my first thought was smoking and anyone who could find time to do anything other than think about smoking was crazy because I COULDN'T!!

I have great news for you but you won't believe me right now because of the state of mind you are in right now, but IT GETS BETTER - I PROMISE!!

Keep going hour by hour and just know that you CAN do this - we are all here pushing one another into the next day ~ one day at a time.

nsd_user663_2236

I just need a damned Hug.... lol

nsd_user663_2142

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A hug just for you!! 261

nsd_user663_2214

Hope you have a better day today Stay strong and feel proud of yourself

Take care

Ali

xx

nsd_user663_2232

Hugs all round - just try everything you can to stick with it. Believe you will succed - I'm a great believer in the power of positive thinking and everytime you want to cave just imagine those evil tobacco giants planning their next so-called marketing push into some debt ridden third world country, handing out free cigs to street children to get them hooked and say to yourself I will no longer put a single penny in these monsters pockets. Everyone who quits helps to destroy their evil empire!

By the way must confess I am still smoking as I started Champix yesterday and am sticking to the rules rigidly and will become a non smoker next week on 27th. I've been at it 25 years - just think how much money I have contributed to those evil marketing campaigns. Doesn't bear thinking about!This forum is fantastic by the way - everyone is so supportive so log on every time you feel the urge, drink lots of water and I believe munching on sunflower or pumpkin seeds is supposed to really help too.

nsd_user663_2228

Day 1 was probably the toughest so far - I'm on day 3. I guess I was having my commitment tested. How serious about stopping was I? I didn't give in and it's got a little easier. I've had a few cravings since but they have passed. The worst thing is this 'hole' I feel inside. Kind of like an empty feeling. But I've excepted the only reason I want to smoke is to take this feeling away, not for pleasure or enjoyment.

nsd_user663_2232

I remember that hole from previous quitting attempts and know how awful and wierd it feels but of course you are right, it is simply the hole of nicotine addiction which is gnawing away at you taunting you to fill it - beat that damn hole!

None of us should ever let a hole get the better of us, tell that hole to find another way to get stuffed 'cos you're not going to feed it ever again. And you know what will happen to that little hole if you do? Slowly it will start to close in on itself, its cries will become weaker and more pathetic and eventually it will cease forever and you will wonder how and why you ever ended up with a dirty great hole in the first place. Cast your mind back and you'll see that your hole was fed not only by you and your endless supply of cigarettes but also by the brainwashing you have been subjecting yourself to over many years. We all have. Things like:

If I smoke I'll look cool

I'll only have the odd one with a drink

If I don't smoke I'll never be able to enjoy myself again

I travel a lot and get duty frees so it's really not that expensive

I'll never be able to give up until my wife/husband does

I know cigarettes are harmful but my great uncle smoked 40 a day and lived into his 90s

I need a cigarette when I'm stressed, I couldn't cope otherwise

It's not the right time to stop smoking now, I'm under pressure, I have my birthday party coming up.......

I enjoy smoking

Smoking gives me something to do with my hands and stops me feeling nervous

I'd never get a break from my desk/the kids if I didn't smoke

I'll end up the size of a house

MYTHS, ILLUSIONS, the flipping lot of them and how many apply to you, or me, or probably lots of other people on here?And all these myths (marketing messages are often one and the same thing only more obvious!) are doing, if we listen to them, is helping that stubborn, Silk Cut sponsored hole inside you stay open and taunt you until it finally gets what it really wants - you (and all your money along the way)! Now what other business ends up disposing of its core consumers, therefore losing considerable revenue, without having a strategy to actively source new, and even younger consumers, from ermerging global markets. See where I'm coming from? Think the penny has finally dropped with me.

God, what a rant (did warn in a previous) post but that all just came out as I remembered the hole and how it made me feel. Also think am mentally preparing myself and now feel something of a hypocrite as am, of course, still smoking (day 2 CHampix and determined to do it all properly to achieve best chance of success hence coming on here every day too). My quit date is 27th September and I see Champix as another weapon in my armour to slay the hole once and for all.

I am never going to go into pointless battle with that hole again. Join me and get ANGRY with it Graeme - down with holes!

Maybe we should all set up holebusters.com and start a global revolution!

Now there's a thought!

PS - does Champix turn you slightly bonkers only have just read post again and am wondering where all that came from? Oh well!

nsd_user663_2231

Blimey Michele, a great rant. I totally agree with you. By the way champix does send you totally bonkers!!

You don't have a hole that needs filling, you actually gain so many things- money, freedom, health, time etc ect

Well done gethooked you have come to the right place and we are all behind you.

nsd_user663_2236

Thank you all and i just had to laugh at my name b/c Its gethooked and this is a quiting smoking forum but gethooked is my name on a couple of fishng forums...just if any one was wondering...

nsd_user663_2232

Help another fisherman - am married to one of them which, coupled with Champix, may account for the bonkers ranting/rating. By the way have just bought holebusters.org as I reckon I want to start that revolution. Also I want to take all those blogging/social networking young internet upstarts on and just see where this could go. Am chuckling to myself at the thought of holebuster logos, images, illustrations, personal holebusting strategies and the like. I would like to see the very powerful force that is lots of happy non smokers using their creativity and humour and stubbornness and strength as mighty weapons against the hole that nicotine and all forms of tobacco create.

Bear with me, come with me?

By the way I do PR and marketing for a living and am really into creativity and off the wall ideas but this is just a moment of madness just to see what might happen and would holebusters could help achieve. Is there anyone tecchie out there who would like to get involved as otherwise the revolution might be a bit of a slow starter mind you!

Off for a glass of wine and a bit of question time. Sweet dreams one and all, sleep rocks!