Still a Non Smoker

[nsd_user663_4981]

Morning all,

cannot believe it I am now on Day 3 of my quit cold turkey and all is going well. Don't get me wrong the nicotine monster has reared its ugly head a good few times to try and persuade me to go back to the dark side. I am pleased to say with no success. I am in control of my destiny and the beast inside is going to have to die. I know it will put up a fight along the path but I am ready and armed with wanting to live my life smoke free and no nicotine monster is going to stop me.

It feels great to be smoke free and even enjoyed myself Saturday night without disappearing all the time to have a smoke whilst out with friends. I suppose it was easier that none of my close friends smoke.

I wish I had done this earlier now. I am still being sensible and watching the signs, but I know this time I am not rushing to the shops to purchase 10 malboro lights and a fresh lighter.

Keep up the good work everyone and be proud to be a non smoker and look forward to a better life.

Laters all

Andy

[nsd_user663_4847]

Good luck Andy

Day 3 is brilliant, things really do begin to change after day 3 - if you haven't perused whyquit yet; it's a fab place to get more info, really read read read, the better informed the better your understanding of the quit process.

[nsd_user663_3728]

Hi Andy

Great you're on day 3 and by torrow morning all the nicotine will be out of your system

Although the nico demon ahs been around you've beaten him down keep on doing just that it will get easier to do as time goes on

Glad you're armed and ready for him though and yes you may have some tough days ahead but you'll have many more good ones than bad

Love

Marg xxxxxxx

[nsd_user663_4901]

Hi Andy

Yeah! Day 3! That's fantastic - you are doing so well.

Keep fighting that little monster - you'll soon grind him down and he'll disappear off to annoy someone else!

Have a great day 3!

[nsd_user663_4970]

Great work Andy. Keep staying positive and strong and it will continue to get easier and easier.

Stu

[nsd_user663_4990]

Funny that you mention 'try and persuade me to go back to the dark side'... i think you just need to reply 'Now I am the master!'

Grats on CT day 3.. keep going, keep us updated

[nsd_user663_4981]

Thanks all for the support, its a great place to come here and read other people's perceptions and views etc on the quitting experience.

I have to be honest I have not found it as bad as I thought, but would be interested in hearing what your experience was on the following:

I feel like there is a void in my life. I know I no longer smoke and accept that but to me personally feels really strange that your routines suddenly after x number of years has suddenly gone. It no longer exists. I have no desire to smoke but wow its wierd going from a set routine which all now I realise centered around a ciggy. Like take now I am now home from work and my normal routine would have been drive home, have a ciggy. Arrive home, little bit of sorting and then out for ciggy etc etc. The same routine day in day out. Now I come home without ciggy then sort out and then what. You know what I mean. Don't get me wrong have no intention of rushing out to the shop to fulfill that void feeling. But I guess your changing a habit, a ritual that you have followed for so so long and guess it will be wierd for a while as you re-adjust to your new way of life.

What are your thoughts on this or experiences?

Andy

[nsd_user663_3728]

Hi Andy

I know what you mean by the void in your life and change of a routine built around the fags

I found evenings the worst to start with as sitting with the telly meant a few fags

So for me the worst things was what to do with my hands instead I had knitting and sewing but the best of all was apuzzle book I could sit quite happily and do them without a fag maybe because it was different but it worked for me

Love

Marg xxxxxxxx

[nsd_user663_4955]

Hi Andy

Well done on getting to day 3 and doing it CT. Amazing

I too have noticed how much cigarettes were part of my daily routine also. I have no desire to go back either.

Keep us posted with how you getting on.

[nsd_user663_4975]

Hi Andy,

Yeah that hollow feeling (although hollow seems too weak a word for it!) hit me too around day three. It's perfectly normal to feel like that and it passes in a day or two. It's in a way harder to deal with than the cravings because we know about them when we smoke and, awful as they are, we know they pass, the void I'd never experienced before, having smoked every day for 20 years. It wasn't nice but, again, it passes so keep going. Think of it as night and wait for the dawn!

[nsd_user663_4785]

Hi Andy

I know what you mean I sometimes feel like I've lost a friend. Smoking was such a large part of my life being a 40 a day girl. Also I started when I was around 14 and am now heading for my 50th so I've actually smoked since puberty and am now stopping as I head down the road of (sorry can't say the word) you know when everything starts heading south and stops working........lol Oh sorry as a man you wont know about that

Anyway the point I was trying badly to make was that I wish I had stopped sooner and enjoyed the younger years of my life as a non smoker. But hey I'll just need to enjoy my old age as one.............with any luck I wont need the zimmer as soon as I would have if I had carried on smoking

Carol (CTC)

xxxxxxxx

[nsd_user663_4786]

Hi Andy and firstly well done for getting this far.

i too know what you mean by missing the routine of smoking. often at the end of a meal i contine to nibble because before i would end a meal with a cig and i don't feel i have finished the meal until i have.

i don't know if there is an answer, i haven't found one, it is just a matter of adjusting, but what a great adjustment i have found i have much more time because i would stop and have a fag every hour and that would take up at least 5-10min every time.

I suppose the main thing is that you don't feel the need to have a fag to fill the gap just enjoy it.

Hope this help, though i don't know if it will

[nsd_user663_4981]

Thanks all for the fabulous replies, interesting to hear everyone's take on it.

I am always interested in other people's take on things that I think and see where it goes.

Thanks everyone for the replies, greatly appreciated.

[nsd_user663_4974]

Hi Andy and well done on your quit

My lil smoking rituals usually involved escaping the mayhem of my lil girls and popping out for a 'break' of course it never really worked but the excuse was there to reinforce my reasons for smoking. Of course now I've stopped I don't pop outside for a break and nor do I find I actually need one - The need for the smoke was making me tetchy, not the girls.

I find that spending a lot of time on here or fb actually takes my mind of smoking too - even when I was a smoker I'd go 3 hrs without one as I'd be otherwise distracted.

This is by far the Best decision I've ever made and I don't ever want to smoke again.

Good luck and Best wishes

[nsd_user663_4975]

I'll second the swapping of the evil weed for this forum and FB Ishta hehe. and a bit DITTO to never wanting to smoke again.

Andy - very glad the thoughts of all helped you. Keep going!

[nsd_user663_4847]

i too know what you mean by missing the routine of smoking. often at the end of a meal i contine to nibble because before i would end a meal with a cig and i don't feel i have finished the meal until i have.

i don't know if there is an answer, i haven't found one, it is just a matter of adjusting, but what a great adjustment i have found i have much more time because i would stop and have a fag every hour and that would take up at least 5-10min every time.

Hi Bev

Was dreading this one (amongst all the others, 10 mins free time and nothing to do) read somewhere about taking a deep breath, so when I want a fag now I take a deep breath, will probably be doing it for a long time to come.

[nsd_user663_4978]

Hi Andy , well done on 3 days cold turkey , i tried that, build myself for a couple of days , then stopped , lasted till the icecream man came 3/4 hrs later:(, ive got the 24 hr patch and the inhaler , i agree with you , everything i seemed to do centred about rolling and smoking a cig ,

Rab

[nsd_user663_5067]

Big congrats on reaching Day 3!

There is something amazing about being in control of your cravings and not allowing them to take over, as much as they want to!

Keep up the good work