7 weeks today!

[nsd_user663_4975]

Hi all!

I haven't posted much recently - life's been keeping me busy (that's what I get for writing novels and running two businesses he he).

Well, today is the start of my seventh week! In some ways I can't believe that I've made it this far, in other ways, I now feel like a non smoker who is occasionally assaulted by strange smoking cravings!

I'm back in the normal swing of life, going to the pub, seeing my smoking mates, have been on holiday, had a boozy (but nico-free) "Withnail and I" weekend in a Scottish cottage with 12 loonies. I'm getting the odd comment from smokers like "Can't believe you're still using that thing" (the inhalator - I'm down to two or three cartridges a day but still carry it around like a security blanket). "I'll have you smoking again by tomorrow" (he failed naughty chap!) etc etc but surviving well.

If I'm tempted (which is increasingly rarely and more on a philosophical rather than physical level) I always remember how far I've come, and how hard that first week or so was. Seems to work!

Congrats to everyone who is still trying to quit and good luck to us all!

Here's to my final week in month two starting tomorrow and lets see what month three brings (a quarter of a year smoke free after 20 years wooo!)

[nsd_user663_4990]

Ooh nice one!! hadn't heard from you in a while, hoped you'd stayed good Which you have!!!

Congrats on getting now into your 7th week, and well done for surviving that 'experience' with all those friends :).. it must be difficult when people are trying to get you to crack on purpose.

They should allow you set up quit-buddy bonds. all legalised where they have to keep you off the cigs or it costs them money now that would be an incentive

[nsd_user663_4975]

Hey Jase,

Ha ha good plan fella - I'll look into that! They're a good bunch my mates, might take the piss sometimes but they are with me in the quitting stakes and all the smokers (they are a minority anyway poor things) are glad that I've stopped and want to themselves.

Yup I'm still behaving - it gets easier in general doesn't it! I am raising my guard as one more week and it'll be month 3 - Beware the 3's! - but I'm hopeful now that I'll stay stopped.

Thanks for the nice reply as ever and I hope all's going well for you too

[nsd_user663_4990]

I sometimes wonder about this 3's thing.. now.. is it a real thing.. or does the fear instilled by the pre-warnings about it make you worry enough to have a bit of major wobble anyway when the time comes.

I'm sure there is something to it, but i think that if you go into something expecting problems.. does it happen anyway?

I'm now in month 3, and ok so far is my report of how things are. I think the experience would vary person to person, it depends what lands on your plate at the time i guess.

J

[nsd_user663_4975]

I wonder too Jase! And being trained in NLP I suspect that a high percentile of the "3 Syndrome" is psychosomatic. Having said that, the 3's syndrome does provide us with a warning wake up against complacency!

Day 3 for me was no worse than day 2 or 4, week 3 was a breeze (week 4 was a bit tougher), so I'm hoping month 3 drifts by without a snag too!

[jackieinv]

Well done you. Keep up the good work can see you smoke free in the future no prob. What does NLP mean?

Jackie

[nsd_user663_3728]

Hi Writerchris

7 weeks that's really great well done

Love

Marg

[nsd_user663_4975]

Well done you. Keep up the good work can see you smoke free in the future no prob. What does NLP mean?

Jackie

Thanks Jackie I really hope I stay stopped! NLP is Neuro-Linguistic Programming, its a system that combines hypnosis and psychology and uses language to "reprogram" the brain into changing bad habits/phobias etc etc.

E.G. "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got!"

Marge - thanks as ever for the good wishes and I hope all's well with you!

This is my 50th day as a non-smoker, woot woot!

[nsd_user663_4975]

Hi Chrissie

Thanks very much for the congrats - onwards and upwards! Hi to Caz too when you chat to her next, I've been posting a lil bit but work has been very busy (which is good as I own the company ha ha). I miss this place when I haven't said hullo for a few days though so I'll check in when I can.

NLP does seem to help quite a few peeps give up smoking which is good. I wrote a book on commission for an NLP Hypnotherapist and he was always offering to help me stop smoking and I never let him. Then I went and sneakily gave up on my own - hope he forgives me

Chat soon and all the best to everyone who is giving up!

[nsd_user663_4990]

Well chris, month 3 is ok for me so far, its more about learning to deal with your emotions than anything else. filling voids, and understanding who you are. Its an experience, but not one that makes you go :eek: so far.. just a matter of finding yourself again

All part of the repair process i guess.