Another Poison-free Day

[nsd_user663_16474]

Good morning fellow quitters!! :). Another beautiful day of not polluting your lungs with assorted unpleasant substances for short-term reward but paid for with long-term misery.

Smoking has nothing to offer. At best it makes us stink and quite frankly look rather ridiculous :o, at worst it kills us :(!! It tricks us into believing what we're doing is pleasurable. That's not the case!! All we're doing is temporarily satisfying the body's now acquired need for nicotine. By doing so we renew the body's reliance on this foreign substance and so the cycle continues.

The good news is that this cycle can be broken!! It takes determination and a reassessment of how we think but it's not an impossible task if you want it badly enough.

My view is that there are two major aspects to smoking. There's the addictive qualities of nicotine, and there's the physical acts of lighting up, dragging, inhaling, exhaling, de-ashing, extinguishing etc.

My chosen method of quitting is to deal with each of these two aspects separately. I'm using patches so currently I'm breaking the physical part although I'm still using nicotine albeit in a much reduced dose. The addictive part will be dealt with as I drop down to lower strength patches and ultimately dispense with them altogether (that should be on December 19th :p).

A lot of people have had success with going cold turkey. That's by far and away the quickest method but it's also the toughest and I don't think it's for me. Everyone has their own preferred way of quitting and none is better than any other. Whatever works *FOR YOU*!!! This isn't a race. The ultimate objective is to become smoke-free no matter how long it takes.

I've mentioned this several times in my relatively short time here but this forum is at the very heart of my quit. The support and encouragement has been and continues to be absolutely invaluable. If you find yourself in difficulty, please read past threads here and post too if you want to. I find the experiences of others help shape my mindset towards that of a non-smoker. It takes time, of course it does. Most of us have been smoking for many, many years and you can't expect that behaviour to be undone in minutes!! But undone it certainly can be! Just believe in yourself and you will achieve it.

So good luck to everyone. Stay strong and focussed and you *can* do it!!!

Ed xx

[nsd_user663_17057]

Hi Ed

There is absolutely nothing I can add to that, except to say thank you.

[nsd_user663_15147]

Yup, great post!

[nsd_user663_16723]

Excellent post Ed. Very motivating

[nsd_user663_9220]

Brilliant read Ed, thank you once again

xx

[nsd_user663_16530]

Dear Ed.

way to go.

I am in day 22 CT and yes it is hard beacuse you are dealing with the physical and the habit.

For me I looked into patches and felt that although I smoked over 20 per day roll ups with filters the patches would have given me a higher dose of nicotine then I was having in the cigs.So I felt I could not go that route.

As you said everyone has there own way to be smoke free,but having read what a truley dangerous substance nicotine was I could'nt do it.

You seem to be doing ok and weathering the sea wish me luck.

terri

[nsd_user663_17297]

Hi Ed,great post ,think I needed to read that to remind me how fly the nicotine demon really is! Thanks Crystal

[Levs 1000 Days Smoke Free]

Hi Cap'n,

Have just read your post and its all spot on.

Whatever works for you to get to being a non smoker is the right wy for a person to go. For me it was CT and changing the way I think about smoking and addiction.

Could you get me a seat warm in here as I am coming tomorrow and I do hate to sit down on a cold seat

Sian x

[nsd_user663_16474]

Thanks everyone :).

I'm not usually so verbose but I just felt the need to scribble down what was on my mind :). If it's helped to motivate anyone, then that's great!!

Sian - I had a bit of a spring-clean in here yesterday so it's all spic and span for your arrival :). I've given you the comfy chair with the sea view :D.

Ed xx

[Levs 1000 Days Smoke Free]

Sian - I had a bit of a spring-clean in here yesterday so it's all spic and span for your arrival :). I've given you the comfy chair with the sea view :D.

Ed xx

Its very lovely to. Always wanted a sea view Think I shall sit in my comfy chair and do some knitting (goodness me, don't I sound really old lol)

[nsd_user663_9220]

Afternoon Mr Ed

Just checking in... hope you are not lazing around too much in those comfy chairs :cool:

Snowie x

[nsd_user663_16474]

Afternoon Mr Ed

Just checking in... hope you are not lazing around too much in those comfy chairs :cool:

Snowie x

Hi Snowie :),

I'm afraid I *am* lazing about in the comfy chairs today :p. Very nice they are too!

I hope you're having a good day and still winning the fight against the cigs.

Mr Ed xx

[nsd_user663_9220]

Yep i am still winning Mr Ed

Have had a good day today...... might not be saying that later as i have 5 kids in the house( one has friend over to stay) wrestling at the moment and i feel like my head is about to explode :eek:

Think its time to let the older ones on here, so i get a bit of piece and quiet for a while lol

catch you later

S x