Hi all, been a while since I came in here, hope you are all well.
I'm not one for stats but seeing some of those I 'knew' (from when I was a regular) hit certain milestones made me think that I'm around 5 months now, so I dug around and discovered today is actually day 150.
The reason I say I'm not celebrating is because I can honestly say I've come closer to caving in over the second half of my quit than the first.
I struggled with place association but battled through that, but I am noticeably weaker at times I thought I mastered months ago e.g out drinking, out for a meal etc. I can't explain why I just feel a little more tempted.
Perhaps the mental challenge is with the first few weeks/months and after that you become mentally complacent - who knows.
I don't want to demorilise those who are already struggling and expecting things to improve any day and I guess each person is different - great to hear una-g staying so strong for instance, maybe the majority find it gets easier as time goes by as infact I expected it to.
I've recently had health screening and lung capacity, blood pressure, resting pulse etc are all improved since I quit so conclusive proof (if I still needed it) that the health benefits are fairly immediate, the battle is entirely psychological. Anyone with any smoking related medical condition (cough, breathlessness, wheezes etc) must know that stopping will improve your health immediately, it may not feel like it but the bidy literally starts to repair the damage caused the minute you quit.
I'll try and pop back in more regularly, in the mean time I wish you all well and hope that you display stronger willpower than me, I've come to the conclusion that the battle doesn't end it's just that the fighting tails off a little as time goes by.
Good luck all.
ps - is Karri still around ? She sent me a PM but her account doesn't allow replies
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I totally was the same as you. Six months into my quit I was still struggling - in a different way from the beginning, but lots of low grade niggling thoughts. Things like 'I know I'm not strong enough to stay quit forever, it's not if I fail, it's when'. I even found myself imagining scenarios where something so terrible would happen that nobody would blame me for smoking again.
It did start to improve at six to seven months. I stopped being so constantly obsessed. I don't know how or why. But although I have come to realise that I must make that conscious choice not to smoke every day, for ever, I'm no longer scared or worried by that. I think that's a big factor.
I had one MONSTER horrible crave after a very bad day, at about seven and a half months. I nearly lost my quit. But since then, it's been great. I genuinely feel like a non smoker. At last. I expect bad days will still crop up now and then, but I know I'm strong enough to fight it so I'm not scared of the fight.
Hang in there. Everybody's quit happens at its own pace. But you will get there.
I've come to the conclusion that the battle doesn't end
yup i think that's true, we are always going to be 1 cig away from being back in the trap, we will always have to live with that, i suppose only someone who has never smoked is free from that...
but people do quit, lots of them, and they seem quite happy!
i've come close at times but now i don't think i could give up on feeling healthy without a fight, boo to cigs
Don't worry, the time will come when it does click into place and start to feel right. For some lucky people that happens within a couple of weeks, some take longer. It took me about seven or eight months, I just kept plugging away at it and then it gradually began to dawn on me that - FINALLY! - I really didn't miss smoking any more. Not that it was terribly hard for that whole time or anything, just that it took that time before I reached the stage of being psychologically readjusted to non-smokerdom.
So keep on plugging away (see the link in my signature!) and you'll be fine.
Im enjoying this thread ,its struck a chord with me.I caved in several months ago due? to a friend committing suicide, thoughts like who can blame me for having a cigarette went through my head. smoking did not help at all i could have got through it better without them. What smoking did was add another problem of losing a very successful quit. so i ended up with 2 significant losses with all the mixed emotions and fatal blows to my confidence and self esteem as well as the pain of grief. It really is true that nothing epecially a tragedy needs to be insulted by becoming the cause or the blame for starting to smoke. There really is no reason to smoke.
Id like to think that 6mths from now i'll be in a position to say no i do not want to become a smoker, as though id never been one ever. i would love to go back to my childhood again and say no thanks i dont want to smoke.
I beleive that when you quit ,you are given that second chance. its worth guarding it with your life.I want to move past being an ex smoker to being and staying a non smoker ,that way, never smoking again wont be a sacrifice.
I remember something else happening after being quit for a considerable time. A feeling of being indestructable, invincible. ohh im so strong i can easily have a few smokes and quit again. If that ever happens to me again i hope i remember that those thoughts are bullpoo and have to be challenged and crushed. I really want to succeed in this quit cos it was extremely difficult to find the motivation and determination again after losing it.
I would just like to say Hi and thanks to those familiar names ,i know you beleived in me, and here i am on my second week saving my life. I know that smoking isnt life at all, its like driving with the brakes on. Not smoking is living. the freedom is fantastic and so under-rated.
Oh Una - I nearly missed this! So sorry to hear that you have hit a low point. I know that you have struggled on and off throughout your quit, but it would be a complete bloody waste to throw in the towel after all this time - don't you dare!!!
Hide away and cry only if it helps, but please don't smoke - it can't possibly be the answer to anything that you are feeling. Maybe it's time to make some demands on your doctor? He or she won't want to see you start again, and may have some magic trick up their sleeve?
I hope you can find some kind of answer to this - I know what misery it can be when you are feeling this vulnerable.
How about a bit of remedial read, read, reading? There are lots of long term quitters who have gone through a low and who have shared their experience. And some valuable stuff on some of the links. It might be worth revisiting some of those as a source of strength and inspiration?
What I do know from both my own experience, and that of others on here, is that smoking will not resolve anything. When I relapsed after a year's quit, looking back now, those feelings that I was attributing to nicotine craving were actually nothing of the sort. I wish I had attended to the real problems at the time, as it took me another six years to face going through all of this again.
Hang on in there, Una. Hope that you have a peaceful night.
I started reading my first posts again to remind myself how much I wanted this quit and how happy I was making it through an hr, through every single day.
Don't smoke, delay.... have a smoke tomorrow ( tomorrow never comes ) Una I know you can do it
Just wanted to throw my thoughts on this excellent thread 'as a newbie quitter' full of optimism and quit stamina :rolleyes: (just 9 days ...I Luv saying that...:D)
I would genuinely like to thank the longer term quitters (horse/una-g...) for you for your 'reality' posting....
Yeah it's brilliant and motivating to read the 1 Year+ never going back..... never get a crave etc...quitters because thats where us newbies all want to be but for me (personally) I also want to know both sides of the quit story positive and negative because they can be equally motivating....
It helps us newbies understand that it's not all a bed of roses and we're in for a long fight, so on behalf of the newbies A BIG THANKYOU for your reality check postings.
Una-g, don't feel bad about posting something that you feel is 'negative' because others may actually find some motivation in that type of post.
Now dust yourself down, and FINISH OFF that nicodemon, cause he must be worn out and ready for throwing the towel in with you !! You CAN'T let him beat you after soooo long !!!!
Aww Dragon, I so luv your positivity, cos I am a GREAT BIG WUSS !! So glad you sre doing so well thhough yaay!!!! Well done you matie!!!! Big congrats and stay as strong as you are!! So well done,
I hope you're feeling better today. You shouldn't worry about posting if you're finding it tough, that's what this place is for as well as for the congratulatory posts. I have, over the months, come on here several times and gone 'WAAAAAAHHHH!' and it often makes me feel better just to say it.
You are not alone, and it helps to know that.
Try and stay strong. If you battle through this low, in a few days you'll be through it, feeling proud, and still free. If you give in to the inner voice you'll have nothing but regret and carcinogens for company. Don't do it girl!!!
It would be easy to start smoking again. We all could at any point. It's that f*** it point, when you care about yourself and your life a little bit less.
I know that feeling.
And I know, because I've done it, that for a while you think...ahhh, great, this is what I've been missing.
It won't last long. It will become that everyday burden which you will long to be free of.
It doesn't matter if you smoke or if you don't smoke, life will still be challenging, boring, stressful, amazing, desperate, lonely....but if you don't smoke..you WILL definitely be free and healthy(ier) and the burden will be gone.
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) Una I know you can do it 
