My word is the forum drowning?: It all seems... - No Smoking Day

No Smoking Day

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My word is the forum drowning?

nsd_user663_59644 profile image

It all seems so quiet, since the upset of recent months, I so wonder what will happen to this once thriving forum.

Life has changed on here, does any one feel the same

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nsd_user663_59644
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35 Replies

I think it's normal to be quiet, the weather is good...people are spending more time outdoors...at least that's my excuse.

There's a lot of new quitters as well, it's just the time of the year...I think.

I am still checking the forum everyday, still posting every so often...not as active because I am very busy with work, kids ....and God knows what else, hardly even have time to sleep.

Still not smoking, I am 3 weeks now.

AnnMarie74 profile image
AnnMarie74 in reply to

Hi mmaya

3 weeks again is really great. I admire your determination x

I agree Tracey it's not the same. I feel for the new quitters now. The support I got was tremendous from so many wonderful people. I can't believe how many banned members there are. I have no idea what happened and I'm not going to ask as I would hate for someone else to get banned. But it's sad because in my day it didn't matter what time of day you posted someone would always be there to help. I once posted in the middle of the night as I had just had to rush my very sick husband into hospital and I was so stressed I know I would have caved in if I hadn't had someone on here to talk me out of it. I hope it gets better and I do see some members posting almost daily but there's so few now. I don't come on much myself now and I guess I should offer more support to the newbies.

I've heard it was a great place to be in the past. I still think it's a fantastic forum I know it's helped me to be committed to be a non smoker for life. Don't know whether I could have made it this far on my own. My husband has always been a non smoker so had no idea of what we go through in these early weeks so it's hard for him to understand why I have good and bad days, everyone here knows how hard it is sometimes so support is guaranteed.

Hi Tracey, it does feel quiet, for me I feel less need to post as I don't have the craves like I used to... but one thing I do know is that by posting on here it made me put any craves out there and was able to deal with them better so I would urge anyone who needs help to post and wait for a few replies

I guess as you get more confident you don't feel the need to post as much. I try to post daily and comment on posts whether I will in a few months time who knows. I hope I do if it's just to help others through the hard times.

That's true. I do feel more confident which is great. I suppose I cane on this forum to help me quit and I feel that has been achieved so strong enough to make most of it without asking for help.

Although I know too well that I have quit before for longer than this but have started again so I must not get complacent. And still posting on here helps that...

In the few weeks I've been posting regularly the support I've had has been really strong, I guess from a core of posters. This is doing it for me. I wonder if there was as much promotion this year of no smoking day? I usually heard through work but that didn't happen this year. It was only because of personal circumstances and my coming back to the site/forum after two years that I found out it was the 11th March. So perhaps in part that's the reason for less activity.

Anyway, as I say, it is working for me. It is really helpful to hear of people's success who are further in than me, but I can completely understand why people would post less further down the line.

Hi Tracey

Only just joined so no idea what it used to be like, you sound sad about it - what happened how did everybody get banned?

Oh long story, not sad, life just changes I guess, it just seems quiet

No two ways about it Tracey, the forum has lost a lot of its soul. I'm amazed what ever was at the heart of the upset, hasn't become water under the bridge and all the evictees returned.

Life goes on though I suppose, and equally as important the quit !

AnnMarie74 profile image
AnnMarie74

Not sure what the forum was once like but three cheers for Tracy who is here most days supporting those of us new to the forum in our first days/weeks/months. I for one really appreciate it x

Levs profile image
Levs1000 Days Smoke Free

I haven't been on for a While but I can say the forum was an amazing place for support. We alphas a very close relationship. But as they do, something happened there was a massive upset and loads of people left. Me being one of them. This was Bout two years ago so clearly the forum came back from it then and it will now. When I first joined in 08 something similar had just happened then too. It's the nature of the Internet.

Thanks Annemarie, I stopped posting abt my quit because I have failled so many times that's it's embarassing LOL

I may not be smoke free in a year, but I am not going to be a full time smoker either. Since 01/01/2015 I smked 4 packs of cigarettes in total with all my relapses...sure, it's not great but it is still better than having a pack a day!

I am pushing myself to a point where I hope one day I won't want a cigarette anymore...I believe that will happen, because I don't have cravings really...not at all.

It's that one minute when my head is boiling and I make the wrong decision and smoke. By the 3rd cigarette, I'm already thinking how stupid I am and I usually finish the pack and stop again for another 5/6 weeks.

I am not able to go past week 7 - that is still my biggest challange, hopefully this time I will.

If anyone is thinking of start "lashing" on me for my failure, please don't because I know already that it is not good, but it's the best I have managed so far.

AnnMarie74 profile image
AnnMarie74

Hope all still well. You're doing great to get straight back at it in my eyes. I agree that it gets tough week 6-8. I have lost it twice at two months. Just gonna keep trying. This time I'm really curious to see the penthouse and it will all be over at last 😝

Incy_Wincy profile image
Incy_Wincy

I was glad to see you post mmaya - don't be embarrassed by failures. If I'd been here for all of mine I'd be well up there in the teens/twenties of attempts. I'm sure it's the same for many of us.

But if not posting is working for you, then carry on!

But we miss you, and I often wonder how you're getting on. Love and cartoons xxx

Hi Wincy, only saw ur post today :) I haven't been here as often as I would like, but it's been so so busy latelly that I hardly even have time to sleep.

...and I haven't also watched my little sponge for over a month, that's probably why I am not doing so well. Sponge Bob is defo my stop smoking best therapy ever :) LOL

It's great to see that you are still going so strong. I am really very proud of you...I knew you meant business from the first post :)

Incy_Wincy profile image
Incy_Wincy in reply to

Stick with the sponge! Hope you're well and all that dearie, quitting or no quitting xx

It all seems so quiet, since the upset of recent months, I so wonder what will happen to this once thriving forum.

Life has changed on here, does any one feel the same

It's no co-incidence Tracey, that due to 'the upset of recent months' as you have tactfully put it, all the regular posters have upped sticks and set up another forum.

I won't post a direct link as I don't feel the need to drive another nail into this forum's coffin, but PM me if you need a link.

nsd_user663_63964 profile image
nsd_user663_63964 in reply to nsd_user663_54305

AnEggisAnEgg, have I missed something? I have posted some links, is this not encouraged? I am worrried now, should I remove them? Thanks.

I think part of the problem is wasting your time helping people.

I used to offer advice regularly and try my best to help get people into the correct mindset to quit. But over time you realise that people will just go back to smoking time and time again.

I generally find you can tell straight away by the tone of the person's post whether they are gonna quit or not. So for me, and maybe a few others, they just learned that there isn't a lot you can do. So instead of investing a load of time into what you consider quite helpful posts, they just don't bother.

I think part of the problem is wasting your time helping people.

I used to offer advice regularly and try my best to help get people into the correct mindset to quit. But over time you realise that people will just go back to smoking time and time again.

I generally find you can tell straight away by the tone of the person's post whether they are gonna quit or not. So for me, and maybe a few others, they just learned that there isn't a lot you can do. So instead of investing a load of time into what you consider quite helpful posts, they just don't bother.

Yes I can understand you view, yes indeed it is hard to quit, but for me in the early days, I needed all the support I could get, to help me stay quit.

Over a year now, but my word I hung tight to the forum, it did make the difference, between failure or succes

I agree with both Tracey and Ets147. I'm probably one of those that you might think will smoke again judging by some of my posts, so why bother supporting me? I'm at two months and it ain't easy not smoking, but I'm not. Quitting is different for all of us. There are some who just sail through it and at the other end of the spectrum, those who stop and start, stop, start...................and hopefully eventually stop. It's a difficult addiction to break otherwise we wouldn't have forums like this. Nor would we have people spending substantial amounts of money and ruining their health.

This forum is helping me. I'm not smoking. So that's good. It helps. And on top of that, this post initiated by Tracey had 651 views before I posted this. That is a lot of people who are around anonymously who want to kick this dreadful habit. If only a handful are successful, that's a win for me. I hope I'm one of them. I'm not secure yet, but I'm doing okay.

Incy_Wincy profile image
Incy_Wincy

Can I just pitch in and say that when I arrived, whatever had happened had just happened, as far as I can make out. I still found enough very friendly support to help me feel confident I could do this thing, and I am really grateful. Long live the forum.

In the couple of months or so since I've been on here, I've tried to pop in most days to offer support to newbies/oldbies alike, as have others - long-time members and relative newcomers - good work us :D

Sometimes I actually feel a bit...sad and inadequate finding that the current forum keeps being compared to the previous, evidently far more vibrant and exciting community. So I'd like to apologise for lacking whatever it is I'm lacking. But I, and perhaps several other 'regulars' who might or might not have been part of the uber-forum that was, feel like we're still doing a good job as far as we can.

Some people move on, some people arrive, it's an evolving community, that's the nature of a 'place' like this.

So let's all just stick together and be the best support network we can be, regardless of who's here and who's not, eh? Think positive my quitting chums: we might not be the perfect forum, but my goodness I love you all and thank you for being there for me and for each other and for every single lurker peeping through the windows (*waves* Come on in and grab a bit of cake!') You are all fabulous!

nsd_user663_63893 profile image
nsd_user663_63893 in reply to Incy_Wincy

Well said Incy!!

nsd_user663_63114 profile image
nsd_user663_63114 in reply to Incy_Wincy

Agreed, and you do a fabulous job. I find myself popping in less due to new job and literally not thinking about smoking. I will however keep popping in to give my support to all the lovely courageous folk who are giving up the weed and making a major change to their lives :) i found it immensely difficult, complete change in life style but amazingly worth all the effort :) x

Incy_Wincy profile image
Incy_Wincy in reply to Incy_Wincy

Caroline, I forget you had a near-complete life transplant! And well done, again - you did good!

nsd_user663_2681 profile image
nsd_user663_2681

I'm still here just not as often **** waves furiously ***** I completely agree with Levs it's the nature of the internet, that wasn't the first upset a few months ago and no doubt it won't be the last xx

AnnMarie74 profile image
AnnMarie74 in reply to nsd_user663_2681

Great to hear from you Donna. I was wondering if you ok. Still going is really fantastic news x

austinlegro profile image
austinlegro11 Years Smoke Free

Habitual lurker here.

I can't deny that in all my years I've never seen the forum holed as badly as it has been this time and I reckon the pumps are working at full capacity to keep it afloat, however...

​Bou's forum has gone, the splinter group looks pretty dead and you're then left pretty much with pharma-aligned options or US ones.

Less choice, as they say, than a Welsh fish 'n' chip shop...

It may bounce back - just needs the right amount of bounce?

__steve__ profile image
__steve__ in reply to austinlegro

newstatesman.com/sites/defa...

Good to hear from you Austin! Wise words, as always.

Well I for one know this forum has helped me and I try to encourage newer quitters when I can. It's a fact that not everyone who joins will stay the course, but I think that will always have been true after all if quitting was that easy no one would smoke at all. It would be great to see more members so for those lurking in the background come on in, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

AnnMarie74 profile image
AnnMarie74

Loving your pic incy and your positive self is wonderful. Nothing lacking for me by cyber friend x

Incy_Wincy profile image
Incy_Wincy in reply to AnnMarie74

Aw, love you! x

austinlegro profile image
austinlegro11 Years Smoke Free

Stop lurking and come and sprinkle a bit of your wisdom around

I think, having just read a lot of recent posts, that could be a herculean task! The nicodemon appears to have had a second coming and is attracting followers en masse. It's a bit like a scary 2007 flashback...

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