Welcome New Ex-Smokers

Congratulations on taking that all important first step with cessation - stubbing out the last cigarette and getting started.

Chances are you don't feel 'ready' to quit, and are experiencing a mixture of difficult emotions about it.

Try to relax.  You've found the best place for help. 

Getting Started with Cessation

Park yourself in front of your computer and read everything you can on this forum board. We encourage you to take the initiative to introduce yourself and post often. Sharing your journey with your new quit buddies and offering support to each other really helps.

This thread will serve as the meeting place for those of you who are quitting now, and when the month ends, we will move your 'home base' thread over to the Quit Buddies Unite folder, where you can continue to support each other. 

You can also return to the Introductions folder where you'll find the new Monthly Ex-Smoker thread for those coming along behind you.  Share the tips and encouragement that helped you during month one.  Not only will this help others, it will strengthen your resolve as well.

Start your reading here:  Homework for New Ex-Smokers

Additionally, the folder headings in gray on the left of the page under DISCUSSIONS house different topics.  Click on the gray heading to view the conversations held within.  When you finish with a folder, click on the drop down menu under DISCUSSIONS and select ALL to see all of the folders again.

Introductions/Newcomers Nook
A good place to start with numerous threads from new ex-smokers.

General Chit-Chat 
This is where you will find the daily NOPE thread.  NOPE stands for Not One Puff Ever, and members pledge NOPE on a daily basis.  Give it a try - you will probably find it helpful and empowering.

Quit Support
This is a good place to post for help when you need it ASAP. 
 
Dots(Weeks) and Stars (Months) Milestones and One Year and Beyond Milestones 
Read the accounts of people who are winning with cessation in these folders.

Quit Buddies Unite 
This folder is the home base for the groups who quit together.  This thread will move to that folder at the end of the first month.

Quit Smoking Library
Here you'll find member stories and links to important articles that will inform you about what to expect from smoking cessation.

The next 4 posts will give you additional info on how to navigate/post here.  Please read them and let us know if you have any questions.

Forum Navigation Basics

1. Take a look to the left at the DISCUSSIONS section to the left of this page

• Click on the drop down menu in grayed area immediately beneath it.
• If you click on All you will see all the folder categories; folders like, Introduction/Newcomers Nook, Quit Buddies Unite, Forum Navigation and Rules, General Chit-Chat etc. When you scroll down the system shows you if there are new messages (bold text) in the thread. 
• Hierarchy of threads (discussions) within a folder: threads are sorted within a folder by the latest date/hour of a post within thread. If you click on a thread without a new message the system will take you to the beginning of the thread.
• When you click on the drop down menu you can also select things like

Unread to me (messages to you waiting to be read).

• When you log in to the forum, the "DISCUSSIONS" section will show the "Unread Msgs" category at the top of the discussions area. Beneath the "Unread Msgs" title will be all the folders containing unread messages since your last visit to the forum, starting with the Introductions/Newcomers Nook folder. When you scroll down to for example the "Quit Buddies Unite" folder if there are no new messages in your quit buddies group it is not going to be at the top of quit buddies unite category. Continue to scroll down past all the quit buddies folders that have new messages (they are in bold text) until you find your group.

2. Click on the drop down menu on your profile picture/avatar at the top right of the page. Review the content of each one.

• My Profile Photo ( you can add or change your avatar or photo)
• My Profile
• My preference
• My Account
• Help
• Logout

3. Please familiarize your self with the Help button contents

This is where you can browse Delphi FAQs for general information, or post a question in one of the Support Forums, where Delphi staff, volunteers, and knowledgeable members are happy to lend a hand. You will also find "How To" guides that are fully illustrated tutorials that show you exactly how things work on Delphi forums

4. When you click on a folder heading like "Quit Buddies Unite' to read or post, the gray drop down menu under the DISCUSSIONS section changes to "Single folder". Once you've finish what you're doing in that folder to see all the folder headings again, click on the gray drop down menu under DISCUSSIONS and click on ALL which will bring up all the folder titles.

5. Education about our addiction and the cessation process is a major component of a successful permanent quit. Take a look at the articles in the link below they were written especially for new ex-smokers.

Homework For New Ex-Smokers

http://forums.delphiforums.com/quit_smoking/messages/3435/1

Personal Signatures

As you move through the forum, you'll notice that a lot of people carry a variety of images in their personal signatures.

There are 3 levels of membership at Delphi forums - DelphiBasic (free), DelphiExtra ($19.95 per year) and DelphiPlus ($4.95 per month). Only the two paid tiers (DelphiExtra and DelphiPlus) allow you to carry a signature field that you can customize with graphics. The two paid subscriptions also allow you to browse forums ad-free.

You can take a look at a comparison chart of the plans here:

http://www.delphiforums.com/plans.ptt

Graphics and photos can be added to the body of your messages in the DelphiBasic plan. Follow the instructions below.
 

How to: Insert an Image

Please feel free ask any question and to join in any discussion on the forum that interests you.

6. Familiarize yourself with the other folders in the Forum Navigation and Rules Category. They will help you with more information on finding your way around the forum.

How to Post a Message:

There are two ways to post messages: Replying to a message in an existing discussion or starting a new discussion.

Replying to a Message

You can reply to a message someone else has posted by clicking the reply button on  the post you are reading. It contains a white left facing arrow and the word  Reply  located at the bottom right of the post.   You can also reply using all or selected text from the post.  To do this:

• Before clicking on the reply button highlight the specific text from the post you want to respond to. This text will be carried onto the beginning of your reply post.
• Type your message
• Preview or Post your message using the buttons below.

Addressing Your Reply:

Your message will automatically be addressed to the person who wrote the post you're replying to.  If you want your message to go to someone else instead, or to ALL members in the thread,  click in the field next to the "TO"  at the top left of your edit screen.  You can choose ALL or a member from the drop down list  by typing in the member's ID. Their name should pop up on the list.

Starting a New Discussion:

You can start a new thread by:

• Clicking on the "New Topic" button that appears at the top of the main forum page to the right across from DISCUSSIONS.  
• Type in the name of your new topic subject.   
• Leave the TO   showing  ALL
• Select a folder where you want your post to appear.
• Click on the down arrow across from Folders.  
• Scroll down and click on the folder where your post will appear.  
• Type your message.
• Click on Post

How to Send a SOS Request for HELP!

If you at anytime need cessation support you can start a new discussion in either the  "Introductions/Newcomers Nook" or  "Quit Support"  folders.  See instructions above for Starting a Discussion.

Note: You can find the new topic area from any place on the forum by scrolling all the way to the top of the page.

How to Bookmark a Thread

To to bookmark a message:

• Go to the bottom of the post you want to bookmark.
• At the bottom right find the "Reply" button.
• Hover your cursor to the left of the "Reply"  button
• Find the "Bookmark this message" symbol  just to the left of the "Reply" button.
• Click on the bookmark this message button.
• You will receive a pop-up message that will say

To find your bookmarked messages

• Look to the left at the DISCUSSIONS section.
• Click on the drop down menu in grayed area immediately beneath the word DISCUSSIONS. 
•  You will see a menu that contains items like, "7 Days back", "2 Days back", "Unread Msgs", "Unread to Me" etc.  Look all the way to the bottom, the last item has the book mark symbol  and the words "Bookmarked Msgs"  your saved bookmark messages will appear here ...........just click on the one you want to view and it opens with your post. When finished reviewing, click on your browser back arrow key to go back to where you were. See example graphics below.

How to Follow a Discussion

Want to know if someone posted in your buddy group? Get email notifications on any specific discussion you wish to follow.

1. Click on your profile pic in the upper right hand corner.
2. From the drop-down menu select “My Preferences”
3. Scroll down to “View Zeta as Classic”
4. Check the box before “View all Zeta forums in Classic”
5. Select “Update”
6. A box will appear “Success”. Click “OK”.
7. Return to About Smoking Cessation Forum. Note: It will look vastly different.
8. Select the “Messages” tab to show the folders.
9. Go to the Discussion you want to follow.
10.  Select “Subscribe” in the upper right directly across from the Discussion name.
11.  Select how often you want to subscribe. Then click “Subscribe”.
12.  A Subscribe box will appear. Click “OK”.
13.  If you have other Discussions you wish to follow, repeat Steps 9 thru 11.
14.  Select “My Preferences” at the top of the screen.
15.  Scroll down to “View Zeta as Classic”
16.  Check the box so it is now empty
17.  Select “Update”
18.  “Success” box. Click “OK”.

Hello, I’m quitting today and know that I’ll need support. Any ex-smokers out there?

Hello Juilan,

Best of luck. As Joel (whyquit.com) says treat quitting smoke as if you are fighting for your life. We all started from the same place and have seen all the ups and downs of this process.

Initially it will be one hour or minute at a time and in few day it will one day at a time. Take as much support as you want and I can tell you that it does improve with time. Try to read as much as you can and understand how this addiction works and how one cigarette or puff can bring you back to from where you have started. First thing first get all the nicotine out of your body.

Regard,

Asad

Quit Date: 20-03-2019

Welcome Juliann and make yourself at home.  A big congrats to you for quitting.  A lot of wonderful people around here that will support you all the way.  Read as much as you can about this addiction and post, post, post.  It keeps your quit going strong.  Take it one day or moment at a time, call out for help if you need us and tell yourself you CAN do this and you can.

Hello! Yes Im also here for support and also I love to support others so I will try to support you ( and as Ive said alot - its scandinavian thing I suppose since english is not my first language: please excuse if I write a bit funny and wrong.) Im on day 15 and I really cannot believe that I have made it for so long. First four days were hard. I managed by walking a lot, drinking a lot of tea and eating green vegetables. We call them selleri. They are really healthy. I have stayed away from alcohol and have only been drinking two cups of coffee a day instead of ten. I red Allan Carrs book easyway also. Inspiring book.

Then I understood that I was a slave of those ciggs and that they only dragged me down to sickness, death and they destroyed my looks. My skin looks so much clearer after these 15 days and my there are actually other positive improvments in my life also. But I have been struggling several times a day, showering and crying a lot cause I just dont know how to really relax or enjoy without smoke ( been a big smoker for 25 years.) I stopped cold turkey. Not had one draw. Have not had any ciggs in the house and just not buying them makes it unable for me to smoke, so throw them all away, and dont even take one single puff. That will destroy everything Ive heard.

Then I told everyone where I live ( small place where everybody knows everybody.) also the persons in my local shop. I feel like Im really on an emotional rollercoaster and my mood flips all over the place, mostly now I feel so proud of myself for not smoking but the cravings do come, especially in the evenings..like right now..but this forum is really great, so it helps to read about others going through the same and also just read alot about all the damage smoking do and so on. And I try to take one day at a time. Like today I have been stressed and a bit angry, but I havent smoked and now soon the day is over. Tomorrow new day. So Im trying to not think so far ahead and even though I have been so tempted many times I try to wait it out and thinking that I will at least wait until tomorrow..so the motivating thing can be tough. But believe me, I was a big lover of smoke and..sometimes I still feel like I am, but at the same time my self esteem is so much better now. Smoking not only destroy your body but actually does things with at least my brain. Hope you will make it!! Just try to find things to do, stay active for the first days and drink lot of water!

Hi Julian! My name is Leigh... I am an ex-smoker. I quit 260 days ago. You will get support here, for sure.  The first few weeks were really very hard and challenging but it does get so much better. Life as an ex-smoker is so rewarding.  Please stick with "not one puff ever" and post here in the difficult times. Someone will be here to help.  Good luck!