Hey you!

  Good to see you back. I am in Oregon, and we are stuck with those fires every year. It sucks. The govt never wants to help. Anyway, I can't believe it was in Chicago. That must have been crazy. 

Hope you are well.

Mercy

Hey Jerthie,

  Good going on the weight loss. I lost 15 pounds over the last 6 months. I am going for more.

I hope you are doing good.

Mercy

Hey Anthony,

  Glad it was just a hiccup, but try not to diminish how serious it is. Those chemicals mess with your head.

Love ya,

Mercy

Well said and can relate!  I am into my 7th week after foolishly not following n.o.p.e. Smoked for about the same time as you with similar episodes of quitting and then going back. You nailed it with your points about the feeling of being a non smoker....mainly this uphoric feeling of freedom every single day! I continue to nurture my quit when needed with reading this forum and just remembering how stinking hard it is to start over and this sustains me quite well. The admitting that I am an addict reinforces my conscience allowing me to understand and accept that I cannot EVER have just one. Thanks for your post

Thanks Mercy. Wow, 15 pounds, don't lose too much though. I am happy at this weight now yay! But tbh, if I put it back on, oh well, there are other things in life to keep my mind busy and happy! I am still using the losenges. Some days I use 6, some days 12. Seems to be a pattern for me. Yesterday I asked my colleague for a smoke. She gave me the keys to her car and said, have 2 or 3 if you want. When I walked into her car, I knew that I wouldn't touch them. And I didn't. I stayed in her car for 10 minutes, praying. I walked out of her car having not smoked, but she asked me when I came in if I felt better. I just said, Yea I do. I lied because I didn't want to go into a weird story of how I prayed off a cigarette instead of smoking it. I can pray off a losenge as well. I love to pray. Today I have had 7. My colleagues regularly ask me if I want to smoke and kind of encourage me to, to take off the edge of pressure that work can bring. I always say no, except for yesterday. But I can't explain my feelings from yesterday. I know I am far from being a teenager, but I felt a bit peer pressured lol, hence why I pretended that I had one when I didn't. The minute I sat in her car and smelled the smoke, and saw the packet with the lighter, I knew I wouldn't. It was kind of weird. I hope you have a good night Mercy, and keep on rocking your quit. You are doing so well! Night forum family.

Thank you for your story. Praying is a tool I use and I believe that it is my best one. Giving my fight with this addition to God helps me get release. I no longer have to worry about how I am going to make it though. As long as I don't get in God's way I am okay.

Mercy

Karen you are so welcome! And yes, the thought of how horrible it is to start over sustains me as well! With 7 weeks, you are well into your quit - congrats!!

Martha

I am so sorry that happened.  I often think of smoking as a kind of tar pit.  Once you step into it, it grabs you and holds on, pulling ever more deeply into its grip.

So horrible.  

Thankfully you were able to break free again.  I suspect that it was much harder this time.  I wish you every success in sustaining your new smoke free lifestyle.  7 weeks is a good start, as I am sure you are aware.  I hope you can NOPE it everyday and hang onto it.

You are so welcome Mercy. I am happy to hear about your reliance on God. He truly does have us in the palm of His hands. Be well and stay quit. You have got this babe.

To all you newbies and I see overdoz and Anthony from the past.  I was surprised to see both of you still on the same path as previous years.  

I've been quit for over 8 years now. You both have had the help and learned all the tricks, so what are your triggers?  That's what you need to concentrate on and then start avoiding them.  

From what I can see, willpower is missing.  This is a rough, tough quit to accomplish. I tried 3 times before this one worked.

A dear former smoker friend of  us passed away a few months ago.  His name was Steve (Gersheps).   We will met here and stayed friends through all these 8 years.  Us means, Marge and Sue from the forum in 1915 and 1916.  Freedom Marchers 1915.  He is truly missed.

He always said "cigarettes don't come as one.  They always travel in packs."   How true.  So, don't tell yourself, "I'll just have one."  We all know that doesn't work.

Gotta run now.  Good luck to all of you.

Laura

February 18, 2015