Hello Rob... Congratulations on being 6 weeks smoke free. What you say about routine is so true. Addiction to anything becomes routine, and it becomes very difficult to untangle out of what becomes a nasty habit. I am enslaved to the use of nicotine lozenges. I think I need to immediately change my thoughts around them. If I can change my thinking it just may redirect the urges to suck on one. All the best to you on your quit!

Hi Jerthie

That is the fundamental problem with Nico replacement therapy, it only reinforces the addiction, the mind or subconscious is quiet happy as long as it's getting it's hit of Nicotine. Did you know that Nicotine is used as a weed killer?" now just imagine what it can do to your lungs and heart after a decade. It had damaged my heart resulting in a heart attack but no, that didn't stop me, finally after developing a chronic cough and symptoms of lung fibrosis and the thought of ending up on oxygen support like those anti-smoking ads, I had the reason and resolve to quit. At first I too tried the lozenges but they tasted so vile I chucked them in the trash can and buckled down to do it cold Turkey. Fortunately it worked for me, keep at it, if you need the lozenges so be it but have a plan to ween yourself off those too and stick to it. Keep a diary with all the reasons you want to quit, repeat them to yourself as often as you can. Last of all DON"T GIVE UP.

Hey Rob - former long-time smoker here, quit cold turkey about 18 months ago. Everything you've written about addiction rings true. Recently I had a conversation with a friend who also quit around the time I did, after decades of smoking. We agreed that as hard as it was to adjust to life without nicotine - and damn it was hard - it's good to remind ourselves of what lies on the other side. Mainly -- freedom! Freedom from the stress of knowing you're choosing to harm your body, freedom from the insane cost of cigarettes, freedom from being ruled by figuring out "how can I smoke?" at social events/vacations, freedom from guilt. And yeah, it's important not to be complacent. I still have cravings from time to time, and I know how to deal with them. I also know myself. Not One Puff Ever is the only good choice for me. Hang in there - as you know, it gets easier and it gets better!

Welcome back to your non-smoking lifestyle.  As you are familiar with the landscape, about all I can say is, I am sure you will find everything you need on this side.  Welcome back.

Hi Anne

Thank you for your positive words, I have yet to know if the damage done to my lungs is reversable or at best manageable but maintain my optimism. To all the younger smokers out there, choosing to quit is the best and bravest thing you have ever done, a big high five to you all. In Australia, where I live, successive governments have been putting the price of cigarettes and RYO tobacco up for many years to combat smoking, a 25g pack of the cheapest RYO tobacco currently costs $55.00 AU and will be increasing in the coming months. I smoked between 3 and 4 packets of this garbage a week so now I save around $160-$220 a week, over the course of a year I am saving thousands, meat is expensive here but I can now afford the luxury of cooking a steak eating more healthier foods or buying myself little treats like a nice pair of pants or a shirt, something I did not have the luxury to do before because my time was consumed budgeting for tobacco.

You are so right.  Wasted a lot of time and money.   Time I could have been playing with my children, getting more work done, visiting with relatives (mom and dad) etc.  In the three years I have been quit, I have saved over $10,000. 

I just imagine all the money I could have spent on my life instead of investing so heavily into my death.  

Smoking is a total loss and not just to me.  My family and friends lost out on my time and attention too. 

Kind of makes me angry to have fallen into the trap and not getting out a whole lot sooner in my life.  

Cheers.

Agree with you both on this one.  I was pretty angry that I kept "falling into the trap" for all those years.  I was killing myself under the illusion that I was denying myself something pleasurable when trying to quit.  Finding a place to smoke, is there a place to smoke where I am going, do I have enough for the day, when should I sneak out for a smoke, etc.  Looking back, it is just so ridiculous.  

I was reading your post regarding relapses and how debilitating they are to trying to quit again.   I think you have something there.  Seems to me that all the new brainwashing you have given yourself to quit no longer has power if you relapse. 

Once you relinquish the power you get from quitting smoking, how are you ever going to convince your mind to regain that I Quit power. 

Smoking is more than a physical addiction.  If it was just physical, we could all be over it in a few days.  Quitting smoking is hugely psychological.  When you relapse, your quit psychology takes a real beating.  I think that's why it is so tough to get back to the quitter status you once had.

Better not to even go there.

NOPE, not doin that.  NOPE... NOPE... NOPE...       

This is so true. Im feeling so ashamed at myself and mentally defeated since I ignored the NOPE guideline and started back after almost 2 months of quitting. Today, I'm attempting the quit again although I'm not in the mindset to do so....why is that?? But I'm going to trugg onward anyway trying my best bracing for the hardest part when I have to be around a spouse that smokes let alone can't go a week without getting beerdrunk. I just want to take care of me, make me whole again and feeling good, health wise and mental wise. I was achieving that for those 2 months when I quit, plus I was away from my spouse so I believe this also helped. Now that I've stumbled and caved, and we're not able to be apart, I have to develope and implement a different type of quit. I'm just not in the right frame of mind to start this today...maybe because last night he came home drunk again and I'm always bummed out the next morning. I'm still going to try. 

You have the right attitude and you know you want to do this.   Remember that you are doing this for you, not for anyone else.  This is all for you.  Sometimes it helps to remember how selfish you are being, to quit smoking without anyone else permission notwithstanding anything any one else does or says.  Sometimes it helps to feel a bit superior over those who disappoint and annoy us with their not so pleasant habits.  To feel like you are getting one over on the irritating lifestyle around you by stepping out of the norm and into a new non-smoking lifestyle.

Take yourself out of your box and step into your new non-smoking lifestyle.  It will take effort to stay the course, but just keep remembering, you are above all that.

Stay with us.  We are here for you.  You can and will do this because, you want to.

Cheers!!!