[Racer_X]

Originally Posted by paras211

It's been a month I feel super. Last night I had a tester drag. Coughed my lungs out. I think my quit is successful.

Don't even have the tester drag mate!! It is a good thing that you have been able to kick the cancer stick for good!

[govigov]

Fifth month of the quit now. To anyone who is thinking of quitting this new years, all the best and may the will power be with you.

[Thad E Ginathom]

This is about the only time I might advise put it off!

OK, it works for some, but New-Year Resolutions seem more likely to fail than succeed. By all means say, "Bah, Humbug!" but it is my personal belief that that weight of failure affects people. Become a non-smoker on Jan 7th!

[Ketan]

44 weeks 4 days so far. I'm happier than ever. I have heard stories from friends who stayed quit for about 2 years and then started again. I'm just thinking what made them start again! Even if I take a puff occasionally (which I have decided not to for at least a couple years), I'm not going to be smoker again is what I'm telling myself, I'm not getting tempted, very simple. However, I have heard that this is a monster habit and can defeat you anytime so I'm keeping away and not taking any chances for couple years.

All those who took the resolution on new year could have survived so far easily is my guess, the tough time starts only after 48 hours to a few weeks/months where most people fall. All the luck with your resolution and make sure you stick to your will power.
Here's my post a while ago, if it can help few. A Very Happy and another SmokeFree year to you all!!
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/shifti...ml#post2771308

[Thad E Ginathom]

Even if I take a puff occasionally (which I have decided not to for at least a couple years)

Maybe this is why "a couple of years" is a danger point for ex-smokers. Six months, two years, five or six years --- common replies from people who failed to give up when asked how long they didn't smoke for.

Giving up has to be a lifetime commitment because the tendency to the addiction is always there.

Actually, even after a few months, a puff will probably hurt your lungs like the first cigarette you ever smoked did. The trouble is that the first cigarette we smoked, however much it hurt, wasn't the last.

[Ketan]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Maybe this is why "a couple of years" is a danger point for ex-smokers. Six months, two years, five or six years --- common replies from people who failed to give up when asked how long they didn't smoke for.

I agree. its like experimenting with poison. However, there are few folks who smoke cigarettes once in a week or month, I know one such guy and I guess we talked about this rare type a few posts back, what do you think about them? Can a regular smoker become one of them? At this stage, I'm very confident that I'm not going to be the same guy in future, but again, noting in the world that's constant

[Thad E Ginathom]

If you have any difficulty whatsoever giving up smoking, no, you cannot become one of those occasional puffers --- or at least, it would be much safer not to try. Those people are the few that can take nicotine without being addicts.

Interesting point here: who's asking this? You? Or the nicotine addiction looking for a way back? It is crafty, and there is no end to the mental games it will play!

[Ketan]

^


Its a curious guy inside; I've been hearing people that its not easy to quit, it really takes a lot, some of my friends also tried/trying to get help with medicines etc. I'm really surprised to find its so easy! I haven't had any issues quitting. My wife curiously asks sometimes "have you really not had any? even when you go with other friends who smoke?"
I'm not saying I'm special, but just wanted to know more. I have taken up a task to keep alerting my friends at work with some or other piece of information (scaring them the way insurance companies do these days), giving some funny ideas /gyan on how to quit, proposing 'no smoking Wednesdays' etc, I want to ensure at least a few can do it.

[Thad E Ginathom]

You are a lucky man, and no, you are not alone. There are habitual smokers as well as addicted smokers. Maybe you just managed to drop a habit, which can itself be a difficult thing to do.

It's good to encourage your colleagues, but, in the end it has to be a personal decision. The fact that my office had become a no-smoking office encouraged me to give up, but I could have gone on taking a smoking walk outside and making up the numbers every evening. In the end, for me, it was a personal health issue, and that kind of scare is much more effective than anything the insurance companies or the media can do.

[noopster]

Ketan, congratulations on your quit. I don't want to preach but if you are thinking of resuming, even if it is an "occasional" puff or limited to 1 cigarette a day, I would advise you not to. Stay true to your quit else it just isn't worth it.

You say quitting was easy for you. I look at it as being simple. Meaning you just formulate simple rules and stick to them. 44 weeks is still early. You may have not been seriously tempted yet. I have extremely strong urges even 2 years after quitting...and they come unbidden and unexpected!

[Ketan]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

The fact that my office had become a no-smoking office encouraged me to give up, but I could have gone on taking a smoking walk outside and making up the numbers every evening. In the end, for me, it was a personal health issue, and that kind of scare is much more effective than anything the insurance companies or the media can do.

Originally Posted by noopster

Stay true to your quit else it just isn't worth it.

You say quitting was easy for you. I look at it as being simple. Meaning you just formulate simple rules and stick to them. 44 weeks is still early. You may have not been seriously tempted yet. I have extremely strong urges even 2 years after quitting...and they come unbidden and unexpected!

I agree, our office went non-smoking about 5 years ago I guess, we used to go out and smoke on roadside until the facilities allocated small area for smokers, now that has become another meeting place for all the folks in building.
Except a few instances in the US or some crazy road trips, I haven't finished 20s pack a day, but I was regular with ~12 sticks a day out of which I'd smoke at least a few of them back to back, I couldn't wait for anyone, anything just doing nothing, even with a very quick/small opportunity, I'll light one. So these are all common characteristics to smokers I'm talking about. But the two things I'm happy about 1> I quit and 2> I didn't find it difficult so far. The latter one is difficult to digest for me and others around who know me.
I still go with other friends to smoking zones and stand at the tip of the wind vane to avoid most of passive smoke, but lately I've reduced that as well. Not tempted to smoke when other friends in the party smoke, I rather feel for them. I don't remember following certain rules (avoid going with smokers after lunch, avoid riding with other smokers, avoid ethanol sessions with smokers etc..) strictly, but yes, one rule that I want to quit.
IMO, all of these are driven by attitude you have towards something. Even I have realized some ill effects of not eating and smoking too many sticks once in a while, my thoughts about the body/health/habits/food were changing (for good) rapidly for past couple of years (others observed this) and at certain point "I realized" (this is The Key) I should quit before doctors tell me to.
I don't know, I hope whatever I wrote may make some sense, sometimes I keep throwing my mind without making much sense. Thanks for the read.

[Thad E Ginathom]

At the time, it seemed like giving up was one of the most difficult things I ever did. Afterwards, looking back on it, I sometimes wondered what all the fuss had been about!

In a way, both perspectives were true. And I still have the occasional flash of temptation, twenty years on, but it is like arm's-length temptation: It's like remembering a meal that tasted good, you can remember, it can make your mouth water even, but you're not going to run out to try to get that meal again. And I'm never going to smoke again

[azeemhafiz]

Today marks my 1,000th day away from cigarettes. A thousand days away from smoking.

I still miss it very very deeply, sometimes I wish I hadn't quit but the benefits are here to see for I feel I have grown younger in the last 1,000 days - the food tastes better, I jump higher, swim longer, breath deeper and most of all the happiness in the eyes of my loved ones makes the 1,000 days worth it all.

From an average of 40 cigarettes a day to nothing. This had to be dealt with one day at a time, everyday you defer it.

[Thad E Ginathom]

A landmark. Or is it a milestone? Anyway it's great. And that you still feel occasional pangs after approx three years shows how strong the addiction is and how much work you have done and continue to do to beat it and keep it beaten.

The next big milestone is when you no longer know (or at least care) how many days its been. You'll get there!

Congratulations and keep up the good work!

[carbookie]

I thought I would post some encouragement.

Smokers who quit by 40 can live almost as long as non-smokers, new study says