Smoking Addiction & Recovery Support Group

Hi, calmpaal, and welcome. I just had my one year anniversary without smoking. Some positive things about quitting: my skin looks better; my hair looks better; my teeth are whiter; I smell a lot better; I have more money in hand all of the time; and I have the personal satisfaction that comes from stopping something that I was doing that I didn't want to do anymore. Quitting is not easy and it is not fun, but it is completely doable. And it gets better and easier over time. Having support here really helps. So does taking the process of quitting one step at a time, one day at a time. There is a ton of good information in the posts on this board. I strongly recommend reading through all of the posts here - you will find LOTS of posts about the positive aspects of quitting, how to handle weight gain, how to handle moodiness - I suspect that virtually everything on your mind has been on someone else's mind at one point or another, and has been discussed here. Welcome and good luck with your quit. Believe in yourself! You can do this.

Hi Calmpaal and welcome to the DS quit smoking group.

You asked us to tell you the positive things about quitting smoking. I see from your profile that you are a 'sporty' person. You like to be physically active it seems.

If you quit smoking, just think how much better your body will feel. How much more you will get from your sports. You will be able to breathe more easily and more oxygen will be in your body. You will have more energy.

You say you don't want to hear the negatives but you are going to have to face the fact that they exist. But remember, any negatives that there might be last just a short time. The positives will last for the rest of your life.

You say you have used other groups on DS so you know how helpful they can be. Well this group is about the best I have ever come across. You will get all the help, support and advice you need.

As Beesley says, read some of the past threads and you will see what we mean.

You've come to the right place here.I wish you so much luck with your quit.I can honestly say,I've never felt better since I quit smoking.There are too many positives for me to mention - my clear skin,my nice breath,more energy,more money,not feeling like an outcast at social events....the list could go on forever.
However,I know how unbelieveably difficult quitting is and the withdrawl symptoms can be hellish.
Please think of it as a positive - something you WANT to do,rather than a negative - something you HAVE to do.Keep signing into dailystrength.Do rollcall each day to monitor your success and if you are ever feeling bad,ask for advice or simply let off steam.I found during my first few weeks that once I'd ranted on for a while online the craving had lessened and it also gave me something to do with my hands.
I wish you lots of luck - you can do it xxxx

Hello, fellow quitter. I am smoke free for almost 23 hours! I know you're looking for testimony from people who have successfully quit, but I had to offer you my support.

It's not as bad as people say if you can just stay busy. If you distract yourself by jumping up and doing something new every time you crave a cigarette. I did quit for a week once. It was harder that time because I wasn't coming to this web site whenever I had a chance. Reading the posts from recent quitters and new non-smoking friends is fun and keeps my resolve up!

Welcome. I have absolutely nothing critical to say.
I have quit for 3 years. I have quit for 5 years.
I am still battling this addiction. I have emphysema. My pulmonary doctor insists I am end
stage and dying. My advice (and I hate giving anyone advice, as everyone has to find their own
personal path): COMMIT! Commit to your quit over
all else. DO WHATEVER YOU HAVE TO!! Sleep, cry,
yell. Do whatever you need to do to get through it.
Forget about pride and appearances. This is a life
or death struggle: ADDICTION. FIND what works for
YOU! Good luck. I am cheering you on.

I love hearing the positive, too :) I'm at 40 days quit now, and this isn't my first attempt at quitting either. For me the biggest, positive reason for quitting smoking is FREEDOM...no more dragging around that ol' ball & chain!
There are more positive reasons to quit...there's lots & lots :)
Sweeter smelling breath, car, home, clothes, hair, hands, kisses & hugs. So many, many health benefits (that's a category all it's own). Saving lots of $$$$. Whiter teeth = prettier smile :). And how about being a good example for someone else, especially kids, if you have them.
The absolute most positive reason to quit is YOU! Do this for YOU! I know you've heard this before...But I'm gonna' say it again...if I can do it, anyone can! I QUIT & so can YOU!

Welcome back, calmpaal. The FFS is a super group. There is another support group that spawned from that, http://quit-smoking-support.woofma... The owner of the board, Kevin, is a great guy and the members were (when I was there) really great, too. I only left because there wasn't a great deal of actual quit activity at the time. If nothing else, I suggest you read his stories. Very interesting and enlightening.

I quit successfully on May 23, 2005 by using Wellbutrin XL for the first month. After that I simply made the choice to not smoke and refused to give in to the few craves that came along. I will admit I had one slip of one puff around my 6-month mark, but that is it.

If you focus on the negative aspects of quitting, you will *most definitely* have a very rough time of it. Sit there and tell yourself you that you feel terrible because you are being denied smoking and let that be at the forefront of your consciousness and you will be totally miserable. Quitting will become an endless battle that you will soon come to see as unwinnable and you will be absolutely, 100% right.

However, if you focus on your quit as being a good thing, life will be much easier. When you feel the withdrawal symptoms, whatever ones you experience, recognize them as signs of healing. Understand and keep in mind that they are temporary and are doing you no harm. Know that they are the result of something wonderful and loving that you are doing for yourself and those who care about you. Embrace them, be grateful for them, and wait for them to pass on their own. They will, very soon.

So there are just two choices you can make in your quit, calmpaal. They are the extremes and there are a myriad of others in between. Hard quit or not so hard. The choice is yours.

Along with the tales at woofmang and the support at FFS, I suggest you also take advantage of the information at these two sites as well:
http://wholistiquit.com
http://whyquit.com

Finally, reward yourself often. Ideally, you will reward yourself everytime you don't smoke a cigarette. I realize that isn't necessarily practical, but I strongly encourage a reward at least once a day. It doesn't have to be elaborate or expensive. Something as simple as taking an extra break during the day for some "me time" could be sufficient. All it has to do is make you feel good and special about yourself.

Bless your heart, calmpaal. You've overcome other challenges in the past, you can whip this one, too.
Shevie
Quit May, 2005

There are no negatives to quit smoking, it's all positive. It is a gift to your self and your loved ones to quit. It is doable, any one can do it, give it a try for a month or two and then tell us how you feel and if it is worth it, you will be surprised at your answer.

I was a fraid to try to quit again, afraid to fail again. I had to get over the fear of failure & get right back on the Quit Quest no matter what. This time -used Amer Cancer help line & counselling, chantix, DS, chewing gum,journalling on DS, deep breathing, A Carr's Easy Way to Quit Smoking -read several times. It gets so much easier after the first three days - its worth it!

Huge thank you to everybody who commented on this post it was unbelievably helpful and gives me a lot of hope which I didn't have before. I hope more people continue to reply - the more positive things said, the better quitting sounds.