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Share your quitting journey

Stage 4 (lung cancer) is not where you want to be

JonesCarpeDiem
1 9 69

Here are the steps to freedom and what you can expect on your journey to freedom!.

Step 1   DECIDE TO QUIT (the big first step)

Step 2   Get through the first week. (the most difficult time)

Step 3   Get through the first month. (the most uncomfortable time inclused the 1st week -Your body/brain is still adjusting in a major way)

Step 4   Getting through No Mans Land (130 days + or -) The minimal unlearning smoking time.

             This is the time many will go back due to overconfidence and/or unexpectedly strong cravings.

             this is where the term "The only way out is through" needs to be your reigning thought.

Step 5   First Year Smoke Free. You are now in the 6% club. 1st set of emotional & physical seasons down

Step 6   Second Year Smoke Free 2ndset of emotional and physical seasons completed.

              (the relapse rate drops to 4% after 2 years)

Step 7   Lifetime Smoke Free.No  Longer Controlled By Thoughts Of Smoking

(watch the drinking. It can kill your quit at any step)

9 Comments
About the Author
Hello, My name is Dale. I was quit 18 months before joining this site and had participated on another site during that time. I learned a lot there and brought it with me. I joined this site the first week of August 2008. I didn't pressure myself to quit. HOW I QUIT I didn't count, I didn't deny myself to get started. When I considered quitting (at a friends request to influence his brother to quit), I simply told myself to wait a little longer. No denial, nothing painful. After 4 weeks I was down to 5 cigarettes from a pack a day. The strength came from proving to myself, I didn't need to smoke because I normally would have smoked. Simple yes? I bought the patch. I forgot to put one on on the 4th day. I needed it the next day but the following week I forgot two days in a row I put one in my wallet with a promise to myself that I would slap it on and wait an hour rather than smoke. It rode in my wallet my first year.There's nothing keeping any of you from doing this. It doesn't cost a dime. This is about unlearning something you've done for a long time. The nicotine isn't the hard part. Disconnecting from the psychological pull, the memories and connected emotions is. :-) Time is the healer.