Hi Everyone -
This is my first post on here, even though I've been lurking in the background for months. 
I've really appreciated everyone's confessions, tips and words of encouragement, so I thought I'd share my own.
I smoked a pack per day for 20 years and quit this past June. My quit has been a success, not just by actions, but I know it in my mind - I'm done with cigarettes! They are not a part of who I am anymore...and as I type that, it's messed up that they ever WERE important enough to BE part of who I am. Ugh. But, I digress. I still have random triggers, but they pass quickly and I know that I will never turn to cigarettes again.
I used the Nicoderm 3-step patches but what I found to be the most helpful was the inhaler I made using Black Pepper Essential Oil. The inhaler is the same style as those Vicks ones you can buy for sinus congestion, but this one you use orally as opposed to inhaling through the nose. After doing a fair amount of research, I found that Black Pepper EO was highly regarded as a stop-smoking aid. For me, it turned out to be a critical part of my success. It still is, actually. It's my busy season at work, and I've found myself going back to my inhaler, even though it's been nearly 6 months since I had a smoke and nearly 2 months since I've broken out the inhaler! For me, it just gives that "ah, just chill out" effect that I need when I'm stressed out. You get the hand-mouth sensation, the inhaling sensation and the "dirty tobacco taste" that you'd get from a cigarette (black pepper EO doesn't exactly taste good, ya know!). In the beginning, I didn't go anywhere without it! Now, I'm just using it to get me through rough patches.
I suspect some may not like the idea, and that's fine, but for me it has made quitting much more manageable so I just wanted to share! If anyone is interested, you can order the inhalers on Amazon and the Black Pepper EO at Plant Therapy. They're super easy to make, too. PS: Black Pepper EO has other benefits as well, but I won't get into those. Ya'll can look it up if you want...everything you need to know is online! 
Lastly, another thing I have found to be really helpful is this free app I downloaded called "Get Rich or Die Smoking." This has been a great resource when I've had weak moments. If I think about smoking, I just open the app to see how far I've come, which is strong motivation to NOT take any steps backwards (my motto has been "I never want another 'Day 1'"). You plug in your information (i.e. how many ciggs you smoke per day, the cost per pack, how much time you spend smoking each cigg, etc.) and it calculates your progress. I love it, and I think you might too!
Cheers everyone!
Jen
