Need Encouragement!

[hattonc]

I came so close to losing my quit tonight.. I was so angry earlier and my go to has always been cigarettes.. I went so far as to drive to a friends house to get one and I turned around and came home. My cup has run over and I need help dealing with things at this point ... I’m not doing well on the inside and I’m surprised I have held my quit this long ., I’m a strong person but feeling defeated these days .. the scary thing also is wondering if everytime life gets out of hand am I always going to have the urge to smoke .. it just saddens me.. sorry my post is not very positive tonight .. but I didn’t give in... 

[Beck37]

The point is though you didn’t lose your quit. Good job! Some times life sucks. I am pretty positive though that smoking doesn’t actually fix anything. In fact I am also pretty positive you would be extremely disappointed in yourself if you did lose your quit after all this time.

Life is hard..... and stressful...... and messy..... but cigarettes are not magic wands. Stop giving them power over you. You obviously had a good reason to quit smoking. Trust yourself. As I like to say “talk yourself off of the ledge”. Take some slow deep breaths. Put everything into perspective.  You are going to survive what’s going on in your life. You always do. You will be okay. 

Hang in, hang on....

Beck

[Deena-A-Yenni]

Darn I like what Beck37 said above.  I can not believe you drove out and came home without a cigarette.  Kudos for you!!  Bravo!!  I hope that you are fast asleep now and awaken refreshed and I assure you that eventually the thot of smoking eventually will only happen in passing and will not consume you.  I promise.

[green1611]

The best remedy is to hold on to quit. 

Remember it is you, your mind, at some point of time decided to quit smoking. Remember those situations, remember frustrations when you never wanted to smoke...but went on smoking, remember why I am slave ?? Should I be free from it? 

Also remember good times when you quit, you felt better and confident at that point of time ! feel the feelings you had on those golden moments. Remember those bright spots. 

All the best !

[Christine13]

Great job on turning your car around and going home!  i think you handled it beautifully and you saved your quit.

You should be very proud of yourself.

[Barbscloud]

Glad to hear you "turned around".   That took some serious strength and true commitment to keep your quit.   You are in NML's which can be a difficult time.   But you will come out on other side.  Even if you do have the urge to smoke when life gets out of hand, doesn't mean you to have act on it.  I'm at 15 months now and there are still times it comes to mind.   Reminding yourself that I don't that anymore, really does help.   There will be some rough days, but you've already proven you can do this.

Barb

[indingrl]

Thanks for sharing YOUR experience Cindy  - You are doing good ❤Cindy - you are aware of your emotions and you did NOT let them run you to YOUR drug NICOTINE - you STOPPED the old thought pattern and habit and kept YOUR OWN NICOTINE FREE LIFESTYLE!!!! CONGRATS Cindy for sharing YOUR VICTORY in choosing to continue to live free from YOUR old lifestyle and coping with YOUR inside life -  to know YOU - and deal with YOUR reality and WIN - GOOD JOB! Each experience to choose to continue YOUR OWN NICOTINE FREEDOM makes YOU stronger with walking your words and choosing YOUR New mindset and choosing YOUR New life style win - soon becomes eased -  in knowing that using life is gone - in TIME - just like it took YOU TIME - to smoke death sticks -  it will take - TIME to continue - to choose -  YOUR choosing to -  NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PUFF EVER - N.O.P.E.- NotOnePuffEver and S.I.N.A.O. - SmokingIsNotAnOption- I am so proud and honored that -  YOU - MY beloved -  Cindy are NICOTINE FREE as YOU choose and make YOUR OWN decision moment by moment - working it-  to thine OWN self be true - WAY TO GO CINDY!!! Yahoooooooooo❤- gentle hug.

[maryfreecig]

      Its at a terrible moment of willing yourself to smoke and backing down that you found your faith in what you'd rather do. That's the right voice even though it wasn't easy and even though you are not happy about it--you are coming to. AA puts quitting this way 1. come, 2. come to, 3. come to believe. You've done the foot work in just not smoking and that is worthy work. Now you are coming to and seeing that life isn't going to change and the old life is what you know best. All I can say is that no matter what problems and unhappiness you are facing--all can be dealt with one day at a time in a smober way. Coming to believe is born out of doing this kind of work--facing the truth and carrying on. Keep your quit, please accept Ex's love and support and keep walking the walk. 

     I've always believed it's true--the footprints in the sand story--that is--when we think that only our own footprints are behind us on our journey--it's not so--there are two--you and your higher power. 

[Daniela2016]

You did wonderful, I believe all of us went to a little bit of depression ("giving up my life, my best friend, will always have to find the urges"), but these shall pass. This uncertain state will not last for too long, you just have to conquer it one day at the time , and you are doing just that!

Be patient with your quit, you smoke a number of years before you quit, don't expect the quit to resolve overnight because it will not.

Like Dale says, "give it time, it takes time to unlearn the behavior around smoking".

You are doing great, keep up the good job, we are proud of you!

Enjoy your Sunday!

Daniela

[jonimarie]

I actually had the same problem last week for two full days in a row

Scared me and had me angry both at the same time 

Angry that I wanted to hide behind a cigarette

What finally pulled me out of it is that I admitted to myself that I am a strong woman and I do not need to run and hide from anything and need not apologize for who I am.

We all want to be validated and appreciated in life

There are those places, situations and people with whom it will not happen

That for me was my wake up moment and I than validate my own worth myself

Hang In There

[AnnetteMM]

How are you doing this morning? I hope you got some sleep. 

Think about how you used to handle stress, even with cigarettes. Surely the stress did not disappear as soon as you lit up.

[sweetplt]

Hi Cindy ... you received a lot of good support above me... Hoping today is better for you ~ Colleen 188 DOF 

[elvan]

I let anger steal more than one of my quits and, you know what?  I was still angry after I smoked, in fact, I was angrier than ever...because I was angry that I smoked as much as whatever the initial target of my anger was.  Smoking does not FIX anything but it can make your body unfixable.  

Congratulations on turning that car around, that is seriously awesome!  You DID it!  Good for you.

Ellen

[Giulia]

Two days ago you said this:  

Day 90 everyone.. I can’t believe it! So awesome.. 

And because you persevered and didn't let your emotions weaken your resolve,  you are now on day 92.  In 8 little days you'll celebrate your Triple Digit Milestone.  Aim for the milestones.  They help keep us positive and on course.  They are treats along the journey.  The stopping points where we can puff out our chests and CROW and say "Job well done!"

the scary thing also is wondering if everytime life gets out of hand am I always going to have the urge to smoke ..

No, you're not.  Because each time you get through a tough "life happening" moment without smoking (just as you did last night by thinking first and turning around), you build your emotional shelter from it.  You're still raw in this quitting journey, still in the infant stage.  Stay the course.  Keep it awesome.  What you did by turning around WAS awesome!  And now that you know you can do that, you can do it again.

[foxx]

Just hang in there this too shall pass 

[TriGirl]

I am so happy you didn't give in! I am learning-- and I am SO far behind you-- that a quit is about so much more than just beating nicotine. You're seriously committing to a whole better state of being. The first step is to defeat the monster, but the next is to find other ways to both enjoy the good parts of life more and handle the bad parts better. Just remember that smoking NEVER once solved a problem you had. You thought it made you feel better because it's a drug! But its calling to ease your pain is fake, and it's effects will be momentary. By finding better ways to handle stress and sadness, I think you'll also develop the strength to find true and lasting solutions to what is getting you down. Or at the very least to get through them with your head high.

[Legend]

Yes there will be a day when you can get through a bad situation and not think about smoking. That is how I am right now upset and nauseous about something so I was playing some games to keep me busy tonight. You can do this hang in there you are doing great. I’m glad you did not smoke.

[HappyJoyousFree]

Hey there! Our quit dates are very close, if not the same! Hang in there~ You Are Not Alone 

Joy

[HappyJoyousFree]

Ugh! Never mind - you posted this 1 day ago. I can see now you have 90! Seriously, you don't want to start this over. It sucks and you are way better off keeping off the smokes. 

[hattonc]

Thank you to everyone who came to my rescue !! It means  so much to me that I have support here !! I’m thankful to each and every one of you..  Blessings to you all. I’m glad I didn’t smoke..

Have a great Monday 

Cindy