Just wanted to drop a line and say I'm still around and still smoke free (164 days) - yay! I haven't logged on here for several months now. About the time the weather started to be nice in my neck of the woods. I made the decision to get out in it and thoroughly enjoy it this year and that's exactly what I did. I lived and enjoyed life to the fullest without having to keep taking myself out of the equation to smoke a cigarette. It was incredibly freeing. As we are heading into November, and it gets chillier and chillier, I can't lie, thoughts of smoking have been creeping back in again. Sometimes they're passing annoyances, but sometimes they're a bit more ominous. The frequency is also increasing. I suspect I am dealing with a bit of Seasonal Affective Disorder or perhaps mild depression that I covered up all these years with smoking. I ordered some natural supplements to help combat what I think is going on (should be here Monday). There have been a few times over the past month that really threw me for a loop with the intensity of the desire to smoke - or I really should say the desire to experience "having something to look forward to" or the "mood boost" or "reward" for a task at hand. Objectively I know most of those feelings were just a reprieve from nicotine withdrawal but some of it was real as it did release dopamine on a regularly scheduled interval. Keeping my fingers crossed the supplements help! Sorry to be one of those "friends" that only reaches out when in need...
