I'm feeling good

[Thovis]

Today is day 18 and I feel great.  I'm 53 years old and I started smoking when I was 13 or 14.  How in the world did I get here?  How did I smoke reds for 40 years and still be here to talk about it?  Smoking suddenly feels like a distant memory.  I haven't had a real withdrawal in over a week.  I'm having very few cravings and they're easy to kick aside.  I experienced insomnia for a bit, but I think that's gone now.  I definitely recommend "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking".  It's not a very well written book, but it makes so much sense.  Thanks everyone in this community.  Just reading other discussions and receiving encouragement is a great help.  I hope to be that person that inspires someone else and maybe help them get through the day.  I don't know why this time is different, but even my wife has noticed that I'm not experiencing mood swings and I'm more relaxed then I've been in years.  If I can give anyone out there advice it would be a very simple statement.  Quit smoking because you want to quit smoking.  Make it your decision.  I think I spent three months convincing myself of this before I smoked the last one.  I feel like this is the one thing I did that is making this quit successful. 

Cheers!

T

[Barbscloud]

Welcome to the Ex. and thanks for sharing your success.   18 days is a great start on your journey to be smoke free.  Please come back to continue to inspire others.

Barb

[sweetplt]

Hi and Welcome to Ex’s Thovis 

Congratulations on 18 days of Freedom...I am happy your quit is going so good...be sure to do the suggested readings offered in your first post.  Also, keep here and keep vigilant.  It is good you have few withdrawals, but be ahead of them in case they come a long...Gotcha in my Thoughts ~ Colleen 193 DOF 

[Beck37]

Congrats! Like you said in your bio, this time you quit, not tried to quit. For me it is truly all in the mindset. I smoked for 37 years. At the time of my quit, 9 months ago, I acknowledged the fact as I was smoking my last cigarette that it would be my last. Sure I went thru a bit of crazies, but I held on as I knew they wouldn’t kill me. 

Too many quit without actually making the commitment. Quit is a forever word. Hiatus is taking a break. 

Keep up the amazing work. Stay out of your head. 

Beck

[Thovis]

You are exactly right.  It’s almost a big secret, but instead of hiding it we tell anyone who will listen.  It’s just hard to understand until you’ve done it.  Then it’s like, why didn’t I do this before?   Haha

[Tapas_butterfly]

How long do you think your “crazies” lasted after quiting? I am trying to quit before a trip to Mexico in less then three weeks and really don’t want to smoke there but don’t want the trip to be horrible. My quote date is Wednesday. 

[YoungAtHeart]

If you aren't using an NRT, the nicotine should be out of your body in about three days, then it's a couple of weeks for your body to adjust to life without it.  All that is left to get through after that is the psychological associations and triggers.  Being in a different environent should actually help with those.  Seems like a good plan to get ready and greatly enjoy your adventure!

Let us know if you have any further questions.

[Beck37]

You need to ask yourself why would not being able to smoke make my trip awful? It’s so much easier to do everything without having to worry about the need to light up. Especially when it comes to the actual travel days. It used to seem endless with the flights before I would finally get to smoke. That in itself was a crazy. Just enjoy your vacation. You will be just fine cause you will be having so much fun. Might want to skip the tequila though cause that could bring out the urge....

Have a great trip. Remember you are quit now so smoking is no longer an option.

Beck

[constanceclum]

I am so happy that this quit is going so well for you!. When it's time, it's time, and we know it.

Connie

[marciem]

Welcome, Thovis‌ !!  18 days is GREAT, you are all through with Hell week,  heck week is in your rear-view mirror, and you're well started on your road to a lifetime of smoke-freedom!!  You have a terrific attitude and mindset, and those are so very important in ensuring a permanent forever quit!

Education is also key.  There is tons of information here at this site.  You've had a good start by reading 'Easy way...', and I suggest you continue your education. Recovery from nicotine addiction is not always completely linear, and you can come up against walls that seem like you're back to the beginning... knowing how to get beyond those breaks in the bee-line to freedom can count for a lot!  (I'm not wanting to be a Negative Nelly here, but I also don't want to see you blindsided by triggers you didn't expect and plan for.) .

Keep up the wonderful work.  AND YES... every one I know says how much more steady and calmer I have been since I quit smoking.  So BAH HUMBUG to the addiction-lie that "I need a cigarette to calm my nerves".