Hi, Sparkles. I am curious about the above. Why do you say that for now you are a non-smoker? Is your goal not to remain smoke free for life?

Very interesting!

Made it to 16 months.
 

The regret will be greater than the moment in lack of discipline
 

OK LP, so think of this exactly how it is feeling to you. This is another level you have reached my friend. The 16 months of success have given you possibly some false security at times and now is when you need it the most. So many things going on in your life, energy is hard to come by. You got this dear.....you have the strength of 16 months within you that you have accomplished.....never to be taken away, never. Time to build another level, you won't keep feeling this pull towards smoking with negative energy. It will change by your doings. Call up your strength, and do not allow the mortal weakness that is in your mind over smoking again. Your past is just that.....this level needs your future dreams, loves, and whats in your heart. There will be other levels even after this my friend, but I agree this place is the hardest after being so successful. Smoking is not in your future, cast it out. You control this about yourself, not the weakness or misplaced desire. We are human sweetie, I know you read this post from me with the affection I have for you and having followed you in this smoking cessation from month one with great admiration. My words are for you, my light is arriving with my words. Sweet 16 my dear.......how cool is it to be there 2 times in your life huh?? :)

sweet 16 ain't what it used to be .... :)
 

Congrats LP......sweet 16......so many amusing things to say about that! :) You have done something wonderful for your future. You are more than worth it. So it is not about "earning it".....or having it "owed to you from past sacrifices".......you deserve it LP.......just because you are making it happen for a future with so much more to accomplish. :)

Huh?
 

Well said! <grin>

You Can Do IT!
 

Try vaping (e-cigarettes)?
 

For those still unable to kick "the stinkies"...have you tried vaping (e-cigarettes)? I smoked since I was 15 and was up to 2 1/2 packs a day when I started vaping. I am 63 now and nothing ever worked, not the patch, not the gum, not the pills...nothing. Since starting to vape, I have not picked up a regular analog cigarette. A lot of the cigarette habit is the hand/mouth for a lot of us too. I believe that is why vaping has been so successful for me and many, many others

Smoking is not a habit, it is an addiction, and one that has a stronger hold on the user than some of the hardest drugs out there. Tobacco cigarettes have horrible ingredients including (but not limited to) over 4000 chemicals, 30 of which are known carcinogens, tar that coats ones lungs causing many, many health issues, and carbon monoxide. The one fairly benign ingredient found in tobacco cigarettes is the nicotine. Ironically, it is the nicotine that is addictive. In comparison to the other ingredients, nicotine is basically harmless. It is comparable to caffeine in that it is harmless, yet addictive, in small doses, but can be dangerous in large doses. Replacing smoking traditional cigarettes with vaping eliminates all those horrible ingredients while still delivering small doses of nicotine. The benefits are the same as quitting smoking cold turkey, yet the user still enjoys the physical act of smoking and doesn't experience any withdrawal symptoms. It is the individual user's preference, but one can indeed "step down" to smaller and smaller doses of nicotine until vaping 0 nicotine strength juice and thus, gradually eliminating the addiction. A freind on Face Book posted: Jill should be commended on her 3 months tobacco/smoke free and encouraged in her vaping quests. Keep it up Jill, you're doing great!!!"

Are you thinking about your plan to quit? A plan is helpful. I quit over 2 years ago and I am so glad I did.

I smoked 2.5 packs a day and my addiction was costing me the cost of a car payment.

Good luck and don't forget you can do this!

Congrats to you all!
 

Whether it's 10 years or 10 days, congrats.

I've been smoke free for a bit over 4 months, but this is the first time where I've not fought the craving on a daily basis, so I have a lot of hope that this time will stick.

Like a few folks here I vape and it's working for me. I started vaping in Dec. 2012 and for the first 2 months did have the periodic smoke. I smoked 6 cigarettes in 2 months, since then, none at all.

You know, at first this bothered me, but after thinking about it I'm going with "take what you want and leave the rest."

For those who are not smoking, whether by sheer will power, patches, gum, zyban, chantex, vape, lollipops, cinnamon sticks, toothpicks, gritting your teeth, sucking your thumb, etc. Good luck and good wishes.

Loren