Tutti.. You are doing great! 66 Awesome days quit! Any day now it will get much easier. Something I keep telling myself along the way was... everyday is one day closer to never feeling this way again. I held on and it was true. Others around here guided me through the darkness and held me up until I could do it on my own. Use the resources here. They are the best on the web in my opinion. Something else about the I felt like smoking just to get rid of the emotions.... The reason I didn'? Because I just couldn't convince myself that it would actually work. I think that smoking would make my emotions so much worse than what they were. It really is all about learning new coping skills. Keep trying new things until you find what works for you. Lady :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 7/1/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 663 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 13,279 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $2320.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 59 [B]Hrs:[/B] 22 [B]Mins:[/B] 37 [B]Seconds:[/B] 2

[i]There were days I thought of smoking just so I didn't feel the emotions anymore. [/i] Woa Lady, man can I ever relate to that statement. Keep hitting us with those statments because, at the beginning of a quit, it's so hard to describe what the heck is going on. I love it when I can read a post and think, "Yea, yea!! That's it!! That's exactly how I feel!!" Sometimes we need a little help screwing in the light bulb. Thank you for your post!! Stay Strong, Tutti [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/18/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 66 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 3,013 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $236.94 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 7 [B]Hrs:[/B] 2 [B]Mins:[/B] 11 [B]Seconds:[/B] 54

Tryagain... I know all too well what you are talking about and often questioned my sanity during my quit. There were days I thought of smoking just so I didn't feel the emotions anymore. Yes, I felt I was going insane. Did it take a long time? For me it did. The first six months were hell for me. The next six were easier and then once I hit one year, it really got easier with just an occassional desire to smoke. They say it takes 12 to 18 months to really quit smoking. It took me that long. Now, as I approach the two year mark, I can say I am truly free. Having traveled the road you are now on, I wanted to let you know that you have hope. You just hang on one day at a time. Ride the craves out and don't give up no matter what may come your way. Reach out to others and when they offer their hands in support, grab on tight and don't let go for anything in the world. Fight for your quit with everthing you have. It is worth every single bit of agony you may go through. The freedom from the enslavement of smoking will have you enjoying a whole new journey. A journey of life without the addiction and it is so awesome! Hang in there. Lady [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 7/1/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 663 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 13,278 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $2320.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 59 [B]Hrs:[/B] 22 [B]Mins:[/B] 29 [B]Seconds:[/B] 20

try - I was trying to see where you were in your quit. It's hard when you reach the stage where the initial excitement/drive of the quit is gone but your quit hasn't yet become comfortable. I do believe that the key to success is changing our thinking. Unfortunately, I was never very good at this (I'm trying .... honest!)so, for me, I had to shake up my life abit...change my routine. Evenings were my worst so sometimes I would go to the shopping mall. On bad nights, I went to bed early with the remote (I love it so much, I do it on good nights too) I rewarded myself regularly and, if I wasn't buying a reward, I would spend the time picking it out. I remember thinking that I would keep trying till I made it to 100 days. I'd be lying if I said every day was wonderful now...but it's not one big long craving... Sending you lots of warm wishes for better days ahead... Windy [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 9/11/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 226 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 4,536 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1130 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 22 [B]Hrs:[/B] 2 [B]Mins:[/B] 14 [B]Seconds:[/B] 27

Try, I agree with what everyone has been saying. I'd like to try and elaborate on what Mercy was saying, in particular. What seems to be happening is you are thinking about cigarettes and smoking a lot. Well fine, most of us do for a long time. I suspect the big problem is that you are dwelling on these thoughts. You keep thinking "I wish I could have one" or "Do I really want to be quit". But that's the junkie, trying to keep it's claws in you. I know that I am not as far along as you or the others who posted here. BUT ... I would like to share my experience. It started the day I restarted my quit. A few hours later, I got that panicky craving and the voice that said, "You should have waited till tonight", "You're not really ready yet", etc... I stopped, realized that the nicotine was pretty much out of my system (I was on Chantix - nicotine should be gone for you physically, by now) and that this was all a battle in my head. And I can control my thoughts and how I react to them. So I suddenly said, "This is bull****! I don't need to do this. I'm not giving in". And TryAgain (and anyone else reading this) it was like that craving was a bubble that just went POP and evaporated! So far (I don't want to jinx myself! LOL) I can honestly say I've had just a few real cravings and once I related them to the trigger (boredom, leaving lunch with a friend, finishing a big meal when hubby is not here, etc..) they are easy to ignore AND THEY GO AWAY! Now, I WILL tell you I think about NOT-SMOKING a LOT of the time. I'm here on the boards checking in or surfing the net looking for info about addiction, nicotine, cig companies, etc... whenever I have a chance. I am trying to reprogram my brain so I won't fall victim to junkie thinking when I am vulnerable. TryAgain, please try my technique. You have absolutely nothing to lose and lots to gain if it works! You can do this! [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 3/29/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 27 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 333 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $110.16 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 2 [B]Hrs:[/B] 13 [B]Mins:[/B] 36 [B]Seconds:[/B] 50

I think you hit the nail on the head. I think you are transitioning, if you let yourself. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 12/29/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 117 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,177 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $585 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 11 [B]Hrs:[/B] 4 [B]Mins:[/B] 10 [B]Seconds:[/B] 45

Try, I wonder if the one cigarette you smoked three weeks ago is the culprit. I can't help but wonder because the trouble started again around the 60 day mark. Tutti [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/18/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 66 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 2,998 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $236.94 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 7 [B]Hrs:[/B] 1 [B]Mins:[/B] 20 [B]Seconds:[/B] 12

It's kind of funny. When I smoked, I'd wake up in the morning wanting a cigarette and after 88 days of not smoking except for one cig when my exhusband died, I think that was 3 weeks ago, I STILL wake up in the morning wanting a cigarette. I'm not going to smoke. I'm beyond all that now. I don't want the smell, the expense, the health problems, the limitations. I just really want it to be over. I'm old. I'm tired. I'm just worn out. This is possibly the worst time. Betwixt and between. Not a non-smoker, but really not still a smoker!

Try, Faithfreedom is right.....Get MAD!! Chew those cravings out. You have to put yourself back in charge of your days AND release the tension that you're feeling. B#@%*ing that demon out will help you to do both. Keep posting, okay? We're here for you. ((((Hugs)))) Tutti [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/18/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 66 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 2,996 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $236.94 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 7 [B]Hrs:[/B] 1 [B]Mins:[/B] 14 [B]Seconds:[/B] 7

Try, This Quit, all of those cravings, and all of those thoughts of smoking will NOT drive you insane. But when you're so focused on every craving and every thought of smoking, you CAN fall into a state of depression. That DEPRESSION can make you feel like you're losing your grip. IF you let yourself get trapped in that state of depression, everything looks so bleak and the only things you're thinking about ARE those cravings, those thoughts of smoking and, "Oh God, when is this going to stop?"......"Will tomorrow be any better?"......."I've only had one day since Day 60 that I didn't think about smoking."......and many more pessimistic thoughts. You'll start expecting the worst. Here's the big thing too, that depression will make you feel so fatigued to the point that you have no desire to busy yourself, think positive thoughts, replace smoking with other habits, etc. So fatigued that you're sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. Try, I've been through all of those things. I just flat out saw NO END IN SIGHT to this misery. I expected the next day to be just as bad, if not worse, than the day before. It finally hit me that I've let this Quit, all of those sorry @ss cravings, and the fight itself depress the hell out of me. I was mostly stationery and wallowing in that depression and how miserable I felt from my Quit. Oh heck, I'm not in the clear by a long shot. But what has helped me so much is, of course, coming here. But also looking for things that make me feel better about Not Smoking. I don't have to look too far or too long. Like, take that deep breath...I mean as deep as you can and see if you go into a coughing fit. I don't go into that coughing fit and I like it...a lot. I know you felt your heart flutter as a smoker and so did I. Man, mine would flutter so bad that I it felt like it stopped for a second or two AND it would take my breath away. That scared the hell out of me. I was always thinking that a heart attack is not too far away. God, I didn't even want to go to the doctor to have my heart checked for fear of what I'd find out. (You know what I'm talking about too don't you.) The flutter is gone since I quit and I like that...I mean I really, really like that. I believe you can relate to that really well. I bel