When I first quit I thought, "Hey, this ain't so tough." I really didn't experience any withdrawal symptoms at all. None that I was aware of anyway. So, after a couple of weeks it was very easy for me to convince myself that I could have just a puff or two on the wknd as a reward, call it a slip & continue my quit afterward. After about a month of that see-saw I realized that I had been fooling myself: Each time I "slipped" I was really starting my quit from scratch again & taking my self esteem down a notch as well. So, I reset my meter & decided that I don't smoke anymore. Period.
Something must have clicked right there because ever since then even in the midst of a strong crave, the thought of slipping doesn't enter my mind. Once in a while I'll experience a trigger & think, "I wish I still smoked." But the thought of actually having a cigarette then repulses me. I used to love to light up for the drive home from work but now I immediately remember the reality of it: How it would taste [dry, bitter & chemical-ly] & burn my throat & make me & my car stink. It used to be that when I passed by a smoking area & smelled it I would think it smelled good. Yesterday I passed a smoker & the smell nauseated me for a moment. Now, that being said, I have known a few militant ex-smokers & I would never want to become one of them so I keep my feelings about that to myself unless my opinion is requested [seldom].
Anyway, in my long-winded way, I just want you to know Cuddles & any other slippers out there that, for some of us practice DOES make a perfect quit. You are done practicing now. You don't smoke anymore. Period.
Mc
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 8/31/2005
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 237
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 3,560
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $948
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 23 [B]Hrs:[/B] 2 [B]Mins:[/B] 16 [B]Seconds:[/B] 40
