Brent... No one has called me an Old Stalwart lately. :p Thanks for asking. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 7/1/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 339 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 6,796 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1186.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 29 [B]Hrs:[/B] 22 [B]Mins:[/B] 43 [B]Seconds:[/B] 59

Phillip,[quote] it occasionally saddens me when I am struck down to my kness by the intensity of the crave. [/quote] These times are difficult for me as well and drive me insane. I often feel I should no longer be having these feelings. There are even times that I feel I am somehow losing this battle because the desire still strikes me every single time life gets a little tense. It is easier to put one foot in front of the other than it use to be. I know without a doubt that the cravings pass and that smoking wouldn't fix a thing. I hold on to the good days, cry through the bad, and lean on my good friends to get me through. I celebrate my milestones and I pray that one day I find the inner peace I am searching for. We will get there. It just takes time. I truly believe this with all my heart. We will survive this and be better people because of the journey we have taken. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 7/1/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 339 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 6,796 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1186.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 29 [B]Hrs:[/B] 22 [B]Mins:[/B] 42 [B]Seconds:[/B] 51

Let me start by saying that last Wednesday I had a horrible day and I wanted to smoke more than anything. At over 11 months quit I wanted to smoke and I almost did. I didn�t care about the quit anymore and I just wanted to run away from my current reality and hide. A lot of long time quitters do not post about cravings because we just deal with them and move on but I think it is important for others to be aware that a quit can be threatened at any time. My quit buddies got me through this tough time and had it not been for them being there I may have lost my quit. I am so grateful that didn�t happen. I just spent the weekend with a smoker that smokes in the house. Friday night was a bit tough but deep breaths and knowing that my quit family was right there with me any time I needed them got me through it all just fine. Saturday we went to Universal Studios. On the way back to her house, about a 45 min drive, she smoked in the car twice. I learned something this weekend and I want to share it with all of you. I learned that deep down inside, I really don�t want to smoke again. I saw first hand the affects addiction can have on a person as an outsider looking in. The enslavement and the failure to be in control of ones own thoughts and actions. I no longer have this problem. I am in control and I am free to enjoy my life and take full advantage of non-smoking activities without having to break for the addiction. I also learned that smoking now makes me sick. All these years I didn�t realize what second hand smoke does to a person. It burned my eyes, it made me crave, it filled my lungs and made them hurt. The desire to smoke was not as great as the desire to stay quit but it was still there. That is the addict in me. I finally realized that instead of wanting a cigarette, I wanted to get away from the cigarette smoke. It made me sick and anxious at the same time. My quit is something that I have worked very hard for and I cherish each and every day that are on my meter. Some days have been good and others have been bad but regardless of the situations that have evolved my meter continues to move forward. There are still times that I miss my friend, my companion, my crutch. I don't know if these times will ever go away compl

Great post, Lady. It sounds like your quit is finally starting to settle in. You've had a long, rough road with all the work/school/Dad smoking/kids/ad infinitum. A lesser person would have caved long ago. You are truly awe inspiring. Concerning craves after a long quit. They happen. Not necessarily to all, but they will to some. Somewhere along the way, sometimes something will happen that will spark a memory association with smoking and "wham" a crave happens. I expect if it does, you won't even know what caused it. This sudden slam upside the head is, I imagine, quite unnerving and scary. It blindsides the person and the junkie tries so very hard to take control again. Coping mechanisms which right now either do, or are learning to, function automatically have atrophied. They don't kick in and the person in such a fit that they have only border-line control. If this is thrown on top of an already stressful situation, I can see how someone would panic (totally freak out, actually) and have to have a smoke to regain a modicum of sanity. Of course, that will lead to another, another, another,... But this doesn't have to be the case. If we always remember that craves always pass if we just wait them out, we'll be just fine. And once that memory association is broken, it won't bother us again. The key is to not panic, should the time come. You got through the first six months, you will be able to get through that. Hang tough, Lady (as I know you will). Everything always works out for the best if we can just survive the process. :) Shevie [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 5/23/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 379 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 7,582 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1440.2 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 70 [B]Hrs:[/B] 16 [B]Mins:[/B] 13 [B]Seconds:[/B] 9

Lady - you are truly amazing. At 4200 posts, you still show your stuff in each and every entry. Your courage, your compassion, your insight, your vulnerability, your wisdom. Thank you once again. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 4/15/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 417 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 10,427 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1459.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 58 [B]Hrs:[/B] 0 [B]Mins:[/B] 42 [B]Seconds:[/B] 10

Lady, you really ARE an inspiration. I hope I can stay as determined and focussed as you. We can never afford to become complacent. Ever. Once an addict always an addict. Well done you for standing firm. :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 3/17/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 80 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,616 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] �200 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 10 [B]Hrs:[/B] 11 [B]Mins:[/B] 29 [B]Seconds:[/B] 43