Bump for Bgaines [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/17/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 192 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 3,859 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1440 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 31 [B]Hrs:[/B] 10 [B]Mins:[/B] 48 [B]Seconds:[/B] 13

Thanks Butterfly for the most awesome post. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 6/12/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 431 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 8,635 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1939.5 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 58 [B]Hrs:[/B] 7 [B]Mins:[/B] 42 [B]Seconds:[/B] 22

You are right on and reading that helped me remember why this time must be different from all of the others where I relapsed. THANK YOU!!! = ) Pitstop

Thanks for your insight on relapse, and reading that you got the courage to keep going is giving me the inspiration to stay on track after a couple of relapses. Today is day 3 for me and look forward to what you and the freedom everyone else on this site has achieved and the others like me being a newbie are fighting for. Your 6 month ramble should be celebrated as an accomplishment. Congratulations. This is a great site on how everyone supports both the newbies and the veterans, and how everyone talks about how all quits are different and there is no right or wrong way to go about it. I went to AA for about 2 months, then stopped going because the veterans kept saying that it's the AA way or no way. If you did disagree with them, they would basically tell you that you can't do it and started shoving religion down your throat(not that I have anything against religion, but I have my own beliefs). Anyhow 7 months later, without AA I still haven't touched a drink. This smoking thing is tougher to beat than alcohol in my opinion. Sorry for the long post but your ramble got me thinking a lot about keeping my quit not only for smoking, but alson drinking. Readind post like this will keep me going. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 4/25/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 2 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 73 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $8.4 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 8 [B]Mins:[/B] 45 [B]Seconds:[/B] 36

Thank you BFS, for putting that out there. You describe the hell that relapse is really like. I'm so proud of you for being strong enough to pull yourself out of that and turning it around. You're right, from my previous quits and having "just one" (as you put it so well, the "most dangerous lie") getting back on the quit wagon and staying motivated after relapse is much harder than it may seem. Keep up the good work!! and Thanks for always taking the time to help those here that need it! :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/29/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 88 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,326 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $352 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 9 [B]Hrs:[/B] 15 [B]Mins:[/B] 25 [B]Seconds:[/B] 52

Dam* Pam. Why didn't you post this a month ago. I have been back and forth in this spot for a month now and still can't recreate the enthusiasm I had back in January. I keep trying but get about half a day and say what the hell. This roller coaster is driving me nuts. Every time I stop I really have no momentum at all or if I do it only seems to last 8 or 10 hours. I woke up this morning feeling great, but by 5 pm zero commitment. I keep coming here now looking for a quick fix, but I know that that does not exist. I am just hoping that sooner or later something I read will stick like Super Glue to me. Anyway you are doing great and I always love to see your posts. You are a very encouraging and supportive person. I wish I had the strength you do most days. Another day screwed up StuBow [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 4/29/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 0 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 0 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $0 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 0 [B]Mins:[/B] 0 [B]Seconds:[/B] 0

[IMG]http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f190/cuddlebug230/images_31.gif[/IMG] Cuddles [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 4/22/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 5 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 58 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $18 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 14 [B]Mins:[/B] 17 [B]Seconds:[/B] 29

Pam, You may feel you made a poor choice six months ago today but rejoice in your freedom. Six months ago today you began your Forever Quit! Everything that happens, happens for a reason. Be thankful not only for the ups in your life but also for the downs. It is in the downs that we learn and we grow. You may have fallen down but you got back up, stood tall, and moved forward. I remember six months ago you took quite a beatting from the members here too. I'm not really sure if anyone thought you would make it. I remember being frustrated with you myself at that point. You didn't let any of the comments made to you stand in your way. If anything, I think they made you stronger and even more committed to beat this addiction. I'm so glad to see you reach this milestone. You have worked hard for it and you have done a great job of supporting others along the way. Congratulations on Six Awesome Months Quit! Be proud, be happy, celebrate! [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 7/1/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 300 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 6,008 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1050 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 26 [B]Hrs:[/B] 11 [B]Mins:[/B] 21 [B]Seconds:[/B] 46

BFS.....Mighty Powerful Excellent Post... A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ON REACHING 6 MONTHS..... This time your gonna make it....I can feel it in your post.... Luv, ~SweetPea~ [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 8/29/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 241 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 2,903 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1082.09 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 29 [B]Hrs:[/B] 5 [B]Mins:[/B] 0 [B]Seconds:[/B] 13

As many of you know, I made a very poor choice 6 months ago today and started a new quit the next day. At that point, I wasn�t too sure I could do it, but one thing I did know for sure was that I wanted this quit more than anything! I was so mad that I�d let myself down again and I vowed to NEVER do that again! I wanted to be free! And that mistake made me realize this more than ever. I think some people don�t understand why coming back from a slip or relapse is any harder than starting a quit... but it is! Many people think that �just one� is an innocent occurrence. That is probably the nicodemon�s most dangerous lie! �Just one� makes you want �just one more� and �just one more� after that. I think A LOT of people don�t understand why people who slip or relapse have such a hard time getting back up and continuing on in their quits. Therefore, I�d like to shed a little light on what it�s like to slip or relapse. Many people here, even some long term quitters, may not fully understand what it�s like to have to get back up after a slip or relapse because they�ve been fortunate enough to not have to experience it. Imagine you have a child who is screaming and you give that child what she wants� you are reinforcing the screaming and she knows that all she has to do is scream and throw a fit to get her way. If you stop giving her what she wants when she screams, yes, she will scream more for a while, but she will eventually quit acting out as often because it�s not working. BUT, let�s say after a few days or weeks or months of not giving her what she wants, that child screams� not as loudly as she once did, but she screams anyway� and this time, you give into her. You have just ignited a �spontaneous recovery� in which the child has now learned that all it takes is a little more screaming to make you give in. Then, the child will start all over again with the screaming more and more and you�ve started the whole process all over again! Not only that, but you�ve also set a precedent for it, for both her AND you, and it will be MUCH harder to say no the next time. THAT�S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU SMOKE!!! Your brain is that screaming child and it acts the SAME way! Except, we�re not dealing with a little, innocent child here� we�re dealing with the