Well, here goes my 2 cents! Look out. Slip us suck! For me, I re-enforce my quit when ever I get down. I always go back to the reason why I quit. The pain and suffering I will go through if I give in. The lives that I will destroy and the look on my girls faces. The thought of my Gina walking down the isle with a step fathers arm. The name on my head stone that will probably read, " gone, coundnt do it". Thats my reason for not slipping up, and Iam being kind. Whats yours? Jaset [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 11/17/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 86 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,738 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $473 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 13 [B]Hrs:[/B] 11 [B]Mins:[/B] 7 [B]Seconds:[/B] 53

So very true Shevie, Fatihfreedom and Intersting. When we commit ouselves to the notion that "smoking is not an option" we begin to free ourselves from the addiction. At first it is minute by minute, then hour by hour, day by day, and month by month...

Sunshine, My heart goes out to you, I'm so so sorry. How very, very strong you are. I will say this to you dear, the day will come when all of a sudden you will say to yourself, "golly, I haven't had a smoking memory since, why I can't remember when". Then you know and yes this will happen.

Understanding the Causes of Slips and how to Prevent them A dear friend of mine and I were conversing on the topic of slipping and why it happens to those that appear to have solid quits; those in the six month or better range. The cause, an event happens that goes beyond their threshold or tolerance for dealing with its emotional outcome. But why reach for the smoke? They have yet to solidify the mental image that smoking is not an option. The goal, when a crisis does occur, the thought of smoking does not enter your mind. Now for the question, have you reached this goal, and if not how do you get yourself there? [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/22/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 359 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 5,391 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1884.75 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 66 [B]Hrs:[/B] 18 [B]Mins:[/B] 28 [B]Seconds:[/B] 28

just a weap bit of a push upward!

Make it right!

I think as a non-smoker, I have become more "selfish" - and that's what might bug other people. But as far as I'm concerned, that's just too bad and it was way overdue. I have been a single parent for about 9 years now. Smoking really had become my ONLY "thing" in my life. How sad is that? The rest of my life was spent in putting everybody else first and in self-sacrifice. There was no time etc. left for me. I don't begrudge ANY of that. especially when my kids were smaller, because there was nobody else to be there for them but me. It meant my life, the kind of things I used to like doing (exercise, swimming, time alone) all had to go because I had my daughters most of the time solo. Well, my elder left home a few months back and it suddenly struck me, when the younger one leaves in just a very, very few years from now, if I kept on going like I was doing, I'd have NO life left by the time she left. I figured it was time to get some life back for me. And since I quit, it's as if the scales have been ripped away. I have reappeared. I buried myself, my needs, my feelings, my desires for YEARS. Patted them all down by lighting a cig. No more. I'm starting to come back. The me that I used to be. And I LIKE it - and I'm not too fussed if nobody else does. I KNOW I've been a good mum and I know I've lived the past 10 years (more probably) always sacrificing for others. Now, I take a little time for ME, I put ME first in terms of time - and sometimes money, and it feels fanatstic. I wonder how many others have done that? Sujugated their needs, their desires, who they are - by sucking on a cig. and avoiding the possibility that our needs might bug somebody else? I feel sorry for the woman I have spent the past years dulling myself down to be. She didn't deserve it. Well now, I chose LIFE. S PS - is there anubody else who like me, can deal with the stressful times of wanting a cig, it's the good times - you know, the "I'm celebrating with a nice relaxing glass of wine in my hand and wouldn't it be LOVELY to smoke as well" that I actually find harder???? lol [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 12/10/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 64 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 2,256 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] �384 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 6 [B]Hrs:[/B] 15 [

Rosiegirl, Thank you for sharing your journey with us. I'm sure many will learn from the wisdom of your experience. You've raised some valid points throughout this thread. Not to be cheesy, but as a famous doctor would say, "you can't change what you don't acknowledge". Thank you for including us in your journey to freedom. We wish you continue success! Danielle ______________________ The SSC Support Team

Interesting post stickin, and as I read it I began to remember the night of Jan 6th 2006. It was around 11:30 pm, I had 1 cig left in the pack. There was no other cig's in the house. I looked at it and said: "This is the last one", so the next day I went and got my patches. I believe its the commitment you make to yourself, and you will know just how deep that commitment is as the days go by. I knew that smoking would never be and option for me again. I'm not saying I don't think of smoking because I do, but that is all it is. In all reality I should have folded in a matter of days. My heart was broken in a million little pieces. I had just lost a son, grandson, husband, and a sister. And my heart is still missing 4 big pieces. I would say that is emotional. For the past 6 months I have found that helping others to quit smoking has kept me so busy. I think that is the answer for me is to stay busy, and giving to others. Thinking of smoking (I believe) will always be a part of me. Why, because I'm and addict, and addicts have memories..... Sunshine [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 1/7/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 376 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 6,393 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1316 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 55 [B]Hrs:[/B] 3 [B]Mins:[/B] 42 [B]Seconds:[/B] 20

Hi, I don't post very often, and I don't even come back to the forums very often since my quit. Reason being that the computer can be one of strongest stringers for some reason. The very first time I ever came to this forum was some time ago. I think I was feeling sorry for myself because I just couldn't seem to find anyone who cared enough to support me, or hold me up in effort to quit. Actually, my husband only had words of insult for support. The fact was I was of a family of smokers who had no desire to quit. Couldn't feel my so called pain, didn't want to, so they just couldn't and didn't understand. So my attempts failed. But, since then my husband had a triple bypass.... Thank God for that !!! Amazing the blessings that come from a good scare. Because he had to quit. Being in hospital, and then home unable to drive he had no smokes. But to cough was the last thing he wanted to do. Not even for his theorpy. So finally I was able to quit. Half a box of patches and I was all done. I saw I could talk without a ciggarette... I got really pissed, and decided the nicotine from the patch had to go as well. Yeah, I felt a little funcky for a couple days... My eys went back into my head, my eyebrows moved back to my forehead. lol This was all back in May and June of last year. BACK TO THE POINT OF THIS THREAD LAST MONTH I SLIPPED... WELL CAN'T EVEN CALL IT THAT. I WISH I COULD. TRUTH IS. I JUST DID IT. I CHOOSE TO DO IT. NO LIES NO EXCUSES. I smoked about 3 of my friends cig's. Actually felt sick, thought I was gonna puke. But that was enough to get me to stop at the nice&easy qic-stop. I though no big deal... About half way through the back.. I realized it wasn't me wanting it,, It was IT already wanting me !!! Oh I was scared. I threw the rest into the burning woodstove. No patches to help me.. already signs of withdraw again, but not too bad. I have been good since. I just prayed it wouldn't too bad.. because I couldn't tell anyone. Especially my husband. The cause, an event happens that goes beyond their threshold or tolerance for dealing with its emotional outcome. But why reach for the smoke? After all that time? Sometimes we just have to honest and tell the truth. Why reach for the smoke? Because I