Excellent thread! I'm only 18 days into my quit, but I know I will not go back to smoking. I agree with everything everyone else has said. It's the deep commitment you make to yourself. It's as if a switch was turned on in my brain that won't even let me entertain thoughts of smoking or having just one. I cannot smoke... it's final... it's done. What has helped me is this type of thinking: If you were fired from a job... you cannot go back... you have no choice. If your spouse divorced you... you cannot go back... you have no choice. If your house burned down... you can't go back.. it's not there anymore. I compare smoking to events like this. While it is uncomfortable to get through quitting, it doesn't mean you have to go back. In the examples I used, you CAN'T go back. I think of it in the same terms.
On the other hand, we may think that smoking helps us get through life's tragedies. That is a big fat LIE! It doesn't help us get through. It's something we used to DO for a fix to make ourselves feel better. We don't need a fix any longer, because we've learned to deal with what life throws our way. If a tragedy occurs, would I go running back to the lot where my burned down house used to be and try to make it take me back? No... I would grieve like a normal person, pick myself up and get on with life the best I could.
I've been fortunate in my quit. My attitude is good. Smoking isn't an option. A friend asked me yesterday if I was still not smoking, and I said: "Please don't ask me that anymore. I do not smoke, and you can assume that is the case unless you hear otherwise." Being asked made me feel like he was just waiting for the day when I smoked again. That's probably only my perception, but I don't think he'll ask me again. :eg:
This was long, and probably repetitive, but was good for me to write! So, I say to those trying to get to the other side: Flip the switch in your brain. Cigarettes do not exist in my world, so I live with it.
Love the chocolate!!
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 12/31/2006
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 18
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 183
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $34.74
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 2 [B]Hrs:[/B] 3 [B]Mins:[/B] 6 [B]Seconds:[/B] 53
