One year today!

judas1369

Hi all, just passed the year mark of being smober! Well chuffed, especially as it was cold turkey all the way.

Hi Judas! You quit 1 year, & 4 seconds ago. You have *not* smoked 7,300 cigs, saved EUR 3,103 and added 3.60 weeks to your life.

Just thought I would share this as I came onto this forum some months ago and found it to be not just an excellent support mechanism but an invaluable source of information as well.
So if you are just starting your quit, persevere! it really will get easier!
Thanks to everyone for their support and help.

NavanEPS

HI Congratulations! on day 6 myself........ and struggling, but will be smober too

Miss Fluff

Aw Judas - go you! Am just behind you, am a year off them this coming Wed, 14th July. Totally agree with what you said, it does get easier, just a case of sticking with it. We're great!:D

judas1369

Yeah, I remember we started our quits about the same time. Fair play to ya!
So, after a year, I've started back cycling regularly in addition to walking and hill climbing, something I just did not have the stamina for even a few months ago. My general well being and stamina have improved, I put on a couple of pounds but then I needed to anyway! I do find that since giving up the smokes that I haven't had so much as a head cold in the last year, maybe just coincidence but hey?
But do you know what, I STILL get the odd mad dream where you think you are smoking and wake up thinking I f...ing blew it! only for the wave of massive relief- ah it was only a dream! to come along.
Other than that its been all good , how about you?

Miss Fluff

That's great!

For me, it is unbelievable how much fitter I am and can do so much more in the gym. Sleeping better. Clothes no longer smell of smoke. Still have some lbs on me that I put on after quitting but slowly but surely coming off again. A bit of weight gain is a small price to pay for being smoke-free. I love not having to leave work or social functions to go out and puff.

I also think that it is very good for your sense of "self". Confidence has never been an issue for me thank goodness but while addicted to the smokes it was always at the back of my mind that I would never be able to quit. That I was doomed to a life of 30 a day. The fact I managed to quit cold turkey gave me an enormous sense of achievement. I'm now back studying law. Something I had toyed with doing, but I think managing to quit the smokes reaffirmed to me that anything is possible. Does that make sense?

Funny you should say that about the dreams. I still have them. In fact I had a really vivid one as recently as Friday night just gone. Just goes to show what a strong addiction it is doesn't it?

Wow, we've done so well!

I really found this forum invaluable as well. That's why I still post here tbh, I like to be able to help people when I've been in their shoes. The first week or so of quitting can be really really tough so nice to have the moral support of people who have been there!

judas1369

I know this looks like a mutual admiration society and I guess it is, but your right it is important to give cognisance to the achievements of others in the same boat, and to show people trying to quit that yeah, its not impossible and believe me I SURE THOUGHT IT WAS! for the first few weeks. I must admit that I haven't checked in on this forum as much lately because as strange as it might sound, I had a very strong moment of weakness about 3 months ago. Everything was ticking along fine, no worries, so I decided to touch base with the forum. I was reading some posts when I was seized by an incredible craving (remember I'm 9 months off smokes at this stage), the strongest I've possibly had EVER! Anyway it was a nice evening so I went out for a cycle and was fine after awhile but it got me thinking- the fact that I was so engrossed in reading about smoking was enough to trigger a massive craving 9 months down the line shows you just how strong a drug it is your dealing with.
I avoided the forum for some weeks just to be sure and touch wood everythings fine now.I guess thats the nature of an addiction- it will strike out given any opportunity, its up to you as the individual to be master to it rather than its slave, and I guess thats why we are all here,to find out the best or any means necessary to achieving that goal.
No one ever said it was easy,but the genuine desire to quit was about 70% of my story the remaining 30% is the process of quitting itself.
Trust me if you are starting out, you can do it,even if it seems unbearable at times and it does (with a series of hiccups) get easier...really!
Good luck with your quit.

New York

Well done everyone on giving up the cigarettes, it is certainly not easy! I am off them 9 weeks now and am using patches, I can’t imagine going cold turkey – patches are bad enough!! I found it was very hard the first few weeks and then it got a little easier HOWEVER last week just out of the blue I found each day extremely difficult. It was crazy hard and I am just wondering is that the norm whereas you do get some weeks, days like that? :rolleyes:

judas1369

Short answer- its time to quit the patches. Now for the long version, you see the patches are still giving you that nicotine hit, so you are in a state of flux as it were, not enough nicotine to satiate the craving and yet enough to keep the craving going. Its time to wean yourself off, in fact 3 days off the patch should kill the physical symptoms, its my experience that patches only extend the quit time, if you had managed 9 weeks cold turkey you would be in a pretty good place by now- patches are only prolonging the agony.
Sorry if that sounds harsh but my experience using various quit methods tells me there is only one effective method- cold turkey.
To answer the second part of your query, yeah you will get that sort of roller coaster up and down, the thing is though at least with cold turkey this lessens with time whereas with patches etc you are caught in the loop I mentioned above. I went back on cigarettes after about 11 weeks of this when I tried patches and thought thats it I'll never give up, but about a year later I went cold turkey and haven't looked back... fingers crossed!

dolliemix

New York wrote: »

Well done everyone on giving up the cigarettes, it is certainly not easy! I am off them 9 weeks now and am using patches, I can’t imagine going cold turkey – patches are bad enough!! I found it was very hard the first few weeks and then it got a little easier HOWEVER last week just out of the blue I found each day extremely difficult. It was crazy hard and I am just wondering is that the norm whereas you do get some weeks, days like that? :rolleyes:

I have read somewhere that 9 weeks is a dangerous time so stick with it. The first three weeks is always the most difficult so once you get through that you're able for anything.

Well done Judas and Ms Fluff. I loved reading this thread and your observations on how your lives have improved in the last year. You deserve all the credit you're giving each other. You are amazing!!!

I'm off them 7 months Sunday! I feel exactly the same as you two. I'm proud of myself and my achievements since giving up smoking. It just makes more wonderful things in life possible when you're a non smoker!!

Miss Fluff

Aw thanks Dolliemix, and very well done to you! You are doing great, keep it up

judas1369

Hey dolliemix, doing good! great to hear you're going the distance.