:facepalm:

yep set myself up for that one

Well the thing is if you use a patch, or gum, lozenge etc, you are still taking in the drug. So if you are still having a hard time it is due to the emotional, mental, habitual part. If you can conqur this part, quitting is easy. As nitotine withdrawal only lasts a week or two at most, peaking only at 3 days!

http://whyquit.com/whyquit/z_CraveGrafBW.gif

With the patch, you are supposed to step down. The idea is that you will gradually wean off the Nicotine. But experts believe that using a crutch like that, you are delaying the inevitable--Nicotine withdrawal. You are going to have to deal with it eventually. That's why cold turkey is the best way. You get it over with right away and suffer wthough it to get that damn Nicotine out of your bloodstream...

It's like ripping off a band aid off your hairy chest. Do you want to slowly rip it off or just rip if off in one swing? Yes it will hurt but it will get better faster than if you slowly pull on it. LOL

Remember: You have to want to quit more than you want to smoke.

http://whyquit.com/whyquit/A_Symptoms.html

Your graph wasn't loading for me yesterday TJ just saw it now. It was funny because yesterday was day 7 for me and the cravings really did feel just as bad as the first day or two.

So yeah, one week down, the rest of my life to go :tup:

Day 8 man, you are DUUING it!!!! Woohooo!

http://hacknmod.com/wp-content/uploa...fireworks1.jpg

I just read through your thread... congrats on sticking with it. I quit once after college, just went the cold turkey route. Once you find things to occupy the time you used to spend smoking it becomes easier.

Think of it as an exercise in self control. I give up alcohol almost every year for lent, but subject myself to going to happy hours with the wife and friends just to prove to myself that I can stick to it. My friends can be merciless with the peer pressure though.

:werd:

Building self control with one aspect of your life helps do the same with other aspects. I go through a month of fasting every year and it has really helped me dismiss all the peer pressure of drinking, smoking, drugs, etc. that a lot of people I know do and try to get me do do it as well. Keep it up man, it will pay off in more ways than you can think of :tup:

So how is this going? Hope you are holding strong! Can't say the same for myself. I've cheated a couple times, and I'm here to tell ya it's not worth it, I hate myself for it today. But im gonna continue to quit. I'm here in the trenches with ya man..

Well I'm day 11 and haven't cheated or slipped yet. Not thinking about smoking has gotten a lot easier and the thought of smoking a cigarette kind of makes me ill. My biggest problem lately has been finding new ways to deal with stress. I feel like a little pussy for it and I know there is nothing unique in this situation to me that no one else in this world hasn't already delt with but I can't help but feel alone. Just don't know what to do with myself since my ex left me. Its happened a few times now, whenever I get close to feeling good about myself and building my confidence back up I get some type of message from her. None of them say she wants me back but I can read between the lines and she doesn't know what the hell she wants. Its been difficult because I don't want to be alone anymore but I know I can't be with her again because I would only be setting myself up to be hurt again. But on the flip side I keep thinking of the good times we shared and I keep fooling myself into thinking shes going to come back and things can/will be the way they once were. I know I have a lot to offer someone special in my life and I know I deserve to be treated a whole lot better than this but I can't seem to help myself. I'm a freakin mess and I have no idea why I'm sharing this for the whole world to see.

4r3s,

It's ok, man. We've all been through this, and it's not easy for anyone, but have faith, man. You will make it through ok :tup:

You're right, though, you need to find something to pour your nervous energy into, and going through a breakup is going to fill you with anxiety. But you're definitely not a pussy. It takes strength to get just this far in your quest to stop smoking. And with strength, you'll move forward. You need to spend some time with friends, preferably those who don't smoke. Get out, have some laughs. Find a new hobby.

Plus, you'll find the right woman. Right now, you've got to focus on yourself. Being happy with yourself again is the first step to finding a healthy relationship.

Just my double penny

trying to quit while going through a breakup can be hard. Keep it up though you are doing really good. 11 days is awesome.

They say retail therapy is great for this kind of thing. Go buy some stuff for your Z! That will make you feel good and will keep you occupided. Also go find another gf. That will take your mind off of her. :)

easiest way to get over an old gf is to get under a new one :tup:

Good luck, and congrats dude... You got will power after 12 years LOL

I've been doing it for 20 years, but the worst part is, I still enjoy it LOL.

I really gotta quit.

yeah that was a hard one for me, I def loved smoking when I quit. Part of my reason to quit was bc I loved it so much. Guess I should try that same philosophy with my ex.

Ah!! You just reminded me of some Shahid about fasting. The last time I fasted was back in college to show a group of friends the respect I have for their culture and religion. They treated me to a Pakistani buffet off Security Blvd, I swear every time I stood up to get to the buffet after the 3rd time, the owner was NOT happy and kept giving me the Darth Vader look, 10 huge plates later he tried to charge my friends double for me :roflpuke2: I am sure if I go back there, I would see my face with a red bar on it. Still I agree with the self-discipline aspect of it as long as you have friend treating to dinner :tup:

"I love to smoke"

You have to keep it in perspective, why do you love it so much? It's a drug, that's why. It affects the dopamine receptors in your brain. When you really think about it, what is so great in sucking in some nasty smoke and smelling like an ash tray? From a non smoker's perspective: Nothing compelling at all and in fact it is the most disguisting thing in the world. But you know what? Non smokers will never understand until they try it and that is what I did a few years ago.

I did it for a year and I was blown away how addictive it was and I had a hard time quitting. Don't ever start and if you can, quit!

As far as the GF goes... hit the gym HARD, you will be exhausted enough to sleep well and shut your mind off. Stick with it for 4 weeks and your body will show you results that will make you feel more confident and secure about yourself. Women love confidence, it helps them feel secure and more like women. Just my .02.

Regardless, you have quit smoking and that is a huge accomplishment on its own. Keep up the good work.

w00t keep up the good work man. :tup:

I think I know what place you're talking about, that restaurant was really good. I think it actually burned down like 2 years ago.:(

Keep up the good work 4r3s :tup:

Well the ex is starting a crazy routine with fb messages and texts now. Guess shes realized what she threw away...but thats besides the point, point is im on day 12 of not smoking and I'm still sticking with it. I have to give some credit to my ex on this though, she is giving me a lot of **** to think about other than smoking...of course she is causing me to experience the most stress I've ever had to endure in my life so I'm kind torn on whether this is a good thing or a bad thing.

Don't give in to temptation. Keep up the good work. :tup:

Just un-friend her on FB. Maybe she will get the point.

And keep up the good job on kicking the habit.

I did unfriend her on FB like a month ago, my biggest problem is I'm a nice guy and I still love her. I know she has other issues in her life other than our relationship and because I'm a nice guy I want to help her. Shes not a bad person by any means she has just made some poor decisions in life and honestly who hasn't? I know I've made several in my life time I know I will make several more as life goes on. Its what we learn from those experiences and how we choose to grow as an individual from those experiences that will define who you are. On one hand I know I'm setting myself up to be really hurt a second time around if we get back together but at the very least I will only have myself to be mad at because I have a good idea as to what I am getting myself into. On the other hand I know how awesome we were together and I've never been with someone that even remotely came close to making me feel as happy as I was when I was with her. I know theres plenty of fish in the sea but theres really only one that I'm interested in. I just hope that I am not chasing my Moby ****.

oh yeah, day 13 still not smoking going strong on that front :tup:

Man, seems like you got a lot to deal with besides quitting and the stress that comes with it. You should probably try to focus on yourself first and do what's best for you; you would then be able to better deal with other concurrent issues with a more lucid mind. If you try to juggle way too many things at the same time, you might end up not satisfied for you wouldn't have given 100% had you taken one challenge at the time.

If you feel you need to take a pause from the relationship all the while going thru the quitting process, do it. If you feel you can go on with the relationship all the while going thru the quitting process, do it ... decisions decisions decisions ;)

I don't mean to make light of your stressful dilemma but hey laughter is a proven stress reliever. I know of a reputable, EXCELLENT and THOUGHTFUL therapist who might just be what you need. I don't have his name but you might have heard of him lately :)

http://fliiby.com/images/_thumbs/me_myvjo2c4bv1.jpg

Warning: NSFW language

:icon18: now choke yourself...with hand! Motivational talks for our boy 4r3s!!!

On a serious note, handle the relationship issues however you see appropriate. Just keep going smoke-free. It's not easy, and you're doing fantastic.

So yeah we are getting together this friday to have a face to face talk. I can't do the txts, emails, or phone conversations anymore. I need to be able to read her eyes and body language to understand her true intentions and desires. I need to approach this from an analytical pov and keep my emotions to myself for now. I'm going to come up with some talking points to guide the conversation but I plan on doing very little talking and mostly just listening. I feel a little better now that I am the one in the driver's seat, where we end up though is still to be determined. I know its a good sign that she has agreed to meet me in person because she has to know that my questions will not be easy to answer.

yep all freakin stressed out again, haven't had this bad of a craving for a smoke since day 1 and day 7. Figured I try to write something down on here in hopes I'll be able to get through the next 3-5 mins. Supposedly thats how long cravings last but with an addict it seems like an eternity. oh look its been about 30 seconds now lol. I just noticed my rep power took a huge leap from yesterday to today. yesterday I only had 2 green boxes and rep was at 2. now its at 6 with like 11 green boxes. kinda weird but okay. Well supposedly this time next week I should have my last two wheels in so I guess I should get on ordering some tires about now. yep here I come tire rack.

Keep it going man. Just think about those sexy wheels and it should help keep your mind off smoking :tup:

well today is day 14 and I haven't slipped yet, managed to occupy myself last night long enough to get through that moment. Kinda weird, sort of felt like it came out of no where. Felt pretty good putting on the last patch in the box this morning, I'm still just as dedicated to this as I was when I set my quit date. Thanks everyone for the support again, being able to just vent on here on occassion has been a big help!

Keep it up!!

Do not let not using the patch any longer be an issue... its mind over matter at this point. Good Luck meeting with the ex later too. The "talking points" made me lol, and just so you know, men are NEVER in control :rolleyes:

Each box has two weeks of patches, If I stick to their plan I still have 8 more weeks of wearing the patch. I was considering cutting two weeks off but randomly and what seems out of nowhere I get really strong cravings but they are becoming less intense and much less frequent with time.

I have no idea what to expect tonight. All I know is I fell in love with who she showed me while we were together and then all of a sudden this new person appeared. I know that old person is a big portion of who she is but the question is will I love who she really is. Who knows whats going to happen, for all I know she might chicken out and be a no show or find some other excuse to not show. This whole situation is so f*cked I don't know why I'm even giving her the time of day, never in my wildest dreams would I have thought my life would be so similar to a freakin soap opera. :icon14:

Today is going to be a long day...

Well?!?!?!?!?

Glad you are sticking with the no smoking thing.

May want to be careful they are canceling all the soap opera TV shows

Still not smoking still going strong on that front!

To no surprise of my own this person flaked out on me. I've realized that this person's behavior and actions were causing me to become someone that I am not and do things I would never do in normal circumstances. I'm upset with this person but its what ever at this point, I'm more mad at myself for letting myself be dragged this deep into this situation and for this long. Its clear now to me more than ever before that my behavior was a result of this person's selfishness and its not me with the issues its her. I feel really foolish now for posting all this non sense on here but I really just don't care anymore. It is what it is.

Props on making it this far. I think the first two weeks are the hardest, bot mentally and physically. It doesn't go away after, but it gets a lot easier.

Not to worry most if not all of us have been down that road before...

oh yeah and I definitely realize that. It just seems different when you are actually the one in it neck deep, but the reality is exactly how you stated it. Guess its better to be late to the party than to never show up right?

Plus, strippers. /argument

jk :icon17:

You gonna give him the special Shado dance? :roflpuke2: