Touch of nostalgia / me at 3 months quit
Over at a Smoking Cessation forum I visit sometimes, someone
resurrected an old thread, where we were talking about stages of the
quit, and when smoking wasn’t really an option we seriously thought
about any more. This was me at 3 months quit, on May 24th 2001:-
Hi there
I’ve reached my 3 calendar month anniversary today (but really its
12 weeks and 5 days since I quit on Feb 24th).
I started a ‘quit diary’ 3 months ago, and add a few lines every
day. It’s just a private thing, but I had a read through it today to
see how things have progressed for me. At 3 months I can honestly
say I very rarely think about smoking or wanting to smoke. The only
times I think about it are if I am near someone who is smoking, but
even then it doesn’t make me want to smoke. Mostly the smell
irritates me, only occasionally does it stir up old memories of what
it felt like to smoke.
3 months ago cigs seemed to occupy my every waking moment. If I went
an hour without thinking about cigs I thought I’d done well. Back in
those early days I was using patches, spending hours here reading
and responding to posts, and talking to my quit buddies. In the
early weeks - and even up to 2 months quit - I had some terrible
craves that had me climbing up the wall. Not many, but boy did they
knock me sideways. The last few weeks have been significantly
better - I feel calm and relaxed and totally ecstatic that I am now
an exsmoker without any craving for nicotine.
Actively managing my quit and dealing with the mind part of the
addiction was the key to me. ‘Hanging in there’ wasn’t my approach
(although in truth there were times when I felt I was holding on by
the skin of my teeth!). I was so so lucky to come across cognitive
quitting, plus the support and encouragement of other quit buddies
and friends made in the online quitting community.
As I start out on month 4 of my quit I feel so different to the
person I was back in February. I look and feel better, have learned
so much more about myself and how I deal with life’s joys, stresses,
pain and challenges. And all without smoking.
That’s it! Hope it helped………………..Pam
Three months, 5 hours, 23 minutes and 12 seconds. 2230 cigarettes
not smoked, saving £468.21. Life saved: 1 week, 17 hours, 50 minutes.
April 11th, 2004 at 7:44 am
Hi Pam - enjoyed reading your post, and thanks again for your
support, especially over this past day or two.
I don’t go back to work til tomorrow, so today I’m hard at work re-
focussing. I had panicked I’d forget everything I’ve learned here,
but I now realise that isn’t the case and that its going to take
more awareness and more practice so that smoking is the option I
consistently choose not to take, as you talked about in your post.
This morning I have to say I did think about the idea of smoking,
but worked hard to look at what it was I really ‘wanted’. As Steve
said, I need to look at those ‘want a cig’ feelings as a cue that I
want ’something’ - but not a cig.
catch up with you later on
Carla
minutes.
April 12th, 2004 at 5:49 am
Nice story, Pam………….
I reached my own 3M milestone this past week-end……………
I suspect my 3 months went not quite as smoothly as yours……but I
made it through
Using my foundation statement as/if needed (not often now); and feel a
little more secure if I have a straw or cinnamon stick within
reach……….
I am still waiting for some sign of physical benefits….(hoping this
will happen once weather allows some fresh air and exercise!)
Jean
I have not smoked for: 3 months, 1 day, 20 hours, 12 minutes and 59
seconds. 3,673 cigarettes not smoked, $808.21 saved, life saved 1W 5D
18:08:28.
April 13th, 2004 at 5:43 am
Good for you, Jean. The 3 month mark was very important to me. It made me
feel like, hey, maybe I’m serious about all this quitting stuff after all!!
Patience, Jean. (now THAT’s the pot calling the kettle black)
- Cat
April 13th, 2004 at 10:29 am
Hi Jean - congrats on your 3 months - well done :))
take care
More anny’s are coming up - Sue reaches 11 months on the 5th, and
KatieLou’s coming up to 3 months on 7th, and Indi and Cat will be
celebrating 6 months on the 11th and 14th respectively. Time for a
get together in Spinchat, methinks. But to anyone celebrating a
milestone, be it a week, month - whatever - well done. Cogquitting
is giving us tools to deal with life, and all the days count.
Pam
April 13th, 2004 at 5:51 pm
Hi everyone,
Indi and Cat, hard to believe it’s 6 months already. Well done
Lets see if this message in a bottle gets through,
I’m so far behind in email I may never catch up. With a bit of luck,
this may get through. Jean, congratulations on your 3months+. I hope
that with the coming warmer weather, you’ll be able to experience a bit
more of the benefits of being quit. KatieLou, in case this is the only
message I can sneak past this crippled puter, congratulations to you on
reaching your 3 month mark.
in many ways it really is *only* 3 months and ppl should be cutting you
more slack. But they won’t, so you’ll just have to make sure they pay
dearly for their lack of consideration.
ladies. Who says typos can’t be fun, almost lost my coffee when I saw
this….. “Indi and Cat will be shitting 6 months on the 11th and 14th
respectively.” Thanks Pam, I needed that. :))
Carla, good for you for keeping at it. Peg, glad you pretty much
sailed through the Easter social scene. Preparing really does arm us.
You folks are all doing wonderfully
Steve
April 14th, 2004 at 12:59 am
Steve said “Who says typos can’t be fun, almost lost my coffee
when I saw this….. “Indi and Cat ……
:)) I knew that typo wouldn’t escape you, even though I got rid of my
orginal post. Damn!
Pam