Dammit, Beavis, that's supposed to be a secret! :)

1.5 years? Good for you!

No, I'm still having cravings, but they're getting easier to ignore. And I doubt that a cigarette will ever look repulsive to me. My dad, who hasn't smoked since his open heart surgeries seventeen years ago, still gets the occasional urge. I just mean that the knuckle-gnawing, gut wrenching, obsessive desire for just one more puff will go away.

For me, at least, it made things easier when my husband would tell me how strong he thought I was, rather than reminding me of the negative aspects of smoking (as non-smokers are wont to do). I thought I'd offer the same support here, in case it would help someone else through their day.

well, here's what i know
or some of it anyway

the first 3 weeks is the hardest. this is because it takes about that long for the majority of physical addiction to go away.

its not always smooth sailing after that as [i can't remember who] attested to. but for most, it gets a lot lot lot easier if you can get past that point.

hang in there!

i'm gonna quit in 9 days. i've quit before. once for a year and a half. and then again but i was on a roller coaster of quitting and relapsing. that lasted a year and a half. i don't know if it'll help but here's what i am leaning on as i approach this quit....

for me, i'm realizing that much of my smoking and difficulties in quitting have to do with my low self-esteem. long ass story, but in a nut shell...

what i fear most is making the changes i need to in so many areas of my life besides just smoking.

its not that i'm afraid of what i will change into - that's a happy thing. its not that changing is actually hard in and of itself - just do it! i could make a concrete list of what i would do with my time instead of what i do now. i just need to do it.

for me, what has gotten in my way is my fear of the transition. i fear feeling isolated and mostly i fear sadness and greif, all associated with the changes i know i have to make.

but what i've realized is that i need to learn to hold the results of my changes (being happier and better off all around) above the discomfort i might experience getting there.

in a way, whether your issues are like mine or not, i think that's true for most people quitting. hold the good results above the discomfort, and keep remembering to do that thru each crave....

you're doing so well!
keep it up!
when you reach your first month, i will lean on you in my quit. :)


(and, there's this quit smoking online forum thing that has free 24 hour chat www.quitnet.com if you'd like more kudos. its a little conservative for my tastes, but all kinds of people are in there. all would give you many many pats on your back at any hour of the day.)