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BillW Five months, three weeks, one day, 23 hours, 48 minutes and 25 seconds. 5189 cigarettes not smoked, saving $1,024.73. Life saved: 2 weeks, 4 days, 25 minutes.

From: John (Gold)

Sent: 7/31/2002 9:40 AM

How each Freedom graduates looks at their journey and their feelings about it, like their reasons for quitting, are very personal to each of us. There is only one thing we must each fully appreciate in order to continue our healing and that's the power of a puff to take it all away! Fantastic post Joy! Good to hear from you. For those who don't know, Joy served as an assistant manager here at Freedom and, like so many others since, went above and beyond in supporting others. Lilac, as Dave says, 55 years conditioning - like Joy starting at age 9 and having zero memory recall of what it was like to not be hooked - would naturally leave you in a state of disbelief when you read posts from 30 and 40 year nicotine smokers telling you that it's far easier up ahead than it ever was while still being hooked. I'm with Dave, today's healing is all that matters and today is doable for all of us! You're doing fantastic! This adjustment period can be like setting around watching a broken bone heal or never taking your eyes off of a tomato plant until its fruit is vine ripe. Give yourself a little break! One of the more challenging parts of my adjustment was climbing out of my deep deep smoker's trench so that I could begin exploring and noticing that I'd allowed my dependency to deprive me of things that took more than 30 minutes to accomplish or that required more lung capacity and endurance than I previously had. Joy shared a little of that in her post. I think the first time I noticed that my lungs were REALLY healing was when I had to run after my dog because of an approaching car. I was amazed that I wasn't totally out of breath and bent over with my hands on my knees panting like the dog I'd chased. Be proud of you Lilac! You've made a major investment in a new beginning and today is doable! John : )

From: MareBear {GOLD}

Sent: 11/26/2002 4:09 PM

From: Parker - GOLD!

Sent: 2/14/2003 2:58 PM

From: BarbaraT-1113

Sent: 11/23/2003 1:11 PM

From: DlunyGOLD

Sent: 11/23/2003 3:11 PM

From: Devla13

Sent: 4/21/2004 3:00 PM

From: kattatonic1_gold4

Sent: 5/29/2004 9:39 PM

From: cnambiar9

Sent: 10/22/2004 1:24 AM

Thought this would be a good read chandan Free and Healing for One Month, Three Days, 9 Hours and 53 Minutes, while extending my life expectancy 1 Day and 17 Hours, by avoiding the use of 501 nicotine delivery devices that would have cost me $50.19

From: GoldWolf_jmv

Sent: 1/6/2005 9:32 PM

From: JoeJFree-Gold-

Sent: 1/19/2005 2:46 PM

Joe, it's in the + Drug Addiction photo album, the home of many of my favorites. Feel free to use it or ANY image from any of the albums with a + in front of them. It was my first real attempt at making an animated GIF file and although extremely amateurish I recall with fondness putting it together. As you can tell, I'm no artist but do hope I was able to capture both the aaahhh and urge command. John (Gold x5) From: JoeJFree-Gold- Sent: 1/20/2005 11:42 AM John - Thanks so much! One benefit of searching for this gif for the last two days is that I have read and re-read many articles. I took the WhyQuit test again and improved to a 93%, it's sinking in! Seeing the animated Cycle of Addiction was not an aaaaaahhhhhh moment for me it was an AHA! moment! I had never broken the cycle on previous quits, never understood about Just One Puff! I have had shameful relapses (how about bumming a cig from a stranger at Disney World with my wife and kids) but every time was with the aid of NRT or other crutch. Never thought I could go 'Cold Turkey" as anxiety and panic had always thwarted me within the first day or two. NOT THIS TIME AND NEVER AGAIN. Motivated, Determined and Educated to NTAP / 1D@T. My name is Joe and I'm a Nicotine Addict who is now Free and Healing for Ten Days, 1 Hour and 26 Minutes, From: kattatonic1_gold4 Sent: 1/31/2005 1:46 AM From: johnnynonic Sent: 5/4/2005 9:58 PM From: JoeJFree-Gold- Sent: 5/4/2005 11:22 PM Make sure you hit the 'First' button. Thanks Johnny for the comeback. From: Joel Sent: 6/6/2005 6:16 AM From: JoeJFree-Gold- Sent: 9/22/2005 7:11 AM While searching for some articles to print out and send to my Dad I found this one, one of my favorites. Read and believe to achieve. My name is JoeJFree always a nicotine addict and gratefully now an X-smoker for 8 months, 11 days, 20 hours, 55 minutes and 45 seconds (254 days) I've now reclaimed 22 Days and 2 Hours to live life as I choose! NTAP! From: JoeJFree-Gold- Sent: 12/27/2005 10:15 PM My 'Aha!" moment. Hoping it works for someone else. From: kattatonic1_gold4 Sent: 1/10/2006 10:00 PM

From: Sal-GOLD

Sent: 2/16/2006 4:22 PM

From: johnnynonic

Sent: 2/20/2006 7:03 AM

Make sure you hit the 'First' button.

From: Sal-GOLD

Sent: 2/26/2006 5:21 PM

From: anhef

Sent: 2/26/2006 5:26 PM

From: Sal-GOLD

Sent: 3/1/2006 9:35 PM

For Kristie, who's now free.

Dear Sal, It doesn't get any clearer than that now does it? Thanks! Kristie - Free and Healing for Thirteen Days and 29 Minutes, while extending my life expectancy 21 Hours, by avoiding the use of 260 nicotine delivery devices that would have cost me $42.21.

From: Sal-GOLD

Sent: 3/7/2006 9:13 AM

There is nothing in that white wrapper now except the exact same message you received with your first smoke ever - hot nasty tasting gases, dizzy and maybe a cough - but no sense of relief - none - as there is no longer anything missing ! You worked hard for your freedom! Don't buy into the memories created by an active addict! They're not yours! Enjoy your healing! Today is doable if we'll simply never take another puff!

Breathe deep, hug hard, live long,

John : )

From: whosthisitsmesilly

Sent: 3/28/2006 6:43 AM

I just think of the ahhh moment as junkie thinking now, it has finaly sank in. I have been quit for 2 Weeks, 6 Days, 12 hours, 44 minutes and 25 seconds (20 days). I have saved £85.20 by not smoking 410 cigarettes. I have saved 1 Day, 10 hours and 10 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 08/03/2006 00:00 From: Kristen_Goldx3 Sent: 4/22/2006 9:20 AM From: Sal-GOLD Sent: 5/2/2006 10:25 AM From: JoeJFree-Gold- Sent: 5/24/2006 10:37 PM My 'Aha!" moment. Hoping it works for someone else. From: John (Gold) Sent: 8/2/2006 6:23 AM Imagine placing a drug addict's aaahhh memories above life itself The Nightmare of Loving a smoker Who Fails to Quit From: Sal-GOLD Sent: 8/24/2006 4:01 PM Recognizing Needs

From: JoeJFree-Gold-

Sent: 8/30/2006 7:29 AM

There is nothing left to relieve. Your blood is clean and your body chemically adjusted to physically functioing without the drug nicotine. Those aaahhh memories of feeling your sagging blood serum nicotine level being brought back into the comfort zone - by just one new puff of nicotine - no longer belong to you!. Your cycle of chemical dependency has been broken. There is nothing in that white wrapper now except the exact same message you received with your first smoke ever - hot nasty tasting gases, dizzy and maybe a cough - but no sense of relief - none - as there is no longer anything missing ! You worked hard for your freedom! Don't buy into the memories created by an active addict! They're not yours! Enjoy your healing! Today is doable if we'll simply never take another puff! Breathe deep, hug hard, live long, John : )

From: JoeJFree-Gold-

Sent: 9/15/2006 12:09 PM

From: JoeJFree-Gold-

Sent: 9/17/2006 10:10 AM

From: JoeJFree-Gold-

Sent: 1/26/2007 7:36 AM

There is nothing left to relieve.

From: Sal-GOLD

Sent: 2/4/2007 6:20 PM

From: JoeJFree-Gold-

Sent: 4/2/2007 11:51 PM

From: Crystal_View1

Sent: 8/4/2007 1:34 PM

From: JoeJFree-Gold-

Sent: 9/12/2007 11:35 AM

There is nothing left to relieve. Your blood is clean and your body chemically adjusted to physically functioing without the drug nicotine. Those aaahhh memories of feeling your sagging blood serum nicotine level being brought back into the comfort zone - by just one new puff of nicotine - no longer belong to you!. Your cycle of chemical dependency has been broken. There is nothing in that white wrapper now except the exact same message you received with your first smoke ever - hot nasty tasting gases, dizzy and maybe a cough - but no sense of relief - none - as there is no longer anything missing ! You worked hard for your freedom! Don't buy into the memories created by an active addict! They're not yours! Enjoy your healing! Today is doable if we'll simply never take another puff! Breathe deep, hug hard, live long, John : )

From: Sal-GOLD

Sent: 10/12/2007 9:25 AM

From: Sal-GOLD

Sent: 10/28/2007 6:03 PM

Recognizing Needs I Want "Something" Why am I still having "urges?" Craves and thoughts that occur over time

From: Sal-GOLD

Sent: 2/20/2008 5:37 PM

From: JoeJFree-Gold-

Sent: 6/18/2008 2:25 PM

There is nothing left to relieve. Your blood is clean and your body chemically adjusted to physically functioing without the drug nicotine. Those aaahhh memories of feeling your sagging blood serum nicotine level being brought back into the comfort zone - by just one new puff of nicotine - no longer belong to you!. Your cycle of chemical dependency has been broken. There is nothing in that white wrapper now except the exact same message you received with your first smoke ever - hot nasty tasting gases, dizzy and maybe a cough - but no sense of relief - none - as there is no longer anything missing ! You worked hard for your freedom! Don't buy into the memories created by an active addict! They're not yours! Enjoy your healing! Today is doable if we'll simply never take another puff! Breathe deep, hug hard, live long, John : )

From: Sal-GOLD

Sent: 9/20/2008 11:07 AM

Ex-smokers are often tempted when watching others smoke. Spending time with a specific friend and watching them smoke may be a trigger especially if it was the most time you had spend with the friend since you quit smoking. The first time you have any new experiences, even if smoking is not part of the ritual, the thought for a cigarette will seem like a natural part of the ritual.

Another factor is when watching a person smoke, the natural tendency is for the ex-smoker to start to fantasize about how good a cigarette will be at that given moment. A more productive way to handle the situation though is to really watch the person smoke one, and then wait a few minutes as they light another and then another. Soon you will see that they are smoking in a way that you don't want to and probably in a way that they don't want to either. But they have no choice. You do. Also, I am attaching a letter here that addresses this issue. It is a little harder to describe because it is based on a demonstration I do at live seminars that you have never seen.

One demonstration I do at all my live seminars is a little smoking contraption made out of a plastic Palmolive bottle with a mouth piece inserted to hold a cigarette. The simulation shows how much smoke comes in when a person inhales, and how much comes out when they exhale. Smokers often feel they take in smoke and then blow most of it out, when in actuality, a very small percent actually comes out (about 10%.) I always use cigarettes given to me by people in the audience, if I used one I brought people would think I was using a loaded cigarette. Anyway, below is a letter I wrote for clinic graduates who have seen this demonstration. The concepts here though apply to those who haven't also. Take my word for it, or better yet, Joanne, Linda or Joyce could explain their memories of the demonstration. Viewing smoking as it really looks will minimize the temptation even of a puff.

Anyway, here is the letter.

Whenever you watch a person smoking, think of the Palmolive bottle demonstration you saw the first day of the Stop Smoking Clinic. Visualize all of the smoke that goes into the bottle that doesn't come out. Also, remember that the smoker is not only going to smoke that one cigarette. He will probably smoke another within a half-hour. Then another after that. In fact, he will probably smoke 20, 40, 60 or even more cigarettes by the end of the day. And tomorrow will be the same. After looking at cigarettes like this, you don't want to smoke a cigarette, do you?

I always suggest that clinic participants follow this simple visualization exercise to help them overcome the urge for a cigarette. When I suggested it to one participant who was off for three days she replied, "I see, you want me to brainwash myself so that I don't want a cigarette."

Somehow I don't consider this technique of visualizing smoking brainwashing. It is not like the ex-smoker is being asked to view smoking in an artificially horrible, nightmarish manner. To the contrary, I am only asking the ex-smoker to view cigarette smoking in its true light.

The Palmolive bottle demonstration accurately portrays the actual amount of smoke that goes in as compared to the small amount that you see the smoker blow out. Most smokers believe they exhale the majority of smoke they inhale into their lungs. But, as you saw by the demonstrations, most of the smoke remains in the lungs. When you visualize all the smoke that remains, it does not paint a pretty picture of what is happening in the smoker. Maybe not a pretty picture, but an accurate one.

When an ex-smoker watches a person smoke a cigarette, he often fantasizes about how much the smoker is enjoying it--how good it must taste and make him feel. It is true he may be enjoying that particular cigarette, but the odds are he is not.

Most smokers enjoy a very small percentage of the cigarettes they smoke. In fact, they are really unaware of most of the cigarettes they smoke. Some are smoked out of simple habit, but most are smoked in order to alleviate withdrawal symptoms experienced by all smokers whose nicotine levels have fallen below minimal requirements. The cigarette may taste horrible, but the smoker has to smoke it. And because the majority of smokers are such addicts, they must smoke many such cigarettes every single day in order to maintain a constant blood nicotine level.

Don't fantasize about cigarettes. Always keep a clear, objective perspective of what it would once again be like to be an addicted smoker. There is no doubt at all that if you relapse to smoking you will be under the control of a very powerful addiction. You will be spending hundreds of dollars a year for thousands of cigarettes. You will smell like cigarettes and be viewed as socially unacceptable in many circles. You will be inhaling thousands of poisons with every puff. These poisons will rob you of your endurance and your health. One day they may eventually rob you of your life.

Consider all these consequences of smoking. Then, when you watch a smoker you will feel pity for them, not envy. Consider the life he or she is living compared to the simpler, happier, and healthier life you have had since you broke free from your addiction. Consider all this and you will NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PUFF!