Tough Love or Truth-

You know, sometimes the truth hurts, the truth can be so ugly that it can almost make you wish for blindness. This lesson has come so hard to me in the last week that I am completely sick. Addiction is ugly. Addiction is harmful. I have listened to the lies of an addict, I have seen things and thought I could help and had I been much tougher, a situation that has changed my life, my childs life, and other memebers of my family's life, forever, one child has been taken, another child has been so damaged right under the nose of an addict liar that statistically he will never be right, and with the lies and the addiction I cannot help but have my doubts.I started smoking because I was a selfish bratty teenager, I have been hooked on other things because I am selfish and I have lied because of addiction and addiction makes me an ugly person, that is in my past, I have done a lot of work on myself since I came to this board 4 years ago. I have hurt others because of addictions so let me just ask you all. If I ever relapse, which I won't, tell me what I am.......I am a selfish addict, becasue the only way to not be an addict is to stop doing what you are doing.So.....if you want to lie to yourself, lie to your family, say "hey, it is only smoking,quit smoking, I am better than say a heroin addict or a raging alcoholic" then go ahead and try that. See how it works for you. This post is not directed at any single member on this board, this post is because I have been here a long time, I have been through a lot in the last couple of years and not once did I justify smoking cigarettes with the many horrible events that have just floored me this year. Quitting smoking also made me realize how I deal with things and it is not pretty, but I am not asking one soul in my life to candy coat it either. I am actually so lucky that when I even say "I feel guilty about this or that" all I get love and praise for the growth that I have. I have parents who loved me, sent me to college, then later gave me some of my college fund because they did not spend it all. I have a wonderful husband who when I felt like an idiot for believing the lies of another,Herbal cigarettes, knowing what an addict will do, called me a shephard. I have had the same best friend for 28 years. I have two healthy children, smart children. I even from this board have a therapist in training willing to take on this very difficult case and give me some sound advice becasue the people around me love me so much they are not objective. I love them too.So, do I have a point? Yes. If you relapse, and you want my advice, then PM me, because I ain't falling for your lies, your lame excuses, or any more bull regarding addiction. I am going to pull this post up every time I see a relapse thread because this is the Truth. Harsh or Not it is the truth. There is no good reason and if you smoke, you should feel guilty, if you relapse and hop on here and have a big HooHa party over it then don't expect me to like you, I don't have to, count yourself lucky that I give a damn enough to come here and watch this over and over and over and try to help when so few of us in reality will make it.Like I said the truth hurts, but when we let addicts abuse us, and by us I mean, everyone on this board giving help and understanding and trying to recover, and letting them tell you, you are wrong, or call you arrogant when we tell them the TRUTH......then we are no longer effective. I know how hard it is, if you can't see that then again, look at how self centered that is...It is not harder for one member of this board than it is another, we have all cried and suffered to quit.Steph

Water fall is running now

Just cleaned up the pond. New water and a new pump.I will post pics later and a MOVIE on youtube of the water fall...its all home made with sand stone and mortarfor the water fall and a $10 dollar water pump.Cheap and simple. COOL AS THE DICKENS!Did I have a crave as I was out there in the sunenjoying my projects? Yes but it was only brief and so I said "big deal"....I was enjoying my lungs and breathing and the laboring.THIS IS GOING TO BE A GREAT SUMMERYes I heard the news about Virgina Tech tonight and Ialmost let the media and the so called news suck my good day dry...but I did not allow that.Am I sad? Yes I am sad and mad!!But I can not change what happened.The families and loved ones all effected by this horror.I can not imagine the pain.Homeland security is nothing to brag about in my view...I am mad that this school was hit by a terrorist and allowed that much time to continue shooting!Me...I look out for my own back and protect my ownfamily as best I can. I do NOT lean on Bush or any socalled "hero" to protect my turf.....see I am alreadygetting angry...so I am done. KTQ

WELCOME ((( 1STRESSED )))

1stressed wrote:Hi everyone..I am going to try and quit...one more time. I am from Upstate New York. This is the first time joining a chat room. Little odd for me,smoking cessation, but I have seen what your all saying and I feel that mayby it is what I need ,to help me thru the battle. I have tried quitting unsuccesfuly many times. Strange how when I quit it is like I am giving up my best friend. Stupid as that sounds.Well ,Herbal cigarettes, I have to get some sleep for work tommorrow. I will be back. Good luck to each of you.

Using Attitude To Reduce Anxiety_4019

John PolitioUsing Attitude to Reduce AnxietyDuring Nicotine Cessation by John R. PolitoNicotine Cessation Counselor Have you previously tried to break nicotine's grip? Have you ever stopped to consider that each of your recovery attempts have been different? It might surprise you to learn that those investing the time to educate themselves often experience far less challenging recoveries than ever before. Those who learn to handle the possible wild blood sugar swings that often accompany nicotine cessation, who learn why it may take only half as much caffeine in order for their blood serum caffeine level to be identical to what it was while still actively smoking nicotine, and who take the time to understand and appreciate the different phases associated with the sense of emotional loss are using their intellect to help avoid many of the symptoms they might otherwise have experienced. This article focuses on yet another important area, diminishing anxiety by embracing recovery. Can we make ourselves miserable on purpose? No doubt about it. Throughout our lives we've experienced worry, fear, anger and irritability, only to find out later that our worries, fears and anxieties were either totally unnecessary or were over little or nothing at all. Most often they resulted from procrastination as we failed to take those first baby steps and instead fled into the dependability of our addiction or addictions. Addiction isn't about intoxication but about feeling normal,smoking cessation, safe and temporarily free of stress. For the nicotine addict it's about returning to that artificial chemical world of "nicotine normal," a strange mix where elevated dopamine output briefly restores that missing "aaahhh" sensation, while elevated levels of adrenaline yet again prepare the body's defenses for fight or flight. But when it comes to recovery, what was once the mind's conditioned subconscious defense to real or imagined harm, now becomes the greatest obstacle to recovery. Nicotine's two hour chemical half-life inside the human body creates a constant struggle to remain in that energized zone of comfort. It's a lifetime battle to avoid the inevitable letdown associated with constantly declining nicotine reserves and the corresponding decline of dopamine output, as the lingering aftermath of the addict's early aaahhh sensation - sensed in the brain's reward pathways within 10 seconds of that first puff - begins to evaporate. It's a never-ending cycle of nicotine induced adrenaline releases whipping every neuron in the body's central nervous system, with each cigarette, like some tired horse badly in need of a rest. It's an endless struggle to avoid feeling tired and drained as adrenaline output declines. It's the struggle to avoid losing the instant energy and alertness that arrived as stored fats were released into the blood while an accelerating heart-rate pumped carbon monoxide, nicotine, additional oxygen and the fats through rapidly constricting blood vessels engaged in preparing for the possibility of blood loss during fight or flight. Welcome to the addict's world of "nicotine normal," no longer an adventure but a lifetime job. Although staying addicted is hard work, the inner mind has been conditioned to believe that chemical withdrawal and recovery -- that temporary period of adjustment needed to again become 100% comfortable engaging life as "you" -- is a threat to survival. Even though the logical, reasoning and dreaming conscious mind sees recovery as the only possible way of ever returning to a true sense of non-chemical normal, the subconscious "nicotine normal" mind has been heavily conditioned by years of feeling the immediate effects of elevated dopamine and adrenaline levels. It sees nicotine cessation as quitting you, not recovering you. Incapable of reason or logic, it sees recovery as a threat and will employ fear, anger, anxiety, depression, and pre-conditioned crave episodes in its struggle to get the conscious mind to comply, relapse, and bring new nicotine back into the body. Instead of reassuring the subconscious mind not to fear returning to the "real" you, many add needless self-induced tensions and anxieties to the recovery experience that at times can make recovery seem overwhelming. We can make them escalate to the point where we lash out against loved ones and friends, where we want to hit a tree with our bare hand or where we put our head under a pillow and scream at the top of our lungs. Our crave episodes and thoughts don’t cause us to relapse. If they did then few of earth's more than one billion comfortable ex-smokers would ever have become ex-smokers. What causes relapse is the layers and layers of anxiety icing that the conscious mind intentionally cakes upon recovery. Remember when we were first learning to swim and found ourselves in water over our head. Did you panic? I did. If I had been a skilled swimmer would I have panicked? Of course not. Here at WhyQuit and Freedom we teach smokers to swim and then lead them into deep water. Once there, the smoker can panic and risk relapse or remain calm, enjoy the swim, and fully embrace this most amazing experience. Recovery doesn't need to be nearly as difficult as our instincts are inclined to make it. In fact, it can be a proud, reassuring and glorious adventure in physical and psychological healing. Sadly, almost half of all current smokers will never learn how to swim and the toxic feedings associated with their chemical world of "nicotine normal" will end up costing them their lives. Many genuinely believe that time is running out and disaster is about strike. For far too many this gut instinct is correct and bad news is just around the corner. Others think that plenty of time remains but after repeated failed attempts they still remain a slave to nicotine's subconscious chemical conditioning. Don’t panic. Instead, invest the time needed to become an excellent swimmer. The more knowledgeable and skilled we become the greater our chances of breaking free and remaining afloat. Yes, there may be a few big waves along the way but that doesn't mean we should fear their arrival or that we can't relax and do the backstroke until encountered. As part of our recovery, why not work on reducing self-inflicted stress, worry, anxiety and panic. In evaluating your thoughts try to be as objective and honest as possible with yourself.. If we repeatedly tell ourselves that this temporary period of adjustment called "recovery" is hard, frightening and painful, won't our anxieties only escalate further as we fuel our subconscious mind's survival instinct to see "nicotine normal" again prevail? Seeing truth after living a lifetime of denial isn't easy. Let's look at one quick example shared with me by Professor Phil Michaels at U.S.C. School of Medicine. "Did you "like" destroying your body, "like" the taste of 4,000 burning chemicals stinging your tissues, "like" being a chemical slave, or "like" interrupting life's special moments in order to go feed your addiction? The "like" example of addiction denial is grounded in each of us using honest reason to reach a faulty conclusion that often flows like this: "I do not do things I do not like to do," "I smoke lots and lots of cigarettes, " "therefore I must really like smoking." An honest alternative would be "therefore I must really be addicted to smoking." Denial comes in many forms including recovery denial. We can deny that the law of addiction applies to us and make believe we somehow have the ability handle one powerful puff of nicotine and not experience full blown relapse. We can also feed ourselves the big big bite theory that says that the only way to measure success is in terms of staying nicotine-free "forever," instead of focusing on the only time frame that really matters -- complete victory over the next few minutes. If we keep feeding ourselves massive doses of dishonest or destructive thinking, how long will our conscious rational mind last before abandoning its quest for freedom and joining our emotional subconscious in demanding relapse? But let's turn back to subject of self-inflicted anxiety that can grow so intense we begin to fixate and dwell denial lies while seriously pondering relapse. Picture a plugged-in lamp but without a bulb and the switch turned off. Picture yourself intentionally sticking your finger into the bulb socket and leaving it there. Now picture all of your nicotine feeding cues (triggers) -- the times, places, emotions and events during which you customarily smoked nicotine and thereby conditioned your subconscious to expect the arrival of new nicotine -- being wired directly into the lamp's switch. We know from detailed studies the "average" number of crave episodes experienced during recovery. Power to the crave lamp will be briefly turned-on a specific number of times each day, with the average being less than 18 minutes on their most challenging day -- recovery day three with 6 craves, each less than three minutes in duration. Be sure and look at a clock as a recent study found that time distortion is a very real recovery symptom that can make a 2 to 3 minute crave episode feel much longer. I've prepared the below crave chart from crave coping data presented in a 1998 study published in Research in Nursing and Health. With the above chart, please keep in mind that these are just averages and every recovery is different. Some experience no craves at all while others can have twice as many as show above. Even so, if you were in the extreme with double the average, that's still only 36 minutes of crave episode anxiety on your most challenging day - 36 minutes to freedom, each minute entirely doable! If you know that you are going to be encountering your crave triggers and cues but you don't know when, what will having your finger in an electrical lamp socket all day do to your nerves? Will it keep you on edge? Will the constant sense of anticipation breed anxiety that has you lashing-out against anyone walking into the room? Will you feel like crying? Will worry and concern deprive you of concentrating on other things? Will it wear you down and drain your spirit? But what if you knew for certain that the shock itself would always be tolerable, that no crave episode would ever harm you, cut you, make you bleed, break bones, make you ill, or kill you, and that the episode itself would not last longer than three minutes? What if you actually began to believe that meeting, greeting and moving beyond each crave episode was a critical and welcome step toward full,stop smoking now, complete and permanent recovery? Can honesty, certainty, confidence, understanding, planning and attitude make the time and distance between crave episodes more relaxed and their eventual arrival a welcomed event? Instead of focusing on any minor anxiety discomfort you may experience during the short period of time a crave episode is actually occurring and the recovery light switch is on, why not work on learning to relax more during the massive amount of time that the switch is actually off? If we keep feeding ourselves the thought that recovery is hard then we should fully expect our subconscious mind to issue forth the emotions needed to cause the rational you to abandon your quest for freedom. If we keep telling ourselves this is hard, we should expect it to be hard. Why feed ourselves failure? Why fear the swim and worry needlessly when some of us are not even in the water yet? Why assist our inner conditioned mind in breeding negative and powerful anxieties? Why allow such thoughts to fester until they begin oozing anxiety's destructive relapse puss? Instead, chase all negativism from your mind. Replace it with calmness, safety, joy and the knowledge that no three minute crave episode can force you to ever again suck nicotine into your body. Replace it with the reassurance that most subconscious crave triggers are re-conditioned or broken after a single encounter. Fight back with your reason, logic, and dreams that look forward with confidence while knowing that nothing is being left behind, and that nicotine addiction does not define who you are, your life or command your remaining time on earth. Embrace recovery as your wonderful journey home to experience the rich, deep, and tranquil inner calmness that resided inside your mind before climbing aboard the endless nicotine/dopamine/adrenaline lifetime roller-coaster ride of cycling highs and lows. See encountering and reconditioning each crave trigger cue for what it truly is - a highly visible sign of true healing and recovery. Sense the emerging glory that is you and the abundance of oxygen arriving at every living cell in your body. In times of challenge fill your cup with truth, desire and the reasons that caused you to embark upon this quest for freedom . See all thoughts of smoking nicotine, that at times may seem to flood the mind, as golden opportunities to shed honest light on each, while sorting through years of conscious denial in which you made excuses for your chemical addiction that built a safe-house based on lies. How full is your cup? Do you feel like you've lost a close friend (half empty) or do realize that friends don’t slowly kill friends (half full)? Did you QUIT smoking (half empty) or is this where you really START living (half full)? Do you fear the arrival of your next crave (half empty) or are you excited by knowing that its arrival brings you one step closer to once again comfortably engaging every aspect of life as "you?" Will your next crave last forever (falsehood) or three minutes at most (the truth)? Will chemical withdrawal never end (falsehood) or will its intensity peak within 72 hours and then begin to gradually subside (the truth)? Do you expect to continue to experience daily "thoughts" of "wanting" to smoke nicotine forever (falsehood) or will your recovery amazingly evolve to a point where you awake each day "expecting" to go your entire day without ever once "wanting" to smoke nicotine? (the truth)? Do you truly find joy in being addicted to one of the most powerful substances on planet earth or is that just something you convinced yourself of in order to justify your addiction, your next fix, and to avoid the challenge of withdrawal? Will 5, 10 or even 20 temporary extra pounds actually kill you (if they even happen at all) or have you already read that it takes 100 extra pounds to equal the health risk associated with just one pack a cigarettes a day? Did you sell yourself on believing that smoking nicotine calmed or relieved stress when in fact it never once solved a single stressful event in your entire addicted life, other than relieving its own absence? Instead, you simply took flight or escape into your addiction in order to replenish rapidly falling blood-serum levels of the alkaloid nicotine that were being neutralized by stress generated body acids. How much of life went unaddressed by healthy reactions because of endlessly fleeing into our chemical world of nicotine normal? Name one stressful event that nicotine solved? Life as an addict is far more difficult than being "you" as the acid-alkaloid interaction adds the anxieties of early chemical withdrawal to every stressful challenge life throws your way. Are you selling yourself relapse by telling yourself that you're growing weaker by the hour and won't be able to handle the next crave episode (if any), or do you know for certain that the next brief encounter will be less than three minutes, that you can handle each minute, that a crave cannot harm you, and that they are growing fewer and further apart with each passing day? Are you fueling the subconscious mind's belief that returning to the "real" you is a frightening and fearful thing to do? Are you breeding and fueling needless anxiety while having little or no memory or recall of the wonderful sense of calmness and lack of addiction chatter that occupied your mind prior to becoming nicotine's slave? Do you miss destroying more air sacs with each and every puff or are you celebrating the freshness that now kisses healing lungs? Do you feed your mind romantic visions of purchasing or bumming the nicotine needed for relapse, or the truthful message of just one puff producing defeat, decay, destruction, disease and 50/50 chance of losing roughly 5,000 sunrises? Do you miss handing-over your hard earned money in order to remain chemically captive, or smile upon discovering the extra funds that your pockets somehow seem to produce? Do you miss the lingering cloud of toxic smoke containing 44 known carcinogens, more than 500 gases, and 3,500 + chemical particles, or do you delight in the fact that oils upon your face again belong to you? Is your world saddened by not being able to crush an endless chain of hot chemically laden cigarette butts and pour mountains of butts from carcinogen rich ashtrays, or are you marveling in your new ash-free world that's clean, bright and refreshing? Is your cup half empty or is it half full? Our subconscious is listening and we are what we think - attitude is everything. None of us are stronger than nicotine but then we don't have to be as nicotine is just a chemical and has an intelligence quotient (IQ) of zero. Knowledge is power! Don't be afraid of turning on the light. Embracing recovery is embracing "you!" Baby steps. The next few minutes are all that matter and each is entirely doable! There are lots of lessons to learn here at WhyQuit and Freedom but only one passing grade - no nicotine today - Never Take Another Puff! "TRYING to quit" is an uncommitted declaration of leaving something behind. Tell yourself recovery is HARD and unless you're lying it will be. Believe your craves to be INTENSE and intense will be the ride. Ponder excuses for a FIX and you’ll eventually get to use them. If you think you might RELAPSE, then relapse you just might. If you keep telling yourself you will FAIL, then chances are you will. If you WANT to be a ex-smoker, your mind has yet to heal. Allow honest DREAMS to fuel recovery and freedom you shall find. View this challenge as WONDERFUL and fulfillment will arrive. See the GLORY of today, then glory it will be! Praise the HEALING of your body and set your spirit free. Inhale the JOYS of today, feel the spender of the journey. Yet be TRUTHFUL of the past, to protect the here and now. BELIEVE yourself a ex-smoker, an ex-smoker you shall see. NEVER take another puff and freedom it will be! Breathe deep, hug hard, live long John R. Polito ? WhyQuit.Com 2000, 2003 NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PUFF

Wed Blessings and good Ralph Read

today is ours to make as we wish we cannot change the event only the way we allow orselves to respond. Make today your own.Just a little nanaism... Hugs around Now here is the motivator..Wednesday,Herbal cigarettes, October 4, 2006Act it outTo quickly get beyond self-defeating thoughts, get yourself busy with empowering behavior. When you can't think your way out of a despairing mindset, start acting your way out.One positive action can neutralize several hours worth of negative feelings. Get your body moving and doing something useful, and your mind will quickly follow along.If you don't feel like helping yourself, then find someone else for whom you can do something positive and useful. Even a gesture as easy and seemingly insignificant as a genuine smile can make a big difference.When you want to start feeling more positive,stop smoking, then act like it. Stand up straight, hold your head high, walk confidently forward, and you can literally feel the difference it makes.You may not believe your own thoughts, yet you cannot help but believe your own actions. When you take positive action, your whole being takes notice.Get up, get going, and act the way you would like to feel. And suddenly, that's exactly the way you'll be.-- Ralph Marston

Troy and Diana update!

They made it to my neck of the woods tonight and we had a wonderful dinner at Ruby Tuesday. Apparently,stop smoking now, they don't have any in Mississippi- who knew? I really was great, had a blast, he is as funny in person as on the board. Diana was absolutely lovely and now I'm wishing she lived closer. Maddie Cat is a doll baby,quit smoking now, and I thought about keeping her! I have pictures, but our new computer is Vista and it doesn't want my camera. I'll figure it out and post them- worse case, my work computer is XP - I'll go there and post them on Monday.It was absolutely wonderful to meet them and I hope someday we get to do it again.

The LAWS OF ADDICTION

There seems to be a move here that includes..."hey one puff is just one puff, I am still quit.....I DID NOT make up the laws of addiction―but am SOOOOOOOOOOOO?GLAD and grateful that I stopped fooling myself and everyone and adhered to those laws because it enables be to say TODAY that I am a GRATEFUL EXsmoker and have not had a single puff in over seven years......(no way would I have even close to that if I had a puff here and there―no flippin' way. First of all it would have been a LIE (addicts and lying don't mix, rigorous honesty is needed to arrest an addiction and Second--thank you LORD I AM FREE! The kind of free that ONLY NOT ONE PUFF can give a person.katiemHere is someone that has a good handle on it...The Law of Addiction"Administration of a drug to an addict will cause reestablishmentof chemical dependence upon the addictive substance."Smokers are often furious with me because they believe I caused them to go back to smoking. Why do they think this? Well, I have this nasty habit of making a really big deal any time a clinic participant takes one puff or maybe just a few cigarettes. The smoker feels I am so persuasive in my arguments that he has no choice but to have a full-fledged relapse. In his opinion, I forced him back to the lifetime dependency which will impair his health and may eventually cost him his life. He is convinced that if I had not made such a major issue out of the incident, he would just have smoked that one time and would never have done it again. How can I sleep each night knowing what I have done?I sleep quite well, thank you. For, you see, I am not responsible for these people's relapses to cigarettes. They can take full credit for becoming smokers again. They relapsed because they broke the one major law of nicotine addiction - they took a puff. This is not my law. I am not setting myself up to be judge, jury, and executioner. The law of physiological addiction states that administration of a drug to an addict will cause reestablishment of the dependence on that substance. I didn't write that law. I don't execute that law. My job is much simpler than that. All I do is interpret the law. This means, by taking a puff, the smoker either goes back to full-fledged smoking or goes through the withdrawal process associated with quitting. Most don't opt for the withdrawal.Every clinic has a number of participants who have quit in the past for one year or longer. In fact, I had one clinic participant who had stopped for a period of 24 years before he relapsed. He never heard that such a law existed, that even after 24 years, the ex-smoker is not totally freed from his imprisonment of addiction. He didn't understand that the day he tossed his "last" cigarette, he was placed "on probation" for the rest of his life. But ignorance of the law is not excusable - not the way the laws of a physiological nature are written. By the American standards of justice, this seems to be cruel and unusual punishment. But this is the way things are.Maybe instead of going to a smoking clinic, a recently relapsed person should contact his attorney to plead his case of why he should be able to have an occasional cigarette when he desires. Maybe he can cheat just once, get a sympathetic jury, be judged innocent,stop smoking now, and walk out of the courtroom a free and independent person. Surely, in pleading his case before twelve impartial people,quit smoking now, he will probably have no problem convincing them that he is innocent of any wrongdoing. And, as he happily walks out of court a free and independent person, he will probably have an uncontrollable urge and then light a cigarette.Don't look for loopholes in the law of addiction. You will be convicting yourself back to smoking. While it may seem harsh and unfair, to many, smoking is a crime punishable by death. Don't try to cheat the system - NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PUFF!Joel

The good news, results from biopsy...!

Thank the Lord in heaven, I do not have cancer!!!! However,stop smoking now, I have to have about a foot of my bowel removed within 2 months. These two polyps I have are so embedded (for lack of a better word) that there is a huge risk of bowel perforation if they tried to remove them during a colonoscopy, and so I will have surgery BEFORE they turn into cancer. Dr. said they are "precancerous" right now. Thank you to all of you that sent good wishes and prayers my way...As the oldies here know I have a bait shop/boat rental that I am very busy with in the summer months, so I just have not had any time to post back to anyone. Bill in AZ, my prayers are with you also, thank you for sharing your recent concerns with me,Herbal cigarettes, and a belated happy birthday! Eat the steak ASAP

Thank You_32021

Dear Friends,I was just reflecting on my quit smoking days,quit smoking now, I know it is just five days, but I wanted to let you know how much you have all helped me. I really appreciate all the information and advice you have given me, as well as the connections you have shared with me. Your expertise and help have been invaluable during my quit process. You have helped me and so many other people realize the risks of smoking, by showing us what life is about, and that smoking is not the only thing that helps you get over the bad times. Life is more than that; Smoking kills you. Your help and thoughtfulness always makes my days a little brighter, and problems seem a whole lot smaller. You have a knack for always saying the right thing. I'm lucky to have you all us my friends, I am might not know your face or how you look like,Herbal cigarettes, but I really appreciate what you have done for me. What would I ever do without you? I only hope I can be half as good a friend to you. It's people like you who make a difference in this world!love,

The Daffodil Principle

The Daffodil Principle(Author Unknown)Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, "Mother, you must come see the daffodils before they are over."I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive. "I will come next Tuesday," I promised on her third call.Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. When I finally walked into Carolyn's and hugged and greeted my grandchildren, I said, "Forget the daffodils! The road is invisible in the clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see bad enough to drive another inch!"My daughter smiled calmly and said, "We drive in this all the time, Mother.""Well, you won't get me back on the road until it clears, and then I'm heading for home!" I assured her."I was hoping you'd take me over to the garage to pick up my car. It s just a few blocks," Carolyn said. "I'll drive."After several minutes, I had to ask, "Where are we going? This isn't the way to the garage!""We're going to my garage the long way," Carolyn smiled, "by way of the daffodils.""Carolyn," I said sternly, "please turn around.""It's all right, Mother, I promise. You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience."After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand lettered sign that read, "Daffodil Garden."We got out of the car and each took a child's hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, we turned a corner of the path, and I looked up and gasped. Before us lay the most glorious sight. It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it down over the mountain peak and slopes. The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns - great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, saffron, and butter yellow.Each different-colored variety was planted as a group so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue. There were five acres of flowers."Who has done this?" I asked Carolyn."It's just one woman," Carolyn answered. "She lives on the property. That's her home." Carolyn pointed to a well kept A-frame house that looked small and modest in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house. On the patio, we saw a poster. "Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking" was the headline.The first answer was a simple one. "50,000 bulbs," it read.The second answer was,quit smoking now, "One at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet, and very little brain."The third answer was, "Began in 1958."There it was, The Daffodil Principle. For me, that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than forty years before, had begun - one bulb at a time - to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountaintop. Still, just planting one bulb at a time, year after year, had changed the world. This unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived.She had created something of indescribable magnificence, beauty, and inspiration.The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration. That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time - often just one baby-step at a time - and learning to love the doing; learning to use the accumulation of time. When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world."It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn. "What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five or forty years ago and had worked away at it 'one bulb at a time' through all those years. Just think what I might have been able to achieve!"My daughter summed up the message of the day in her usual direct way. "Start tomorrow," she said. It's so pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson of celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask,Herbal cigarettes, "How can I put this to use today?"What have you planted today?

Tired of the Quit - Classic J-Q Post

I am thinking it may be just perfect for your feeling so tired of it all, attitude.. its a tough place to be,, after awhile, the newness has worn off, friends and family may not be paying much attention( if you were lucky enough to ever have them pay attention) we ourselves are exhausted, from the day to day effort, (which although far better than the first days weeks when all we wanted to do was scream, die,Herbal cigarettes, or scratch the itch so bad we had our teeth gritted 99 % of the time) is still a huge effort.. a daily continuous be on alert type of effort that we are soooooooooooo ready to just say F it as in fawgetaboudit.... but in reality it is part of the dirty trick,smoking cessation, slime ball actions of the Nico Spaz,, its his way of grinding at us, wearing us a bit thin, eroding away at his biggest enemy THE YOU who ARE DOING IT.. Cripes imagine how FREAKED out he is, I mean, another one bites the dust, oh now what, must I go gather up some sweet not yet fully formed( in mind or body) 16 yr old, get them by making them feel they will be prettier, faster on the soccer field, smarter, more popular IF only they hang out with him,, the beady eyed sooty gray colored, stinker Smokeman.. oh please please he sobs in a frail whimper, just crumble, come on, do not make me have to attempt to gather a NEWBIE,, the schools, the parents the drug counselors are all waging war against me, please do not make me have to try and corral a new victim,, just please come back to me, I promise I wont hurt you ))))) ok I got a bit carried away.. but its all true, I swear I know that Bashtard like the back of my hand,, and girl you have him running so scared he is now pulling out some of his rarely used tricks,, so read Ralph and picture me, the Meanest Ash kickin Nana this side of........ well fill in the blank Daily Motivator May 20, 2005 Effort and patience Effort gets things done. Patience sees them through. Both are crucial to success. Without patience, the passing setbacks and disappointments would soon overwhelm even the hardiest effort. Without effort, patience would accomplish very little. When you can balance effort and patience, it is a powerful combination. You can make almost anything happen with enough effort, but not right away. The most effective effort is continuing effort, which patience makes possible. Though they may at first seem to contradict each other, effort and patience actually work great together. The most spectacularly successful people in any field are those who have the patience to continually apply their effort for as long as it takes to succeed. Know when to push and when to wait. Balance aggressive effort with a deep, underlying patience and the results you achieve will be truly amazing.

Tomorrow is my quit day! Yikes.

Hello! I was suppose to be earlier this week but got pushed back... however tomorrow is the day! I'm also running in my first race tomorrow morning so I thought the whole thing would be very symbolic. However I am SO ANXIOUS today. Every ciggrette I have I think to myself... "This is my last morning ciggrette." or "This is my last smoke in the car." I know I should be saying "Yeah! I'm not giving myself cancer anymore!" but I'm not always that positive. I'm pretty frustrated too,quit smoking now, because this Chantix medicine isn't working one bit. The last time I took it I would put a ciggrette out before I finished it because I just didn't want one. This time I'm fiend. I'm not even getting the side effects from Chantix! I swear,stop smoking, they gave me a placebo! Anyway... I almost wish this day was just over and all the anxiety would go away. And the sadness too. I know the nico-demon is NOT MY FRIEND but sometimes it feels like I'm really losing one.

The Lighter Side_32708

Life’s Tough When You’re StupidA classroom full of first year Veterinary students were participating in their first day of anatomy class. For the lecture, the professor begins by unveiling a dead cow under a white sheet laying on an operating table.The professor tells the class "In Veterinary Medicine,stop smoking, there are two qualities you must possess as a doctor - the first of which is a strong stomach. You cannot, under any circumstance, be disgusted by anything involving an animal's body."CowFor example, the Professor pulls back the sheet and sticks his finger right up the dead cow's butt, pulls out his finger and sticks it in his mouth. The students just standthere,quit smoking, paralyzed at what they see. "Now, go ahead and do the same thing, each of you," the professor says.Freaked out, the students take several minutes but eventually take turns sticking their fingers up into the anal cavity of the dead cow, and then sucking on them. Once everyone is finished, the Professor continues on with his lesson... "Now, the second important quality you must possess is a keen observation. You see, I stuck in my middle finger up the cow's butt, and I sucked on my index finger... Now, learn to pay attention."The moral: Life's tough, but it's even tougher when you're stupid.

Thursday no smo blessings and the motivator

I hope you each have a most marvelous quit day. If it cannot be marvelous than I hope manageable for you.Daily MotivatorFebruary 28,quit smoking, 2008A bright dayNo matter how far back you've been pushed, you can always move forward. No matter how far down you've fallen, you always have the option of getting back up.Even the greatest disappointments and most profound tragedies can be overcome. No matter how dark it becomes, the day can and will dawn brightly once again.Whatever the situation may be,quit smoking now, there is always the very real possibility for positive change. Even in the best of times, things can get better. Certainly in the worst of times positive change is just waiting to be realized.Great, magnificent things are possible for you today. By this time tomorrow you can be heading decidedly toward your most treasured dreams and desires. In your heart you know that is true. Let your actions be guided by your positive possibilities and move yourself into a bright new day.

Surveys and focus groups for nicotine addiction

Dear Sir or Madam,EMS is a European market research company. Our offices,stop smoking, based in Chiswick, conduct research studies by way of surveys, questionnaires and focus groups to help companies research, develop and test new and existing products and ideas.Presently, we are looking for people living with nicotine addiction to participate in a range of research activities such as surveys and focus groups to help research and develop new and existing products related with this illness.As a participant in these studies you will receive between ￡40 and ￡100 depending on the study and your details will be protected under the Data Protection ActIf you would like to participate in our studies please visit our website:http://www.ems.eu.comThen click on the EMS panels link,quit smoking now, then the consumer medical link.Alternatively, you can contact us at:EMS – European Marketing Specialists107A Power Rd LONDON W4 5PYUnited KingdomPhone:+44 (0) 20 8996 0498Fax:+44 (0) 20 8747 3850Email: gonzalo.escalante@ems.eu.comWe look forward to hearing from you.Sincerely,Gonzalo EscalanteProject Manager

The Butterfly

This is a little story I got off another support site. I liked it so I'm passing it on The ButterflyA man found a cocoon for a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared,stop smoking now, he sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through the little hole.Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and could go no farther. Then the man decided to help the butterfly.He took a pair of scissors and snipped the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily.Something was strange. The butterfly had a swollen body and shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time.Neither happened. In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and deformed wings. It was never able to fly.What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand, was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the small opening of the cocoon are God's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life.If God allowed us to go through all our life without any obstacles, that would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been.Not only that,Herbal cigarettes, we could never fly. author unknown

The Untold Story - Don't forget to Laugh

What really happens when you quit smoking Submitted by Jeff -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Untold Story 20 minutes after quitting. You begin looking for loopholes in your quit commitment, thinking about postponing the whole arrangement until after the next millennium begins. After 8 hours. You have already contemplated at least three murders and several other brutal acts of violence. After 24 Hours. Your city or town declares a mysterious and unforeseen water shortage, while municipal sewers are suddenly overwhelmed. After 1 week. You have consumed enough calories to sustain a Bengali village of 2000 for four years. Food shortages become critical within your region; pets and local wild animals become nervous. After 2 weeks. Quitzits establish early outposts on your face. Risk of Browser's Butt Syndrome (BBS) rises to equal that for 13-year-old boys with new computers and Internet access. Smileys appear in your writing and begin to replicate Within 1 month. You have already begun to pester smokers and complain about the smell of their obnoxious cigarettes; IQ returns to low double-digits; Quitzits begin to function autonomously. Exclamation point shortages prevail across the land. After 6 weeks You may have experienced your first bowel movement since your quit began; if not, be patient, it will happen within a few more weeks. After 2 months. You begin to forget the pain and misery of the first week without cigarettes, and are wondering if you could, perhaps,Herbal cigarettes, remind yourself of what you've been missing; Quitzits establish territorial treaties with each other. After 5 months. Intelligence returns to at least 60% of its pre-quit level; concentration remains a problem, at only 50%; carpal tunnel syndrome incidence exceeds all known levels for any keyboard-intensive occupation; you have typed more words than are contained within all the works of William Shakespeare,stop smoking now, but with more flair and "sparkle". Thanks Rita!!!

Thank you_8793

and I am off.............for a week or so.....unless we can make the laptop work in rural Salmon Idaho! Thanks to all for the congrats - well, another no smo first - packing and loading for vacation...........sigh..........all the decisions! FYI I am at my personal record for a quit so I am really treading lightly! Doc..........You rock! (((((((((((((((((( my nosmo family )))))))))))))))PamI have been quit for 3 Months, 1 Day, 12 hours,quit smoking, 15 minutes and 3 seconds (90 days). I have saved $610.94 by not smoking 2,715 cigarettes. I have saved 1 Week, 2 Days,smoking cessation, 10 hours and 15 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 1/31/2007 10:06 PM

TODAY'S LIGHTER SIDE

How old do you think I am?A very healthy, spry-looking 95-year-old man moves into a nursing home. He walks up to a frail looking man walking down the hall with a walker,quit smoking, and says: "How old do you think I am?"The man answers: "I'd say 60.""Nope, I'm 95!" the man boasts.Down the hall, he sees a woman in a room watching TV from a wheelchair & walks up to her and asks her to guess his age.Right away she unzips his fly & fondles him for a few minutes,Herbal cigarettes, then looks at him and says: "You're 95."The man looks at her incredulously and asks: "How did you know that?"She shrugs and says: "I heard you tell the fellow in the hall."

The Pledge

You know...I look at this board after an ENTIRE day (okay...Eastern time...after 5 PM) and there are only 15 people that pledged.I was reminded recently that sometimes we Oldies...me in particular...sell ourselves short as to the influence we can have. The importance to post not just when someone fails,stop smoking, but also to remind folks it's not only possible, but the BEST to beat smoking. That reminded me of a friend of mine from a couple years ago. Flyin-Free (Todd) sent me a message at one point when I said I really didn't have "time" to post...reminded me that it didn't take but a minute to make the daily pledge...to affirm the decision to remain a quitter. Well that hit home then and I did post...nearly every daily pledge. Often starting them. And yes,Herbal cigarettes, it really was a daily affirmation-- a new contract with myself and this community that I would remain smoke free for at least one more day.So every quitter...new, tweener, and old. Take the pledge...make the committment. It's worth it.KTQ-doc

The damage we've done

Well I suppose there's no escaping some damage to myself after 35 years of smoking. Whenever I walk for any distance I start getting massive cramps in my left calf. Turns out I have an 80% blockage in my femoral artery in that leg and they want to give me a balloon angioplasty and put in a stent. The major reason for this blockage turns out to be smoking.I'm such a sissy when it comes to doctors and needles hospitals and such. I suppose I should be grateful it's not a cardiac artery (at least not at this point.) Please newbies and lurkers, especially the younger ones,quit smoking, it is NEVER to early to quit this suicidal habit. EVERY cigarette does us harm. Just spin the wheel and see which debilitating illness you'll get from smoking,Herbal cigarettes, sooner or later.

Thank you Blessings

I came onto the bb this afternoon for the first time in awhile. I was reading and attempting to follow the path of some new names and others that I have cared for and watched with joy and perhaps trepidation. Imagine my surprise when I saw the marvelous story threads, I LOVE THEM... and hope perhaps at some or another time too "author" some. Imagine my sadness for Charlene as she had to post her loss. But than my happiness for her mew "start" My dear STAY near the community, IT DOES make a million moments of difference. I am sad to say I never was able to not only see but speak with ohyes, my conference days ran 14 or so hrs long and this old gal has only so much.. I DID on the other hand see Wendy and Dennis, not only see but get to be "with them" those of you new do not yet know of the bonds that tie ,stop smoking now, those of you who do it was better than hoped for. But alas too short. Now I must add, my humble thank you to Sherry, it has been a long while since my anniversary has been momentus to anyone but self,smoking cessation, and of course self is most important. When I saw the thread celebrating my 75 mo( I didnt know that) just six plus yrs LOLI felt like a person does while standing in the sun. The warmth, light, sweetness of each and every post lifted my heart and spirit upward. So Thank you.Those of you who are just begining the JOURNEY, those of you challenged by the JOURNEY. I must offer to you This IS DOABLE, than Manageable and eventually MAGIC. A magic you can not now comprehend. Please trust your wonderful spirit, please trust the you who seeks Freedom, please listen to the voices and wisdom of those ahead. It is NOT easy, it is NOT a trip IT is a journey a process but one which holds miracles.May you be blessed with strength, dedication, commitment, fortitude and most of all just plain stick to it ness.After forty years most of them two packs a day I can say a miracle this community and the Not One Puff Mantra, allow me to post:Six years, three months, four days, 19 hours, 18 minutes and 34 seconds. 45716 cigarettes not smoked, saving $11,428.81. Life saved: 22 weeks, 4 days, 17 hours, 40 minutes.

Surveys and focus groups for nicotine addiction

Dear Sir or Madam,EMS is a European market research company. Our offices,stop smoking, based in Chiswick, conduct research studies by way of surveys, questionnaires and focus groups to help companies research, develop and test new and existing products and ideas.Presently, we are looking for people living with nicotine addiction to participate in a range of research activities such as surveys and focus groups to help research and develop new and existing products related with this illness.As a participant in these studies you will receive between ￡40 and ￡100 depending on the study and your details will be protected under the Data Protection ActIf you would like to participate in our studies please visit our website:http://www.ems.eu.comThen click on the EMS panels link, then the consumer medical link.Alternatively,Herbal cigarettes, you can contact us at:EMS – European Marketing Specialists107A Power Rd LONDON W4 5PYUnited KingdomPhone:+44 (0) 20 8996 0498Fax:+44 (0) 20 8747 3850Email: gonzalo.escalante@ems.eu.comWe look forward to hearing from you.Sincerely,Gonzalo EscalanteProject Manager

That "Empty" Feeling

That "Empty" Feeling - author unknownThat “Empty” Feeling The whole lesson that needs to be learned on a quit is a simple one: To accept the emptiness. At the very core of life, and the sum of it all, is just that. Emptiness is what IS. Emptiness is at the center of all human experience. We smoke and drink and spend money we don’t have and pine for things and people and days gone by and worship our idols to escape from it, but it’s always there. Emptiness. Nothing left to do or say. “What now?” we ask. “How do I replace what’s lost?” we wonder. We quit this deadly habit because it’s killing us but we secretly want to return, not so much because of the craving and the nicotine rush but because we hate the empty feeling we have without it. We leave abusive people and returned to them, or someone like them, for the same reason. We don’t like prison (depression,quit smoking now, guilt, our addiction to nicotine,smoking cessation, alcohol, sex or our low self esteem) but it’s the only reality we know. To deal with emptiness is to confront our demons and see them for what they really are. Nothing at all! Emptiness is just the flow of life and reality as it really is. Times change. Relationships end. Jobs are lost. Loved ones die. Old lifestyles change. Our children grow up. Addictions are broken. We move on. We have to. To not accept the emptiness is to stagnate. To look back is to turn to salt like Lot’s wife. The lesson to learn is to “Let it Be” as the Beatles said. To let go does indeed cause grief and suffering. We cry for awhile and time passes and things improve. We look back after a few years at what’s lost, and though we still feel a pang of grief, we see that we did manage to move on despite ourselves. Life is dynamic! Like a river it constantly moves on. We can sit at the river’s edge and watch it flow while we cry, or get a canoe and jump in it for the ride. Imagine what all you’ll see on the journey! “What’s next?” we ask now with eager anticipation...

Sahmor99

Do you have a quit meter? They kind of do the calculating for you, so you don't have to guess. They also tell you how much money you saved and cigarettes not smoked and how much of your life you have saved by not smoking.You can get free ones at WhyQuit.com or SilkquitEric Example,Herbal cigarettes, mine.I have been quit for 2 Years, 2 Months, 1 Week, 6 Days, 6 hours, 23 minutes and 38 seconds (805 days). I have saved $7,046.08 by not smoking 28,quit smoking now,184 cigarettes. I have saved 3 Months, 5 Days, 20 hours and 40 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 7/7/2004 12:00 AM28,000 cigarettes? My Gawd that's nasty, LOL!!! Damn I am glad I quit!!

Should Children Witness Childbirth-

Due to a power outage, only one paramedic responded to the call.The house was very dark so the paramedic asked Kathleen, a 3-yr oldgirl, to hold a flashlight high over her mommy so he could see whilehe helped deliver the baby.Very diligently,Herbal cigarettes, Kathleen did as she was asked. Heidi pushed andpushed and after a little while,quit smoking now, Connor was born. The paramediclifted him by his little feet and spanked him on his bottom.Connor began to cry.The paramedic then thanked Kathleen for her help and asked thewide-eyed 3-yr old what she thought about what she had justwitnessed. Kathleen quickly responded, "He shouldn't have crawled inthere in the first place......smack his a** again!"If you don't laugh at this one, there's no hope for youLife is too short for drama & petty things, so laugh hard, love truly and forgive quickly.Live While You Are Alive. Tell the people you love that you love them, at everyopportunity. Forgive now those who made you cry. You might not get a second time.

Smoker's Vow

The Smoker’s Vow To be said just before taking your first puff after having quit for any appreciable period of time --------------------------------------------------------------------------------With this puff I enslave myself to a lifetime of addiction. While I can’t promise to always love you, I do promise to obey every craving and support my addiction to you no matter how expensive you become. I will let no husband or wife, no family member or friend, no doctor or any other health professional, no employer or government policy, no burns or no stench, no cough or raspy voice, no cancer or emphysema,Herbal cigarettes, no heart attack or stroke, no threat of loss of life or limbs, come between us. I will smoke you forever from this day forth,smoking cessation, for better or worse, whether richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do us part! “You may now light the cigarette.” “I now pronounce you a full-fledged smoker.” [/img]

Remember that Voice- Junkie thinking.

Here is another article I found. It's a bit long, but another good read for newbies.Remember that little voice? Junkie Thinking!" I'm different, I'll never be comfortable without nicotine " " It just isn't a good time to quit, my life is so complicated" Our addiction enjoys talking to us, we really need to get a bit closer and hear the truth.... We don't have to be strong to work through our addiction, we just have to be smart.... Maybe we can use this thread as a tool to share the hope for those working through the early stages of recovery. Feel free to join in, tell our new members what it is like to be a comfortable exsmoker. : ) Quitting is really a process and what we are doing now is working through it. Here I am at three and a half years free,quit smoking now, and I must tell you, there is no "junkie thinking" in my head, at any time. But, just like the a new quitter, I remain one puff away from relapse. In time, not smoking will be a way of life without the pains of our addiction scratching at the door, hence, that little voice. I often try to remember the times where smoking was just perfect for the situation (a wedding, funeral - etc), just to show myself the illogical mindset I once had. I am so proud and grateful to recognize the truth behind the lies - the stupidity of it all and how my life was once controlled by such a dangerous regiment, both physically and mentally. For everyone recovering, thoughts of smoking will simply become a form of relief and nothing scary or bothersome. It is sort of like remembering something we did in our youth that wasn't too smart, we shook our heads and wondered what in the world we were thinking. When it comes to making vital decisions in life, it is amazing what a bit of growth andunderstanding will do for any situation. That little voice tried distorting my mindset - I often wondered if being clean from nicotine was always going to be some sort of inner struggle. I was positive that I was different than the rest. Life is different for each of us, but as nicotine addicts the promise of complete comfort is the same. We have taken the time to educate ourselves on addiction, this is where we find the true freedom. Free, meaning that we TRULY UNDERSTAND that we can NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PUFF...no matter what. Living out those situations and triggers associated to smoking and proving to ourselves, that life does go on without nicotine. No more going through the cycles of relapse or constant desires of wanting to quit and never knowing quite how. You are going to feel better, it will not be continuos work. Addiction has no cure, and of course, the remedy being... never taking that one puff. Be assured,stop smoking now, you will not have to work on this forever. The process is like learning to walk - it takes some patience and a bit of work to find our way...we do some observing and whatever it takes to get started...this along with the natural instinct to stand up and take those first steps...once we do....it may feel a bit unsteady...we hold on a bit and look to others for support...we do our best to keep going but we take little steps to keep the momentum going and give ourselves the chance to build up endurance and balance...we must be patient and take our time....before we know it....we are walking freely and all on our own....as time goes by it is natural that we take walking for granted....no more worries or work...we walk steady and enjoy our new freedom. BUT...no matter how long we have been walking freely....we must keep our eyes open and watch where we are going....if we happen to find an icy spot..we must call on our strategies that keep us from falling. There is no such thing as ONE PUFF for addicts, we would always end up taking ALL of them. A fall can cost us our lives. It has always been helpful for me to read the concerns from new members, this not only serves as a reminder of what it once felt like to be an EXSMOKER IN TEMPORARY RECOVERY but gives me the pleasure to share the truth and hope of what it REALLY feels like to be an EXSMOKER IN TOTAL COMFORT. It gets better and better and I truly mean it. Pat yourself on the back for doing such a great job at working through this wonderful process, your life is certainly worth it! Congratulations and a big warm welcome to all of our newbies. We hope you are finding the information and support helpful. Don't minimize for a second the great work you are doing, some folks could only dream of beginning this journey. So many smokers want to quit but can't quite find their way, very sad indeed. Just hold on tight because for each of us, the days of complete comfort do come. Thanks for being here with us, we look forward to making this wonderful journey with each of you. We must hold on tight..our lives are worth any temporary challenges, we deserve to be free from a killer addiction...the way we were meant to be! Onward with baby steps....one day at a time....not one puff...no matter what.

RIP Mom

Hi Folks just dropping a line to say!I am SOOOOOOOOOOO Happy to be FREE!I rarely post anymore but I come by now and again to see how ya'll are doing. I see lots of new names and rejoice for the Peeps learning to navigate a new life.GOOD FOR YOU!! I have never regretted this choice! YES.... the journey was harsh.... at first. But well worth every ounce of blood sweat and tears it took to get where I am today.With the support, coaching and praise from the long timers on this site I AM.......1 year 8 months FREE!I am posting today in honor of my mother. C.Rae Priest-Wood passed into Spirit March 24th 2009 @ 5:30 am.Mom quit smoking in 2003 when she was diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis. A respiratory issue clumped under the umbrella term of.... COPD.Mom lead the way that showed me that quitting was DO-able. But it took watching my friend Billie pass from emphysema with cancer before I got brave enough to give it a shot. Even then a few more years to dig out my own grit.I took the opportunity to leave town and go stay with my mom for these last few weeks. I was granted the gift of being able to hold her close as she took her last breath in the physical. I rejoice that she is pain free and released from the burden of the body that was no longer working for her. I will miss her... more than I could say....But..... I admire her courage and her undying Spirit.If you are struggling with this quit....I send you my strength. I ask you to dig deep for your own personal grit and have the courage to face this addiction head on. I promise you....it is DO-able!YOU ARE WORTH IT!Fight the good fight...... and..... Fight to WIN!!Blessings my Friends

something new every day.....

When is this going to stop! So, like, I go to deliver dinner to a male patient at work in the hospital, when I looked into his room BEFORE entering,Herbal cigarettes, the door was wide open, and he had his hands (both) under the covers on his "privates" (he was on his back) yanking away....and moaning!!! ! I went to the nurses station and explained what I had seen and the nice nurse said if I was uncomfortable delivering the food, then she would understand. Oh My, this job has been full of suprises! ! Of course, I left the tray at the nurses station.....they don't pay me enough to deal with that! (roflmao)!Ya'll have a good night,stop smoking, I'm of to bed! Peace.

S.O.S - Feel like I'm going to cave

Hiy,quit smoking now,Knowing how I've felt all the other times I've caved, I feel like I am right on the edge now. As usual it is during a period where tons of things are going on and I'm anxiety-ridden, and think that the cigarette will somehow make things better. I'm moving out for the first time, and today I was preparing the apartment just fantasizing about being able to walk to the corner store and buy a pack, and to be able to do whatever I want since I am living on my own. It's odd how independence to me is somehow associated with being a prisoner to nicotine. But anyways, I've been tempting myself by hanging around people smoking today, just about ready to ask them for one. I keep trying to justify that I'm young and can stop again sometime in the future, even though I don't ever want to go through that hell again. I've only had the patch off for a week or so now so that's probably why I'm extra edge, but this is a big transition period for me in all things, and that makes me want to look for a crutch. I just don't know what to do anymore,smoking cessation, I'm so fed up with this mind torture I just want it to end forever.Don't know what else to say, thanks for any support.Brian

Relapse-

This is my first and only quit and I will die a non-smoker. Just like I don’t need to get hit by a bus to know it hurts,quit smoking, I don’t need to smoke to prove relapse sucks. My quit is for me but anyone who plans on using the excuse we all fall off the wagon now and than,stop smoking, look at me. I look at smoking like a prison and I’m not going back.Whether it is your first or 50th time quitting there is no logically reason for relapse. That thought has been in my head for a few days, thanks for letting me share.

Responsibility, Choices and Change

from my journal...Responsibility,quit smoking now, Choices and ChangeMy quit got easier when I took responsibility for my years of smoking and my quit. I made the choice to smoke for years and I have no one to blame for any of the bad consequences that come out of it. It isn’t my dad’s fault for setting a bad example, it isn’t the tobacco companies fault for making it look so appealing, it isn’t my friends fault for a applying peer pressure. The truth of the matter I made a list a mile long and spent years defending the reasons of why smoking was never really my fault and the big truth of the matter was I had to accept that I made many bad choices about smoking and there is no one to blame but myself. I chose to smoke and I chose to smoke for years. Period. Zilch. Closed subject for me.Well, so I made some pretty rotten choices about smoking and I accept the blame, but what does that mean to me? I realized I had to change. I had to make better choices about my addiction. In order to make that happen I had to choose to reach for every resource I could possibly learn about or help I could get. I have been quit smoking over a year and there were times I barely got by a day by the skin of my teeth by making the choice not to smoke. Sometimes I had to choose to read and understand about my addiction and staying quit. Sometimes I had to choose to turn to my friends online, my daughter, my smoking husband,quit smoking, to my doctor and many, many times I turned to God for help to me get through the day. Some days I chose to just plain go to bed to escape giving into the addiction. And the toughest one of all was the days I just gave in and chose to accept what seemed to be the crave that would not go away. Yes, I was barely staying quit some days, but as weak as my quit may have been at the time I was making choices that allowed me to stay quit one more day.There is one thing that becomes clear to me about how I managed to stay quit this long, is that I have begun to change how and what I think about my feelings about my smoking. This change has been a long slow journey that seems to have no end or destination and sometimes that mysterious destination does give me some insecurity about my quit. When I am insecure I have to remind myself of the day I took responsibility for my quit and that means taking responsibility in understanding that quitting smoking is no exact science, but a personal process of change that I have to go through to achieve staying smoke-free.The day I chose to quit smoking meant I wanted change and had to change. To achieve this change I had to chose not to smoke no matter what.

Smokers are disgusting

I have 46 days quit thank God. I have recently started to realize something -- smokers are just plain gross. They stink, their skin looks like crap,stop smoking, their breath smells,quit smoking, their teeth are yellow.I am a little emabrassed that I was a smoker not that long ago. It's hard to beleive that I allowed myself to look so bad. I feel like there has been a drastic improvement in my appearance and confidence. I find myself getting more accomplished throughout the day mainly because of vastly increased energy levels.I see my girlfriend bumming around the house and collasping on the couch every night. I know that she feels like s*** but she's so used to it she can't see that it's the smoking that's doing it to her. It's amazing how I can now see how sad and pathetic it is to smoke. Smoking is voluntarily killing yourself, voluntarily making yourself uglier and smellier over years and years.......until you die a horrible death.NOT SMOKING = FREEDOMNOT SMOKING = LIFE

Still Aint Smokin

Oh my lord, momma has gone and shaved her head, If that don’t beat all .. What will that woman do next.. I am so proud of her being outta prison this long I just wish she wasn’t still on house arrest as part or her parole agreement.. The woman could drive a priest to murder and never mind a man to drink or smoke.How I have managed to not smoke so far in beyond me. Well I guess a lot of the reason is momma says if she see’s me smoking she’s gonna shove a pack of cigarettes right down my throat and beat the living s*** outta me. Don’t misunderstand this as ‘tuff love” she just knows I aint got no smokes and would have to steal one of hers to smoke it. That’s what they do to a smoke stealer on the B block.. And trust me buddy we live B block rules around this joint too.. Thou momma don’t like me calling her crib the joint.. Anyways I still aint smoking and that’s the point,, lots a times I find going for a walk helps, I can clear my mind and breath the fresh air it is wonderful. I like too being able to smell the stills cooking moon shine so I knows to stay clear of them.. One thing you don’t wanna do in these parts is walk into a mans moon shine operation. Why even some of them fellers are quit smoking cense there was that big explosion and four of’em got blown up.. Next day in the paper sure nuff it read “Smoking kills.”. Well That just did it for’em.. I thoughtBut come to find out it was cuz about 250 jugs of shine got blown up too and that was the real shame of it.. The ones that are quitting asked me for some advice , cuz I’m doing so good I told them it was easy as long as they didn’t smoke none and that just cause it was a corn cob pipe didn’t mean it was a good for’em anyways Remember I was tellen you before about my sisters pole dancing in the front of the trailer , the parlor they call it, anyways one of the twins Peggy sue is getting married to a shiner , I don’t know witch one of it is Peggy sue 1 or Peggy sue 2 and I don’t reckon he dose either, see momma named ‘emBoth the same name, cuz they looked just alike and on a chance they got mixed up she would still be callin by there right name. we tried for a long time to call one Peggy and the othern Sue, but hell that just got to be to much and they’d just lie to witchen they was anyhow. Hell I hope they just both move out And take that dam pole with‘em. 6 dollar cove r just to walk into your own house on a Friday.. Is just to much. Oh and lord god, don’t let me get started on the night momma got drunk and started strippen doing a pole dance.. Something a person should never see,, and that’d be one of‘em,, but I did get her razors for her birthday. And allot of’emAnd clippers too. Well now we know she has used the clippers on her headI wonder if she knows why I bought them for her.. I anit sayin and you’d better not either.. So I have had a few close calls and come close to loosing this quit I got going on but a lot of determination and will power keeps me going. I’m sure I’ll have more trying times but I keep going one day at a time.. Kinda like doing time.. Just put the x’s on the wall each night and go to sleep..But A kinda scary thing coming up is this big weekend we are sure to have a few big shing dings .BBQ’s lots of beer tons of people coming and going smoking and laughing just having a good old time. Momma getting drunk and show’en off her new hair do to all her boy friends, But I think just the guards are coming this weekend the bikers are a bit sore still over the last party and getting arrested And then on Sunday we are going to the cattle sale, they sell about everything there not just cows’s they gots sheep, pigs ducks and chickens even horses there too. One time we went and all these dum asses were beating this horse just layen there on the ground with a stick’s, they just keep beaten it and beaten it.. On of them , some smart fella say you reckon its dead? Another one says well we could shoot it,, maybe that would get it up, Na says another lets just beat it some more . We can always shoot it after if it still don’t get upWell What this has to do with smoking or not smoking is just beyond me I just got carried away,, Beating that dam dead horse didn’t make no cense either Or do anybody no good either,, bunch a dum asses.. Well back to not smoking being there at the cattle sale always makes you wanna smoke. One it helps with the smell and two it helps with the smell. And Im not just talking about the cows and such,, You ever been in a barn with about a hundred hillbilly‘s, Not all of us got running water in these parts,quit smoking now,, Reckon we only do cause are trailer is right below the creek. So we got water running by right near everyday. Another thing About that cattle sale you just can sell any old heifer there ,lord knows Ive tried selling my sisters a couple of times.. I even Put a add on Craig’s list .. For’em But Craig flagged it and pulled it down before I could get anybody to even reply.. I guess you cant call your add white trailer trash whores For sale,quit smoking,, well I guess I could just list them in the free section.. I don’t need the money.. I’m saving so much from not smoking,, Yea right,, and I got some nice land in Florida for sale too, would you like to buy it? Or perhaps a bridge in New York I have one of them for sale too But the main point of all This Is I am still not smoking,, And mamma aint back in jail…. YetFor the lazy TLDRMomma shaved her headNot smoking is a day at a time thingBeaten a dead horse dose nothingCant sell white trailer trash whors on Craig’s list Big party this weekendStill not smoking

Smoking

This was in the headlines today......Smokers are being increasingly pushed to the wayside as bans on smoking sweep across cities from the West to the East coasts,quit smoking, from the work place to restaurants. It seems there is no place to light up indoors anymore. But when does the ban on public smoking become private?Two neighbors are feuding in New York over secondhand smoke seeping into a public hallway, as reported in the New York Times. One neighbor is a 57-year-old chain-smoking restaurateur who says she has been a smoker for four decades. She admits to feeling guilty over not being able to quit, and claims she uses air purifiers and door seals to ward against smoke seepage. Her neighbors, a couple, both 40 and lawyers, claim her efforts are not stopping the smoke fumes from infecting the hallway where their young son is exposed to her secondhand smoke. But do they have the right to restrict her smoking in her own apartment? The well-documented dangers of secondhand smoke are many, ranging from lung cancer to heart disease, and possibly many other cancers,smoking cessation, such as breast and cervical cancer. Secondhand smoke exposure has been concluded to be unsafe at any level, according to a June 2006 report by the U.S. Surgeon General. The report went further, stating there must be a ban on indoor smoking entirely in order to fully protect nonsmokers. But, should your own apartment be considered a smoke-free zone, simply because it's indoors? Perhaps, if that apartment has a shared hallway where smoke can collect. What this means to smokers in their own apartments is still up for debate. Home may not be a sanctuary for smokers much longer. Bob

Sleep Adjustments_4630

Article: Joel Spitzer Sent: 5/17/2001 8:34 PM Sleep can get pretty disruptive the first few days. Some people will get very little sleep, waking up every hour or not sleeping at all yet not feel tired. Others can sleep 20 hours a day and be exhausted during their waking hours. Whichever way it goes, sleep will adjust itself when you quit and eventually go back to normal.But there is a catch. You don't know what normal is. Normal is what it was prior to being a smoker with aging thrown in. Some people have not been normal for decades.Nicotine is a stimulant drug that once it wore off through the smoker into a physiological depressed state. To overcome the smoker would smoke again, thus stimulating him or herself. Which would soon wear off and so on and so on. All the while shooting up blood sugar and hormonal levels and crashing them later. By the end of the day the smoker could be physically exhausted from this chronic stimulant/depressant roller coaster. They had to adjust their sleep around these effects.Without this chronic abuse,stop smoking, these ex-smokers may find that they can get by on less sleep after they quit smoking, sometimes knocking out hours of what they thought was needed sleep time. Others only minimize sleep by a short time period but it is very obvious when the alarm goes off they can jump out of bed full of energy and ready to go or sometimes even wake up before the alarm with new found energy. When they were smokers they were often exhausted upon waking, hating the alarm and needing cigarettes to wake up and get going.There are a smaller number of people who need more sleep when they are ex-smokers. These are people who often smoked heavily at the tail end of their days. Their bodies were crying for sleep but they kept pumping nicotine into their system to override the bodies need. Without a constant stimulant they now have to listen to their bodies and go to bed when tired. They could take speed and get the same effects but normally realize that they wouldn’t resort to a drug for this effect, yet they can rationalize that smoking was OK for the same purpose. Well it wasn’t, it was allowing the smoker to maintain such a schedule at a cost. And the long range cost for this “benefit” could be death.Anyway, don’t panic by the sleep amount the first few days. It is not your normal amount of sleep as an ex-smoker,quit smoking, it is your normal amount of sleep while in drug withdrawal. This is not a normal time or a long lasting time period. Sleep will eventually settle in to a normal pattern for you as an ex-smoker. Then aging will exert its normal adjustments. Whether it turns out to be more sleep or less, you should at least sleep sounder knowing you are no longer under the control of nicotine and no longer posing such a deadly risk to yourself by still smoking. To sleep happier because you know you are staying healthier and likely to live longer, always remember all the times you are awake to never take another puff!

Smoking Dreams_23047

I've had a few smoking dreams in the past 43 days. Part of me likes them, part of me feels insanely guilty. Well, last night,smoking cessation, you guys will never believe what happened. In my dream my dh and I were at some swanky hotel,quit smoking, dressed in our finest, enjoying an awesome glass of red, dancing...ohhhh amazing! Then, HE pulls a cigarette out of his pocket and starts to walk out the door to smoke. I reached in his pocket and grabbed three and ran to the elevator. The whole time he's yelling at me not to do it. I held on to the smokes for what seemed like an eternity and then I THREW THEM AWAY! This was my dream. My fantasy if you will. And even in my dreams and fantasies I don't want to smoke anymore!!! THAT is liberating.

Smoking 2 or 3 Cigarettes is Better Than Smoking 2 or 3 Pack

ARTICLE BY JOEL SPITZERJoel's Reinforcement Library --------------------------------------------------------------------------------“You know smoking two or three cigarettes is better than having smoked two or three packs!” -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This statement was angrily snapped at me by an irate clinic participant on her third successive day of cheating during her stop smoking clinic. She was mad because I kept telling her that she was blowing her chance at quitting smoking. I told her that as long as she smoked three or two cigarettes or even a single puff, she should just smoke the other two packs she would normally consume in a typical 24 hour period. She was suffering horribly and was convinced that all this misery had to serve a useful purpose. I was belittling her valiant attempt, and she was mad as hell at my arrogance.She had been in other professional programs before. The other programs considered an 80% reduction in smoking a great accomplishment. Sure, they thought 100% would be better, but not all people could do 100%. Her physician would probably agree as well, that, if she couldn't quit, at least she drastically reduced her smoking. Her family and friends were most likely equally impressed by her major victory. Then she would come in to our meeting and I would say she was back to square one and should either smoke everything or stop all together. What made her so mad was her conviction that I really thought she was doing a great job but wouldn't admit it to her.Contrary to her beliefs, I did not consider her attempt at reducing smoking a praiseworthy effort. Cigarette smoking is an addiction. Because of this, smoking is an all or nothing proposition. While her other programs,Herbal cigarettes, family, friends and other professionals may have viewed her drastic reduction as impressive,quit smoking now, they all failed to understand that reduction was a temporary state. Reducing smoking by 50, 80, 90, or even 99.99% is worthless. It will result in a complete failure in the attempt. This failure will most often result in an eventual return to the old level of consumption and may even lead to a substantial increase over the level smoked prior to the attempt at quitting. It does not pay to cut down for a day or week or even a month just to become a heavier smoker for years afterward because of it. The end result of such a pattern is often the loss of one's health and eventually one's life. No one has ever lost his or her life from following our clinic's cold turkey and total abstinence approach, but many have already died and many more will die from disregarding it.Eventual loss of health and life is not the only problem with cutting down in our program. There is the more immediate problem of intensified withdrawal lasting over a longer duration of time. It's not that the quitter is treating herself to one or two a day. In fact, she is prolonging the period during which she feels that she is depriving herself of 30 or 40 per day. This period will last until she either totally quits and survives through the initial quitting phase or until she reaches her old level. Unfortunately, the latter is the outcome in the vast majority of similar situations.For a person truly dependent on nicotine, cutting down on tobacco consumption is guaranteed suffering and failure. It doesn't pay to suffer just for the sake of suffering. Quitting cold may cause some discomfort, but it is short term, and the end result can be freedom from cigarettes. Sure, quitting cold turkey can be difficult. But--for an addict--quitting by any other means is virtually impossible. Given the choice between difficult and impossible, go for the difficult. At least there is a chance of success. With that success comes improved health, self-esteem, societal acceptance, more money and an overall improvement in the quality of life. Once quitting is accomplished, all that needs to be done to maintain a life free from nicotine addiction is to - NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PUFF!Joel

Smoking is the addiction

If you smoke because of nicotine addiction and sleep from 11 pm to 7 am without needing one puff,Herbal cigarettes, then nicotine must be addictive only from 7 am to 11 pm.If you work in a smoke free area and go from 8 to 9 hours without one puff, then nicotine must be addictive only when you are not at work.Nail biters are not addicted to the substance in their nails, Pavlov's dogs were not addicted to sound waves and drivers do not automatically step on the brake at a red signal light because they are addicted to the color red.If you feel you smoke because of the nicotine in the cigarette you have made it more difficult to quit. The cigarette company doesn't care why you THINK you smoke. Blame them or anything else, but keep smoking. They get sued,quit smoking, raise the price and still make a profit, laughing all the way to the bank with your money.If you automatically smoke in response to a trigger, smoking is the addiction, not the substance in the cigarette.

Responsiblity

We are all free to do whatever we want with our lives.My life is my own creation. It is a script I can write anyway I want to.If I decide to stop smoking, I can do that. If I decide to smoke,quit smoking now, I can do that. But whatever happens will be my own responsiblity and my own fault. I am not doomed,stop smoking, nor any particular outcome guarenteed. I am the source and cause of my actions. External situations and events are irrelevant.This freedom is both scary and exhilarating. Scary because there is no guarentee I won't make a bad choices. Exhilarating because there is no limits-I can create my live I want too.Now a am going out and take a walk by the River and Thank God for one more day off the smokes.Bye and I promise More will be revealed.Myrna

Smoking and celebrities

I read a post at this forum the other day, and of course I can't remember which one, but the person mentioned that they wanted to smoke so bad that they did a 'search' to see what celebrities smoke.I did a few searches of my own. Here's a list of celebrities that have quit smoking:Jennifer AnistonElizabeth HurleyBen AffleckAnthony HopkinsWhoopi GoldbergRachel Weisz [The Mummy] Vince Vaughn Christy Turlington [Model] Charlize Theron [Aeon Flux] Sharon Stone Jon Stewart Julia Roberts Kelly Ripa Pink Debra Messing Billy Joel Geri Halliwell [Ginger Spice] Brandon Flowers [Singer- The Killers] Eliza Dushku Ellen DeGeneres Matt Damon Courteney Cox Gisele Bundchen [Model] Jack Black Drew Barrymore Kirstie AlleyAnd my favorite one: Anthony BourdainWhen I get a crave,stop smoking, I always think of Anthony Bourdain... I know if he was able to do it, I sure can! Every time I'd see him on the Travel Channel, he'd have a smoke in his hand, then when he quit, I was so happy for him! So he's the "celebrity" I think about now if I get a smoking urge. And if you are a person who is into celebrities, pick one that's quit and keep them in your mind for when you get a crave.Now, how about celebrities that have died due to smoke-related causes: Celebrities who died from smoking, some with diagnosis and age at death:, Louis Armstrong, musician, Desi Arnaz, actor and husband of Lucille Ball, lung cancer, 69, Lucille Ball, actress, Leonard Bernstein, composer, lung cancer and emphysema, 72, Amanda Blake, actress, Humphrey Bogart, actor, esophageal cancer, 57, Yul Brenner, actor, lung cancer, 65, Rory Calhoun, actor, emphysema, 76, John Candy, actor, heart attack, Nat King Cole, singer, lung cancer, 45, Chuck Connors, actor, Gary Cooper, actor, Bing Crosby, singer, Bette Davis, actress, Sammy Davis Jr., singer, throat cancer, 65, Joe DiMaggio, baseball player, lung cancer, 84, Joe DiMaggio Jr., emphysema, 57, Everett Dirkson, senator, lung cancer, 75, Walt Disney, lung cancer, 65, Duke Ellington, musician, Sigmund Freud, James Franciscus, actor, Clark Gable, actor, Jerry Garcia, Grateful Dead musician, heart attack, 53, A. Bartlett Giamatti, baseball commissioner and Yalepresident, heart attack, 53, Jackie Gleason, actor, Arthur Godfrey, actor, emphysema, 80, Betty Grable, actress, lung cancer, 57, Ulysses S. Grant, general, throat cancer, 63, Chet Huntley, reporter, lung cancer, 62, John Huston, director, David Janssen, actor, Stubby Kaye, actor, lung cancer, 79, Buster Keaton, actor, emphysema, 70, Brian Keith, actor, lung cancer, 75 (actual death a suicide), King George VI, Queen Elizabeth's father, lung cancer, 57, Michael Landon, actor, pancreatic cancer, 54, Alan Jay Lerner, lyricist, lung cancer, 68, Larry Linville, Frank Burns in MASH TV series, lung cancer,60, Lloyd Mangrum, World Golf Hall of Fame, heart attack, 59, Dean Martin, singer, emphysema, 78, Audrey Meadows, actress, lung cancer, 71, Wayne McLaren, Marlboro Man, lung cancer, 51, Melina Mercouri, actress, Robert Mitchum, actor, emphysema and lung cancer, 79, Gary Morton, Lucille Ball's second husband, lung cancer 74, Edward Mulhare, actor, lung cancer, 74, Edward R. Murrow, reporter, lung cancer, 57, Pat Nixon, wife of d***, Roy Orbison, singer, heart attack, 52, Jesse Owens, Olympic athlete, Bert Parks, host, George Peppard, actor, Vincent Price, actor, Giacomo Puccini, opera composer, throat cancer, 65, Eddie Rabbit, singer, lung cancer, 56, Harry Reasoner, reporter, heart and lung disease, 68, Pee Wee Reece, baseball player, lung cancer, 81, Lee Remick, actress, kidney and lung cancer, 56, Babe Ruth, throat cancer, 52, Rod Serling, "Twilight Zone", heart attack, 51, Ed Sullivan, TV host, lung cancer, 72, William Talman, lung cancer, 53 (lost all of his 251 TV courtcases to Perry Mason), Gene Tierney, actress, emphysema, 67,quit smoking, Carl Wilson, Beach Boys lead guitarist, lung cancer, 51, Wolfman Jack, disk jockey, heart attack, 57, d*** York, actor, emphysema, 61. (Lots of them, huh?)Now, how about celebrities that are smoking now but will die of it?That's easy, almost all of them... unless they quit.What kind of celebrity do you wanna be?