Hi Phillip,
I used lemon drops and sucking on straws as the main �have something in my mouth� items when I first quit. I, too, drank gallons of ice water and walked every chance I got. My main coping mechanism was living at the SSC. I have over 3,000 posts, and the reason is that I spent my entire summer last year right here at my computer. Whether I was asking for advice or encouraging someone else, being here helped me quit.
As to my coping mechanisms now, I don�t really have any. I don�t ever want another lemon drop and the only time I suck on straws is while having a smoothie. I drink water because it�s healthy, not because of any craving for cigarettes. I now post on site, not because I need to do so, but because I want EVERYONE to beat this dreadful addition. Although I don�t spend as much time onsite as I used to, I still try to help out. When I think about smoking, it�s with a big fat grin on my face. FINALLY, I quit. I am 54 and smoked for 30 years. For the past 10 years or so, I was smoking 2 packs a day. The fact that I quit smoking makes me euphoric.
Not cravin', never cavin'.
Hummy
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 5/5/2005
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 439
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 17,578
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $2853.5
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 56 [B]Hrs:[/B] 23 [B]Mins:[/B] 45 [B]Seconds:[/B] 17
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Quit Meter
$476,257.60
Amount Saved
-
Quit Meter
Days: 5861
Hours: 15
Minutes: 12
Seconds: 13
Life Gained
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Quit Meter
45794
Smoke Free Days
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Quit Meter
915,880
Cigarettes Not Smoked