Sazerac

Quit Date: October 23, 2013, A Good Day to be Free.

Posted May 4, 2018 

 Surviving The Great NicotineFree Fog 

Some people experience a mental fog soon after they quit smoking or using nicotine, others don't.

It can last from a few hours to a few weeks or longer. 

My fog wasn't consistent, showing  up unannounced and somewhat dismaying.

Who am I kidding ?  It was disarming and seemed impenetrable.

I couldn't have made thoughtful decisions and was glad they weren't necessary.

My fog lasted over a month and lingered far too long. 

Not what you want to hear, I know,  but remember, this was only my experience.

Everyone's quit is unique, much has to do with attitude, general wellness, behavior/lifestyle, nutrition...

Keep some tricks in your tool box to help you, just in case, and keep your blood sugar up.

Antidotes ?

forced walks, cold air, intentional breathing, too much coffee,  

'embracing the suck', attention to my blood sugar, 

alerting people that might be affected,

not stressing out about it...understanding that it will pass.

Duration and Density ? 

On a scale, (10) drastically impaired to (0) normal.

-For three days, with OTC help and Whisky,  I  flirted with informal catatonia   (10)

-For two weeks, I had little concentration, I wasn't making executive decisions or problem solving  (7)  

-At four weeks, I slowly wakened to lethargy (3) and indolence (2.5) 

-It tapered off so  s l o w l y,  it was hard to mark but, that could have been my inattentiveness. pfftt.

 Have you experienced The Great Smoke Free Fog ? What helped you ? How dense was it ? When did it clear ?

Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/10324-the-great-nicotine-free-mental-fog/