Chrysalis

Yeah, I think I saw her there. Wasn't she the one with the red nose and the funny triangular hat?? ​

Go Green Bay! Go Green Bay! Go Green Bay! HOORAY!! :)

scrubbed

Laura and Oneistoo, you're both doing so well! Good for you! I love the fact that you are trying to stay busy and distract yourself from thoughts of smoking (that's SO important!) and that you're trying to develop some new habits to break the association between certain places or tasks with "time to smoke now." Brilliant! Stay close to the board, both of you. Make the N.O.P.E. daily pledge every day and read some of the classic posts or watch one of Joel's videos every day-- keep educating yourself about how to break this addiction. I've got a very good feeling that you two are both going to make it! :)

Good on yer, Wendy. You're doing great! The problem with tracking your sensations and emotions while taking Chantix is that quitting smoking just by itself can wreak havoc with your mind and your body. It's hard to distinguish what is caused by Chantix and what is caused just by quitting smoking. I'd say that you should pay attention to any "symptom" or side effect that gets worse or more frequent with time. Also, the only real adverse effect of Chantix that I know of is that it can trigger depression, especially in people who have a history of depression (which I do). So I asked my husband to keep an eye on me and let me know if he thought I was developing any mood problems while on Chantix. Actually, I did have very vivid dreams that disturbed my sleep and I did get mildly depressed (perhaps from the lack of sleep). So I stopped Chantix 3 weeks after my quit (6 weeks total). I was ready to get off the Chantix, anyway, so it all worked out. Actually, I went through a real rough spell at about 10 weeks post quit so I re-started the Chantix again for about 10 days. That helped me to avoid a relapse and I stopped the Chantix again. I've had no serious problems since then.

ammonia

chimney

Well, Jenny, I started to eat my pickled eggs. It's only been 10 days and my recipe says to wait 3 weeks, but I couldn't resist. I am very happy with them. As I expected, they taste like the brine I made which means that they are MUCH more interesting than plain hard-boiled eggs. I also bought a bag of frozen pearl onions and threw them in the with the eggs. Gave the brine a nice flavor and now I can have pickled onions with my egg snack. :) I can also keep the brine and just throw in some more hard boiled eggs. I think I'll do that today. While I am happy with these pickled eggs, I am now curious to try some variations. I think next time I'm going to make "Amish pickled eggs" cured with dill and mustard seed. Sounds yummy!

I've heard many people say that when you quit smoking, caffeine has a much stronger effect on you than before. I'm not surprised that it makes you feel anxious. Going back to decaf or switching to tea is a good idea.

I used Chantix to help me quit and I'm glad I did. I do suggest that you don't rush the process. They recommend that you set day 8 as your "quit day" but many people keep taking Chantix for 2 or 3 weeks before they feel ready to quit. Check with your doctor to make sure it's OK with him/her. If it is, then listen to your body and do what is best for you.

Bakon, everything is hard for you window lickers. That's why you lick windows, isn't it? :lol2:

What a cute photo! Very pretty kitty!

snooty

Thanks, Sharon. That's great advice for anyone-- whether they are quitting smoking or not!

Very well put, CS. I don't hate the sight or smell of cigarettes. I hope I never do. But I would like to get to the point where I can't even imagine myself smoking. I'm not quite there yet. In the meanwhile, however, I like Comrade Simba's philosophy of don't stop to peer into that hole. Just keep walking. :)

Yes, it's normal. Early in my quit I even had some panic attacks where I felt like I couldn't breathe. Scary! But eventually that all went away. When I am feeling anxious, I find it very helpful to do 4/4/4 breathing for a couple of minutes-- breathe in to the count of 4, hold it to the count of 4, breathe out to the count of 4. Repeat as often as necessary.

arrogant

I think your mindset is just fine, Laura. Just stay close to the board-- take the NOPE pledge and read a few posts every day-- and I think you will be fine. We often start to have trouble when we get a little lazy or let other concerns take precedence when quitting smoking should be our #1 priority for at least 6 months. I believe that you can totally DO this! You CAN!!

You are oh so right, EB! For the longest time I thought that I could no longer enjoy any "quiet moments" because I no longer could sit and smoke. It took me forever to realize that I could still enjoy my quiet moments-- I could still savor a victory or celebrate a job well done or get away from screaming kids for a few minutes-- WITHOUT A CIGARETTE!! It seems silly to say this, but I was so used to resting and smoking that I really thought that if I couldn't smoke, I couldn't rest. Period. My life had to be go...go...go! I know, I know, that sounds crazy to you successful quitters, but when I was new to my quit, I really believed that. Now, as you say, I understand that the cigarettes did not allow me to rest and/or reflect. I allowed myself to rest and/or reflect and Nicodemon was just co-opting that time to inject more poison into my body. Jeeze, isn't it amazing how nicotine scrambled our brains for so many years??!!

YES, CHOCOLATE!!! Oh, Tracey, where can I find this Utopia??!!! :lol: I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist. But seriously, Tracey is absolutely correct. You really do have to "fake it 'til you make it" by consciously telling your junkie brain that you no longer WANT cigarettes. It takes time, but your junkie brain will eventually shut up.

First time was when I was 11 or 12. A friend stole a pack of her parents' cigarettes and 3 of us kids went to a nearby park and smoked them. I did it because I was curious about what made cigarettes so attractive (my parents smoked, too) and because I wanted to be "one of the gang". We each smoked several. I remember feeling sick and dizzy. I didn't smoke again until I was 18 and a freshman in college. I bought cigarettes from a vending machine because I wanted to feel grown up. After that, I never looked back. Note that when I was 11 and when I was 18 I hid my smoking from my parents because I knew that they would object. They told me over and over again not to smoke. They said that it was a dangerous and expensive addiction and it's best to never start. But they both smoked so what message were they REALLY sending? That the pleasure was worth the danger and the expense. As a result, all three of their children smoked. If you have kids and you smoke, STOP!! Your example is much, much influential than your words.

Laura, I am sorry that you are having such a hard time. I went back and read some of your prior posts to try to understand better what has been going on with you. One thing I noticed is that you seem to decide in advance how long you are willing to tolerate the craving for nicotine. You may be mentally prepared for a few days of misery, or a few weeks, or whatever. But there seems to come a point where you think that in all fairness, the cravings should be over. It seems to you that other quitters don't have to deal with so many cravings for so long. So you lose patience with yourself and with the process and decide to go back to smoking. If you haven't read it yet, please read my thread "How to prevent a relapse" and tell me what you think.

Stompin' at the Savoy! What would you sing if you were trapped on a desert island?

Wow! Looks like somebody made a cat with no bones. How weird is that??!!

During my first quit (oh so many years ago) I thought that if I could quit smoking for one month I would be free. Ha! I was wrong! During the next couple of quits I thought that if I could just get to 3 months I would be free. Ha again! Wrong again! Relapseville again! Then I quit for a year-- a whole year-- surely I am free now, I thought. Uh, um... no. Not yet. I was still romancing the cigarette and hanging on by my fingernails. I relapsed AGAIN! :( Finally, when I joined the forum I "met" many people and read many posts from those who had quit for more than one year. Many "Olde Pharts" crowned and welcomed to the lido deck. Best of all, these people were not struggling and hanging on by their fingernails every day like I was. They really were free. And every one of them told us that they had made a commitment to themselves to keep participating on the board regularly for at least one year. It's really important. I pride myself on learning from others. I took their advice and promised myself that no matter what, I will stay close to this board for at least one year. Thank you, Action, for reminding us all about how important this is.