abbynormal

We miss you, Reci! Sending you lots of healing, happy thoughts.

Whatever method you choose to quit, there will be a period of discomfort when you finally let go of the nicotine all together. NRT can be helpful in getting off the cigarette smoking habit. (It should not be used at the same time as smoking, though. Nicotine overdose is a very real danger.) Once you've gotten used to not having a cigarette in your hand, then you face getting off the addictive substance of nicotine. At some point, you will face withdrawal. There is no getting around it. It's up to you how soon you want to face it. Some people like to kick the cigarette habit first and then face the nicotine. Others like to get it all over and done with at once. Again, it's up to you how you choose to approach it. I do recommend you learn as much as you can about nicotine addiction. That will help you formulate a plan for yourself. It will also help you to know what to expect at every stage in the process. Quitting takes work. Cravings suck, there's no denying that. But a craving won't kill you. Cigarettes will. Remembering that makes the choice a little easier, I think. And you will find a ton of support here to help you get through the rough patches. Support has been key for me. I hope you will take advantage of all of the wisdom and encouragement you can find here.

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Welcome aboard the Train, Josalee! Good to see some more QuitNetters finding their way here. :-)

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To any die-hard Metallica fans out there, I apologize for what I'm about to say... I like this cover better than the original!

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-3 We are getting nowhere.

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-3 Hey Saz!!! How goes it?

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NOPE NOPE NOPE

Hey, @TIGERMATT! I'm glad you decided to stop lurking and join us. I'm also very glad to hear you have 21 days of freedom! I'm sorry you have the flu. I hope you get over it quickly. It sucks to get sick when you are trying so hard to do healthy things for yourself. At least you aren't smoking and making your illness worse! The anxiety will lessen over time. I have anxiety disorder, and after the first few weeks I noticed that suddenly my overall level of anxiety had DECREASED dramatically. I was no longer in the craving/withdrawal cycle, and that left me in a very pleasant state of calm. (Most of the time, anyway. With anxiety disorder my anxiety levels always run higher than those without the disorder, but I don't have nicotine cravings adding to it anymore!) I won't ever add nicotine back into the equation again. I value my state of calm too much to start that up again. You'll get there. Your brain is still adjusting. But I bet within the next couple of weeks you start to notice a difference.

@GabbieGirl I don't have much advice to add to what's already been said, but I wanted to welcome you to the Train and to say that I know what it's like to be afraid of giving up your "crutch." I have always had a crutch, since I was a kid. For years it was food, then shopping, then cigarettes, and when I quit cigarettes it went back to food again. (I have bipolar and anxiety disorders, and living without a crutch is, for me, intensely difficult.) I think the only reason I never got addicted to alcohol is that I never liked the taste very much. Learning to live life without masking uncomfortable feelings takes a lot of dedication...and support. Support you can find here. The dedication you find within yourself. It's there, I promise you. Sometimes it takes reaching a breaking point to uncover it. It sounds like that was the case with alcohol for you. Other times, it's wanting to avoid that breaking point that causes us to become dedicated to making change. For example, this year I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that attacks the lungs. I went through a period of several weeks where I struggled to breathe. Fortunately for me, that particular symptom went into a kind of remission after a while, but it scared me straight. I will never take another puff of anything other that fresh air ever again. Because I don't want to wait until I've reached the breaking point of COPD, other lung disease, or cancer before I quit smoking. I know now what it's like to struggle for air. So I'm dedicated to living a smoke-free life. I did, however, return to food as a crutch to get me off the cigarettes. I did what I had to do to protect my lungs. But now I'm ready to make changes in my diet, as well, because my autoimmune disease is making me miserable, and the one thing I can control is what I put into my body. It's all about taking back control. Which isn't easy, I know. Once I give up my addiction to food, I'm going to be left without a crutch. And that thought scares me a lot. I'm going to have to face my depression and anxiety and the trials and tribulations of life without that self-comforting mechanism. I'm working on finding healthier ways of consoling myself. And this is also where having a support system comes in really handy. I'm sticking close to the forum here and to my supports in the 3D world and asking for help when I need it. And I want you to know you can reach out to me for help anytime. I'm here to listen without judgement and to share any insights I've gained from my own experience with addiction. I know there are many others here who are willing to do the same. Wow, I ended up rambling on longer than I intended to! Welcome, and I hope to see more of you!

@Steve63 you are spot on to change your attitude about your quit! That's what's helped me to be successful this time around. We can't feel sorry for ourselves--we aren't missing out on anything! Smoking is not something to be missed. Once we realize that, we have won half the battle!

What can I say, my friend? You have been there for me through the ups and downs of my quit process. I have been so proud to watch you remain steadfast in your quit, and I'm honored to celebrate this anniversary with you!

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