Sunshine59

This 4 month gap from cigarettes is my 5th or 6th attempt . It takes time to understand the triggers , control it and overcome it . And it takes time to adjust a life without cigarettes There was this one time i didn't tell anyone about my relapse . I then smoked for a whole week with a lot of depression .It was a bit pathetic . After that restarted again , Made a post here and have not touched a cigarette ever since . I am sure you can come back after a relapse within a week normally . Maybe it was this same downer feeling that led to that relapse . Its so important to learn all the factors that led to that sort of relapse , Its also important to learn to adapt with the ups and downs of life without cigarettes . My motto is simple , Even if i have a craving for cigarettes i am not going out and buying a cigarette ever again .

Yes , I will try that I want to try the plainest gum out there without any special flavors

@Lilly , I keep this pic in my Facebook account to constantly remind of the difference between smoking and not smoking

Thanks Martian5 , Christian99 . I haven't touched NRT gums since 1/5/2019 .But i am feeling a bit too dull without any of these . Too bored i guess . I am not sitting here doing nothing either , I have loads to study too for the next 4 more months , after that my degree course ends too . So i am tired and excited too . I am feeling a bit empty without any of these things , other than that i am feeling OK . Its not cravings , Its just plain boredom

One more , https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1124239223576379392/pu/vid/640x352/QIzmkwR80WJNkpLt.mp4

One more video , I think this is one of the heaviest i have seen happening in India even on Tv . https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/1124235862848311296/vid/596x480/SmXlfw3qbwcBzN-N.mp4

I am not living in its path , But i am watching the news too . Cyclone Fani: Powerful storm slams into eastern India coast https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-48121606 https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1124163016302444544/pu/vid/640x352/RvRRbh1LE7JYVXYq.mp4

Thanks jillar , johnny5 . No cravings at all . Just feel like going out a little bit more , That is all .

@jillar , reciprocity , notsmokinjo Thanks a lot for the support . @Jet Black , Eating these gums was becoming a habit , but i think it was way better than inhaling the smoke and ruining one's lungs

Thanks everyone .Another quit journey begins !!!!

According to this , An average smoker inhales 1 to 2 milligrams of of nicotine per cigarette A nicotine gum is a 4mg gum . So that mean's eating a nicotine gum is equivalent to 2 cigarettes ? I don't want to ingest 2 cigarette worth of nicotine gums every time i have an uncomfortable craving , even though i have been using it only once a week . I didn't know that eating 1 gum was equivalent to 2 cigarettes . So i am planning to throw away all the gums i have right now .

I did not know this , 10 Best Ways to Increase Dopamine Levels Naturally https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-to-increase-dopamine 9. Get Enough Sunlight Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a condition in which people feel sad or depressed during the winter season when they are not exposed to enough sunlight. It’s well known that periods of low sunshine exposure can lead to reduced levels of mood-boosting neurotransmitters, including dopamine, and that sunlight exposure can increase them (50, 51). One study in 68 healthy adults found that those who received the most sunlight exposure in the previous 30 days had the highest density of dopamine receptors in the reward and movement regions of their brains (52). While sun exposure may boost dopamine levels and improve mood, it’s important to adhere to safety guidelines, as getting too much sun can be harmful and possibly addicting. One study in compulsive tanners who visited tanning beds at least two times per week for one year found that tanning sessions led to significant boosts in dopamine levels and a desire to repeat the behavior (53). Additionally, too much sun exposure can cause skin damage and increase the risk of skin cancer, so moderation is important (54, 55). It’s generally recommended to limit sun exposure during peak hours when ultraviolet radiation is the strongest, typically between 10 am and 2 pm, and to apply sunscreen whenever the UV index is above 3 (56).

Exactly

Sorry , A bit out of context . I was typing that for myself

A really good post . Thanks for that , Yes , It does not offer anything special . Maybe everything else , And it can be dealt with enough time and patience The point of that is i think not to become self inflicted with some severe affliction , and then be mad about it for the rest of one's life .

1 and a half years of quit and breaking it can be a bit depressing I am in my 5th month without smoking . I still get very bored , tired and dull after 7 o clock in the evening ,because i spent a lot of time in the morning studying and preparing my final semester project Anyway please think positive and start new .You have only smoked a little after 1 and half years without smoking . Choose to be optimistic, it feels better Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions

@jillar , All the artificial light i have been staring into has been irritating me a bit . I still spend a lot of time behind PC , i will have to continue doing this until i finish this course . Yes that sunlight coming from the shades was of the right luminous intensity , I don't know what else to call it . It was very bright white and had an orange shade . I laid there like that for at least 20 minutes and it was a very good feeling

@Linda , Yes , I live near a beach @reciprocity , Doreensfree I am expecting the declaration of results tomorrow or maybe day after tomorrow. It was during a time like this i smoked last time after a month of staying away from smoking . But after that i quit again and now this is the 4rth month without any cigarettes . Anyway this time it is not happening because , 1.I do not have any cigarette with me 2.I am not planning to buy any cigarettes 3.I do not have a very strong cravings Thanks for the reply everyone

@Lilly , Thanks for the replies

@Lilly, Yes , I did .. It sort of works and calms you down . I then switched off the computer , went outside and i was laying on a slab outside the house staring at the skies at 12 o clock noon through the shades of the tree . Feeling much better

Maybe speaking in the S.O.S section helps . I am waiting for my 5th semester exam results .it must arrive within a week . After this , my last semester starts . Total 6 semesters in 3 years Every time this happens i go through a lot of stress . I am suddenly restless and impatient . How do i calm myself down ?

@Jet Black , Once you are a smoker , that tendency to smoke may remain for the rest of the lives . This is what i have learned from my past experiences . Only the intensity of the craving keeps changing . There are times when you have no cravings at all Sometimes you have a strong craving , You have to somehow fight it off Sometimes you have a very light craving , You still have to fight it off . You should have tried everything else other than smoking .

@reciprocity , Yes i am going to do that soon . Thanks for all the replies