DenaliBlues

Glad to gave you on the Quit Train @StellaBlue. “Firsts” are always hard… first vacation after quitting, first argument, first funeral, etc. I used patches when I quit and they definitely took the edge off. But I still got huge cravings (because I was a heavy smoker and because skin delivery is less potent). Ice cold drinks and the occasional nicotine lozenge when I was at the end of my rope got me through. You can get through, too. Until then, remember that your cravings are just your addiction throwing tantrums. You wouldn’t give a 3 year old a sharp knife - or a cigarette - just because she had a tantrum, would you? Of course not. Hang in there and post often!

Chess Board

Caulk the crack

Sight

NOPE

Welcome aboard @StruggleDaily! Glad to have you join the Quit Train community. You’ve made it through Hell Week already! That’s no small feat. Keep at it and you never will need to go through the withdrawal misery again. I smoked for 40+ years and it was really hard at first. But it DOES get better. Stay strong, and give your body and mind time to adjust. You won’t regret it. You can do this!

1

Yeah, sometimes the old siren song rises up. NOPE, indeed. You know how to swat that junk away… you know it’s a false narrative. Take tender care of yourself.

NOPE

Light

7

tapeworms

Great post, Kenzie! The more you question your addictive patterns, the better equipped you are to break free of them. The thing with heavy smoking is that it was an organizing principle of our life. It punctuated everything… waking up, going to bed, working, eating, coping (or not) with feelings. Without smoking it feels weird to live without a powerful stimulant in those interstitial life moments. That empty feeling passes. But till it does, fill those moments with something else punchy… an ice cold drink, a huge body stretch, whatever. The addiction tells us this fake story that smoking was gratifying. But that’s stinkin thinkin, romancing the smoke. The bare truth is that it’s NOT gratifying! The “ahhh” never lasts. The ONLY thing smoking ever did was make our junked up nicotine receptors want another hit. And another. Then another. Our addiction had us chasing gratification that we never could hold onto. Enough of that! Smack that craving with a big ol NOPE snd reclaim your life! You can do this, Kenzie.

N O P E

Hang in there, Stew. Sorry you’re having a rough ride. But well done on your 10 months!! The lido deck beckons!

nope

I feel you - been there. Hang tough. It feels wretched for a while, but this worst part DOES pass… and then you never have to go through withdrawal again! If you hang on till you make it to the other side, you’ll be glad you did. This early phase is a combo of physical and emotional withdrawal. Your addiction is putting up a fuss. Be kind to yourself, cry as needed, mourn the loss… that’s all part of letting your new free self emerge. Stay busy and keep the quit!

Welcome to the Lido Deck @QuittingGirl!! You are a great model of how perseverance and engagement here on the Train can help folks find freedom. Hats off to you, my friend!!

I’ll plug in the disco lights…

Welcome back!! So wonderful to read your post and to learn you are back on the path to freedom. The sleep thing sux for a while, then gets better. Radically reducing my caffeine intake helped (turns out nicotine accelerated how my body processes the stuff… it hangs around forever now that I’ve quit), as did good sleep hygiene (no screens in/before bed) and listening to audiobooks at night. Sleeping pills in a pinch, monitored by my Dr. It gets better after a while. Hang in there!

NOPE

-2

Welcome aboard! Congrats on your great decision to quit. This forum has helped a lot of people… it’s a great source of info, inspiration and positive reinforcement. Keep us posted on how you’re doing!