Lord have mercy

[rustycolts]

I swear I am about to go to the hospital and have them induce a coma and keep me in a vegetative state for the next 3 months at least that way I wouldn't feel anything.These last two days have been miserable.I mean the cravings have been constant I just about gave up the ghost yesterday.I just do not remember it being this bad the last time I stopped.Of course my wife smokes and that is not making it any easier.She is going outside and did switch to menthol because she knows I hate those,but at this point the type of cigarette does not matter,hell at this point I would smoke a rolled up magazine.

[Reciprocity]

Yeah, I remember being exactly there Rusty so you are not alone in what you are feeling. It's early days and you are in the thick of those initial battles with your addiction. You just need to buckle down and get through these days. They won't last long. Distract yourself in whatever way you can so you don't focus on those cravings. Deep breathing exercises work great to calm yourself. Remember, every battle you do against those cravings, they will get weaker and you will actually get stronger. Just don't smoke anything because YOU are now a non-smoker

[Ren]

You can do it Rusty!! My wife still smokes sometimes and I find it difficult too. Basically I just don't want to know about it. There are times when I felt resentful of her, mad that "she can smoke" and "I don't get to have one" but the reality is that I don't want to inhale poison, and I don't want HER to inhale poison, and I know that staying quit will encourage her to one day (soon, hopefully) do the same. Even if she continues, I'm starting to enjoy telling people that I don't smoke (I was mad about having to quit for weeks), or hearing my wife tell her coworkers that I don't smoke anymore. The end of every smoke-free day is a goal met. The start of every day is an opportunity to succeed again. 

[TravellingSunny]

I'm so proud of you, Rusty!  Sounds like you are really having a tough time this go round, but you're doing great!  You really are!  My husband still smokes, and he goes outside as well, but I understand exactly where you're at.  You can do this.  You're almost at a week already.  You know it will get easier, right?  It will.  I promise.  Just don't smoke!!

[rustycolts]

I am not giving up but man I don't think I can go through another day like yesterday.

[TravellingSunny]

6 minutes ago, rustycolts said:

I am not giving up but man I don't think I can go through another day like yesterday.

 

Every day will be different; it may be better today and then tough again tomorrow.  But, every tough day will slowly get easier and easier.  Yesterday was a real beast for me as well.  I want to be happy and proud of myself, but I'm just miserable.  Try to remember how much more miserable you will be if you break your commitment to yourself.  You can totally do this.  We'll do it together.

[rustycolts]

Thanks Sunny I appreciate it.If you need anything I have your six as well.

[rustycolts]

16 minutes ago, Ren said:

You can do it Rusty!! My wife still smokes sometimes and I find it difficult too. Basically I just don't want to know about it. There are times when I felt resentful of her, mad that "she can smoke" and "I don't get to have one" but the reality is that I don't want to inhale poison, and I don't want HER to inhale poison, and I know that staying quit will encourage her to one day (soon, hopefully) do the same. Even if she continues, I'm starting to enjoy telling people that I don't smoke (I was mad about having to quit for weeks), or hearing my wife tell her coworkers that I don't smoke anymore. The end of every smoke-free day is a goal met. The start of every day is an opportunity to succeed again. 

Thanks Ren I think it was a little easier last time because I was still working 12 hours a day.Retired a little early and now I have a lot of free time which before now I would have never considered a bad thing.

[Sazerac]

You are in the thick of it, Rusty, no doubt.

The sooner, by sheer force of will,  you begin to replace smokey thoughts with anything else, the sooner your agitation will abate.

I did a lot of screaming in the shower.

Each crave you beat is one more brain receptor you have captured from nicotine.  That receptor will stay in your possession forever unless you smoke again.

That receptor will now dole out dopamine appropriately, to make you feel good.

You can hasten the wind by rewarding yourself.  Treat yourself for every crave beaten, make a point of it.

Replace each crave with a kindness you do for yourself.

Have you read through this, Your First Days Nicotine Free ?  Please add your tricks too.

[Jordan7]

Hang on, Rusty, and huge congratulations on making it to day six!  The first week is almost behind you.  Since every quit is different, maybe this time it's throwing everything at you up front and then things will start to get easier much more quickly than the last time.   Let's go with that for now as you slog through these never easy, early days.   Stay as busy as you can and get out and walk your dog whenever the worst of the craves hit (at least he'll be happy and it will be a great distraction for you).  Hopefully soon you'll notice that you are breathing a little easier and enjoying the walks more.  

[Stewie]

Its hell weak baby. Hold on and dont cry! It will get better i swear. And no, tomorrow you wont smoke either, you will endure what fate throws your way. Quit smoking is hard you have to deal with it.

[rustycolts]

Now I know things must be bad.My wife just told me to go buy a bag of weed.Neither of us have smoked since the 70s.I must really be turning into a lunatic.

[rustycolts]

9 minutes ago, Jordan7 said:

Hang on, Rusty, and huge congratulations on making it to day six!  The first week is almost behind you.  Since every quit is different, maybe this time it's throwing everything at you up front and then things will start to get easier much more quickly than the last time.   Let's go with that for now as you slog through these never easy, early days.   Stay as busy as you can and get out and walk your dog whenever the worst of the craves hit (at least he'll be happy and it will be a great distraction for you).  Hopefully soon you'll notice that you are breathing a little easier and enjoying the walks more.  

Here is my buddy.He is always up for a walk.

 

 

[Jordan7]

7 minutes ago, rustycolts said:

Here is my buddy.He is always up for a walk.

 

 

 

Now that's a good-looking quit buddy you have!   And extra walks mean you both get extra treats afterwards.   Just no smoking -- either of you.  

[Doreensfree]

The above posters have said it honey...

Scream,yell...and then scream some more...Hell week is nearly over...

Keep busy...deep breathing.... Walks....puzzles...anything...do anything...

I am not ashamed to admit I had a punching pillow...not saying who nfsce was on it...but I gave those punches all I had ...

Keep going...your coming great !!!!

[Martian5]

Rusty you can do this.  It sounds like you are doing the right things.  Being retired does make it a little harder, I have been going through the same thing.  More time on my hands so I walk, play with the dogs and any extra time that was getting hard to handle I come here and read, post, or have some fun.  You are doing great and that 1st week is almost done.

[Lin-quitting]

Hang in there Rusty. You are smarter than the addiction. You have more discipline than the addiction. You have more endurance than the addiction. You are stronger than the addiction. You are more handsome and better looking than the addiction.

 

 

Five days is fantastic work and you can build on this.....but only if you don't smoke.

 

(Do you have any home improvement projects you've been putting off? Boy, today would be the perfect time to start them, wouldn't it? I cleaned and organized closets in my first weeks of quitting.)

[NADA]

Hang in there Rusty.  One week is just around the corner.  It is precisely because these early days are so difficult that the reward is so meaningful. 

[PeaceTrain]

Congratulations on your quit, Rusty and kudos to you for quitting when you’re retired. My mom did the same thing when she retired. She had not smoked at work (the last few years anyway) and she just just knew if she didn’t quit she’d be chain smoking. Yes, it was hard but today she’s got 18 years smoke free and she’s going to be 86 in July. If she hadn’t quit, she wouldn’t be in great health like she is and she may not even have lived this long. 

 

Yes, today is hard but the rewards are endless. Keep your eye on the prize. Your freedom and improved health is priceless. 

[beazel]

Hang in there Rusty! This has been my hardest quit too & that's exactly what keeps me going....

 

I will NEVER do this again! 

 

 

 

 

 

[G67]

Hang in there Rusty.

[JimHannoonen]

Do this.

 

Take a handful of your wife's cigarette butts, put them in an empty jar and seal it. Every time you get a craving, open up that jar and take a big old whiff.

 

Yeah, that's what your mouth tasted like.

 

Do this every time.

 

I guarantee you won't want to smoke.

[TravellingSunny]

53 minutes ago, JimHannoonen said:

Do this.

 

Take a handful of your wife's cigarette butts, put them in an empty jar and seal it. Every time you get a craving, open up that jar and take a big old whiff.

 

Yeah, that's what your mouth tasted like.

 

Do this every time.

 

I guarantee you won't want to smoke.

 

Ooooh!  Aversion therapy... there's possibility here...

[JB 883]

Bad days come and go.

Typically it is within the first week or two that the worst ones happen. Sometimes though the worst days do not come for a few months. I didn;t struggle much until about my three month mark. Caught me off guard.

 

Within that first week is when I imagine most people blow their Quits. Do not be one of them. Sooner or later we have to pay some dues, in the form of nasty craves, when we quit smoking. Might as well get that crap over with now instead of giving in and being back to square one.

[johnny5]

Yeah Rusty, the first few days of a quit are really rough but you are making it through.  5 days smoke free is huge because those early days are the toughest.  You are almost at a week and you should be really proud.

 

Keep up the great work.  Do whatever you have to do to stay busy and smoke free.  The longer you go without a cigarette, the better you will start to feel.