Hello from Ohio

[manesha_t]

Hello everyone, my name is Manesha. I'm 24, currently in college in Ohio but I'm from California! This is the first time I've ever joined a forum, so this is all really new to me. I started smoking at the age of 14, had a lot of alone time being an only child so I would experiment with the wrong things. People around me in my family such as my aunts and uncles smoked cigarettes so it was definitely around in hindsight. I never thought I could really get addicted to something (stupid, really) but hey look at me now, 10 years later and I've smoked more than I ever thought I would. I probably smoked 1/2 a pack a day by the age of 16. It was how I blew off my stress and nerves dealing with my mother, I guess. We always had a rocky relationship in my teenage years and I never felt I had anything or anyone I could turn to, so I'd sit in my bathroom and smoke cigarettes. Just talking about it now, it seems very idiotic, but anyways at the time it seemed rebellious but I wasn't hurting anyone but myself.  My mom eventually found out and we would get into more fights and more arguments. That only made me want to do it more, then starts the addiction. Now, age 17 I'm smoking on a consistent basis. I came to college and got in trouble for smoking in my dorm, it was becoming a problem in my life. I wasn't even enjoying it anymore but I couldn't stop. Finally, 24 years old I'm just emotionally exhausted of cigarettes having such a control over my life, my day, what I do next, etc. I started Chantix, took it religiously for 3 weeks, and it worked wonders for my cravings. December 14, 2018, I went to Cabo for vacation and decided I will not have another cigarette. Not buy a pack when on vacation, the minute I leave the airport I'm done. Today is January 3, 2019. I haven't touched a cigarette or Chantix since I left but now I have smoker's flu and it's kicking my ass. Is this real? I researched it and it said nicotine withdrawal can mimic the flu, but this seems so real. Anyways, I'm just glad I stumbled upon this site, you all seem like amazing people. It's nice to meet you, I apologize for the ramble lol.

[Sazerac]

Welcome, manesha !

Congratulations on quitting smoking.

You will find that education about nicotine addiction is your most important tool to quit

so, have a stroll around the site and read read read and watch the vids.

You may find this thread helpful

10 Ways To Effectively Use This Forum To Help Yourself Quit Smoking 

[Reciprocity]

Hi manesha_t! Welcome to quit train  

You'll find a lot of information and support here and it's important to have support from other quitters because .... we actually get it! All the stuff you will go through, we have all experienced the same stuff so it's a great pace to come and research stuff or ask questions. Knowledge about this addiction is critical to beating it. Your comment about the control nicotine addiction has over your life is a significant one. That's probably one of the most benefits of quitting. Stick close to this place and you will learn lots and we can support you through your quit.

 

And yes, there are many quit symptoms that are similar to a flu is common in the early days. Make sure you drink lots of water and suck on candies or something with sugar in it because your blood sugar levels will drop once you quit.

 

You are smart to tackle this addiction while you are still young and have the ability to heal your body. Hope to see you around. All the best with your quit!

[Sazerac]

Hey, Manesha,

I went digging in the archives and found this great vid (and text)

from our friend, Joel,

General Warning About Getting Colds or Flu after Quitting 

 

 

Edited January 3, 2019 by Sazerac

[jillar]

Welcome manesha and congratulations on that awesome quit you have going already You are a very smart young lady to quit while you are still young. You have a great chance of pretty much undoing all the damage smoking caused.

Sorry you're not feeling well, it is flu season so it may just be you caught a bug. But you will probably notice like I did that you'll recover much quicker than when you smoked. Since I quit I've only been sick two times and they were both very light colds and I quickly recovered. Another perk of quitting  

[Mee]

Hi Manesha.  I live in Ohio also.  That cold you have may just be from our awful weather.  I got the cold from hell over the holidays.   

Good for you to be so wise and want to quit.  You have a great start going.  You can do this.   Most of us here are older and wish we would have been smart enough to quit in our younger years.  Just stick close and we are here to guide you through this.  

 

 

[Doreensfree]

Welcome aboard ...

I wish I had the brains to quit at 24 ....I struggled till I was in my sixties ....

I love it when a youngen ..comes here and says enough is enough ....

Your body is going through bit changes ...its all over the place right now ...

It's used to being fed poisions for alot of years .....

Be patient ...day by day your body will heal ...

Looking forward to travelling this journey with you ....

[johnny5]

Welcome Manesha!  Congratulations on quitting smoking.

 

Sorry you are feeling ill.  It may be due to quitting or it may be illness.  It never hurts to see a doctor if you are too concerned.

 

Keep going strong in your quit.  Things will get much better with time and it is definitely worth the hard work to quit.

[notsmokinjo]

Welcome Manesha.... sorry to be a little late to the party. Well done you for deciding to take back your life.

 

So... not much to add, besides my welcome, but with your cold... honey and lemon... natural antibiotic and natural antiseptic... they really do help, Irish nanna's wouldn't have been pushing them on sick people for hundreds of years if they didn't... even if its for peace of mind see the doc if you don't improve.