Need suggestions and support

[Second chance]

Hello all! 

 

Quit smoking about 8-9 months ago. I quit with no research, just wanted to be free!

A few days after I experienced crippling anxiety.

My first time in life.

I didn't want to eat (associating the lack of cigarette after my meals), scared to be in bathroom alone, overall just pure fear!

 

Thats when I began to research and realized that this was a very common symptom amongst those quitting nicotine.

I finally began to eat more, keep hydrated, stick to the HALT (hunger-anger-lonley-tired) rule. Breathing was better and all the physical withdrawal symptoms were gone. After a few months later everything felt totally better. I began to feel the freedom I was looking forward to...

 

 

 

Fast forward to last week. It all started again!!!  It even added some depressing moments because I dont want to be like this forever. Couldn't imagine quit smoking, which is a positive thing,  to be so bad. 

 

I can't understand what triggered it. I've been reading post on diffeent sites and found this could be PAWs (Post Acute Withdrawal syndrome). I'm so tired insomnia and the anxiety is tough.

I dont want medicine because I've been told it does go away. 

 

So to end the long story, has anyone else dealt with this previously or currently monthsss after quitting? 

 

Any tips suggestions. 

 

[SmokeFree]

It's your choice.  I relapsed a couple times before getting it.  Smoking is not an option. 

 

To stop just do one thing.  Do not set fire to the toxic stick.

 

[El Bandito]

Second Chance.

 

Congrats on quitting!

 

Tip?

 

Get a hobby. No offence.

 

You seem to obsessing on obsessing on anxiously being anxious.

 

You quit. You did it. Celebrate! Reward yourself. Focus on all the positive benefits of your quit. 

 

You are naturally anxious about the risk that you might one day put something in your mouth and set fire to it - smile and nod at the power of the addiction and get on with you smoke-free life.

[Reciprocity]

Welcome to Quit Train Second Chance  

 

I have not experienced this nor have I ever heard of anyone else that has either. Are you sure this anxiety is as a result of your previous quit? I't might be something unrelated. I know my own sleep patterns change from time to time yet I'm not sure why specifically. They did even before I quit so I;m pretty sure it not related to that. My best suggestion would be to seek a medical opinion on this. You'll find pretty much anything you look for on the internet but it's not always the truth in terms of your own life situation. A medical professional may be able to help you sort through this issue and point out some possible causes. You don't necessarily have to follow any medication suggestions. That's your call. Best wished that you find the source and are able to deal with it effectively.  

[Sazerac]

Welcome Second Chance

here are Ten Ways To Effectively Use This Forum.

 

Check with a med professional if you have concerns, otherwise

take one day at a time and Protect Your Quit.

 

Junkie thoughts will tell you ANYTHING just to keep you enslaved to nicotine.

 

Free Your Head.

Push smokey thoughts away with vigor and replace them immediately with something of beauty.

Stop giving nicotine power.  YOU have the power now.

 

Reward yourself ! 

The Significance of Rewards

Here is another thread that may help,

Quitting Smoking Blues

[jillar]

Welcome second chance and congratulations on eight months smoke free. Your anxiety could be totally unrelated to quitting and actually something that was masked BY smoking. My advice to you would be to schedule yourself a Dr visit and tell them your concerns. Hopefully once you get a clean bill of health you'll be less anxious. Or your Dr may want to put you on an anxiety med to help you.

[Mee]

Second chance.  Sounds to me like you are experiencing anxiety or a panic attack.  This may have nothing to do with quitting smoking but tends to because of the way you think.  People with anxiety tend to be over thinkers.  We constantly "what if" and replay events in our lives over and over.  A panic attack can seem very real - your heart beating faster, difficulty breathing, sudden fear that you are going to die.  I had my first panic attack twenty years ago and was a smoker at the time.  It took a couple of trips to the emergency room  before I was diagnosed with panic disorder.  There is medication that helps.  It also helps to think yourself out of it.  I take deep breaths, sing to myself and try to direct my thoughts towards something pleasant. 

Panic attacks can be very debilitating.  Why suffer when there is medication.  

I am at 7 months quit and I have been experiencing depression but as I look over my life, I have a lot of stressful things going on.  Therefore, I do not believe it is just the quit that is affecting me.  

Quitting smoking is the best thing you can do for your life.  Talk to your physician about the things you are feeling.  Never feel you need to go back to smoking.  

[sgt.barney]

Non-smokers have anxiety attacks, too. 

They deal with them without smoking. 

You should, too. 

Sarge is just sayin' - you are a non-smoker now. 


EZPZ

Edited February 20, 2019 by sgt.barney

[Lust4Life]

Hi Second Chance and welcome! As I read it, you have some anxiety. You do not wish to start any medication for the anxiety.  One question you asked us did anyone else experience this? Yes, I did. 

 

I found myself avoiding friends (that smoked), talking on the phone at length with friends/family, going out to bars/pubs to socialize.  This self imposed isolation brought on some depression.  Seemed like nothing was fun.  This went on for several months.   

 

I found quit smoking forum to be a great ally and support network. Reading posts & posting my own- playing games here offer a great distraction.   My anxiety and depression improved.  I started doing low impact exercises- water aerobics, walks.  Slowly I re-entered social situations.

 

The one thing I knew for sure was that smoking again would make me feel MORE anxious and MORE depressed.  The first months of quitting were very hard for me & I never wanted to do it again.  If I smoked- I’d be a smoker until my untimely and early death. Talk about living with anxiety! Doing something you know will harm more than help you. 

 

Stick around here.  Stay distracted. Don’t smoke.

Edited February 20, 2019 by Lust4Life

[Doreensfree]

Hello and welcome .!!!!!

You have been given really good sound advice ...

Its always wise to check with your GP ,if your concerned about your health ...we are not qualified to help with your health problem,s....

We can certainly help with your quit ...and support you a 100 per cent ....

What we do know is smoking won't change or help in anyway.....

[MLMR]

Suggestion: write down when, how often and how long you feel like that. The shitty thing about anxiety is that its so overwhelming and energy consuming, that it often seems to last longer than it actually does. Besides, quitting smoking can cause time distortion though im not sure if thats still the case with you after 8 months.. I think you should pay attention to what you are anxious about, instead of focussing on whether or not quitting smoking is the cause.

 

Take care and let us know how you are doing ok?

[notsmokinjo]

Get a general check up with bloods. There are a handful of medical conditions that nicotine suppresses the symptoms of so are often not apparent until you quit. When I first quit and for maybe the first 6-7 months I had shocking insomnia...I basically was sleeping 2-4 hours a day...shocking anxiety (and I had that as a smoker)....so it had bugger all to do with quitting, it was because I had a medical condition that the nicotine had been hiding, it took quitting to for the symptoms to show. So get checked, rule out a physical issue. 

 

[WeegieWoman]

I suffer from anxiety too. I think it has lessened since I quit. But anyway. Alcohol makes my anxiety worse. Helps it short term but much worse following day. So avoid alcohol. Exercise helps my anxiety, it's like it busts all that horrible energy out my body. Well not all of it, but some of it. So I really recommend that. Any toxic people in your life that stress you out? Get rid of them! 

My anxiety is ongoing and not quit related though so might be different to yours. I also try to be open about it, if I'm comfortable enough. As feeling extremely anxious AND trying to hide it makes it 100 times worse for me! 

If you find a solution please share it with me  

[Doreensfree]

If you suffer from anxiety ...please try Qi Gong...I swear by it ....

There are all levels to follow on You Tube ...it's so relaxing and easier than yoga ,if you have bone and joint  issues .....this is for you ....

Try the beginners class....fabulous ....