Hello again 👋

[Brioski]

@jillar wow that actually makes me feel way better.  I saw/read for a few ppl breathing got worse before it got better so maybe that’s what’s happening too. 
And just now I start to feel it come on again. Using your pursed lip technique and telling myself it’ll be ok and I’m ok.  I hate this. 

[jillar]

Hugs @Brioski, hope those clues work for you...............

[Brioski]

Thank you  They did, but also taking a drive/getting out of the house and the rescue anxiety med helped too.  I get inside my own head too that I have all these different health ailments when I prob see my dr more than the average person and have a great, 30 yr relationship w him, for which I feel very lucky.  Anyway, thank you for your help jillar   I hope I’m not the craziest person on this site

[DenaliBlues]

Hi, @Brioski. So sorry you are having a tough day. I don’t have any advice for anxiety attacks (would use the tools your doc suggests and follow the tips from folks here with firsthand experience).
 

But I can say that in the first while after I quit, my breathing felt extremely strange at times. Sort of floaty, like I was taking in O2 but it was not “gripping” somehow. I believe it had something to do with the fact that I was a heavy menthol smoker. It took me a while to recalibrate to breathing without the pinchy feeling from smoke, menthol and chemicals. I had to get reacquainted with clean chemical-free oxygen.
 

This weird feeling got better. But during the transition, I appreciated aromatherapy inhalers and diffusers. Different essential oils have different properties and appeal to different people. But for what it’s worth, I found rose, grapefruit and sweet birch (wintergreen) scents to be helpful during the early weeks of my quit. Lavender, rosemary and jasmine also.

 

In any case, I’m wishing you ease and a good night’s sleep. Take care.

[Brioski]

Wow, @DenaliBlues that is such great advice, too!  I definitely am comforted (not glad per say but you guys get it) that you guys can relate to this uneven breathing….yesterday was def panic attacks but I slept great (like 8pm to 7am lol woah), nose breathing, and I feel ok right now.  The aromatherapy suggestion is great, I will def look into that too.  Thank you friends.  You’re comments, advice, and comforting words mean more than you know.   A beautiful blanket of snow has fallen, biggest one of the season really.  So I’ll try and take in the beauty today.

[Gus]

@Brioski I suffer from panic/anxiety attacks with depression. I was having major issues with anxiety after quitting smoking. I can’t remember exactly what I saw that first brought it to my attention that some quitters have to reduce or even totally cut their caffeine intake after they have quit smoking. I’m sorry that I’m not more informative on the whys of that. It has something to do with the brain having to need more caffeine for it to actually work when you smoke so that when you quit you are overloaded. Not everyone. But of course, me. I need coffee and I love an ice cold Coke. It’s one of my favorite things. I was using an ice cold Coke as a reward during my initial quit. My anxiety was so bad though that I was desperate enough to try lowering my caffeine intake and it worked!!! I could hardly believe it, but it helped so much. I am best when I have zero intake of caffeine, but living a life without caffeine is insanity itself, so some days I just deal with that. It bothers me that I can’t or don’t really want to totally let Coke and a really good cup of coffee completely go from my life. I mean I’ve kicked Nicodemon’s butt to the curb! Ground him under my heel into his own ashes and I just can’t seem to want to get rid of something that causes me so much emotional turmoil. Maybe if I have a full blown public breakdown it would make me want to totally let caffeine go. Maybe not. Anyway, I don’t know what your caffeine intake is, but it might be worth it for you to try reducing it for a period of time just to see if it eases the anxiety. I’m not positive, but I believe maybe it was @intoxicated yoda that first brought this issue to my attention. I hope that you can get the anxiety issues under control. I know how bad they can be.
P.S. You know those times when you feel like all you need is a really good cry? Well, I can very easily trigger that by fixing a really good strong cup of coffee or having a Coke.  That’s just how sensitive to caffeine I am and that depresses me greatly. But I press on. 

Edited February 28, 2023 by Gus
P.S. addition

[Brioski]

Thank you, @Gus your sharing some of your story was so kind and I appreciate it  I actually haven’t had caffeine for I think like 5 or 6 years due to high blood pressure, although I drink decaf and I know there’s trace amts in that but oh well.  I do love a good diet and caffeine free coke myself but lately it’s been cranberry juice and water or ginger ale or hint water. Thank you again  You all are so helpful I appreciate every one of you
 

On a separate/same note, I’m surprised about the times when I’m craving (I guess not craving bc it comes and goes rather quickly so triggers? maybe idk the times when I’d like a cig lol) because it’s not when I thought they’d be…ie I thought first thing in the morning, after I eat, driving, but those aren’t too bad…it’s after a shower, during a nice afternoon/evening cooking dinner, and after completing a house chore. Hmph, interesting. 

[Gus]

Same here with the triggers. I think the nicotine and chemicals screwed us up so much our bodies just go on the fritz during the beginning stages of our quit and can’t handle ‘peace’ so it wants to kill it and us. HaHa I will be 2 years quit next month and every so often while I’m reading and totally immersed in a book I find myself wanting a cigarette. Just a thought. Nothing major. I never really smoked while reading. I need both hands to read. Holding the book and turning pages. (I hate ebooks and audiobooks make me want to hurt someone.) I speed read. So, I’m constantly turning a page. If I lit a cigarette while reading it remained in the ashtray totally forgotten. (I don’t have the patience to read like a normal person. I get bored and anxious.) So yeah, I find it extremely odd that I now will think of a cigarette while reading. Probably just my brain attacking me because I am totally ‘zen’ if I have a book in my hands. So the ghost of nicotine tries to ruin that for me.  You are doing great. Recognizing and resolving your issues. Talking them through with someone. I hope the remainder of your day goes smoothly!

[Brioski]

Wow so interesting! Yes it does seem like that…destroyers the peace/peaceful times. I smiled reading about your reading….hopefully I’ll get to experience that one day…fleeting thoughts…. I went to visit my friend w my pup and wanted a cig in the midst of us hanging out but not in the car or anything, so weird.  Some light anxiety but nothing like yest. I also resigned from teaching last June so I think part of it is doing something, something to keep me busy and not just being at home all the time.  I have some ideas for a business so it’s just a matter of organizing and getting my life back together. 
im so so proud of your 2 year quit coming up Gus!!! Wow, all of you guys’ accomplishments are something to be valued and admired. I mean it.  Fantastic.   

[Dianne]

Welcome back on the train Brioski  You got this, you can do this! I had a hard time with anxiety when I quit. In part because of a bad reaction to steroids (oh lordy that was not fun) I found, quick ten minute walks helped (surely the neighbors thought I lost my mind lol so did I) walks and exercise also help with the dopamine. Rethinking time was one of the hard things for me when I quit. What to do now with that time I normally spent on feeding the addiction. I too loved smoking or thought I did. After reading here and watching videos I was honestly shocked to learn I was a addict. I always just thought I was just a smoker. The more I learned of it all the more I got mad, at the companies, at the government, at myself for allowing myself to become addicted and getting mad helped get me pass it all. Stay close to the site and reach out whenever you feel or want to. I so glad you got back on the train

[darcy]

Glad you're seated on the Quit Train, Brioski. 

I, too, have found a seat, given it up and returned (more than one time).

I have quit several times over the course of 40 plus years of active slavery to nicotine. Have always been well aware of the addiction to the drug.

I have quit by several "methods".

My quits have varied from nail-biting moment by moment breathing to put down the smokes and walk away with very little difficulty until months later when a difficult situation arrives and I ran back to slavery because I didn't have skills, tools or desire to navigate the space without the drug. 

 

I will say this site is by far the most helpful to me in my journey to REMAIN FREE.

 

My worst enemy is myself and the addiction lies I have held as 'real' for me for years.

 

The people, information and posts here are amazing in many many ways.  Ever so glad you are feeling the support.

I do suggest you pre-respond to our own S.O.S. on the thread.

I do suggest you USE the S.O.S. if you even vaguely maybe are close to putting something in your mouth and lighting it on fire.

        There is no crying "wolf" here.... we are saving our lives and here to support each other, so S.O.S. and play games in the game section whenever you need to be with people.

 

One breath at a time if that's what it takes.

NOPE scares me...and I'm doing it anyway (sporadically on the thread and presently in my everyday life).    I guess that's how I am trying to show myself I believe in myself.