Quitting is VERY HARD

[Jewel]

Only 2 wks 1 day into not smoking, COPD better but even w/all the dangers denial is strong & side effects after 47+ years of smoking is I'm miserably uncomfortable! I really don't want to be attacked... I understand the dangers, the heartbreak etc, I started smoking at 9 & quitting is hard! I dealing w/plenty & quitting has amplified my anxiety & so many other things. I never really tried to quit & never have been w/o a cig for this amount of time. I'm grateful & happy that I managed. Don't even know how! I have patches & lozenges, taking handful of vitamins & herbal remedies but it's not the same. I'm glad I found this group & will get acquainted! I need support outside myself for sure! Any suggestions appreciated!

[Reciprocity]

Hi Jewel and welcome to the quit train. Congratulations on your first two weeks of quitting. That's a really good start! You are right that this quitting thing is not easy, particularly in the beginning!! It's the same for all of us - trust me. You are still in the very early part of you quit and things will gradually get easier to manage. The time frame for all of this is different for everyone but as long as you don't smoke, you will get through the really crappy part of quitting and slowly reprogram your own thinking so that you will not only live happily without cigarettes but you will wonder why you didn't quit sooner.

 

And yes, having a support group who know exactly what you are going through is important to getting through your quit. Please also educate yourself about this addiction because, that's what it is - an addiction. That's why it's so hard to stop smoking. It only wants you to feed it more of what it demands. It does nothing for you. Please read all you can on this site and watch the Joel videos about smoking. Read all the posts you can here and participate as well. That really does help keep your mind focused in the right direction. Attitude and dedication to getting through the tough part will get the job done for you.

 

Be sure to commit to the dail NOPE pledge here as well. It gets you started off right each day. Not One Puff Ever! There's a separate page for this on the main board.

[Doreensfree]

Morning Jewel..

Welcome to this fabulous place..take your seat,buckle up..this will be a fascinating journey...

You will have some bumps and bends along the way,but if you stay seated..freedom will be your destination..

R!!..said it perfect...understanding this horrible addiction ,will be your tools and your weapon..

There are many of us here ,who have smoked just as long ,and some longer..its doable...

Stay close ,post often..your posts will help the folks who will follow you..

I started at 11..and smoked 52 years..if I can do it ..you can too..

All I can promise you is..Freedom from cigarettes has been the best amazing thing I have done for my health...

[Boo]

Quitting has its challenges, but gets easier with time and rewards you in many ways.  Smoking only takes and offers nothing in return.  Quitting may seem like a laborious process, but is a simple matter of adjusting to a new freedom.  You've left your comfort zone behind and begun a journey to a better way of living.  Every challenge faced during those initial days of the quit are well worth the effort.  Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for yourself.  

 

Trust the process and the process will reward you exponentially.

 

Regardless of how challenging the hiking, scrambling, and climbing may be no one ever regrets the effort when they reach the peak.  Happy climbing Jewel.

[bakon]

Lots of smarty pants above. Quit smoking can be compared to many things. Attitude is biggest part.

 

Hard or Easy. My comparison could be either, just like smoking. Can be both at same time.

 

Why is divorce so hard? Cause it's worth it.

Same with smoking.

[babs609]

Vent away Jewel

Quitting is hard....but being a smoker is actually harder

That's what brought you to want to quit....being a smoker was just way to hard

 

One day at a time...one hour at a time...sometimes...one minute at a time

 

The only thing you have to do is not take a puff....you can do that...

[Jewel]

Good morning! Been through many things & don't remember feeling anything like this! Actually perhaps many years ago! I'm buckled up but real unsure! The discomfort, cravings & constant obsession w/smoking is making me crazy! How do I get through next 24?

I really appreciate all of your kind replies & help! I am very tired, nervous, irritable, uncomfortable, totally sick to stomach & not smoking right now! The longest 24...

[Reciprocity]

There is nothing you can do to eliminate the discomfort of the early quit but you can do whatever you have to in order to distract your mind from focusing on your temporary misery. Binge watch TV or videos, go for a long walk, immerse yourself in your work if you are working, take lots of naps if you can, take a relaxing bath or a hot shower - do whatever you need to do to NOT SMOKE. Remember, this more difficult part of the quit will not last all that much longer as you are already 2 weeks in. That's the other thing - you have 2 weeks of hard work invested in this quit. Do whatever you have to so that hard work isn't wasted. You can do it! Believe in yourself. Read all you can here and watch the Joel videos. Once you truly understand that smoking does nothing good for you, it will be a lot easier to take smoking off the table in terms of it being a quick fix for all your problems - it's not. Only adds to them!

 

Make a list of all the reasons why you want to quit smoking. Keep that handy so you can read it often. That will support your determination to quit. Make another list for yourself of all the benefits that smoking gave you. You know, like it improved your health, added money to your bank account, made you more socially acceptable in public and made you in general a much more popular person? And be careful with this one - smoking reduces stress. That's not really true. You are an addict when you smoke so every minute longer you go without feeding your addiction, the stress inside you increases! Smoking only adds stress to your life. All those other life issues you used to try and get through by smoking them away will still be with you like they are with everyone. You still have to deal with them only, as a non-smoker, you'll be able to deal with them better :)

[babs609]

smoking also sometimes masks underlying issues that we were not aware of while smoking.

If this feeling continues, you might want to talk to your doctor.  The nicotine should be out of your system by now....

[Doreensfree]

On the main board ..under smoking discussions... You will see pinned posts with a green symbol..

There is a whole ton of useful information...videos..hints and tips for you...check these out....

Keep posting...

[Jewel]

Thank you! I'm really Grateful for your help! Yes, I've had many changes & increased things arising the last several months. I had also tried to cut back smoking & occasionally could but total obsession! Anyway, I'll look into videos & more info little bit. Trying to focus & having difficulty w/that too. I'm glad you are here & appreciate your replies!

[Reciprocity]

The difficulty focusing is completely normal (just so you know). I was basically a walking zombie for the first few weeks of my quit but, that too eventually goes away. Maybe try to drink more water or, some say fruit juice helps too. Sometimes the "foggy head" issue is related to a change in your blood-sugar levels. I understand you are still feeding nicotine into your body via the patch & lozenges but all those other toxic chemicals your body has been ingesting  over the years are no longer there so your body is making huge (and for the better) adjustments. It takes a while for it to get through that stage - it's all a process.

 

If you were not taking ANY nicotine supplements, it would take approx. 3 days for your body to be completely rid of all nicotine. (Called a Cold Turkey Quit). Getting rid of the nicotine is just a small part of the quitting process. The much larger part and the part that takes so long is reprogramming your brain to learn to live without smoking. Smoking invades virtually every facet of our life. When you stop suddenly your brain still focuses immediately on having a cigarette based on triggers for smoking in your life: waking up in the morning, having a coffee, a stressful event, a sad event, a happy event. You feel lost and anxious for the first while until you start living life without turning to smokes every 30 minutes or so. And once you start to get comfortable with that - you will feel so proud and so great that you can function happily without those deadly cancer sticks. You'll see. Just keep pushing ahead.

 

Also, maybe get a ticker thing for yourself so you can follow your progress. It will show you how many cigs you have NOT smoked and how long your quit is and how much $$ you've saved. If you need help doing that - let me know and I will Private Message you instructions on how to set one up :)

[PeaceTrain]

Hi Jewel and welcome to the Train!  If things get rocky for you, just remember that all the effort you've put into your quit is like building blocks, or laying bricks... keep on stacking them and you'll eventually be comfortably on the smoke-free side of beautiful wall, relaxing in victory.  If you toss away your quit, you'll have to start building again from scratch.  Every crave you face down, every situation when you used to smoke and now are CHOOSING not to...  all these are accomplishments that make you stronger and stronger.  Like a bricklayer, you're getting stronger every day even though your arms may be tired from laying all those bricks, you can sleep well, satisfied that you've done a good day's work.  Best wishes and KTQ!!!

[NADA]

Couldn't agree more Jewel.....quitting is VERY HARD.  In the early stages it can be an all consuming obsession.  But as time goes on the periods between cravings grows wider.  Eventually you start to feel a new (and better) sense of comfort.

 

I used to cuss out my cravings.  "Bring it on!  No matter what you throw at me, I will kick your a$$ and eventually you'll get tired of hounding me".  The ultimate reward is a wonderful sense of freedom and better health.  You'll see!

[Boo]

The discomfort, cravings & constant obsession w/smoking is making me crazy! How do I get through next 24?

 

The obsessive thoughts about smoking are magnified when you quit, but in reality are nothing new.  When we smoked, our addiction had a way of controlling our every waking hour.  An addict's day is planned around when and where we get our fix.

 

For several months after I quit, I would still scan a building for ingress and egress points when I walked into an unfamiliar place.  How do I sneak out of this place when I need a smoke was my top priority.  I did this subconsciously for years, but didn't notice it until after I quit.

 

Addicts obsess...it's what we do.  Just one more reason breaking free of the slavery of smoking is one of the best things we ever do for ourselves.

 

How do I get through next 24?

 

You just keep going.  It gets easier with time.  24 turns to 48.  48 turns to 72.  And so on.  Eventually this insidious addiction is in the rearview and there's nothing but open road ahead.

[Jewel]

I'm hoping quickly rather than slowly it's far behind & road is too dusty to see it larking there! Thank you! This too shall pass & its not any easier than it was a few minutes ago or yesterday or even a week! I need to QUIT! I've been fortunate & may not even know the harm/damage done by smoking. Just the way I wanted it! Now I need to be mature & honest smoking is stupid & playing Russian Roulette w/the bullets slowly planted over & over again! I'll explode eventually! Yes, my mind & body is feigning for a CIG & lies to me over & over again! I can't smoke now or... I'm a quitter!

[babs609]

You"ve got the Jewel!

 

You are already a non smoker....and it's not your mind or your body wanting the cig.....it's the addiction.

 

it get's easier I promise

 

hang in there...and post post post...read read read

 

I remember early days....all I did was think about smoking...or the fact that I wasn't smoking....the crave that would just creep up and make me say to myself "DAMMIT!!  when will it get easier??????"  

 

I found that when I stopped asking that question....it finally got easier and I would go hours without even once thinking about a smoke...I was shocked!  not that those thoughts didn't come back...they did..sometimes with a vengeance....but I saw the light at the end of the tunnel...and it was a great feeling

 

You are doing fantastic!

[Reciprocity]

Challenging at the early stage of your quit Jewel but so worth hanging in there to get to the point where you will only wonder why you did not quit earlier. There are a number of people here who smoked for 50 years +. If they can quit, so can you! Don't deceive yourself by thinking you are different from the rest of us. You are just the same. We have quit and so can YOU!

[Jewel]

I really appreciate all of your replies! Watched videos & read many posts & info about quitting! This is absolutely a very difficult process & since I chose the patches/lozenges, I'll get to keep going through the hard part awhile... It's definitely worth it! I truly didn't think I'd be able to ever quit! I'm excited & can't wait for the easier, softer version of being a quitter! I'll keep my quit going, praying for sleep & an easy day soon. Thanks!

[Doreensfree]

Take it steady Jewel..

Don't over think..just take one day at a time...this is how I did it...

What can I do to help me through this day.????

My sleep pattern was messed up for a few weeks..but settled down...

Just remind yourself ..this feeling is temporary... It will all pass..

[Boo]

It's definitely worth it! I truly didn't think I'd be able to ever quit! I'm excited & can't wait for the easier, softer version of being a quitter! I'll keep my quit going, praying for sleep & an easy day soon. Thanks!

 

You're on the right path Jewel.  Proceed to freedom.

[sgt.barney]

It is as hard ... or as easy ... as you make it out to be.

 

You are in complete control.

 

 

 

Easy Peasy

[Jewel]

Good afternoon! Yep, been rough morning, got some sleep & up very early! Weird, miss that nasty taste, the smoke & really must be the addiction telling this crazy stuff! Hope y'alls day is going very well, mine's missing in action! Its fixing to rain here, guess if it gets to rough I'll play in it & try to liven it up!

[Doreensfree]

Good to hear you got some rest...

Get yourself some nice strong mouth wash...I promise you Will love that nice clean taste..

Your tongue will turn nice and pink ,and healthy looking, instead of white furry gunk...

After 3 days all the nicotine will have left your body...how great is that...

Good things ahead...

[Reciprocity]

Good job Jewel!!!

 

Do what you have to to keep quit in these early days. It will be so worth it down the road :)