Missing them

[Latoya]

Ok guys its been over 2 weeks since I quit, and 1 week since I went cold turkey. I feel alot better I dont get those withdrawals so bad anymore. The one thing I am concerned about is that i miss smoking. I have been thinking about them for the last 2 day.i even had a day dream that I had one in my hand. Anybody felt like this in their beginning of quitting?

[Reciprocity]

Yes I think everyone does at some point because smoking was connected to every event and every emotion in your life while you smoked but ..... here's the thing. What did smoking really do for you in a positive way? Did it put money in your pocket? Did it improve your health in some manner? Did it make you more popular in social circles?

 

No! It did nothing positive for you. All it ever amounted to was the feeding of an addiction that is bound and determined to kill you before your natural time.

 

What you are feeling now is pretty natural but it is the addiction talking to you. It is a sneaky little bas*ard and you need to be careful about "romancing the cigarette". That's what your addiction wants you to do. It wants you to miss it so much, you'll have just that one. You know, that one for old times sake. Don't listen to that voice. Stay the course you are on and find your freedom.

 

You're still very early in your quit and these thoughts and reactions are completely normal. Just keep on your guard and protect that beautiful quit you have worked so hard to build Latoya. You're doing great!

 

[Latoya]

26 minutes ago, reciprocity said:

Yes I think everyone does at some point because smoking was connected to every event and every emotion in your life while you smoked but ..... here's the thing. What did smoking really do for you in a positive way? Did it put money in your pocket? Did it improve your health in some manner? Did it make you more popular in social circles?

 

No! It did nothing positive for you. All it ever amounted to was the feeding of an addiction that is bound and determined to kill you before your natural time.

 

What you are feeling now is pretty natural but it is the addiction talking to you. It is a sneaky little bas*ard and you need to be careful about "romancing the cigarette". That's what your addiction wants you to do. It wants you to miss it so much, you'll have just that one. You know, that one for old times sake. Don't listen to that voice. Stay the course you are on and find your freedom.

 

You're still very early in your quit and these thoughts and reactions are completely normal. Just keep on your guard and protect that beautiful quit you have worked so hard to build Latoya. You're doing great!

 

Thanks.....  they are sneaky arent they. It amazes me how much control they had over me. Thanks for the motivation was somewhat feeling depressed like i lost my best friend. I never want to go back, i will keep on pushing forward.

[Runfree]

Reciprocity offered very wise words.  

 

Most of us tend to expect the process, funky feelings, junkie thinking, etc. to be over and behind us way way way before it all smooths out.  There's the physical part and the mental part and the emotional part. Each one takes time and takes rethinking, rephrasing, relearning.  

 

You''re doing really well, Latoya.  Just keep riding the waves, and keep posting your concerns and we'll do what we can to smooth the bumps.

[Sirius]

Yup, I definitely missed smoking when I started my quit.  Its one of the reasons I kept a jar with cigarettes butts, ashes, and water around.

 

When I needed a reminder I'd unscrew the lid and take a deep whiff to remind me of what I was missing.  

 

Go ahead and give it a try. 

 

 

[Boo]

Don't worry about it Latoya.  We conditioned ourselves for years with cigarettes, it takes a little while to get the brain rewired.  Any passing thoughts or feelings about wanting a cigarette are just that, passing.  Fleeting even.  Those thoughts about smoking only have as much power as you give them.  

 

You've made a commitment to yourself to be free of smoking.  A solid commitment will never be derailed by a passing thought.

 

You're doing great.  Proceed.

[Dee]

14 hours ago, Latoya said:

Ok guys its been over 2 weeks since I quit, and 1 week since I went cold turkey. I feel alot better I dont get those withdrawals so bad anymore. The one thing I am concerned about is that i miss smoking. I have been thinking about them for the last 2 day.i even had a day dream that I had one in my hand. Anybody felt like this in their beginning of quitting?

Yes and you will find you sometimes dream of smoking or others smoking around you. It is normal

[Latoya]

4 hours ago, Dee said:

Yes and you will find you sometimes dream of smoking or others smoking around you. It is normal

Thanks because i was so happy i didn't smoke and i was over those nicotine fits, but then the past couple days i been almost depressed because i missed it lol. Just like a bad damn relationship!

[ChRiSpY]

I always thought of it like this... smoking cigs was like a girlfriend that was a whore and cheated on me.  I miss her...sure... but I also don't want to get gonorhea.

 

You feel me?

 

Keep on keepin on... it will fade.. for the most part.

[Latoya]

6 hours ago, ChRiSpY said:

I always thought of it like this... smoking cigs was like a girlfriend that was a whore and cheated on me.  I miss her...sure... but I also don't want to get gonorhea.

 

You feel me?

 

Keep on keepin on... it will fade.. for the most part

Ok that works

[Cristóbal]

Some people are amazed that even though they may have several weeks or months quit, that they still do not feel completely "normal", and continue to miss smoking.

 

When this happens, figure your "Quit Days %" and then you will see why.

 

The way to calculate this is:

 

 

Number of Years Smoked x 365 = Smoke Days.

Number of Days Not Smoked = Quit Days.

 

 

Then, Quit Days ÷ Smoke Days = "Quit Days %".

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

I will go first, to be the first example.

 

I smoked for about 30 years.

 

30 years x 365 = 10,950 Smoke Days.

 

 

As of today, I have not smoked for 5 years, 2 months, 7 days.

This period of times = 1904 Quit Days.

 

 

Then, 1904 Quit Days ÷ 10,950 Smoke Days = 17.388%.

This is my "Quit Days %".

 

 

In other words, even at more than 5 years since my last cigarette, as of today I have been quit for only 17.388% of the total time I smoked.

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

Now, let us take as the second example a smoker who smoked for 30 years, and has been quit for just 4 months. These 4 months might seem like a very long time to the ex-smoker, but it is nothing when compared to 30 years.

 

This smoker who smoked for 30 years, has 30 years x 365 = 10,950 Smoke Days.

 

Quit time of 4 months = 120 Quit Days.

 

120 Quit Days ÷ 10,950 Smoke Days = Quit Days % of just 1.096%, of the total time the smoker smoked. 

 

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Smoking had a deep impact on us physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.  A lot of the physical damage can be repaired in a time period of about 10 years, but some of it can never be repaired - the damage is done !!!

 

The mental, emotional, and spiritual damage can be repaired much quicker, since all of us at one time were never smokers. None of us started life with a cigarette in the mouth !!! We all know how to live life as non-smokers, we just need to remember how to do it again. And time is what is needed for that to happen.

 

It is my experience working with others, that how quickly one becomes very comfortable in these 3 areas depends on the person and also their understanding of nicotine addiction. The more a person understands the process of separation from the active addiction, it seems to me the quicker the good comfort levels of being a non-smoker return.

 

What is important to understand, is that the first year as a non-smoker will be spent confronting triggers, many of them that are seasonal. Once you arrive at your first year anniversary, most people can say that they are making very good progress adjusting to life as a non-smoker.

 

 

Cristóbal

 

 

 

Edited December 31, 2017 by Cristóbal

[Latoya]

5 hours ago, Cristóbal said:

Some people are amazed that even though they may have several weeks or months quit, that they still do not feel completely "normal", and continue to miss smoking.

 

When this happens, figure your "Quit Days %" and then you will see why.

 

The way to calculate this is:

 

 

Number of Years Smoked x 365 = Smoke Days.

Number of Days Not Smoked = Quit Days.

 

 

Then, Quit Days ÷ Smoke Days = "Quit Days %".

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

I will go first, to be the first example.

 

I smoked for about 30 years.

 

30 years x 365 = 10,950 Smoke Days.

 

 

As of today, I have not smoked for 5 years, 2 months, 7 days.

This period of times = 1904 Quit Days.

 

 

Then, 1904 Quit Days ÷ 10,950 Smoke Days = 17.388%.

This is my "Quit Days %".

 

 

In other words, even at more than 5 years since my last cigarette, as of today I have been quit for only 17.388% of the total time I smoked.

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

Now, let us take as the second example a smoker who smoked for 30 years, and has been quit for just 4 months. These 4 months might seem like a very long time to the ex-smoker, but it is nothing when compared to 30 years.

 

This smoker who smoked for 30 years, has 30 years x 365 = 10,950 Smoke Days.

 

Quit time of 4 months = 120 Quit Days.

 

120 Quit Days ÷ 10,950 Smoke Days = Quit Days % of just 1.096%, of the total time the smoker smoked. 

 

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Smoking had a deep impact on us physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.  A lot of the physical damage can be repaired in a time period of about 10 years, but some of it can never be repaired - the damage is done !!!

 

The mental, emotional, and spiritual damage can be repaired much quicker, since all of us at one time were never smokers. None of us started life with a cigarette in the mouth !!! We all know how to live life as non-smokers, we just need to remember how to do it again. And time is what is needed for that to happen.

 

It is my experience working with others, that how quickly one becomes very comfortable in these 3 areas depends on the person and also their understanding of nicotine addiction. The more a person understands the process of separation from the active addiction, it seems to me the quicker the good comfort levels of being a non-smoker return.

 

What is important to understand, is that the first year as a non-smoker will be spent confronting triggers, many of them that are seasonal. Once you arrive at your first year anniversary, most people can say that they are making very good progress adjusting to life as a non-smoker.

 

 

Cristóbal

 

 

 

Thanks i appreciate your anaylis of the smoking timetable. It all makes sense, the way you broke it down like that. I guess I'm gonna have to be patient and keep on noping.

[Runfree]

1 hour ago, Latoya said:

...I guess I'm gonna have to be patient and keep on noping.

Yes!  Around 6 weeks in, I asked how soon I might expect to maybe, hopefully, no longer spontaneously bust out in tears.  They said it could be ma while.   Phfft!,  not the answer I wanted, but at least I knew to expect curveballs now and then.  Just having that info really helped me.  So, I settled in and let it happen.

 

Doing great!  Keep the Quit!

[Joel Spitzer]

Hello Latoya:

 

The title of your post here caught my attention. Check out my resource page "Boy do I miss smoking"

 

All of the materials on that page address the concept of "missing them."

[Latoya]

On 1/1/2018 at 7:09 AM, Joel Spitzer said:

Hello Latoya:

 

The title of your post here caught my attention. Check out my resource page "Boy do I miss smoking"

 

All of the materials on that page address the concept of "missing them."

THANKS

[Joel Spitzer]

1 hour ago, Latoya said:

THANKS

You are welcome Latoya. Hope you find the page helpful.

 

Joel

[JB 883]

Yeah it is normal to miss it.

But then you start to think - we also tend to miss those really bad relationships we had with people who basically were not worth a damn. YET, we would not go back to them cause nothing good would come of it.