First thirty days

[noknowing]

Hi all!

been chugging along and feeling grateful gettin through this month. Had some rough days and wanted to get feedback on how you all feel/felt in first thirty days. I have alternated between joy/ depression/ anxiety. Anxiety like an elephant sitting on my chest and not able to leave the house. Depression like almost missing work. And joy like I am on top of the whole world! I’m bipolar and also have a couple of other things I’ve recovered from- but was wondering if anyone could relate? The extremes are so intense ! 

Also so has anyone recovered from smoking and another addiction and had the other addiction become enticing whilst quitting smoking? 

[JACKIE1-25-15]

Sorry that I am not able to address your question.  I am sure someone will soon.  I have known others that are on medication due to anxiety, depression etc. that had to have their meds adjusted after quitting smoking.  That may be something you could look into.  Hopefully, someone will come along soon that can give you a better answer. Congrats on 31 days of freedom. You are in the right place The Journey continues for another day WON. 

[AnnetteMM]

I can address the first part, but not the second.  My first 30 days I felt like $hit! My lungs hurt, my anxiety was constant, and all I did was pace my house constantly or some other thing like shoveling snow to keep busy.  It absolutely got better!

[noknowing]

Thanks for letting me know I’m not alone with the anxiety!! 

[elvan]

I think that you are doing a great job.   PLEASE keep in mind that smoking stuffed your feelings, just like any other addiction.  When you are in recovery, particularly at the beginning, it is very common to feel things with more intensity than you have ever felt in your memory. People who never smoked learned to deal with feelings gradually, as they grew up.  Addicts who are in recovery are sort of thrown into this emotional turmoil.  If you are on medication for your bipolar diagnosis, you MAY need to have medications adjusted.  I became significantly more sensitive to caffeine after I quit smoking.  I felt ALL of the emotions you are talking about...up/down/anxious/so happy that I hardly knew what to do with myself.  There is this thing I have heard called a pink cloud that may hover around at the beginning of a quit as you are so proud of yourself and your body is ALSO proud.  It's not permanent, we have to work at getting our dopamine to release when we really NEED it.  Exercise is a huge help so is laughter.  Stay close to the site and read blogs to see how others are managing this journey.  I do not think anyone ever RECOVERS from addiction, it is ongoing and we can all slide back into it with very little provocation.  Don't self medicate...if your other addiction was to a substance, please don't use that, you would just be compounding your journey.  One step at a time...take things as they come.  Congratulations on your first month.  I hope you have been reading and that you are familiar with No Man's Land.  You are there...here is a link to a blog written by JonesCarpeDiem‌ that really is helpful https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/groups/best-of-ex/blog/2011/05/24/no-mans-land-days-30-to130-appr... 

In the meantime, stay close to the site, reach out, read, comment, just don't smoke.

Welcome to EX.

Ellen

[noknowing]

Thanks for this. I appreciate it. Been doing better just trying to distract and stay busy. Lots of prayer too. I agree with the no one “recovers” and I gotta stay on guard. Should have clarified- I’m at 29 days today. But almos tto thirty!! 

[elvan]

You are not alone with ANY of this...we are all here to help you and we did not get to where we are as quitters because we jumped over obstacles or because we took short cuts...not that we didn't LOOK for them.  I promise you that if you stick with your quit and put it above everything else...it WILL get easier.

Big hugs,

Ellen

[Giulia]

First 30 days were rough.  Not as rough as the night before I quit and the fear of that first day.  Not as rough as the first week.  Nor the second nor third.  But rough - still.  Having the thought constantly in my mind.  Wishing I weren't so aware of people smoking, of a cigarette on the ground, of the cigarettes behind the counters.  But I didn't go through what you're describing (I don't think - it was a long time ago when I quit.)  Not extreme joys nor anxieties.  Perhaps slightly elevated emotions for obvious reasons, but not to the point of being debilitated to the point that I couldn't leave the house.  Is this not just a normal part of being bipolar?   Those extreme highs and lows?   I'm asking because I really don't know.  Do YOU feel that quitting has made your bipolarity worse?  People say that quitting makes their emotions more raw.  Perhaps that's what you're feeling?

[maryfreecig]

     Lots of emotions at first. I didn't know how to deal with any of them!!! (Read Ellen's latest blog if you have not already). But smobriety won out. Keep working your quit and contrats on your progress. 

[sarahc-031018]

The 1st 30 days were rough. I just hit 3 months yesterday and I have just recently gotten to a place where I feel like leaving the house. I have anxiety too and list-making is one of my ways of working through it. This weekend was the first time that I have been able to concentrate long enough to write one. 

I can't speak firsthand about other addictions but my husband has been going through it. He was an alcoholic. He quit drinking in January. We both quit smoking in March. He doesn't even care about cigarettes anymore but the urge to drink has come stronger than ever for him. The way he describes thinking about beer is the way I felt in the first week or two after quitting smoking. He constantly craves it.