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Give and get support around quitting

Jayneyg55
Member

Is it normal to cry after stopping lighting up?

This is my second day.  And I've eaten a couple cough drops, chewed a toothpick, walked my dogs, brushed out my border collie, talked to a girlfriend who is supporting me...and  now I feel like I just want to cry.  Am I grieving a loss of a "friend" or what???

13 Replies
YoungAtHeart
Member

Welcome to the community!

I think your original question already got plenty of good answers, so I will just add mine:  YEP!

 

The important thing you can do right now is to educate yourself on what nicotine does to your body and mind. To that end, I highly recommend Allen Carr's “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking.” This easy and entertaining read provided a world of good information about nicotine addiction, most of which I was not aware.  I credit it in large part with my success at quitting.   You can search for it online or at your local library.


 You should also read the posts here and perhaps go to the pages of folks who you think might be helpful. You might visit whyquit.com, quitsmoking.com and livewell.com for the good information contained there. @https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/groups/best-of-ex has lots of blogs written by members of this site with their experiences and guidance. Here is a video to inform you further about nicotine addiction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpWMgPHn0Lo&feature=youtu.be.

 

You didn't mention if you are using a quit aid, so I will give you my thoughts on them.  If you go that route, I personally recommend the aids that don't let the addict control the dose such as the available prescription drugs or the patch. If used properly, gum, lozenges and inhalers are fine, but they need to be used only as a last resort after you have tried to delay and distract.   I have seen folks become addicted to them if they substitute them for every cigarette they used to smoke - just trading one addiction for another.  You need to start out with a plan to reduce use of them over time - which the patch does by decreasing the dose contained in them..  For the gum, you can start by cutting each piece in half, then in quarters, then sub regular gum of the same flavor in between, adding more and more regular gum.  For the lozenge, you need to start subbing a mint in between to begin, increasing the number of them over time. I do not recommend the e-cigarette for obvious reasons.

The idea is to change up your routines so the smoking associations are reduced.  Drink your coffee with your OTHER hand in a place different from when you smoked. Maybe switch to tea for a bit.  If you always had that first smoke with your coffee, try putting your tennies on right out of bed, going for a quick walk, then taking your shower and THEN your coffee! Rearrange the furniture in the areas you used to smoke so the view is different. Buy your gas at a different station. Take a different route to work. Take a quick walk at break time where the smokers AREN'T.
 
You need to distract yourself through any craves.  You can take a bite out of a lemon (yup - rind and all), put your head in the freezer and take a deep breath of cold air, do a few jumping jacks, go for a brisk walk or march in place, play a computer game.  Keep a cold bottle of water with you from which to sip. Don't let that smoking thought rattle around in your brain unchallenged. Sometimes you need to quit a minute or an hour at a time.  You will need to be disciplined in the early days to distract yourself when a crave hits.   You might visit “Games”: https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/groups/games. The active ones are at the top of the list going down the left side of the homepage.   Here is a link to a list of things to do instead of smoke if you need some fresh ideas:
 https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/blogs/Youngatheart.7.4.12-blog/2013/02/25/100-things-to-do-instea...


The conversation in your head in response to the "I want a cigarette" thought needs to be, "Well, since I have decided not to do that anymore, what shall I do instead for the three minutes this crave will last?"  Then DO it.  You will need to put some effort into this in the early days, but it gets easier and easier to do.


Stay close to us here and ask questions when you have them and for support when you need it. We will be with you every step of the way!


 Nancy

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Christine13
Member

Welcome to EX, it's ok to cry, all those feelings have been bottled up a long time.

Barbscloud
Member

Welcome and congrats on your quit.  Sadness is normal when we quit.  Cry all you need to right now--just let it out!

Barb

Augustus44
Member

I never cried, but I've had the old withdrawal symptoms. Please buy and read Carr's book called The Easy Way To Stop Smoking. I'm telling you that you will find it much easier. Right now, you think you are giving up something--a friend. You're not--you are giving up disease, money down a dry hole, social stigma, and dependence on a NARCOTIC. The withdrawal goes away after you begin to change your mind about the "brainwashing" you've been exposed to. I recently fell off the wagon after a year--I felt terrible. I'm back on the wagon now, determined to shake the "little demon" that wants to be satisfied.  It will get easier. Get the book, read the book, and write back if you want to. 

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