I'm starting to get scared.

[JuliePatricia]

Im not sure what it is about. But im feeling a real sense of panic the closer I get to my quit date. I feel almost like a sense of massive fear. Its like Im emotionally paralyzed. I havent done much the last view to support my quit. Its like Im trying very hard to hold on to and let go of something all at the same time. Has anyone ever felt this way?

Where can I buy smoking cessation aids at a reasonable price?

[CrazyQuitter]

Oh my wow! I know exactly how you feel. Fear can be apart of the process. But you got plenty of support and recourses out there. Just find what works for you and we are behind you 100 percent! You can do it!

[JuliePatricia]

Thank you, so much crazyquitter!

[Brandishae]

This is my first time checking out this community and the first post I clicked on. I’m in tears because the thought of not being able to light up and smoke terrifies me. I’m glad you posted because I see there are a lot of helpful people with experience and good advice. I am 38 and have smoked for 25 years and it is killing me. I still enjoy smoking but I do not enjoy the thought that if I don’t quit, this is going to end badly. Hoping it’s not too late already. 

[elvan]

Brandishae‌ Welcome to EX. YoungAtHeart‌ will give you the best welcome, probably tomorrow. In the meantime, read everything you can find about nicotine addiction & remember that this IS an addiction & not a habit. Quitting is not an event, it is a one day at a time journey. When l first quit, l came here every morning & every evening. I read blogs, l commented, l paid attention to what people were doing that was working for them. When advice was offered, l gratefully accepted it. The thing that l remembered & that helped me immensely was that l was assured that it would get easier. It DID, it took time & patience (not something l am known for) & lots of support. I used the mantra NOPE, Not One Puff Ever. It made so much sense to me because l KNEW that l had lost more than one quit in the past thinking l could have one puff...doesn’t work that way, this is such an important part of quitting. Stay close to the site, know that everyone here wants you to succeed. It WILL get easier.

Ellen

[JuliePatricia]

Welcome aboard! 

We happy to have you. Your heart is beating and your breathing so its certainly not to late to quit it never is.  As one of our members said, earlier its just fear of the unknown. I'm convinced she is on to something. I've made halfhearted attempts to quit in the past. That being said, I believe this is the first time I've been very serious about my quit. Its important to me. And for whatever reason call it unrelenting insecurity I'm scared to death Ill fail. But my resolve has to become stronger than that insecurity and fear, otherwise Ill never know. Maybe some of this is true for you too. That's for you to determine.  Your here and that speaks volumes. I think the less you obsess about your quit and the more you take steps toward your quit a lot of your fears and doubts will begin to dissipate.  Your headed in the right direction good for you keep moving forward you'll get there. There are tons of wonderful folks on this site cheering you on every step of the way.  I hope this helps.       

[Barbscloud]

Brandishae Welcome to the Ex.   Educate yourself about nicotine addiction and create a quit plan.  We're here to support you, so just reach out anytime.  You can to do this.

Barb

[marciem]

I'm just going to throw my two cents here, I'm late to the party.

My personal experience was that the anticipation and anxiety PRIOR to quitting was way far worse than the reality once I jumped in and DID it.  As crappy-feeling as it can be in the first week of a quit, that anticipation and fear before quitting, while planning,  made me ill and also made me give up before I started more than once.  Which is why I don't advocate for long plan-times.  Yes plan, but a plan can be hours or a few days, not weeks or a month (except when using Chantix, which does take some weeks to have its effect).

Just my opinion, but to me the longer you wait the more chances your addict brain has to talk you out of the whole thing.

[Gotee71]

Tomorrow is my quit date and I have the same feelings. I'm so happy I've reached this point, but I have a sense of anxiety. I keep telling myself that the joy is real and the anxiety is false. I am so looking forward to ending this. I wish you all the best. 

[Barbscloud]

Gotee71 tomorrow is the day.  That's fabulous.   I know you posted you were preparing for your quit date.  So you're ready.   We're here for you.

Barb

[Giulia]

https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/groups/positive-affirmations-and-support/blog/2017/10/24/its-gonn...‌  I agree with Marciem.  The day before was much worse than the day of.  We build up the fear ourselves by thinking of how awful it's gonna be.  If we make it a mountain, it will become one.  How we perceive is how things go.  The interesting thing that many of us have learned through this quitting experience is that we have some control over our perceptions.  We are not just victims of our thoughts and emotions.  Through experience we can shift the impact by changing our view.  It takes work.  First we have to become aware of what we're thinking.  We  have to catch ourselves.   When you learn to  catch yourself thinking negative thoughts, fearful thoughts, then you can take a breath and step back.  We get so myopic during this process that we become overwhelmed.  But when we're able to just say, "Oh, look at how I'm thinking," it enables us to see the thought as something separate.  It removes us from the immediacy of the emotion.

I had sticky notes up all over the place when I quit.  Words that would catch my eye and thence my thinking.  Something as simple as ATTITUDE STUPID! would remind me that my attitude toward the journey was up to me.  (The word "stupid" was not so much a chastisement of myself, but a humorous addendum.  Like a "DUH!") It's the difference between waking up and thinking, "Oh, God, tomorrow is the day.  It's gonna be awful, I am SO not looking forward to this...." and ""OK!  What am I going to learn about myself tomorrow?  How will this experience broaden me as a person?  I want this to be a fun challenge.  What can I do to make it so?"  

Quitting is a process and a journey.  It changes as we progress through our smoke-free days.  We do not lose ourselves, rather we find new elements of ourselves.  We expand, not contract.  The fear we have is simply the fear of change and the fear of discomfort.  We fear we won't enjoy life as much, won't have the comfort we've always had.  This thing that we've carried around with us is not us.  We can live without our binkies.  Quite happily actually.  Believe us.  Don't be afraid of the new and improved you that's to be.   DISCOVER the joy of your free self.  And keep a sense of humor about yourself.  It really helps!