Hello Fellow Exers! I'll start by expressing heartfelt thanks for the elders on this site that selflessly.lend wisdom and encouragememt on a daily basis. I'm at Day 75 sitting in the middle of No Man's Land, but going strong. I don't think in terms of wishing for cigarettes anymore, but after 32 years, my body still has yet to adapt to a new set of habits replacing the sweet comfort and familiarity of being dependent on cigarretes for emotional support. My body and my mind are still in the process of adjusting to a non-smoking life, a non-smoking better version of myself. This is still proving clallenging, but every day seems a bit better. I described my issues with anxiety and sleep quality in earlier posts and I'm happy to report that, although not fully resolved, things have improved considerably. While my issues don't seem to be commonly expressed, it is my sincere hope that my story might give those following in this journey who have similiar suffering, issues, and concerns might find hope, comfort, and solace. The most readily available quit smoking literature often focuses on the physical symptoms during the firat 72 hours and first 3 weeks, and indeed these are some of rhe toughest moments to endure and suffer through. What is somewhat disappointing is the lack of information on the continual issues and symptoms that are a natural result of the body readjusting and healing for long after the first 3 weeks. No matter where you are in you quit, keep up the righteous fight and don't give in to smoking ever again! Quitting is the right path and things get better. I felt I had shortness of breath and couldn't sleep well. I was never certain whether there were serious chronic physical issues behind these symptoms. This led to a continuously worsening cycle where anxiety led to perceived symptoms and perceived symptoms led to worsening anxiety and panic. Things are better now. I was probably addicted to deep breathing from deep drags on cigarettes. In addition, inflammation issues with my sinuses did obstruct my breathing a bit. The constriction worsened when lying down or bending over while stretching. A trip to the doctor led to sparing use of corticosteroids that reduced the inflammation and breathing obstruction in the nasal cavities. This existing sinus issue likely exacerbated health and breathing anxieties that likely already in place before I started my quit. I didn't have coughing or obvious throat issues, but in hindsight, my body has probably been processing a lot of mucus and gunk behind the scenes that I was never consciously aware of. I still have sleeping issues and I often wake up within an hour of falling asleep and when coming out of very deep sleep, usually a little bit panicked. But this seems to be getting better too. I've seen some interesting speculation surmising that oxygenation levels are lower in deep sleep and that the transition out of this state can lead a person sensitized to breathing issues to sensing lack of oxygen and reacting with panic as he or she reaches a lighter sleep phase. But who knows? What is important is to protect the quit, trust in body and mind to heal itself, and to stay positive. I've been working on finding healthy coping methods to address stress and anxiety. I would enthusiasticallu recommend this to any of my fellow Exers' in the process of their qyit. On reflection, it's interesting that every person has different experiences and issues with a quit and that any particular person can have vastly different experiences during different quit attempts over time. This last quit was very different than my other attempts. Previously, I always thought about wanting a cigarrette and about giving up something I enjoyed. This time, I didn't think about wanting a cigarette, per se, but rather on the symptoms and damage that cigarrettes wrought. Very weird, but nonetheless, I'm sure this is my last quit and I will never smoke again!
