day one...

[meg9]

So, as I was driving to work today it was bright, sunny and not a cloud in the sky. Strange for Pittsburgh, but it helped put me in a more hopeful mood. A lot of times the rain depresses me and I might have just said screw it and picked up a pack on the way to work if I had to use my windshield wipers. Give up before I even started.

But, here I am, no cigarette, lots of caffeine and a decent amount of klonopin. I think I can make it...at least through the afternoon.

For some reason quitting is really making me depressed...I feel like I should be happy, like this is a "new start", but in a way I'm just afraid I won't be able to do it, and that scares me. I don't want to be back to being a smoker by the weeks end.

OK...day one. No cigarette so far.

[linda53]

hey girl the first week is called hell week for a reason are you on nicotine replacement ? i used thelozenges and klonipin wellbuprin and have made it 88 days so far my partner smokes and although they dont smell good all the time at times still i have cravings just remember why you quit and go to the triggers list it will help peace and love from the ar. hippie hope the sun stays out for you

[cindywilson]

look if you are feeling depressed it is Hell Week, talk to your doctor and see what he suggest. You can do this, but it is not fun, but you are tougher than a piece of paper with some poison in it:) the reward is you feel good about it and realize you can do anything:)

[dearleigh]

Meg - I think most of us get depressed about quitting. We feel like we are 'giving up' on our best friend, or our best friend moved to Mars and we will never see them again. Yes, that's depressing in a way, but if you focus on the positives - the absolute freedom from that addiction, and how much money you will save and how much self-respect you will gain .. they far outweigh the temporary depression. Anti-depressives take three weeks to get into the system generally, so you will be WAY over depression by then. Don't forget to read the book I just sent you AND go to this site www.quitsmokingonline.com - I found it changed my whole attitude and I was not at all depressed when I 'got it'. First day, I was crying and mad and thought my life was over, (how pathetic when I look back) and then I did the course on that website (it's free) and day 2 onwards was EASY!!!! Hang in there - we'll be with you through this. You'll be a HAPPY ex-smoker. Promise!

[anne17]

I am on day 18 and it gets easier , but I still feel like I am missing something, sort of that lost feeling. So far with my husband still smoking hasn't had a big effect on me, but there is no smoking in the house so he goes to the lania. If I can't deal with watching him smoke I go in the house. I wish that he would quit, but as I well know you can't make anyine do what they don't want to!!!!!!!!!!!

[callmebreeze]

Meg, that depression's nothing abnormal. I think lots of us used the nicotine to fight those feelings and now we have to do something else. But hey, the sunshine's a good sign, right? I have to tell you, though, I was born down the highway from you in Wheeling and I miss the rain sometimes now that I'm out here in almost constant sunshine. Hang in, this is a GOOD day.

Stay Strong - Stay Quit
Breeze

[amy20]

You should be happy and proud for making the decision to do something good for yourself and the people around you. The 1st week is very hard...hang tough! Get through the 1st week and you can do anything! Remind yourself of all the positives about not smoking, try to think of 1 positive thing about starting again... good luck with your quit and stay strong-you can do this!!!

[hwc]

I don't know too many of us who describe our first three days off cigarettes and nictoine as "happy". That is not generally a term used to describe cigarette/nicotine withdrawal. Quitting isn't as bad as it's made out to be, but let's not get carried away!

BTW, watch the coffee. When you stop taking nicotine, caffeine is metabolized twice as slowly. So, if you keep drinking the same amount, you can find yourself seriously wired. Cut back a bit, switch some to decaf, and stop earlier in the day if you value your sleep!

[gmvirtual_gina]

eeeekkk!! yup that coffee is a demon!!! ugh, HWC is right. ahhh that coffee and the energy just makes a cig that must more tempting!!! I get it i am a coffee freak....but I did have to back off.....I was using some Emergen-C packs for the first few weeks as an alternative....it gave me a small amount of energy and fought the lack of caffeine headaches.....

[GDaddy]

Meg, you are not alone. I quit last week and I've found I can stay away from cigarettes by going one more hour at a time if need be. Keep writing about it. I find that when I'm honest about it, its the fear of taking on my job or my 15-year old daughter's drama, or my finances, or..... whatever are the main drivers of my addiction. I used cigarettes as a way to temporarily avoid and escape these issues. If I can do one constructive, positive thing about each issue as it comes along, along with popping a lozenge, the fear dissipates. We're all here for each other.

[sally3]

congrats on your 1st day! It truly does feel like you have lost your best friend when you give up smoking. You feel empty. Well think about it, they have been with you for years. Well you just gave up not your friends, but your worse enemy! Get through this first week "Hell Week" and you will feel allot better.
Drink lots of fluids, keep yourself busy. Try some cinnamon sticks which you will find in the spice section at the grocery store. They helped me.

Hang in there and be tough !!!!!