What’s the point of smoke aids if....

[dudley87]

You just have to withdraw off those too? I mean, I’m thankful for them and happy for my nicorette gum. I haven’t chewed one in 3 days not intentionally yay! and now suddenly feel like I just quit smoking all over again. (I’m on week 7) and finally feeling amazing without all that brain fog crap. Now I’m dizzy and just feeling really yucky. 
I should have tapered off my gum but I don’t want to feel like this again in a few days and just a terrible cycle. Anyways, thanks for reading . I’m just ranting to mainly take my mind off how I feel right now so I don’t chew my gum because I won’t give into this cycle. Also I just finished all the psychological crap of not smoking and feel happy! I kinda felt Down there for a few weeks and binge ate greasy food. Now I’m back into exercising and TRYING to watch what I eat. I’m hard on myself... but it’s the only way I get shit done for myself. 
Ok I’m done, maybe I should go meditate 

[maryfreecig]

Sounds like you've got goals and they are working for you. Great work carving out your quittitude. Congratulations. The weirdness fades in time.  Thanks for sharing.

[JACKIE1-25-15]

Congrats on 7 weeks.  That is HUGE. Quitting smoking is a journey.  What works one day may not work the next Or what works for someone may not work for another.  It is a relearning process.  Relearning our thinking and behavior foremost.  If we do not change that....that is the point..  Fortunately we have aids to get us where we need to get  Hopefully we do not substitute one for the other. I used meds but I set a time limit.  Some have vaped and found that to be the worst thing they could have done.  Others succeeded because they had a plan and adhered to it. Bottom line is you have to plan, prepare and learn to protect your quit no matter what is happening in your life. @/blogs/JACKIE1-25-15-blog/2016/11/18/plan-prepare-practice-to-protect?sr=search&searchId=9926d1ff-b3... 

[Troutnut1]

This is a very old re-post. But it seems nothing has changed since then. There are many choices available when it comes to quitting smoking. All roads lead to success as long as we don’t take that FIRST puff. 

Choices

• Cold Turkey.  Demon dies quickly. quitter lives happily ever after, saves money, saves health, doesn't kill other people with second hand smoke. Health insurance discounts.
• NRT demon remains alive-but at least he isn't so pissed off. Quitter hopefully lives happily ever after once off of NRT. Saves some money. Saves health. Doesn't kill other people with second hand smoke. Health insurance skeptical until off nrt. May not be eligible for discounted employer sponsored health care until tests show you are free of all nicotine. Prolongs nicotine withdrawal. Eventually all must go through withdrawal to get off of the drug nicotine. You get to choose whether to speed it up or drag it out. Kind of like paying cash for a car instead of financing it.
• Gradual withdrawal method- demon is still alive-and pissed off. Quitter is pissed too. May live happily someday, but has doubts about living that long. Saves a little money but doesn't care. Stress negates any health savings. Kills fewer people until relapse, then kills more while he/she makes up for lost time with increased smoking. Health insurance fines increase annually. If you truly hate a smoker somewhere, suggest this method. Withdrawal is prolonged indefinitely.
• Vaping, ecigs. Demon never dies. Demon may be even happier and healthier. Quitter is still an addict. Likely even more addicted. No money savings, probably spends more. Smoking and addiction to nicotine increases because now we can smoke practically everywhere! Health savings questionable. Will likely end up addicted to these and sickarettes.  Health deteriorates faster when this happens. May or may not kill other people with second hand smoke and vapors.  Health insurance fines as a tobacco user. Device explodes and blows smokers lips off or worse. Never deals with the root causes of addiction because they are still using. Never really experiences withdrawal because this user keeps feeding the demon indefinitely. Eventually comes back here and asks "how do I get off the vaping, e-cigs, and sickarettes?"

Your friend in Montana

Troutnut1 (dennis)

[Barbscloud]

That's not very supportive for quitters who choose to use an aid.

Barb

[CommunityAdmin]

Barbscloud wrote:

That's not very supportive for quitters who choose to use an aid.

Barb

I think it's a creative explanation of different approaches. Not sure who the author is but it's stated to be a repost.  It's a perspective. Each person's perspective is different.  Ultimately with any post you read you have to decide if it applies to you or not.  What may apply to one person may not apply to the next so you need to use discretion and decide for yourself. Aides will be helpful for some but may not work for others. Ultimately we must respect others opinions even if they differ from our own.

Mark
EX Community Manager

[Barbscloud]

Mark No kidding.  That's what I was saying and have been saying for a long time!!!!!!.  There are "people" on here that promote unfounded information that scares new quitters.  "Hordes of quitters get addicted to NRT gum"  Why don't you send a message to them instead of the someone like me who is supporting all methods to quit.  Really Mark.  I know you support certain elders--maybe you shouldn't.

Barb

[CommunityAdmin]

Barbscloud wrote:

Mark No kidding.  That's what I was saying and have been saying for a long time!!!!!!.  There are "people" on here that promote unfounded information that scares new quitters.  "Hordes of quitters get addicted to NRT gum"  Why don't you send a message to them instead of the someone like me who is supporting all methods to quit.  Really Mark.  I know you support certain elders--maybe you shouldn't.

Barb

I support everyone. Everyone is equal to me. I'm thankful for everyone regardless if they're a new member or a long time member. 
Mark
EX Community Manager

[JuJuCFruit]

I have had two different doctors tell me that vaping is worse than smoking.  My primary Dr. said that she had seen bad lung damage even in young people.  She said she hated to say it but she would rather me smoke than vape.  Another Dr. said it had to do with vaping being moist in the lungs.

I threw away all my vaping stuff the other day.

Just FYI...

[Giulia]

Wow, THAT's really interesting.  I've thought about that - that it's okay to go to a steam room for an hour here and there, but if you're inhaling steam on a regular basis... our lungs were created to inhale one thing - plain old air.  When you start messing around with that - don't be surprised if you have unpleasant physiological reactions within your body!

Good, JuJu, I agree with you - be gentle on yourself with cutting out the gum.  You obviously don't want to let IT become an addiction and as long as you hold that in mind, you'll wean yourself off.  Great Kudos on the one month!  Seriously.  This is not an easy journey.  But we learn so MUCH in the process it ends up being the most empowering journey of our lives.  Well, that's my experience anyway.  Because it forces us to think in different ways.  And when we start doing that - the world just opens up - in different ways because our perceptions have changed.

The hard days come when we least expect them, when we think we're most secure.  And then sometimes (most times, I think)  they come when we know we're at our weakest.  In my 15 year quit I have come to understand that a hard craving time can just be there because - it IS.  For me - a craving comes and ... I can't tell you why.  It is - for me at this stage - totally out of the blue.  And it can last a blink of eye, three minutes, or off and on throughout a day (well not usually that long now).  But it's nothing like the beginning cravings.  The one thing I know - for SURE - is that it will happen again.  And I know - for SURE - that I will not act on it in any other way than to say - "mmmhmmm. Yup.  Okay.  I know you.  No big deal. And I'm DEFINITELY never going back to another day one."

Expect the unexpected, and say to yourself "okay, today was a hard day.  Doesn't mean tomorrow will be too."  Or - say what it is YOU need to say to yourself that will get you through and over a craving period.  They're just periods of time.  In the beginning those periods are all accordioned together so it seems like it's ALL DAY LONG!  But as your quit progresses, they become farther and farther apart.  And the music is beautiful!

[JuJuCFruit]

Thanks, Giulia‌!

The difference between a steam room and vaping (besides the nicotine) is the stuff they add as a medium.  People are getting what they call "popcorn lung" from vaping.  Not because of the appearance of the lungs but because the ingredient added is like the oil used in microwave popcorn!  Yuck!

I appreciate your good advice!

BTW, my name is Julia.  "Giulia" is Julia in Italian.  I actually bought an Alfa Romeo Giulia car because of that!!  LOL!!