Is everyone mean when they stop smoking and for how long?

[JenniferK79]

I'm so mean I'm a different person I quit years ago for a few months I was so mean 

[Sootie]

Thomas is spot on with his answer....it's not the quitting....it's the addiction. You are an addict and when you don't feed your addiction regularly......."it" reacts by making you grouchy, cranky, mean, uncomfortable......all in an effort to get oyu to go back to the drug. You can get through it and it really doesn't last that long.

Stay Strong.

[elvan]

I, too, have COPD, I smoked for longer than you have been alive, I have no idea how many years I shaved off my life expectancy but I can tell you that smoking was NOT WORTH it.  I sleep with oxygen on at night, I am short of breath upon the LEAST exertion, and I am ALWAYS tired.  I, too, felt like I was giving up my "best friend" on previous quits and then I realized that my so called friend was literally KILLING me.  I have not smoked in over four years and there are times when I think I might be mean but the fact is that I stuffed my feelings down for 47 years and when they started to come out...they were, POWERFUL, I had to learn to deal with them and I also had to learn that it was and it IS okay to be angry sometimes or sad, or any other feeling you can imagine.  As addicts, we stuffed those feelings down for as long as we self medicated.  It is NOT worth it, it is NOT worth dying for.  I would give anything to go back to your age and quit and STAY quit.  This is a beautiful opportunity for you to reclaim your life.  You are young enough to be able to get this disease under control.  Please, please know that we all started at a day one and we were ALL terrified, it gets easier, we get stronger, we can help others, we can hold the hands of the next person who wants to quit and in so doing, we get stronger ourselves.  Stay close to the site, read everything you can about nicotine addiction, you CAN do this.  Seriously, you've got the best team ever right here.  Thomas3.20.2010‌ is the best support person you can imagine for COPD.

Welcome to EX.

Ellen

[Daniela2016]

To answer your question JenniferK79‌, of course, and it is forever, you changed forever into a mean person!!!

Of course I am kidding, we all react differently, I don't even think mean happened to me, sad, yes, crying out loud, yes.

Be patient, your reactions are normal, read Dale's link, and keep on going, you are on your way to freedom.

Congratulations!

[elvan]

Daniela2016‌ Hahahahahaha!

[AnnetteMM]

Own your power over yourself!

[GyorgyiM]

Mean? = Irritability for the first few weekends (you wouldn't have wanted to be around me much, LoL)

.....much better now.....but I keep myself in check. 

Funny?  I was a VERY patient person when I smoked.....

Now....when the hair raises on the back of my neck (I really don't have any hair there..LoL) I catch myself and redirect my emotions so I don't blow a fuse...or say something out of line...

It's all just part of the process.....

[PRAIRIEROSELADY]

I think we are just more easily agitated in the beginning of our journey.... I don't think it lasts forever.....

Stay strong! Don't listen to Nic-o-Demon!  Stay busy... You will be surprised how quickly time passes. Let yourself rest when you need it.  Build a toolbox of things that help you through the rough patches.......Tons of great people here to help you along........ prairie 52dof