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Give and get support around quitting

gregp136
Member

Not Smoking is a Good Thing!

Yes, it is a good thing.  My being here is a very good thing.  At the same time, though, I need to accept the fact that a part of me is going back to those pre-nicotine days when I was a 20 year old pup. 

 

People have been very kind when it comes to my minor moodiness some days.  It isn’t often, and certainly not a deep depression, but just a feeling of sadness. Most days, I have of too much energy.  I am up and about a lot, unable to sit, and needing to “burn off energy.”

 

Yes, I know this very well could be my body adjusting to no nicotine.  It may continue, off and on, for a while.  Then it may dissipate and I will go on to a more normal existence. On the other hand, it may not.

 

Before I quit smoking, my moodiness was frequent.  I would often hide from peer, and just prefer to be alone.  At the same time, I could not sit for long.  My attention span was very short, and as a result, my schooling suffered.  I was the poster boy for “underachiever” from first grade to the first 2 years in college.   Barely got by and did almost nothing in school for 14 years except day dream.

 

I then started self-medicating with nicotine.  My Grades soared.  I graduated from college.  It covered my moodiness.  Looking back, the difference was amazing.    I do not know what would have happened if I had not used nicotine.  I will never know.

 

I have now stopped the nasty smoking, and so some of the same issues are returning.  I welcome them.  They are my real feelings.  I am slowly getting to know me without the haze of nicotine.  It is fun, and interesting.

 

So when I am a bit down some days, know that it is just part of me.  I love the support of you all, good and bad days, but know that these are just a few of the quirks that come with being me.  It will also be interesting to watch how it changes from day 58 to day 229 to day 1,783.

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10 Replies
JustSharon
Member

Dearest Greg, I so identify. Thank you for your wonderful blog this morning. The honesty is refreshing and I hope the knowledge of that uplifts you a bit. You are doing well in your quit. Your struggles are much the same as mine. I too get to the point I just can't sit still, but am so limited by my physical problems that it's difficult to do anything about it. I struggle the most during my relaxation times when I want to reward myself for a job well done, if I've done one. But we keep trucking along, accepting the moods and limitations to stay smoke free. Nothing wrong with moodiness, it happens to all of us. Thanks for staying smoke free my friend, now lets go swing on those swings!

YoungAtHeart
Member

We will love you in ALL your moods!  We will celebrate the happy days and give you a hug on the difficult ones.  We are with you for the long haul - so don't be a stranger when it's not a good one.  You are informing others who are with you on this journey, too.

Meet you on the playground when you feel like playing!

Nancy

elvan
Member

gregp136‌ We ALL have moods, we all have good days and bad days...for some reason, THIS DAY, Mother's Day makes me cry.  I have no idea why.  I lost my mother 15 years ago, I have three kids I adore, there is just something about this day...I turn into a sprinkler system.  SEE...we are all normal or as normal as normal is.

Ellen

freeneasy
Member

When you quit smoking you physically and psychologically experience lots of changes, so it may not be accurate to compare how you feel and think now to what it was like for you before you started smoking.  I quit smoking when I was in the military and when I went to college after that, my grades got worse after I started to smoke again. It's really dealing with life one day at a time. I totally agree with you though that not smoking is a good thing!

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bonniebee
Member

I tend to be on the moody side too Greg. I sometimes feel very down and then I get angry with myself for feeling that way it is a vicious cycle ! When I am at my worst I often want to isolate and I refuse to reach out but the last time I felt that way  (and not to long ago ) I forced myself to blog because it is times like that that I am more likely to reach out for the wrong thing ....and No way do I want to go back to Day One ! 

gardenancy8
Member

That is what is surprising me the most in my quit, the feelings!  I just never ever thought smoking was keeping me from dealing with my feelings!  It's crazy the emotions I'm having to deal with.  But I am dealing with them, one day at a time. This is the one thing I really share with my smoker friends.  I ask them to pay attention to this, just so they can take notice.  Mind you since I quit smoking, I keep planting quit  seeds in smokers heads. lol    

elvan
Member

gardenancy8‌ I have done the same thing, planted seeds for over three years...my oldest daughter quit, my son is trying, I am not around my friends often enough to make an impact and two of them are absolutely committed to remaining smokers.  Sad.

gardenancy8
Member

At least once a week, I post how my quit is coming along on my wall on facebook!  I have a few friends who have inboxed me for information. If they see I can do it, then they have hope they can do it also. 

Strudel
Member

Yes - this journey to find our true selves is very interesting for sure! And a journey well worth taking. I have been truly amazed what I have discovered about myself after becoming free following 40 years of addiction! Continued congrats to you Greg!