My anxiety seems to be getting worse as every day is a day closer to my quit date. I was just curious.. has anyone experienced the quit not being as bad as they thought it would be?? I put a lot of thought into everything and at times I find that whatever the situation is.. it may not be as terrible as I imagined.
roller hit a lot of nails on the head for you already! Yes - I chain smoked the night before my quit date. There were moments when it was pretty difficult, but armed with the knowledge that those moments WOULD pass whether I smoked or not really helped. You will have good days and not-so-good days on this journey, but it IS doable.
Read all you can to prepare so you understand what you are experiencing, have your list of distractions handy and use them.
Not easy - but it IS doable. Just take it as it comes, one hour/minute/afternoon at a time. Don't look too far ahead.
Nancy
Recognize that you are "over processing".
Keep it simple.
"I don't smoke" (tell yourself on your quit day)
Adjust your mindset and your habits.
Make it a personal challenge....
The prize or rather your reward................is your Health, Happiness.......and your LIFE.
Miles of Smiles....
Quitting is not an event, it is a journey and there were days when I thought it wasn't as bad as I expected and others when I thought it was every bit as bad. I prepared, I had a plan, I listed things to do instead of smoking when triggers happened, I KNEW they would not magically stop. I came here every morning and every night and I read blogs, I commented, I asked for help and I listened to the advice I was offered. We have ALL been where you are, there are no shortcuts and you CAN do this!
Pay attention to fellow EXers.
Ellen
WereAllMadHere ...I'm entering my day 6...and i am finding this quit to be easier than I thought. We hear horror stories about quitting all our smoking life...that causes anxiety...you are not alone with your anxiety, I had anxiety before I quit too...GOOD NEWS... I don't have anxiety now! It's an incredible feeling not to smoke...Each day is easier.
Are you quitting cold turkey or using A medicine or NRT?
Here is a link to a video Breathe In, Breathe Out that has helped me calm the anxiety and get me through cravings.
You are here and posting and reading and that is the key.
Welcome!
Deborah 6 DOF
So many times, the anticipation of a perceived stressful event is much, much worse than the event itself.
please, please try to freee your mind a little. Put a more positive spin on your thoughts. You’re not giving something up, so much as you are giving yourself the opportunity to be healthy. Subtle changes in our thinking can make a world of difference.
Don't know if anyone would consider this good advice, but it worked for me as my quit date grew near. I told myself "Just give it a try. I can always start smoking again if I choose to". When I looked at it from this perspective, there wasn't anything to be afraid of. You need to stop thinking about "forever". One day at a time.
93DOF
I did the same thing.
Your brain is your most powerful tool - try to focus on the positive rather than the negative. Let each day be a milestone in the beginning - don't focus on forever as first. In the beginning, I looked at myself in the mirror each morning and gave myself a pep talk. When I was having a tough day, I would get on here and blog. I knew that I did not really want a cigarette so I knew that I would not smoke. The people here always helped me through. Make a plan, stick to your plan, and remember always that the little discomfort that you go through is worth it in the end. Freedom from smoking is a wonderful thing!
without having the knowledge that I learned here, yes, my quits have always sucked but it's because I didn't understand them. Once I gained knowledge, understood what was going on, no, it's not as bad as I thought it was going to be. I came to the thought of I can make this torture or I can simply let it follow its course and let go and see where it leads me
No, it is not as bad as you think. If you arm yourself with the knowledge about nicotine addiction you will have the power to win. Education is the key to a successful quit. Read the suggested material, study, blog, ask questions and stay close.
It has not been as bad as I thought it would be. I was also super sick, so I guess that may have "helped" make it easier. Most things are worse in our minds than when they are actually happening.
Yes it's really as bad as you think. And it's really as easy as you think. What you think and how you think is how the journey will proceed. If you make it a mountain in your head, it will all be uphill. But if you think "no big deal, I can handle this" it will follow accordingly. So think carefully and with surety!
It helped me to think of the early stage as a rite of passage. A necessary step to self-disciplined, smoke-free adulthood.
Remember - you want this. The consequences of smoking are far heavier and longer lasting than the passing unpleasant side affects of quitting.
Thank you all so much! I have decided to quit earlier than my quit date. I had my last cigarette at 10pm last night, it's 11:38am. I made it 12 hours! I am also super sick so I've had a lot of time to sit here and think but trying to keep my mind busy. Thank you again!
We are here for you, I am sorry that you are really sick. I can tell you that I quit more than once when I was sick and my biggest risk to my quits always came when I felt better and I convinced myself that smoking had nothing to do with my being sick. I just kept on heaping the poison onto my already badly damage lungs. You CAN do this...congratulations on starting early.
Ellen
Go WereAllMadHere !
Go WereAllMadHere!
Go WereAllMadHere !
Remember the words attributed to Henry Ford, :"If Nancy think you can or think you can't, you are right."
Nancy
Thank you! I'm pretty sure that I've made it 37 hours. I have hope that it will get better, even if it's worse before it gets better.
You're doing great. Sometimes it's one hour at a time. Whatever it takes.
96DOF
You can do this quit believe it deep breaths and keep moving forward and stacking up your precious Days of Freedom so each evening you can look yourself in the mirror and smile and say yay for another Day WON, you will be successful one precious Smokefree Day at a time or hour minute or even a second at a time ,be willing determined and totally committed because with the right Mindset we can do just about anything We put our minds to and quitting smoking should be at the top of the list of things to do for our health family and friends but especially our lives which literally depends on us to quit and stay quit, congratulations on your precious 9 Smokefree days and counting WTG.......
Just take what is going on NOW - enjoy it if it's easy, get through it the best you can if it's not. This is a journey of many steps. Don't get too far ahead of yourself!
I found this site on Day 1 of my quit. I didn't do a whole lot of planning other than to take Chantix. I quit 2 days after that first week of Chantix and never looked back. While I have had some difficult moments, the quit is not as bad as I imagined it would be.
I read Alan Carr's Easy Way to Quit Smoking. I still remember reading that noone has died from a craving. Think about that for a moment. As bad as a craving may or may not be, you will live through it and come out on the other side.
I believe the anxiety exists because you have a fear of the unknown. You don't know what it will be like exactly. What I can tell you is no matter what, it will always get better and nothing in the world feels as good a being an ex-smoker!