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Give and get support around quitting

rhainey
Member

Sick at first?

Did anyone else get really sick the 1st week?

Coughing up a lot of not pretty things?

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4 Replies
Mandolinrain
Member

Oh heck yes. This is normal. I coughed up a boat load of crap the first couple weeks, felt sick....think of it as your body detoxing. If you go to upper right corner you will see an magnifying glass. Click on it and type in anything your wondering about,...it will link you to several blogs/articles on it

More help :

Giulia

What to Expect in the First 4 Months

Discussion created by Giulia Champion on Sep 13, 2016
  
   
jonescarp.aka.dale.Jan_2007

What To Expect In The First Four Months

Blog Post created by jonescarp.aka.dale.Jan_2007 on Jun 26, 2011

You can choose to be anxious and fearful to quit smoking but it is not required.

 

 

     Sure, you will have some rough days in first two to three weeks experiencing the physical withdrawal symptoms and beginning to unlearn the habit part of smoking.

We all did.

      You will feel "out of it" like something is missing or not right.

The memories of smoking are strong because of how long we smoked.

 

Quitting is a process. After being on this and another site for over 10 years an average of 10 hours a day listening and watching and helping,  I see it as a definable process.

 

     You begin to understand what is happening by living smoke free but, you must keep making the choice to not smoke for a period of time in order to unlearn the psychological connections and be successful.  As you live daily without smoking the unlearning process continues as you build new memories that don't include smoking.

 

     This is the secret of success. You must unlearn the hand to mouth and inhale motions that are connected to the memories and emotions experienced as a smoker.

     Enjoy the process, don't bemoan it. This is the only way to be free and not desire to be a smoker ever again.

 

     After about 130 days you will not be thinking of you as a smoker or of smoking as often.  Be willing to give yourself that amount of time without giving up on yourselves.

Accept your new path as a non smoker. The only way out is through.

Here Is The Timeline Of What You Can Expect

1st week toughest. (It feels so awkward to make the change initially)

2nd week is better (some are through the worst portion after 2 weeks)

3rd week is mo' better (most are through the worst withdrawal symptoms by the end of the third week)

4th week even better.

      By the beginning of the 5th week, you think you got it licked.BUT

The next three months are the test because you will get urges out of nowhere They can be strong they can last an hour or longer and be spread over 2-3 days, but these are usually far between.

Get up! Get busy. Use the tools that got you this far.

     They typically aren't stronger than anything you've already experienced.It's because they are so unexpected and can catch you off guard that makes them dangerous.

      You've smoked for a long time.

      Promise yourself 130 days from your last puff without giving in and you will rarely think of smoking.

 

and....laugh when you crave (chuckle in church)

 

(Please read the no mans land blog that follows which describes the the feelings you might  experience at one point or another in those 3+ months after the first month quit)

 

https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/blogs/jonescarp.aka.dale.Jan_2007-blog/2011/05/24/no-mans-land-da...

 

and also, about the two sets of seasons building your new non smoking memories below.

 

https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/blogs/jonescarp.aka.dale.Jan_2007-blog/2013/12/05/the-two-sets-of...

elvan
Member

Your lungs are cleaning house...getting all of that accumulated stuff out...it's a GOOD thing, just doesn't feel so good.  I am pasting YoungAtHeart‌'s welcome for you here.  She has just had surgery and I am not sure when she will be able to be back up to her usual activity.  My name is Ellen, I have been smoke free for over 4 years and 8 months after smoking for 47 years...this site is amazing and the support you will get from the people here will get you through anything and everything.  Smoking does not help with anything but it sure does a lot of damage.  Welcome to EX...we have all been where you are an we all want you to succeed.  Nancy's welcome follows:

Youngatheart.7.4.12 is Nancy...

Welcome to our community!

 

The most important thing you can do right now is to educate yourself on what nicotine does to your body and mind. To that end, I highly recommend Allen Carr's “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking.” This is an easy and entertaining read. You can search for it  or at your local library. Here's a link to a video here on the site which describes nicotine addiction:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpWMgPHn0Lo&feature=youtu.be.
 
You should also read the posts here and perhaps go to the pages of folks who you think might be helpful. You might visit whyquit.com, quitsmoking.com and livewell.com for the good information contained there. @https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/groups/best-of-exhas lots of blogs written by members of this site with their experiences and guidance.  You should also do the tracking and separation exercises recommended here on the site.
 
 After you have completed the recommended reading, it will be time to make an informed choice of the quit aid, if any, you will use. If you go that route, I personally recommend the aids that don't let the addict control the dose such as the available prescription drugs or the patch. If used properly, gum, lozenges and inhalers are fine, but they need to be used only as a last resort.  I have seen folks become addicted to them if they substitute them for every cigarette they used to smoke - just trading one addiction for another.  I do not recommend the e-cigarette for three reasons: 1) the vapor has been compared to the polluted air in Bejing on a bad day, 2) they just provide another nicotine delivery system while continuing the hand to mouth smoking motion, and 3) the batteries can spontaneously catch on fire. . But – any method that you think will work well for you will be best for you.
 
The idea is to change up your routines so the smoking associations are reduced.  Drink your coffee with your OTHER hand in a place different from when you smoked. Maybe switch to tea for a bit.  If you always had that first smoke with your coffee, try putting your tennies on right out of bed, going for a quick walk, then taking your shower and THEN your coffee! Rearrange the furniture in the areas you used to smoke so the view is different. Buy your gas at a different station. Take a different route to work. Take a quick walk at break time where the smokers AREN'T.
 
You need to distract yourself through any craves.  You can take a bite out of a lemon (yup - rind and all), put your head in the freezer and take a deep breath of cold air, do a few jumping jacks, go for a brisk walk or march in place, play a computer game.  Keep a cold bottle of water with you from which to sip. Don't let that smoking thought rattle around in your brain unchallenged. Sometimes you need to quit a minute or an hour at a time.  You will need to be disciplined in the early days to distract yourself when a crave hits.    Get busy!  Here is a link to a list of things to do instead of smoke if you need some fresh ideas:

 

 https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/blogs/Youngatheart.7.4.12-blog/2013/02/25/100-things-to-do-instea...

 

The conversation in your head in response to the "I want a cigarette" thought needs to be, "Well, since I have decided not to do that anymore, what shall I do instead for the three minutes this crave will last?"  Then DO it.  You will need to put some effort into this in the early days, but it gets easier and easier to do.
 
Stay close to us here and ask questions when you have them and for support when you need it. We will be with you every step of the way!


 Nancy

minihorses
Member

Oh lordy I get VERY sick quitting smoking especially quitting cold turkey. Last year when I quit it was gradually and I was on Chantix. This time I am on Chantix and accidentally quit cold turkey.  It was worse than having the flu with a high fever and a stomach flu all at the same time.  It lasted almost a month.  Everyone is different in the way their bodies deal with the loss of the drug.  I never coughed because I only inhaled to my throat. My prayers are with you and the community will support you all the way!

Julie

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A.N.N.
Member

Hi,

Two weeks in I told my husband, "I think I'm getting sick." His lovely response was " You quit smoking, and you don't have to pretend to feel good all the time." Being and feeling all the feelings we smoked away is alot for our bodies to process!! 

Ann