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Give and get support around quitting

Gwenivere
Member

Mind fog

I am sooooooo tired of feeling sweaty.  Actually it’s a hot flush that makes me want to change clothes as they come and go and a shower always sounds good even tho I’m not actually sweating.  I’m grateful it’s just a feeling as someone I know actually soaked thru clothes and bedding.  Im tired of the new surprises of sensations every day.  I’m fed up that my mind is in a fog.  I was looking for my lounging pants everywhere and they were on the floor where I put them without memory to change into.  I’m constantly checking if I did something because I forget so many things.  As luck would have it I was re-enrolling in health insurance and wow!  The poor rep had to repeat so many things.  I have notes I hope I can decipher.  Sometimes I wonder if I should be driving.   I pop a nic lozenge and things clear up a bit.  I’m still seeking motivation on this quiting thing.  I like not worrying about having A pack and lighter, but that’s about it. I was just reading another thread about people well into a year if this and still feeling awful.  Maybe I should have skipped that one.

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16 Replies
desiree465
Member

I think that's really rare to feel awful after an entire year quit. How many days has it been since the last cigarette? Could you still be in withdraw or is it an unrelated medical issue? Please stick with your quit because I don't want you to have to go through this again and again. I promise you it gets better, it's just going to suck for a bit, but you CAN do this. Keep posting and reading, it's what gets you through those really tough moments.

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AnnetteMM
Member

I'm not a doctor, but I do know that if you keep feeding the addiction with nicotine the withdrawal keeps coming back. Once you've stopped ALL nicotine entirely, the withdrawal symptoms will have an end date and you can cleanly move on. You can do this!

YoungAtHeart
Member

Welcome to our community!

I see you missed my usual welcome, so I will make that right.  Reading a past blog I think you might have been still smoking AND using nicotine lozenges.  Be cautious with doing that because  you might be ingesting too much nicotine in a short period and that can cause nausea and a jittery feeling. I am glad you are changing to the patch.  Let us know how that goes.  Here is a blog that covers early withdrawal symptoms: https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/groups/best-of-ex/blog/2018/01/04/early-withdrawal-symptoms The brain fog usually only lasts a week or so. Keep in mind  that not every physical symptom is caused by quitting smoking.  If in doubt, check with your doctor.

In my experience volunteering here on the site for 6+ years, still being uncomfortable after a year quit is most unusual.  It is definitely not the norm -- so don't be discouraged.

The 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 online 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-ex has lots of blogs written by members of this site with their experiences and guidance.


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

elvan
Member

Hang in there...this too shall pass.  I know it is frustrating.  You are going to start to experience some improvement.

Ellen

Gwenivere
Member

I am still smoking, down to 3 cigs a day and lozenges.  A week from Friday I start the patches.  It will be quite the transition.  I do have to say I’d never thought I’d see the day a pack of cigs would last me 5-6 days!  I take my victories where I can.  

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karenjones
Member

I have been having a horrible memory (or lack of memory) for the past couple of weeks. I just try to be patient withmyself.  After all, i am now retired, so I have the time to look for things. i used to let that kind of stuff frustrate me. but not now, I am more patient with myself now. I don't think it is smoking related.  There is the tendency to blame everything on quitting.  If you are constipated, blame it on  quitting, if you have diahrrea, blame it on quitting, too tired? blame it on quitting, can't get to sleep, /  blame it on quitting.  I was blaming everything on my smoking cessation medication, heartburn? must be the Champix, headache/ must be the Champix.   Well now, I just say, oh well, I 'll give myself time to look for what ever it is and not get my knickers in  a  knot.

Keep moving in the direction you're going, Gwenivere. This won't last and will be over much sooner if you cut back on the NRTs. You're dragging out the worst stage of quitting! As for folks who are still miserable after one Year - I have a question - Did they have a miserable moment among mostly great moments or did they quit smoking without doing the work of Recovery? 

You have the Freedom to choose your quititude! If you choose to be miserable then you'll be like Sysiphus.

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If you look for the blessings you will soar like an Eagle.

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I chose the second and don't regret quitting one bit!

karenjones
Member

interesting Thomas3.20.2010 I only know Sysiphus from the writings of the existential philosopher Camus.  He said that Sysiphus is like a hero, he knows that the boulder will come rolling down on him as he approaches the top, but he , without complaining or becoming depressed or unable to handle the situation, goes down the hill with resolution and with a will puts his shoulders agains the boulder again. This is like us and our addiction really, we know we are addicted, when quitting we must be like Sysiphus, we must accept this burden and get down there and push it up the hill. which is what Sysiphus does. so in a way , to be Sysiphus is good when appropriate. I know that in the first couple of months in my quit I sure felt like Sysiphus, and the boulder was my craving.  but that is less and less a part of my life. to every thing there is a season, and eagles that soar do not happen over night.   Onward and upward!

Gwenivere
Member

Thomas, I have been cutting back on the NRT's.  Next Friday I am supposed to use the patch and maybe not need as many lozenges.  It’s very clear to me that cold turkey could shorten this withdrawl.  But we have to make decisions based on many influences.  If this was the only thing I was battling, I’d do it cold to get it over with, physically at least. I’m battling 3 other things too and don’t want to be a statistic of someone overwhelmed and choosing a very bad way out.  

I was just just thinking of Sysiphus the other day.  How every morning I have to start pushing the boulders up again.  Lather, rinse, repeat.  Kinda the mantra of my life right now.  Have you ever had times when things happen and you think, I couldn’t have written circumstance like this?