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Give and get support around quitting

Emmy2019
Member

3 months still suffering

Hello everyone. I will have 3 months of cold turkey as of tomorrow. I have had just about every withdrawal symptom you can think of, which luckily have all passed. Although my physical symptoms are now gone, I’m still dealing with the anxiety. Although it has gotten better, I am still having trouble. I had a little anxiety before quitting but nothing like what Ive been dealing with since. It has been a rollercoaster to say the least. I know it can take a long time to adjust, I’m just wondering how everyone else’s experience has been and how long it took for you to feel “normal” or like yourself again. Thanks in advance. Emmy.

13 Replies
sweetplt
Member

HI and Welcome to Ex’s Emmy Emmy2019 

A lot depends on how long one smoked...it takes a long time for your body to heal from smoking...I am at 204 days quit and I feel so much better...calm and at peace...but everyone is different...I do suffer from anxiety and did when smoking...it is better since I quit, but I practice meditation for the past 5 years...learning breathing techniques help...(look on line for help)...also, if you are having a tough time, talk to your Doctor tell them your concerns he/she can usually help ... sometimes a med along with other things (meditation, breathing, etc.,). Don’t suffer needlessly...

Gotcha in my Thoughts ... ~ Colleen

AnnetteMM
Member

Weird thing happens when we quit what we're addicted to:  We suddenly feel all the emotions the addictions squashed before.  Learning to deal with our emotions without piling on top of them with drugs is now your mission.

/blogs/jonescarp.aka.dale.Jan_2007-blog/2015/07/11/emotions?sr=search&searchId=8c8f20be-a5d4-4d5c-b4... Start here.

Emmy2019
Member

Thank you for your responses!

0 Kudos
indingrl
Member

Welcome Emmy and for ME- It was SUGGESTED to ME to educate MYSELF on MY NICOTINE using NOT anyone else's - please I am talking about ME not anyone else - in MY early stages of MY recovery -  I was up and down and all around - physically and emotionally and mentally and spiritually -I prayed and I came here everyday - reading blogs and info blogs by EX team and blogs by Dr Hays and I read Joel's FREE book from whyquit.com called NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PUFF EVER and ALL the blogs from those here at this site who were sharing their OWN experience and then also at whyquit.com -  I watched their videos on early deaths from NICOTINE - Byron's video brought ME out of MY OWN denial and I learned I was a NICOTINE addict - please take what HELPS and let go of the rest - to be HELPFUL is MY only aim - thank you - I stayed on this site and at whyquit.com -  for MY first 90 days - at the end of MY using - MY drug NICOTINE - I was using 50 death smokes a day and I had been using MY drug NICOTINE for over thirty eight YEARS- I tried nicotine gum and patches and went to the panels where people talked how they QUIT using NICOTINE- I would quit for a few times and use again - then I prayed and asked - MY Lord Jesus - to take these cigs from me or I would smoke them until I dropped dead in Jesus name amen- I awoke to cold turkey quit on January 6 - 2011 - I have been here every since-  in HIS love and service-  to HELP the next suffering NICOTINE addict - in HOPE - just like it was given to ME -  freely - please blog BEFORE you take that first puff and please wait for the HELP to come - so we can HELP - thanks for letting ME share - gentle hug ❤

elvan
Member

Welcome to EX, Emmy, congratulations on your three months of freedom.  I really think you will be very surprised if you stay close to the site and read blogs written by others.  Many suffered from anxiety before they quit but they have found ways to deal with it that are not killing them.  First of all, you need to read everything you can about nicotine addiction, you need to avail yourself of the amazing support on this site.  I smoked for 47 years and I had more than one, in fact countless failed quits.  THIS time, I have been free for over five years and it is thanks in large part to this community and the support I have received from these amazing people.  I suggest you read some blogs by JonesCarpeDiem‌ that I think you might find particularly useful.  My Welcome To New Members (12+ Years Of Watching)  and /blogs/jonescarp.aka.dale.Jan_2007-blog/2011/06/26/what-to-expect-in-the-first-four-months  You are currently in No Man's Land and while you have come a long ways alone...it might help you to know basically what to expect https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/groups/best-of-ex/blog/2011/05/24/no-mans-land-days-30-to130-appr... 

I cannot tell you when I started to feel better but I DID and it was worth every single uncomfortable moment.  I take deep breaths in through my nose, hold it, and exhale very slowly through pursed lips.  If you want to check yourself, get some bubble juice, if you exhale too quickly, you won't get any bubbles.  Find something to snack on that isn't terrible for you, frozen fruit works well, and exercise if you can, brisk walks, dancing to your favorite music, singing out loud, you will be releasing dopamine in a healthy way and I suspect you will start to feel much better.

Welcome,

Ellen

give it another 5-6 weeks and see how you feel.

Some people have their worst day at 111 days when their breakthrough was weeks away.

have you had a day when you realized you didn't think of smoking the day before?

Emmy2019
Member

Sorry it took me so long to respond dale,

yes I had a few really good days last week and then I had some stress on Sunday and since then I haven’t been able to shake out of the anxiety/idea that smoking will make me feel better. Sad that I thought I was getting better and now I feel like I’m spiraling downward. 

0 Kudos

Start talking to yourself. Say "I don't do that anymore" every time you think of smoking.

DonnaMarie
Member

My worst times were in the first 10 days. I still had that stupid urge filled anxiety you describe for weeks. I'm in an amazing space now where I rarely even think about smoking.

Time is your friend, but if you had underlying anxiety, you might want to look into making some other changes, perhaps talk to your doctor about it. I used Xanax during my last successful quit (which lasted 8 years). I only used it for a few weeks to keep from killing everyone around me It's not for everyone and not all doctors will agree to it, but it sure helped me.

This quit has been different. I've been able to rely on drinking water and changing other activities in my daily life to keep the anxiety/stress at bay. It seems like when we're able to move past the "I want to smoke" vs. "there's no reason to smoke" debate in ourselves, a lot of the stress melts away.

If you haven't already, read Allen Carr's Easy Way. You can get it for free at the library or for a nominal fee on Amazon or eBay. You won't be sorry. It's all about the mindset.

My best to you!

Donna

Day 191