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Having anxiety already, what was successful for you in repressing the anxiety that comes with withdrawal?

Question asked by lisetterai on Jul 23, 2019
Latest reply on Jul 26, 2019 by lisetterai

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I suffer with anxiety as it is and I made the decision to stop smoking the JUUL. I made the decision literally yesterday and just thinking about the withdrawal process has my anxiety through the roof. What are some ways you all have gotten through withdrawal? I know it won’t be easy at all but I absolutely NEED to do this for my health. I’m only 22 and I want to have a long healthy life. What are some tips that you have to curb cravings for nicotine and maybe even something that can be a detox? Thanks!

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AnnetteMM Jul 23, 2019 11:31 AM
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You have anxiety because you need information, and we can give it to you. Take a deep breath, relax, and start searching this site. Replace every "cigarette" with "juul". It's all the same when it comes to nicotine. It's an addiction, and you are about to set yourself free from it.

Start here: What To Expect In The First Four Months
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JACKIE1-25-15 Jul 23, 2019 12:31 PM
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Anxiety is a major topic here. Use the search engine magnifying glass top right type the keyword and review the results. Here are a few to get you started. False: Smoking Relieves my Anxiety https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/community/expert-advice/blog/2017/11/22/impact-of-smoking-on-mental-health-symptoms. 101 Things to Do Instead of Smoke, Craving Buster Technique BTW I am happy that you have decided to quit at such a young age. Most of us smoked a very long time. Longer than your age. Here is a little bit more information. Education is the key to a successful quit. It is okay to be anxious but do not let it stop you in your tracks. Can you do that? Sure you can because quitting is doable. If you educate yourself about nicotine addiction. The best way to quit is to prepare and plan how you are going to go about your quit. Go to My EX Plan | BecomeAnEX and review the videos and tracking also learn what your triggers are so you can better prepare for the urge to smoke when it happens. I am a firm believer education is the key to success. I was advised to read Allen Carr's Easyway to Quit Smoking which can be found on pdf on the web. Another good site to get info which was very helpful to me is www.whyquit.com. There are several articles to read. Nicotine 101 and Freedom From Nicotine My Journey Home. To get help on navigating the site go to. Community Help. Make quitting smoking your number one priority. Start by getting rid of anything associated with smoking such as ashtrays, lighter, cigarettes, etc. You can do this if you make up your mind that you can. Relearning your thinking that you do not have to smoke is a good beginning. For a while, you will think about smoking but that does not mean you have to act on it. You can talk yourself out of smoking. No matter what never ever take another puff. NOPE. Take smoking off the table as an option and do something different.
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Youngatheart.7.4.12 Jul 23, 2019 1:20 PM
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Welcome to our community!

To answer your question about reducing anxiety: exercise, exercise and MORE exercise - and knowledge and strategies with which I will help you. If you believe Juul is the only tool that will work for you, don't substitute it for every cigarette you used to smoke. Use ALL of your tools and it only as a last resort. We have a good number of folks lately who have been unable to quit using IT.

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. If you do nothing else to get ready for your quit, please do give this a read.

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. Here is a video to inform you further about nicotine addiction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpWMgPHn0Lo&feature=youtu.be.

Here is some more information on Nicotine Replacement Therapies.. 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 after you have tried to delay and distract. 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. You need to start out with a plan to reduce use of them over time - which the patch does by decreasing the dose contained in them.. For the gum, you can start by cutting each piece in half, then in quarters, then sub regular gum of the same flavor in between, adding more and more regular gum. For the lozenge, you need to start subbing a mint in between to begin, increasing the number of them over time. I do not recommend the e-cigarette for four 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, 3) the batteries can spontaneously catch on fire and 4) you can become addicted to that and it has not yet been proven safe .

It will be informative if you do the tracking and separation exercises recommended here on the site. As you track each cigarette smoked, note its importance, and what you might do instead. Put each one off just a little to prove that you don't NEED a cigarette just because you think you do.

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-instead-of-smoke
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
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sweetplt Jul 23, 2019 4:45 PM
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Hi and Welcome to Ex’s lisetterai
Glad you made the decision to quit smoking...I had anxiety when I smoked and now when I quit...actually the anxiety is less now that I am not smoking...smoking doesn’t help anxiety...what does is working through the attacks...many articles on the subject on the computer, also, I do meditation and work out 3 days a week, etc.,
Please read at My EX Plan | BecomeAnEX where you will learn about quitting, and prepare for different situations when quitting. This journey is doable, but takes hard work. You must try and keep busy, drink lots of water, take walks, etc., also, keep close to the support site...here is a list of healthy things to do instead of smoke...100 Things to do instead of smoking! Now get working...Colleen 232 DOF
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maryfreecig Jul 23, 2019 5:04 PM
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You've asked a good question--what worked for others in the beginning of their quit. I quit in 2013, had anxiety, negative feelings etc. BUT I had decided that I was going to quit. What worked for me may be of little help to you, but since you asked here goes:

I walked, walked, walked and walked some more.
I held my temper until I could be alone, guzzle water and watch something comic on youtube
I said to myself: I can smoke again so long as I make that decision when I am totally free, no longer entwined.
I ran away from situations that overwhelmed me
I sucked on straws and ranted about how hard it was to quit
I watched quit videos (the sane, the supportive kind no easy peasy tricks like quit for good in 10 minutes--I needed real help --not false hope)
I prepared for my quit online, signed up with my home state NH quits site and rec'd emails
I put the money I saved in a jar every day or so
I pledged that I wasn't going to let the 'nicotine' industry get me again
I read nature books--I liked em and I collected them
I ran away to yard sales on some saturdays planning to conquer the economic world by finding something I needed -- really cheap. Same thing for thrifts.
I ate pastries and walked

Then I got better in spite of my best efforts to believe that I could not. Time, Exers talk a lot about it. Ex has your back 365, keep this your home base while you make your quit real one day at a time.
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minihorses Jul 24, 2019 2:32 PM
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My saving grace was Chantix. I did vape for a couple days after the cigs were tossed but I really didn't want vapes either. Chantix didn't take away the withdrawals though. The only time I wasn't going through massive, sickening withdrawal was when I was asleep. My withdrawals are absolutely debilitating so I slept as much as possible. Not much of a help I know but I hope it's a consideration.
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stAn3 Jul 24, 2019 10:13 PM
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I blogged here everyday. I used nicotine patches. I read the suggested literature and did all the prep exercises on this site BEFORE I quit. Planning made my feel more confident that I would be successful. All the advice here is really helpful. Keep coming back, posting, and reading. Congratulations on your decision to quit!
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elvan Jul 25, 2019 4:02 PM
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I came to this site every morning and every evening and I read blogs, I blogged, I connected with others here and I accepted the fact that feeling anxious is okay, it is FEELING and that is a whole lot better than smoking. I exercise regularly and eat a healthy diet, I talked about EX and my journey to anyone who would listen. I have been free for over 5 1/2 years and my only regret is that I didn't quit SOONER..
Ellen
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avian3 Jul 25, 2019 4:24 PM
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I doubled my activity by exercising and gardening. Some people stay busy with indoor projects, cleaning out closets or cupboards. I hated doing that so I stayed outside. I also stayed away from coffee and alcohol for the first couple of months. With alcohol not only can it trigger a relapse but can prevent you from getting a good nights sleep which just leads to more anxiety. I also stayed away from all my friends for the first two weeks so I wouldn't bite their heads off. It was about that time I joined a forum where, if needed, I could bite their heads off. Reading other quitters posts and learning from them helped relieve a lot of my anxiety too.
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Thomas3.20.2010 Jul 26, 2019 7:03 AM
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I have started a regimen of CBD. Results have yet to be determined.....I'll keep folks updated.
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- lisetterai @ Thomas3.20.2010 on Jul 26, 2019 7:26 AM
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  I actually have been using CBD for a while now, and honestly it’s a hit or miss with me. Either it works or it doesn’t, but I do think it depends on like the level of anxiety I’m feeling. I haven’t been using it for this withdrawal though but maybe it won’t be a bad idea to try.
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Having anxiety already, what was successful for you in repressing the anxiety that comes with withdrawal?

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