Community
Are there other schizophrenics here?
Ive been smoking since my dad handed me my first cigarette at 15. (Im 30.) I quit while I was pregnant and I quit for awhile after the first hospitalization for bronchitis.
Today, I got released for pneumonia from the hospital (i was there since friday until Tuesday).
I'm not sure what to say. Smoking is going to kill me and I don't know how to stop, I've done patches and chantix. I'm lost right now.
Hi and Welcome to Ex’s Paranoid_pizza
I can tell you what I did to get this quit, but everyone is different...due to your illness, you should also ask your Doctor how he/she can help you to get this quit...I had to accept I was an addict and all I was doing was anything to feed my fix even if it was causes me to sick...I had to stop the cycle...I read a lot on smoking, quitting, nicotine, etc., I came here and read at My EX Plan | BecomeAnEX and made a quit date and planned for that day like no other....I realized I had to replace smoking with other healthy activities (easier said then done)...I had to avoid many of my triggers until I was further along in my quit...You can do this, but it takes work...plan what will work for you...and come here for support and to support others on this journey...we are in this together and here to help...~ Happy Thanksgiving...~ Colleen 359 DOF
Welcome. So glad you found us. Did you know smoking is a psychiatric diagnosis? I certainly have my emotional issues. I am so much more emotionally stable since I quit smoking. It really helps to quit. Hoping and praying you can do this for you. We are here to help.
Welcome to our community!
I would talk with the doctor who is treating you for schizophrenia to see if they might offer some helpful advice. Education, planning, preparation, a support network and commitment on your part is what is required to successfully quit. We can help with all but the last.
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 easy, entertaining read changed how I thought about smoking and I credit the information gained for a large part of my 7+ year success. You find find it online or at your local library.
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.
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 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
CONGRATS ON NICOTINE FREEDOM
Welcome to the Ex and congrats on your decision to quit. You came to the right place for support. I would agree to consulting with a doctor. Quitting can cause some psychological issues -- I know I experienced it.
Barb
I have ptsd which encompasses a lot of things. I also have copd from smoking too much for too long. Have had much physical illness and still continued to smoke. I was at my wits end about smoking and thought I was a goner. Have had much physical illness and when i got honest I could see smoking was not good for my mental health. It was not helping me cope at all even though my addict mind said it did. I had quit briefly several times but lost the quit usually from some emotional trigger. I am much older then you and finally realized if I did not quit I was going to die. I attended a no smoking clinic and then they referred me to the state sponsored no smoking program. They were helpful, but they would never have been enough for me because they were short term and limited. Then I found this site and I cannot tell you how helpful it has been. It has taken a lot more planning and commitment then I ever did before, and I want to quit for me. So it has been just short of 7 weeks since I smoked. It has been a monumental battle at times, and I have a long way to go, but I honestly believe I would not have made it this far without this site. My suggestion would be to follow the advice given here, and make a commitment to yourself...we are worthy of a smoke free life!!!
Thank you so much for the responses. Today is going better. The statistic I found most often is 80% of schizophrenics/psychotics smoke cigarettes. Lung cancer kills more schizophrenics than suicide. Which is why we die roughly 20 years earlier than average. Pretty gloomy facts.
I will take some time to investigate more about quitting and record my cigarettes for now. I appreciate the support so very much.
CONGRATS CHOOSING NICOTINE FREEDOM
I'm bipolar and completely understand what you what you're going through. I've read studies that say people with a mental illness are much more likely to smoke. Cigarettes contain nicotine, which is addictive and just like alcohol and recreational drugs people with mental illness are more likely to smoke. If you've ever been in a psych hospital before the ban on medical facilities grounds I found that more than 1/2 of the patients smoked. An addict is an addict no matter what the drug of choice is. I think we have to work a little harder at quitting. Just my opinion on that one though.
My eldest was on a fancy alcohol rehab campus and they actually ENCOURAGED smoking (this was about 15 years ago). Took them off campus in a van to buy them every week! I HATED that they did that, but I guess they thought smoking was a lesser addiction.
minihorses - how are you doing?
Hi there, I'm Angie and I'm 53 years old. I was diagnosed with Schizophrenia at age 20 or 21, and I lost the ability to sleep naturally and started taking Haldol which is a strong tranquilizer and it helped me get to sleep and I was able to wake up on time. I started smoking cigarettes a pack per day. A few years later I was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder and started taking Lithium and my psychiatrist told me that I had partial symptoms of each illnesses and said I had schizoaffective disorder. So I've been smoking cigarettes and cigars now for about 32 years. I have tried the patches, gum, lozenges, spray, bupropion, Chantix, acupuncture, chamomile tea, and have been only able to stop smoking temporarily but have always relapsed and started smoking again. I don't know what to do to successfully quit smoking either. I just have to keep trying and not give up on myself even if I always relapse and start smoking again. It's frustrating and complicated.
It's OK to be scared based on the past quits but that's the past. This time make a list of what happened and how you felt when you picked up the first cigarette again. Then add ways you can deal with those and list what you can do instead. It helped me tremendously. Now I'm on 444 days free. It can be done. Ex is the second reason I've stayed quit. The love and support is unbeatable and will help you through anything!
I say this is my millionth time I've tried to quit. I forgot to ask if you how you feel about quitting. Do you feel that you want to quit or you need to quit? All the people I know that have had successful quits,including myself now, have said if you want to quit you'll be more likely to do so and to stay quit versus those who say they need to quit. That's also what worked for me this time. I really wanted it no matter what. I was scared and worried that this would be another failure and I'd probably go back in 3-4 months. I'm proud to say I've made it 444 days. Yes my bipolar has been messing w/ me. I've been suicidal to the point of the letter, how and plan, ASAP but this time I didn't run to the store for smokes. That's a new one for me. I've switched one depression med and I'm not suicidal anymore thank god.
You CAN quit and we'll support you through thick and thin!
Hugs,
Julie
You deserve your quit.
I don't have schizophrenia, but I've had people in my life who have had schizophrenia.
One person passed before she quit. The other quit while he was alive. They were both very lovely people.
I'm glad you're out of the hospital. Use the resources here. You deserve your quit. You can do this.
You and your health are important.
What will be your substitutions when you quit? If you crave, post here before lighting up.
I don't know know what method nrt or not. The patch and broken lozenge worked for me.
Also maybe you have contact with sites on line for schizophrenia and can ask there.
Deep breathing exercises are great for calming and help with the quit.
There is a lot of truly useful life-saving information here.
You want your quit, you can do this.
Blessings