Week 2 - my experience: Hello Week Two'ers... - No Smoking Day

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Week 2 - my experience

nsd_user663_7674 profile image
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Hello Week Two'ers...

I'm now on Day 18, (week 3), cold turkey quit.

I'm going to absolutely up front about my week 2 experience on the basis that reading this when I was in week 2 would have given me a lot more inspiration about getting to week 3.

I was a lot more upbeat on this forum while I was in week 2, because I felt I should be. In short, week 2 for me was an unmitigated nightmare. It was a rollercoaster ride of anxiety, feelings of loss, depression, tears, sleepless nights, fidgetting and not just irritability - I mean ferocious dark black moods. I couldn't see my friends. I nearly quit my job. Life without smoking seemed absolutely unbearable and pointless.

If this all sounds a bit dramatic, then that's unfortunately the way I reacted to stopping smoking. We're all wired differently.

BUT, most importantly, throughout week 2.... I didn't smoke.

I'm now on Day 18 and actually, as today goes, it's not too bad. I still feel a little "moody" at times, but it has got A LOT better and I'm so glad I didn't give in on week 2.

So if you're surrounded by people saying "it's only as hard as you make it".. "It's easy!" .. "I've hardly thought about smoking" and that in turn is demotivating you (it did me) then I hope you take a little solice in the thought that you're not alone and you just need to ride through it and believe it WILL get better.

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nsd_user663_7674
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15 Replies
nsd_user663_7583 profile image
nsd_user663_7583

Thank you so much for your post, this is exactly how I feel. felt very positive the first few days and gradually started to feel more low:(. I am now on day 9, not feeling too bad today but the last 3 days have been awfull, but I am proud to say I haven't smoked:).

I have felt and still feel lost, everything is different and the last time I was happy was when I smoked. Now I KNOW that doesn't make sense and I have got to find a way of making being a non smoker normal but I just can't help the way I feel! Very tired of arguing with myself, but I know I will just have to get through this and will feel better when I have, I HOPE!!!

So thanks for posting this because it has given me a little hope and it is nice to know I am not the only one and I am not strange!

X

nsd_user663_7469 profile image
nsd_user663_7469

The road to freedom is littered with fag ends not mine or yours

God that was my week 4 I became a little complacent at how easy it was and wham it knocked me for six all the things you said Hell on earth and funny it wasnt just about not smoking it was just a body reaction I thought my body had gone into shock LOL

Want say its perfect and tempt fate so will now take it daily and see how it goes and I agree we have to be honest and any one else can be comforted at the thought that they/we are not on our own.

So glad you are feeling a bit better and coping always have the forum to fall back on,

nsd_user663_7673 profile image
nsd_user663_7673

Excellent post Pol, thank you.

And you are right, it can be quite off-putting when all you seem to hear is the happy-happy-joy-joy isn't this so easy-success stories.

We all struggle to varying degrees and I'm guessing a lot don't post how they really feel for fear of sounding miserable!

Hope this post shows some of the reality we all go through and shows those struggling right now that it does let up.

Well done Pol:)

Jenni xx

nsd_user663_4149 profile image
nsd_user663_4149

Hello Week Two'ers...

I'm now on Day 18, (week 3), cold turkey quit.

I'm going to absolutely up front about my week 2 experience on the basis that reading this when I was in week 2 would have given me a lot more inspiration about getting to week 3.

I was a lot more upbeat on this forum while I was in week 2, because I felt I should be. In short, week 2 for me was an unmitigated nightmare. It was a rollercoaster ride of anxiety, feelings of loss, depression, tears, sleepless nights, fidgetting and not just irritability - I mean ferocious dark black moods. I couldn't see my friends. I nearly quit my job. Life without smoking seemed absolutely unbearable and pointless.

If this all sounds a bit dramatic, then that's unfortunately the way I reacted to stopping smoking. We're all wired differently.

BUT, most importantly, throughout week 2.... I didn't smoke.

I'm now on Day 18 and actually, as today goes, it's not too bad. I still feel a little "moody" at times, but it has got A LOT better and I'm so glad I didn't give in on week 2.

So if you're surrounded by people saying "it's only as hard as you make it".. "It's easy!" .. "I've hardly thought about smoking" and that in turn is demotivating you (it did me) then I hope you take a little solice in the thought that you're not alone and you just need to ride through it and believe it WILL get better.

What a post. Smashing.

nsd_user663_7674 profile image
nsd_user663_7674

Blimey, thanks all. Seriously. I did hesitate before posting that lot, but if it helps just one person then that's good enough for me.

Sas - I know how hard Day 9 is, it was only 9 days ago for me. Everyone here relates, because we've all done it. You're not strange. I've argued with myself as well. All the time! I even tried to convince myself that by not smoking I was causing myself to be chronically depressed (because that's how it feels/felt) and the smoking had obviously kept that in check my whole life. I reasoned the only solution was to smoke again. (Which I didn't). What a complete load of rubbish that is in reality. It's just temporary withdrawal and the Nico-Demon's death throes. Please stay with it and I'll see you and Jenni/yournamehere in the 1 month section together soon.

Polly xx

nsd_user663_3910 profile image
nsd_user663_3910

Really good post Polly, I hesitate sometimes by putting anything negative on the forum because I don't want to put people off, but you are absolutely right and people should know what to expect, and also to realise these different emotions come and go.

Glad all is well, keep at it.

Lorraine :)

nsd_user663_7674 profile image
nsd_user663_7674

Thanks so much Lorraine and great to see you here too!

nsd_user663_7469 profile image
nsd_user663_7469

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Been thinking and maybe it wouldnt put any one off, as you said we hear so much of how brill it is to stop and not at all difficult UH and I wonder where the govement get there statistics from cause they reckon we are clear in a matter od days and we all know thats rubbish by making people believe its all over and jolly in days I wreckon it has the opposite effect and more will go back as they think its something realy bad happening and they are the exception to the rule so there body cannot cope so smoke again????

But we know so we have more chance of staying quit

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh so much better now going for an Indian and as the first one that I am going to with smoking friends Lets see how many I can convert

Only jesting let them keep smoking so the health service has plenty taxes keep hospitals afloat LOL

nsd_user663_7749 profile image
nsd_user663_7749

Hey pol, that is a great post, I can see exactly what you mean, even my own post could be seen as happy go lucky no problem etc, which does worry me, and I hope I havent put anyone off with my posts, I can garantee you if I did cold turkey the whole site would go down as I would be posting so much angst all the time, I am on the 24 hr patch, so really have only dealth with the phycological {sp?} effects really, I am still getting nicotine into my system, yes all the crap will have gone i.e chemicals, but they way you have quit, you have it all at once, I still have the nocotine with drawl to come, so

I think that is why I have found it easier, because I havent even started yet on the road to nicotine withdrawl!

I admire anyone who gives up smoking no matter how you do it, but I think cold turkey must be the hardest in my opinion, and I for one know I would not be able to deal with that!

the worst thing I have had to post on here is about my boyfriend who is going cold turkey, and I see the hell he is going through and see what it nearly done to our relationship, it still isnt back on track, the stop smokin people dont tell you about the personal side of your life that it can effect, so good on you for your post and for giving up cold turkey!

im still to this day on medication tablets after coming off heroin in my past! I tried cold turkkey a few times to come off of that, so I know I wouldnt be able to cold turkey even with cigs

well done to everyone who is quit/quitting/thinking of quitting, we are all strong people and can fight this! no matter how you do it

nsd_user663_4149 profile image
nsd_user663_4149

I still have the nocotine with drawl to come, so

I think that is why I have found it easier, because I havent even started yet on the road to nicotine withdrawl!

Stop projecting Kate, you may well get a nice surprise. Don't know how you're working the patches but I did the NHS programme, and had no problems at all coming off them. After 53 years of smoking all went better than I could have hoped. Just believe in yourself Kate and I hope you and your bloke get it in the end, preferably togeter. David

nsd_user663_7674 profile image
nsd_user663_7674

Jamangie - I know what you mean, I kept thinking it was easy for everyone else, I was the exception, so I had some sort of problem. Of course it is easy for some people and I wish I was "some people" because I would have stopped before I started.

Kate - Really interesting that you mentioned heroin. I was thinking about drugs and smoking recently. I shouldn't say drugs AND smoking, because they are the same thing. Nicotine is the fastest acting most potent drug on the planet - jus because it's government legal it becomes immune from being lumped together with all the street drugs. It just struck me that I've done the A-Z tour of drug taking in my life and the ONLY one that has had me hooked and ruined my life is Nicotine. If it's not too personal was withdrawing from Heroin harder, same, easier or not comparable? Or you can tell me mind my own business? Maybe this is a whole new post.

Know what you mean about relationships. My boyfriend is just about tolerating me at the moment. He still smokes.

You're absolutely right we can all do it, no matter how we chose to do it.

nsd_user663_7749 profile image
nsd_user663_7749

hiya everyone

to Davofgy - I know what im doing, I just cant help myself hehe, people keep telling not to look for the problems, or to expect them just to get on with it, but I personally so far touch wood have had a fairly non eventfull quit {apart from the ken barlow from corrie/demon dream at the begining lol} so I just expect it to happen, nothing I have ever done in life has been easy and I Always look for the negatives in things, find that easier, but im just going one day at a time and trying to keep the nehgativity out of my head x

To polster - hey I dont mind, you can ask what ever you like, im quite open about my past so dont mind answering thing, well just to say if my quit was anything like my several attems at quitting heroin I CAN GARANTE I WOULD BE A LIFETIME SMOKER!! I also took crack cocaine every day for 4 yrs!!I tried to go cold turkey many times, some by choice some by being forced i.e being locked up in police cell, no money to buy any drugs etc and it is hell!! if you think there are 'nicotine demons' then boy the heroin demons must be the super strength nico demons on steroids lol

If I ever got back onto heroin, knowing what I do now and how much it takes to get off it I would never stop! its pure hell, you get phsyical cravings like you do with nicotine, but it has effects on your body aswell from the withdrawl, it can make you have spasms and evrerything, not sayin nicotine is easy as I know its not, but give me that withdrawel from heroin any day!

the onset of withdrawel is like your brain is awake and funchioning but your body is asleep, it actually aches, your bones aches your tummy goes to mush, you just cant function! with that its more phsycal effects/withdrawl

I was on it for 5 yrs, and I tried to get off about 30 times!!! each time failing, tried methodone, but to be honest theres no point, ppl just use that so they feel 'well enough' to go out making there money to buy the next fix,its a cope out if you ask me, I finally got off it with subutex {buprenorfeen cant spellt it } it works similar to methadone but have a blocker in it aswell so if you do use heroin you cat tell, you dont get anything from it, and that worked for me! yes I relapsed a few times when on it but I started again, and have been clean nearly 5 yrs now! even now to this day I miss it, if it was free and didnt mess up your life in so many ways and was legal of course ;) i would love to take it for the rest of my life but thats what it does, just like cigs, gets into your head, your brain and your way of thinking! but Im glad to say I beat it, but I will always be a heroin addict, and thats the key to remember you will always be that addict, what ever drug it is you take and become addicted to, no matter how legal or hard, you will always be a addict for life

BUT there is a way to get through it and live along side it as I do, so if I can beat that crap {and crack cocaine for 4 yrs, pure cold turkey with that} then theres hope for us all :)

nsd_user663_7906 profile image
nsd_user663_7906

woke up this morning desperate for a ciggy, been like that for 3 hours

really struggling so decided to come on here to rant.

But reading your post made me feel guilty nicotine is no where near as bad as hard drugs what you have succeeded in doing makes me feel ashamed of myself

your an insperation to us all

your words have given me strength

good luck with the quit

stay with us

I feel so much better now

demented

nsd_user663_7749 profile image
nsd_user663_7749

Hey 'demented' dont you dare feel bad for moaning abouyt your craving, every drug is bad, every addiction is bad, its differant for everyone, some may find coming off a drug fairly easy some may struggle, but pls dont feel like your moaning about nothing compaired to what I have been through, i dont deserfve any sympathy for my addiction to heroin or crack, I kinda new what I was getting into, knew they were the harest drugs you cvan get, so I shouldnt have started in the first place

the cigs are sneaky like buggers, and dont 'seem' that bad, then they grab youi, heroin is blatently bad,and I knew this from the start!

yes I have come out the other side but I shouldnt have gone into it!

well I do hope you 3 hr bad patch has eased now, carry on your doing really well so keep up the great work! its hard giving up the cigs, but we can all do it :)

To Davofgy you mention previous you are did the pacthes the 'nhs system' can you explain how long that was and what the steps are pls.

I am on my second week of doing them, starting on step 3, goinhg to see the nurse next mon, hoping to go to step 2, if they let me.

how did you do your patch systemk? thanks

nsd_user663_7674 profile image
nsd_user663_7674

Hey Kate,

Thanks so much for your description of kicking Heroin, and I know you say not to feel bad or humbled, but I DO! I'm not saying stopping smoking is easy by any stretch and of course addiction and withdrawal affects us all differently - but what you went through withdrawing from Heroin puts everything into perspective. If you can do that, then you, me and everyone else on here can stop smoking.

You're right, smoking is such a sneaky hook. I think it was the recent Professor David Nuts report to the government (that they conveniently dismissed and sacked him over) that revealed that if cigs (and alcohol) were invented today they would both be immediately classified as Class A dr*gs. Anyway, that's another angle I won't go on about...

Thanks for that post, it's REALLY helped me. I read it with a girl from work (my ex smoking partner) and she's decided to stop tomorrow and join up on this forum. She said "Oh my God, and here's me scared about stopping smoking, that girl kicked Heroin!"

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