7 months for me today...proud but could be happier

[nsd_user663_6991]

Hi all

I just popped in to celebrate my 7 months milestone today. I wish I felt better though, and like a lot of posts recently I feel like I have been visited by the 'nico monstery thing'. I have had to have strong words with some 'stinking thinking' that has been going on in my head lately.

For me stopping smoking has revealed quite a few unresolved issues in my life. Sadly they are not easy or quick problems to deal with and the anxiety that comes from confronting and working through these the problems feels like a craving. So some days I can feel utterly miserable if Im trying to tackle a problem. I have read quite a bit about the self medicating qualities of nicotine and have realised thats what I have been doing for a long time without even knowing it.

Pretty confident that things will pan out given time and time is a great healer as they say.

Newbies don't be disheartened, I don't think my experience is usual, I should have chosen my time a little more carefully and cleared up a few things before I embarked on this journey.

I am really enjoying excercise though and its been my saviour along with reading and learning and despite my difficulties I do actually love being a non smoker.

Wishing everyone else well with their journey to freedom.

Amanda

x

[nsd_user663_6412]

EH Amanda,

I know what you mean....some days I could not give a flying ^&*(, but it is

a lot better than smoking. I really would like to strangle my boss, but that

is besides the point ;). I think a change of scenery will be welcomed.

Keep up da quit.

[nsd_user663_4991]

Well done Amanda , its a great a achievement to have been quit 7 months and you should feel very , very proud of yourself .

Like you I had ups and downs along the way too ( where Nico demon rears his ugly head ) and I take comfort in the fact that I have managed to quit and stay quit while enjoying the freedom.

Hang in there ....it gets better every day

Trev

20 a day for 30 years

quit 28th April 09

3 months patches

9 months C.T

[nsd_user663_4625]

Hi Amanda,

Sorry you are feeling not quite as good as you should given you have been of the weed for 7 months.

Summon up the enormous strength you have used to quit the fags & cahnel it into the other issues you need to resolve. The strength of character needed to quit, I think is enormous, so if you can do that..........

I don't mean to sound blase at all as obviuosly I don't know what you have to deal with but I am sure you will be able to.

Hugz, gaynor x

[nsd_user663_5956]

Hi Amanda

Well done on 7 months that great news, I am just behind you with 6. I know exactly what you mean, it seems some people have a fairly easy time and others really struggle, you and I among them.

I have found it the hardest thing I have ever done even though I had a really good reason for quitting ie. cancer, but even so have fought against it for months.

I am starting to feel a lot better as I have accepted the quit and like the non smoking part of me that doesnt smell and have yellow fingers. Exercise is great so is nicer breath, shiny hair, better skin and oh yes 18lb on which is my next battle !!!!

Do hope you perk up soon, stay strong.

Dee

[nsd_user663_4964]

Thats excellent news. Must feel great. For me it was the initial giving up that was hardest, and the further i am from the last one, the less i think about them and the easier it gets.I found it very hard to keep quit for more than a few weeks.

I agree to an extent that we were self medicating with nicotine. It's a highly powerful and addictive drug and we were drug addicts....

Hope it gets easier soon for you.

[nsd_user663_4990]

congrats on your 7 months amanda, hope things improve for you soon, quite erratic times can be had while quitting so i hope this little low period is short lived.

keep going.

j

[nsd_user663_7469]

Huge congratulations on your 7 months as a non smoker, I think that every one struggles to some extent and I must admit that my initial steps on the smoke free ladder were easier than the 3/4th months, it’s like a rollercoaster ride that has some great exhilarating places and some that take you into the pits of despair.

Anxiety and depression are also the bedfellow of quitting smoking and some cave in and decide that smoking again will be the way to get there life back on track and others come to realise that smoking will definitely not cure anything but only compound the problem no matter what they are.

As you said the smoking was used as a crutch to camouflage the problems, you could even say it was used as a smoke screen so you didn’t have to face the bad bits in life that none of us really want to deal with, but you have come this far and I am sure with good support you will not turn back to the smoking again no matter how bad things seem to get, hold your head up and pat yourself on your back and say to yourself ”Well done to me” because you have done brilliantly and will continue to do so.